I substitute taught a group of 7th graders yesterday and asked them to mention one unique thing about themselves. A good majority of the class said they were good at one sport or another. One little girl said she has either basketball or softball practice every day of the week, including the weekends. Our children already know how to be committed to venues that society values. They practice day after day to become better at their trade.
The same aspects of commitment can be applied while practicing the school fundraising presentation. Just as your child may have an instructor for dance or a coach for basketball, you are your child’s coach for fundraising. You can encourage your child to begin a practice regimen that can be carried out while balancing other activities. This can be a special time, morning or night, that your child rehearses the presentation in front of a live audience to enhance delivery skills.
As a parent, you can encourage your child to be committed to the practice schedule, and you can also coach the elements of the presentation. Your child may encounter a variety of people during the fundraising event. Adapting to the different personalities can be much easier with several days of previous practice.
Your child should be practicing daily. Being committed to the fundraising activity is imperative for it to succeed. Your child’s commitment to the project should not waiver if the determination and persistence are strong. Below are three elements to help your child stay committed to the activity.
Work on one element at a time:
Trying to focus on every aspect of the presentation each time will likely burn your child out and not be as effective than honing in on specific skills.
Write down the practice schedule:
Committing yourself in the written form has shown great success. You can help your child make a checklist so it is fun to mark each practice and what skills were practiced on that day.
Stay on track with your schedule:
Make sure you give your child a little slack. If one day of practice is missed, excuse it and get right back on track. The important thing to remember is that your child doesn’t get frustrated and quit.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Saturday, February 9, 2008
School Fundraising: Creating an Outline
If you and your child have been avidly following my blogs and implementing the different techniques, you are probably ready to dive in and begin presenting. Just like any quality presentation, it is very important to work from an outline. The goal is not for your child to sound scripted. Instead, having a rubric enables your child to concentrate on the customer’s needs and personality.
We have discussed how important it is to meet the needs of the customer first and foremost. Placing others ahead of ourselves requires patience, but is often rewarding in many ways. The rubric is very flexible. It will be an opportunity for your child to understand the layout of an outline (if this hasn’t already been taught in school) and the uses for it. If we use the outline correctly, we should sound very natural during the presentation, inserting dialogue with any opportunity.
Below is an example of a presentation outline. The most important thing to remember is to know your customer. If your customer begins a story, encourage more details or share a similar story of your own.
I. Introduction (“The Pan”)-The Pan is the basis for your presentation.
A. You – “Hello, I’m Jennifer…”
B. Your Cause – “I’m a part of X organization…”
C. Greeting – “How are you today”
It’s very important here to greet the customer rather than beginning to speak about the product. Remember, it’s not about the product; it’s about the customer. You haven’t even gotten to know the customer yet, so you cannot be certain how or if it will meet their needs.
II. Body (“The Cake”)- The cake is the savory part you give and receive details.
A. The Product
B. Why You Chose This Customer
C. Possible Needs/Goals The Product Can Fulfill
Help your child to overcome the fear of talking about the customer. If your child explains that the reason for choosing this customer is to get the neighborhood involved or because “rumor has it” that this customer likes chocolate (for example), your child will be creating a bigger purpose than the product itself.
III. Call to Action (“The Frosting”)- The frosting is the reward and tie-off.
A. How Many?
B. Who Else?
C. Follow-Up
This final stage is the glaze on the sale. Your child should be comfortable asking for referrals because the customer will most likely refer those interested in fundraising activities or the particular product available. This is a great opportunity for your child. Then, scheduling a follow-up or delivery is vital to end the sale on relationship rather than money.
We have discussed how important it is to meet the needs of the customer first and foremost. Placing others ahead of ourselves requires patience, but is often rewarding in many ways. The rubric is very flexible. It will be an opportunity for your child to understand the layout of an outline (if this hasn’t already been taught in school) and the uses for it. If we use the outline correctly, we should sound very natural during the presentation, inserting dialogue with any opportunity.
Below is an example of a presentation outline. The most important thing to remember is to know your customer. If your customer begins a story, encourage more details or share a similar story of your own.
I. Introduction (“The Pan”)-The Pan is the basis for your presentation.
A. You – “Hello, I’m Jennifer…”
B. Your Cause – “I’m a part of X organization…”
C. Greeting – “How are you today”
It’s very important here to greet the customer rather than beginning to speak about the product. Remember, it’s not about the product; it’s about the customer. You haven’t even gotten to know the customer yet, so you cannot be certain how or if it will meet their needs.
II. Body (“The Cake”)- The cake is the savory part you give and receive details.
A. The Product
B. Why You Chose This Customer
C. Possible Needs/Goals The Product Can Fulfill
Help your child to overcome the fear of talking about the customer. If your child explains that the reason for choosing this customer is to get the neighborhood involved or because “rumor has it” that this customer likes chocolate (for example), your child will be creating a bigger purpose than the product itself.
III. Call to Action (“The Frosting”)- The frosting is the reward and tie-off.
A. How Many?
B. Who Else?
C. Follow-Up
This final stage is the glaze on the sale. Your child should be comfortable asking for referrals because the customer will most likely refer those interested in fundraising activities or the particular product available. This is a great opportunity for your child. Then, scheduling a follow-up or delivery is vital to end the sale on relationship rather than money.
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