by ticketprinting on March 14, 2011
At a local fair last weekend, a pair of young boys approached me as I was talking to a fellow I knew from my gym.
“Buy a raffle ticket?” the bigger one said, waving a single ticket in my face.
“Um…” I replied.
“What’s it for?” my friend asked.
“For our school.”
But what would that ticket do for his school? The little chap couldn’t say. He didn’t know anything about the cause for which he was raising money. All he knew was the name of his school, but he couldn’t say whether they needed to raise funds for a new gym floor, to send the band to a competition or (as is the case with some schools) to purchase base essentials like paper and pencils!
“You can win $500!” the kid continued. “And the ticket is only $1!”
“But how many tickets do you think you’ll sell?” I asked. “How many did they print?”
The child didn’t know. And while $500 is a fair sum, the odds of winning depend only the number of tickets sold. For a cash raffle with a prize of $500, they would need to print at least 1000 raffle tickets and sell them all to make an appreciable profit. A “50-50″ cash raffle is the standard, although, by selling enough tickets, one could offer a large prize and still keep an even larger profit. In the case of a $500 50-50 cash raffle, that $1 ticket has a 1 in 1000 chance of winning.
But I couldn’t calculate the odds. I simply wasn’t given enough information to be moved by the child’s pitch, and these boys were old enough that there were no adults kept handily about to answer my questions. (Meaning, of course, that they were old enough that I wasn’t moved by the cuteness factor of their pitch, either.)
This underscores the need to prepare your sales team, whether they are seasoned professionals or 10 years old. Make a list of all the questions someone might conceivably ask about your raffle before you start selling booklets, and coach your crew to memorize the answers.
Needless to say, those kids didn’t sell me a raffle ticket that day.
by ticketprinting on January 28, 2011
How does a savvy raffle organiser make the most of her supporters’ interests? By asking about her supporters’ interests before she prints her Raffle Tickets!
Today’s tip? Send out a survey!
If you have the money and a base that does not spend much time online, you can do this with a paper survey mailed with a stamped envelope. Otherwise, save time and money by using one of myriad online quiz-making applications. Then ask exactly what you need to know:
- Most coveted prizes
- General interests (this helps determine smaller prizes)
- Number of tickets supporter might want
- Prize range they consider reasonable
- Most convenient time of year for a prize draw
- Appropriate number of prize draws a year
Most people enjoy filling out quizzes and surveys on the Internet. It provides a stronger link to your organisation, demonstrating that you see your donors as individuals, not just financial amounts, and that you are interested in their opinions and feedback.
Of course, your prize draw will be far more successful if you are selling Raffle Tickets for items people wish to win, at prices they can afford, at times and in places convenient to them for purchasing Raffle Tickets!
Want to improve your next fundraising prize draw? Don’t ask my opinion! Ask the opinions of those to whom you hope to sell Raffle Tickets! Seek our your supporters, determine what they want, and enjoy more success by giving it to them.
by ticketprinting on November 22, 2010
Has your organization begun planning your big Christmas prize draw? We’ve asked the experts for their top tips in aid of selling more Raffle Tickets this year, and might find yourself surprised to hear some of the best fundraising advice the Internet has to offer.
For instance, do you depend on a paid sales crew, or a group of dedicated volunteers? Have you not considered asking others to help? According to our most successful contacts, you’ll sell far more Raffle Tickets if you send stapled booklets to all members of your organisation. Consider the size of your mailing list. If each member receives 5 tickets to sell, how many additional sales would that create?
Include a letter asking each member to purchase the tickets themselves, or to sell those 5 tickets to friends, family, neighbors, or colleagues. It’s a small number, but it will truly add up. Just be sure that you provide a method for the home office to track these sales, so you can be assured that tickets entered in the prize draw have been bought.
by ticketprinting on July 30, 2010
How will you help your supporters get away while you sell more Raffle Tickets??
The most popular types of prize draws are those awarding holidays and vehicles. Are you ready to capitalise on this information? Indeed, these are big-ticket items, but with proper preparation, you can organise and manage a big-ticket prize draw. It takes only some advance planning, some networking, and some hard work and you’ll be well on your way to selling more Raffle Tickets.
Some organisations have the funds or the connections to pull this sort of promotion together effortlessly, but most of us will need to think about it. Who do we know in a position to donate our large prizes? Travel agents? Collectors? Do you know the owners of a car dealership, a bed and breakfast, or a company that offers day trip adventures? Begin by making up lists. Don’t think merely of the people you know. Consider their friends as well. If someone in your organisation has a rich, philanthropist uncle or an old university chum who collects antique vehicles, put them on your list, too.
Now, create your pitch. In many cases, it’s helpful to write your script down first. Remember to include:
- You name
- The name of your organisation
- Your group’s mission statement
- The specific intention for the fund you will raise
- A specific donation request
Do your research. Find phone numbers and contact information for everyone you wish to reach. When you do reach them, speak politely but confidently. Don’t feel any shame in asking for a donation: you are working for a really worthy cause, and people will be happy to help you out! Consider how happy you’ll be when you’ve secured your large donations and can get down to the happy business of printing your own Raffle Tickets online. It will be easy to choose a design that reflects the nature of the prizes you offer, and those prizes will be spectacular.
by ticketprinting on April 17, 2010
You probably already know that your sales numbers are only as good as your sales team, and your team—volunteers or paid staff—are only as good as their commitment to selling. If you wish to sell more Raffle Tickets, you may need to find further methods of motivating your sales team.
In the past, we’ve discussed some common motivators:
- Coffee and doughnuts
- Weekly staff meetings
- Prizes for top sellers
- Penalties for not meeting quotas
- Regular email communication
If you’ve tried all these methods and still wish your team exhibited a bit more enthusiasm, try something new.
Involve them more deeply in the decision process. For instance, choose a selection of Raffle Ticket templates and let your team vote on which design they’d prefer to sell.
Offer recognition. Let the team know that the top seller will receive not only a prize, but also recognition, such as a photo in the organisation’s newsletter, or an award at a large event.
Commemoration. Plaques, certificates, or trophies may help a volunteer sales force stay motivated through a lengthy charity campaign. Display them prominently throughout the duration.
by ticketprinting on January 8, 2010
Have you had much success selling Raffle Tickets to support your school, business, or charitable organisation? If so, you know it’s a smart way to add some extra cash to your annual budget. If you’ve never tried holding your own prize draw, or you’ve been disappointed with past results, now is the time to start preparing for a successful charity fundraiser.
Your success depends on a few factors:
- Your organisation’s reputation
- The value of your prizes
- The cost of your tickets
- The skills of your sales team
- Publicity and exposure
If your reputation is already stellar, you can build on that, but if people are skeptical of your group, use your prize draw as a means of getting your message out and creating better buzz around your name.
Regarding prizes and ticket prices, do put some good thought into these choices. You may have to make many phone calls, use your networking skills, and perhaps even call in some favors to find prizes that people can get excited about. Then, price accordingly. For big ticket items, you can certainly ask for two pounds per ticket (the legal limit), but remember, you can make the same amount of money even if you charge less, by selling more tickets.
Let your sales team speak for you and show you in your best light. Your team should be able to talk coherently about your mission, and they should be willing to follow the crowds! Sporting events and street fairs are wonderful places to send your team. The more exposure they give you, the more money you’ll make. Make sure to write about your upcoming prize draw on your own website, but also on blogs and forums. Send press releases to the newspaper. Let people know when and where tickets will be available.
Start planning now and reap the rewards throughout the year!
