RUNTIME

FREE Promotional Newsletter

RUNTIME is our promotional newsletter mailed monthly to nearly 1500 fundraising distributors nationwide.

News and editorials about AFRDS and the fundraising industry.
Information and updates on programs and services.
Jokes, quotes and other interesting tidbits . . .
Deals with Discounts and Deadlines.
PLUS . . . information from other vendors in the industry. We call them RUNTIME participants. Its part of our two-pronged strategy to get distributors to open the envelope:
1. Keep enough industry news in there that, even those who do not think they need our products/services (yet) will keep reading . . . and
2. You have to open the envelope because you never know whose materials might be inside.
3. I did say two, didn't I . . . RUNTIME participants also help pay the postage.

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PRIORITY News

A Subscription Letter

Instead of promoting products and services, each issue of PRIORITY focuses on a topic appropriate to fundraising.

What Readers Are Saying

Hi John -

Just had to thank you again for your great publication! Although I don't have
to worry about running a prepack/tally center, worry about ordering
correctly, and worry about many of the things the independents have to worry
about, I do follow the industry and try to be educated as possible.

I really appreciated your candid "story" about the cattle call, and the
unprofessionalism of some of our "sponsors" (or potential sponsors).

Keep up the good work and being a voice of reason in our industry.
Steve
PS. My check is in the mail.

PRIORITY Topics - 2008

January
- Getting to the Music Directors. Includes a comparison of the "Small School from Yester-year" with the "Big School Today", including a detailed description of student numbers in vocal and instrumental programs in one specific example school and the specific types of fundraising done.
- How to utilize current teacher technology tools and how they are using them to screen you out.
- Who are the decision-makers in both large and small school music programs.
- List of random recommendations for marketing strategies for your consideration.

February
- Are you blogging? Should you be? Inspired by an AFRDS inquiry with interest in distributors using blogging as part of a fundraising project, this letter ...
- Texting vs emailing, including how to use texting to lower your phone minutes and bill.
April
- Why should you / How do you tap into the Work From Home market.
- Other approaches, including hiring your customers vs wholesaling products and services.
- Getting them started, including both success and failure stories...
- Protecting yourself from those who would have you send free brochures and then never run the sale: A discussion and some possibilities.
- Free PDF design and print software. Learn how to turn documents into pdf files without purchasing expensive software, including one specific software recommendation.

May
- Better Distributor to Distributor Communication.
  - The AFRDS IT Committee Tweaks Again
    - Problems from the Supply Side
    - Problems from the Distributor Perspective
- Basic Mechanics of a communication tool
- 1-hr Fundraiser: $4500 in 1hr with 24 high schoolers. An embarrassingly simple setup in a local school by a competitor. "The product you select is the least important part of the sale."

PRIORITY Topics - 2007

January
- Show Notes. Opinions and observations about the show from those who stopped by our booth.
- Playing by the rules – or NOT addresses a recurring problem of people getting into the AFRDS show w/o paying. ALSO…some large number calculations (i.e. booth spaces x cost ea and members x membership) with some questions. Includes a partial itemization of some of the ridiculous (opinion) charges suppliers pay for booth supplies and maintenance.
- Applause for some of the more creatively designed booths at the Vegas AFRDS show.
February
- Learn from the Titanic … or sink. Some Titanic trivia with some uncomfortable comparisons.
- Is Fundraising a Titanic business? Are we arranging the deck chairs on a sinking ship, or are we learning from the Titanic and changing course and speed? One of my more negative moments with intense opinions.
April
- Discount Cards for all the right reasons. Why they make sense, prime candidates, cards vs coupon books, types of cards, types of sales, who solicits (recommendations), selling points for QDP discount cards, competitor tips and tricks, display vs text ads, profit examples, marketing tools and telesales tips.
May
- The Band Plan™ Collaboration Presentation. A short presentation to a Band Parent group with the idea of turning them into a fundraising distributorship under your umbrella.
June
- Summer Marketing / Planning. School’s out but not everybody. Who’s in, where to find ‘em, how to get to ‘em. Also some other non-school groups with peak summer seasons.
July
- Don’t Hurt Your Head on This. Applying Howard Gardner’s Educational Theory on Multiple Intelligences to fundraising, and showing you how to use some of the buzz words to get the attention of educational professionals who are applying Multiple Intelligences to current educational instruction.
August
- Lessons Learned from Five Guys Burger & Fries and some other encounters on a short summer vacation.
September
- Candy Fundraising Revisited - a guest article from someone successful in running candy fundraisers at 40% group profit.
- Music Education Classroom Fundraising Presentation - the invitation, the presentation and why you should consider talking to these FUTURE prospects.
- All in One Machines - with some definitions that may keep you from making the same assumption mistakes I did or almost did.
November
- Substituted, Backordered & Overstocked - an editorial rant plus suggestions for using your overstocks instead of the vendor's substitution.
- An out-dated gimmick revisited and updated. In the pre-mega shopper days, there were a couple companies allowing groups to "build a brochure" from single sheet programs, but including some newer alternatives that offset the negatives from the earlier concept.
- Follow up to Collegiate Music Ed presentation.
- Darlington $1.39 Sale - Did you think they were gone? Ha. They had product from Giftco, Scott's, Morley, ... and more.
December
- Students sell for personal profit - The collegiate van plan includes an overview of a totally different type of fundraising model with a modified description that could work for what we do.
- High School Ensembles Individual Accounts. What they are, how they work and how some ideas . . .
- Response to the Substitution issue in Nov. issue.

PRIORITY Topics - 2006

February
- Fundraising is changing. Why are we so surprised? And what are we doing about it?
  - Back in the Good 'Ole Days is a comparison and contrast between the small town marshal, the service station, the hardware store and the elementary school of yesteryear - with the city/state police, the convenience station, the mega stores and the new ways to reach rural elementary schools of today. And then, similarly to the options for the small town hardware store competing with the mega-store, ideas and strategies fundraisers may want to consider.
March
- AFRDS' new List Serve - what it is and what it will do. Why are suppliers opposed to it and what other possibilities are there?
- How to Ship and Charge for Home Delivery
  - Seller Home Delivery - where each seller's order is shipped to one location
  - Customer Home Delivery - where each customer's order is shipped directly
June
- AFRDS has unplugged the List Serve - so who's going to keep the concept going?
  - Supplier main players are against the List Serve
  - Who did (or will) AFRDS listen to?
  - The concept, or a variation, shall continue
- Responding to Internet Inquiries
  - Build a Brochure Instant response. The technology exists, in other industries, for a prospect to visit a web site, list several specific items of interest, and receive an instant response that includes information about the organization, the specific items requested and an order/application. Can we/should we do that in fundraising?
July
- Distributors are closing warehouses, quitting, retiring and selling out! What's going on? Why?
  - What's going on? The Problem
  - Why it is happening - The Reasons
    - The 3 P's (Pieces of the Pie)
    - Items discussed include brochure cost, shipping in/out, gas prices, early buy and air freight, different kinds of competition and attitudes.
    - What can we do? Solutions
      - Down-size
      - Special-ize
      - Re-vital-ize
- Repsonses to AFRDS' List Serve Cancellation
August
- Finding direction, or turning around in a struggling industry, including specific steps of a generic turn around strategy, referencing several publications.
October
- Finding direction ... continued, including articles and excerpts called:
  - Touch all the bases
  - Just fix the car
  - Turning around business performance
  - Turn around with help from your staff
  - Burger King addresses TMC's
  - Theories on causes of decline
November
- Finding direction...continued. Includes a guest commentary.
- Are you using the Internet?
  - Alternatives to mailing out expensive brochures
    - Color copy sell sheets
      - Gift Wrap sheets
      - Seasonal sheets
      - Overstock sheets
      - Variety Pack sheets
      - Inserts into brochures for local sales
  - Internet Sales
    - Brochure-less sales
    - Work from Home Market
  - Bait and hooks to help fish bite. How do you get noticed and selected in the 1,470,000-666,420,000 listings for fundraising on Google and Yahoo search results?
    - The flashy profit provider
    - The self-service wholesaler

PRIORITY Topics - 2005

December
- Happy New Year! So What's NEW about it?
- Successful Strategies + Sensible Shoppers + Steadfast Suppliers + Sophisticated Software + State-of-the-Art-Shipping + Snazzy Services = Superior Sales
November
- Home Delivery: Coming Soon to a Competitor Near You
  - Home Delivery and Outbound Freight
  - The Biggest Group Advantage
  - Home Delivery: More of the Mechanics
    - Shipping Software
    - Seller Home Delivery
    - Customer Home Delivery
    - Home Delivery as a Profit Center
    - Brochure and Product Considerations
October
- Something's Gotta Give
  - Freight/Shipping Expense IN and OUT
  - Mega Shoppers and Brochure Expense: Problems and Possible Alternatives
  - Marketing
    - Gasoline vs. Phone
    - Outside vs. Inside Sales
    - TeleSales: Internal or Outsourced
    - Direct Marketing
    - Internet Marketing
September
- Fundraising problems from a Katrina perspective
- Questions and Answers about Home Delivery
  - When, why and how will Home Delivery catch on?
  - What adjustments are people making to do Home Delivery?
    - Brochures
    - Percentages
    - Prices
    - Shipping
  - How do you decide how to ship?
  - Are there ways to ship that are more efficient than manually using a UPS, Fed-Ex or USPS online program?
August
- New & Expanding Technical Trends in Fundraising
  - Internet Fundraising - local sale expanded
    - There's gotta be a better way!
    - Reasons to like Internet Fundraising
  - Internet Fundraising - the Perpetual Fundraiser
    - Reasons to like Perpetual Fundraiser
  - Internet Fundraising - the brochure-less sale
  - Brand Name Internet Fundraising
  - Home Delivery - The Next Logical Step
    - Reasons to Like Home Delivery
    - Shipping as a Profit Center
  - Seller Home Delivery vs. Customer Home Delivery
June
- Faith and Fundraising. Gets dangerously close to what some will call 'political incorrectness'. After defining 'faith' from some different perspectives.
  - Businesses - stepping out of the boat - to innovate talks about examples of innovation from: shipping industry, from retailers, grocery stores, restaurants, samples of Smart Card and Rewards.
- "So, how floats your fundraising boat?" The answer may be painful. Read appropriate quotes from some famous and not-so-famous people ... And then a list of WHAT IF...Questions for your individual answer.
- Home Delivery - a conclusion and a prediction. Everything in the letter supports this conclusion. Don't miss the boat.

John

I just wanted to let you know that your June mailer was one of the more thought provoking/probing reads I've seen in some time re this industry etc. You obviously have had much of this on your mind & it was good to have it put in print for readers to digest/think about!!

Not only was it well worth with your yearly subscription cost, but it was also well worth the time I spent reading the literature!!

Thank you & look forward to future comments

PS - I very much liked the issue, BUT - I wouldn't expect you to use my name in any 'testimonials'. Thanks.

May
- Are we satisfied? Should we be?
- Includes a Duke University Commencement with a follow-up article called "Taking Pleasure in Dissatisfaction", which compares how other industries conduct follow-up compared to fundraising.
March
- Discount Cards for all the right reasons
  - Discount cards make sense
  - Prime Candidates
  - Discount Cards vs. Coupon Books
  - Types of Cards
  - Types of Sales
  - Who solicits the ads and why
  - Selling points for QDP Discount Cards
  - Competitors' Tips & Tricks
  - Display Ads or Text Cards
  - Distributor Profit Examples
  - Time estimate
  - Marketing Tools Available
January
- Gift Shops
  - Summary of a Chairperson's perfect shop. A sarcastic description of all the different gimmicks and advantages out there - all going to the same customer. Hint: don't sign one up with this deal.
  - Product mixes and results showing some averages of items (and dollars) ordered and shipped, re-ordered and returned. The numbers may surprise you. Also see samples of where your product may need to be priced to sell . . . which can help determine how much to send.
  - Pricing
  - Organization
  - Samples
- Warehouse Sales - includes a list and description of four different inventory reduction possibilities. But this letter ends with vendor competition. We are competing with our own vendors and you may be too. Argument for how vendor sales hurt the local distributor.

PRIORITY Topics - 2004

September
- Action Plans and Autoresponders
  - That was then
  - This is now
  - Repetition is the key
  - Repetition marketing you're already experiencing
  - Action Plans for Automated Follow-up
  - Autoresponders: Free vs. Fee (with samples)
August
- Expand and Combine Offerings for a Competitive Advantage. Using the marketing strategy of a grocery store adding a gas station and discounts to attract more customers to both the store and the station, we explore the concept from a fundraising perspective with 13 specific possibilities.
- There’s GOTTA be a better way – continued. The article by this title in the May issue generated strong response. The June issue continues with two recommendations for those trying to survive with the "mom & pop" strategy as the world goes "Wal-mart".
June - Expand and Combine Offerings for a Competitive Advantage.
- An overview of strategies utilized by retailers like Wal-mart, Meijers and Kroger – getting into the gasoline business, for example, and utilizing discounts in creative ways to knock out the competition and draw people in. Can fundraisers play that game? (Discussion includes)
  - Holiday Shops
  - Imprinting and Spirit Items
  - School Supplies Kits
  - Carnivals and Events
  - School Pictures
  - Band Uniforms and Accessories
  - Playground Sales
  - Music Store / Instrument Business
  - Tours
  - Retail Gift Shops
  - Flea Markets
  - Internet / Perpetual Fundraising
  - Van Delivered Student Sellers
- There’s Gotta be a better way? – Continuing…. Stop trying to be a Mom/Pop operation offering everything to everybody. Two alternatives are suggested and explored.
July
- Pig Races. Including pictures. What they are and suggestions for possible use.
- Guest Article from Barry Peterson with a cutting opinion of what AFRDS should be doing for distributors.
- Internet Tid Bits taken from an Internet Marketing Book.
- Final PRIORITY discounts for pre-season purchases of software and forms.
May – There’s Gotta be a better way?
- Gas vs Long Distance
- Mailing vs Dropping Off Brochures
- Color Copy Overview Flier
- Columbo TeleSelling
- Contact Management Action Plans
- Does TeleSales Work?
- I Got Sold!
- Customer Service Examples
April – Las Vegas ASD/AMD Show
- Surprised
  - …by the Size
  - …by the World Scene
  - …by the Variety
  - …by the Lack of personalized interest in the Attenders
  - …by the number of people who had the same stuff
  - …by the scanning
  - …by the operational efficiency of the close-out vendors
  - …by the focus on Dollar Store Merchandise
  - …by the number of shows
- Encouraged and Excited
- Frustrated and Angry
- The World of the Dollar Store
- Things you don’t have to do if you operate a dollar or other single price store
- Misc things I learned from the Las Vegas show
- Other fundraisers we saw there were:
- New (?) Concepts
  - Prize Store
  - Home Delivery
  - Holiday Shop Scanning
  - Thermal Label on the Pre-Pack Line
March – Fundamentals: A New (?) Player for Fall 2005!
- Atlantic City Fundraising Expo
  - This is a good show for Distributors who…
  - Attendees at this show who DON’T also do the AFRDS Show…
- Holiday Shop Thoughts
  - Price Cards & Product Coding
  - Mark-ups and Margins
  - Close-outs and Alternate Sources for Buying
  - The Nightmare Myth
  - Software ideas we brought back with us
    - Bar coded vs 2-digit-coded check
    - WinUltra Holiday
- Thermal Labels on the Pack Line
- The Perpetual Fundraiser
- Order Form on the Pack Slip
- Have our Trade Shows lost the Spark?
- Clearance Sale Sheets
- Special Discounts for Priority Subscribers

PRIORITY Topics - 2003

January
- How do you communicate with your customers? An overview of the advantages of direct mail and email and suggestions (with sample) of how to use a brief email newsletter for effective ongoing communication.
- Suggestions for reducing cost of mailing brochures.
- Review of a 23 yr old sales manual and list of some things that never change and others that have changed significantly
- Collaboration / marketing ideas. You have fast food restaurants in gas stations, combo restaurants like KFC/Taco Bell and soon you may be reading about collaboration between large discount stores and car dealers. I suggest some fundraising collaboration ideas for your consideration.
- Good Grades Do Pay. With two in college, Joan & I are paying about $4,000 LESS than "retail". We don't know it all, but I'll tell you about $40,000-worth.
March
- March Marketing offers a variety of marketing tactics timed to reach decision-makers as they begin to make their Fall semester decisions.
- An in-depth overview discussion of the concept of a Sales & Marketing DVD.
April
- Using information from several sources, I share my conclusions on the value of reasonable risk taking and why now may be a good time.
- Here's how some national companies are using the web and Internet sales and how you can compete.

A subscription to PRIORITY is $49/yr. To subscribe, call 1-800-FIRST-OK or contact John@QDPCorp.com

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