or “Everything I Know About Tabling I learned from Consultants”

These are some tricks that many at home party consultants use to book more parties, make more sales, and bring in more clients. These tricks and tips can be adapted to our rescues and humane society fundraisers, helping them bring in more volunteers for fundraisers and make more connections with people!

* Book more parties (volunteers) by sounding exclusive… hurry, only a few more slots left! It also makes things sound more exciting, and people want to be part of something wonderful and be where the action is!

* Make events sound wonderful! This special opportunity (garage sale) will give your volunteers a chance to get to know each other, work towards a common goal, and make a difference in the community!

* Give limited times and dates for volunteering and ask a person specifically. Jan, can you volunteer from 8 to 10 or do you prefer 2 to 4?

* Schedule follow-up calls to remind people of their time slots, or check back in with them on issues to see how things are working out.

* Sign people up for your newsletter! Do it via snail mail or e-mail, but keep your name and programs in front of them!

* If you don’t hear no once in a while, you’re not asking enough!

* No doesn’t really mean NO, or that they hate you. It means they don’t have enough information to give you a YES answer just yet.

* Use scripts to approach people!

* Contests generate enthusiasm, and give people an ‘in’ to approach people and ask them for donations, ticket sales. Encourage volunteers to sell more tickets by proposing a contest to ask 50 people, to sell 50 tickets, or to approach 20 strangers while tabling! Contest winner gets a dog named after them, or is crowned at annual ball, walks in front of a parade wearing a special sash… Silly but fun and inexpensive things.

* Award progress! Host annual appreciation awards to highlight team achievements

* Use magnets, handouts, freebies to bring people in to talk to you and leave your table with you on their mind. Magnets hang around forever!

* Assign mentors! Your uplevel and downlevel are important to create a cohesive team. Don’t leave new members floundering, bring them into the fold by assigning a mentor.

* Sell to FRANK! Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, Neighbors and Kids’ Contacts are all potential clients!

* Write down your list of contacts, everyone you know. Go back and write down their jobs and who you know who can help sponsor your events, donate prizes, has connections to other big wigs…