Start Pushing Buttons!
One of the really great things about this business is working with all of you. Really - think about it. By definition, our customers are people who take on huge jobs to improve their communities. And the overwhelming majority of you are volunteers!
And, let’s just put this out there: most of the people who volunteer to work on an auction have never done so before, or only a couple of times. It isn’t rocket science, and you all are smart, capable people, so you’re not afraid of the overall idea - your team will get some items, sell some tickets, rent a space, hire a caterer, and have a party. You’ve got this.
I want to build on that confidence today, and extend it into a very specific area: you should push more buttons.
Inside the software, yes. I do mean that. Whenever you feel hesitant to try to enter an item a specific way, or test out the template options for the homepage, just try it. You can’t break it. Really. And if you do, we will be excited - because you will have found a way we can make the software better, for you and for everyone else who uses it. (Oh, and if you want a little more hand-holding while you do, may we suggest our Guided Tours?)
But I also mean this is a larger sense. Try more stuff. Mobile bidding. Self Check-Out. Do you throw a traditional, adults-only, dinner gala auction? Is it feeling stale? Maybe an all-ages afternoon event, with a kids-only silent auction (nothing with a value over $5; bidding restricted to people under the age of 12.)
I can hear the objection: I don’t need one more thing to plan, I just want to do what I know works. Which is perfectly understandable. And many times, a fine fine strategy. Don’t fix what isn’t broken, and all that. The “button” you choose to push here might involve a process that your guests never see - a new approach to staffing the auction team, or reexamining some of the tasks we automatically look for someone to do, because we always have.
But inside whatever strategy you choose, give yourself some freedom to try stuff out.
