Our school has been doing what you are offering for years now with a local photographer. We do it at the begininning of November and it is labled as Family/Holiday Portraits.

We do it on a Saturday and the photographer brings a holiday background and a plain background. The price is the same, you pay $20 for the sitting fee and you get 1 8x10 with the price. Then people are free to order additional packages, portraits, or Holiday photo cards.

We get $10 from the $20 sitting fee and we get 5% of any holiday card orders that are placed.

We get about 30-35 families who do it (we are a school of 300). We don't do it because we make a huge profit, we do it because the families that do take part in it love it and would be devestated if we stoped. They would much rather come to the school to have it done quick and easy as opposed to going to Sears or another place during the holidays to have them done.

You might have a better shot billing it this way. But I can tell you that each kid getting 2 people to do it is unrealistic. You won't even get every family to participate.

You know, at first I was pretty upset by your reply. I don't want to offend anyone but that was similar to the reaction I was getting. I was so upset that people wouldn't even consider trying something new.

It just may be as simple as fear of an unknown, untried event. Truthfully, our group didn't want to switch vendors until it became absolutely necessary. When the time came, we did go with the vendor who had taken the time to woo us, even though he knew we had someone else and didn't plan on changing. He took his time, came to meetings, put his free samples out, provided door prizes, etc. I actually count him as a friend, and did even before we became business related. JHB put it very eloquently when she posted about building relationships with vendors. Looking back, it really did make a difference, at least in our case.

I am in a similar situation at work where vendors are trying to get their foot in the door to sell to government agencies. Many of these vendors have great prices, products, services. But it's an extremely competetive arena, hard to pin down who the decision maker is, much less get any of their time. (Sound familiar?)

One of the strategies that works is a long term approach to building relationships and growing the business. Where I come into this is "education". These same vendors will provide industry experts and help me put on educational briefings for this audience. My program has rigid guidelines - those attending know they won't get hit with a sales pitch. The vendors participating get name recognition and a chance to talk to those same people who won't take their calls. They can't sell (at that time), but they can develop the relationships that lead sells.

So my point is - how can you offer something that gets your name out and builds the realtionships - but might not translate to sales immediately. What can you afford to do? What are you willing to do?

Can you offer to provide a nice headshot of the principal and vice principal for display in the foyer with a small acknowledgement sign? Can you give a workshop at a PTO meeting on picture-taking tips for parents? Can you donate a photo to the PTO's silent auction?

What can you offer to differentiate yourself from the 200 other calls/flyers we get? What will make us think of YOU when it's time to choose that service next time?

PTO Leaders - YOU should be capitalizing on the fact that it's a buyers market. Are you asking your vendors what else they can do for you?

[ 01-14-2005, 01:42 PM: Message edited by: JHB ]

The MetzyMom makes some good points. Additionally, I've found that the PTOs are just flat overwhelmed with fundraising offers. And of course every single sales rep swears it's unique and the best deal ever. It would have been impossible for me to really examine every offer I got when I was president. The sheer volume is amazing.

It's just a hugely competetive industry. In our school PTO has nothing to do with photos or yearbooks. And the school runs sales fundraisers on its own. So to add to the confusion (for sales reps), they have to market to both the PTOs and the principals because it varies from school to school as to who does what.

What you are offering would seem to me to be more of a niche. It's hard to compete with the many commerical portrait offerings available around town. In our area, our churches do family portraits as a fundraiser and for the directory. The kids already get 2 school pictures a year. With a school or PTO only able to organize X number of fundraising events per year, I don't know that family portraits would come very high on my personal list.

[ 01-14-2005, 01:53 PM: Message edited by: JHB ]

Thanks so much! You know, I never put down any of the current fundraisers, but it could have come across that way without realizing it. The price really shouldn't be an issue because as far a pictures go, it is a very good price. And, you don't have to sell a ton to make a good profit off the fundraiser. Realistically, I'd like to see an average of 2 ticket sales per student (at $20 for a ticket). Maybe that's aiming high, but for an average that's an easy mark to hit. Plus, the school isn't counting on package sales so the bulk of the money is coming from the $20 donation for the sitting and a free 8x10 of the family. Even then, a lot of people won't bother to show up to get the picture done, but the school's already benefitted. But, I can see your point regarding the expense. I didn't think about the parent/fundraiser thing as a bad thing, but I can see why a school would look the other way and go outside the district. It's kind of a shame not to support a local business, but it's a politics thing I guess.

Don't you think that a family picture that you're selling to neighbors and friends is quite a bit different from school pictures too? Maybe not different enough. Hmmm...

You know, at first I was pretty upset by your reply. I don't want to offend anyone but that was similar to the reaction I was getting. I was so upset that people wouldn't even consider trying something new. At least you were willing to explain why. Thank you for that. I hope I won't have to abandon schools for those reasons because I know how awesome this could be, but at least now I have a clear picture of the obstacles I will have to overcome.

Thanks so much!
Chris

Let me begin by saying that our school doesn't use businesses owned by parents/staff for fundraisers.

Second, I know that at our school, tried and true is a great thing. We know what works for us and we stick with it.

Third, Loyalty to our current fundraising companies is as important to us as it is to them.

Fourth, In our case, the school uses a photo group twice a year (once in September and once in the Spring) and both provide the school with a portion of the sales as well other nice incentives. I believe most schools already have some sort of deal like this whether is run by the school or by the parent group.

Fifth, In your gung-ho way, you are putting down other types of fundraisers

part of me really doesn't want to go through these garbage sales things

and even though you may not actually say that to prospective schools, it may come across that way. As the main fundraiser at our school, I know the fastest way for someone not to get my business is to bad mouth or belittle a current fundraiser or a current vendor, even if it is just hinting...

Sixth, I notice you didn't list any prices in your post. Depending on the price of your portraits, it may be that even though you are offering .50 on the dollar, the price of each portrait may be too high. For example: candles sell really well for $3 each, but they're cheap candles. For $3, folks expect the candles to be kinda cheap, but will buy them because everyone can afford $3. Try to sell a top of the line candle, like Gold Canyon, for $18 and you may sell a few, but the overall neighborhood customer isn't going to be able to afford it. They will, however, spend $18 on 5 cheap candles to give as gifts or whatever. See what I mean? It doesn't matter that the $18 candle will burn longer, cleaner, and smell nicer. It matters that everyone in Little Joey's neighborhood had $3 in their pocket and didn't have to wait for a payday just to buy a candle from him. If the school is getting 50% of either, the cheaper candle will, more times than not, make the most money for the school.

I hope this didn't seem too harsh. There are other things, but I don't want to seem like the voice of doom.

If it were me, I'd be pitching principals and school districts. Find out who the current photography group is for a school, find out what they are offering and to whom they are offering it (parent group, principal, district). Then go see that person(s). If you are looking to pitch a parent group, start by talking to the president or fundraising chair. Ask to present your stuff at the next available group meeting.

Good Luck!