Responses
Ethan, 12/4/2005, 7:10:57 PM
Sorry, I don't have an answer, Anthony, just a "ditto" to the question. Well, OK, I can say that in the first part of this year we were selling tickets to a fundraiser and my system was: you had to sell 6 tickets each OR (because of various squealing about unfairness) DO AN EQUIVALENT AMOUNT OF OTHER SUPPOORT WORK FOR THE CLASS (e.g., bringing in newspapers, organizing materials and the like). But I'm interested to hear other responses.
Chad, 12/5/2005, 12:56:01 PM
We require students to show that they have "made contact" with a business in attempt to sell an ad. This can come in the form of collecting a signature from the business owner, business card, etc.
One way to combat "how much do i have to sell" is by offering incentives for OVERselling. For example, if the whole class makes the quota, XXX will happen. Or, for every dollar you sell above $XXX, half will of that overage will be credited to your student account (to be spent on trips, conferences, contests, T-shirts, etc.
I would say it's a common practice, but to cover yourself, put it in your syllabus or your "staff contract" that the students AND parents sign at the beginning of the school year. Just a CYA element.
--Chad
Anthony, 12/5/2005, 9:06:06 PM
Ethan, Chad.
Thanks for your responses.
Chad, a followup clarifying question:
when you say it is a common practice, do you mean giving a grade for certain dollar in sales, or is the common practice tracking sales effort/activity, with incentives for overselling as you describe (account credit for trips, etc.), but not for a grade?
km, 12/7/2005, 11:53:56 PM
it is common practice to require ad sales for a certain grade--say drop a half grade for each sale not in or for each dollar amount short of the goal. We require four ad contracts or at least a 2x2 ad (25). The only way a student can get away with just making contacts is if every business who advertised with us has been contacted already plus all the florists, restaurants, and dress shops and tuxedo and limo rental places have been contacted at prom time--very unlikely as we have a ton of ads and businesses.
we, too, give incentives. All four contracts in by Oct. 30, you get a free staff t-shirt or 5 dollars toward a staff sweatshirt. also, any student who wants to go on a trip has to earn a minimum of 300 dollars in ad sales. anything over 500 in sales and the student earns 25 percent toward his/her plane ticket to convention--up to the cost of the ticket (students get registration and hotel paid for by fundraisers and ad sales, but must buy own meals and plane ticket).
One last incentive, is that we go to a restaurant for a Christmas meal. Those selling all of their ads by this time get a discount on the meal. Usually only one or two students out of 35 have not done so by now.
In addition, those not selling all of their ads are not eligible for end-of-year awards nor Quill and Scroll, and we won't enter them into any contest unless they pay their own contest fee.
We also have a picnic right before school starts and the whole staff goes in groups to canvass areas of town. Almost everyone who attends this picnic--about half the staff--sells all of their ads at this time.
also, any staff member who is struggling, we pair her editor up with her for help. Sometimes an editor will take out several students right after school to sell ads.
Of course, all of this should be in writing and given to the parents at a beginning of the year parent meeting.
