Now that you have been brainstorming and have a set idea in your head, it is time to share that idea and reach out to others!
Reality Check....Again
It is important that in this step that you are not afraid to ask for help. It is crucial to understand that reaching out it an integral part of the process and that you CAN do it. As someone who often likes to work independently and doesn't really like to ask others for help, let me tell you: this process is not meant for you to do alone. It is of the utmost importance to reach out to all possible connections, even if you feel that it isn't a possibility.
If you chose a cause you are passionate about, it is easy to get carried away and think that you don't need any help. This was something I personally struggled with. I was uncomfortable at first with contacting adults I didn't know and putting myself out there. Trust me, it isn't easy, but it is necessary. The first step to reaching out to others is realizing that you need to and that it is 100% ok. Once you've done that, you're ready to go!
Do Your Research
Now it is time to research those resources and venues you started brainstorming about in the last step. It is crucial you don't go off of hearsay and actually research your options. You may learn more about a venue that excites you, or you may realize one of your connections won't actually work. We are fortunate enough to live in a prime age of technology where all the information you could ever want is at your fingertips, so if you are ever stuck, just start with a quick search online. Also, as I discussed in the previous post, you should figure out what your resources are. It is important to also gain information from those resources.
For instance, my grandmother has been working as a meeting logistics coordinator in Houston for years. It would've been remiss of me to not ask her about her thoughts on venues or any connections she had, since she had been working with venues in the Houston-area for years. In fact, she was the one who helped me find connections at the George R. Brown Convention Center, whom she had worked with for years, and made the 2018 concert a reality!
An image of the Emery/Weiner Jag Choir performing at the 2018 Find Your Sunshine Benefit Concert.
Besides using my personal resources, I also spent a large chunk of time researching online for venues when I was planning the first benefit concert. I compared and contrasted venues, and spent hours reading articles and reviews to make sure I knew more about the venue than what was just presented on the website. Research is important to making sure you know what you're getting into and so that you're prepared for future communications with the people you reach out to.
Organize Your Information
Once you'd done your research, it is extremely helpful to keep all the information organized. You can do this in many ways. You can place all your information in one document that has your notes and the contact information for each person/venue.
For example, when I was first researching all the possible venues for the first Find Your Sunshine Benefit Concert, I created a spreadsheet on Google Sheets. (Side note - I highly recommend using Google programs such as Google Docs or Google Sheets to store your information rather than Word or Excel because it automatically saves, and your information is secure and less likely to get lost!) In this spreadsheet, I included the name of each venue, the predicted cost to rent, contact information, and other information that would eventually compile into a pros and cons list. For instance, I accounted for the location, parking availability, whether they had food or not, the room and stage dimensions, and what electrical and AV equipment the venue had. By compiling all this information in one place, it was easy to go back to and compare the venues to one another.
Draft E-mails & Make Phone Calls
Now that you have all your information and it is organized, it is time for the hard part: interacting with other humans. On a serious note, this step can often cause some social anxiety, I can certainly attest that it did for me. However, it is important to remain calm and professional throughout this step because it will often generate positive results.
It is extremely helpful to write a draft for your e-mails that you are going to send. If you have a base draft that introduces yourself, summarizes what your cause is and why you are doing it, and what you are asking for, it will save you a lot of time. By spending time editing and perfecting this base e-mail, the rest of the process will be a bit simpler and you will already have an outline to look back on.
Also, make sure to keep in mind that this often your first impression on a person. It is important to establish credibility and a sense of responsibility because they will most likely be thrown off by your young age, as most of the places I contacted was. It is crucial to have a sense of maturity in your correspondences so they take you seriously and consider you equally to any other adult. Also a well composed e-mail by a teenager tends to score major brownie points in most adult's books.
Making phone calls, while is admittedly much scarier than sending e-mails, is equally important and sometimes even more effective. It is ok to write a base script for the call, but make sure to speak genuinely and professionally, as you would in a well constructed e-mail.
Be Ready to Hear "No" Or Nothing At All.....
When contacting multiple people and businesses, you must be prepared for varying responses. One of those responses could very well be "no." It is crucial that you don't take this personally and don't get too set on one particular idea. Another very real possibility is that you don't hear back from a some people that you contacted. Don't let either of these options deter you or keep you down!
In my experience, I had plenty of rejections, either because of my young age or because the venue was too expensive. I've also had people that I was really interested in working with not respond, but the most important way to respond is not too sulk too much and just move forward!
Respond and Move Forward!
It may be overwhelming after making numerous e-mails and phone calls to see your inboxes flooded, but it is key to remember to respond and maintain the sense of responsibility and maturity you established in your first correspondence. Although it may seem like too much, just take it step by step and respond to all messages, even the not so good ones. Once you've done this, it is time not too focus too much on who said no or didn't give you the response you were hoping for, but rather zoom in on the successful correspondences and move on to the next step: putting together a committee!
As always, if you have ANY questions, please feel free to email me at find.your.sunshine.concert@gmail.com and send them my way!