How to Sell Ads

Selling an ad is easier than you think!

With our current economic climate, the school district can only allocate limited funding to our program, so it is necessary for us to supply the revenue we need to produce high quality productions. Ad sales bring in a lot of money! Those of you who have never sold ads before may not know where to start. Never fear! Here are step-by-step instructions to get you started:

1. Go to registration day!!!!! Besides turning in membership forms here you will start the process of selling an ad! Besides your dues money, you will need to turn in a check for $100 written to Theatre Guild Booster Club. This is only an ad deposit and you’ll get this money back as soon as you sell $130 worth of ads. If you decide not to sell an ad and want to use your deposit to fulfill this requirement just let us know and you won't have to sign up for a business.

2. Choose a business to sell ads to. There will be a long list of businesses at registration day so you'll have a wide variety to choose from. Most of them have purchased ads from us before and are almost sure things. Sign up by writing your name in the space next to the business name. It's easiest to sell an ad to friends, family, or a someone to whom you or your family pays money, like your orthodontist, voice/instrument teacher, doctor, lawn service, photographer, bakery, dentist, SAT prep company, driver's training school, etc. Major corporations are hard to sell to since their local stores don’t have the power to buy an ad.

You might want to choose somewhere that you are familiar with so it will be easy for you to get there to pick up the ad. If the business you wish to sell to does not appear on the list, write it in at the bottom. Make sure you sign up for your ad, or you will not be given credit for it. Also, if you sign up to sell an ad, it is your responsibility to sell it. If for some reason you can't or decide not to sell to that business, you must let a member of the board know so that we can follow through with the sale.

3. Contact the business you chose. You can do this by phone, or in person. Ask to speak the manager or person in charge of advertising. Ask politely and always be courteous. When you speak to someone at the business, tell him or her that you are a member of Pioneer High School Theatre Guild and you want to know if they (the business) would be interested in purchasing an ad to go in our program to help fund our productions.

4. When you are talking to the manager, give him/her the information sheet on the ad sizes and prices, the name of the show, when it will be performed and anything that might be important or special about the show. Tell them that their ad (whatever size they choose) will appear in our program, and they can buy an ad for the whole year or just one show. Always mention season ads. Be a salesman and don’t forget to smile! If the business has bought an ad from us before, you should have no problem. Make sure to tell the manager/owner that over 15,000 people will see their ad at TG shows this year.

5. If the manager is not there at the time you contact the business, you may have to try again later. But make sure you do, and BE PERSISTENT. Don’t worry about calling too many times, do what it takes to make the sale. Some businesses might be hesitant, but you can assure them that buying an ad for Theatre Guild will benefit them as much as it will benefit us.

6A. If the business says that they are not interested, then you’re out of luck with that business . Thank the manager and leave. Come back to Pioneer and let us know and we'll help you find a new business to sell to. Don’t give up, just try again! Most businesses will be willing to buy an ad. If you have a lot of trouble, Susan will always help you and you can ask any TG board member.

6B. If they say yes, then the hardest part is over. You’ll need to go to the business in person to pick up the ad and collect the check. Make sure the ad you are given is exactly as they want it to appear in the program. If they need to make the artwork, find out when it will be ready and pick it up. You are responsible for making sure that everything gets to us on time. Make sure to fill out the ad contract with them and clarify any questions they may have. You may also want to leave your contact information in case they need to get in touch with you.

7. Put the ad and ad money in the locked box next to the green board. Please do not hand it to anyone. Digital Format: If your business prefers to turn in an ad digitally, either give or mail the manager the following templates so s/he can make the ad the correct size: FullPage, HalfQuarterBCard. The best way to submit a digital ad is to email it to ptguild.ads@gmail.com.

Once you’ve sold $130 worth of ads, you’re home free and will get your $100 deposit back! (But always feel free to sell more than that!) Good luck!

Another option

As well as selling ads to a business, you or your family can buy one. These ads get put in our program along with the ones sold to businesses. (Please keep all ads school appropriate.)

If you need additional help, contact our producer, Susan Hurwitz (994-3508 or susan.s.hurwitz@gmail.com) or the Theatre Guild student business managers, Grace Gilmore (ggilmore1352@hotmail.com), or John Lee (johnjylee11@netscape.net) and they can give you some guidance.