need help with 4H letter to buyers

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AAOK

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Jan 30, 2007
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5,264
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Rogers, Ar
chambero said:
In my opinion, the best approach is to inform buyers of the date and time of the show, invite them to watch, and then mention the sale.  Invite them to support youth in your county, not specifically you.

Usually, our county level board sends out letters, not the kids. 

I do think buyers appreciate face to face invitations more.
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I agree about the County Board.  I had a retail clothing store specializing I Work & Western wear for many years before our family got into Show Calves. It always really irked me when I received those letters kids I didn't know. Even more irritating was the face-to-face pleas for money when they were pretending to make a purchase. Worst of all was the parents who would leave giving me a cussing and throwing down the merchandise after I had refused to promise a premium.

When we started showing, at County Auction time, I would have my daughters contact the local radio & news paper to give Public Service Announcements. Several times they were asked to have pictures made with their calves. This way advertised the event, and taught my girls how to make deals and promote events as well as themselves. Parents, teach your kids to communicate and promote, not how to beg!
 

Glorifying Pastures

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May 1, 2012
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62
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Pine River, WI
Some kids may beg for the buyer to promise a preminum, that is not right in my opion, our buyers say they really like the face to face invites. I can tell you of four buyers right now that will only buy from a face to face invite. This type of invite helps the kids break thru a shell if they are shy. My oldest son is not shy in the least, until it comes to invite the buyers, because he is asking a person to spend alot of money. We are a small operation, we don't spend tens of thousands of dollars each year with some of the potenial buyers, so asking them is a hard thing to do when others do spend a chunck of change with some of the buyers. I understand the advertising thing, what does the kid learn by not inviting thru a letter and/or a personal visit. If the parnents leave cussing and ticked off because the buyer dosen't promise a premium, I guess it's time for the parents to GROW UP a little, the sale is a oppertunity for the child not a right.

I disagree with the County Board doing the inviting, again what does that teach our children. My thought is "Let's do a project, and the county board will do all the inviting, that's great less work I gotta do."

The picture thing is a great idea, we did that this year, every buyer we had visited so far thought it was a great extra touch, helps remind them of who did the asking, and who cares about thier project. What a great reminder at auction time, put a name with the face and the animal. 
 

lightnin4

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Apr 5, 2010
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560
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West Tennessee
For our county fair the junior livestock exhibitors have a meeting a couple of weeks before the fair.  At the meeting, the 4-H agent hands out preprinted invitations that include some basic info about the projects (what the kids spend on average and what the average prices have been in the sale the past few years).  Then they go over the list of past buyers and the kids divide up to make personal visits to each business.  They also have a buyers meeting about a week before the fair where they invite past buyers to "meet & greet" with the jr. exhibitors.  The exhibitors bring finger foods and photos of them with their projects to share with buyers.  On sale night, they take their buyer a small gift immediately after their animal is sold and invite them to the Jr. Livestock Banquet the following week.  Most buyers deliver the checks that night and the exhibitors give the buyers a photo of them and their animal taken at the fair.
 

rf21970

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Mar 10, 2010
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134
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Middle TN
Glorifying Pastures said:
Some kids may beg for the buyer to promise a preminum, that is not right in my opion, our buyers say they really like the face to face invites. I can tell you of four buyers right now that will only buy from a face to face invite. This type of invite helps the kids break thru a shell if they are shy. My oldest son is not shy in the least, until it comes to invite the buyers, because he is asking a person to spend alot of money. We are a small operation, we don't spend tens of thousands of dollars each year with some of the potenial buyers, so asking them is a hard thing to do when others do spend a chunck of change with some of the buyers. I understand the advertising thing, what does the kid learn by not inviting thru a letter and/or a personal visit. If the parnents leave cussing and ticked off because the buyer dosen't promise a premium, I guess it's time for the parents to GROW UP a little, the sale is a oppertunity for the child not a right.

I disagree with the County Board doing the inviting, again what does that teach our children. My thought is "Let's do a project, and the county board will do all the inviting, that's great less work I gotta do."

The picture thing is a great idea, we did that this year, every buyer we had visited so far thought it was a great extra touch, helps remind them of who did the asking, and who cares about thier project. What a great reminder at auction time, put a name with the face and the animal.   

Every program is different, but our committee attempts to keep the pricing of the calves on a fairly equal level based on placings. We try to avoid what others have mentioned here-one family's calves bringing way more because they run the "big operation" and deal with all the feed and seed suppliers, banks etc. The kids are assigned ads to sell in our show book that we use for promotion. They are also encouraged to find a "freezer" buyer for their calf. This past year 59 out of 60 calves were sold back into the community in halves or wholes at a 10-15 cent premium. The kids are urged to notify the committee of any prospective  buyers they know who may be interested in sponsoring a calf. The committee will follow up with them just to make sure they understand how the program works. Not saying this process is any better than one where the kids do all the inviting, just explaining the logic behind it.
 
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