Sarah has been with the company for three
months now and has
been given the grand task of planning the company's Christmas
party. "What do I know
about planning a party?"
she thought. I am 25 years
old, have no rug
rats, and my kind of party is a keg with beer pong.
Sarah's predecessor, Margaret, recently left the
company after
12 years to raise her third child. Margaret was a Pinterest person,
the type that would
bookmark ideas and file them for future use.
Sarah came across many of these documents
left behind by
Margaret. However, Margaret's folder, which read Christmas Party
Ideas, contained
an old list of employees, vendors' addresses, and an old coupon for a
discontinued
restaurant chain. Apparently,
Margaret was not leaving her ideas behind.
Sarah is frustrated, so she pours her soul out to
her best friend
Becky as she swigs down a cold Miller Lite. Becky hands Sarah a card and
says, "This
guy was at a business expo I attended.
He
was funny and made some cool stuff with balloons. You should give him a call."
The next day, Sarah visited with the Human Resource Department and Accounting. There she was able to calculate the number of families that attended, gathered receipts for toys purchased, found the name of the banquet facility, along with a couple miscellaneous purchase from years past. With this new data in hand, she was able to secure a hall and food. Entertainment was here next priority, and this Balloon-dude was next on the list.
The next day, Sarah visited with the Human Resource Department and Accounting. There she was able to calculate the number of families that attended, gathered receipts for toys purchased, found the name of the banquet facility, along with a couple miscellaneous purchase from years past. With this new data in hand, she was able to secure a hall and food. Entertainment was here next priority, and this Balloon-dude was next on the list.
"Hi, I'm calling about some balloon entertainment, and
want to know your price?" Sarah exclaimed.
"Can you tell me more about your event and what do you envision the
party to be like?" replied the voice.
This was the first time anybody asked what Sarah envisioned.
"I want big candy canes scattered around the room, Christmas
lights, a big ornate chair for Santa to sit on, a dance floor, and by
the way do you know of anybody who plays Santa?", Sarah asked.
"Yes" replied the voice, "I know an entertainer who plays
Santa. Do you need a name of a balloon
decorator to help you with the large candy cane columns decorated with twinkly
lights?"
"Do you know of
somebody?" Sarah asked.
"I sure do", replied the voice.
Sarah looks around the room. To her amazement, she did
it. The boss and
management are happy, people
keep complimenting her on the Magical Balloon-dude, and life is
great.
Inside Sarah's Christmas Folder of Ideas is stapled a business card with the words "Lifesaver" scratched in pen above
the card. Sarah did not
realize it, but she had found a
person whose years of experience offered guidance, and his
contacts helped
create the best holiday party the company has ever seen.
Sarah's tips for planning a Christmas party for the first time
Putting A Twist On Your Christmas Party, by giving Dale a call (708) 744-0234
Sarah's tips for planning a Christmas party for the first time
- Look to the past, and see what has happened in the past
- Ask friends for recommendations
- Work with professionals who have great colleagues
- Share your vision with others, and have them make it happen
Putting A Twist On Your Christmas Party, by giving Dale a call (708) 744-0234
No comments:
Post a Comment