Sneak Peek of the 2012 SCDC Program Booklet

SHHH!! Dont tell anyone… but here is a sneak peek of the 2012 SCDC Program Booklet.

Program Booklet 2012

DECA PSA Video

DECA PSA Video
I love this…little 30 second mini versions of our DECA partnership video!

http://www.deca.org/page/psa/

KP DECA students plan 5K for MD

As part of their DECA project this year, King Philip High School seniors Amanda Guess and Katie Heyer are planning a 5K Walk/Run to benefit Muscular Dystrophy patients.
Muscular Dystrophy, also known as MD, is a genetic disease that weakens the body’s muscles; there is presently no cure. Over time the gradual weakening of muscles generally results in the need for a wheelchair, and eventually the disease results in muscle failure.
The 5K cross-country race will be held Nov. 6, starting from the corner of Shear and Emerald Street in Wrentham (by the Cracker Barrel fair grounds). Registration is at 8:30 a.m.; the race begins at 9 a.m.
This event is open to all ages. T-Shirts will be provided to the first 15 people to register. Morning food and refreshments will be provided at the conclusion of the event.
There is a $10 donation requirement for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, but higher donations are welcome. Cash and checks are both acceptable; checks should be made out to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Email the following information to showyourstrength@aol.com (this information will not be distributed in any way and will be terminated following the race):
Name (first and last):
Primary Phone Number:
Email address:
*City and state (needed to determine how effectively word of the 5K is spread):
Do you have a special reason for participating in our event? :
Signature (please type name – by typing your name and providing your “signature” you are agreeing that you know in order to participate in the 5K event, you must provide a minimum $10 donation to the Muscular Dystrophy Association):
A response email will be sent to let participants know they are officially registered.
Besides the 5K XC Race on Nov. 6, a presentation is planned on Oct. 19 at the Norfolk Library, 6-7
Copyright 2011 Wicked Local Wrentham. Some rights reserved

Read more: KP DECA students plan 5K for MD – Wrentham, MA – Wicked Local Wrentham http://www.wickedlocal.com/wrentham/news/education/x663899509/KP-DECA-students-plan-5K-for-MD#ixzz1dEUuVoMX

DECA Good News!

Congratulations to Apponequet DECA and the following members: Zachary Fernandes, Robert Gonsalves, & John Meleedy and their DECA Advisor, Frank Rosa! They took first place in DECA’s DeVry Innovations & Entrepreneurship Challenge that took place in Chicago this past weekend. The team will earn a travel stipend to attend the International Career Development Conference in Salt Lake City this April. To read more and see their photo, see below:

http://www.deca.org/news/126/

Chelmsford & Tewksbury DECA

How’s this for friendly DECA competition for a good cause? DECA students from Chelmsford High School and Tewksbury High School are working together to help raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation during their football game this Friday night, but anyone can participate! The DECA members from both schools are participating in a nationwide campaign entitled GO MAD, which stands for “Go Out and Make A Difference”. This Friday (11/11/11), anybody wishing to support the cause should text the message “Go Mad CHS” to 50555 and a $5.00 donation is made to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Charges will appear on your wireless bill, or be deducted from a prepaid balance. Message and data rates may apply.

Member of the Month, Sean Reinold

Sean Reinold, is a senior at Billerica high school. Sean is the first
DECA member of the month for his showing at our Fall State Leadership
Conference. He is an bright individual that stood out to me because of
his willingness to take on something new and present it to the audience.
He portrayed qualities DECA looks to enhance like leadership, being
prepared, and responsibility. Good job Sean keep it up!

Ideas for DECA Socials

Ideas for DECA Socials

Introduction
Socials are a great way to raise money and awareness about your local
DECA chapter. Not only can they raise funds for those trips to ICDC, but
they can also showcase to your community the skills you have developed
through your participation in DECA. You can also use these activities to
demonstrate Civic Consciousness by donating proceeds to charity. Put the
money you make towards a good cause such as MDA and show your community
that DECA members are not only the best student leaders, but that they also
care about the society they live in.
However your chapter chooses to use the proceeds from DECA socials, it
is important to promote the events throughout the community. Be sure to
write a pitch letter before to media outlets and a press release following
the event so members of the community can see how successful your DECA
events are. The publicity generated by doing so will increase interest in
your next social and may reignite alumni’s interest in helping out your
chapter’s program.

Dances
Dances are an awesome way to raise money for DECA! Most students in high school enjoy them and will go to one if it is well organized and publicized. Dances are great because they involve your chapter members and their friends. Events like this work as fundraising, marketing, and recruiting tools!
You may be thinking, “Our schools dances are already planned.” If this is the case, you only need to get creative. Has your school ever had a post-game sock hop? What about a Halloween dance? A father-daughter dance? An underclassmen prom? If administrators are reluctant to hold another dance, tailor your approach in a way that will benefit the school. If the proceeds are going to charity, they may be more likely to support the activity. Also, include information about chaperones, security, and maintenance/clean-up in your proposal to show that your chapter has planned every aspect of the event.
Dances also must include music, food, and decorations. There are
several ways to economize in these areas. First, the DJ will probably be
the most expensive component. Check who your school uses for other dances
because many times they will offer a discounted price due to the number of
times your school uses them. Also, ask around the school. Nowadays, it

isn’t hard to find somebody with the equipment and music library to be a
full-fledged amateur DJ. Finding somebody your chapter knows also makes it
easier to create playlists that you know the audience will enjoy. One way
to make more money during the dance is with food. All those
students trapped in a dance are a great market for water, soft drinks, and
snacks. Due to a lack of options, they will buy even if the cost is
greater than it would be in a store. Also try selling DECA memorabilia,
items from the school store, or fun dance items like glowsticks. Finally,
decorations are an optional and relatively inexpensive addition. While
they are not the most important, they can help create the atmosphere you
are trying to set.
Make sure to market the event well in advance. Put up posters, write
scripts for your school’s announcements, and offer a discounted pre-sale
price. You should determine the ticket price only after you know the costs
of the DJ, decorations, food, and miscellaneous expenses.
Concerts
Just like dances, music events are a great way to bring people
together. Planning a concert requires many of the same principles used in
organizing a dance. Rather than finding a DJ, though, you must find a live
band. If you can’t find one that fits in your budget or that you think
will draw an audience, why not host several bands? Battle of the Bands is
a popular program that allows the audience to choose a winner from a number
of acts. In a high school, it is even more effective if some of the bands
are made up of peers that the audience will know. Still, make sure to
audition every band and set a firm set time for them to play.
There are several benefits to using bands of your peers. First, much
of the advertising will be free. Word-of-mouth by the bands will encourage
their friends and fans to attend. Also, it is more exciting for students
to see people they know performing rather than a band they have neither
seen nor heard before. Encourage bands to put up their own advertisements
and assure them you will do the same for the event.
The small price of a prize for the winning band will be offset by the
money raised through ticket and food sales. Again, make sure to offer pre-
sale prices and a slightly higher price at the door to encourage
attendance. If the event is large enough, you might also be able to profit
by making concert t-shirts or other concert items. There will need to be
time between bands for setup, so plan small intermissions or programs
between them. This is a great time to inform the audience about DECA, show
off items from your school store, or just have fun while they are waiting.
Auctions
Auctions are also a great way to raise money and promote DECA. The
first thing to do in organizing an auction is to solicit local businesses
for donations. Many times business people are more than happy to donate a
gift certificate or other item from their inventory, especially if the
proceeds are going to a charitable cause. While soliciting, be sure to
bring a letter from your advisor on your school or DECA letterhead that
briefly explains the event. Remind them that their business will be
DECA Socials
Page 3
receiving free publicity with everyone that attends the auction and they
can also write off the donation on their taxes. Also, bring flyers with
you while picking up the donations and ask if you can display it in their
storefront. Now, not only do you have items for your auction, but every
business person you contacted knows about DECA and your chapter program!
A silent auction may be an option. You simply lay out the items on
the tables with a piece of paper next to them describing the object and its
value if you like. People then place their bid, providing a name, address,
and phone number. At the end of the auction you notify the people with the
highest bid for an item or service. Arrangements are then made for
delivery and payment of the item.
You should also consider auctioning off services. If people wanted a
carwash, they could simply go and pay for one, but a car wash by your
school’s basketball team is something they cannot buy. Parents will be
especially more likely to spend more money putting their children’s friends
to work!
Work Exchanges
Contact local service-oriented businesses about collaborating on this
fundraiser together. With a little planning, some manual labor, and a lot
of promotion, your chapter can raise funds while having a great time. For
one afternoon or night, members from your chapter work in a business under
the agreement that they will receive a certain cut from the profits. For
example, if your town has a popular pizza hangout, for every pizza that is
sold, your chapter will receive $1.
Work exchanges like this have many benefits to both the DECA chapter
and the business. For the business, they have extra help and a large
amount of free promotion. As a chapter, members will be able to see a
different work environment than they are used to, reach out to the business
as a prospective sponsor, and promote their program to the community. By
inviting their friends to the event, members make the event more social and
create a better chance for dialogue with other guests throughout the night.
Fundraisers like this are also good because they can be repeated
several times in a school year and at different businesses. Every work
exchange is a new chance to learn about a different organizational setup
and raise money for the chapter or charity!
Golf Outings
If raising big bucks is your goal, consider planning a golf outing in
your community. Events as big as this are usually most successful if they
are for charity causes. First, you must be sure that there is a nearby,
accessible golf course. It is also necessary to get the administration of
the course on your side during the planning process. The next most
important step is signing up golfers. Work with the golf course to
determine a suitable admission price for the charity event before you begin
promoting it. Promotions should reach out to the entire community, with special attention to golf and sporting businesses. These places could
quite possibly be the donators of the prizes as well.
DECA members can contribute during the actual event by serving as free
caddies to golfers. This is a way for chapter members to meet individuals
from their community and possibly market DECA on a one-on-one basis. Also,
create a booth or outdoor area with information about the DECA program and
your chapter’s contributions to the area you live in. Then, invite the
charity to set something up as well. A collection area at one of these
booths will allow non-participants to donate to the cause.
Another good time to engage the participants is by providing a free
lunch. Here, you can say a few words about DECA, encourage them to support
your chapter in the future, and make business connections for upcoming
projects. With a charity event, always try contacting several local
businesses to have things donated. Lunch can become a weighty cost, but if
it’s for charity, many restaurants will be more willing to help.
* Variations of this activity can be created with almost any sport or
recreational activity.

Learn about leadership programs

MEET YOUR NATIONAL OFFICERS

The student members of the high school and college divisions elect their peers to provide student leadership for each academic year. DECA’s national officers represent their respective divisions at various corporate events, conferences and meetings while completing a program of work.

• Run for high school national office. 

EMILY DZIATLIK EXPLAINS THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE IS KEY 2011-08-14

Hello…? Hellooo? Looking around the store, I can’t see any employee to help me check out. I have been waiting at the front desk ready to leave for about 30 minutes, and I have not seen a single employee yet. If you listen, you can faintly hear a small voice gossiping on the phone. It sounds like whoever is on shift is in the back talking to her friends on the phone. I think to myself, if she is too busy talking on the phone, and unable to help me purchase my items, then I will go somewhere else. Just like that, this clothing store lost a purchase from me, and more importantly, they lost a valuable customer. Why would I ever shop there again? Has this ever happened to you?

In today’s economy, for any goods or services offered on the market, there are at least three different companies that offer the exact same thing. What sets a business apart is their customer service. If employees are rude and unhelpful, they can drive their customers away. No matter how great of a promotion the store is offering, it won’t matter because customers will never shop there. Think back to bad customer service you had to go through. You remember being so angry that you vowed to never shop there again! You wanted to go home and tell everyone what a horrible experience you had there. You have started a ripple effect. When you had a negative experience with that company, chances are you went home angry and told your family and friends about it. Then your friends told their other friends and so on. One bad experience can have a major effect on that company that treated you badly. This could potentially cause lose that company both returning and future customers.

With DECA and Collegiate DECA, many students compete in some type of customer service. These tips will not only help you in competition but they will also benefit you at work. There is nothing more impressive to an employer than an employee with GREAT customer service. It shows that you can be trusted with customers and that you are a good representation of the company itself. Would you like to know the secrets to GREAT customer service?

Answer your phone. How many times have you called a business and nobody answered? Or when you finally get through to someone you are put on hold? This can be so frustrating! Whenever your phone is ringing at work – pick it up! Good customer service is answering the phone in three rings or less. When putting someone on hold, leave them on hold for no more than 30 seconds. Sometimes this can be impossible when you are helping another customer. If you think you are going to be a while, get the caller’s contact information and let the person on the phone know you will call them back that same day.

Don’t make promises unless you plan to keep them. When you are talking with a customer and trying to close a sale, don’t promise things that you can’t deliver. If you promise them a discount, but you didn’t check with your boss, you are going to feel pretty embarrassed when you have to go back to your customer and explain to them why you can’t give it to them. Save yourself the humiliation and only promise customers things you know you can actually do.

Listen to your customers and calmly deal with their complaints. When a customer comes into your business complaining about a product that they’ve recently purchased, listen to what they have to say! Don’t jump into the middle of the conversation thinking that you know what to do. Listen to the whole complaint. Have you ever tried to tell a store employee what’s wrong with your product and they just kept interrupting you? As soon as the customer is done explaining their problem, repeat to them what you understood them to say. This shows that you were listing to them and not wasting their time. It displays that you understand their complaint and you will do whatever you can to work with them. Any businesses customer service can show sympathy, but great customer service will show empathy.

Be helpful – even if there’s no immediate profit visible. Always go out of your way to help your customers. This is the best way to show your customer service goes above and beyond. When a customer has a question, listen to the whole question, repeat it back to them, and then solve it! Think about what would make you satisfied if you were in their shoes.

Customer service is the essential key to gaining and maintaining customers. One bad conversation with a customer could lead to losing that customer and all their friends and family. DECA is a great organization that demonstrates through role plays and competition how to give excellent customer service. Apply what you learn through DECA and use it when you are dealing with any customer – content or upset. When you have to deal with negative customers, think back to your role play and treat the situation as if you were presenting to a judge. Never be afraid to go above and beyond for a customer and always give 110%!