FAIR IDEAS
One of the best ways to get the FAIRtax brand out into the public eye is to have a table and a canopy at a fair or public event. Opportunities to exhibit differ from place to place. In my area there is an organization that puts on street fairs in different towns every Sunday. The registration fee is reasonable for us as a non-profit.
We are not required by this organization to show proof of insurance. If the organizer requires you to show proof of insurance, we are working on “event insurance” program that we hope to have soon.
Here is a picture of FAIRtax-er Steve Tharp, Bridgewater NJ, having a good laugh with Summit NJ Republican Committee Chair, Steven Spurr at the Summit NJ Street Fair. Steven Spurr is a supporter of the FAIRtax and offered to have some of our promotional materials at his table. Steve Tharp was good at reeling in passers-by. Steve was also invaluable because, when one of us was tied up with a fairgoer, the other was available to catch people.
And here is Frank Wagener of our California Team, promoting the theme of FAIRtax and respect for labor at the Scottish Games in Pleasanton, CA (photo by Marty Sturmer):
And here’s California State Director Marty Sturmer:
What items and supplies should we have? A canopy with a table, table cover, and two chairs are the obvious start. The FAIRtax.org website has a couple of flashy printed items you can download, print out in color, and put in a plastic display cover from Staples or Office Max. Go to www.fairtax.org and click on the “Get Involved” tab at the top. Drag down to “FAIRtax Toolbox” and download and print out FAIRtax Flyer; FAIRtax Jumper Cables Ad; and FAIRtax Better Solution. These items are all single page. I prefer to lay these items flat so they do not get blown over by the wind. And you can add homemade signs.
From the same web page, you can print out some good letter-size handouts, including FairTax Fundamentals; The FAIRtax – An Overview; and FAIRtax vs. Flat Income Tax. You can get plastic holders for these items from Staples and Office Max.
One item I found effective is the Large Size Stickers.
Stickers are a big hit with parents of small children and with teenagers. The stickers go all over the fair. You can get these items inexpensively from the FAIRtax Store in two sizes. From the main page of FairTax.org or BigSoultion.org, just go to the “Store” tab, and you will find these stickers. Or go directly to the FAIRtax promotional store via FairTaxLogoStore.org, wherein you will find many promotional items including event stickers, palm cards, business info cards, plus many more FairTax logo items, all with free shipping/handling.
And don’t forget the sign-up sheets. The goal is to get folks to at least start receiving FAIRtax Friday in their e-mail. A single exposure to the FAIRtax message is soon forgotten. But a weekly exposure to the FAIRtax message through FAIRtax Friday starts to register. Get the sign-ups ASAP to our database manager, Kyle Clark at kyle@chasemarketingllc.com so that the fairgoer gets his or her weekly exposure. The sooner, the better. Here is the traditional three-item sheet we have used at fairs:
Have the fairgoer give as much information as possible. Complete information helps us know what state and Congressional District the fairgoer is from. Tell the fairgoer that we do not sell our list (although we do permit sponsors to communicate through us, but the sponsor does not get your information). Ask the fairgoer to print clearly, and review the information before the fairgoer leaves. To make Kyle’s job easier, you can transcribe the information to the following Excel format before sending the information to Kyle:
I try to follow up after each fair with an e-mail to each fairgoer thanking the fairgoer for stopping by our table.
If the fairgoer is really gung-ho, you can probably get the fairgoer to sign the attached petition:
There are two advantages to this petition over the sign-up sheet. 1) You can give the fairgoer a blank copy so that the fairgoer knows what he or she signed; and 2) you can fax the completed sheet to the fairgoer’s Congress Member.
What are your fair tips? Please send in your fair tips to me to share with your fellow grassroots FAIRtax supporters.
---------------------------------------------------------
CALL FOR PICTURES AND WRITEUPS
We need more of you to send in pictures and news. If you have anything to share, please send your material to me at jim.bennett@fairtax.org, or text me at (908) 578-4975, or fax me at (908) 598-2888. When others see your activity, they are inspired, and the process snowballs. When the process snowballs, Congress Members and Senators and, yes, even the President start to listen.