#TBT Figure Out What’s What

In light of the post earlier this week about conference session about creating request for proposals I’ll be hosting at #18NTC, it makes sense to focus today’s #TBT entry on one of the more popular articles over the years that walks readers through the differences between websites, box office, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

These are at the heart of the #18NTC session and they are still among the most common elements that confuse arts managers who are just trying to get a handle on what’s what.

Imagine how confusing it is for your website visitors.

For example, they won’t realize that your actual information/schedule based website is mutually exclusive from the online ticket buying platform, even though both reflect your organization equally from their perspective. If they have a problem at the ticket buying end of things and reach out for help, they’ll probably indicate having a problem with your “website.”

If you don’t know that difference, you’ll have a much more difficult time helping them.

Understanding The Relationship Between Websites, Box Office, and CRM Reloaded 2016

About Drew McManus

"I hear that every time you show up to work with an orchestra, people get fired." Those were the first words out of an executive's mouth after her board chair introduced us. That executive is now a dear colleague and friend but the day that consulting contract began with her orchestra, she was convinced I was a hatchet-man brought in by the board to clean house.

I understand where the trepidation comes from as a great deal of my consulting and technology provider work for arts organizations involves due diligence, separating fact from fiction, interpreting spin, as well as performance review and oversight. So yes, sometimes that work results in one or two individuals "aggressively embracing career change" but far more often than not, it reinforces and clarifies exactly what works and why.

In short, it doesn't matter if you know where all the bodies are buried if you can't keep your own clients out of the ground, and I'm fortunate enough to say that for more than 15 years, I've done exactly that for groups of all budget size from Qatar to Kathmandu.

For fun, I write a daily blog about the orchestra business, provide a platform for arts insiders to speak their mind, keep track of what people in this business get paid, help write a satirical cartoon about orchestra life, hack the arts, and love a good coffee drink.

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