What do you enjoy most about being a Fundraising Coach?
I love helping teams reach their financial goals.
What is the best part about being a Gold Athletics Sales Rep?
Getting to work with a great group of people
How would you describe the company culture at GA in a few (2 or 3) words?
Supportive Team
How'd you get into Sports Fundraising at Gold Athletics?
Been doing the business for many years and Matt and I have worked together in the past, we are friends and we decided we could both benefit by coming back together.
What didn’t you know before you started that you wish someone had told you?
With sales jobs, you need to have a goal of what you want to accomplish. I had a set goal and a purpose for doing this. I wanted a fun job that also provided for my family. I had a wife and two kids so needed to be successful. I learned everything I could from the people who came before me. I would say: Learn from others, listen to them, follow their advice, have a goal and work really hard!
What would you tell someone hoping to enter the field?
If you like athletics, kids and helping folks and you are willing to work hard and follow the plan of success we lay out for you, you will be successful.
What is one thing that makes you perfect for this job?
I like people, and talking to people. That is what I do every day. You have to enjoy that.
And one thing you are striving towards in your role?
Helping other reps and helping them reach their goals. Also, mastering the new technology so I can better serve my clients and help the new team members reach their goals.
What is changing the most in the fundraising industry?
Technology! It has changed a lot about our industry. It's made some things easier and some things more difficult. Technology is making it easier for teams to raise money, it is making it easier to send emails and texts. We're trying to combine a little bit of both, in-person and online fundraising sales to make it easy to fundraise but also challenge players. These in-person skills are ones kids will need, I think it is important we encourage them, more or less.
How will your role evolve in five, or ten years? How will it get there?
I see myself in a 3-5 year period more as a manager, less of a fundraising coach. Probably managing people, rather than teams and helping them achieve their sales goals.
What kind of person would do well in your role?
They have to care about people. In the Fundraising Coach role, you've got to have a goal and a plan in place. Being goal oriented, motivated and having an enthusiastic attitude is so important.
Keep up with Fundraising Coach Steve Ash on social media!
Twitter: @SteveAshGold
LinkedIn: Steve Ash
ABOUT Gold Athletics is dedicated to career development while servicing the experience for not just Coaches, Supporters and Players, but employees and team members, too! This series was created to reach future GA reps and share GA's company culture, proudly. We are on a roll, sourcing top talent and showing the world what our team is made of. In order to build relationships with current and future reps, we are sharing our Fundraising Reps experience working with the team, about the industry and how we're making waves in today’s world of Sports Fundraising. Company culture is important to us and we want to share what that means, on a more personal level!