First Impressions Only Happen Once

If you make a good first impression the chance of a sale goes up.  And if you make a bad first impression, the chance of a sale goes down.

When someone answers the door, stand up straight and smile. Say your name and if you live down the street or are a friend of someone who lives there. This is important because then they know more about who you are. They are more likely to buy from someone they know than a complete stranger.  By giving them information about yourself, they are starting to know you.

Here is what I say after someone opens the door. "Hello, my name is Elian R. (I live down the street/ I am a friend of so-and-so....)  I am a boy scout with Troop 43 in Princeton and I'm selling popcorn to help raise money for our local scouts. (Last year, you bought....)  I was wondering if you would be interested in buying popcorn (again) to help support our local scouts." 

(Here is a version for people who bought popcorn last year: " Hello, my name is Elian R. (I live.... or I am a friend of so-and-so/I live ...)  I am a boy scout with Troop 43 in Princeton and I'm selling popcorn again this year to help raise money for our local scouts. Last year, you bought....  I was wondering if you would be interested in buying popcorn again to help support our local scouts.")

Good luck selling!

-- Elian

The Prizes Are Very Cool -- But Not to Adults

We all know that a tiny bit of why we like to sell is prizes. It's a great incentive.  But customers want to feel like they're supporting scouts; they don't' want to feel like they are supporting  your toys.

Never mention the prizes when you're selling, even though they're really cool.  If you mention the prizes, people will think, "Oh, you're not selling to support the scouts, you're selling for the prizes." That's not what you want.

Sometimes the prizes are on the back of the form. (I've suggested they don't do this in the future). If this happens, a good idea is to tape a piece of construction paper on the back, so the prizes are hidden.  Before my Mom and I did that, people would flip the form over to see if there were more popcorn choices, stare a little and actually take a good look at the prizes before turning it back.  I believe this impacts sales and decreases them.

Good luck selling!

-- Elian

When to sell door-to-door

Before school starts, maximize your time door-to-door because homework is tough, especially in middle school and high school. Try to go for at least one hour every day, except you should give yourself one day off. On the weekends, go for two hours. It's good because you won't get too tired.  If you do one thing for too long, you get bored and you don't do it as well.

On weekdays, time it so that you will finish no later than 8:30.  Most people are home at around 6:00, after work.  On the weekends, it depends.  In the summer or if it is a holiday weekend, people sometimes have trips, so go Sunday evening.  During the school year, anytime on the weekend is good.  I prefer mid-day and afternoon.

Good luck selling!

-- Elian

Looking Sharp

A "Class A" uniform consists of a shirt (with the right patches), neckerchief, slider, scout pants and belt, and a hat if you are a cub scout or if your troop has one if you are a boy scout. Some Packs and Troops don't require scout pants, but I recommend you wear them for walking around anyway. Then you will look like a scout. When you are selling popcorn for scouts, if you don't look like a scout, people will wonder why you are selling for scouts. If they know what a boy scout or cub scout dresses like, their opinion of you will be lowered if you don't dress properly.

Also, comb your hair, make sure your face and teeth are clean and that your uniform isn't dirty. Remember, a scout is clean.

So wear your Class A Uniform and look sharp so you can sell that popcorn.

Good luck selling!

-- Elian

Be Prepared!

There are a few things you need to bring when you go out selling.  You need your order sheet that has the popcorn items and has enough slots open for sales.  Make sure that it looks clean.  Get another sheet from your Pack or Troop if you need it.  Bring a couple of pens in case you lose one or it stops working.  You need some change so you can make change for customers who need you to.  You should have the change in an envelope that is clearly marked for scout sales. If you are going to take credit cards, you have to bring a device that can read credit cards. We use an Android with a Square, but you can also use an iPhone or iPad and PayPal has a reader, too.

It is good to bring a beverage to refresh you if you need a refreshment.  You can get hot and really thirsty walking around, especially in August and September. 

And always bring your Mom or Dad or another scout.

Good luck selling!

-- Elian

Set a goal

Hello popcorn sellers!

Set a good goal that will help you sell. The goal helps you because when you really want something, you will work to get it.  It’s like when you are traveling: When you know where you are going, you’ll get there a lot faster.

How do you set a goal? You can use the prizes to help you - set your dollar goal to earn the prize you want.  You can also think about how much time you want to spend selling.  You could have a goal of time put in, not money made.  You could have a goal of number of sales or number of people you ask.

I like to set really big dollar goals that make me work really hard.  My first goal was to earn the college scholarship to pay my parents back for all they had given me.  My Mom thought “How is he going to do this?” But the goal helped me keep going.

Don’t forget – when you set a goal, it means that once you get to that goal, you can be done.  Or you can keep going!

Good luck selling!

-- Elian

Welcome to my blog!

Our annual popcorn sale has just begun!  For me, this is three months of very hard work, but it is also fun and rewarding.  I love that I get to raise money for scouting, which is something I care about a lot.  I love that I get to meet a lot of people.  I love setting a big goal and working hard to reach it.

I’ve started this blog to help other scouts be successful in their popcorn sales.  I hope that kids will enjoy learning all the things I’ve learned from selling popcorn.  Stay tuned for some tips and tricks for your sale.

If you have a popcorn question, be sure to email me and I will do my best to discuss it on the blog.

Good luck selling!

-- Elian