What does the money go to?

Sometimes people proclaim, "Wow, that's expensive popcorn!" But say that 70% is tax-deductible and it's a very good fundraiser.

The money helps to pay for everything we do.  It helps pay for equipment like Pinewood Derby timers, tents and cooking utensils for camping, and games.  It also helps cover campout costs, cost of renting space, any food you are having at an event, and transportation if needed.  The prizes, awards and badges that the boys earn add up quickly as expenses, too.

For both cub scouts and boys scouts, popcorn sales can help pay for out-of-pocket costs for scouts who can't afford them.

Good luck selling!

-- Elian

Show & Sells: Be Polite!

I learned a good lesson about selling at one of my very first show & sells. Some older scouts were there and were calling out (really shouting), "SUPPORT THE TROOPS!!  BUY POPCORN!!!" like they were vendors at a carnival or street fair.  People walked out of their way to avoid us and in three hours we had almost no sales and almost no donations.  The next day, I was with one other scout. We both asked people nicely and politely if they would like to support scouting by buying popcorn.  In less than half the amount of time, we sold more than DOUBLE the amount of popcorn and had DOUBLE the donations, too. People wanted to buy from us!

So be nice and be polite!

Good luck selling!

-- Elian

Show & Sells: Looking Good Enough to Eat!

I spent some time yesterday with some cub scouts helping them sell at a Show & Sell.

Asking is the first way to get a sale. Once they are interested, they come to your table. Explain to them about what foods the products are like.  For example, if they like cheese, they will like a cheese flavor. If they like buffalo chicken, the Buffalo Cheddar is great. If they like chocolate, go for the Dark & White Chocolatey Drizzle. If they like nuts, then choose the Caramel Corn with Almonds and Pecans. And so on.

You want to display your product in a way that looks amazing. I take a lot of pride in my display and create one that basically entrances the customers.  They look around and say "Oh, that's interesting. That looks good." I always have my products arranged symmetrically, with the  bags in the front, tins on top and microwavable boxes in the middle.  We use the gift boxes to make different heights, too.

People should see what you offer. It should be full but not over crowded. It doesn't have to be the same every time.

Good luck selling!

-- Elian

Show & Sells: The Basics

Our Show & Sell season just started and last weekend I did over 15 hours of Show & Sells. Many scouts are starting their Show & Sells, too.  I find that about one in every 7 to 10 people will make a donation or buy popcorn.  But sometimes you might go 30 people and not get a single thing.  That's okay - it does happen sometimes.  But at the end of those 30 people you usually get three sales simultaneously for $20 each.  So it really is one in every 7 to 10 people.

Always try to go when it's busier and not that hot out. Remember to be prepared. You will need a table (my mom says always have a tablecloth), change, credit card machine if you use that and some water (or you can buy it there if they sell it). Do not drink sugary drinks because they will attract bees if you are outside.  Plus, they don't give you lasting energy.  They just give you a small boost. And when you sell, you are usually going to be there at least an hour, so you need that energy.

And you should always wear your full Class A Uniform, which I wrote about before.

Good luck selling!

-- Elian

Keep the Game Speed at 1

Never rush a sale. Take your time.  If you're going too fast, they might feel that they are intruding on your time. They might have wanted to buy more, except they won't because they think it will take too much time. If a customer is wasting lots of time (20 minutes with a small sale), you can say you need to keep on moving because you have to stop at a certain time. But don't be rude!

Some people have children who they might want to get into scouting. It's always great to get more kids into scouting.  So if they ask questions about scouting, answer them.   If they have questions that you don't know the answer to, say you don't know. Don't be embarrassed -- ask your parent to answer them.

Good luck selling!

-- Elian