The Popcorn Sale Starts When the Customer Says ‘No’

The ability to overcome objections a customer may have is the sign of a good salesperson. Usually when a customer has an objection, what they really are saying is ‘I need more information’. Below are some common objections and possible responses to those objections:

I cannot eat popcorn…

That is OK. You can still support us and the Military by buying popcorn to send to troops overseas. Popcorn also makes a great gift for someone else. We also have Pretzels you may like. Which one works best for you?

Popcorn is not healthy…

Many snack foods can have lots of fat, but many of our products have less than half the calories of potato or corn chips. Plus, popcorn is high in fiber. Which one would you like?

The price is too high…

You are right. The price is about the same as buying popcorn at the movies. However, 70% of the proceeds go back to local Scouting, so you can feel good about buying the product and helping your local community. Which one would you like?

We already bought popcorn…

Great and Thank You! After trying the product, many of my customers find they would like to send some to family, friends or to military troops overseas. Do you have someone in mind that would this DELICIOUS popcorn?

I do not have any money on me…

That is OK. We take all major debit/credit cards. Which one would you like?

I am allergic to nuts…

I am sorry to hear that. I have a relative/friend that has a similar issue. They help me out by placing an order for our Military troops overseas and in VA hospitals. At what level would you like to place an order for our troops?

I do not support the Boy Scouts...

Thank you very much for listening to me. Have a good day.

As you can see, not every objection can be overcomes. However, it is important to be polite and represent the brand of the Boy Scouts. I hope this gives you some ideas as to how to respond to customers when they present you with an objection. Good luck with your popcorn sale.

Why the Individual Scout Needs to Know Why 'He' is Selling Popcorn

Never was it more prevalent to me why it is important for the individual Scout to know why he is selling popcorn than what happened with my son and me last weekend.

My son and I are in our sixth popcorn sale this year. I, like many parents, have seen him grow in his confidence and selling ability over the years through the popcorn sale. He has learned to “Be Prepared" by knowing all of the products, contacting his previous customers that bought last year, and planning where he will sell this year. He then picks an item he wants to buy and what level he needs to sell to get the gift card from the Council prize program to buy this item. Over the years my son has sold between $1500 and $2500 and is usually the top seller in his Unit. Last year was his highest selling year as he was raising money to go to the 2013 National Jamboree at the Summit. This was the big ‘WHY’ he was selling. He raised the money and had a great time at the Summit. He looks forward to going back in four years either as a camper or as staff. I had a fear by him going to the National Jamboree it might make all the other activities in Scouts look small in comparison and after this weekend I may be right.

I am not stating how much he typically sells to brag, but to truly emphasize the importance of knowing why each individual Scout is selling popcorn.

This last weekend my son and I started to go door-to-door to sell popcorn like we have the last six years. My son’s Unit practiced a sales script which was presented at the Unit Popcorn Kickoff just 5 days prior and he had memorized the script. He went to the first door and for the first time I can remember, he froze when the person came to the door. He looked at me and I pointed to his order form. He had a look in his eye of confusion. He turned to the person at the door and stated the script he had memorized. The person kindly said no and closed the door. He turned and looked totally discouraged.

He looked at me and said, “Why am I selling popcorn?” I stated he needed to pay for his way to camp and to do all of the other things he wanted to do this year in Scouts. He responded, “I was planning on being on staff at camp next summer. So, why am I selling popcorn? The script doesn’t feel right because it is not the reason I am trying to raise money. Last year was easy because I was raising money to go to the National Jamboree. I do not need the money this year.”

I realized at that moment he did not have a good reason to sell popcorn.

I knew that having a reason why you are selling popcorn is the best way to being successful, so we stopped after just one house. My son and I went to the local Starbucks where I bought him a hot chocolate and we started to talk about what activities he still wanted to do both inside and outside of Scouting over the next couple of years. He created a list and then circled the items he could do in the next year. One item caught my attention. He wanted to go back to Yellowstone National Park. Last year, my son and I stopped by Yellowstone for a day on our way back from Mount Rushmore for Independence Day. However, this was listed on activities outside of Boy Scouts. I said we should invite his whole patrol to go to Yellowstone. His patrol usually goes on a 4-5 day hiking trek every summer somewhere within a days drive. I said the only thing that stops us from going to Yellowstone is having money for the gas to get there. All of the other costs are basically the same.

He now had his WHY.

He wanted earn enough money to pay for the gas and park fees to have his whole patrol go to Yellowstone next year. We went home so he could look up the information on the internet and get all of the costs and print pictures of what he wanted to do.

The next day we spent 4 hours going door-to-door and he filled his first order form.

I hope this story helps demonstrate the reason for each individual Scout to sit down with their parents or guardians to have the important conversation as to why they are selling popcorn. Remember to think outside of what you have done in the past and look for new adventures. This opportunity will help not only the Scout but adults as well.

Scouts Should “Be Prepared” To Sell Popcorn

In many sales circles, it is recommended a salesperson has an “elevator pitch” ready at all times. An elevator pitch or speech is a short summary used to quickly and simply define a person, product, service, or organization and its value to the customer. The theory is this “pitch” should be no longer than it takes to ride and elevator. Typically this is between 30 and 45 seconds.

To prepare Scouts to sell popcorn, adult leaders and parents should help Scouts develop their own “elevator pitch” or script to share with customers. Below are three examples based on different scenarios a Scout may encounter:

 

Sample Door-to-Door Script

“Hi, my name is _______________ (say first name only).

 

I’m a Scout with Pack/Troop _________ here in _________ (city).

 

I am selling popcorn to help raise money to go to Scout Camp (or other major activity). By buying some DELICIOUS popcorn today, you’ll be helping me earn my own way to camp next summer and do fun things with my Pack/Troop all year long.

 

(Hand the customer the Take Order form and a pen and point out your favorite item. Make sure it is a $20 or more item).

 

You’ll help me, won’t you?”

There is some psychology to script above.

It is important to introduce yourself to the customer. People respond better if they have a name to the face. It makes the interaction feel more personal. In addition, identifying the Unit and City is important. It makes the customer feel as if it is their local Unit they are supporting. The Unit location can also be used with the Charter Organization Name. This can be beneficial if the Charter Organization is well-known in the community. This approach is better with older Scouts as it may be harder to remember.

The second section speaks to why the Scout is selling popcorn. People are more likely to purchase a fundraising product if they know the reason why the Scout is selling. More about this can be seen in this previous blog.

Handing the order form to the customer is important. Again, people are more likely to purchase popcorn if they have the order form in their hand. There is a reason publishers put postcards in their magazines. The person handling the card must take action. Now more often than not, the person will throw away a postcard. They will not do this to a Scout that has handed them an order form. It is then important to point out the Scouts favorite product on the form and hand them the pen. It lets the customer believe the Scout knows about the product and leads the customer to a specific product. We will see more about this later.

Finally, the closing is vitally important. People do not like to be sold anything. However, people generally are willing to help a person in need. This line brings the focus away from the product itself and back to the Scout at the door and the customer is less likely to say ‘No’.

Sample Show and Deliver Script
 

“Hi, my name is _______________ (say first name only).

I’m a Scout with Pack/Troop _________ here in _________ (city).

We are selling popcorn to help raise money to go to Scout Camp (or other major activity). By buying some DELICIOUS popcorn today, you’ll be helping us earn our way to camp next summer and do fun things with our Pack/Troop all year long.

I happen to have this item on me today (Hand the customer the Take Order form) or you can get any other item and I will deliver it in on __________.

You’ll help us, won’t you?”
 

This script is only modified slightly by adding the line about having a certain product on them. People are far more likely to purchase the product a Scout has on them then have to wait for the product. This also helps the person aiding the Scout transport the product around by having only a limited number of products on hand. Limit this to 2-3 items maximum. Make sure these items are $20 or more in value. People are willing to help the Scout, but most want to do this at the lowest possible amount. If you do not have a $10 item on hand, then the customer will be forced to spend more to get an item today.

Sample Show and Sell Script

“Excuse me ma'am/sir.

Hi, my name is _______________ (say first name only).

I’m a Scout with Pack/Troop _________ here in _________ (city).

I am selling popcorn to help raise money to go to Scout Camp. By buying some DELICIOUS popcorn today, you’ll be helping me earn my way to camp next summer and do fun things with my Pack/Troop all year long.

 
This product is my favorite (Point out an item $15 or higher).

You’ll help me, won’t you?”
 

Again, it is important to have the Scout lead with a higher dollar item. A person can always go down to a lower price item, but they are more likely to purchase the item they are showed first.

TRAIN YOUR SCOUTS – HAVE THEM PRACTICE

Remember the focus is on Scouting.

Focus on Scouting instead of the product. ”Will you support Scouting by purchasing some DELICIOUS popcorn today?” or “Will you help us go to camp by purchasing popcorn today?” Avoid asking if they would like to ‘Buy Popcorn’. If they just wanted to buy popcorn, they could get it cheaper in a store. People buy popcorn to support Scouting and the Scout in front of them. They do realize that they can get the popcorn cheaper at the store but realize they can’t buy the Scouting experience for a young person through store-bought popcorn.

Best Way to Let People Know Why You Are Selling Popcorn

With most fundraisers it is important to let your donors (customers) know why money is being raised. I was reminded of this fact when the MDA Show of Strength came on the air this Labor Day Weekend. For many adults, this was previously known as the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon. For 45 years, famed comedian Jerry Lewis hosted a 20-hour television program with a cavalcade of stars that would perform and show their support for MDA. Throughout the broadcast they would show children that were crippled by this terrible disease and how the money raised for MDA helps with research and physical assistance for those in need. I felt the biggest tug to the heartstrings when they showed local people affected and then asked for your help.

Unfortunately, the MDA telethon has gone from the over 20-hour live format to a 2-hour taped-delayed format. Admittedly, MDA finds it more difficult to connect to the local community and raise funds like they have in the past.

While I do not want to equate the struggles of Muscular Dystrophy with those of the Boy Scouts, I do want to show how communicating the reason for fundraising down to the community level is important.

Show and Sell

Let’s start with Show and Sell because it is the easiest to explain. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. When setting up your display in front of the local grocery or hardware store, create a poster board about your Unit. Here are some elements of a good display:

• Unit Number and City (The city name gives the indication that it is the customer’s Scout Unit)
• Large Lettering (Recommended Letter height Ratio is 1”:10’ meaning lettering 1 inch tall to see at a distance of 10 feet, 2 inches for 20 feet, etc.)
• Contrasting Colors for background and lettering
• Pictures of the last year’s Unit events (Pinewood Derby Race, Troop Summer Camp/Trek, etc.)
• Picture of a Service Project in which the Unit participates (Vitally important to show service)
• Pictures of different things your Unit wants to do next year
• Unit Goal (How much you are trying to raise to do all of the activities for the year)

Units should have the Scouts help in making this display. Incorporate either the Art Belt Loop (Cub Scouts) or the Art Merit Badge (Boy Scouts) for help in making the Unit Popcorn Display.

Take Order/Show and Deliver

To help Scouts going Door-to-Door either with or without product, it is best to have a handheld version of your Presentation Board. Include the same items that are on the Show and Sell Presentation Board, but limit it to a one-sided 8 ½” x 11” page. My recommendation is to get these either laminated or insert the sheet into a plastic page cover to keep them protected from the elements and getting wrinkled throughout the sale. Here is the trick when going door-to-door. Have the Presentation Sheet on a clipboard with the order form on top but not attached. When talking to the person at the door, hand them the order form while pointing out the items on the Presentation Sheet. It is natural that when a person has the form in their hand, they are more likely to buy the product. My son used this technique last year when selling popcorn to raise money to go to the National Jamboree. His presentation paper had the activities he wanted to do at the Jamboree like Whitewater Rafting, Zip Line and Scuba.

Having a Unit Presentation Board or Sheet helps not only the customer understand what the Unit plans on doing with the funds raised, but it also helps give the Scouts an easy point of reference with which to talk to their customers. It is much easier for a Scout to talk about something they have done in the past.

I know these items will help you and your customer find a reason to support the Popcorn Sale and the Boy Scouts. Good Luck.