Did You Know? online.

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1 Did You Know? Our Scouts sold more than $25,000 worth of popcorn in 2012 online. Scouts benefit from the popcorn sale. Popcorn provides an opportunity to earn a higher commission compared to other sales, which means more funding with less fundraising. Popcorn teaches Scouts: Salesmanship Responsibility Entrepreneurship Leadership Money handling The purpose of selling popcorn is to provide units an opportunity to pay for everything Scouting families want to do while a member of the Boy Scouts of America. The possibilities of how a unit uses the funding are endless. Units not only receive funds to support their program but also help to ensure council services and opportunities are available for all Scouts in the WLACC. All units receive support from the council and their district to help achieve their popcorn goals. This support is in the form of training opportunities, additional Scout rewards, marketing materials, the opportunity to return excess product and, if needed, personalized customer service from the district popcorn team. Thank you for your commitment as a Unit Kernel for the 2013 Fall Popcorn Sale. As a Unit Kernel you play an important role in helping the young men in your unit learn how to pay their own way. In addition you provide your unit the support needed to have an amazing program during the upcoming year. We have made a few additions to this year s program so please read this information thoroughly. This guidebook will help you to: Know the sale step by step from beginning to end Learn more about sales techniques Understand and promote prize programs Discover the resources available to you, your unit, and your Scouts Keep track of critical dates Provide contact information for when you need a helping hand Please feel free to share your thoughts and questions with your District Popcorn Kernel or District Executive. Your comments are truly appreciated. 1

2 Congratulations on joining our sale, and for making a commitment to help your boys, your unit, and our council! Together we can achieve our goals and continue to provide our young men and women with remarkable programs and values building experiences. Coordinate the 2013 Popcorn Sale in your unit. Attend the unit leader training and encourage other members of your unit to attend. Contact all registered youth in your unit and explain the 2013 Popcorn Sale. Hold a kickoff event for your unit Get boys excited about all four sales methods Coach participating Scouts on how to approach potential customers and sell, sell, sell! Tabulate and submit your unit orders online. Submit the prize selections online and on time Make sure you turn in all forms on time to ensure your unit receives all prizes, awards, and incentives. Pro Tip: Distribution day is the easiest day to sell because your unit is together and the popcorn is already in the car The popcorn sale can be broken into three easy to manage parts: pre-sale preparation, the show and selling season, and the closeout. In the following sections we will describe each briefly. Pre-sale Preparation The pre-sale involves making sure that your unit is ready and excited about the sale. The period of the pre-sale is from August 1 st through September 6 th and during this time you will want to: o Meet with your parent s committee to recruit other parents to help you o Plan and hold a kickoff event for your Unit to get the boys excited about selling o Make sure to schedule selling locations with dates and times o Place your order for the store front sales and in-person sales (show & sell) Show & Selling Season The show and selling season is all about getting your unit out into your community so that they can use all four sales methods: store front sales, door to door sales with product, door to door with the take order forms for later delivery, and online sales. This part of the sale runs from September 7 th and continues through November 2 nd or a little later depending on your Unit s available product. During this time you will want to: o Plan to hold your first store front sale after you pick up your popcorn from your District Distribution site on September 7th 2

3 o Have your Unit Leader provide 5 minutes every meeting to recognize your top weekly seller with weekly competitions for your boys o Schedule show and sell locations with a recommended 2 hour rotation with 2-3 boys per rotation o Regularly check your inventory to make sure you are not overstocked or close to running out (the units can often get more popcorn from the district during the sale or arrange for transfers of product from another unit) o Keep track of your boy s individual sales for the prize and commission programs o Make on-time payments to any Council Service Center o Make any allowable and necessary returns on or well before 10/26 o Arrange a neighborhood blitz day during the sale to get every boy selling for 2 hours o Hold an Online Sales and Signup Party for you Unit The Closeout Closing out your sale is all about making sure your unit finishes strong and will begin on or before October 20th and run through November 17 th. To run a closeout you will want to: o Take a final inventory of all your unit s available product o Collect all of your boy s unfulfilled take order forms o Calculate your unit s final order based on the difference between stock on hand and required stock to fulfill orders o Submit your unit s final payment and prize August Unit Goals Submitted August 18 Unit Popcorn Order Due September 7 First Distribution Day October 11 50% of Outstanding Balance Due October 26 All Returns Due October 27 Take Orders Due November % of Remaining Balance Due November 16 Final Distribution November 17 Prize Order Due December 13 First Commission checks mailed January 10 Second Commission checks mailed January 31 Final Commission checks Mailed 3

4 Unit Campaign Planning Follow these 5 steps for a successful campaign! 1. Showcase your annual program and explain to the families how the entire program can be funded with one fundraiser: Popcorn! 2. Communicate the Per Scout Popcorn Sale Goals and approximately how many items that will be. Have the Scouts write their goals on the Take Order Forms. 3. Have actual unit prizes on display to show the Scouts what they can earn for selling popcorn, or have them mark the prizes they want to earn on the prize form. 4. Monitor your sale to encourage every family to participate. One method to assist you is by having weekly or bi-weekly incentives. 5. Do a skit or fun activity to get the boys trained and excited about the purpose and goals of the sale. Make sure you cover safety as a priority in the sale. Scouts who set goals, sell 48% more popcorn than those without goals. Unit Kickoff This unit-run event is an opportunity to explain the popcorn sale to parents, build excitement and communicate expectations. Timing of the kickoff is important to give Scouts as much time as possible to impact their sale. Kickoff Agenda (40 minutes) Grand Opening (5 minutes) Gather ideas from the online video training Play music, dim the lights and have fun! Serve popcorn Explain the Scouting program and key dates (10 minutes) Make sure families understand the benefit of selling popcorn to pay for Scouting programs. Highlight key dates important to the popcorn sale. Train your Scouts (10 minutes) Show Scout training videos on leaders.trails-end.com at your kickoff. Download these videos ahead of time if the kickoff location does not have an Internet connection. Explain the different ways Scouts can sell (face-to-face or online). Showcase your Scout Rewards (10 minutes) Introduce the unit incentive program, starting with the pie in the face. Big Finish (5 minutes) Have the top sellers from last year throw pies in the faces of the leaders. Send everyone home motivated to sell. 4

5 Prizes are one of the most significant motivators for your boys as they continue to sell popcorn. Units are encouraged to run weekly promotions that allow each boy a fighting chance to report new sales and not be outdistanced by a standout seller. We also encourage you to reward your Unit s top seller at the end of the season. Many successful Units offer Unit prizes in addition to Council and Trail s End promotions. These Unit prizes do not need to be lavish and often improve with creativity instead of cash outlays; as demonstrated by a Cub s love of hitting their Cubmaster in the face with a whipped cream pie. Total Sales Cub Scout Prizes Scout Prizes Any Item Patch/Pin Patch/Pin $60 Level 2 Level 2 $90 Level 3 Level 3 $175 Level 4 Level 4 $250 Level 5 Level 5 $375 Level 6 Level 6 $550 Level 7 Level 7 $600 BONUS ZXCrossbow BONUS ZXCrossbow $775 Level 8 Level 8 $1,000 Level 9 Level 9 $1,000 BONUS King s Game BONUS King s Game $1,500 Level 10 Level 10 $1,500 BONUS $50 Gift Card BONUS $50 Gift Card $2,000 Level 11 Level 11 $2,000 Robot Kit Goal Zero Solar Charger $2,750 Level 12 Level 12 $2,500 BONUS 6% Scholarship BONUS 6% Scholarship $3,000 Sleeping Bag 65L Osprey Atmos Backpack $3,500 Level 13 Level 13 $4,000 Robot Kit II Summer Camp at Whitsett $5,000 Summer Camp at Whitsett Summer Camp at Emerald Bay Commission Structure Percentage Base Commission 30% On Time Payments 2% Submission of Program Planner 2% $1 Over Last Year s Sale 2% **All Online Sales 36% Total potential 36% *Prize Opt Out: Units are unable to opt out of prizes 5

6 Prizes encourage a Scout to keep selling through each stage of the sale, and all of his sales count toward his prize level even online sales. Please note that there are some important things to know about prizes including: Each Scout receives a 2013 patch or pin for making his first sale All gift cards promotions are upgrades unless they are listed as bonuses (i.e. A Scout who sells $250 worth of popcorn will earn a level 5 prize. As soon as that Scout s sale reach $375, his level 5 prize increases to a level 6 prize) Every boy who sells $1,000 or more will be given two tickets to the King s Game Council promotions at the $2,000-$5,000 sales level are awarded at the highest level ie. A cub scout who sells 5,000 will receive only a Camp Whitsett experience Units are able to return full unopened cases of any Show & Sell product other than products that contain chocolate and the 8pk Microwave Butter. Returns can be made at any council office no later than October 26 th. All popcorn is a liability for the Council so we encourage you to follow a few key practices: Check on your outstanding inventory and make frequent honest assessments on your Unit s ability to sell Subscribe to a time based sales plan (i.e. we are halfway through the sale have we sold at least half of our inventory) Check in with your District Kernel or District Executive if you have an inventory challenge too much or too little popcorn can usually find a home with enough notice Work toward a zero return policy so that every dollar of popcorn revenue provides better program for our boys 6

7 Product Price Show & Sell Take Order Returns Packaging Premium Chocolate Lovers $75 Yes Yes No Tin Chocolate Lovers $50 Yes Yes No Box Sweet & Savory Collection $40 Yes Yes No Box Cheese Lover s Collection $35 Yes Yes Yes Box White Chocolatey Pretzels $25 Yes Yes No Bag Dark & White Chocolate Drizzle $20 Yes Yes No Bag Large Carmel Corn with Nuts $20 Yes Yes Yes Bag Butter Toffee Caramel Corn $20 Yes Yes Yes Bag Unbelievable Butter Microwave $18 Yes Yes Yes Box Butter Light Microwave $18 Yes Yes Yes Box Buffalo Cheddar $15 Yes Yes Yes Bag Jalapeno Cheddar $15 Yes Yes Yes Bag Kettle Corn Pre-Popped $15 Yes Yes Yes Bag 8pk Unbelievable Butter $10 Yes No No Box Microwave Small Caramel Corn $10 Yes Yes Yes Bag Popping Corn $10 Yes Yes Yes Bag 7

8 Ordering Tips If you are new to the sale and do not know what you should order, your District Executive or Kernel can pull your Unit s order from the previous year and make recommendations Please take into account the changes in your Unit s membership: Did you increase youth membership? Did your top selling boy move to another unit? How many show & sell locations have you secured? What is your actual participation likely to be (don t count the number of families, count the number of selling families) Discern what your most popular products were from the year before. Make sure that you have as much climate controlled storage space for the full quantity of your chocolate products There are a variety of excellent resources available at both our Council website ( and the Trails End Website ( which will help to bolster your sale administration and the success of your Scouts. Some of the different resources on the sites are: Unit product and prize ordering, invoices, and sale administration: Council promotions, downloadable take order form, scholarship application, and list signup: Unit sale planning tools including program planner spreadsheet and more: 8

9 Popcorn distribution for the Show & Sell and Take Orders are handled at four different locations and they are determined by your Unit s district. Each unit will be contacted by a District Kernel or District Executive within 4 days of the distribution to determine a time to pick up your order. Antelope Valley Balboa Oaks, Cahuenga, Las Colinas Frito Lay Warehouse Fed Ex Distribution Center 751 W. Ave. L Branford St. Lancaster, CA Sun Valley, CA Bill Hart Crescent Bay Alfred Mann Foundation A-American Self Storage Rye Canyon Loop 2300 Federal Ave Santa Clarita, CA Los Angeles, CA Secure enough vehicles to carry your entire product. Wait until all of your drivers are at the distribution site to begin loading. Have a copy of your order with you. Bring the appropriate number and types of vehicles: o Midsize car: 20 Cases o Minivan: Cases o Large SUV: 50 Cases o Pickup Truck: Cases Chocolate Products: Any single product or collection of products that contain chocolate Family Guide: the printed guide that includes prize information, rules, and the take order form Neighborhood Blitz: a day when your unit turns out to visit an entire neighborhood with a 2 boy team per street Show & Deliver: a door to door sale where the product is delivered as soon as the purchase is made Show & Sell: the part of the sale where product is sold in person after it is shown, typically in store front settings Take Order: any part of the sale where product is sold for future delivery, often door to door or office sales Unit Kickoff: a rally held to excite and train your boys, introduce prizes, and provide a fun start to the sale Unit payments can be mailed into the Anna Ruggieri Scout Service Center in Van Nuys and addressed as follows: BSA-WLACC c/o Popcorn Team Sherman Way Ste. C8 Van Nuys, CA Payments may also be dropped off at your local Scout Service Center in Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita, Van Nuys, or the Westside. Unit Payments should be made out to WLACC-BSA with district and unit number in the memo section. Credit Card Payments will not be accepted for you unit order. 9

10 Product Case Containers Premium Chocolate Lovers 1 1 Chocolate Lovers 1 1 Sweet & Savory Collection 1 1 Cheese Lover s Collection 1 1 White Chocolatey Pretzels 1 8 Dark & White Chocolate Drizzle 1 8 Large Carmel Corn with Nuts 1 8 Butter Toffee Caramel Corn 1 8 Buffalo Cheddar 1 8 Jalapeno Cheddar 1 8 Kettle Corn Pre-Popped pk Unbelievable Butter Microwave pk Butter Light Microwave 1 6 Small Caramel Corn pk Unbelievable Butter Microwave 1 12 Popping Corn

11 Unit Program Planner Sample ONLY ENTER DATA IN HIGHLIGHTED SPACES 1. Enter all your activities and costs per Scout under each month. Unit Type and Unit # 0 2. Enter your number of Scouts and unit commission %. Number of Scouts in Unit 0 3. Fill in the five shaded fields at the bottom of the sheet. Unit Commission % 0% September October November Activities Cost Activities Cost Activities Cost Total Cost $0.00 Total Cost $0.00 Total Cost $0.00 December January February Activities Cost Activities Cost Activities Cost Total Cost $0.00 Total Cost $0.00 Total Cost $0.00 March April May Activities Cost Activities Cost Activities Cost Total Cost $0.00 Total Cost $0.00 Total Cost $0.00 June July August Activities Cost Activities Cost Activities Cost Total Cost $0.00 Total Cost $0.00 Total Cost $0.00 $0 Registration & Insurance Unit Total Activity Cost & Expenses $0 11