In 2018, It s a popcorn sale built on feedback!!!

Transcription

1 POPCORN SALES GUIDE

2 In 2018, It s a popcorn sale built on feedback!!! Thank you for partnering with the Lake Erie Council! The 2018 popcorn sale was built entirely around the feedback as a result of the survey (over 250 responses) that was conducted after last years sale and listening sessions that were conducted this spring with unit leaders. Our goal for 2018 remains the same as last year; a simple and compelling way for units to fund their amazing program with excellent support from their council! While 2017 sale was not ideal for every unit, over $1.2 million was sold, with $600,000+ going back to support local Scouting Units to help with registration fees, Boys Life subscriptions, uniforms, trips, activities, awards, summer camps, and high adventure experiences for the youth with little out-of-pocket expense for your families. We are excited for the 2018 sale, with the introduction of new products, tins, returns, and much more. We look forward to seeing your success with the upcoming sale. Use this guide along with information on the Trail s End website and weekly s to guide your way to having a successful sale. John K. Fabsits Director of Field Service Guide Index Intro and Index... What s New in Building a Successful Sale.... Selling Methods.... Popcorn Calendar... Prizes and Incentives.. Ordering and Distribution..... Distribution Sites and Reordering... How to sign up for sale.... Payment Procedures & Returns.. Scout Selling Safety Tips.. Forms... Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page Online Resources For additional Popcorn Resources: Ideal Year of Scouting / Program Planning Unit leader training dashboard How To Guides: - Prospect for your unit kernel - Planning your sale - Online sales - Popcorn ordering system Tracking and inventory management tools Unit kick-off best practices And much more, available at Trails-End.com! 2

3 Unit Funding and Popcorn What s different in 2018? UNIT COMMISSION Each unit will receive a 40% commission, and all online sales earn 50% commission. Nation Leading Amongst Boy Scout Councils. PRODUCTS 9 different products in the popcorn sale. PRICE POINTS 5 different price points for products, ranging from $10 to $60. TINS Four different products will be available in tins. SCOUT INCENTIVES A Scout can earn up to 10% of their sale in an Amazon gift card. RETURNS Two different opportunities to return unsold product. MARKETING We are offering resource tools to help you in your marketing efforts. Print and digital marketing material include: videos, banners, order forms, etc. 3

4 12 Steps to Building a Successful Sale 1. Discuss why your Scouts Sell Popcorn - Scouts sell popcorn to fund their adventures in Scouting! Conduct youth/adult program Ideal Year of Scouting planning exercise with your unit. 2. Set a Unit and Per Scout Sales Goal - Utilize the Program Planner in Resources on the Trail s End site and set unit and Scout sales goals. Units who set a goal sell almost twice as much. 3. Attend Training - Attend the kick-off rally. Review the Leader s Guide 4. Formulate a Sales Plan - Talk with your unit leadership and determine how you d like to sell. 5. Hold a FUN and EXCITING Unit Kick-off for Your Families - The meeting should explain the popcorn sale and communicate sales expectations to your parents. Build excitement with the Scouts through the prize and incentives program. 6. Order & Pick-Up Popcorn - Order the product you want to sell with the show and sell order. Additional product can be ordered during the take order. Limited quantities of product will be available from the Lake Erie Council throughout the sale. 7. Manage Popcorn Inventory - Develop a plan to track the inventory your unit has in stock. Keep product in the hands of your Scouts to keep them selling throughout the sale. 8. SELL SELL SELL - Keep Scouts motivated! Do one fundraiser per year and do it well! Some ideas to keep Scouts motivated: arrange den/patrol competitions, continuously share what prizes and incentives are available at each sales level, remind parents about how the popcorn sale pays for their program, and give regular updates on your unit s progress towards your sales goal. 9. Collect Payments from Families - Develop a plan to collect payments from your Scout families. Utilize Scout collection envelopes and train Scouts to collect fees. Set unit due dates prior to council payment dates so you have time to process before your payment is due. 10. Submit names of Scouts for Incentives - Recognize your Scouts for their hard work with the great prizes and incentives offered through the popcorn sale. 11. Pay Your Popcorn Bill - Make payments on your popcorn bill on specified dates throughout the sale. Your final popcorn payment must be received in the office by December 3, Checks can be made out to the Lake Erie Council, BSA. All payments must be made as specified. Check your invoice at any time throughout the sale on your own Trails End site. Credit cards are not an accepted form of payment. 12. Spend Your Earnings! - Congratulations! You ve followed your plan and raised what your unit needed to support their program. Now recognize your Scouts by providing a fantastic Scouting program in Keys to success Program planning is the first step for successful Scouting and for goal setting. This should take place during the summer before fall recruitment. Don t wait until the last minute to find your units Popcorn Kernel! Volunteer recruitment, engagement and accountability are important in a successful popcorn sale. It s important to have a little fun; make sure your fall kickoff is fun, motivating and meaningful. Each unit s plan and goal is customized to fit their needs. 4

5 Selling Methods Scouts can participate in the sale using several methods. Whatever methods your Scouts choose, you have the brand recognition of Scouting to help sell product and support the unit s year-round programs. Show and Sell/Site Sales - Site Sales are where a group of Scouts and leaders sell popcorn in front of a church, store or other business. Statistics show that customers, when presented with a variety of products in front of them, are more likely to purchase a less expensive option. However, this is a great opportunity to promote Scouting to the community through popcorn sales. Show and Deliver/Door-to-Door - Involves the Scout soliciting orders at the customer s residence. This method is preferred for neighborhoods close to home. A large percentage of homeowners say that no Scout has ever come to their door, missing this great opportunity. Product is brought along (in wagon or vehicle), making it a quick and easy process for the customer. On-line business cards can also be utilized and left behind if no one is home. Online Sales - Online sales are easier than ever and you make a 50% commission! Scouts sell to out-of-town friends and family. It also works well for tech-savvy Scouts who are familiar with social networking sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Scouts set up their account on the Trails End Website (with parental approval if under the age of 13). The customer pays securely online and the product is shipped directly to them. The unit has no involvement in the ordering or shipping process and receives a 50% commission from all online sales. Samples of online products below Expand your customer base! Will be available ONLY online! Make 50% commission ONLINE PRODUCTS CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR Corporate Sales Focus on companies who give out year-end or holiday gifts to employees or customers. Banks, insurance agents, car dealers, doctors, dentists and realtors are all good examples. If a company is interested and needs assistance with special ordering, please contact Heather McMillan at the Lake Erie Council. PLANNING YOUR SALE IS KEY! 5

6 2018 Popcorn Calendar August Register to sell at Trails-end.com or complete the Unit Commitment Form in your packet Online Sales Begin August 1 Meet with your Unit Serving Executive Finalize your unit program plan, budget and goals per Scout Line up sites for sales Determine initial order and sign up at Trail s End site Read the weekly Kernel Journal from the office for updates and news September 4 th Orders are due for initial distribution (5:00 pm deadline so we keep things moving! Please be on time!) 14 th Amnesty Return Window begins (see page 11 for more details) 14 th Distribution at TBD and Giant Eagle sites (see page 9 for more details) 15 th Distribution at Heidelberg and Moving Solutions (see page 9 for more details) Finalize unit incentive plan and hold unit kickoff Read the weekly Kernel Journal from the office for updates and news October 5 th Amnesty Return Window ends Continue to offer weekly incentives for Scouts and set up site sales Hold a Blitz day and canvass neighborhoods (Saturdays are perfect!) Read the weekly Kernel Journal from the office for updates and news November 5 th Show and Sell Returns Due (up to 10% of initial order) 7 h Orders are due for take order distribution (5:00 pm deadline so we keep things moving! Please be on time!) 9 th First payment due from initial order (Sept. 4 th order: see page 11 for more details) 16 th Distribution at TBD and Giant Eagle sites (see page 9 for more details) 17 th Distribution at Heidelberg and Moving Solutions (see page 9 for more details) Read the weekly Kernel Journal from the office for updates and news December 3 rd Final Reconciliation and payment due Balance due council (see Page 11 for more details) 3 rd Incentive/Recognition Form Due (Q for the Day, Monster Jam, and Top Sellers form submitted) 6

7 Prizes and Incentives SCOUT CHAMPIONS New this year the Lake Erie Council will be providing a robust incentive program, which includes Scouts ability to earn up to 10% in Amazon gift cards based on the amount of product (including online) a Scout sells. LAKE ERIE COUNCIL INCENTIVES Sell 1 item: Sell one of each of the show & sell products and earn the patch shown. Sell $650: Two (2) free Lake Erie Monsters tickets, Q For A Day experience on January 26, Sell $1,250: Two (2) free priority tickets to see Monster Jam Trucks at The Q on February 16, Sell $2,500: Have 6% of your sales count towards your own Trail s End Scholarship. Top 50 Sellers: VIP Party at the Q plus Two (2) tickets for the Cavs game that day. ONLINE INCENTIVES: - THE MORE YOU SELL, THE MORE YOU EARN! Sell $300 online in a calendar year and earn 5% of every dollar sold as an Amazon.com Gift Card. Sell $300: Earn $15 Amazon.com Gift Card. Sell $1,000: Earn a $50 Amazon.com Gift Card. Sell $2,500: Earn a $125 Amazon.com Gift Card plus be qualified for the Trail s End Scholarship Program. All prize/incentive orders/forms need to be submitted to office by December 3. 7

8 2018 Popcorn Ordering & Distribution ORDERING Please confirm your username and password well BEFORE the due date. (contact if you need to retrieve password or need assistance) Place initial orders by Wednesday, September 4th in the Trial s End website. Go to to place your initial order. Cases only (see page 13 for case amounts). You will be assigned the closest distribution site unless you Heather and we can change in system. Double check your order before submission. DISTRIBUTION Distribution locations are manned by volunteers and available staff. To make sorting and distribution days as smooth as possible, please consider helping in your local warehouse. If your warehouse takes appointments, be sure to sign up in advance and be timely with your pickups. Note: PLEASE double check your packing slip BEFORE signing! Account/Product Settlement: To review your invoice for accuracy go to: If you see any discrepancies please contact heather.mcmillan@scouting.org. Please do so before your payment is due. (see page 11 for payment procedures information details) What size vehicle will I need? Please keep in mind that these are estimates based on having no other items or passengers in the vehicle with you. Mid-size car 20 cases Standard SUV 40 cases Standard Van 60 cases Full size SUV 70 cases Pickup truck 90 cases Not recommended: 8

9 Distribution Sites Initial Distribution: All sites must have orders placed by Tuesday, September 4th. Orders are placed in full cases. (see page 13 for case amounts). Pick-up times are tentative, be the lookout for further communication with dates and locations. Heidelberg Distribution center Show and Deliver (Initial Order) Friday, September 14th: American Seaway Foods/Giant Eagle Distribution 5300 Richmond Road, :00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Unit does not need to schedule time Saturday, September 15th: Moving Solutions 901 Baumhart Road, Lorain, OH Moving Way, Mentor, OH :00am-10:30am Unit does not need to schedule time 9:00am-Noon Unit needs to schedule time with Laurie Bott (Friday pick-up is available if you help to sort) Take Order Distribution : All sites must have orders placed by Wednesday, November 7th. Heidelberg Distribution center Take Order (Second Order) Friday, November 16th: American Seaway Foods/Giant Eagle Distribution 5300 Richmond Road, :00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Unit does not need to schedule time Saturday, November 17th: Moving Solutions 901 Baumhart Road, Lorain, OH Moving Way, Mentor, OH :00am-10:30am Unit does not need to schedule time 9:00am-Noon Unit needs to schedule time with Laurie Bott (Friday pick-up is available if you help to sort) 9

10 Visit Scouting.Trails-End.Com - Popcorn System A complete Trail s End Popcorn Sales System Manual and video are available online Introduction The Popcorn Sales System makes it easy for you to manage your Trail s End Popcorn Sale using a convenient, web-based platform. Using this platform, you can: Order popcorn from your Council to sell and earn needed funds for your Unit Add Popcorn System Users to help organize your information Create and manage Scout lists and sales records How to Sign Up & Enter a Popcorn Order Track your Unit s online sales, print packing slips and invoices The Council will setup your initial account and permissions in the Popcorn System. Users with administrative access (Leaders) will be able to change data in the system (add, edit or delete). Read-only users (Members) can mostly view data in the system, and manage their own personal account information. The menus and pages you see when you are logged into the Popcorn System are determined by your role and your organization responsibility. Your Role Some menus and other features are available only to Leaders. If you are a read-only user (member), these menus and features will not appear when you log into the Popcorn System. If you are the Popcorn Kernel of more than one unit, you may have multiple roles available to use. If you have any questions, reach out to your Trail s End Sales Manager or send us an at help@trails-end.com. Additionally please contact Heather McMillan at the Lake Erie Council for assistance. 10

11 Payment Procedures Personal checks, Credit card payments, multiple checks from your customers, or checks made payable to a unit cannot be accepted as payment for a unit s popcorn bill. Prize and incentive recognitions will not be released for shipment until the unit s invoice is paid in full and processed by the council. Final Settlement: When the sale is complete, units keep their commission and pay the Balance Due Council. This keeps the money in the unit account for use providing program for the scouts. It is up to the unit to confirm dollars owed on the invoice prior to the due dates. Unit Payment Due Dates: To view your invoice visit Invoices will also be mailed to the unit kernel indicating amount owed, minus any online commission that was earned. 1. Checks can also be brought or mailed to the office to be received on or before the dates below. Make checks payable to Lake Erie Council, BSA 2241 Woodland, Cleveland, OH November 9th: Payment for Initial distribution (show and sell) amount December 3rd: Final payment For more information on this years sale or if you have a question???? Contact: Heather McMillan - heather.mcmillan@scouting.org or Product Returns Amnesty Period - Between September 14 and October 5 units may return unwanted product (full cases only). Show and Sell Return - Units will be able to return up to 10% of the initial show and sell order. All Unit returned popcorn is a liability of 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 Unit Serving Executive if you have an inventory challenge too much or too little popcorn can usually find a home to another unit. Work toward zero returns so that every dollar of popcorn revenue provides better a program for our Scouts. PRODUCT RETURN LOCATION INFORMATION WILL AVAILABLE IN THE COMING WEEKS. 11

12 Scout Selling and Safety Tips SAFETY TIPS ALWAYS walk on the sidewalk and driveway. NEVER enter anyone's home NEVER sell after dark unless you are with an adult DON'T carry large amounts of cash with you ALWAYS sell with another scout or with an adult SELLING TIPS ALWAYS wear your uniform ALWAYS smile and introduce yourself ALWAYS tell your customers why you are selling popcorn KNOW the different kinds of popcorn you are selling ALWAYS say "Thank You" ALWAYS make a copy of your order form ALWAYS have a clean order form with a pen BE SURE to get customer addresses to send them a "Thank You" after the sale 12

13 Unit Product Transfer Form (For use when transferring product between units, form must be submitted to the Council no later than November 5th) Date: Product transfer from (Pack / Troop / Crew / Post ) #: Name: Phone: Signature: Product transfer to (Pack / Troop / Crew / Post ) #: Name: Phone: Signature: Popcorn Product # of Cases Containers per case Total Items Additional Containers Total Items Retail Cost per item Product Value Salted Caramel Corn x 12/case = + = x $25 =$ Premium Caramel Corn x 6/case = + = x $25 =$ White Cheddar Cheese Tin x 6/case = + = x $20 =$ 18-Pack Butter Microwave x 6/case = + = x $20 =$ Caramel Corn x 12/case = + = x $10 =$ Popping Corn x 12/case = + = x $10 =$ GRAND TOTAL =$ 13

14 Product Return Form Amnesty Period - Between September 14 and October 5 units may return unwanted product (full cases only) to the Lake Erie Council. Show and Sell Return - Units will be able to return up to 10% of the initial show and sell order. (Product returns must be no later than November 5th) Date: Product transfer from (Pack / Troop / Crew / Post ) #: Name: Phone: Signature: Popcorn Product # of Cases Containers per case Total Items Additional Containers Total Items Retail Cost per item Product Value Salted Caramel Corn x 12/case = + = x $25 =$ Premium Caramel Corn x 6/case = + = x $25 =$ White Cheddar Cheese Tin x 6/case = + = x $20 =$ 18-Pack Butter Microwave x 6/case = + = x $20 =$ Caramel Corn x 12/case = + = x $10 =$ Popping Corn x 12/case = + = x $10 =$ GRAND TOTAL =$ 14

15 Notes 15