Safety First
* Scouts should always work in pairs, or an adult should accompany sellers.
* Always walk on the sidewalk and driveway, not through the yard or in the street.
* Do not carry large amounts of cash.
* Never enter anyone’s house without an adult.
* Sell during daylight hours.
General
* Smile and introduce yourself. Tell them why you’re there and why you’re selling popcorn!
* Wear your Scout uniform. This provides instant credibility since it is highly recognizable. Most people have a positive response to a Scout in uniform and will be supportive.
* Be informed. Know the various products sold, when it will be delivered and how it benefits Scouts.
* When selling – ask if someone would like to support Scouting, not if they would like to buy popcorn. We are “selling” the Scouting program. They can still donate money if they don't want any popcorn.
* Remember to THANK THEM for their purchase, or THANK THEM for their time if they don’t want to buy anything.
* Collect the money now, deliver the popcorn later (after Nov 9th).
* Be sure the name & address is legible (phone numbers are helpful too). Make a backup copy of the order form after you get some sales.
Timing
* The district's popcorn selling season started Fri, Sept 6th (for those early-birds in our pack who wanted to get going).
* The official launch for Pack 3123 will take place at our first pack meeting on Tues, Sept 10th.
* We want to wrap it up by Oct 1st, so it is only 3 weeks of selling. Turn in your order sheets to a Den Leader or one of the "Popcorn Kernals".
Contacts
* The 2013 "Popcorn Kernals" are: Holly Bolick, Anne Geisler, and Mark Johnson.
Why do we do this?
* The money we earn from popcorn is our main source of funding for the cub scout program. Without this, the costs to parents would be substantially higher and would be a deterrent to people and the kids would miss a great opportunity.
* This is a good opportunity for the boys to learn a new skill. Sales skills are important in almost every career. This can be a very positive experience.
Motivation
* See the attached file for a list of the prizes that the boys can earn by selling popcorn.
* Our pack goal is to sell $10,000 worth in 2013. That breaks down to about $200 per cub scout. If we reach this goal we will have a special party.
Opportunity
* Another way to sell popcorn is to create an online account with sell.trails-end.com
- Click the “Create an Account” button
• Choose the “Scout” option in the drop down menu.
• Enter your scout’s birthday and click Continue.
• Enter your scout’s information.
o Under Council, select “Heart of America.”
o Under District, select “Red-Tailed Hawk.”
o Under Unit, select “Pack 3123.”
• Since your scout is under the age of 13, you will have to activate his account. Trails-
End will immediately send you an email with a link to activate his account.
• Click the “Activate Account” button in the email, which takes you back to another
website. Click “Approve.”
Now your scout can login to sell.trails-end.com
Once logged in, you and your scout can create an email that is sent to your friends and family
with a link to his Trails-End account (click on the “Spread the Word” button to create it.)
Any online purchases made via this link will be credited to your scout’s popcorn sales.