I'm looking for ideas geared specifically to use during our Kickoff for the Popcorn Sales for our Boy Scout Troop. Need ways to present the program to parents/Scouts, need ideas on how to motivate the Scouts to sell as much as possible, & need fun community "sell" set-ups. Quite a list!
I'm really gearing this toward the whole "popcorn" theme, but am very aware that I am dealing with teens....so it cannot be Kiddieville. It needs to be fun, because we have to set goals based on last year's performance - which can get boring. My eyes were rolling back in boredom...over the presentation of the stats last night....so I know the boys will feel the same way! Gotta make it fun & still be able to achieve. Any ideas?
We live in a small town & have already decided to sell at the H.S. football games & at the youth soccer games. We've also thought of having a sell day in small neighborhoods all over town....using a wheelbarrow or wagon to haul the goods! We're liking that one a lot! But we need more ideas....it's a short sale period (1 month) & it provides the bulk of our income for the year. Thanks, Mamas!
Jana: yes, the boys sell individually. They set goals & are encouraged to achieve. This will be our 1st attempt to sell as a group. If the Girl Scouts can sell in public places....so can we! It's a serious sales op!
EDIT #2: great ideas....& they tie in with what we are already planning. I do like the prize/reward incentives for the boys. We will have to be very careful with this tho'....we have 2 patrols - 1 younger & 1 older. The competition is already pretty fierce, & we try very hard to bring the boys together ...as opposed to competing against each other. Any ideas for helping with my popcorn-themed presentation for our Kick-Off? & also need ideas for pumping the motivation thru the selling period.....Thanks!
Do you allow the boys to sell the popcorn individually? Our scout troops did that last year and it was very successful. I love the idea though of doing it as a group too!
For the Cub Scouts, we offered a prize drawing for the scouts that filled up a page of the order form. Each form was an entry. One year it was an IPOD shuffle. For the older scouts, you might want to try a gift card (maybe winner's choice) of $50.00.
What about a movie night for the participants if you break your goal? Ice cream, pizza etc.
We also sold in front of grocery stores, but I like the football and soccer games, more community minded.
1. The booths are a great idea
2. The neighborhood door to door sale is a great idea and you could have a minivan filled with the goods driving slowly withthe kids
3. Make and send flyers out describing it and what it efects.
4. Setting goals for the kids: The 1st boy to get ###orders/cans/bags sold gets a pizza. The pack that sells ### gets blah blah blah. if you can spare it.
Scouts in our town get permission to set up in front of the supermarkets - people are thinking "food" then anyway. Sometimes they set up in front of a WalMart. If there is a big neighborhood yard sale, set up a table there with permission. On Saturdays, there is always a big line at the town dump and recycling center - politicians and school groups always work the crowds while the drivers are waiting in line. Make it a challenge to see how many creative locations and gimmicks the kids can come up with. If there is a community event like a big school play or amateur theater, see if you can have some visibility there.
Ask businesses if you can set up a booth outside their stores for a couple hours(we do 4 hrs on a Sat.and Sun.) Last year they had who ever sold over $200 got to throw a pie in their leaders face, and if they said they were going to sell over $200 but didn't get the goal- the leader got to throw a pie in the scouts face- this was all done at a Fall/Halloween party after all the popcorn sells were done.
have fun!
~C.
If you have a walmart near you,set up outside. make sure to ask the manager if it is ok. I see all kinds of people pushing to raise money outside of walmart,girlscouts,money for football at the schools,vetrans and the list goes on. May be make some flyers and post them in the local high school,around the neighborhood. at the grocery stores or put flyers on the windsheilds of the cars. The more excited they are about selling the more excited everyone else will be. They need to be motivated and excited so more people are excited by their enthusiasm and willing to buy from them.
