This is a four-part series with a few reminders on how to make the homestretch count while enjoying a fabulous fall at the same time.
F - Fulfillment Always try to underpromise and overdeliver whenever possible. Fulfillment doesn’t just mean shipping and delivery - it means returning a phone call or responding to an email. It means checking in and not just when it’s convenient to do so. The root word is “fulfill” so think about that from your customer’s perspective in that they want to be fulfilled not only by raising money with their group, but also to be appreciated for what they are doing day in and day out.
A - Available Are you available for your customers as well as the in-house team via phone, text, or email? Try to make sure you respond in a timely manner as that might help expedite an order or answer a question quickly. Availability can set you apart from the competition.
L - Logical Think it through and don’t just react. Try to take a minute … breathe … (do that again) … then walk through step by step. Emotions are fine, just don’t let them in the driver’s seat with you. Being reasonable is a good thing and will serve you well. If your hair is always on fire then the “boy that cried wolf” comes into play. Make plans, give yourself some margin and expect the unexpected. Handle things professionally and don’t throw everyone else under the bus - if it is on you then own it. Be the bigger person.
L - Limitless Thinking outside the box is not only a great exercise, but definitely a fun way to push yourself and your groups to do well and exceed all expectations. There are enough limits and hoops to jump through without creating additional ones. Get creative. Set the sky as the limit and reach for the stars while shooting for the moon. A little extra push and “umph” can create amazing results. Give it a try!
Pitching the Sprint Sale Option
Whenever you are pitching the idea to run a sprint sale option with a group - try this approach:
Hey Coach Smith …
How would you like to raise money in less than an hour?
What if I had a solution to involve your players for one afternoon while raising money?
What if we could set up a fundraiser that doesn’t interfere with practice time?
How does $1000 raised in an hour sound to you?
Which sounds better? A two week fundraiser or one that’s finished in an hour?
These simple pitches and phrases might pique the interest of the coach or sponsor you are going after and get an appointment. That’s all you need is to get in the door. The coupon books and the Sprint program will sell itself on its own merit - but you have to be able to present it and know how to pitch it effectively. (Refer back to the article featuring Dan Reyome ~ 7/16 edition of the newsletter regarding Sprint Sales - he has some great ideas and proven ideas that work).
Closeouts and Invoices
Some groups ran early in August and now it is time to work on the closeout and generate the invoice. Here is the step-by-step procedure on how to close out a group and send the invoice while updating the office at the same time. This is the process to close out a traditional book sale.
One:Gather sales details from the sponsor regarding the results. Here is the info needed:
# of books sold cash and checks
# of prize books
# of lost/damaged books
# of leftover books (if any)
# of any out of town books and which market they are for (list the city)
Two:The Chairperson Portal shows all books total sold via credit card:
# of books shipped directly to the customer (total)
# of books in hand/fulfilled at the end of the sale
Three:Enter all of the information from Step One into the closeout form using the chairperson portal. Please note if you skip this step, it will delay Steps Seven and Eight. (If you are not familiar with the chairperson portal or using Enterprise, contact sales@savearound.com to schedule a time to go over this and be trained).
Four:Generate invoice and send to the sponsor and cc: the rep. This invoice will include the amount due minus any credits for credit card payments that SaveAround processed successfully.
Five:If there are leftover books, generate shipping labels and email them to the sponsor.
Six:Send an email to grouprelations@savearound.com. This update is to let them know that the invoice has been generated and the closeout form has been completed. The team will then match up the system with the closeout #’s. Now the team will await payment and returned books (if applicable).
Seven:Once the payment has been received and posted to the account, the rep’s commission will be added to the next report. If the group pays on Thursday, September 16th, then the rep will be paid their commission the following Friday, September 24th.
Eight:Returned books are a part of the closeout process, so until payment is made AND books are received, the group will not be “closed out” completely. If you have any questions about this process or completing a closeout or invoice, send an email to grouprelations@savearound.com and they will be happy to help walk you through.
1.Only male turkeys gobble.
2.Hens don’t gobble - they click.
3.Wild turkeys can fly and they can change colors.
4.Wild turkeys sleep in trees.
5.Turkeys can see better than humans.
6.Benjamin Franklin preferred the turkey over the bald eagle.
7.Presidential pardons for turkeys began in 1989.
IDEAS, SUGGESTIONS, OR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEWSLETTER?
Do you have an idea or topic that you would like to see covered in the Community Conversation newsletter? If so, please send it to sales@savearound.com and we’ll get right on it. Remember if it is something that you would like to know more about or learn about then chances are someone else needs to know it, too.
