SaveAround's Community Conversation

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 - unForgettable
So do you know someone who is unForgettable? How so? Is it because it was a GREAT experience or not so much? Remember as we go through the world of fundraising, we want to be unForgettable (in a good way). You want to be remembered after the sale as the fundraising go to person for your chairperson. Help create a great experience for the group and be memorable and unForgettable.
A - Accessible
Make sure that you are Accessible before, during, and after the sale. This is what helps make you unForgettable (see F). Especially with first time chairpeople, it is important that you are available to answer questions and help them figure out their next step. Coupon book distribution, money collection, online vs in person, profit percentages, etc. all while teaching a full time job, perhaps coaching, too, while navigating these unchartered waters. Be available and accessible to help them.

L - Loyal
Now that you are unForgettable in a good way and truly accessible each step of the way you will develop Loyal customers. These are the ones who are in your corner and when a competitor comes along they will remain Loyal to you no matter what. This can be a tough decision if they are getting pressured to try a different product line or work with someone else. If you do all the things throughout the process, year after year, you will begin to develop and cultivate a family of clientele who will remain faithful and loyal to you.

L - Legendary
This is a super descriptive word when it comes to a depiction of someone. Many times, this word is used to describe superheroes and that is YOU. Look at how far you have come, how many obstacles and challenges you have overcome, and you are still standing. YOU are a Legendary Superhero. Take a minute to breathe, smile, and pat yourself on the back for surviving one of the toughest times in the fundraising industry that you’ve faced. Perseverance, mental toughness, and putting all the key things into place make you just that - Legendary!

In closing, don’t be a Flop or a Fake, Abrasive or Abrupt, Lowly, Ludicrous, Lacking or Lazy. But remember, you want to be a Fantastic Friend who has a stellar Attitude who is in it for the Long haul, and wants to retain Lifelong customers. Hope you enjoyed the reminders throughout the F*A*L*L as you continue along the way in the crazy world of fundraising!!!

For those of you who have embraced digital group communication - great job! you are ahead of the curve! For those of you who are still adamant about printing PAPER parent letters.... ut oh... this is becoming more challenging. Paper is really running low from several distributors and we are being told two things will happen ~ prices are skyrocketing and limited supply is a definite. We anticipated this fact and have tried our best to maintain inventory and options for advanced digital communication. Please continue working with your group leaders on all aspects of digital communication. Text messages, emails, social media, etc.

SAVE THE TREES!

Wrap It Up

As we approach December and just a few weeks of school remaining, it is imperative that you work with your customers to get closeouts done and invoiced. Schools will start closing around December 15th-17th and will not return until January. In order to get the invoice sent and in time for the bookkeeper to process and pay, the closeout really needs to be done ASAP.

The closeout is a two-part process: Payment and returned books must be received.

Your rep commission will be processed once these 2 items are completed.
If you have any questions or need assistance with a closeout, please contact Group Relations and they will be glad to assist. grouprelations@savearound.com

Invoices, Returned Books, and Payments

Over the course of the next several weeks, we will be closing out a lot of groups that ran this Fall season. There are a few important steps to ensure a smooth and efficient close out process happens and this will affect your commission, too.

A. Fill out the closeout on the chairperson portal. If you don’t know how to do this, contact
sales@savearound.com and we’ll be glad to help walk you through this process.

B. Final orders will be processed. Remember we want to limit all groups to 2 shipments if
at all possible. One initial order to get started and then a final order to fulfill everything. Small multiple shipments are costly and not efficient.

C. Request the invoice be sent to your sponsor and you will receive a copy, too.

D. Follow up with your chairperson to be sure they received it and have passed it onto the
bookkeeper or accounting department.

E. Do they have any leftover books? If so we can issue shipping labels or you can pick
those up to move to another group. We need to know the plans for any leftover books.

F. Email Grouprelations@savearound.com to let us know the closeout information is final
and to send the invoice and labels if needed. This signals the Group Relations team to match the system with the closeout #’s so when payment comes in it will zero out the account. If this step is missed the account may have a balance that carries over and your commission will be delayed.

G. Help us to follow up and collect payment. The sooner the group pays, the sooner you
will receive your commission.

Payments
Payments should be made payable to Enjoy the City North and mailed to the address on
the invoice. DO NOT INCLUDE payments in the box with returned books. Books go to
the warehouse and a check could easily get lost in the shuffle. We can accept payment
by Credit Card if that is easier.

Returned Books
Use the return shipping labels provided in the final email (with the invoice). Only books
should be sent to the warehouse with those labels. Don’t include anything else (i.e.
correspondence, payment, etc.). Only send books with those shipping labels

Help follow up on both - remember this is a 2-part step in the closeout process - payment AND leftover books - are required to close out an account.