SaveAround's Community Conversation

As a fundraising expert, you are well aware that there are many products and services available to pitch to your groups. In the process, you will need to familiarize yourself with the products available to you and understand how they work and what is the overall value of them and why its a good value for you, your business, and your groups. As the title of this article says - It’s All About the App and I don’t have a clue … well, do you know how to use it? Do you know how to explain it? This component of the coupon book is the code printed on the front which gives the customer access to thousands of coupons, discounts, and offers.

So today you are in luck and we are going back to school using this quick tutorial on the app:

Step One: On your phone, go to the iStore (apple) or the Google Play (android) and download the SaveAround app. Look for “SaveAround Deals”

Step Two: Locate the code on the front of one of your sample books. If you don’t have a sample book, email the sales team to get a code (sales@savearound.com). Type in the code in the app on your phone as a New SaveAround User.

Step Three: Set yourself up as a new user (name, email, and enter a password) and zip code

Step Four: Skip the auto-renew feature

Step Five: Enter demographic information (birthdate, age, source of the code)

(This process took less than 5 minutes and that including installing the app on the phone)

A couple of suggestions on how to use the app prior to a client meeting. The first step is to know the zip code and city of the group/school where you are meeting ...

A. Scan the various offers: Dining, Entertainment, Recreation, Retail and Services

B. Pull up a few offers and tally those coupon offers for a total that exceeds $20/$25 retail.

C. Pull up a nearby city and do the same process

D. Pull up a destination city (Orlando, Nashville, etc.) and see what offers are in those cities

E. Check the national offers (Dick’s, AMC, ibotta, etc.) and see what those offers include.

Click the location icon … you can type in your groups’ address (city, state, and zip). The app uses GEO-LOCATION services … so it lists offers at locations nearby as you travel.

E-Communication During the Sale

Remember that the length of the sale is critical to success. You should be in daily or every other day communication with the chairperson reminding them to remind the student sellers. Helpful things like:

1. Send a link with the payment option for credit card (that would be SAPayNow.com/(group # goes here).

2. Remind chairperson about deadlines. Create a sense of urgency.

3. Suggest upcoming holidays, gift-giving opportunities for the book, etc. Again help create the demand for the product.

These are the two weeks to shine and make the fundraising profits needed. Don’t just sit back and hope that a sheet of paper is going to do the work for you. BE PROACTIVE and communicate often with key information.

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: If the group qualifies for the apparel prize incentive, those totals are also entered into the
system at the time of closeout (chairperson portal). Quantity is needed for each shirt size
category on the apparel submission form. Once this info is entered it CANNOT be
changed or edited. Make sure that this information is complete when it is submitted.

Eight: 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, July 15th, then the rep
will be paid their commission the following Friday, July 23rd.

Nine: 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.

SaveAround has always tried to be a good steward of its financial responsibility and resources not only to the company, but its employees, its sales team, and the customers we ALL serve. Over the years, shipping costs have dramatically increased across the board.

Here are a few things you can assist with to be sure we are maximizing shipping efforts and keeping costs down:

1. Residential vs. Commercial
It can sometimes cost as much as 40% more to deliver to a home address vs. a commercial address after you add in surcharges, extra fees, out of range expenses and so forth. If at all possible, the preferred destination would be the group’s commercial address (i.e. school, academy, main office, etc.)

2. We don’t have a commercial address
In that case, there are alternate locations that could serve as “pick up” locations and are considered “commercial” because of their location. On the main drag, on a main commercial street with a lot of other businesses nearby, or they are a shipping/delivery facility as well.

3. Keep group shipments to a minimum
Groups should have two shipments max. One at the beginning of the sale with starting # of books (one per seller). The final shipment to the group should include additional books needed to fulfill all orders and any out of town books being delivered by the student seller. Not multiple shipments with one or two books each.

Be very clear about this and explain this process with your chairperson as you go through the closeout #’s. Perhaps wait a day before turning in the final order to the office in case there is a late order submission turned in by a student who was absent on the final turn in day. If you have any questions about the shipping information, please contact the Sales Support team via email at sales@savearound.com, and someone will be happy to help you.

Write down the vision or your mission statement.
Setting goals. Clearly define and visit goals daily for 5 minutes.
Morning routine
Weekly Plan
Task Management
Outsource – Outsource everything you can’t be the BIW (Best in the World) at. Focus only on activities within your purview.
Time Management and focusing on the moment at hand. Set a timer.
Doing the First Thing First (Example: what matters most, eat the frog first).
De-clutter and keep things tidy and neat.
Be selective in what you say “yes” to and say “no” more often.
Windshield time - as a salesperson you are probably commuting and traveling more than the average bear. Make the most of that time - call the office, audiobooks, podcasts, etc.
Get fit. Physical condition creates explosive energy and renews focus.
Work in blocks with built in breaks to refuel and recharge. Where is that timer?
Build routines and habits in your life. Easier than disciplining yourself.
Don’t wait for the perfect time to … Immediate action fuels a positive feedback loop that drives even more action. Waiting = procrastination.
Don’t multi-task … stop, focus, and get IT done even if it takes more than a minute.
Get things right the first time. People are wildly distracted thus generating mistakes. It saves you days and weeks of having to fix problems later.
Get lost. Don’t be so available to everyone. Spend some time alone. Turn off devices - think, create, & plan. Zero interruptions. Pure focus. Intentional breathing. Massive results.
Try and try again. What works for me might not work for you, but don’t give up.
Smile. Don’t sweat the small stuff and remember life is but only a vapor. Enjoy your time here, make a difference in the lives of others while you are here. Stop and smell the roses and dance like nobody’s watching even if it is dancing in the rain.