Hold on, you don’t need to roll your eyes roll when you find out it’s fundraising time…again. It’s actually possible for you to avoid the stress and your kid to rock the next fundraiser. This time will be different with these ideas:
Set goals. If your child has a goal of selling 50 coupon books and has sold 45, he should tell customers he is close to reaching his goal. Someone may buy more than 1 to help your child out.
Talk to teammates who are selling the same thing so they can each map out their territory instead of inundating every house in your neighborhood.
Always carry fundraising materials with you. You never know when you will have people ask for the sale when you go to the dentist, doctor, family events, your mom and/or dad’s workplace.
Repeat often: “It never hurts to ask.” Many people help kids who come to sell in person because it shows courage. Dealing with rejection can be tough, so, as a parent, explain reasons people may say no to your child ahead of time.
To help when your child gets nervous, create a “cheat sheet” that includes what to say to potential buyers. Include answers to the questions people might ask, such as, “When will I get my order? Now, you buy this one. Can I pay with a check? Yes.” Know what the fundraising goal is (equipment, travel expenses, getting to camp, etc.) and answers to questions like, “Who should I make the check out to?”
Next, join with other kids (and parents) from the group and get permission to set up a sales table at a high-traffic event or grocery store. Then split the credit for the sales.
Offset the odds when you get the urge to simply email. It’s too easy for the recipient to hit the “delete” button. It’s more likely to get sales when done in person, even if it’s a little scary for your child to make phone calls or go door-to-door.
When in doubt, remember co-workers are more accepting when the product is valuable to them. The 2016 Black Hills Coupon Book has 200 buy one get one free and 50% off deals valued at over $2,900. If they bought one last year, they’re going to buy it again this year.
Safety Rules
Take this opportunity to reinforce safety rules you are trying to teach, like:
- No matter how old kids are, don’t ever sell alone.
- Absolutely do not go inside any unknown house.
- Run away if something feels uncomfortable.
- Don’t sell after dark, even with a parent.
- Don’t carry cash. Give it to your parent to turn it in.
Create an event on Facebook
Share your fundraising efforts on Facebook by creating an event and “inviting” your friends to join. To do this, head to your Facebook home page, click on “events” in the left side column. Click on “create an event” and then follow the steps. Invite your friends via the “Invite Friend” button and you are done!