Do your booster parents cringe at the thought of selling goods for a fundraiser? Had they rather make a donation than sell their recommended quota? Have YOU ever had these thoughts yourself?

Through the years, the sales profession has gotten a bad name. When we think of sales, we often conjure up images of the used car salesman in an ill fitting plaid jacket. Puffing on his cheap cigar, we’ve all heard his manipulative sales pitch, pressing us to buy something we don’t want.

Many of us have that perception of sales, but we have the opportunity to change that perception within our organization. Rather than manipulating people to buy things they don’t want, we have the opportunity to influence and guide people to buy things they already want. The truth is, many people are more than willing to support student organizations. Therefore, we must prepare our students and parents to win at sales.

It’s hard to be nervous when your heart’s on service.Rory Vaden

New York Times best selling author Rory Vaden has built his platform on servant selling. Rory says, “It’s hard to be nervous when your heart’s on service.” We should approach fundraisers from the perspective of serving our customers. When our focus is on providing value to our customers, we’ll be less tentative and anxious when approaching them to make the sale.

Recently, a middle school basketball player came to my door raising money for her team. She was well prepared to make the sale, and I was genuinely happy to buy her product and support the team. In her delivery, she hit all the critical points to make the sale. I have summarized them below:

1. Begin with a great product. Select a product for your fundraiser that people want. Ask yourself, is this something that I would buy and use if I were a potential customer?
2. Introduce yourself and clearly state your student organization’s name. Confidently begin the conversation. Don’t be timid when approaching customers.
3. Wear your student organization’s t-shirt or sweatshirt. This will validate to the customer that you are legit.
4. Tell your customer why you are fundraising. My middle school basketball player was raising money to replace the team’s uniforms.
5. Know your sales target. Share your organization’s overall target as well as your own personal sales target.
6. Share how you benefit from participating in your student organization. Students may find this difficult, but encourage them to briefly share how the program is helping them to learn and grow. Likewise, parents be ready to share how the organization is impacting your child and family.
7. Make your order form clear and easy to understand. Show photos of your products, and use a simple pricing structure. If your order form is complex and difficult to explain, your customer will lose interest and you won’t make the sale.
8. Offer your customer the option to make a donation of a lesser amount that will provide the same proceeds to your organization. Some people are happy to help out, and had rather make a donation than purchase a product.
9. If you are taking pre-orders, clearly state the expected delivery date. This is especially important if your product corresponds with the Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays.
10. Give your customer a receipt. This is a must when collecting money up front for product to be delivered later.
11. Deliver your product on-time and in good condition. If you have taken pre-orders, deliver the product to your customers as soon as it arrives. Handle the product with care and protect it from damage. Your customers expect their product to be delivered on-time and in great condition. This is your chance to delight your customer.

When you make customer service your number one goal, you’ll create customers for life. You’ll also create a great reputation for your student program and booster organization.

Question: What do you do to delight your fundraising customers? You can leave a comment by clicking here.