Fundraising

Question: What do movies and Scouting have in common?

Answer: They both can be made better by popcorn. 

It’s nearly fall, and that means it’s time for Scouts to sell popcorn to help fund all the fun activities planned for the coming year. We know that non-Scouts out there love popcorn, and we know they want to support a good cause like Scouting. The hard part is getting your Scouts connected with these eager customers.

To better prepare you for popcorn season, we tapped the wisdom of your fellow Scouters to see if they had any kernels of knowledge about how to sell popcorn. We posted a question on our Facebook page and on Twitter (@scouting), and we got some great responses.

So here are 10 Tips for Making Popcorn Sales Pop. With each tip, we’ve listed the helpful Scouter who submitted that suggestion.

1. It’s just a numbers game. The more houses boys visit, the more they’ll sell. (Blair P.)
2. Set up at a local university. College kids love popcorn! (@amsb)
3. Give the Scouts ownership of the sale. Instead of adults making all of
   the decisions about how the money earned will be spent, get the boys
   involved in the decision making. The more input the boy has, the more
   excited he will be about selling, and the more he will sell. (Tonya A.)
4. Sell Scouting, and the popcorn will sell itself. (Pat G.)
5. Make it fun, and give them an incentive to help the unit. We
   have a prize jar so the Scouts can earn a small prize for each sale. (Ken D.)
6. Sell the actual product. We call it “Show and Deliver.” The
   customer sees the product is available right then and there and will be
   more likely to buy. (Roberta H.)
7. Let the boys who sell the most throw a pie in a leader’s face! It’s amazing how much popcorn a Scout will sell with that chance in front of them! (Jason M.)
8. Tell the boys to be professional and use manners. Make sure they introduce themselves and explain what they’re doing. (@JoshWilberger)
9. Work on the Salesmanship merit badge during popcorn sales. (Cindy P.)
10. When boys deliver the popcorn, have them include a thank you note. Their customers will remember the boys next year. (Kimmy P.)

Watch here for more information on the upcoming popcorn sales this Fall