Getting to know your fundraising company’s salesperson or customer service representative should be a priority for you, as they can be very helpful in making your sale a success. Your salesperson or representative is responsible for helping you avoid the pitfalls that many fundraisers suffer along the way, as well as providing suggestions and assistance in all aspects of your fundraiser. You should have a pre-sale meeting with them to help you decide the quality products you want to sell to enable you to raise the maximum amount of money possible based on the type of sellers you have. A good salesperson should give a “Kick off” speech to your group or instruct you how to get the sale started. All promotions and motivational prizes need to be provided to you as well, so when you start your Orland Park fundraiser, your sellers will be well informed of what is expected of them as well as the rewards they will be provided with for their participation.

Your salesperson or representative should be easily accessible to answer questions and to support your efforts during the sale. Expect your salesperson/representative to schedule dates with you, such as the date that your sellers need to turn their final fundraising orders in, the date those orders must be sent in to the company, and the date of delivery/distribution of products if necessary. The salesperson or representative should instruct you as to the handling of any late orders and any delivery issues, such as damaged goods and shortages. Good communication from the salesperson/representative is critical in solving any problems that may arise during your fundraiser.

Your salesperson/representative should also explain to you things such as company policies concerning invoices, proper payment terms, the sending of purchase orders and payments to the company, etc. Helping you raise the maximum amount of funds possible should be important to your salesperson/representative. Take advantage of their knowledge; they can help increase sales for your group.

PAYLE$$ Fund Raising 2011

Need more information? www.paylessfundraising.com 800-770-0013

Know your group of sellers and who they will be selling to. It will help you choose the type of product for your fundraiser. Are your sellers capable of handling a “Show and Sell” type fundraiser, such as a chocolate bar fundraiser where the sellers receive a tote of products to show to the customer and then sell them on the spot to raise money? Or do your sellers need more of a structured program, such as an order taking brochure, where the sellers ask for orders from family, friends, neighbors, etc., and pre-collect the money when the order is placed. The sellers then turn in their fundraising orders with the money they collected. All of the products are then ordered and distributed to the customers.

In choosing a product to sell for your Orland Park fundraiser, you should know the items, looking for quality either in recognizable brand names or being able to see and/or taste the products from the fundraising company supplying you. The company should have quality order-taking brochures representing the products you will be selling. You want your customers to identify with the quality of your products. Potential customers will only support your efforts in raising money if they feel good about what they are purchasing. Name brands and perceived quality are critically important.

Another product quality issue is how you “Show & Sell”, or deliver the items sold to your customer. Do not accept anything but quality packaging and delivery from your fundraising company. Your future sale with the customer may depend on it!

PAYLE$$ Fund Raising 2011

Need more information? www.paylessfundraising.com 800-770-0013

Ask many questions of prospective companies. Expect quality service and thorough answers to all your questions from your salesperson. Ask for local referrals and call one or two, asking about your salesperson’s service and honesty as well as the company’s services and delivery of product. Read the agreement thoroughly and strike out any clauses you cannot commit to, and make sure anything promised to you in a verbal conversation is written in the agreement. Ask other sponsors in the Orland Park area about their experience with the company and/or salesperson.

Be sure you know what to expect from the company and/or salesperson when it comes to things like pre-sale materials delivery date, order turn in date, expected product delivery date, late orders fulfillment, damaged or short items reordering date and delivery dates, and terms and conditions of the agreement. Have them commit to any verbal agreements in writing. A good indication of the quality of a company is the length of time the company has been servicing the Orland Park area and how long your salesperson has been selling for the company. The longer they have been in business, the more likely they are to provide quality products and service!

PAYLE$$ Fund Raising

Need more information? www.paylessfundraising.com 800-770-0013