How do you sell your fundraising product?

How do you approach potential supporters to ask them to buy your fundraising product?  Many people are intimidated by sales, but these few tips will help prepare all your members to get out there and sell for your fundraiser.

Don’t assume your members will know what to do

Before sending your members out to sell your products, make sure that you have gone over all the details.  Better still, give them all the details in writing.  You can discuss the best ways to sell the products as well as the right approach to take in asking people to support you.

First impressions count

First impressions are very important, so get your members to dress cleanly and neatly and even wear something to identify your group if possible. Remind them to be polite and sincere.  Remind them to smile and to say please and thank you, even if their potential customer doesn’t make a purchase.  It is important to stress that their behaviour is a reflection of your organisation, and you want to create the best possible impression.

What to say

Members should always introduce themselves and the group before trying to make a sale.  Explain what the group is trying to raise money for and ask politely whether the prospect would like to help you to reach your goal by buying your product.   People are more responsive when they know where the money is going.    When you are selling something that is slightly more expensive, members should be prepared to give more details about what the money will be used for.  Make sure your group is educated about the reason for raising the money, so that they can answer any questions.   Rather than simply ‘raising money for our school’, make sure everyone knows that you are raising money ‘to buy new library books for our school’.

 You should prepare an example script for your members to use – don’t assume they will be able to do this on their own!  Often few members of a group can effectively and concisely communicate your cause to a prospective customer.  After all, they are not trained sales people.  A typical way to approach a customer can be something like this:

 (Smile)  Good morning.  

My name is ________ and I am a member of _________.  

We are raising money to buy ________.  

Would you like to support our group by buying _________?  

Thank you.  We appreciate your generosity.

The product

Don’t forget to educate your members about the product you are selling.  Members need to be able to highlight the benefits of the product and if necessary explain to people how they should use it.  It helps to personalize it – tell the prospect which colour product you like best, or how useful you have found the product.

In summary, some brief preparation can make all the difference in the effectiveness of your sales.  

When members:

• look good, 

• know what to say, 

• understand your cause and 

• understand the product you are selling,

 ... you are on your way to success.

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