One of my favorite times of year is fall. We get to start a new school year, get the girls back together, and we all move into a different season. It also means that Girl Scout’s Fall Product Program will be ramping up quickly, and I need to make sure my troop is ready to go. Did you know the Fall Product Program is one of the most underutilized resources in our Service Unit? True, and I always wonder why.
The Fall Product Program is an easy, fun way to earn troop funds. When I say easy, I mean it. Fall Products are almost all sold online and shipped directly to your customers.. So if you have access to a mobile device, tablet, or computer… you can easily participate. Available items include nuts, chocolates, and magazines. It’s a very short sale… this year (2020) it will only last only 3 weeks. But the payout for these items is much higher than during Cookie season.
Five easy ways to maximize your Fall Product Program
Get your daughter in front of the camera!
Each girl will be able to set up their account and send a pitch to friends and family. Have your daughter make a video letting her potential customers know why this sale is important. This is the easiest way troops earn start-up funds for their bank accounts. If your daughter is telling her story, the more likely people are to listen to her.
Set a goal
Tell your customers what you plan to do with the funds. Let them know how much you are trying to earn. Are you saving for a trip? Plan to donate to an organization? Working on a Journey? Tell them. This might be a motivating factor in deciding to purchase a product from you.
Develop people skills
Your daughter most likely already has a relationship with most of the people on your “friends and family” list. This is a great audience to practice her people skills. Give her a platform where she can express herself, build confidence, and show them she means business. Having a captive audience, who might even ask questions, is the perfect way to build those soft skills needed in the future. It will also increase her confidence when it comes to selling cookies and other opportunities in front of an audience.
Opinion matters
Unlike Cookies, Fall sales happen just before the time of year people start looking for gifts. Have your daughter make a list of the best magazines for her age group, pick her top three chocolate choices, or share a set of the newest products. Your daughter is an expert when it comes to these products. Have her share thoughts with her customers. Remember, you can post on social media. So having several options to spread out over the three weeks will help maximize your sales.
Girl Scouts San Diego Cares
I am thrilled to have this as an option this year. San Diego Cares is the Operation Thin Mint option of Fall Products. We now have an option for those family memebers who don’t like to pay to ship, and may not even want any product in return. But they still want to support a Girl Scout. Customers can now donate in $7 increments to your daughter’s troop. She gets the credit for the sale, which will be used to donate items to organizations in need, and will go to make a positive impact in our local community.
This year has been difficult, and is going to look different for everyone. You are going to face challenges like never before. But with these tips, you will be well on your way to a successful Fall Product year.
Something to remember, for those of you who haven’t been part of the Fall Product Program before… If you participate in the program, you are required to sell cookies as well. Many troops will also want to do additional money-earning projects in anticipation of lower Cookie sales this upcoming year. In order to do any money-earning projects outside of Fall Products and Cookies, you must participate in both programs.
Regardless of your goals, remember to have fun with this. Girls can earn some exciting rewards this season, including an avatar patch with their virtual likeness, and our pygmy three-toed sloth mascot, Paloma. When you get your materials, you’ll be able to learn all about our new pygmy friend.