FUNDRAISING ETIQUETTE FOR STUDENTS
(Volume I, Issue
I)
People from all walks of life become involved
in fundraising activities for the schools, charities or groups
of their choice. It makes you feel good to know that the
work you're doing is going towards a worthy cause. You can
spend a lot of time and effort planning the perfect fundraiser.
But if the element of good manners is missing, your
efforts may not return the results you were hoping for.
That's why teaching your students fundraising etiquette before
you begin your fundraiser is essential.
When we think about manners, we often think
about teaching our children proper etiquette at meal times: sit
up straight, elbows off the table, say please, thank you, no
thank you, you're welcome. These are very important
manners to use in all areas of life, including fundraising.
At Varsity Gold, many of our fundraisers are
run by student groups - football teams, soccer teams,
cheerleaders, etc. You can help your fundraiser to be more
successful by sharing these fundraising etiquette tips*
with the students in your group.
-
Make Safety A Priority. While
involving students in fundraising can provide a lesson in
volunteer service, experts agree that safety should be the
foremost concern. Students should not be allowed to sell
door-to-door, unless they are supervised by a parent or another
adult. If students are asked to come inside for any reason, all
they need to say is, “Thank you, but I’m not allowed to enter
anyone’s home.”
-
Present a Professional Image. Simple
advice: be clean, neat and gear up! People who are
dressed well receive preferential treatment – it may not be
fair, but it’s true. A good appearance adds credibility, and
your child is an ambassador of the team or group. Sports team
members and cheerleaders should go out in uniform. It
shows team spirit and can inspire the same in the prospective
customer. Always remember to remove hats and baseball caps as a
sign of respect. And do NOT wear caps backwards.
Many adults find that to be a sign of disrespect.
Don’t forget about your hands, make sure they are clean and the
nails are trimmed. People tend to gesture a lot with their
hands, and dirty hands can become a center of unwanted
attention. Always check your appearance before heading out the
door. Parents and coaches, if you’re heading out with the kids,
the same rules apply – and avoid smoking which may turn
off some potential customers.
-
Be polite on the phone. This can be a
tough one for students and adults. Students shouldn’t play video
games while calling on family and friends. They should use good
grammar, never chew gum and learn to say, “Excuse me” if they
need to have something repeated. Also, they should remember to
introduce themselves and the fund raiser. A good approach for a
young person is to say something like, “Hello, my name is
Jack, would you like to support my basketball team by
purchasing ________? We’re raising money for new equipment.”
-
Be a good listener. Be sure to give
your customer full attention and listen carefully without
interrupting. By doing this, you can determine the best way to
overcome objections to a sale by showing alternative products or
even offering to return at a different time that’s more
convenient.
-
Practice Your Presentation. Selling to
anyone (except maybe grandma) can be intimidating if you haven’t
done it before. It helps to think about what you want to say to
your customer before you talk to them and practice your approach
in the mirror. “Hello, I’m _______. Would you like to support
(our organization) by purchasing _______? Thank you very much
for your support. I really appreciate it.” If possible, carry a
sample of your fundraising product with you so that customers
can get a visual sense of what you are selling.
-
Explain Your Fundraiser. Many people
forget to tell their customers why they are raising funds. What
will your organization do with the proceeds? Don’t just ask,
“Would you like to buy this?” You may even want to create a
letter that outlines all the details of your fund raiser –
including deadlines, payment options, your name and number, and
delivery information.
-
Be Organized. Move your sale along
faster by making sure that your kids have everything they need
at hand. Designate a special tote, backpack or briefcase for
fund-raising materials. Make sure to have extra pens available.
-
Promote the product. Be sure to try
the product (or have your kids try it as well) Is it delicious?
When are your favorite times to eat it? If you don’t use the
product, why should anyone else buy it. Kids say the darnest
things – but make sure they remember never to say that they
don’t like a product that they are trying to sell.
-
Think positive, but take “no” for an
answer. Saying, “You probably don’t want to buy any of this,
do you?” will not make the sale. Students should speak
confidently, but must learn to accept that not everyone will
want to give money. It is important to remind them to use please
and thank you, whether people buy anything or not.
-
Print Thank You's. Most customers
won’t expect this and are pleasantly surprised to receive one.
If your students are too young to write their own thank you
notes, create a flyer that can be personalized and delivered
with each order.
All of these fundraising tips are important
to the degree of success you can achieve with your fundraising
campaign. From being safe to saying thank you, your
students can benefit from sharing these tips with them.
Varsity Gold wants your school fundraiser to
be safe, easy and successful. We believe that involvement
in school teams and extracurricular activities helps to foster
responsibility and confidence in today's youth. To assist
with your fundraiser, our fundraising products come in a variety
of choices. Your group can select from the extremely
popular Gold Card discount card
fundraiser to the delicious
Gourmet Cookie Dough fundraiser to the easy and highly
profitable
Gold Rush donation
letter program. We have many more options to chose
from on our
Fundraising
Products page. Please
contact us with your school fundraising questions today!
*Tips paraphrased from: A Guide
To Fund-raising Etiquette Presented by: Racine Danish Kringles
and Etiquette Expert Robin Thompson
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