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2025 POPCORN

KICKOFF

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Pack 1280

Potomac

Maryland

WHY SELL POPCORN?

Fund 1280 Adventures

• Blue & Gold Celebration
• Advancement
• Annual dues
• Uniforms
• Patches & Awards
• Summer Camp Fees
• Unit supplies & equipment
• Campouts
• Unit adventures
• Camp upkeep
• Pinewood Derby
• Youth Leadership Training

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Scouts Learn

• The value of hard work
• How to earn their own way
• Public speaking
• Salesmanship and people skills
• Setting and achieving goals
• Money management

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REWARDS AND COMMISSION

• SCOUT DOLLARS

Pack 1280 gets 30% of online sales and 35% of storefront and wagon sales. Scouts keep half of that (15% and 17.5% respectively) They can apply this to any costs incurred as a scout, including dues, camp, uniforms, etc.

• SCOUT REWARDS

Scouts earn Amazon gift cards up to to 10% of their total sales in Trails End

• SUBSIDIZE DUES

Scouts dues will be reduced from $130 to $100 for those who sell ANY popcorn this year.

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REWARDS AND COMMISSION

TRAIL’S END TECHNOLOGY

New to popcorn and need the Trails End App? Download using the QR

code to the right OR text ‘APP’ to 62771

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• Register your scout using the Group Code F5DK5
• More detailed instructions here

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Families - Have a new scout but sold popcorn before?

• Create a new account under the same email. Inside the app you will click name dropdown at top of screen to switch between accounts in the App

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Returning scout?

• Sign in using your 2023 username

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Trail’s End App

• Record sales (We Prefer Credit)
• Sign up for Storefronts
• Track your progress towards your goal
• Record deliveries
• Share online sales page
• Claim rewards

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WAYS TO SELL

ONLINE DIRECT

• Ship direct to your customers
• Record in the app
• Share your page via email, text, social media or QR code
• No handling of products or cash
• $65 Average Order
• Products & prices may vary
• Shipping/Tax may apply
• Available year-round

STOREFRONT SALES

• Leverage high foot traffic retailers
• Reserved by Unit Leaders
• Sign up to sell in person at a store
• Maximum of 2 scouts per shift
• Sales will be split between all scouts that work the shift.

WAGON SALES

• Deliver product to your family, friends and neighbors' homes
• Get creative and sell at your pool or farmer’s market
• Ask parents to ask their co-workers
• Mark sales delivered or undelivered
• Delivered: Check out popcorn in advance, and deliver products
• Undelivered: Take orders and deliver products later

TIP: Always make sure you see a confirmation screen before navigating away

TIP: Log in at home BEFORE arriving to storefront or going out for a wagon sale

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• $70+ Free Shipping

CUSTOMIZE PROFILE

• Scouts can customize their page:
• ‘Manage Page’ in drop down
• Fill out information for your scout
• Scouts can set a points GOAL
• ‘Rewards’ in drop down
• Edit goal

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ONLINE DIRECT

Easiest & SAFEST Way for Scouts to Sell

• Scouts Earn MORE Points for TE Rewards (1.25 pts per $1 sold vs cash which is 1 pt per dollar sold)
• Average Customer Order: Over $65!
• Online Direct is Available Year-Round
• No Handling of Products or Cash for Scout or Unit

ONLINE DIRECT

• Method 1: click “Share My Page” and send via text, email, QR code etc
• Method 2: click “Visit My Page”
• create a shopping cart
• share your cart with a customer via a copied link or QR code

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Record an Online Sale in Trails End

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WAGON SALES

• Sell door-to-door
• Visit 30 homes in your neighborhood
• Record ALL sales in the Trail’s End App
• Be sure to mark orders as Undelivered or Delivered
• Delivered means product on hand (traditional wagon sale)
• Undelivered means you’re going to get them the product later (requires you to fill address)
• Sell to friends & family
• Ask parents to sell at work
• Get creative - sell at your local pool!

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See How to Make a Wagon Sale in TE

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– YOU CAN CHECK OUT PRODUCT FROM THE PACK BY EMAILING pack1280popcorn@gmail.com AND THEN PICKING IT UP FROM THE UNIT. We cannot guarantee flavors but will try. Pick up after August 17.

– Scouts will be responsible for selling 100% of what they check out with the exception that they can return up to 25% of the value to the unit by October 1.

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STOREFRONTS

• Sign up in the Trail’s End App
• How to sign up for storefront shifts
• Prepare for your storefront shift
• How to be prepared for your storefront shift
• Record all sales in Trails End app during the shift, preferably using Bluetooth reader. Remember to tell customers, “We prefer credit/debit!”
• Shift Cheat Sheet

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Sign up for at least 1-2 storefront shifts!

• Scouts shall wear their Class A Uniforms at all times. Parents encouraged Adult Leader Uniforms or Unit T-Shirts if they have them.
• Storefront tables will have a banner that clearly identifies that Scouts
• Scouts shall greet the customers as they exit the store. Scouts are not allowed to approach�customers in the store, in the parking lot, etc.
• Scouts shall be friendly and courteous, even when a customer ignores them and/or does�not want to buy popcorn.
• There will not be more than four volunteers at the store at any given time, and at least one volunteer must be an adult. It is perfectly fine for a scout to sell alone (with a parent) at a storefront. This maximizes their sales potential as proceeds are split between scouts at the storefront.

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STOREFRONTS GUIDANCE

• Scouts will not break open the product and sell the products in quantities less than the�way they are packaged.
• Leave No Trace – remove all empty boxes, trash, and other debris from the location after your sale.
• Be respectful and thankful to Store employees at all times. Remember that this is their Store, and we are only there because of their generosity. We must maintain these relationships for future years.
• Please try to stay on for 15 minutes of the next shift especially for first time sellers. We all need to support each other
• Do NOT resell popcorn if a customer buys it and gives it back to you. You can keep it or give it away.
• Do NOT explicitly ask for cash donations

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STOREFRONTS GUIDANCE (cont.)

CREDIT CARDS

• Many consumers prefer credit or debit card transactions
• Advise your customers, “We prefer credit or debit payments”
• Trail’s End covers credit card fees for transactions recorded via the APP*
• Earn 1.25 Reward points for every $1.00 sold
• Square readers utilized via Trail’s End App
• Supports Bluetooth reader, magstripe for lightning (iphone) or magstripe for headphone jack.
• Square Bluetooth readers also accept Apple Pay and Google Pay and Cash App
• When prompted be sure to allow app to access your device’s microphone, location, and Bluetooth in order to accept debit and credit cards
• Credit card information may be entered manually
• If given cash, parents can pay cash due for Wagon Sales by clicking “Pay Now” on the Wagon Sale screen**

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*TIP: Recording sales via the Trail’s End app is required for credit card fees to be covered (Square app not required)

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PAY NOW FEATURE - WAGON

Turn in cash collected from Wagon Sales with a credit/debit payment to your unit.

No need to carry around cash until you see your Popcorn Kernel. Pay your unit through the app at your convenience!

• Navigate to Wagon Sales in the App
• Click PAY NOW
• Enter the payment amount
• You don’t have to pay the full amount at once
• Swipe your credit card or enter manually and keep the cash
• “Pay Now” COUNTS as a credit sale towards Trail’s End Rewards points (so 1.25 pts vs 1 pt per dollar)

PAY NOW FEATURE - STOREFRONT

NEW THIS YEAR: Convert Cash to Credit button

This eliminates the need to track and then buy the exact popcorn flavors paid with cash at the end of the shift.

• At the end of a shift, a parent on the shift can click the “Convert Cash to Credit” button.
• This conversion COUNTS as a credit sale towards Trail’s End Rewards points (so 1.25 pts vs 1 pt per dollar) and is split equally between scouts on the shift

GET READY TO SELL

CREATE AN ENGAGING & ENERGETIC PITCH FOR THE SALE!

Sell More, Perfect Your Sales Pitch

• Big smile, make eye contact, introduce yourself, and which unit you are a part of

“Hello, I’m [Your First Name] from 1280”

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• Let people know your goals

“I’m earning my way to [e.g. pack dues, summer camp]”

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• Close your sale

“Can I count on your support today?”

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• If you’re not comfortable or want to keep it brief just:

“Hello, would you like to support scouting?”

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• Thank your customer and end your sale

“Thank you, we prefer credit / debit payment”

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Look Sharp, Be Prepared

• Always wear your Class A field uniform
• Always speak clearly and say, “Thank you.”
• Download the app and login in advance (where there is WiFi connection)
• Grow your sales by asking every customer
• Know your products and be ready to answer, “What is your favorite kind?”
• Ask the customer for their support of your Scouting activities.
• Tell your customer what being a Scout means to you

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Training videos:

Sales Pitch Video Sample

Scout Role

Overcoming Excuses

Parent Role

REMEMBER: We are not selling popcorn. We are selling SCOUTING

GET READY TO SELL

More Tips & Training - Wagon sales

• Practice your sales presentation
• Never sell alone or enter anyone’s home
• Always walk on the sidewalk and/or driveway
• Have mom and/or dad take the Trail’s End App to work
• Remember, 2 out of 3 people will buy when asked at their door
• Set a GOAL!
• Think of creative places to sell (poolside, polling booth)
• Plan out how many sales you will need to reach your sales goal. Determine whom you will ask to help you reach your goal

1280 STOREFRONT/WAGON PRODUCTS

TRAIL’S END 2024

$25

$25

$25

$20

$10

• Additional products are available online (including nuts)

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• Online pricing may vary from wagon/storefront pricing

POPCORN TARGETS

OUR PACK TARGET IS $20,000 this year! Last year we were just shy of that at $19,902!

POPCORN TARGETS

Target: $300

• Two storefront shifts plus making 1 online sale

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• One storefront shift plus sharing your online page and making sales to 2-3 people (let them know that orders of $70 and above lead to free shipping!

OR

• One storefront shift plus wagon sales of $175 (about 7-10 products)

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Target: $1000

• Two storefront shifts plus sharing your online page with 5-10 people who order $70 or more, plus $400 in wagon sales (about 16-25 products)

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Target: $650

• Two storefront shifts plus sharing your online page with 2-3 people who order $70 or more, plus wagon sales of 6-10 products

OR

• Two storefront shifts plus wagon sales of ~$400 (about 16-25 products)

OR

• One storefront shift plus wagon sales of ~525 (about 25-35 products)

KEY DATES

Add these dates to your Calendar

• NOW Storefronts signups begin
• 8/18 Wagon sales begin
• 8/31 Storefront sales begin
• 10/1 Last day to return up to 25% of your wagon inventory (or any inventory) to Kernels
• 10/20 Storefront sales end (tentatively)
• 10/25 Final take orders due
• 11/16 Final order distributed to fill undelivered sales (including Chocolate)
• 11/25 Official end of sale
• 12/1 Rewards submitted in TE by kernels
• Sometime in December Popcorn Celebration!

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HAVE QUESTIONS?

GET ANSWERS

Popcorn Kernels

• Christie Entwistle
• christianne.greer@gmail.com
• 301-367-1993

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• Nada Saleh
• nadoyam.saleh@gmail.com
• 575-202-9651

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For emails about popcorn, email us at pack1280popcorn@gmail.com

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Popcorn Kernel Corner

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Visit our website for popcorn resources and to stay up to date!