Sales 101
Tips for Increasing Your Fundraiser's Success
Here are a few tried-and-true sales principles that can grow your profits, build long-term relationships with volunteers and supporters, and expand your overall network.
Post Date: Feb 23 2021
There’s no doubt about it, having sales know-how in your back pocket will boost your organization’s fundraising success.
After all, a large part of fundraising is sales, especially when you’re offering products like Terri Lynn premium snacks and mixes.
5 Sales Tips for Increasing Your Fundraising Success
The benefit of fundraising over sales is that when supporters make a purchase they get much more than a product. They also get the satisfaction of investing in your organization’s mission and its outcomes.
Making a positive impact in the community and enjoying a delicious snack at the same time is the ultimate win-win situation!
Because of this, it’s especially important for a fundraiser to have a sales mindset and a strategy to communicate the organization’s mission or cause.
Whether you’re selling in-person at an event, online via your Terri Lynn Online Store, or both, there are a few tried-and-true sales principles that can grow your profits, build long-term relationships with volunteers and supporters, and expand your overall network.
Here are our top 5 fundraising sales tips that are sure to improve your profits.
1. Perfect your pitch
The importance of perfecting your sales pitch cannot be overstated. A good pitch must communicate:
- your product benefits
- your organization’s mission
- and the ways a buyer’s life will be improved by the purchase of your product.
In the case of fundraising with Terri Lynn premium nuts and snack mixes, the benefits to your supporters include access to superior-grade products not typically found in local grocery stores, plus the satisfaction of helping others in your community.
To prepare for your fundraising event, you can craft a pre-written sales pitch that you and your volunteers can use while engaging with potential supporters. Having a statement in-hand will give your group members extra confidence to sell once fundraising begins.
So how do you create a fundraising sales pitch? Here’s just one example—try filling in the blanks with your organization’s information:
We’re selling Terri Lynn products to raise funds for ___________________. When you purchase from us, not only do you get to enjoy a delicious snack, you’re also helping to support ___________________. With the funds raised, we are working to ___________________.
Want to read more about polishing your pitch? Read The Art of the Ask: How to Make an Emotional Connection with Your Supporters
2. Ask questions
Although having a well-crafted sales pitch is important, you don’t need to mechanically read the pitch like a sales robot to be successful. In fact, it’s best to be yourself, sound human, and remember that you’re engaging with other people, too. Sales is all about conversation and connection.
Remind your volunteers to think beyond the script, and try to strike up a conversation with your supporters—asking them questions that engage them in meaningful and memorable communication. You can also use this time to collect valuable information about the way supporters feel about your cause and how they heard about you.
Some example questions might be:
- How did you first hear about our organization?
- Why do you choose to support our cause?
- Have you purchased from our fundraisers before?
- Do you plan to keep your Terri Lynn snacks, or give them as gifts?
- Are there any other organizations that you like to support?
- What other kinds of programs would you like to see from our organization?
3. Help supporters visualize their impact and purchase
When it comes to Terri Lynn products, you can guide your supporters in visualizing their first delicious bite, or sharing their snacks at a social event. Because of Terri Lynn’s commitment to quality, you can feel great about using “fresh and gourmet” descriptors to help your supporters imagine “melt in your mouth” moments.
You can also help them to visualize the additional impact their purchases have on your organization and your community. Share specific stories about the people your fundraiser has helped, or the changes you’ve been able to make with funds raised. What causes are you able to advance with the help of their purchase?
When you use stories to create visuals, you’ll help to build emotional and long-lasting connections with your organization’s brand, which leads to repeat supporters year after year.
Terri Lynn has something for every taste, from chocolate covered nuts to gummy bears. The product really sells itself!
4. Compile your answers to common objections
Every fundraiser (or sales person) bumps into objections when sharing their product or service.
“I don’t have any cash.”
“I don’t have time.”
“I already gave to another organization.”
“I can’t give today because of X,Y and Z.”
Prepare for these objections by brainstorming common phrases, and then planning your list of possible responses. Ask your most experienced team members which objections they hear most often, and then come up with answers that address those concerns.
“I gave last year.” = “There’s still a need, and any amount will help to make an impact.”
“I don’t have time.” = “Here’s a flyer with a link to our Terri Lynn Online Store, where you can easily order online and support us any time.”
We also offer you free promotion tools to help create flyers, social media posts and emails that answer frequently asked questions about your Terri Lynn Fundraiser. Check out our free Promotion Kit with flyers you can customize with your organization’s name and Online Store URL.
5. Provide social proof
When it comes to marketing and sales, word-of-mouth remains one of the most effective means for showcasing the benefits of your product or organization. Any time you can offer first hand stories or reviews (aka social proof), you’re helping to create positive associations between your supporters and your cause.
How can you provide social proof? Here are some ideas:
- Share case studies on social media of those who have been impacted by your good work.
- Include quotes from volunteers on your fliers.
- Ask your top supporters to share their personal stories about why they choose to give to your cause.
- Encourage your fundraising team of volunteers to try Terri Lynn products for themselves, so they can share their thoughts on flavors, recipe ideas and more.
Want to learn more about the how’s and why’s of sharing social proof? Read more in our article Mastering the Art of Storytelling for Fundraisers.
Mastering Meaningful Sales Techniques to Move Your Supporters
Your volunteer sellers don’t have to channel their inner high-pressure sales person persona to find value in easy-to-implement sales techniques. Many of the above simply involve engaging with your supporters on a personal level, like asking questions, communicating your organization and product value, and keeping the conversation open.
The other good news: with Terri Lynn Fundraising, your supporters get to feel good about giving to your cause, AND they have something tangible and tasty in hand to remind them of their contribution to your organization.
When it comes to additional sales materials for your fundraiser, remember to visit your Terri Lynn dashboard for helpful selling aids (like printable fliers and social media graphics) as well as sales brochures and forms.
And if you have any additional sales questions, our team of Dedicated Fundraising Specialists is here to help, too. Call us at 1-800-323-0775 — we’re standing by to lend a hand and help you grow your fundraiser to new heights with Terri Lynn!