venturing sales pitch

[Lisabob]

Hi folks,

 

Looking for some input here. I have what amounts to a sales call coming up this week to possibly get a venturing crew going. The group that is looking to be the CO has no previous connection to scouting in the area and they have told us they "might" like to charter a crew but they're on the fence, pending our visit. We have the start up kit. We have some BSA literature, both general lit and venturing-specific.

 

What I'd like to know, from those with experience, is this: what sorts of questions should I expect to field? I expect I'll be doing most of the talking because our DE is new and has no experience with this. I've not personally brought a brand new CO into the fold before - this was the job of our former (very good, unfortunately retired) DE and I just helped get the volunteer side of things set up.

 

So, please help me develop a list of realistic questions that I can expect, so that I can prepare to answer them. Note that I don't really want to veer off into "Issues & Politics" forum territory here - those questions, I doubt that I will get but if I do, I feel confident I can answer them. And thank you.

[Bob White]

Who will you be talking to and what will you be telling them about? That might give us an idea of what kind of questions they will be asking.

[Lisabob]

I'll be talking with the head of a local service organization. Several of their members also happen to have an interest in aviation and have looked for ways to share their interest with older youth. I've heard they'd considered a possible explorer post in the past (didn't happen though) and now they're interested in being the CO for a venturing crew. They don't know much about BSA in recent years (decades?) and they are unfamiliar with venturing. I've been asked to meet with them to help them understand venturing and where a potential crew that they may charter would fit into the venturing puzzle.

[WAKWIB]

I would hazard a guess that many of the questions you might encounter, would boil down to what are the methods of the Venturing Program. So were I in your shoes, I would have a real clear vision of those with good examples of how they work. Funding for the crew will probably pop-up in the discussion. Membership might also be a question...ie: is the potential CO prepared to work with a co-ed group? Since some are "decades" away from any Scouting experience, this might be an interesting twist for them. They may also ask, and we should hope that they do, what kind of training is required and available to potential adult advisors for the crew.(This message has been edited by WAKWIB)

[Eamonn]

A lot will depend on how much or how little this person /organization knows about Scouting and the BSA.

I'm guessing that because they have showed interest in the Venturing program that they do know something.

Having said that. You would be surprised how many organizations think that "We" are going to provide the adult leadership.

You might want to brush up on your reading about leader selection and the nominating committee.

Be ready to provide a full list of where, when and the cost of all up coming training's.

Be ready to explain how uniforming in Venturing works, same goes for advancement. Even some people with knowledge of Scouting seem to want Venturing to be a "Big Boy Scout" coed program!!

Somewhere on the BSA site there is the steps that should be followed when starting a new unit.

This will help answer the question "What's next?"

Prep the DE, so he can answer questions about Council support. Warn him not to tell any untruths!

Be ready to exolain what a Unit Commissioner is and does? If you have a person in mind who will be the UC have his /her contact information handy.

Let the DE go over the agreement forms. That is his job!!

Hope this is of some help!

Ea.

[Bob White]

What do you know of their organization and how are you going to describe the benefits of the Venturing Program to them?

If you are approaching this as a sales presentation then you should should probably be asking the questions at first to discover their needs and then showing how the features of scouting can help fulfill them. If you can do that their questions will center around "how can we get started".

 

[Crew21_Adv]

Lisabob,

 

I'll betcha a patch! Here is a realistic question....

 

One of the biggest questions they will ask, would be about liability. Regardless of what organization the CO/COR may be.

 

Most CO/CORs will automatically assume Venturing Boy Scouts of America will precisely equate to undisciplined 6 year old Tigers tearing things up and jumping off of things.

 

They will probably pitch a scenario to you. "So if one of these 6 year old Venturer jumps off the table and slices his leg clear off. Will I (or their Chartering Organization) get sued?"

 

 

If you are selling the program. I would state the "What's in it for me?" or what will the new CO get out of Chartering a Venturing Crew. Amplifying what the will be the mutual benifit to them.

 

Good Luck!

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

[OldGreyEagle]

Lisabob, I woud venture to think that the Organizatin has pre-conceived notions over what the BSA has to offer, after all, its a Camping and Outdoor Club, right?

 

Start off by establishing that while Venturing is part of the BSA their Crew may be Co-ed, males only or female only. Ask them what they want. Make their interaction part of your presentation, you want them to start working on their crew as soon as possible, like then.

 

Next list the various areas that Venturing has, Out Doors, Religious Life, Arts and Hobbies, Sports and Sea Scouts. Then ask them what osrt of Crew they want. They most likley wont know so be sure to tell them they dont have to decide then or actually ever. Most Crews I know have a rather ecletic nature and tend to do activities that encompass many interests. It will be up to the youth to decide. Now, if the organizatin has a religious overtone, Religious Life will be a natural. Remember to reinforce however that membership in a Religious Life Crew does not mean the youth are restricted to only Religious Life recongnitions, the Bronze and the Trust. Members may also earn the Outdoor Bronze and Ranger, the Sports bronze and Quest, etc.

 

Then ask if they have a nucleus of members and what their interest is. Establish who are candiates for the adult positions and when they can start talking to the youth establish what program is desired.

 

It can be exciting as the potential for each new crew is virtually inlimited

 

They will ask about how many adults do we need, hjow many youth, give them the training dates, in the District I serve we usually schedule a date to train the advisors and committee because I am the District Venturing trainer. As they ask questions, ask them how they would like to see it done, most of the time, they will be able to answer them themselves(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[John-in-KC]

Lisa,

 

I'd spend a fair bit of time asking some leading questions about the potential Chartered Partner. See if they have a vision and goals for working with older youth.

 

If they do, then the sales pitch on Venturing becomes much easier: You're helping market support to an organization which has an idea of what they want.

 

If they do not have vision/goals, then don't push the sale, rather work with them as the Wood Badger you are, and help them draw out what they want to do and where they want to be.

 

It may end up taking more time (several meetings perhaps), but it will help them get a win-win solution

 

email en route.

[Lisabob]

Well my meeting with the potential CO got postponed indefinitely (sigh) but thanks for helping me develop a better sense of the types of issues/questions that I might expect. I'm sure this is going to come up again later in the year.