The group of 7- to 12-year olds that Qian Elmore, Arielle Loeb, Ronan McArdle, Emily Santi, and Kris Whalen had spent the last two months working with had only one chance to practice, so the five Frogs had no idea what to expect. As part of an after-school program called Citizen School, the kids were back in Aldrich 208 to give a sales presentation to all the members of Section OF, hoping to convince the Frogs to buy the very cool Section OF calendars the kids had designed.
Each week, the Five Frogs went to Dorchester to work with the same group of kids in creating this business. Last spring, the kids had designed and sold section t-shirts in the Frog Pond, but this offering consisted of Section OF calendars with section pictures taken throughout the year, and birthday reminders for all the section members. The kids sent out market research surveys, spoke with suppliers, and went to Fleet Bank to ask for a loan, all in preparation for the culmination of the project, which they call their WOW: the sales presentation to the section.
The preparatory session went like this:
“Gregory, we can definitely hear you, but you need to put some excitement in your voice.”
“Elizabeth, excellent job.”
“John, make sure you face the people and don’t turn sideways.”
And then the Frogs arrived in the Pond, and it was show time. The kids were fantastic, and they had everyone in attendance cheering for them at the end. The next twenty minutes were a frenzy as the kids approached the frogs to make their sales. They answered questions, made deals, and sold calendars, coming back to money handlers Elmore and Whalen frequently, excited at their sales.
The kids returned to campus a week later to present their financials to their Board, composed of EM Professor Paul Marshall and FRC Professor Paul Healy, and to answer any final questions.
The kids would like to point out that a few calendars are still available for those Frogs who have not gotten one yet. And as added incentive, profits will be donated to the Red Cross 9-11 Fund, a unanimous decision by the kids.
In other news, the Frog Pond sends congratulations to Mushtak Khatri and Jennifer Fan. Mushtak has joined the ranks of engaged Frogs, and will wed his fianc‚ Aliya in Dallas at the end of June! Jen is working on a new tadpole, who should be swimming into the Pond at the end of May, just-in-time for graduation!
