Got cookies? 10 secrets of top-selling Girl Scouts
Filed under: Budgets, Food, Shopping
If you couldn't resist buying a box or two of Thin Mints or Samoas (both are favorites in my house) from a Girl Scout recently, don't feel bad. These pint-sized dynamos have honed sales skills that rival those of some of the most savvy adult professionals. If fact, some Scouts sell thousands of boxes per year."I have no doubt my top sellers will become very successful business women someday," says Kim Lasden, a troop "cookie mom" in Chicago. "These girls could teach Wall Street a thing or two."
And I have no doubt Lasden's right. I've seen girls wield selling techniques with skill, poise and an ounce of darling charm. Of course, it doesn't hurt that they're peddling a beloved, timeless classic of a product. Or that America has a sweet tooth. But their accomplishments are still remarkable and, in some cases, nothing short of amazing.
Want to know how they do it? Here's a look inside the minds of some of the most successful cookie sellers in the country.
Forgo friends
Shannon Leary, 15 and pictured above, the top-seller last year in Quincy, Mass. with a grand total of 2,254 boxes sold, drops off the social radar during cookie season. "Cookies are my life from early January through mid-March," Leary admits, "but it's worth it."
Plant the seed
"If someone seems unsure about buying cookies, engage them by asking what their favorite cookie is," advises Leary. "Once they start thinking about the cookies, they often buy them."
Network, network, network
Erica Kendrick, 35, a former top-seller in the Chicago area, who still pays dues to and teaches for the Girl Scouts, was the first black girl in the Chicago area to wear the crown of top-seller. At age nine, Kendrick built her cookie empire on a basic principle: "I made a pyramid with my grandma at the top, and her marketing/distribution arm was something fierce," she explains. Kendrick says using all your network contacts, whether they're from church, the drill team, your school, the local beauty shop or your carpool is essential.
Perfect your sales pitch
"Practice the elevator speech in the mirror until you can recite it in your sleep," says Kendrick. "I stood in front of mine and used my teddy bears as prospective customers."
Be professional
Donna Ceravolo, the CEO of Girl Scouts of Nassau County, New York, suggests girls create business cards. "They can use resources from the CEO Tools web page at LittleBrownieBakers.com to create business cards with their first name," she says. Ceravolo cautions that to be safe, girls shouldn't include a personal address, phone number or their last name.
Offer samples of your wares
Kendrick suggests keeping a sample on hand at all times. "The visceral experience is undeniable," Kendrick says. "I kept cookies from the year before in the freezer and brought them back to life when cookie season rolled around the following year and beat out my competition because no one else had received their shipments of cookies during pre-order season."
It's all about location
Though not all areas allow Scouts to snag their own locations for "booth sales," some do, like Leary's hometown. Leary scouts out potential areas to sell to, like supermarkets and banks, months in advance. Part of choosing a location is obtaining permission to sell cookies. "In a lot of cases, a permit needs to be obtained from the city," she says. To keep her sales pitch fresh, she also incorporates a mix of favorite locations with new ones. "I go to many of the same places every year, but try out new ones, too."
Show compassion
Marissa Monteleone, a top-seller in the Atlanta area, negotiates a deal with the businesses she's selling in front of to get them to donate a box of cookies to a local homeless shelter for every box she sells. "I advertise that to let customers know they're helping the community," the 10-year-old says.
Think beyond the box
Ceravolo suggests girls market desserts like "Thin Mint Pizzas" or "Trefoil Ice Cream Sandwiches" to tempt customers' taste buds. "Be creative and promote your project with fliers in your community and school," she says. Take orders or serve the tasty treats at local events. Be sure to have boxes of cookies available, too.
The bottom line: Smile
Be polite. Leary says you're bound to be more successful if you smile than if you're abrasive. "I always thanks customers for supporting Girl Scouts," she says, "and thank them for their time."
Gina Roberts-Grey is a regular contributor to WalletPop and a sucker for a box of Samoas.
MoreOli Scarff, Getty Images
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
2-07-2010 @ 7:27PM
Claudia said...
Man do i wish i had known these when i was selling
Reply
2-15-2010 @ 8:06PM
jjanspri said...
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2-15-2010 @ 8:12PM
Jan Real said...
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2-15-2010 @ 8:19PM
paumil7 said...
I lost my job about a year ago. It was the first time in my life that I was unemployed. We have 3 young children and I can't even begin to describe the feeling I had knowing that I had no income and couldn't find a job. A friend of mine told me that he was doing well working full time on an internet based home business. He told me that there were hundreds of thousands of people making a full time living that way. That was all well and good but I didn't much money to invest and I knew I didn't have the skills that would be needed. He sent me this link to this web site ( Http://tr.im/HomeBusinessBlog ) and told me to check out this system. It wasn't a pyramid scheme or a get rich quick scam. It turned out to be a life changer for me because with virtually no investment I got in the game. Now I'm making much more money than I ever have and, believe it or not, I'm now working less time everyday than I used to spend commuting back and forth to my old job.
2-15-2010 @ 8:43PM
jueduibuxing said...
I'm male, 26, and just this Christmas had a brief encounter with a mature woman. It was wonderful. We met via internet dating on this site:
A g eL e s s M i ng l e .C 0 M a good way to meet like-minded people, and she actually approached me first. It just so happens I like older women and she likes men around my age. We had an amazing day and later on she joined me at a hotel. It was like a fantasy come true. Amazing company, amazing sex too and a really warm and loving woman. She will turn 36 this month, and my goodness what a connection we had that day.
2-15-2010 @ 11:17PM
olive said...
The Girl Scout Troop only gets .60 cents per box. Thats ridiculous. As for the sleeze mom using her ''36 DD's'' to sell cookies, great way to be a role model for your child, I'm sure her career at Hooters will blossom. Geesh, show a little class.
2-16-2010 @ 12:11AM
MICKEY said...
Wow, that cookie maker is sure making out like a bandit. There are hardly any cookies in the box and they cost $4.00.
2-16-2010 @ 4:12AM
Steve D said...
I love to EAT girl scouts......
2-25-2010 @ 5:07PM
cassandra's mom said...
It's the last week of Girl Scout cookies and, if you're like me, the boxes of Thin Mints are looooonnng gone.
Check out this locator & find more cookies! Welcome to 2010, where girl scouts now have GPS systems!
http://www.k103.com/main.html
2-08-2010 @ 4:52PM
MPSCOUT said...
these are going to be really helpful this year my troop is trying to raise a lot for the troops this year so this will be nice to know
Reply
2-16-2010 @ 3:02AM
jerry said...
try doing a car wash . that will put more money in the troops pocket and not in the pockets of the higher ups .
2-15-2010 @ 8:17PM
PM said...
For the past 5 years I have purchased 1 dozen cookies from each of the scouts who rang the bell. Last year I started to receive requests for magazine subscriptions from the scout about 1 every quarter. This year I dropped my order to 12 boxes. the scouts have gone money crazy. If they want my cookie money they need to drop the magazine and other requests for money
Reply
2-15-2010 @ 8:34PM
webb57 said...
PM--your cookie order dropped from a dozen to 12 boxes? Isn't 12 and a dozen kinda the same amount? And quit bitching about the magazines--if you don't want them, don't buy them.
3-22-2010 @ 8:58PM
Andrea said...
This is what PM said:
"For the past 5 years I have purchased 1 dozen cookies from each of the scouts who rang the bell. Last year I started to receive requests for magazine subscriptions from the scout about 1 every quarter. This year I dropped my order to 12 boxes. the scouts have gone money crazy. If they want my cookie money they need to drop the magazine and other requests for money"
I can only assume that he/she meant that instead of buying 12 boxes from each individual girl scout, no matter the number of scouts that come knocking. This is my interpretation and it may be wrong, but it sure seems to go with the context.
2-15-2010 @ 8:34PM
Karen Yocom said...
Just wondering. Where does all of the cookie money go?
Reply
2-15-2010 @ 11:14PM
mar101997 said...
Troops get $.55 per box that they use to fund their activities like camp, crafts, horseback riding, field trips etc. The rest of the money goes back to the cookie manufacturer and also some of it to Girl Scouts of America to continue funding for the programs that make Girl Scouts possible all around the world. Girl Scouts is a non-profit organization so all the money they get is through donations or fund raising like the cookie sales.
2-15-2010 @ 8:50PM
chick said...
Hmmm...Selling cookies manufactured and frozen a year ago?! Yuck, I hope I don't spend $4 on those.
Reply
2-15-2010 @ 8:47PM
Tre' said...
I dunno, I don't think the frozen ones would be so bad....ohhh, do I love the lemon ones. My order hasn't come in yet...
2-15-2010 @ 9:04PM
Maggie said...
They weren't saying they sell the frozen cookies from the previous year. They defrosted them and used them as free samples so the buyer knew what they were ordering during the current year. It's brilliant actually! And really, aren't Thin Mints better after you freeze them anyway? As long as they weren't opened, they'll be fine.
2-15-2010 @ 11:58PM
Tana said...
Girl Scout cookies freeze very well. I freeze a case of Samoas every year.