Why we love it
Fun story about the adventures and misadventures of a business-obsessed girl whose initials spell “CEO.”
About the book
Cleopatra Edison Oliver’s purpose is to be a “high-climbing, heights-defying, limit-pushing entrepreneur.” Cleo is always launching a new business or applying her business skills to situations with her family (she’s adopted and wonders about her birth parents), friends (who think she’s a little too focused on business), and school (where she tries to sell her product to her arch-enemy).
When her fifth-grade teacher assigns the class a “Passion Project,” Cleo decides to start Cleo’s Quick and Painless Tooth Removal Service – using her brother’s nerf gun to pull teeth so kids can get their Tooth Fairy money early. Unfortunately, all anyone remembers about her business is her barfing episode. But even a little barfing won’t stop Cleo from her purpose.
What girls will learn
This book contains a ton of great business content. Cleo’s idol is successful businesswoman Fortune A. Davies and Cleo lives by her 10 principles (including things like “confidence inspires confidence” and “compliments win customers”). Cleo tries to sell a number of different products (her mom tries to sell a couple, too) using advertising, marketing, product testing, and more.
Cleo is a natural born salesperson and has a knack for convincing people to want her product. She calls it Persuasion Power™ (and even uses the trademark symbol!). It’s her superpower and she plans to package and market it in a series of business-success seminars with titles such as, “Stop Whining, Start Winning” and “Charm Them to Disarm Them: How to Be So Cute That They Can’t Say No.”
Cleo Edison Oliver also includes different negotiation tactics, countless business terms, examples of product testing, and much more.
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Related Activities
Learn How To Sell
The Activity
Success in life is often linked to communication skills and being able to sell your ideas, opinions, products, cars, etc. Knowing how to sell also builds self-confidence. Start teaching your daughter sales skills – it’ll be annoying when she tries to sell you something but you’ll appreciate it later in life…maybe. Start her off with a simple lemonade or hot chocolate stand, bake sale, or yard sale of old toys. Get her comfortable with telling people about her product and why they need what she is selling.
Write A Script
The Activity
Many kids are uncomfortable speaking to people they don’t know but are more comfortable repeating a script as if playing a role in the school play. Have her write down what she wants to say to her potential customers to (1) get their attention and (2) tell them about and convince them to buy her product. She can keep the script with her at her business and make changes to it if she thinks of better ways to sell. Once she gets good at it, let her use two scripts and test which one is more effective.
Bonus material:
A Girl Entrepreneur's Reading GuideRelated Adult Reading
My favorite book about sales is Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer. Part philosophy, part practical tips, part butt-kicking motivation, Gitomer’s theme is that what matters most is not learning how to sell but rather learning why people buy.
Easy to read with highlights, red call-outs, witty cartoons, and organized around 12.5 Red Principles of Sales Greatness, this book is a must-read for sales people and non-salespeople alike.
