TOP 6 TIPS TO BOOST YOUR GIRL’S GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SALES
It’s time to get ready for cookie season!
Some things tend to sell themselves: like Girl Scout cookies! (FYI, Thin Mints is the country’s top cookie choice, and ours!) But if your girl wants to up her cookie-selling game this year, we’ve got some tips below, and a downloadable cheat sheet, to help your girl sell like a cookie boss.
It All Starts with Her “Why”
As much as people love cookies (the what), your girl can attract more orders and larger orders by focusing on her why. Why she’s selling cookies, why it’s important to meet her goal this cookie season, why the cookie funds will help her community. People are more likely to buy cookies because they want to support your cookie seller than because they need another box of cookies. So encourage your girl to be a storyteller in her videos, email messages, signs, and sales pitch and focus on her why!
Use On and Off-Line Marketing
People are always on the move so your girl should try to capture their attention both in the real world and while they’re online. That means creating both an eye-catching booth in a highly visible location and a unique Digital Cookie page or fun digital sales event on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. Encourage her to decorate her booth with attention-grabbing decorations such as balloons that people will notice before they even see her booth. When it comes to her Digital Cookie page, a catchy name, unique slogan, or attention-grabbing visuals can make her online cookie shop stand out. Her cookie video is a great opportunity for her to act like her fave entertainer and sing about the cookies or do a dance number.
Think outside (and inside) the booth
Your girl’s merchandising plan should also be a mix of traditional and digital marketing strategies. For example, she can place eye-catching labels to her cookie boxes, such as taping pink hearts to the boxes for Valentine’s Day, or attempt some Jenga-inspired box stacking that prominently feature bestselling cookie flavors. She can also use online video to move cookie boxes off the shelves (or booth table) such as explainer videos that describe each cookie type, hopefully getting people interested and excited to try new cookies. And don’t delete those videotaping slip ups! Candid moments and behind-the-scenes vlogs can win over potential customers and go viral!
Create content that’s engaging, memorable, and word-of-mouth worthy
Her sales pitch should touch on her why and can be used from booth to cloud. As long as she focuses on her “why,” includes it in her pitch, and practices the spiel often, she can create and deliver engaging, memorable, and shareable content. If she gets nervous talking to strangers, encourage her to memorize her sales pitch like it’s a line in the school play she can repeat to everyone who passes by. That will make it easier for her to talk to potential customers she doesn’t know. And it’s always easier to sell more boxes to an existing customer than to try to find a new customer. So encourage her to ask her customers if they want to donate an extra box or two to the needy or military.
Provide the best customer service possible
In true Girl Scout fashion, your girl probably remembers her loyal customers from prior years. If so, add a personal touch by sending a grand opening message to those who prefer buying from her booth, emailing her Digital Cookie link to those who purchase online, or knocking on the door of customers who appreciate her home-delivery service. If she’s still building her customer base, that’s OK. Just remind her about the importance of customer service and that those impressed customers will come back year after year, especially if they receive a surprise (virtual or physical) thank-you card. Going the extra mile for customers spreads happiness and drums up more sales. In addition, it provides free word-of-mouth marketing for her cookie business.
Have fun and apply teachable moments
Don’t make this cookie season all about the number of cookie boxes she sells. Remember that this entrepreneurial journey will teach your girl essential life skills, such as goal-setting, money management, and leadership. So, have fun and remind your girl to have fun, too! When you give her your undivided attention, she’ll cherish these moments forever. And the lessons will stay with her for a lifetime of success.
With these tips, plus more here and here, your girl can pull out all the stops to maximize her in-booth and online cookie sales. Your guidance can also help your girl pivot quickly if and when she needs to adapt her cookie-selling tactics. We know she’ll do great!
