The 5 Skills all work together to help make the most of cookie season!
Decision Making: Girls decide where and when to sell cookies, how to market their sale, and what to do with their earnings.
After setting your goals for cookie proceeds, the next question is, “How will I accomplish my goal?”
Where and when will you sell cookies? Create a plan to go door-to-door, visit local business, hold a booth sale and set up your Digital Cookie site. Make sure you’re always partnering with adults for safety!
How will you market your sale? Marketing is a process of promoting and selling a product. Because we’re selling cookies to power amazing adventures and projects, consider sharing your Girl Scout experiences with your customers.
Here are a few ways to match a marketing skill to a selling opportunity!
- When going door-to-door, leave a door hanger including an adult’s contact information if no one is home. (Available at gswpa.org/cookie-resources.)
- With a business owner’s permission, girls can leave their order card at a workplace. When possible, make a sign, include a short paragraph about yourself and your goals, and follow up with a personal thank you.
- With a small, extra touch, you can build on a sale you’ve already made. A thank you card during cookie delivery is thoughtful and builds customer loyalty year after year. Because booth sales happen after initial cookie delivery, consider telling your customers where your booth will be, just in case they run out!
Money Management: Developing a budget, taking cookie orders, and handling customers’ money are tasks done by each girl.
Money management skills are a part of each step of the Cookie Program. From planning how to spend the proceeds and understanding how many cookies need sold to tracking which customers need to pay and collecting the funds, it’s formulated to grow a sense of responsibility and ownership.
Here are a few tips when managing money:
- When preparing to use your proceeds, try to think of all expenses like parking fees, gas money, food cost, and application fees.
- Be consistent with your order process. When you receive money put it all in the same, safe place and mark it on your order card.
- Always have a plan for keeping money safe. Girls should avoid having large amounts of cash or keeping it at home or at school.
2017 Cookie Program Shout Out: Troop 36142 in Erie County planned a trip to Niagara Falls, which was funded with their cookie proceeds. They explored the Cave of Winds, rode the Maid of the Mist, and ate lunch at the Rainforest Café. What an adventure!
