Cookie Kickoff Toolkit - girlscoutsofmaine.org€¦ · the girls’ lives about the girls’ Cookie...

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Cookie Kickoff Toolkit

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Index❧Introduction ...................................................................................4

Planning Your event ..................................................................... 6

Sample Event Schedule .............................................................12

Check-In ........................................................................................13

Station Rotations ........................................................................13

Materials List ................................................................................16

Cookie Kickoff Activities ............................................................ 21

Start-Up Activity ..........................................................................21

Opening ........................................................................................ 22

Product Knowledge .................................................................... 23

Goal Setting/Budgeting .............................................................29

Marketing ..................................................................................... 32

Sales ..............................................................................................38

“Snazz Up” Your Sales ...............................................................41

Closing .......................................................................................... 43

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In this packet, you will find most everything needed to make planning a successful Cookie Kickoff as simple as can be. The goal is not only to help you plan a cookie themed event highlighting the 5 skills girls learn in the cookie program, but also to help you plan a fun rally that will get the girls excited about the opportunity to develop their financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills as they sell Girl Scout cookies.

In this kit, you will find:

☙ Sample checklists, timelines, and tips and tricks to help you plan your kickoff event

☙ Suggested activities broken down by level (younger girls and older girls) and materials lists to takethe guess work out of what you need

☙ Marketing flyer you can print or email to promote your event

☙ Sample evaluations to help the girls and the leaders share their thoughts and suggestions to makenext year’s event even better!

A Cookie Kickoff combines learning and cookie fun so girls are inspired and prepared to have a great cookie season. The goal of the Cookie Kickoff is to help the girls develop the five skills of the Girl Scout Cookie Program: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics, and to help them get excited to make their goals a reality. These five skills will continue with them throughout the Cookie Program and are essential to building a lifetime of leadership, success, and confidence. We recommend having different stations for younger girls and older girls so that both groups are engaged with developmentally appropriate and age-specific workshops that focus on the five skills. If you plan to have the older girls help the younger girls, ensure you have a specific time for the older girls to have their own Cookie Kickoff either before or after the younger girl event.

Introduction ❧

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Want to add to the fun? The Cookie Kickoff can be added to other activities to make it a whole day of fun! Other ideas include:

☙ Dance- After the Cookie Kickoff, host a dance and encourage the girls to create their own cookieinspired dance.

☙ Fashion Show- At either the opening or the closing, host a fashion show where girls/troops showoff their own cookie-inspired creations created prior to the event, or give them time to make their own creations at the event.

☙ Cookie Recipe Cook Off- Invite the troops to create desserts with the cookies. Have them bringsamples for everyone to try. (Larger events can hand out “cookie bucks” for girls to “purchase” a select number of samples; think food festival style.) You can even have them vote on their favorite dessert.

If possible, it is often helpful to communicate with parents/guardians and other important adults in the girls’ lives about the girls’ Cookie Sale Program success. One option to share this information is to hold a parent/guardian cookie meeting while the girls are at the Cookie Kickoff. You may decide to invite parents/guardians to stay after the start of the event or come early for the meeting. It can be as simple as a 20 minute meeting where you can share information about the cookie sale, the expectations of the adults, and answer any questions they may have.

Things to Think About Where should we have the Cookie Kickoff? You will need a space that is large enough for the number of girls and adults you anticipate will attend. You might also want to consider the ease of the location, parking, how loud the space will get (do you need break out rooms to make it less noisy?), whether or not your space allows food and drinks, is there a fee for the space and whether or not the space has tables and chairs for you to use.

Who will help run the kickoff? If your event is designed for all ages, you will need to make sure you have adults to run the stations so that the older girls can participate. If not, think about who you may ask to help at the stations. If you have the younger girls and older girls separate, you could arrange for some of the older girls to lead stations for the younger girl Cookie Kickoff. Remind them to log their hours for their Service To Girl Scouting award. In addition to older girls and Girl Scout volunteers, don’t hesitate to recruit volunteers from the community. Is there a local bank or credit union that would be interested in volunteering to run the money management station(s)? Are there professionals connected to any of the troops that would be interested in volunteering? A mom that works for a marketing firm? An uncle who is a financial planner? Bringing in people from the community is a great way for the girls to learn these five skills, and it shows them some of the career opportunities available.

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� Form your eventcommittee. Remember, at least half of the committee members must have completed the CEO workshop.

� Decide roles and responsibilities for each person in the group.

� Decide on the date,time, and location of the event. Keep in mind that Cookie Rallies/Cookie Kickoffs need to take place the first weekend of January. Make sure your site follows guidelines in the Safety Activity Checkpoints.

� Reserve your facilitybased on the facility use agreement/requirements for your specific location.

� Submit your Intent ToHold An Event form to your Service Team Program Coordinator and your Volunteer Support Specialist at GSME.

Before or During the Month of October

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Planning Your Event ❧

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� Plan the specificactivities for your event from the Event Toolkit.

� With any costs for thefacility and any materials in mind, develop your budget for the event. Determine how much you want to charge for the girls to attend your event.

� Submit your budgetto your Service Team for approval.

� Develop yourregistration procedures.

� Develop your marketingstrategy for the event. How will you promote the event? Facebook? Social media? Email? Start to spread the word about your event.

� Develop a list ofvolunteers needed and start contacting potential volunteers.

� Arrange for your event first aider following the guidelines in Safety Activity Checkpoints.

8-10 Weeks Prior to the Event

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� Publicize the event forregistration.

� Develop a writtenemergency plan, “Plan B,” and cancellation plan.

� Continue to fillvolunteer positions as needed.


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� Review the eventschedule and activities. Make a list of materials that will need to be purchased or borrowed and decide who will get the needed materials.

� Submit your requestto GSME’s Product Sales Director for any cookies and other branded supplies you need for the event.

� Check in withpresenters and send them the information for their station/job for the event.

� Develop event’scheck-in and check-out procedures.

� Request non-memberinsurance through the council office, if needed.

� Decide on how thefacility will be set up - chairs, table(s), stations, decorations, check-in tables, first aid station, parking. Brainstorm possible problems and implement potential changes or backup solutions if need be.

� Make a list of tasks that can be completed by volunteers. Recruit Program Aides, leaders, parents, and whoever else you may need to volunteer during the event.

� Review event budget.

� Review yourregistrations and continue to promote the event as needed.

4- 5 Weeks Prior to the Event Names

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� Confirm that allcommittee members are finalizing their responsibilities.

� Confirm final numberof registrants and send out confirmations.

� Notify all committeemembers and event volunteers of final numbers.

� Make final plans forthe event. Purchase any materials needed.

� Review as a committeewho will be responsible for what before and during the event.

� Review the scheduleand program for potential problems.

� Create event signs,such as parking, directions, etc.

� Communicate with anypresenters to ensure they are still attending.


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� Prepare check-inmaterials: welcome letter, agenda, map, attendance sheet, evaluations, and pens/pencils.

� Schedule your wrapup meeting following your event.

� Catch up everythingyou haven’t completed.

� Have a final committeemeeting to go over what the group has done and what lies ahead.

1 Week Prior to the Event

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� Arrive early. Meetwith committee to review responsibilities, to do a pep talk, and to set up.

� Post direction signs first.

� Set up the check-in siteand first-aid station next.

� Greet presenters. Helpwith set up/clean up of their space. Provide them with a basic packet. Go over schedule of the day.

� Communicateexpectations of the day to girls and adults.

� Put on a great event!!

� Have participants andpresenters complete an event evaluation.

� Leave site clean andpicked up—better than you found it!

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Day of the Event

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� Hold a committeemeeting to evaluate and celebrate the event.

� What went well?What will you change?

� Review participantevaluations.

� Complete and turnin the Event Final Report Form to the Service Team Program Coordinator and report final attendance to your Volunteer Support Specialist.

� Complete and turnin the Event Budget Worksheet to the Service Team Program Coordinator or Treasurer.

� Pay any outstandingbills.

� Send thank you notesas appropriate.

� Report out to the wholeService Unit at the next Leaders’ Meeting.

� Submit your requestfor Cookie Rally patches to the Product Sales Director and distribute patches as soon as they are received, if not done previously.

1-2 Weeks After the Event

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The length of your event will depend on the number of participants attending and the number of stations you have available. It is highly recommended to have separate stations for younger girls and older girls so that they can have a richer experience focused on level appropriateness. If you anticipate having a large number of girls in any age bracket, Daisies/Brownies or Juniors and up, you might consider having multiple rotations.

Here is a sample schedule:

Time Activity Description

11 -12:45 Set up venue Organize check-in area, arrange tables, chairs, stations, orient your volunteers and ensure any last minute details are completed.

12:45 – 1:15 Check- In and Start-Up Using your pre-determined check-in procedures, check-in the troops as they arrive. Give any special instructions as needed. Hand out the start-up activity and provide instructions as needed.

1:20 – 1:30 Opening Introduce yourself and volunteers, briefly go over what will happen at the event, make sure everyone knows where the bathrooms are and go over any special instructions for the day.

1:35 – 1:55 Activity 1 Girls will rotate through the stations as assigned.



2:45 – 3:00 Break Girls will have 15 minutes in between this rotation to have a snack, go to the bathroom, or take care of other personal needs. Remind the girls they need to be at their next station by 3:00 so it can start on time



3:45 – 3:50 Kapers Each troop should be assigned an area to help clean up. Remember to include common areas in addition to station locations.

3:50 – 4:00 Closing Thank participants for coming, have a Friendship Circle (optional), and have troops complete the evaluations.

4:00 – 4:45 Clean Up Remember, a Girl Scout always leaves a place better than she found it. Make sure you remove your items, put tables and chairs back (if applicable), check the bathrooms, and collect any lost and found items.

Sample Event Schedule

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As a committee, you will want to decide what your check-in process will be. If you have run events in the past and have a check-in process that works for your Service Unit, continue to use what is familiar. If this is your first event, here is a sample check-in procedure:

1 Set up two tables for check-in. (You may decide one is enough if this will be a small event). Onetable will be for the leaders to get their troop rosters for the event. The other will be for them to submit their completed roster, checking off the girls and adults present at the event that day, and picking up any packets they will need. (This is a great place for them to get their name tags.)

2 As troops arrive, ask one of the leaders to check-in at the first check-in table. They will then taketheir roster, check off everyone that is there that day (after everyone has arrived), and bring it to the second check-in table.

3 At the second check in table they will turn in their roster. You can review the roster and file it forreview when it comes time to order patches, and then give the leader their troop packet, name tags, and schedule for the event.

Name Tags The easiest name tags to create would be sheets of blank labels and have participants make their own name tag. You could pre-print the name tags or add a design to them. However, this is not necessary.

Recognition Display If possible, set up a table that includes the recognitions the girls can earn during the Cookie Sale Program. This can help the girls get excited for the cookie sale and help them set goals for how many boxes of cookies they want to sell in order to earn these recognitions.

The event will focus on the 5 Skills the girls learn through the Cookie Program. Some of the 5 Skills are combined in select activities as the girls practice what they are learning.

The 5 Skills are: ☙ Goal setting- Girl Scouts set cookie goals individually and, with their team, create a plan to reach

them. This matters because girls need to know how to set and reach goals to succeed in school, on the job, and in life.

☙ Decision Making- Girls decide where and when to sell cookies, how to market their sale, and whatto do with their earnings. This matters because girls must make many decisions, big and small, in their lives. Learning this skill helps them make good ones.

☙ Money Management- Girls develop a budget, take cookie orders, and handle customer’ money.This matters because girls need to know how to handle money - from their lunch money to their allowances to (someday) their paychecks.

☙ People Skills- Girls learn how to talk (and listen) to their customers’, as well as learning how towork as a team with other girls. This matters because it helps them do better in school (on group projects, on sports, teams, and on the playground) and, later, at work, and helps them develop healthy relationships.

☙ Business Ethics- Girls act honestly and responsibly during every step of the cookie sale. Thismatters because employers want to hire ethical employees and the world needs ethical leaders in every field. This helps reinforce the positive values they are developing in Girl Scouts.

Check-In

Station Rotations

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Topic

Product Knowledge

Goal Setting Budgeting

Marketing

Sales

“Snazz Up”Your Sale

The Workshop Stations Include: ☙ Product Knowledge ☙ Goal Setting/Budgeting ☙ Marketing ☙ Sales ☙ “Snazz Up” Your Sale

Sample station rotation schedule if running the younger girl and older girl Cookie Kickoff at the same time.

Activity Time 1

Activity Time2

Activity Time 3

Activity Time 4

Activity Time 5

D/B/J Group

1

D/B/J Group

5

D/B/J Group

4

D/B/J Group

3

D/B/J Group

2

C/S/A Group

1

C/S/A Group

5

C/S/A Group

4

C/S/A Group

3

C/S/A Group

2

D/B/J Group

2

D/B/J Group

1

D/B/J Group

5

D/B/J Group

4

D/B/J Group

3

C/S/A Group

2

C/S/A Group

1

C/S/A Group

5

C/S/A Group

4

C/S/A Group

3

D/B/J Group

3

D/B/J Group

2

D/B/J Group

1

D/B/J Group

5

D/B/J Group

4

C/S/A Group

3

C/S/A Group

2

C/S/A Group

1

C/S/A Group

5

C/S/A Group

4

D/B/J Group

4

D/B/J Group

3

D/B/J Group

2

D/B/J Group

1

D/B/J Group

5

C/S/A Group

4

C/S/A Group

3

C/S/A Group

2

C/S/A Group

1

C/S/A Group

5

D/B/J Group

5

D/B/J Group

4

D/B/J Group

3

D/B/J Group

2

D/B/J Group

1

C/S/A Group

5

C/S/A Group

4

C/S/A Group

3

C/S/A Group

2

C/S/A Group

1

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Materials List

Based on the activities your committee chooses, use the following materials list when shopping or acquiring your materials

General Materials

☙ Name tags ☙ Pencils/pens☙ Markers ☙ Tables☙ Chairs☙ First aid kit ☙ Recognitions

information ☙ Calculators

☙ Tape☙ Scissors ☙ Girl Scout cookies ☙ Napkins ☙ Water ☙ Compass publications

including the Camp Compass

☙ Paper

Start-Up Materials (select one activity per level) All Levels

Star Sellers☙ Pre-made stars (for younger girls) ☙ Squares of paper approximately 8 – 81/2 in.☙ Origami directions (if not using pre made stars)

Favorite Cookie ☙ Large bar graph with each type of cookie listed

along the bottom on large sheets of paper (at least 5 feet long and 2 feet wide) for each type of cookie.

☙ Sticky notes (one per girl)

Younger Girls

Be A Safe Seller ☙ Be a Safe Seller handout- one per girl

Which Cookie Are You ☙ Which Cookie Are You? Fortune teller printout

(one per girl)

Check out the latest materials and resources from ABC Bakers at:

www.abcsmartcookies.com

http://www.abcsmartcookies.com

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Product Knowledge Materials (Select one activity per level) All Levels

Know Your Cookie Taste Test ☙ Bandanas or blindfolds☙ Cookie nutritional labels ☙ Girl Scout Cookie Menu from ABC Smart Cookie www.abcsmartcookies.com/america%E2%80%99s-best-cookies☙ Signs of the different cookies (or an empty box of each cookie)

Younger Girls

Cookie Intelligence Relay Race☙ Cookie Intelligence posters☙ Cookie Ingredient cards (at least one set per relay group-more is recommended)☙ 8 bowls per group ☙ Cookie pictures to tape to the bottom of the bowls ☙ Removable tape to mark a line on the floor

Cookie Tick-Tack-Toe☙ Tic-Tac-Toe boards made out of paper (see directions) ☙ Cookie trait cards or list ☙ Two different colored bean bags - at least 5 or 6 of each color

Know Your Cookie Relay ☙ Cookie sheets (two per group of 3-5 girls) ☙ Spatulas (one per group of 3-5 girls) ☙ Hot pads (one per group of 3-5 girls) ☙ Cookie Jars (one per group of 3-5 girls)☙ Know Your Cookie information – see below☙ Cookies made out of cardboard or foam board with picture of the kind of cookie glued on top; 3 of

each type of cookie = 1 set, 1 set for each group of 3-5 girls ☙ At least one volunteer per group of 3-5 girls

http://www.abcsmartcookies.com/america%E2%80%99s-best-cookies

http://www.abcsmartcookies.com/america%E2%80%99s-best-cookies

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Goal Setting/Budgeting Materials (Select one activity per level)Younger Girls

Find Out the Cost of Fun ☙ Event flyers ☙ Information from local parks, museums, and activities the girls may be interested in ☙ Budget worksheet (one per small group for Daisies and Brownies, one per girl for Juniors) ☙ Cookie Sales Goal Tracker

Older Girls

Goal Setting: Using Technology for Success☙ Tablets or computers or ensure the girls have

smart phones they can use☙ Internet access ☙ Markers/whiteboard markers/chalk ☙ Butcher paper/large paper/whiteboard/chalk

board

Goal Setting and Budgeting☙ Troop Budget Worksheet ☙ Sample Budget☙ Compass publications, Getaways list from

GSUSA (with prices), and other information on activities for older girls

Marketing Materials (Select one activity per level)Younger Girls

Cookie commercial ☙ Printed ads or commercials for well-known products ☙ Computers or tablets (if watching video commercials)☙ Video cameras or phones to take video - Props (optional)

Older Girls

Flower Power ☙ Butcher paper ☙ Flower Power template printed on cardstock

(one per girl)

Paint the Town☙ Paper for the girls to draw their own map ☙ Pens/markers

Setting Marketing Goals ☙ My Marketing goal handout (one per girl) ☙ Think Outside the Box handout (one per girl) ☙ F.R.A.N. handout (one per girl)☙ My Marketing Map handout (one per girl)

Selling Strategies ☙ Top Ten Selling Strategies Facts and Strategies sheets and strips (one for each group of 3-5 girls) ☙ Promotion Ideas handout (one per girl) ☙ You will need at least one volunteer per group of 3-5 girls

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Sales Materials (Select one activity per level)Younger Girls

Mock Booth Sale ☙ One table set up like a booth sale (with signs, table cloth, etc…) ☙ Cash box or toy cash register (set on the table) ☙ Cookie boxes - 2-5 boxes of each cookie (empty or full, set on the table) ☙ Cookie money for cash box - 30 x $1 bills, 15 x $5 bills, 15 x $10 bills. (You may want to have extra

cookie money set aside in case some bills get lost throughout the activity.)☙ Cookie Money for grab bag (or box) make at least 50 of each denomination ($20, $10, $5 and $1) ☙ Bag or box to use as a grab bag where the girls reach in and pull out a small handful of money to

use as a customer☙ Cookie money to use for making change as an optional activity after the booth sale☙ Optional - cookie price chart showing the price for each quantity of cookie boxes (This would be

helpful for the Daisies and Brownies.) ☙ Cookie dice printed on cardstock

Older Girls

Cookie Improv ☙ Cookie Improv Cards (cut out on card stock,

laminate if desired)☙ Nutritional Fact sheet (one per girl)

Elevator Speech ☙ Beach ball ☙ Permanent marker Elevator Speech Planning Tool

“Snazz Up” Your Sale (Select one activity per level)All Levels

Goal Signs ☙ Poster board (2 per girl) or empty cookie cases (one per girl) ☙ Colorful duct tape (optional) ☙ Optional: stickers, cookie clip art, gems, or other embellishments to decorate the signs ☙ Glue ☙ Sign stakes or paint sticks ☙ Design Planner

Festive Flag Banners☙ Flag Banner Templates printed on white cardstock☙ Cookie clip art or other “bling” (optional) ☙ Ribbon, string, or yarn ☙ Poster board or white board with dry erase marker

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Item Quantity

How Acquired (purchase/

borrow, order, print)

Person Responsible

e.g. Cookie Rally Patches

100 Request from GSME Product Sales

Director

Committee Chair

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Star Sellers! (all levels- see accommodations for younger girls) Girls will create and decorate (if time allows) an inspiration star. Younger girls may use pre-made stars while older girls will create their own origami stars.

Materials ☙ Pre-made stars (for younger girls) or paper and origami instructions☙ Squares of paper approximately 8 – 81/2 inches ☙ Markers ☙ Tape

Directions ☙ Older girls can make their own origami stars following the directions in the appendix. Younger girls

may use a pre-made star. * See appendix for origami instructions.☙ Girls should think of something inspirational to write or draw on their star. This can be her goal for

how many boxes she wants to sell, why she is selling cookies, what she is earning money for, words of encouragement, what she enjoys about selling cookies, etc..

☙ After they write or draw their inspirational note, girls may decorate their stars if time allows. ☙ Girls may either take their star home with them or tape them to a wall for all to see and be

inspired by.

Favorite Cookie (all levels- can be done in addition to one of the other activities) Girls will vote on their favorite cookie to see which cookie is the most popular.

Materials ☙ Large bar graph with each type of cookie listed along the bottom on large sheets of paper (at

least 5 feet long and 2 feet wide) for each type of cookie. ☙ Sticky notes (one per girl)

Directions☙ As girls wait for the event to start, girls may vote for their favorite cookie. ☙ Each girl will take a sticky note and place it along the bar graph to vote for their favorite cookie.

Each girl may vote once.

Be A Safe Seller (Daisy/Brownie/Junior- Daisies may need help reading the scenarios)

Materials☙ Be a Safe Seller handout- one per girl ☙ Pens/pencils

DirectionsGirls may work individually or in pairs. The goal is to have them fill in the entire page by asking other girls whether or not one of the listed behaviors is safe or not when selling Girl Scout cookies. The girl asked will say yes or no and then sign her name in the square.

Start-Up ActivitySelect at least one based on the

level of the event)

Cookie Kickoff Activities❧As troops/girls arrive, encourage them to work on one of the provided Start-Up activities while they wait for the program to start at the opening. The Start-Up activity is designed to help them begin to think about their cookie sales.

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Which Girl Scout Cookie Are you? (Daisy/Brownie/Junior) Girls will create their own cookie fortune teller and then take turns telling each other’s cookie fortunes. After they find out what cookie each person got, encourage them to talk about the cookies and discuss the features or characteristics about that cookie.

Materials ☙ Which Cookie Are You? Fortune teller printout (one per girl) ☙ Scissors

Directions☙ Cut along the outside edge of the fortune teller. ☙ Start with the printed side down. Fold in half to make a triangle, then unfold. Fold in half the

opposite way so that the creases make an “x”. ☙ Fold each of the four corners towards the center, using the intersection of the folks as the

reference point for there the four corners should meet. This will give you a smaller square. ☙ Flip it over and repeat, folding the four corners into the middle. ☙ Fold in half, slide thumbs and pointer fingers in the sleeves, and begin playing.

The opening will be the official start of the Cookie Kickoff. This is a time to welcome everyone, get the girls excited about the sale, and discuss any housekeeping items.

Directions ☙ Gather everyone in the designated space for the opening. This could be an auditorium, large room,

the middle of a gym, or other large space. ☙ Welcome everyone to the event. ☙ Prior to the event, ask one of the girls to lead the group in reciting the Girl Scout Promise. Ask

everyone to join this individual at this time. ☙ Review any safety or housekeeping items:

� Fire exits

� First aid station

� Bathrooms

� Walking and other safety items for the space☙ Explain the rotations and stations. ☙ Have any committee members present raise their hands, stand up, or in another way show

themselves. Explain that if anyone has any questions, they can ask any of the committee members.

Station OptionsEach station topic will have options for you to choose from based on the level of the girls anticipated at your event. In some cases there will be multiple options to choose from. Select the activities that you feel your girls will enjoy the most while developing the 5 Skills: Goal Setting, Decision Making, Money Management, People Skills, and Business Ethics.

Opening

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Product Knowledge (Decision Making, People Skills,

Business Ethics)

Know Your Cookie Taste Test (all levels) It is time to test the knowledge of the true Cookie Sale Professionals- the girls! Girls will put their taste buds to the test during a blind taste test of the different Girl Scout cookies.

Badge links ☙ Daisy - Count It Up☙ Brownie – Meet My Customers

GSLE ☙ Learning by Doing ☙ Cooperative Learning

Materials☙ Girl Scout cookies (cut in half or fourths)☙ Bandanas or blindfolds☙ Cookie nutritional labels ☙ Girl Scout Cookie Menu from ABC Smart Cookie http://www.abcsmartcookies.com

america%E2%80%99s-best-cookies ☙ Signs of the different cookies (or an empty box of each cookie) ☙ Water☙ Table☙ Chairs

Directions☙ Divide the girls into small groups. Give each group a sample of cookies (enough for all girls to try a

few varieties), but make sure they are covered. ☙ Explain that the girls will take turns being blindfolded, selecting a cookie, and trying to guess what

kind it is without looking at it.☙ Have the girls take turns being blindfolded and trying to guess what cookie they taste. ☙ Once everyone has had a chance to try a couple cookies, hand out the nutritional labels. Divide the

girls into pairs and give each pair a label (either from the back of the cookie boxes or printed from the ABC Smart Cookie website: www.abcsmartcookies.com/america%E2%80%99s-best-cookies). Talk about common allergens, healthier options, and common ingredients (chocolate, peanut butter, etc...) Explain to the girls that they will go on a scavenger hunt of their nutritional label to find the ingredient or item called out. If their cookie has that ingredient, have their group stand up, holding the cookie sign or box for their cookie.

☙ Lead a short discussion about why it is important for them to know what is in the different cookiesand some of the nutritional information (so they can talk to their different customers during a potential sale).

☙ If there is time, ask the girls what kind of cookies they would recommend for: � Someone who likes peanut butter� Someone who is allergic to chocolate � Someone who is on a diet � Someone who is allergic to milk

http://www.abcsmartcookies.com/america%E2%80%99s-best-cookies)

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Cookie Intelligence Relay Race (all levels- see modifications) Every wise business lady knows her product well so she can sell with confidence. In this activity, girls will get to know the various kinds of Girl Scout cookies- from ingredients to counts, from colors to contents. End the activity with a taste test of the cookies.



Materials☙ Cookie Intelligence posters☙ Table☙ Tape☙ Cookie Ingredient cards (at least one set per relay

group-more is recommended)☙ 8 bowls per group ☙ Cookie pictures to tape to the bottom of the bowls ☙ Removable tape to mark a line on the floor☙ Girl Scout cookies cut into halves or fourths ☙ Napkins

Directions ☙ Talk to the girls about the importance of knowing the product they are selling; they should be

prepared to answer all the questions a customer may ask.☙ Allow the girls to sample the cookies, encouraging them to think about how they would describe

them. ☙ Hold up a box of each kind of cookie. Ask the girls how they would describe the cookies. (If you

don’t have a box for each, you may use the Cookie Intelligence Posters.) ☙ Explain the rules of the cookie relay.

� The girls will be divided into small relay race teams. Each team will be given a mixing bowl witha cookie picture on the bottom.

� The teams will line up at the starting line with their mixing bowl. � On the card table, they will find a variety of ingredient cards that match the information on the

cookie posters. The girls will try to find all the cards that describe the cookie in their mixing bowl. (See progression tips below for the number of cards for the different levels.)

� Girls will come up one at a time in their group, select a card, and bring it back to their group toplace in the mixing bowl. Girls may check their responses on the cookie posters. Each girl will take turns to pick one card, return to the group, and then the next person in line will have a turn. The group may help one another if needed. However, each girl should have her own chance to select a card. Once a girl has had a turn, she should sit down with her group.

� Younger girls can do this activity one mixing bowl at a time. Older girls can try to fill all theirbowls at the same time.

� Once the bowls have been filled, review the answers. ☙ Cookie Ingredient cards by level

� Daisies/Brownies – Use the cards for ingredients, description, and picture of the box.� Juniors - Use the cards for ingredients, description, picture of the box, and approximate count. � Cadettes and Up – Use the cards for ingredients, description, approximate count, but remove

the Cookie Intelligence posters.

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Cookie Tic-Tac-Toe (all levels- see modifications)Every wise business lady knows her product well so she can sell with confidence. In this activity, girls will get to know the various kinds of Girl Scout cookies- from ingredients to descriptions to colors. End the activity with a taste test of the cookies.



Materials ☙ Tic-Tac-Toe boards made out of paper (see directions below) ☙ Cookie trait cards or list ☙ Two different colored bean bags - at least 5 or 6 of each color ☙ Girl Scout cookies cut into halves or fourths ☙ Napkins

Directions☙ Prior to the event, create your Tic-Tac-Toe cards that will make the Tic-Tac-Toe board(s).

� Daisies and Brownies - Print off 3 images of each of the following cookies with the cookiename (one cookie per page) and laminate the entire sheet of paper: Thin Mints, Caramel Delights, Peanut Butter Patties.

� Juniors - Print off 4 of each of the following cookies with the name of the cookie and theimage (one cookie per page) and laminate the entire sheet of paper: Thin Mints, Caramel Delights, Peanut Butter Patties, and S’mores. (If S’mores are not for sale that year, select a different cookie.)

� Cadettes and up - Print off one of each of the 9 cookies; name only (one cookie per page).Laminate the entire page.

☙ Set up the board on the ground and tape the pages to the floor. Daisies and Brownies will have a3x3 grid of 3 cookies; Juniors will have a 4x4 grid of 4 cookies, and Cadettes and up will have a 3x3 grid of 9 cookies. Make sure the pages are securely taped to the ground.

☙ Measure about 4 feet from the grid to the throw line. You may have a line closer or farther awaybased on the level.

☙ Explain the game- Girls will be given a clue to one of the cookies. They will need to determinethe cookie and then try to toss the bean bag onto the correct square. They will try to get 3 in a row (Daisies and Brownies as well as Cadettes and up) or 4 in a row (Juniors) with their color bean bag. They do not need to get 3 or 4 in a row of the same cookie, just their bean bag color.

☙ Help the girls divide into two teams. Larger events may decide to have 4 teams. ☙ Have the girls line up in their teams and give the first girl her clue. If she can guess the right cookie,

she can try to toss the bean bag. Younger girls can help each other. ☙ Repeat until all the girls have had a turn.

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CluesThin Mints☙ Crispy chocolate wafer with pure peppermint flavor ☙ Dipped in chocolate coating ☙ Number one selling cookie☙ Comes in a green box

Caramel Delights ☙ Vanilla cookies topped with caramel☙ Sprinkled with toasted coconut☙ Laced with chocolaty stripe☙ Comes in a purple box

Peanut Butter Patties ☙ Crispy vanilla cookies layered with peanut butter☙ Covered with a chocolaty coating☙ Comes in a red box ☙ Not suitable for someone with a peanut allergy

S’mores☙ Crispy graham cookie double dipped with a yummy crème icing and a

scrumptious chocolate coating☙ The newest of the Girl Scout cookies ☙ Comes in a brown package ☙ One of five vegan cookies [which are the other 3???]

Shortbread ☙ Shaped like the Girl Scout Trefoil ☙ Traditional favorite with a butter flavor ☙ Comes in a blue box

Thanks-A-Lot☙ Shortbread cookies dipped in rich fudge☙ Topped with a thank you message in one of 5 languages☙ Comes in a light teal package

Lemonades☙ Savory slices of shortbread with a refreshingly tangy lemon flavored icing☙ Comes in a yellow package ☙ One of 5 vegan cookies

Peanut Butter Sandwich☙ Crisp and crunchy oatmeal cookie with creamy peanut butter filling☙ Comes in an orange box

Trios☙ Chocolate chips nestled in a gluten free peanut butter oatmeal cookie☙ Comes in a white bag with a blue Trefoil

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Know Your Cookie Relay (Daisies – Juniors) This game will help the girls learn more about the cookies and see which cookie they know the best.



Materials ☙ Table(s) ☙ Cookie sheets (two per group of 3-5 girls) ☙ Spatulas (one per group of 3-5 girls) ☙ Hot pads (one per group of 3-5 girls) ☙ Cookie Jars (one per group of 3-5 girls)☙ Know Your Cookie information – see below☙ Cookies made out of cardboard or foam board with picture of the kind of cookie glued on top; 3 of

each type of cookie = 1 set, 1 set for each group of 3-5 girls ☙ At least one volunteer per group of 3-5 girls

Directions ☙ Prior to the event make your relay set up. You will need 2 tables per group of 3-5 girls. (If tables are

tight, one table per group would work with the cookie jar on the floor.) Set up the space so that you have 2 tables facing one another in rows of how many groups you will need. On one end, you will have the cookie jars. On the other end, you will have the cookie sheets with the cookies.

☙ With the girls on the floor, explain the game. ☙ Split the girls into teams of 3-5 girls ☙ Each team will have a baking sheet, spatula, and hot pad. ☙ Use the side of the table as the starting line. Have each team of girls form a line on their side of

the table. ☙ The first girl steps up to the front of the table, picks up the hot pad, cookie sheet, and spatula. ☙ The volunteer reads one fact from the “Know Your Cookie” information. If the girl knows which

cookie the fact is referring to, she uses her spatula to pick up 3 of those cookies from the cookie sheet on the opposite table. Otherwise, she waits for the next fact about the same cookie. 1st clue = 3 cookies, 2nd clue = 2 cookies, 3rd clue = 1 cookie.

☙ Once the cookies are on the baking sheet, she walks quickly over to the cookie jar and shows herchoice to the volunteer helping her group.

� If the cookie choice is right, the volunteer will tell her to place the cookies in the jar usingthe spatula. (This activity can be modified for Daisies by eliminating the spatula if they have difficulty.)

� If the cookie choice is wrong, the girl must quickly walk back to the table, put the cookiesback on the cookie sheet, and then go get another clue from the volunteer.

☙ After putting the cookies in the cookie jar, the girl walks quickly back to the table and hands the hot pad, spatula, and cookie sheet to the next girl (making sure the transaction takes place behind the table). ☙ You may have multiple groups going at the same time. ☙ Once the teams have finished all the types of cookies, everyone will count how many cookies they have in their jars.

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Know Your CookieShortbread Cookies ☙ This cookie has been around the longest.☙ This cookie comes in a blue box. ☙ This cookie has a buttery taste and represents Girl Scouts with a Trefoil baked right on

the cookie.

Thin Mints ☙ This cookie is the top-selling Girl Scout cookie in America. ☙ This cookie comes in a green box. ☙ This cookie has a burst of peppermint and a chocolaty coating.

Thanks-A-lots☙ This cookie speaks in 5 different languages. ☙ This cookie comes in turquoise packaging.☙ This cookie is a shortbread cookie dipped in rich fudge.

Caramel Delites ☙ This cookie is the second best-selling Girl Scout cookie.☙ This cookie comes in a purple box. ☙ This cookie is the only striped Girl Scout Cookie and is topped with caramel and

toasted coconut.

Lemonades☙ This cookie is a shortbread cookie with a refreshing citrus flavored icing.☙ This cookie comes in yellow packaging.☙ This cookie is imprinted with the citrus that is contained in its flavor.

Peanut Butter Patties ☙ This cookie is the third best-selling Girl Scout Cookie. ☙ This cookie comes in a red box. ☙ This cookie is a crispy vanilla cookie layered in peanut butter and dipped in chocolate.

Peanut Butter Sandwiches ☙ This cookie has two oatmeal cookies. ☙ This cookie comes in a golden colored box.☙ This cookie has peanut butter between the two oatmeal cookies.

S’mores ☙ This is the newest Girl Scout cookie. ☙ This cookie comes in a brown package. ☙ This cookie has a graham cracker dipped in crème icing and topped with chocolate.

Trios ☙ This cookie is the only Gluten Free cookie. ☙ This cookie comes in a white bag with a blue Trefoil. ☙ This cookie combines 3 ingredients: chocolate chips, oatmeal, and peanut butter.

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Find Out the Cost of Fun (Daisies – Juniors) Sometimes the things we might enjoy doing with our family or in Girl Scouts cost money. Discover how much some of these fun things cost and how to plan for these expenses.

Badge links ☙ Daisy - Money Counts, Count It Up, Talk It Up ☙ Brownie - Money Manager☙ Junior - Cookie CEO

GSLE ☙ Learning by Doing ☙ Cooperative Learning ☙ Girl-Led

Materials ☙ Compass publications including the Camp Compass☙ Event flyers ☙ Information from local parks, museums, and activities the girls may be interested in ☙ Calculators ☙ Budget worksheet (one per small group for Daisies and Brownies, one per girl for Juniors) ☙ Pencils ☙ Markers ☙ Cookie Sales Goal Tracker

Directions☙ Have the girls work in small groups of three. Help split them up if needed. ☙ Explain to the girls that they are going to find out how much some of the things they might like to

do with their Troop would cost and decide how many boxes of cookies they need to sell in order to do these activities.

☙ Have each group pick one of the following activities: a Service Unit Event, a Compass Event, a localfair or a local museum, or a community service project. How much does it cost for each person to attend? Record this answer on the Budget worksheet.

☙ With the help of an adult, determine the other expenses that might be associated with this event:food, transportation, other. Record the costs on the budget worksheet.

☙ Tally up the total cost of the trip for one person. ☙ With the help of an adult, have the girls determine how many boxes of cookies they would need to

sell in order to reach that amount: Troops earn $.75 for each box of cookies sold. For example, if the activity would cost $15 per girl, each girl would need to sell 20 boxes of cookies in order to attend that activity.

☙ Juniors (optional for Brownies) - Figure out the cost for the entire troop and how many boxes ofcookies the entire troop would need to sell.

☙ Juniors - Break your troop goal into smaller goals. How many boxes do you want to sell per week?How many do you want each girl to try to sell? If you are planning on having multiple booth sales, how many cookies do you want to sell at each booth sale? You can also think about goals besides sales- perhaps each girl sets a goal for how many customers she sells to or how many new customers she finds.

☙ With any additional time, girls may make complete the Cookie Sales Goal Tracker for either theirpersonal goal or their troop goal.

Goal Setting/Budgeting (Goal Setting, Decision Making,

Business Ethics)

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Goal Setting: Using Technology for Success(Cadettes – Ambassadors) Through the use of technology, this activity focuses on the valuable goal setting life skill and a key to Girl Scout Cookie success.

Badge Links☙ Cadette - Financing My Dream, Budgeting, Think Big☙ Senior - Customer Loyalty


Materials ☙ Tablets or computers or ensure the girls have smart phones they can use☙ Internet access ☙ Markers/whiteboard markers/chalk ☙ Butcher paper/large paper/whiteboard/chalk board

Directions ☙ Cookie goals intro- Ask the girls what some of their cookie goals are or have the questions written

on butcher paper and taped up around the room. Divide the girls into 4 groups and have them discuss and write down their responses to the question(s). Give them a couple minutes per question and then have them rotate to the next question. Once the groups have had a chance to answer all the questions, have them go back to their first question and review all the responses before reporting out to the rest of the group.

☙ What are your cookie selling goals? ☙ Why do they want to sell cookies? ☙ What are they saving the money for? A special Take Action Project? Silver or Gold Award

projects? Travel? A troop trip? A special activity? ☙ What do you want to learn? Is there a skill you want to practice from the 5 skills? Why?

(List the 5 skills if needed.)☙ Move with COCOmobile- Show the girls how to download the COCOmobile app on their

phones or tablets. Set goals, track goals, practice entering and editing orders, and show them that they can earn and do on the COCOmobile site.

☙ COCO for goal setting- Using computers, tablets or phones, show the girls how to go ontothe ABC website to set up their account and set their own cookie goals.

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Goal Setting and Budgeting (Cadettes - Ambassadors) Every year, your troop can determine how to spend its portion of cookie sale proceeds. Why not decide what activities you want to do in advance and then work to sell enough cookies to reach your goal? Do you want to fund a service project? A day at the museum? A troop trip? Once you know, you can determine what it will cost and how to break down everyone's individual goals.

Badge Links ☙ Cadette - Financing My Dreams, Budgeting, Think Big ☙ Seniors - Buying Power


Materials☙ Troop Budget Worksheet ☙ Sample Budget☙ Pens/pencils ☙ Compass publications, Getaways list from GSUSA (with prices), and other information on activities

for older girls ☙ Calculators

Directions ☙ Ask the girls if their troop is currently saving money for a troop goal. What is it? How long have

they been saving for? Where are they getting the funds for their activity/trip? Record their answers (optional).

☙ Split the girls up into groups of 2 or 3. If the girls are not currently saving for an activity, give themsome time to look through the provided materials and think of something they might want to save for; this can simply be a practice activity, not what they are actually committing to for the rest of the year.

☙ Give the groups time to determine the cost of their activity/trip and how many boxes of cookieseach girl should sell and the total number of cookies the troop should sell to meet their goal. Use the Troop budget worksheet.

☙ Ask the girls if they ONLY do ONE activity a year- probably not, right. They might save up for one bigactivity but also do smaller activities and trips throughout the year. They will need to make sure they have enough funds to do ALL the fun things they would like. Introduce the concept of spend-save-give and hand out the sample budget handout. Allow the girls to think about how they would want to spend their money using the spend-save-give concept. How does this impact their saving for their big trip/activity? If the activity will take place in a future year, how many boxes of cookies will they need to sell each year in order to reach their goal and keep to their spend-save-give budget?

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Flower Power (Daisies – Juniors) Girls will learn how to develop a sales strategy to help them reach their goals faster by considering the different customer categories and planning how to reach them. Girls reach their goals faster when they seek out customers from a variety of places. Encourage girls to brainstorm different ways to reach customers, encourage them to select 5 they would like to try this year, and make their marketing goals public with the Flower Power template.

Badge Links ☙ Daisy - Talk It Up ☙ Brownie - Meet My Customers☙ Junior - Customer Insights


Materials ☙ Butcher paper ☙ Pens and markers☙ Flower Power template printed on cardstock (one per girl)

Directions☙ Discuss with the girls how successful people look for potential customers in many different places. ☙ Ask them where they have sold cookies in the past. Record their responses and organize into

categories as needed (for example: grocery store, friends, family, teachers). Review some of the possibilities. If you have first year Daisies, you can ask them to think about where they might sell cookies even though they haven’t yet or where they have seen other girls sell cookies. One way to organize their ideas is to use a target shape with the bulls eye being easy accessible ideas (family, friends, neighbors) , the second ring is for slightly more difficult places (local store, parent’s work, etc..), the final ring is for places that they might not be able to reach or could be a stretch for them.

☙ Ask the girls if there are options that others have tried that they have not tried yet. Are there placesthey can think of that no one has said?

☙ Hand out the Flower Power template. Tell the girls the center circle is for them to write their personalor troop sales goal. (They might not have determined this yet, so they will leave it blank for now.) The petals are for them to write down 5 places or types of people they want to pursue as customers.

☙ They can then color and decorate their flower, so they can hang it at home to remind them of theirmarketing strategy.

Marketing (Goal Setting, Decision Making, People Skills, Business Ethics)

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Paint the Town (Brownies and Juniors) Knowing the options for where they can sell cookies will help the girls increase their sales.

Badge Link ☙ Brownie - Meet My Customers

GSLE ☙ Learning by Doing ☙ Cooperative Learning ☙ Girl–Led

Materials ☙ Paper for the girls to draw their own map ☙ Pens/markers

Directions ☙ Lead a discussion about where the girls have sold cookies in the past. Where have they gone door

to door? Where have they had booth sales? What other places exist in their town? ☙ Have the girls work in pairs to create a map of their town listing some of the places they plan to

sell cookies or could sell cookies. To get the girls started, ask them where they live and who lives near them. Do they have friends or family that live close by? Do they want to have a booth sale at the post office? Encourage them to think about the options available to them and the places they have been to or seen in their community.

☙ Give the girls time to create their maps. ☙ Once the girls have completed their maps, ask the girls to share some of the places they thought

of. Remind them of some of the safety tips they should remember when out in the community. Encourage them to take their maps home to help them remember some of the places they thought of when selling cookies.

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Cookie Commercial (Cadettes – Ambassadors) Girls will investigate brand identity for known products and then create tier own marketing message through a commercial for their cookie business.

Badge Links ☙ Cadette - Marketing, Think Big


Materials☙ Printed ads or commercials for well-known products ☙ Computers or tablets (if watching video commercials)☙ Video cameras or phones to take video☙ Props (optional)

Directions ☙ Read the definition of advertise – to announce or praise a product or service in some public form

of communication in order to influence people to buy or use it. ☙ Divide the girls into small groups of 2-3. ☙ Give them magazines or have them watch videos online for popular products. Have them select

one ad and answer the following questions:� Who are they marketing to? � What in the ad makes the target audience want to buy the product? � Why do you think the ad is effective? � Would you change anything about it? What and why?

☙ Have the groups report out about their ad. ☙ With their group, give the girls time to create a short commercial for their cookie business that can

be sent via email to friends and family. (The videos will be emailed to the troop leader after the event) Encourage the girls to think about the following when writing their script:

� Who is their target audience? � Why should customers buy Girl Scout cookies? � What are their goals/what will they do with the funds? � What are some key aspects of the sale/product? � Remember to make it catchy. � If the girls do not have time to film their commercials, they can take their script home and

finish at a troop meeting.

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Setting Marketing Goals (Cadette – Ambassador) Girls will explore marketing as a way to reach self established goals for their cookie business.

Badge Links ☙ Cadette - Marketing, Think Big, Business Plan ☙ Senior - Customer Loyalty ☙ Ambassador - P & L


Materials☙ Pens/pencils☙ My Marketing Goal handout (one per girl) ☙ Think Outside the Box handout (one per girl) ☙ F.R.A.N. handout (on per girl)☙ My Marketing Map handout (one per girl)

Directions☙ Lead a discussion about the importance of setting personal/troop marketing goals. Explain to the

girls that a marketing goal helps them think about how they want to promote their cookie business. A marketing goal might say something like, “I want to reach 10 new people” or “I want to promote my cookie business to 2 new locations.” Ask the girls to set a goal for themselves or for their troop and have them write it on their My Marketing Goal handout. They can write more goals at home or during a troop meeting.

☙ Talk about ways they might be able to expand their cookie sales by “thinking outside the box.” Thiscan be done by thinking about their previous cookie sales. Start a discussion about what they have done before to sell their cookies.

� Where did they sell?� Who did they sell to?� How will they expand their market?� How can they use social media in their marketing plan?

☙ Have the girls work in small groups to brainstorm some new places or ways they can reach a widermarket. Hand out the Thinking Outside the Box handout. Give them a few minutes to think this over. Then, have a few girls share one of the ideas from their group.

☙ Lead a short discussion (no more than 3-5 minutes) about where the girls have sold in the past,how they have marketed their cookies, what has worked in the past, and what has not worked. Hand out the F.R.A.N. and My Marketing Map handouts. Explain that it is important to have a plan for who they want to reach with the remaining time, girls can work on creating their marketing plans. Explain that they will take these sheets home to continue to develop a list of potential customers from their community and plan how they want to market their cookie business to each of the groups they came up with.

☙ End by asking a few girls to share some of the new locations or methods they came up with.

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Selling Strategies (Cadettes – Ambassadors) Girls will explore some of the facts of cookie sales and some of selling strategies that will help increase their sales. Girls will then create some promotional strategies for their own sales.

Badge Links ☙ Cadette - Marketing, Think Big, Business Plan ☙ Senior - Customer Loyalty


Materials☙ Top Ten Selling Strategies Facts and Strategies sheets and strips (one for each group of 3-5 girls) ☙ Tape☙ Pens ☙ Promotion Ideas handout (one per girl) ☙ You will need at least one volunteer per group of 3-5 girls

Directions ☙ Prior to the event, post the Top 10 Selling Strategies Facts on the wall in an area where the girls can

have a relay race- one set per group. ☙ Explain to the girls that good marketing is based on research. In this workshop, you will look at

the top 10 selling strategies for Girl Scout cookies and how the girls can apply these strategies when creating their own promotional plan.

☙ Divide the girls into groups of 3-5, and hand out the Top 10 Selling Strategies handout for them toreview. Explain that we will have a relay race to try to match the selling strategies with the facts that best correspond to the selling idea. Allow the girls time to review the strategies before beginning.

☙ Relay Race - Have the girls line up for their relay race. At the start of the relay race, each team willturn over one of the strategy cards, send one of their team members up to the facts posted on the wall and decide which fact that strategy connects with. She then returns to the group, and the next girl turns over a strategy and tries to place it in the correct area. Once all strategies have been placed, the team may ask for a volunteer to check their answers. If one of them is incorrect, the volunteer would simply say how many are correct but not tell them which one is correct. The team can then discuss the responses and change the placement of the strategies.

☙ Once all the teams have the correct answers, lead a discussion about how these strategies mighthelp their own cookie sales.

☙ Ask the girls what different ways they have promoted their cookie business in the past. Have theyused any of the strategies from the relay race?

☙ Give the girls the promotion idea handout and go over the ideas and encourage the girls to discussthese ideas by asking about their thoughts and opinions on how they might be able to incorporate some of these ideas into their sales.

☙ Next, have the girls brainstorm in more detail how they can put these ideas into action with a buddy. ☙ If time allows, have the girls share some of their ideas.

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If you know… Then you might…

Fact 1: The number one reason people don’t buy Girl Scout cookies is that they have never been asked.

You must think beyond, way beyond, family and friends to reach all those eager cookie customers. You already know that cookies sell well at grocery stores, malls, and other high-traffic areas. Get creative and think about more ways that you can stick out with great marketing.

Fact 2: Customers buy cookie because they love the taste.

When customers approach your cookie booth, offer a cookie sample before you ask them to buy. Arrange an attractive sampler plate so customers can try your varieties. No one can resist!

Fact 3: Customers are eager for their favorites because they can only buy Girl Scout cookies once a year.

Make signs or suggest that customers buy by the case. Encourage customers to stock up for the whole year by buying enough to freeze for later. Offer a large zip-top freezer bag with large purchases. Remind customers that the cookies make great gifts and party food.

Fact 4: Customers buy cookies because they want to support Girl Scouting.

Always tell your customers about your goals. Hang up signs or wear a t-shirt that shows what you’re working towards. Customers want to help you succeed.

Fact 5: Customers like to order cookies from home.

Grab some friends and host a Cookie Walkabout for door-to-door sales. Teams sell door-to-door in an assigned area. At a pre-determined time, gather for a celebration. Just for fun, award prizes in categories such as most energy, most cookies sold, best decorated cookie car, etc.

Fact 6: Girl Scout cookie customers usually buy every year.

Contact your customers from last year. Save your order card for next year so you can return to your customers and ask them again.

Fact 7: When customers are asked multiple times, they buy multiple boxes.

Ask, ask, and ask again. When you deliver cookies, ask customers if they would like to buy more than they ordered. If you have cookies left over at the end of the season, call back the customers who bought those varieties and ask if they would like more.

Fact 8: Customers sometimes buy fewer cookies because of diet issues.

Highlight the Cookie Share program. Offer customers the opportunity to purchase cookies that will be donated to a local charity. At booth sales, create a sign that informs customers about this choice.

Fact 9: Customers buy more cookies when you suggest they buy more.

With pretty ribbon, tie up 3 packages to create bundles such as “Chocolate Lovers Pack” or “Classic Bundle”. It’s fun to give away free handmade gift tags to go along with the bundle.

Fact 10: Customers want to know they are getting a good deal.

Print out recipes and offer one free with the purchase of multiple packages. Attach an appropriate recipe to each bundle of cookies. It’s a lot of fun to create attractive recipe booklets to give away with larger purchases.

Top 10 Selling Strategies: Facilitator Answers

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Sales (Decision Making, People Skills,

Business Ethics, Money Management)

Mock Booth Sale (Daisies – Juniors)Girls learn how to interact with customers while learning the basics of money management and being a successful business woman.

Badge Links ☙ Daisy - Talk It Up, Count It Up, Money Counts☙ Brownie - Give Back, Meet My Customers☙ Junior - Customer Insights, Cookie CEO


Materials ☙ One table set up like a booth sale (with signs, table cloth, etc…) ☙ Cash box or toy cash register (set on the table) ☙ Cookie boxes - 2-5 boxes of each cookie (empty or full, set on the table) ☙ Cookie money for cash box - 30 x $1 bills, 15 x $5 bills, 15 x $10 bills. (You may want to have extra

cookie money set aside in case some bills get lost throughout the activity.)☙ Cookie Money for grab bag (or box) make at least 50 of each denomination ($20, $10, $5 and $1) ☙ Bag or box to use as a grab bag where the girls reach in and pull out a small handful of money to

use as a customer☙ Cookie money to use for making change as an optional activity after the booth sale☙ Scissors to cut the money apart ☙ Optional - cookie price chart showing the price for each quantity of cookie boxes (This would be

helpful for the Daisies and Brownies.) ☙ Calculator and/or pen and paper to set at the booth in case girls need help calculating change ☙ Cookie dice printed on cardstock

Directions ☙ Prior to the event, set up your cookie booth with cookies, cash box filled with fake money, price

chart, calculator/pen & paper, and any other booth promotional items like table tents, signs, etc… ☙ Put the appropriate amount of money in the bag or box.☙ When the girls arrive, have them gather around the cookie booth and have adults or older girls run

2 skits depicting a mock booth sale interaction - one skit showing the proper way to interact with a customer (smile, be polite, explain what they money is going towards/your troop goal, thanking the customer and for Juniors including information about the cookies, the opportunity to bundle the cookies into a gift pack “The Chocolate Lover’s Pack” or the “Classics” pack). Then, have another skit showing a poor booth sale (girls are not paying attention, they are playing with one another, they do not look at the customer, they don’t know why they are selling cookies or what kinds

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there are, etc.). Ask the girls what they noticed. What went well? What did not go well? Lead a short discussion about the importance of making a good impression and knowing your product.

☙ Explain that they are going to have a chance to practice being the seller and the customer. They willeach reach in and grab a small handful of money out of the grab bag. The first person will come up to the booth sale and be the customer. (You will need an adult or older girl to act as the seller for the first girl.) The customer will approach the booth sale and the seller will invite her to purchase come cookies from the booth sale. The customer may select any number of cookie boxes as long as they have enough money to pay for them. The seller then completes the sale, and once the transaction is complete, the customer rotates to become the seller for the next customer. Once she has acted as the seller, she can go to a designated area and either practice her sales pitch with a friend or practice making change using the cookie dice.

� When girls finish their interaction, they should put the cookies back on the cookie boothtable for the next customer.

� If you have a large group, you may want to have two sellers and two customers at thesame time.

� To aid in progression, encourage Juniors to work on their “up-sell”- encouraging customersto buy more cookies: they make great gifts, encouraging bundles, explaining what they plan to do with their cookie proceeds, explaining what they learn from the cookie sales…

� To add another layer for the Juniors, you may use the cookie dice to determine the numberof boxes they buy if they have the right amount of money or use modified versions of the improv scenarios created for the older girls in the Cookie Improv activity.

Cookie Improv (Cadettes – Ambassadors) Badge Links☙ Cadette - Marketing, Think Big ☙ Senior – Business Etiquette


Materials ☙ Cookie Improv Cards (cut out on card stock, laminate if desired) ☙ Nutritional Fact sheet (one per girl) ☙ Props (optional)

Directions☙ Lead a short discussion about the importance of knowing your product in a sale and customer service. ☙ Ask the girls about tips for selling cookies. What are some ways they can up sell? What are ways they

can increase their sales? Talk about the cookie share program, cookie bundles as gifts, and other tips and tricks that might help the girls. As much as possible, have these ideas come from the girls.

☙ Divide the girls into pairs or small groups. One girl will choose one of each card and that will be thecharacter that she acts out. She should keep her character a secret. If you have props available, allow her to grab some of the props to enhance her character.

☙ The other girl(s) will be the cookie seller(s). They will knock on the customer’s door and the customerwill answer in character. The girls will not know who their customer is, so they will have to think quickly in order to sell a box of cookies to that customer. Give each of the sellers the nutritional fact sheet for the cookies for reference if needed.

☙ As time allows, have the girls swap partners. The customer becomes the seller and the sellerbecomes the customer (but with a new partner).

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Elevator Speech (Cadettes – Ambassador) This station gives girls the confidence to better sell cookies to their customers and market their cookie business.

Badge Links☙ Cadette - Marketing, Think Big ☙ Senior – Business Etiquette


Materials ☙ Beach ball ☙ Permanent marker ☙ Pencils ☙ Paper ☙ Elevator Speech Planning Tool Directions

☙ Prior to the event use a permanent marker to write the following phrases on a beach ball: � Greet your customer � Share your goals � Ask customer if she would like to buy cookies � Recommend your favorite cookie � Suggest cookies as gifts or the share program� Say goodbye and thank you to your customer

☙ Have the girls form a circle. Ask the girls if they have ever heard of an elevator speech. Explain that anelevator speech is an opportunity to get your information across in a quick manner. (The background is that you would be able to give your speech in the time it takes to ride on an elevator.)

☙ Discuss with the girls why having a planned speech would be helpful for their cookie sale.☙ Share the following elevator speech and have the girls identify the whos, whats, and whys that are

important: Hi, my name is Mary. I am in 6th grade and I am participating in the world’s largest girl-led business program: the Girl Scout Cookie Sale. I’ve been selling cookies now for 6 years. This year, my goal is to sell 300 boxes of cookies. With the profits from my sale, my troop will be setting up a literacy mentoring program for elementary school students in the community and providing them with books to read at home. Would you be willing to buy a box or two to help me meet our goal?

☙ Optional - Explain that this activity gives them a chance to practice some of the things they will say totheir customers. Instruct the girls that when they catch the ball they must “freeze” their hands on the ball exactly as the caught it. They must then locate the phrase closest to their right thumb and demonstrate that part of their sales pitch.

☙ Rehearse by having a volunteer catch the beach ball and give their response. ☙ Once everyone has had an opportunity to practice, give the girls time to develop their own sales pitch

or elevator speech. They may use the following tools to help them organize their thoughts. If time allows, have them share their elevator speech with a buddy.

Tips to writing an elevator speech:1. Highlight why customers should buy Girl Scout cookies. 2. How can buying cookies benefit the customer? 3. Let the customer know your goals. Tell that what your plans are for the money that is earned. 4. Have passion and enthusiasm when selling Girl Scout cookies. Your attitude will make a difference to

the customer. 5. Always close by asking for the sale! 6. Be prepared. Practice your elevator speech to other people.

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We know that customers buy more cookies when they are asked and to support girls striving to reach a goal. In addition, many customers want to know their purchase is helping make a difference in the world. “Snazz Up” your booth or cookie sale with some catchy signs and decorations that highlight your cookie business.

Goal Signs (All levels) Put your goals on parade with simple signs! Encourage customers to help you reach your goals as they see you march around with or display your cookie goal message.

Badge Link: ☙ Daisies- Talk it Up☙ Brownies- Give Back ☙ Juniors- Cookie CEO☙ Cadettes- Business Plan, Marketing☙ Seniors- Customer Loyalty


Materials ☙ Poster board (2 per girl) or empty cookie cases (one per girl) ☙ Markers ☙ Colorful duct tape (optional) ☙ Scissors (if using boxes) ☙ Optional: stickers, cookie clip art, gems, or other embellishments to decorate the signs ☙ Tape ☙ Glue ☙ Sign stakes or paint sticks ☙ Design Planner

Directions ☙ Lead a short discussion on why it is important to tell the customers what the money is going

towards and what their goals are. Advertising your product is an important part of marketing. Signs are a great tool to advertise your business and tell people about your product and program.

☙ Invite girls to share ideas about messages they want to include on their signs. Answers may include,but are not limited to:

� Information about their product- kinds of cookies, price, information about the new cookie� Troop or personal goals� What you plan to do with the cookie proceeds � Asking the customer to help them make a difference in the community

☙ Provide each girl with poster board or box, markers, and any other decorating supplies they mightneed. You may choose to use the Design Planner to help the girls plan their poster.

☙ Invite the girls to create their posters. If they do not have enough time to finish, they may take themhome to complete.

“Snazz Up” Your Sale (Decision Making, People Skills,

Business Ethics, Marketing)

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Festive Flag Banners (All Levels) Practice your marketing skills and highlight your goals with these festive banners.

Badge Link: ☙ Daisies- Talk it Up☙ Brownies- Give Back ☙ Juniors- Cookie CEO☙ Cadettes- Business Plan, Marketing ☙ Seniors- Customer Loyalty


Materials ☙ Flag Banner Templates printed on white cardstock☙ Markers ☙ Cookie clip art or other “bling” (optional) ☙ Ribbon, string, or yarn ☙ Poster board or white board with dry erase marker

Directions☙ Prior to the event, print out the banners on

cardstock. Depending on the level of the girls, youmay have the girls make one banner and string themtogether as a troop (younger girls) or have them create their own banners of 3-5 flags each(older girls).

☙ Ask the girls what kind of signs they have seen in stores or restaurants. This is called marketing.Invite the girls to think of ways they can market their own cookie business. Brainstorm some messages as a group and record their responses. Possibilities may include, but are not limited to:

� Information about their product- kinds of cookies, price, information about the new cookie� Troop or personal goals� What you plan to do with the cookie proceeds � Asking the customer to help them make a difference in the community

☙ Ask the girls to select their own marketing messages from the list or create their own based ontheir cookie business goals.

☙ Hand out the flag banners and allow the girls to cut them out, write their messages, anddecorate them.

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Girls will gather once more as a large group and end with some fun,excitement, and singing.

Materials ☙ Girl Scout cookie songs

Directions☙ Gather everyone into a big circle. Thank everyone for coming and

remind them to turn in their evaluations. End the event with a songand a friendship squeeze.

☙ Teach them one of the songs from the appendix, or one that you knowabout Girl Scout cookies. You may want to have the words printed forolder girls to read from.

☙ End the event with a friendship squeeze. If it is a large group, positiona volunteer half way around the circle. Send the squeeze around in bothdirections. The volunteer will receive the squeeze from both sides but notpass it around the circle completely to save time. If it is a smaller group,the friendship squeeze will go completely around the circle.

Closing

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