Tips to Simplify Girl Scout Cookie Sales Successful Suggestions from Leaders Who Sell With Little or No Stress
Updated December 2021
In a recent post on one of the Girl Scout Facebook pages I frequent, one of the best questions I have ever read was asked.
“How do you simplify cookie season?”
Leaders came to the rescue in droves. I have divided the answers into categories to help you see the areas where your Girl Scout cookie selling techniques may need some tweaking.
Tips to Simplify Girl Scout Cookie Sales
Your Role as the Leader
One of the biggest challenges I faced as a leader was having no one with a sense of responsibility step up to help sell cookies. I did sell when we were second year Daisy Scouts, and the Cookie Mom was so unreliable and inaccessible that we did not do it again. I already had to do everything for the troop, so when no one stepped up to be a Cookie Manager when we became first year Brownies, we did not sell. My time and my sanity was valuable.
Many leaders chimed in to say that you should not be the Cookie Manager and the leader. Some Service Units, like mine, strongly discourage taking on both roles as both are huge responsibilities. If no one steps up, then you do not sell cookies. Parents will have to pay for events and badges.
Another point that leaders shared is to have clear guidelines and expectations about sales and selling. If you make your boundaries fuzzy, parents will cross them, intentionally or not.
One of the most important steps in establishing how fierce you are going to go after sales are your troop goals. What are your troop goals? Are you selling for money for a big trip or to finance yearly activities? Do you pay for uniforms and registrations or is your money for badges and patches?
This is an important point to discuss with the girls and figure out in advance of sales. Big trips mean a big commitment to selling. Funding troop activities will require less of your time and effort.
What boundaries should you set?
When cookies can be picked up was the most frequently mentioned boundary. You are not a 24/7 convenience store. Set hours when cookies can be taken from your home. Parents have to work around your schedule. Remember that you are a volunteer.
Another leader chimed in that no cookies were being stored at her house. Need more? Parents can go to the Cookie Cupboard to pick them up.
No cookies can be returned to the troop, causing you headaches on how to get rid of them. The parents are responsible, not the leader.
Tips to Simplify Girl Scout Cookie Sales
Strategies for More Successful Booth Sales
For most troops, booth sales is where they make the big bucks in a short amount of time-weather and location playing big factors in this equation.
Here is what leaders had to say.
The majority said to do fewer booths altogether. This relieves a lot of the stress of a long and ongoing cookie season since it is not dragged out for two months. Leaders reported that they just sell cookies for the opening weekend of booth sales and then they are done with it. Most cookies sell in the first few weeks, then the thrill is over and people are able to walk by your booth more easily. If you want to sell more than one weekend, then just sell for the first two or three.
Limit how many girls work a booth and for how long. The younger the girls, the shorter the shift should be. Have one adult in charge of the money and the other in charge of the girls.
Have a booth kit that contains what you need to have a successful booth. For example, in a milk crate or some other kind of tote box put the tablecloth, moneybox, donation jar, flyers, and anything else you bring to each booth sale.
For girls who want to sell more cookies and booth sales are over, let parents know what is left over and have them buy them from the troop. Then they are more motivated to sell. If girls want more cookies, parents need to buy them by the case from the troop so you are not stuck with them.
Tips to Simplify Girl Scout Cookie Sales
Banking Made Easy
The most popular tip from leaders who do this is to have parents directly deposit their cookie money into the troop account. Parents can deposit but they cannot withdraw, so this simplifies your life many times over. Be sure when you hand deposit slips to parents that their daughter’s name is on the slip. Have them take a photo of the slip with the amount being deposited. The bank receipt is due to you on money drop days.
Tips to Simplify Girl Scout Cookie Sales
What to Do With Extra Cookies
If you think you are going to get stuck with cookies, post on your SU site to see if anyone from another troop needs them and do a transfer. Leaders do not want to schedule another trip to get cookies, and they are also helping out another troop.
For even more tips, you can check out my Girl Scout cookie selling tips Pinterest board.
Do you have any Girl Scout cookie selling tips to share with others?
