You should see the relentless marketing machine behind how to sell more Girl Scout Cookies.
I read a recent article that mentioned how well the Girl Scouts have mapped out their sales process. All those litte salespeople need training and support. And we all know they move a lot of cookies.
The Process Girl Scouts Have Mapped Out to Sell More Girl Scout Cookies
You can see what they're doing here.
They have a great page for tools like posters and banners to let people know the cookies are available. This certainly results in a consistent message to the target market.
However, the glaring omission in the site on how to sell more Girl Scout cookies is this is actually marketing. Nowhere (that I could find, at least) do you find what you should say.
I wondered whether this was a guarded secret. Something that is never written down but instead passed along in person, tribally, as I have seen with the ever-changing management and floor staff of call centers.
Direct From the Trenches - A Mom's Blog On How To Sell More Girl Scout Cookies
With a little digging, I did uncover a Seattle mom's blog about how to sell more Girl Scout Cookies. She does provide a door-to-door script.
Curiously, the script doesn't talk about the cookies, or the benefit of buying the cookies, or the taste of the cookies that the buyer will enjoy:
“Hi! I’m selling Girl Scout cookies! My goal is to sell x boxes of Girl Scout cookies to earn x. Will you help me reach my goal?”
Presumably the writer of this script has assumed the prospect already knows all about Girl Scout cookies. The script is all about tying the act of buying into helping the child achieve her bigger goal.
Now here's where things get really interesting from a sales process standpoint. Our valiant mom has a secondary sales goal! If the prospect doesn't want cookies, the Girl Scout's next step is to ask if they would like to donate a box to Operation Cookie Drop for the troops.
If they can say no to buying cookies from a cute little girl AND donating to our troops, they clearly have a heart of stone.
I love this.
Notice how it protects the self-esteem of the salesperson. If the prospect won't buy cookies from you, or donate to the troops, there is clearly something wrong with them and you can go ahead and qualify them Out with a clear conscience.
In Part 2 the following year, the mom updates what's working and what's not with personalized marketing materials. Her numbers are not statistically significant but they are data from the field.
If you're going to use a yard/bandit sign, make sure it's plastic and not poster board.
If you market with a magnetic car sticker, check that the font is readable when the car is moving at speed. This is a pet peeve of mine. Especially on billboards. I squint at tiny fonts and those in lousy color choices, and wonder: what graphic designer came up with that one? You can't read it. What a waste of money.
The Girl Scouts also have a mapped-out rewards system. Move X amount of cookie cases, win prize Y. And the prizes, of course, are relevant to the sales team's demographic.
The alarming truth is that the Girl Scouts have it together far, far better than most businesses.
It's not rocket science. But you won't be able to sell more Girl Scout cookies unless you get your sales & marketing process together.
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