Skill #1—Goal Setting
One of the first things each Girl Scout is asked to do each cookie season is to set a goal. For the little ones, the goal is often a trinket on the prize sheet but when we talk about cookies we talk about things they would like to do and how many boxes of cookies it takes to make that happen.
Studies have shown that people with clean financial goals get further than those without them. Having something to aim for gives you direction, and achieving small goals gives a sense of achievement.
Studies have shown that people with clean financial goals get further than those without them. Having something to aim for gives you direction, and achieving small goals gives a sense of achievement.
Skill #2—Decision Making
Even in high-selling troops, cookie money is limited, and the girls are supposed to have a major voice in how it is spent. We sold enough cookies to go to the zoo or to the aquarium, or to have a painting party. Now we have to pick.
One of the reasons people get in debt is because they don't make decisions, or at least don't make good ones. They pick the zoo, the aquarium and the painting party, even if they only have money for one.
Skill #3—Money Management
As girls get older they are expected to take on more and more of the financial management of their troops. They learn how much money is spent on un-exciting things like copies, training, or meeting supplies. They learn to budget the cookie money, plan fundraisers, and allocate funds to both needs and wants.
The bottom line on budgeting is allocating limited cash, and much of it has to be spent on boring things like the electric bill or insurance. When there isn't enough money for the things you need or want it is time for a second job or a side-hustle of some sort.
Another money management skill the girls learn is how to count money. Don't laugh, so many of these girls (mine included) have come up in a world where payments are made via credit/debit card and cash is rarely seen. While being able to count back change may not be as useful a skill as it once was, it is still needed. Talk about a real-life math lesson--and yes, the adults do watch the cash box but the older the girls get, the more they should be handling the money.
Another money management skill the girls learn is how to count money. Don't laugh, so many of these girls (mine included) have come up in a world where payments are made via credit/debit card and cash is rarely seen. While being able to count back change may not be as useful a skill as it once was, it is still needed. Talk about a real-life math lesson--and yes, the adults do watch the cash box but the older the girls get, the more they should be handling the money.
Skill #4—People Skills
In order to sell someone cookies, you have to ask. I tell the teens "Make them tell you 'no', often they will decide it is easier to say 'yes'". They notice that while there are people who actively seek out cookies, there are others who don't look at the table until someone says something. Girls learn to talk to strangers, to explain their product and to upsell--"your four boxes are $16, would you like to make it 5 for an even $20?". They learn to say "thank you" or even "thank you anyway". We have girls who really hustle cookie season after cookie season and sell thousands of boxes of cookies. Wouldn't you like to hire one of them for a sales position with your company?
Skill #5—Business Ethics.
The Girl Scout Law says we will be honest and fair, and we enforce that during cookie season. While we upsell, we do not "forget" to give people change, though often they offer that $1 as a donation. We help our fellow Girl Scouts and we put a lot of emphasis on following the rules.
I'm a paralegal and I do criminal defense work for people who can afford to pay big bucks, usually because of success in business. I wonder how many of them wish, after they have need of our services, that they had been more honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring?
Yes, the girls learn a lot by selling cookies, but I for one am glad cookie season is over for another year--and glad that my daughter's trip to New York this summer will be about 1/3 paid for with cookie money.
These are definitely valuable skills to learn for business. I remember when I was managing a bank and one teller did her job perfectly except for one thing...she wasn't upselling. I was put under a lot of pressure to let her go, but I suspected that her problem was simply that she wasn't raised to speak up like that and so I coached her on it. For these girls to learn these skills at an early age will definitely give them an advantage later on.
ReplyDeleteGreat summary of what I learned in Girl Scout cookie sales. I am glad that the girls are having more of a say as to where their money goes. I worked very hard and the troop leader made the decisions as to what she wanted to do. My last leader was way more open. In turn, the seven of us sold more cookies then ever before. My best friend's troop sold enough to get to the Chalet in Switzerland! Go Girl Scouts!
ReplyDelete