| Yup, it's Girl Scout Cookie time in our part of the | | | | it's all about contacts and referrals. So who is selling |
| world. [And, yes, my English teacher DID tell me | | | | to all those customers who "have Girl Scout Cookies |
| never to start a sentence with the word "Yup."] For | | | | at home - more than they need?" Naturally, it's their |
| those of you who are unfamiliar with the sights, | | | | Girl Scout. What are the chances of Rebecca selling a |
| tastes, and overall experience of helping your | | | | box of cookies to someone whose daughter is also |
| daughters sell Thin Mints, Samoas, and Do-Si-Do's, | | | | selling the same cookies for the same price? You got |
| you're missing a fundamental and wide-ranging | | | | it: less than zero. Is Rebecca going to bang her head |
| education about the dynamics of sales, selling, and | | | | against the wall bemoaning those lost sales? Of |
| salespeople.Here are some points I've garnered while | | | | course not. She's going to tap into her network of |
| helping my daughter, Rebecca, age 11, and Troop | | | | networks - neighbors, cousins, kids and parents at |
| 3129, make their sales numbers. These pointers are | | | | the Y where she plays basketball, my former |
| hard-earned, field-tested, and as applicable to you and | | | | colleagues at my old job who have become good |
| your business as they are to Rebecca and hers.1. It's | | | | family friends (and Rebecca's customers in previous |
| who you know. It's true: the cookie business is a | | | | years). Do you know how to fill your pipeline when |
| relationship business. Our next-door neighbor bought | | | | things seem dry? Do you know how to move your |
| 9 boxes - Bam! Neighbors on the other side, 2 boxes, | | | | prospects along to becoming customers, satisfied |
| then 3, then more. Why? Because Rebecca had | | | | customers, and then customers-for-life - not of the |
| something to sell. What's your personal brand doing | | | | product or service you're selling today, but of YOU |
| these days? If you switched products, services, or | | | | and whatever value proposition you might be |
| companies, would people buy from you JUST | | | | offering now and in the future?6. When times are |
| BECAUSE IT'S YOU?2. It's not about the product. It's | | | | tough and things look quiet, that's the time to push |
| time to get the lawyers upset. Ready? Girl Scout | | | | harder than ever. Cookie sales end at a certain time |
| Cookies, for the most part, taste terrible [Thin Mints | | | | each year. Right now, we're about two weeks away |
| are the one exception, in my humble opinion]. And | | | | from the ending date, and there are Girl Scout |
| they have enough fat, calories, and cholesterol in | | | | Cookies being sold everywhere you look. We'll |
| them to power a small Japanese alternative fuel | | | | probably have 10-12 boxes left over by the time the |
| vehicle. You want good cookies? Buy Oreos, | | | | deadline comes. Are we depressed that we didn't |
| Mallomars, Ginger Snaps, Nutter Butters, | | | | meet our goal? Are we failures as salespeople? Only |
| Grasshoppers, Deluxe Grahams, Fudge Sticks, etc. | | | | if we quit when it's over. Don't you see that as soon |
| etc. Yet Girl Scout Cookies sell like crazy, year after | | | | as everyone else stops selling, stops marketing, and |
| year, donating millions to the bottom line of Girl | | | | stops with the "Cookie Shop" setups -- these cookies |
| Scouts of the USA.3. It's not about price. Girl Scout | | | | move up from a commodity to a valuable asset? It's |
| Cookies cost $3 a box. The smallest box, by weight, | | | | the same thing in your business: when the market is |
| is 7 oz. and the largest is 10 oz. Most retail cookies | | | | down, your competition has pulled their ads, it's |
| come packaged in a "small" size of around 12 oz. and | | | | "hunker-down" time, get back to basics, and cut, cut, |
| cost about $2.49. Girl Scout Cookies even give | | | | cut! However, that's the worst time to cut - you |
| premium brands, such as Pepperidge Farm, a run for | | | | have everyone's attention! There's actually much less |
| their money when it comes to high cost. Did I | | | | noise out there for your message to compete |
| mention one of our neighbors bought 9 boxes at a | | | | against. Push now, and you'll be heard!!!What does this |
| clip?4. It's not about need. Face it, nobody NEEDS Girl | | | | all mean to you and your business? It's simple -- now |
| Scout Cookies. In fact, when the girls were out doing | | | | is the time to get back in the saddle and ride your |
| a "Cookie Shop" at a local hardware store (local | | | | sales and marketing activities harder than ever. |
| merchants, malls, and grocery stores allow Girl Scouts | | | | You've got the floor. You've got more relationships |
| to set up a table for sales on their premises to | | | | and more people rooting for you than you realize, |
| support the cause), the number one objection we | | | | and if you cut through the old excuses about your |
| heard was "I already have some Girl Scout Cookies | | | | product, price, competition, the economy, and all the |
| at home - more than I need!" So, why did they buy? | | | | rest of it, you'll see the sales breakthroughs that lie |
| Because they had a relationship with their salesperson | | | | ahead. Why waste another minute?Marketing and |
| that was more important than their need, desire, or | | | | innovation expert David Newman has written 8 |
| use for the actual product. Hey, did you know that | | | | books and has been quoted in dozens of national |
| Girl Scout Cookies make great gifts, freeze really | | | | media outlets. David is also a sought-after speaker |
| well, and are only sold for a short time each year? | | | | and seminar leader. Visit for more free articles and |
| Can you learn from this and apply the lesson to | | | | resources. |
| YOUR sales message?5. It's not about competition; | | | | |