The idea that a sales team can learn something from Girl Scouts will come as a surprise
to many. What has this out-dated organisa on got to do with the fast-moving,
corporate world of today? But in the girl scouts’ annual cookie drive, two hundred
million units are sold per year, and their revenues exceed $700 million. And these
figures are achieved only in a three-month period in the spring.
True, the organiza on has changed greatly in la er years, ever since the appointment
of CEO Kathy Cloninger in 2003. Her mission was to revitalize a 95-year tradi on-bound
icon, famous only for camping, cra s and cookies. She has worked on ins lling
leadership quali es in the girls, developing new funding opportuni es, crea ng an
efficient organisa onal structure and developing a reinvigorated brand which is
relevant to the modern world.
And nowhere are these changes more no ceable than in the annual cookie sale. No
longer relying on neighbourhood door-to-door sales to obtain a meagre revenue, the
organisa on now u lises a wide range of savvy, modern methods which businesses
worldwide can learn from.
Firstly, the girl scouts organiza on focuses on providing the girls with life skills. By
inves ng in the girls, the organiza on creates a team with strong leadership and
communica on skills. ‘Cookie College’ training courses develop the scouts’ business
acumen, providing them with presenta on, marke ng and money management skills;
skills which will be invaluable in their future lives. Through role-playing, case studies
and tasks, the girls become inspired and passionate about their role as a salesperson.
And the proof of the pudding — or should I say cookie — is in the ea ng. These well-
trained salesgirls can turn out excep onal results. Scout Markita Andrews sold over
$80,000 dollars’ worth of cookies in the twelve years she was a girl scout. Her success
is for the most part due to the incen ve. By selling the greatest number of cookies,
Markita won a trip around the world. Rewards are nots only given to the lucky winners,
however. Scouts earn reward points as they sell more cookies. 1,500 cookies gets the
scout a Wii game system.
But Girl scouts are not only training and mo va ng their workforce, but they are also
changing their tac cs. Gone are the days when girls went door-to-door around the
neighbourhood selling to family and friends. They now go in for the bulk sales
strategy. They sell to large organisa ons and businesses, where cookies can be
offered as sales incen ves or part of corporate gi baskets. This way, girls are able to
shi a greater number of cookies and maximise their sales me.
1. When do the Girl Scouts sell cookies?
a) all year round
b) for three months per year
c) Every three years
d) Every spring since 2003
2. What was the view of the girls scout organisa on before Kathy Cloninger became
CEO?
a) not well-known
b) old-fashioned
c) efficient
d) surprising
3. Which of the following is not taught at ‘Cookie College’?
a) how to look a er finances
b) how to promote your products
c) how to bake cookies
d) how to speak in front of other people
4. A girl scout can get a trip round the world if she...
a) gets a certain number of reward points
b) sells cookies for twelve years in a row
c) sells $80,000 worth of cookies
d) sells more cookies than anyone else
5. A new selling strategy used by girl scouts is...
a) Selling cookies outside local businesses
b) Giving scouts free cookies as an incen ve
c) Selling from door to door
d) Selling large amounts of cookies at once
6. Which of the following sales techniques is NOT men oned in the passage?
a) mo va ng the sales team
b) finding new avenues for sales
c) offering discounts for bulk orders
d) training the sales team
