This past summer, we had the pleasure of meeting one of GSNorCal’s top cookie sellers, Junior Girl Scout, Allura from Walnut Creek. Believe it or not, Allura sold over 4,000 boxes of cookies during the 2017 Girl Scout Cookie Program. Yes, you read that correctly: this cookie boss sold 4,018 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies in just over a month! Can you say, goal-getter?

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Allura visited GSNorCal’s Alameda office to talk about her experience with our Board of Directors and even shared some exclusive insights about how you can increase your cookie sales and exceed your goals! Without further ado, let’s dive right into these 11 tips on how to sell more Girl Scout Cookies (or jump down to her video):

1. Participate in cookie booth sales as often as you can

Many girls work 1 or 2 cookie booths each year, but if you’ve got big goals, you’ll definitely want to step up your booth sale game! By working more booths, you’ll expose yourself to new customer markets that you wouldn’t otherwise have access to and you’ll gain a ton of experience talking to customers.

2. Don’t underestimate the power of knocking on doors

Just like booth sales, going door-to-door in your neighborhood is an excellent way to tap into new customers. Be sure to bring along your favorite adult and choose a time when people will be home but not too busy—you wouldn’t want to interrupt their meal.

3. Keep track of your customers each year and check in on their supply throughout the program

Building customer loyalty is an important part of being a successful entrepreneur! Keep track of your customers each year so that you can contact them at the beginning of the program and help them restock at the middle and end of the program, too.

4. Always have inventory and order cards on hand

A top seller always has product on hand so that, when you’re in a busy public place (like the park or church), you can quickly fill orders on the fly. Customers are everywhere, but you can’t make the sale if you don’t have cookies with you!

5. Set up a table in your driveway during peak commute hours

By setting up a street-side business, customers can drive right up and purchase their cookies. Your customers don’t even have to leave their car, making it super convenient for them.

6. Share your goals with everyone you meet

When your customers purchase cookies, they’re buying into the big plans and goals you’re working towards. (And they’re getting a delicious treat—it’s a win-win!) Talking about your business and your goals with everyone you meet offers a compelling reason for customers to support you, but they can’t help if they don’t know about your business!

7. Create a label with your contact information and add it to each box of cookies

With the help of an adult, create some sticky labels with your parent’s phone number or email address on them to let customers know where they can purchase more cookies when they run out. By making it easy for customers to reorder, you’ll earn a lot of extra sales!

8. Always ask your customers if they’re willing to donate, too — even after they’ve committed to purchasing

Once you earn a customer’s sale, you may feel like also asking customers to donate is overload, but you’re really asking an entirely different question! People love doing good deeds and giving back to their community, and if they’re already spending the money to purchase cookies of their own, they’re likely willing to throw in another package for the military or food bank.

9. Use creative marketing tactics, like offering bundled pricing

Everyone loves a good deal! Doesn’t “4 packages for $20” or “$60 per dozen” just sound so much better than “$5 per box”? This may not be an actual discount, but presenting an enticing bundled offer will catch the attention of more customers (and help you sell more).

10. Share your product recommendation with your customers

Part of being a good salesperson is making sure you meet the needs of your customers. As you chat with a potential customer, take the time to learn about what they like in a cookie (peanut butter, crunchy, chocolatey, etc.) and share personalized product recommendations that you think they would enjoy.

11. Always get more than one “no”

It’s important not to give up too easily! Find out what your customer’s reason for saying “no” is and offer them another option. No cash? We take credit cards! Don’t like cookies? Donate them to our Care to Share program. Can’t eat gluten? We’ve got cookies for you, too!

Watch the full video of Allura’s tips and tricks:

Inspiring, right? Allura embodies exactly what it means to be a G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader). And hearing about her experience leaves me fired up for this year’s cookie program.

Now, we want to her from YOU: what are the most creative tips and tactics that have come out of your troop’s cookie biz? Let us know in the comments below!

What to do next:

• Share this post with your favorite Girl Scout!
• For some related reading, check out our other Girl Scout Cookie blog posts.
• Find more inspiring videos from GSNorCal on our YouTube channel.
• Is your girl determined to be a top seller this year? Learn more insider tips from cookie boss (and now staff member) Leah Takahashi, who sold over 2,000 boxes in 2012.

Marissa Vessels—Marissa is the Director of Marketing at Girl Scout of Northern California and a Gold Award Girl Scout. Though she’s originally from Southern California (Yay, Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council!), she moved to the East Bay to attend UC Berkeley and never looked back. One of her favorite things about Girl Scouting in the Bay Area is all the incredible hiking and camping options available to girls who love to explore the great outdoors.