Tips for selling Girl Scout cookies?

[sadiebug]

My DD's troop is 1,000 boxes away from acheiving Super Seller Troop status. Does anyone have any ideas or tips for selling more cookies?

We have been doing booth sales on the weekends for the last 3 weeks, and just added a few more. I've already asked all of my friends, family and coworkers, and was racking my brain trying to figure out what else we could do. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!

Sadiebug

 

[TriMom]

Maybe ask some local businesses if they would like to purchase cookies for the Cookies for Troops program?

 

[Kteacher]

How about suggesting that people donate a box to either your local food bank or to adopt a platoon organization? What a lot of people would tell us is that they were on diets, or had given up sweets for Lent. We suggest they buy a box or 2 and our troop takes care of delivering the donated cookies.

 

[camlace]

I used to go to Bingo night at my church....LOTS of captive people that wouldn't refuse a girl selling cookies I was an individual top seller every year....always over 1000 boxes (and we weren't allowed to have the sales at the grocery store etc back then).

Good luck reaching your goal!

 

[Magic Mom]

Did you do door to door sales? That's how DD sold most of hers. It took a lot of work though.

 

[lg3]

This morning I saw some Girl Scouts selling at a table outside of a gas station that was at a very busy and very visible intersection.

 

[MinnieMe87]

How about suggesting that people donate a box to either your local food bank or to adopt a platoon organization? What a lot of people would tell us is that they were on diets, or had given up sweets for Lent. We suggest they buy a box or 2 and our troop takes care of delivering the donated cookies.

That's a really good idea!

 

[arminnie]

Go to an established neighborhood that doesn't have many kids. If you don't want to go door to door then go to a shopping area, etc in the general area.

I live in an upscale area with almost no children. NO ONE every tries to sell us any GS cookies. We all would LOVE to buy some.

Every year I have to make an active search to find the cookies.

 

[Feeln'Froggy]

We have really good luck at festival type events, I don't know if you have any coming up.
We have been doing one for the last three years and have been successful. (Too bad you aren't near here I'd give you ours)

Showing up at businesses, strip malls and banks works well also.
I wouldn't send in the whole troop one or two and a mom and quietly ask an employee if they would like some cookies.

Roving sales - pile the girls and cookies in the car and find some neighborhoods and knock on some doors.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[mickeyboat]

We had really good luck at our local college. We were allowed to set up a booth in the college cafeteria and sold a ton! Try to advertise the booth sale in advance, though, so that the students will make sure they have cash. A lot of kids asked if we would take their meal cards!

Another idea is to ask local restaurants / ice cream stands if they would like to buy cookies in bulk to use in their desserts. I know someone who used to give thin mints to their diners when they handed out the checks.

Denae

 

[Ohiodislover]

Maybe ask some local businesses if they would like to purchase cookies for the Cookies for Troops program?

Our troop sold an extra 500 boxes by doing this.

 

[Coloradomom]

We found great success selling in a strip mall near the liquor store and grocery store. Friday nights, people stopped in to cash their paychecks and then go to the liquor store. Kid you not. We sold more boxes there than anywhere else.

 

[Liann]

Former GS leader reporting for duty!

Make posters that have hand drawn huge cookies on em and make the girls take turns holding them up and walking around with another adult during booth sales, decorate your car windows with shoe polish saying "buy your GS cookies here"people will actually buy cookies from you at the gas station, grocery store, running errands, etc, make sure your scout is ALWAYS in her uniform when you are in sell mode to attract attention, ask smaller businesses in busy areas if you can set up a table out front to attract business for them, advertise in the paper that you are having a GS cookie Garage sale, unload some cookies AND clear out some clutter. Have a good carnival bark while at booth sales. "Our cookies will make you run fast and jump high if you eat enough!" (ppl loved that one lol) Gold's gym parking lot- nuff said, Bowling allies on league night- ask for permission then go lane to lane with your cutie, same goes with busy beauty salons with lots of hairdressers(you might get lucky and get a salon that will let you leave an order form. One of our Moms did this and even outsold my DD- once hehe) College and High School campuses- those kids miss their cookies! (we parked across the street in an empty lot just before school let out )We even sold cookies at the post office LOL! I took my DD in office buildings and made a butt load of sales. Law offices, banks, utilities, etc. Call ahead and ask for permission, sign out lots of cases from your cookie parent, and load your car.

And that's the ones you can do with your scouts.....

I sold cookies to the grocery store employees and waited till midnight for them to get off work so they could buy them right out of my car, parked my decorated car at a gas station for a couple of hours every day while the kids were in school, and even had my Brother take orders at the night club he played at. One of my Moms stuck me with 20 unsold cases two days before money was due. Neither of us wanted to write that check.

Being cookie Mom sucks.

 

[hollieplus2]

College campus, early evening. That will sell tons. Also, my friend's daughter is a girl scout and they sold some at a truck stop around lunch. Sold more boxes there than in front of the walmart all week.

 

[Anne MN]

I got cookies yesterday. only place I have seen them- outside the commisary!
AND it was payday, so commisary was VERY BUSY. Just shocked that they went up again! they were $4.00 a box. I know that that troop is 100% military kids. they were also asking some who said no if they wanted to donate- I saw a couple people have that blank stare "what are you talking about" HELLO- you are ON a military base- they should not have to explain what donating a box of cookies to the troops is about

 

[figment52]

How about suggesting that people donate a box to either your local food bank or to adopt a platoon organization? What a lot of people would tell us is that they were on diets, or had given up sweets for Lent. We suggest they buy a box or 2 and our troop takes care of delivering the donated cookies.

I would buy for this. I love GS cookies so I don't want them in my house anymore-lol.

 

[LisaNJ25]

I also suggest donations... we did that with out initial orders and had 54 donations that we are sending to soldiers.

Overall our sales are down this year.Cookie mom/Leader here and we got our cookies yesterday.

Good luck

 

[Mom23Disneybelievers]

Lots of great ideas here! Our sale starts tomorrow.
Although I have been doing this for quite a few years...I am a little worried this year, with all the reports of sales being down from past years. So, these tips will sure come in handy!

 

[LisaNJ25]

forgo to ask.. what is super seller troop status?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Public transportation? When I used to take the subway to work, a different troop every evening had a table set up inside the destination station, but outside the turnstiles - i.e. on the 'free' side.