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