Sell Like a Girl, Or What a 12-year-old Can Teach You About Sales

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 tothose customers who "have Girl Scout Cookies at
start a sentence with the word "Yup."] For those ofhome - more than they need?" Naturally, it's their Girl
you who are unfamiliar with the sights, tastes, andScout. What are the chances of Rebecca selling a
overall experience of helping your daughters sell Thinbox of cookies to someone whose daughter is also
Mints, Samoas, and Do-Si-Do's, you're missing aselling the same cookies for the same price? You got
fundamental and wide-ranging education about theit: less than zero. Is Rebecca going to bang her head
dynamics of sales, selling, and salespeople.Here areagainst 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 salesnetworks - 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 theyat 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. Ourknow how to fill your pipeline when things seem dry?
next-door neighbor bought 9 boxes - Bam! NeighborsDo 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 yourcustomers-for-life - not of the product or service
personal brand doing these days? If you switchedyou're selling today, but of YOU and whatever value
products, services, or companies, would people buyproposition you might be offering now and in the
from you JUST BECAUSE IT'S YOU?2. It's not aboutfuture?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 terribleend at a certain time each year. Right now, we're
[Thin Mints are the one exception, in my humbleabout two weeks away from the ending date, and
opinion]. And they have enough fat, calories, andthere are Girl Scout Cookies being sold everywhere
cholesterol in them to power a small Japaneseyou look. We'll probably have 10-12 boxes left over by
alternative fuel vehicle. You want good cookies? Buythe 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 themarketing, and stops with the "Cookie Shop" setups --
USA.3. It's not about price. Girl Scout Cookies cost $3these cookies move up from a commodity to a
a box. The smallest box, by weight, is 7 oz. and thevaluable asset? It's the same thing in your business:
largest is 10 oz. Most retail cookies come packaged inwhen 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 asand 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 neighborsless 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 theall mean to you and your business? It's simple -- now is
girls were out doing a "Cookie Shop" at a localthe time to get back in the saddle and ride your sales
hardware store (local merchants, malls, and groceryand marketing activities harder than ever. You've got
stores allow Girl Scouts to set up a table for sales onthe floor. You've got more relationships and more
their premises to support the cause), the number onepeople rooting for you than you realize, and if you cut
objection we heard was "I already have some Girlthrough the old excuses about your product, price,
Scout Cookies at home - more than I need!" So, whycompetition, the economy, and all the rest of it, you'll
did they buy? Because they had a relationship withsee the sales breakthroughs that lie ahead. Why
their salesperson that was more important than theirwaste another minute?Marketing and innovation expert
need, desire, or use for the actual product. Hey, did youDavid Newman has written 8 books and has been
know that Girl Scout Cookies make great gifts, freezequoted in dozens of national media outlets. David is
really well, and are only sold for a short time eachalso a sought-after speaker and seminar leader. Visit
year? Can you learn from this and apply the lesson tofor more free articles and resources.
YOUR sales message?5. It's not about competition; it's