A successful Girl Scout cookie sale starts online these days. From a new web-based sales platform to a digital-first organizing process, today's troops use online tools to maximize sales of those famous boxes.
Tracie Dugdell's Girl Scouts and Brownie troops in Raleigh are no exception. Her third-graders and sixth-graders use SignUpGenius to organize booth sales around the area at grocery stores, Wal-Mart, Advanced Auto Parts and other sites.
"We are doing more and more cookie booths, as they are an easier and safer way to sell cookies — more sold in less time, plus several girls together having fun while selling," she says. "Last year, the Brownie troop sold about one-third of their total cookies at booths. This year both troops are selling more via the booths than girls selling directly."
Cookie sales teach the girls important business skills, including how to set a financial goal and determine how they'll use their proceeds — for fun and/or charitable causes.
"They learn how to market a product, especially at the booths, where the table and inventory set up is important, plus verbally asking customers to buy cookies," Dugdell says. "Courage is a big part of cookie sales, as the girls have to be brave to ask adults to buy cookies or donate to Operation Cookie Drop, which donates to the military troops deployed from North Carolina bases."
SignUpGenius helps the troops stay organized and manage shifts at the cookie booths, as well as communicate the booth's location and times. Scouts and parents sign up for the time slots that work with their schedules.
Dugdell says the online tools also let her coordinate with "sister" troops this year and divide the time slots among groups. She purchased SignUpGenius Pro so she could easily connect multiple sign ups with the tabbing feature.
"The parents and I have loved the tabs — this is so much easier to manage all the booth signups," she says. "I also attached files to the some of the sign ups, so all the adults could download the paperwork needed to take with them."
SignUpGenius thanks Dugdell and the many troop leaders and parents who are helping shape a new generation of female leaders. That's genius!
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