Smart Cookie (Brownie Try-it)

Note: This Try-it was retired in 2011 and has been replaced with the Meet My Customers and Give Back Try-its.

Smart Cookie, one of the Brownie Girl Scout Try-Its, introduces girls to the world of business and the fun of selling Girl Scout Cookies. It begins with girls planning their Girl Scout Cookie adventure. The activities that are part of this Try-It prompt girls to set goals, prepare sales pitches, and think through challenging situations. They also have an opportunity to "talk shop" with their new business vocabulary and help develop lists of potential customers.

The notes and charts in these activities, along with each girl's cookie order forms and her appointment book, will become a "portfolio," one of the words girls will learn. The concept of a portfolio can be made clear by having available a folder of organized materials. Girls will soon discover that this organizing tool will help them keep track of their customers, cookie orders, and their troop and individual goals.

You can also encourage girls to create charts similar to the one presented in this award. It is fine to create different types of charts for the entire troop. If the chart is posted on a wall or bulletin board, girls will have visual evidence of the work they have put into their cookie activities.

Girls can create role-playing scenes that require them to use their new business vocabulary. In addition to the new business terminology, the skill of keeping an appointment schedule (Activity 5) will be new to most girls. This is an excellent skill for young girls to learn. They can maintain an index card on each business, and possibly each individual customer they have. This will help them create a record of their customers for next year.

With adult guidance, and by completing four of the following activities, Brownie Girl Scouts will enjoy earning their Smart Cookie Try-It.

Create a Cookie Portfolio
You can use a see-through plastic case, a zippered case, a folder you decorate, or even a box. Make sure it is big enough to keep your Girl Scout Cookie order form in it.

Planning Your Girl Scout Cookie Adventure
Girl Scout Cookie time is a busy time. How will you get everything done? Close your eyes and take a few minutes to think about all you want to do. What about selling cookies will be the most fun? Now, write about or draw a picture of your own cookie adventure story with yourself as the main character. Then talk with your Girl Scout leader, other girls in your group, or a family member about how you can make that happen. You can title your story: "My Brownie Girl Scout Cookie Adventure..."

Making Your Sales Pitch
A good businessperson knows her products well. Do you know the Girl Scout Cookies you're trying to sell? Can you describe them? How can you make a cookie sound so yummy that your customer can't help but buy at least one box? Have a cookie-tasting meeting! As you taste each cookie, fill in a chart like the one below with a "sales pitch." A sales pitch has words you would use to get people excited enough to buy your product. Below are some phrases that may describe the cookies you like. Choose a column to write them in. Then, in your own words, make each cookie sound yummy. Ask two friends to fill in the chart with you.

Now, role-play your "sales pitch" with a partner. One person is the customer. The other is selling cookies. The seller should try to make the cookies sound so good that the customer wants to buy some boxes.

Finding Your Way Through the Safety Maze
Everyone who has a business knows it is important to stay safe. When you sell Girl Scout Cookies, you need to make sure you stay safe.

Seana, Rosie, and Aunt Mary are on their way to sell Girl Scout Cookies. They have a lot of decisions to make. You can help them make decisions.

Seana, Rosie, and Aunt Mary have to cross Main Street, a busy street. Should they:  Go out of their way to cross the street at the light? Save time by crossing in the middle of the street when the traffic slows down? While walking along Main Street, they see a dog tied to a pole. He is angry and barking and straining to get loose from the rope around his neck. Should they: Run past the dog? Cross the street at the nearest light to avoid the dog?</li> Seana, Rosie, and Aunt Mary have only three more neighbors to sell cookies to but it's getting dark. Should they: Continue on until they are finished since they only have three left?</li>Return home immediately before it gets dark?</li></ol></li> They have done so well, and it's still daylight. They want to sell cookies in a neighborhood they don't know very well. What should they do? Since it's daylight, they should continue selling cookies.</li>Because they are strangers in the neighborhood, they should go home. Aunt Mary can find out about the new neighborhood for them.</li></ol></li></ol>

Talk about the choices you made. [Answers: 1. A; 2. B; 3. B; 4. B]

Contacting Potential Customers
Plan a schedule for your customer visits. Use a notebook to keep track of addresses and phone numbers. Create a section in which to write notes about the phone calls and visits you make. Make at least two appointments to begin your book. Make notes after each appointment. Talk about what Happened at your next troop meeting. Everyone can learn and improve their sales pitch by these group discussions.

Sample schedule:

What Do You Say?
What do you say to your customer? Role-play these situations with one other person. Take turns being the customer and the salesperson.

What do you say when:

<ul>the customer is in a hurry?</li> you forget your cookie order forms or can't remember the price per box?</li> you are trying to get people to stop by your booth in the mall?</li> the customer isn't sure which cookies to buy?</li> the customer asks you what you will do with the money your troop receives from this activity?</li></ul>

Making Change
Did you know that there are 294 ways to make change for a dollar? Wow, that's a lot. You will have to make a lot of change when you sell cookies. Here's a chance to practice. With a friend or an adult, figure out at least 10 different ways of making change for a dollar.

Talking the Business Talk
Learn the words on this business vocabulary list. Make up a skit where you use most of the words.

<dl><dt>Business Vocabulary List</dt> <dd>business: a unit of work planned to meet a goal or goals; a systematic purposeful activity; an immediate task</dd> <dd>portfolio: a portable case containing business or financial papers (your portfolio might contain your cookie order form, copies of receipts, and a list of possible customers)</dd> <dd>goal: end towards which effort is directed; what you want to achieve (how many boxes of cookies do we need to sell to reach our goal?)</dd> <dd>chart: a diagram, graph, or other display that presents a set of facts in a specific format</dd> <dd>sales pitch: a strong speech to try to convince customers to purchase a product or service (the talking points you will use when you tr y to sell cookies to your neighbor)</dd> <dd>price: what the product or service costs</dd> <dd>customer: person you want to sell your product to</dd> <dd>product: the item or service you want your customers to use or purchase (right now, the service you are selling is Girl Scouting and the product you are selling is Girl Scout Cookies)</dd></dl>