Top Cookie Manager Tips From a Pro
Are you ready to “Go Bright Ahead” this cookie season? As a Troop Cookie Manager you have the awesome opportunity to help girls discover their inner entrepreneur, connect them and their families to resources that make the Girl Scout Cookie Program fun, and coach girls to “think outside the cookie box!” We asked Zenia Whelan of Troop 1825 and a Central West Community Leader for her top tips from staying organized to running a successful cookie booth and helping girls meet their goals.
How to stay organized as a Troop Cookie Manager:
- Keep track of everything. Literally everything. Spreadsheets and check-off lists will be a life saver.
- Be mindful of due dates. Set reminders for yourself.
- Update eBudde after each sale. Don’t wait until the end of the cookie sale to give girls credit for the cookies they sell.
- Set a schedule for what day you will pick up cookies from the Cookie Cupboard. Let families know this will be your pick-up day each week so they can let you know if they need to order more cookies.
- Send reminders to the girls who have a booth sale a few days before the day. They will be thankful you did, and it helps keep from no-shows at the booth.
- Use paper for tracking too. Keep track of customers who pay using the app by hand on a sheet of paper. Doing so makes it a lot easier when you reconcile cash and digital payments at the end of each booth sale because you don’t have to scroll up and add all the sales. This is especially helpful when you have a shift change.
How to run a successful cookie booth:
- Hold a parent meeting. Discuss expectations, why we sell, what we are using funds for before the season begins. This gives us the opportunity to have everyone on the same page and it allows parents to ask questions.
- Make it easy to sign up for booths. Set up a live, digital way for families to sign up for booths (e.g., Google forms).
- Prepare girls for talking to customers and selling at a booth. Discuss booth etiquette and expectations with the girls before the sale begins.
- Decide what role each girl will take on. Who will make the pitch to the customer, who will handle money/digital sales, who will bag, etc. Rotate roles every 30 minutes so that each girl has a chance to learn each role.
How to help each girl meet their goal:
- Prep, prep, prep. Use the Volunteer Cookie Resources to guide you in guiding your girls.
- The more booths the merrier. Allow them to sign up for as many booths as they want.
- Be there for them. Let each girl know that you are there to support them.
