My daughter, at the age of 7, is a proud member of the Brownie troop. Their activities typically include enjoyable outings like visiting animal shelters and bringing care packages to veterans. I appreciate the efforts of the moms who organize these events, as I tend to be a more hands-off Brownie parent. We’ve navigated this journey fairly well—until it came time for cookie sales.
As a usually laid-back parent who allows my kids to take the lead, I inexplicably decided to get overly involved in the cookie sales. It seemed like a wonderful opportunity at the time. After all, selling Girl Scout cookies offers valuable life lessons, as noted by a former Girl Scout in a CNN article:
- Marketing Skills: My daughter would learn how to persuade people to buy cookies.
- Handling Rejection: She would face the challenge of being turned down and learn to cope with it.
- Courage: Approaching strangers can be daunting for a 7-year-old, especially considering the common warnings about talking to unfamiliar adults. However, selling cookies requires a brave spirit to step out of her comfort zone.
To my surprise, my daughter excelled in these areas, showcasing impressive marketing skills, resilience to rejection, and commendable bravery.
So, where did I mess up?
The trouble began when I decided to sell cookies to my former coworkers. At that time, I was underemployed, and my kids had yet another day off school (a topic for another day). We ventured to Manhattan, visiting three different offices where I still had connections. My daughter, armed with her order forms and a pen, charmed her way through the offices, while I managed the cash. She sold a remarkable number of cookies, leading me to pat myself on the back for my genius plan.
However, the reality hit when my mother-in-law called. After sharing my success, she inquired about how I planned to transport all those boxes of cookies back home via train. Oops.
Carrying a form and an envelope of cash is manageable; maneuvering through the subway with numerous boxes of cookies is a whole other challenge. By the time the cookies arrived, I had returned to work, which likely meant I would need to take time off just to distribute the cookies.
Then came the real blunder. The cookies needed to be picked up from one of the Brownie moms’ homes. In my frantic attempt to gather my order lists—which turned out to be unnecessary since the official Cookie Mom was much more organized than I could ever hope to be—I accidentally spilled an entire cup of coffee onto my computer keyboard.
It only got worse. After collecting the cookies, I had to back out of the Cookie Mom’s curvy driveway and ended up slamming the car into their iron gate. It took me agonizing minutes to navigate out of that driveway. When I finally returned home and saw the damage I had caused to my brother’s car, I consoled myself with an entire box of Samoas, as if that would somehow improve the situation.
Now, I found myself with a damaged car, a stomach full of cookies, and ten boxes of cookies to sort and deliver—potentially by myself or with my daughter, whom I would undoubtedly pull out of school to help with this cookie crisis.
Here’s my final advice on how not to sell Girl Scout cookies:
- Avoid selling in locations that are challenging to reach, require multiple subway transfers, or are only accessible during weekday hours. And definitely steer clear of offices near the perpetually crowded Times Square.
- Don’t attempt to sell an excessive amount. Be content with a modest goal.
- Skip the extras—ordering “just in case” will likely lead to devouring them.
- Resist the temptation to order Samoas for yourself. They are dangerously delicious, and you’ll find there’s no such thing as having just one. You’ll end up finishing the whole box.
- If you find yourself in a similar position as I did with the Samoas, consider reading this article for some helpful insights. Hopefully, it will deter you from indulging in a second box.
Originally published on April 22, 2015.
Summary
This humorous cautionary tale illustrates the potential pitfalls of selling Girl Scout cookies. While the author’s daughter thrived in learning valuable skills, the author faced challenges in logistics and personal indulgence. The advice shared serves as a light-hearted guide to avoid common mistakes in cookie sales.