Five skills from selling cookies

Katie Francis, Girl Scouts

Everything girls do in Girl Scouting is designed to help us grow into leaders of courage, confidence and character. The five skills we learn through the Girl Scout Cookie Program is an important ingredient in the Girl Scout leadership experience. On the side of every cookie box is a list of five skills every Girl Scout learns from cookie sales:

1. Goal Setting

I believe cookie sales cannot happen without a goal. It’s what drives you. Anybody can achieve anything, but a goal is what motivates you. We set cookie sales goals as individuals and create plans to reach them with our troop. My troop and I plan projects and trips for the year before the cookie sale begins and that gives us a purpose.

2. Decision Making

I make decisions every day in order to achieve my goal. Many different factors are involved in reaching my goal. I need to figure out how much drive time it takes to get to each location, how much money I need for change, how many cookies to bring, how much time I will have to sell and so on.

3. Money Management

I take cookie orders, handle customers’ money and gain valuable and practical life skills around financial literacy. My troop decides where we want to donate our money and how much should go to each organization. Selling the cookies is great and what we do with the money we earn is an amazing way to give back to the community.

4. People Skills

I’ve learned how to communicate with people while selling cookies. These experiences have helped me develop relationships in the community that I know will last a lifetime.

5. Business Ethics

I know I represent Girl Scouts everywhere when I am out in front of the public. I must be honest and responsible at every step of the cookie sale. This skill is easy when I follow the Girl Scout law and promise.

These five skills empower Girl Scouts to develop skills essential to becoming leaders, to success and to life that might otherwise take years to develop.