‘Wanna buy some cookies??
The above phrase will be heard all throughout the Clarkston area as troops with the Fairwinds Council prepare for a month of cookie shops at local businesses.
Strategy. Perseverance. Determination. A really big smile. It’s a lot harder to sell a box of cookies than you might think.
‘This is our major fund-raiser for the council,? Beth Fenton, Fairwinds Council cluster liaison, said. ‘It runs our camps, provides scholarships and training.?
Since individual cookie sales are done, Girl Scouts will be blanketing the area with ‘cookie shops? for the next four weeks in an attempt to raise money for a good cause: their troops.
But there’s a lot more to making a sale than simply standing outside a store with cookies.
‘I put them in a pyramid or shapes,? Stephanie Fenton said. ‘I usually show my favorite cookie.?
Fenton, along with fellow Troop 1144 member Samantha Rash, spent her Friday evening on Feb. 27 outside the Family Video on Sashabaw Road in Clarkston in hopes of selling as many cookies as she could.
‘Getting customers sometimes is hard because everyone is on a diet,? Stephanie said.
To make sure everyone gets a chance to work at the shops, troop members take turns selling the cookies. This year customers could choose from Caramel de Lites, Pinatas, Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties, Lemon Pastry Cremes, Shortbread and Animal Treasures.
Rash had her own approach to making the sale.
‘You have to use manners no matter what,? Rash said. ‘And wear your vest.?
The idea for the cookie shops, originally known as booths, started a few years back when troop leaders found door-to-door sales dangerous for scouts in some areas.
Cookie shops in the Clarkston area have an advantage over those in surrounding communities. You can pick up your favorites for only $3 whereas some areas charge $3.50 per box. The Fairwinds Council also has a good supply of all of this year’s flavors.
Early on in the night, Stephanie and Rash were busy suggesting their favorites and adding up large cookie orders in their heads.
‘I want to sell 100,? Stephanie said.
Stephanie suggested this year’s new cookie, the Pinata, to customers unsure of which confection to take home. Made with cinnamon and strawberry jam, the added choice is a favorite with many. Although not for everyone.
‘Men always seem to go for the Caramel de Lites,? Fenton said as a father and son stocked up on the coconut munchie.
The good manners and sales skills paid off for the scouts. By 8 p.m. the girls had sold 14 cases, their entire supply for the night.
Keep an eye for a cookie shop coming to a location near you. And if you’re not sure about which cookie to take home, I recommend the Pinata. You won’t be disappointed and the customer service is worth the $3.