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Developing the entrepreneurial mindset in girls
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Why hustling Girl Scout cookies teaches girls how to be young entrepreneurs
Fantasizing about another box of Thin Mints? Girl, I ordered 4 boxes of Tagalongs. Trust I understand the Girl Scout cookie obsession. #munchmunch
Do you know what is also amazing about buying Girl Scout cookies? You are helping young girls learn how to start their own businesses. How to market and sell. How to negotiate. And how to deal with customers. Skills they need for life. Whether they want to work for themselves or as an employee.
Let’s dive into a few things they can learn:
How to stop busy people to listen to their introduction
People are familiar with the Girl Scout cookie box. We know what goodness comes inside. But it’s easy to feign you are busy, have no cash or any other excuse that allows you to nicely say no to a Girl Scout.
But as any good Scout knows, familiarity is not enough. You need to toss a cute smile. Have a firm handshake and introduce yourself. And handle everyone – the “I’m on the phone”, “Don’t have change” or “I’m on a diet and eating some bon-bons”.
So practice with your daughter or mentees how to deliver a powerful intro. Capture someone’s attention. Convince them that the product you’re offering is worthwhile. Start first with the overall cause and then share something specific that you bring.
You’ll get rejected. No biggie. Just move on.
Any entrepreneur worth their salt will tell you that they have dealt with rejection.
However, the savvy ones turn the soul crushing into new possibilities. They just focus their energy on finding new prospects.
It’s easy to avoid failure today. If you have an idea for a new product, you can test it out online without having to deal with a human response or feedback.
But selling Girl Scout cookies forces you out of the comfort zone. Your girls have to deal directly with the responses – no, nope, not interested.
And my personal favorite – not now.
Get your daughter or mentee adjusted to hearing no. Learn how to listen to the real reason why they are saying no and try brainstorming options. But also remain open to thanking the person and moving on to the next prospect.
Trust. Those that practice it early on will not be shy about asking for what they deserve later on in life. You know the “big girl panties” moments like negotiating your promotion?
You learn how to set goals
Selling Girl Scout cookies could be boring. Except Girl Scout troops offer an amazing gift at the end of the rainbow.
Like:
- A trip to the American Girl store
- A paid visit to DC, Philly or another fun city
- A weekend at a Dude Ranch
Why? Goals motivate. They keep you focused. They remind you why you are setting up the table at the local neighborhood gathering for weeks.
You don’t want to have to pay a dime for the trip.
In entrepreneurship language – that’s goal setting baby.
So support a young girl “hustling” Girl Scout cookies. It’s so much more than just eating good treats!
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