Welcome to Girl Scout Troop Cookie Program Training

Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains

Make a difference

in girls’ lives!

All registered Girl Scouts can sell cookies if they have parental permission.

How do we sell cookies?

Online Marketing

Booth Sales

Direct Sales/Order taking

Important Cookie Program Dates

Cookie Sales Begins

January 6 , 2012

Cookies Now! events January 7, 2012

Girls sell cookies to customers.

January 6 – February 19, 2012

How the Cookie Crumbles22% - Troop/Girl

• Girl Recognitions and Cookie Bucks• Troop Profit

30% - Cookie Cost and Sale Expense48% - Girl Scout Services

• Program and resource materials• Facilities, including camps • Financial aid for membership needs• Program events• Staff who support girls and volunteers

SAFEGUARDING GIRLS• ADULT SUPERVISION• DAYLIGHT HOURS• FOLLOW SAFETY

CHECKPOINTS • DON’T CARRY LOTS

OF CASH• ADHERE TO ONLINE

SAFETY GUIDELINES

SAFEGUARDING MONEY

• GIRLS TURN IN MONEY REGULARLY

• USE RECEIPTS TO TRACK PRODUCT AND MONEY

• TROOPS DEPOSIT CASH FREQUENTLY

Safety First!

Money Matters Selling Price

$3.50 /package Troop Proceeds

.55 /package

.60 /package –(C,S,A only – option with no recognitions)

What Is Returning In 2012

5 Core Business Skills Goals for Service Units Service Unit Bonus Cookie Calculator Going Green with Troop Manuals

Teach Business-Building Skills

Goal Setting Decision Making

MoneyManagement

People Skills Business Ethics

• 2011-12 Program Goals• Continue Cookie University• Expand Cookie Program Aide• Expand Cookie Corps

• 2012 Sales Goals• 6% increase in cookie sales over 2011 sale• 2% increase in participation over 2011 sale

Money Matters!In 2011 Texas Oklahoma Plains

troops earned

$1,365,876.45 in troops proceeds from the

Cookie Sale!

Money Matters!In 2011 Texas Oklahoma Plains

Service Units earned

$40,118.10in bonuses from the Cookie Sale!

What Is New In 2012 Snap Upgrades Streamlined reports for Service Units and

Troops to view. Transfer cookies by flavor Service Units and Troops will no longer be

able to add or delete girls’ names. Girl registration information will be uploaded from the Council registration software.

Booth Scheduler Booth Locator

Booth SchedulerCouncil Secured Cookie Booth Locations

Cookie Booth locations that are secured by the Council.

Troops will request a set number of locations through the Booth Scheduler in SNAP.

Round 1: Fort Worth Region will be November 15 -27, each troop may select two locations. Round 2: Fort Worth Region will be December 5 -12, each Troop may select two locations.Round 3: Fort Worth Region will be January 6 to

February 19th, troops may secure unlimited locations.

Clean up Sales for these locations will also be available starting January 6.

Booth SchedulerCouncil Secured Cookie Booth Locations

Notifications Cookie Booth process will be run through SNAP. Emails will go out from SNAP to notify Troops which

booth location/date/time they have received. Troop Cookie Chair will need to print the email

confirmation and have it with him/her on the day of the Cookie Booth as confirmation of their Booth date/time/location.

Note: Troop Cookie Chairs must complete their Profile in SNAP, or they will not receive an email notification about their booth assignments.

Troop Cookie Booth Troops are encouraged to secure Cookie Booths on their

own, in addition to Council Secured locations. Troops should include cookies for their booth sales for

the first two weeks in their initial order. Troops should request cookies at least one week prior

to their booth sale. When a troop has a troop secured date/time/location

they need to go into SNAP through the Booth Scheduler and “Request a New Location”.

Troop Cookie Chairs will receive a confirmation email for their booth request.

Calendar:Shows the booth schedule dates

Search by Store Name or by Zip Code

1) From the Snapshot screen within the Calendar2) Within the Schedule Booth Sales page under the

Cookies Icon

Booth Locator Potential customers can go to the GS-TOP

or GSUSA website and enter their zip code for booth locations .

Any Council Secured or Troop Secured Booth Locations within that zip code will pop up showing the address and location on a map.

Potential customers can then go during those time periods to purchase Girl Scout Cookies.

Booth Sales verses Clean up Sales

Are ways to sell directly to the public.

Booth Sales held January 7 – February 19

Troop earns .55 cents per package sold.

Clean up Sales are the 3 weekends after the sales ends

Troops earns $ 1.00 per package sold.Variety and assortments vary based on availability.

Why Participate?

Booth Etiquette Pledge

Some Examples of what is in the Booth Etiquette PledgeWe will not complain about any of the rules that a business sets and will promise to follow them.

When a double booking occurs at a business, troop volunteers will demonstrative the Girl Scout Promise and Law and come up with a mutually agreed upon solution to the problem demonstrating sound business ethics to the Girl Scouts.

As a troop we will be identifiable as Girl Scouts and wear a Membership Pin, uniform or other Girl Scout clothing and have neat and clean appearances.At all times we are a representative of Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains, Inc. and will obey and live by the Girl Scout Promise and Law.

See Troop Manual for

the Full Booth

Etiquette Pledge

It’s As Easy As…

Training your Troop Cookie Chairs in your Service Unit

• What is the Key to Cookie Sale Success?

• It’s as easy as…….

Girl Planning

• Creates environment for success

• Teaches valuable life skills• Motivates girls by

personalizing goals• Set troop and individual

goals, it’s a team thing!

Always Set Goals

abcsmartcookies.com

Set goals, create goal chart, track progress

Create a contact list, send e-cards and collect orders!

Be @ parent meeting

• Family support is essential – Parent Permission Signed• Helps family adults “see” benefits for their daughter• 5 Business-building skills that last a life time

– Goal Setting– Decision Making– Money Management– People Skills– Business Ethics

Review the 5 Business Skills Review Key Dates Talk about Safety Review Products and sample the Shortbread cookie Have girls share troop goals Set up troop cookie network Talk about other resources on web Have Fun!

Family Planning Meeting

Key Points for Family Training

Cookies

Safety

Goals

Skill Building

How ToGet Help

Have FUN!

Online Resources

Dates

Girl/Adult Partnership• Girls who set goals sell 37% more

cookies than girls who don’t• Hold troop progress meetings

– Keep girls excited– Help with problem-solving

• Communicate throughout the sale

Communicate!

• Girls who go beyond friends & family sell over 35% more

• 88% of folks who are asked to buy cookies do so

• But only 60% of folks are ever asked!• Win-win for girls, family adults and

consumers• Girl can sell 30 to 40 packages of

cookies per hour.

Do Have Booth Sales

This material has been prepared by Interbank Foods solely for the internal use of customer and contains confidential and trade secret information. The use, dissemination or copying of all or part of this material by any other party is strictly prohibited and is subject to the economic espionage act of 1996.

ht

Traditional venues Grocery Stores Retail Stores

FUN IDEAS Hair and nail salons High school and college athletic events Churches Cookie caravans Office buildings afternoon breaks Hold a “Cookie Garage Sale”

Think outside the cookie box!

Booth Sale Support

$3.50box

Marketing tools to boost your sales!

Always set Goals Be sure to have a Parent Meeting Communicate throughout the saleDo have Booth Sales

As Easy as…….

This material has been prepared by Interbake Foods solely for the internal use of customer and contains confidential and trade secret information. The use, dissemination or copying of all or part of this material by any other party is strictly prohibited and is subject to the economic espionage act of 1996.

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$2.5

$1.5

$1.0

$0.5

$0

America’s Best Cookies!

Thanks-A-Lot™ Shout Outs!™ Shortbread Lemonades™

Peanut Butter Patties®Thin Mints Caramel deLites®Peanut Butter Sandwich

Volunteer Guides by Program Level

Cookie

Activity

Guides for

each grade

level! Girls

can print

their own

copy or single

pages.

Complete online cookie experience for girls!

Troop is checked as Active

Check or change Contact and email information

Action: T=Troop C=Cupboard B= Bank D=Delivery StationDouble check that the information is correct

Step 1: Initial Orders From Troops

Troop Initial Orders are due to SU Cookie Chair 12/5

Distribute Last Year sales numbers to troops by your November Service Unit Meetings

Initial Orders must be input by Troops into SNAPCookies Now! at the Fort Worth Zoo2 Week booth sale supplyTroops should not “Commit” in SNAP

New Troop Guidance

New Troop Ordering Suggestion A good initial order for “NEW” Girls in a

troop would be the following:

24 boxes of Thin Mints 12 boxes of Caramel deLites 12 boxes of Peanut Butter Patties 6 boxes of Lemonades 6 boxes of Peanut butter

Sandwiches 6 boxes Shortbreads 6 boxes of Thanks-A-Lot 3 boxes of Shout Outs

TOTAL of 75 Boxes for their initial o

Cookies Now! At the Fort Worth Zoo Changes to Cookies Now! at the Fort Worth Zoo:

4 Cases of Thin Mints 2 Cases of Caramel deLites 2 Cases of Peanut Butter Patties 1 Case of Lemonades 1 Case of Peanut butter Sandwiches 1 Case Shortbreads 1 Case of Thanks-A-Lot No Shout Outs will be given out at Cookies Now!

TOTAL of 12 Cases given this year!!Last Date for Cookies Now! Money MUST be turned in or cookies exchanged or returned by January 17th.

SNAP – Troop Initial OrderUnder Cookies select Initial Order

Have troops input as “Booth” in Cases at the bottom.

They will need to “Save” not “Commit”

Step 2: Initial Orders from Service Units

Troop Initial Orders are due to SUCC 12/5

Tools:ABC Cookie Calculator

You will need the following:SNAP Troop Initial Orders input into SNAPInput cupboard order (finalized by council) Number of Girls going to Cookies Now!Last Years Troop salesThis Year’s Sales Goal (Given to you from Council)

Step 3: Inventory Management Throughout the Sale

PlanningFor EVERYTHING!!!!Troop reorders / Booth Sale requests

DifferenceBooth Sale dates/times at least 2 weeks in advanceTroop reorders to SU no later than 7 PM Sunday(suggested).

SU Cookie needsSU reorders to council by 9:00- 10:00 PM Sunday (no exception).

CommunicationWithin your SUSU’s to CouncilSU’s to other SU’s

Step 4: Inventory Management at the end of

the Sale Final 3 weeks

planningMottos:

Take it or Leave It!!I Like to Move It, Move It!!Call Me!! I’m alive!!

January 7, 2012 • General Public 10-4• FASTPASS opens at 9 with a special line

throughout the day

•Each girl will receive: 4 cases of Thin Mints; and2 cases of Caramel deLites; and 2 cases of Peanut Butter Patties1 cases of all other flavors except Shout Outs!The total for each girl is 12 cases No substitutions

•All Cookies Now! Money MUST be turned in or cookies exchanged or returned by January 17th.

Cookie Now! at the Fort Worth Zoo

Cookie Now! at the Fort Worth Zoo

Special Zoo Rates - please promote to your troops to purchase tickets starting in December in the Retail Shops.

Tickets purchased are good for any day in the month of January

New Regional Top Cookie Sellers

Regional Top Sellers will be award to three girls in the Fort Worth Region.

Will receive their choice of: A family four pack of tickets for a day at Six Flags over Texas A family four pack of tickets for a day at Hurricane Harbor E-reader Other options may be available at a later date

Three Top Council Sellers A Council Top Seller cannot be a Regional Top Seller

Project Troop to Troop2011 Project Troop to Troop Facts•Over 26,000 packages of Girl Scout Cookies were sponsored in GS-TOP. •The cookies were delivered by nonprofit agencies to servicemen and women stateside and overseas.•Cookies have been distributed to the following organization throughout the council:

Airborne AngelsBlue Star Mom’sCannon Air Force BaseDyess Air Force BaseHelping our Heroes Socks for SoldiersSheppard Air Force BaseUSO welcomed home military personnel

at DFW AirportVFW

Customers sponsor packages of Girl Scout Cookies that are sent to our men and women in uniform.

Delivery Day pick up is for initial orders and not additional cookies to be picked up.

Service Unit CupboardHours of operationBusiest days for cupboards are Thursday to Sunday evening

Initial Delivery Day

Types of Receipts that would receive from the Cookie Cupboards

Checkin

g

out C

ookie

s

3- Day

Chec

k of

cook

ies w

ith

the

stam

p and

date.

Cookies

returned after 3

day check

outs

or Zoo Cookies

Paym

ent

for c

ooki

es

Review Procedures for additional cookie pick upWhy we do not deviate from these procedures?Count, count and recount—Keeping up with productSet up time and place to distribute cookies to girlsWhere do we girls get additional cookiesWeekly inventory counts and reorders due to Service Unit Cookie Chair on Sunday eveningSet up Booth SalesMake frequent deposits

During the Sale

Deposit Slips

Deposit Totals

Date of Deposit

Number of checks deposited

Electronic Stamp Bank has stamped the date time and amount directly onto the deposit slips.

ORIf the bank gives you a separate deposit receipt that also needs to be turned in with the deposit slip for validation.

Troop Number

End of SaleOrganize Troop Sale information

Schedule times for turning in of troop paperwork

Assemble each troop’s paperwork

Keep record of Project Troop to Troop CookiesVirtual Cookies are cookies that the council surplusActual Cookies are cookies that the troops will delivery

Collect bank deposit stamps

Outstanding Balances and CollectionsDifference between Girl/Parent and Troop

DelinquencyNew procedures:

Series of 3 letters will be sent out approximately every

30 days (Need Receipts and deposit slips for proof of payment, electronic stamped)

1st letter is “you have an outstanding balance”.2nd letter repeat of previous letter giving them another 30 days.3rd letter is from the CFAO of GS-TOP stating they are going to collection and will affect their credit history.

Payment plan can be set up to cover 3 months of installments, if they miss a payment then it is sent directly to collections.

New Outstanding Balance

“We sell cookies in order to pay our own way.We do it to teach girls some very valuable life

skills and help them pay their own way.But the bottom line is this:

We sell cookies because we know Girl ScoutingMakes a difference in the lives of girls.”