Volunteer Success Guide

Before Sales Season

Prep new and returning participants: Consult the Rally Guide and The Cookie Booklet for pre-season resources on everything that goes into cookie season.
Support group and individual goals: Introduce the annual theme, explain the five essential leadership skills, and discuss the importance of goal setting for cookie sales and skills.
Confirm registration and permission forms: Make sure all families have completed their Girl Scout registration and signed permission forms for each girl participating in cookie sales.
Review safety information: Ensure girls, parents, and volunteers are familiar with the Girl Scout Program Safety Resources for cookie sellers.
Set season goals: Download our Cookie Calculator to calculate appropriate group and individual goals for the season.

Recruit friends and family: Encourage parents and friends to get involved in cookie sales, share events on social, and bring cookie order forms to work. (See a sample volunteer meeting agenda)
Take advantage of social media: Make sure everyone in your council’s extended network is aware of cookie events and that you’re actively tagging your council, neighborhood partners, ABC Bakers Facebook, Lemonades Facebook, and Lemonades Instagram pages.
Share behind-the-scenes images: Give the local community a face-to-face introduction to the hardworking girls they’ll be supporting by buying your cookies—the more you share, the more you’ll drive engagement.
Contact local media: Generate media buzz by sharing details on your events, goals, and causes with local newspapers and press outlets — and get started by downloading and sharing our new cookie media announcement.

Organize booth sales: Complete sign-ups for girls, parents, and volunteers; secure location dates; and assign responsibilities for essential supplies (tables, chairs, water).
List booth details on Smart Cookies: Use Smart Cookies booth tools to schedule booth sales and don’t forget to share your upcoming booths on social media straight from your booth reservation page.
Engage your host: Ask your hosts for help promoting your booth sale and if employees would have time to talk to girls about their jobs.
Display your goals: Give customers extra incentive by displaying your troop’s season goals and progress.
Bling your booth: Look back to the Rally Guide for ideas on creating eye-catching, creative booths that will draw crowds.
Create thank-you cards: Encourage girls to make and distribute customer thank-you cards to show appreciation and provide instructions on placing future orders.
Share your cookie season spirit: Be sure to feature your favorite cookies and the annual theme and mascot in your booth display and thank-you cards using Digital Art.

Streamline cookie orders: Use the Smart Cookies training resources to familiarize yourself with online ordering tools.

Promote online sales with e-cards: Many would-be customers aren’t familiar with the convenience of direct shipping options, so encourage girls to collect email addresses and send Smart Cookies Direct Ship e-cards to boost online sales.
Track troop progress: Visit your dashboard weekly to check on season goals, track per-girl averages, and compare your progress to last season so you can adjust accordingly. (It also helps to know which cookies are selling the most so you can share that information with your troop.)
Let the girls lead: Keep reminding yourself that the first goal of the Cookie Program is to create leadership and learning opportunities for girls, so find ways to rotate them in leadership positions during events and help them reflect, grow, and discover.

Keep a steady rhythm of engagement: Maximize engagement by posting before, during, and after each milestone or event, and follow the ABC Bakers Facebook, Lemonades Facebook, and Lemonades Instagram pages for content you can repurpose and share.
Spark conversation: Ask questions (e.g., what’s your favorite cookie?) to promote active engagement, and monitor your comments to provide prompt answers to fans and potential customers.

Capture what you've accomplished: Solicit and record feedback from parents, volunteers, and girls while it’s still fresh in their minds, noting opportunities to make adjustments next season.

Tally your totals: See how you’ve measured up against season goals and last year’s performance, reflecting on what you might change or repeat next year.

Recognition time: Make sure you’ve submitted your recognition orders to reward the individual contributions that led to the season’s success.

Reflect on goals and skills: Gather girls, parents, and volunteers to reflect upon and reinforce the leadership skills gained during cookie season.

Celebrate your success: Plan a party, order pizza, and gather everyone involved to commemorate the bittersweet end of cookie season.

Share with the community: Don’t forget to let your fans and supporters know what you’ve achieved! Keep them in the loop by thanking them for a successful cookie season and sharing photos of troop celebrations and the awesome experiences funded by cookie purchases.
Plan for the year ahead: Use your Cookie Program proceeds to power engaging and inspirational events and activities year-round.