Whether you were selling lemonade by the side of the road or knocking on neighbors' doors with armloads of cookies, you probably engaged in some sort of entrepreneurship as a child. Girl Scouts aren't trained in marketing, but they do have some successful sales strategies. What can you learn from these sales-savvy students?
1. Set a Goal
Girl Scouts rely on their cookie sales to fund their activities, and they need to sell a certain amount. Often, they have incentives offered if they can get to a certain level of sales. How do they achieve these goals? They do it one small goal at a time, by selling cookies after school or at the shopping mall. Set yourself realistic goals for your customer development and don't be afraid to change these goals if they're not working for you. 
Scan the horizon for the correct timing to launch or promote your product.
2. Plan Your Timing
You don't want to do door-to-door sales at a time when everyone is out for the night. Just like the Girl Scouts, you want to plan the timing of your blogs and offers so that they're aligned with your customers' needs. Research what your customers like to buy and when, and plan your marketing accordingly.
3. Develop a Product With a Story
You have an excellent product, but what makes it stand out from the rest? For the Girl Scouts, customers buy to support the image of girls who enjoy learning new skills together. What's your product's story, and how do you transmit it to your customers? Consider this as you develop marketing plans and information.
4. Put on a Winning Smile
It's hard to resist a smiling child selling cookies at your front door. While you may have moved on from cookies, you can keep the friendly demeanor. When customers come to your website, do they feel like they're welcomed and that they can talk to you about questions they might have about your product? Choosing the correct tone and extending an invitation to communicate can help you make the sale.
5. Develop Client Relationships
The Girl Scouts have this one nailed. They often sell to family and friends, and these existing networks are willing to buy. When you develop relationships with your clients by providing them with solutions and information, these clients trust you enough to buy as well.
6. Personalize Your Pitch
Girl Scouts know that some people want to purchase cookies to support the Scouts, while others really like those cookies. They personalize their appeal accordingly. Your clients don't want to hear the same message you gave to the last client, because their needs are likely different. Make your message connect to your audience, and you'll make more sales. All of this is the essence of a strong marketing plan.
If you're trying to get your marketing up to Girl Scout level, Digital Inbound can help. We can help you attract and covert your leads into customers by developing a strong presence on the web.
