CALEXICO ? The troops were assembled, rallied, well-trained and armed with weapons such as cute smiles and perfected sales pitches Saturday as Valley Girl Scouts prepared for the iconic cookie season during the annual Cookie Kickoff.
Sales begin Jan. 27 and continue into March. Booth sales begin the second week of February.
?Yes, we sell cookies but the girls are learning so much during the cookies sales,? Girl Scout Service Unit Manager Danielle Rice said.
Roughly 100 Girl Scouts went through exercises focusing on skills including marketing and selling techniques, goal setting, interpersonal communication, financial literacy and decision-making.
Troop leader Shannon Franzen led the girls through product familiarity exercises such as being blindfolded and trying the ?Super Six? cookies being sold this year.
?They?re owning the knowledge they have and can share that with the adults with them. It?s a launching pad for what they will do as adults,? she explained.
She then quizzed the girls on what their favorite cookies are, and each Girl Scout dutifully answered in between mouthfuls of cookies.
The Girl Scouts also practiced their pitches, gave answers to common questions, went through mock sales transactions and more.
Parent Claudia Martinez said she?s seen her daughter further develop people skills through her participation in Girl Scouts.
?They get to see how it is to help people in need. It gives them a lot of communication skills, how to be humble and to be a good person,? she said.
Twins Mary and Ruby Torres have been in Girl Scouts together for two years.
?I like going out in the community. I get to know more people,? Mary Torres said. ?I like all the cookies we get to taste, and I love the sash. I feel so grown up wearing them.?
Girl Scout Tasha Huerta agreed.
?It?s fun doing the selling and I like getting prizes,? she said.
Parents were also involved in the ?VIP: Very Important Parent? lounge where they were given their own tips on enhancing the cookie sales experience as well as information on things like online safety tips.
After Saturday, the Valley troops are ready for the season.
?Last year sales were through the roof, and we expect sales to be even bigger this year,? Rice said.
Staff Writer Chelcey Adami can be reached at 760-337-3452 or cadami@ivpressonline.com
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