Cookie commitments

Cookie sales officially start Friday, January 22.  The first two weeks are dedicated to cookie commitments, or pre-sales.  During this period the girls can take orders for cookies, which are delivered later.

Here are some reminders about this portion of the cookie sales:

• If you were unable to sign the parent financial agreement and scout selling agreement at our last meeting, please sign those and return them to use before your girl sells cookies.  You can get the forms to us at drop-off/pick-up on Thursday or Friday, or drop them by one of our houses whenever you like.
• Right now girls take order or buying commitments.  They do not collect money until the cookies are delivered, which should happen during the first week of March.  (We expect to get the cookies on February 27th.  Your girl will be able to deliver them after that.)
• We are selling six kinds of cookies:  Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Do-si-dos, Samoas, Savannah Smiles, and Trefoils.  You can find out more about these cookies (such as complete allergy information), here:  http://www.littlebrowniebakers.com/cookies/ .  You may get questions about Rah-rah-raisins (our council decided not to sell that flavor this year), or the gluten-free Toffee-tastic (which we will sell, during the direct sales period, but not as pre-orders.  Customers can order toffee-tastic through digital cookie at any time).  You may also wish to know that Thin Mints are vegan, Thin Mints and Trefoils are nut free, no cookies contain high-fructose corn syrup, and that Little Brownie uses a mass-balance plan to responsibly source palm oil.
• If a customer places an order FOR OPERATION COOKIE DROP ONLY, your girl may collect the money at this time.
• All orders should be recorded on the cookie order form.
• Your girl may sell cookies starting January 22.  We need to place our orders on February 8th.  We would like you to email your girls totals to Megan <meganursula@gmail.com> on Sunday February 7th.  
• The girls agreed, as a troop, that there will be NO SELLING AT SCHOOL during pre-orders.  We will arrange a time for girls to sell later in the season, and any sales from the school will be divided evenly among all the girls in the troop.
• Please follow safety precautions - girls should sell during daylight, girls should have an adult with them, girls shouldn't enter a customer's house or car.   

Here are some tips for happy selling:

• This is a great time for your girl to accompany a parent to work, and pick up orders from your colleagues.   If your girl can't come into the office, consider having her write a note to put out with the order form.
• Similarly, its a good time to call family members or family friends.
• Girls may enjoy selling with a friend - consider allowing your girl to team up with a troop-mate.   They can take turns house by house, or alternate neighborhoods.
• Remind your girl that she can take orders for cookies, or for Operation Cookie Drop (donations for the troops).  
• Customers tend to be repeat customers - a good starting list for neighbors to visit is on last year's order form.
• On Friday the digital cookie sites are active, so your girl may also begin to use her digital cookie web site to sell cookies.  (You should have received email with instructions for setting it up if you would like to use it.)

As always all questions welcome,

Good luck,

and Happy selling!