Establish my goal,list my potential customers,

and develop my strategy!

How to Develop a Stellar Marketing Plan!

This simple workbook shows you step-by-step how to

create your own marketing plan. A marketing plan

is a great tool you can use to organize your thoughts,

identify and grow your customers, and execute a

spectacular cookie selling season.

You can do it!It’s Easy

Be your own

public relations and

marketing expert!

Just follow these

6 easy stepsand you’re guaranteed to

succeed!

1 Establish your goal.Think about what you want to achieve and why. Then, reach for the stars and make it bigger! Be sure to bespecific and give yourself a set time period.

Example:My goal is to sell 1,000 boxes of cookies during a three-week period.

2 Create your “elevator pitch.”Imagine you’re in an elevator with a potential customer. You need a brief statement about what you’re doing andwhy – before the door opens and the customer is gone!

Example:I’m selling Girl Scout Cookies to help our team raise money to help build a house for Habitat for Humanity.In fact, all of my fellow team members have set big goals. Our troop plans to sell 10,000 boxes together.

My Marketing Plan!

3 List your audiences (potential customers).In public relations, an “audience” is the person or people you’re trying to reach. Your audiences are all yourpotential customers. Make a list of all you can. Again, reach for the stars. Think way beyond family and friends and make this list a true wish list. You’ll surprise yourself!

Examples of audiences:• Parents and their friends• My friends and their parents• My extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins)• My schoolmates, school teachers• Mom’s or Dad’s workplace• The local pro or farm baseball, basketball, football team who holds spring training in my hometown

(if a spring sale).• My brother’s little league team and parents• My youth group at church• Other church friends/parents• Choir• Dance classmates• School clubs or activities• Soccer, volleyball or other teammates• Cheer squad• Parent’s golf buddies• Parent’s business organizations, fraternities or clubs• Find out if there are any conventions in town. Learn the name of the conference planner and ask if she

would like to put a box of cookies in every guest's room. Can you set up a Girl Scout Cookie and coffeebreak? Can you have a booth sale during the afternoon?

BE CREATIVE – think of everybody who might possibly want cookies!

My Marketing Plan!

4 Develop tactics to reach each audience.A tactic is a procedure or activity that you’ll create for each of your audiences to help you sell cookies.Again, the sky is the limit. Think big … think fun ... think effective.

Examples:Parents and their friends

Tactics:1. Ask Mom and Dad to help you make a list of their friends.2. Gather phone numbers and/or email addresses. Using your “elevator pitch” (see step #2), send emails

and make phone calls letting them know Cookie Sale time is just around the corner. If you know, tellthem what varieties you’ll be selling so they can be thinking about it. Then, tell them to expect a callfrom you for their order.

3. The week before taking orders, send out a reminder email (you can use the eCard available atwww.littlebrownie.com) with a recipe attached.

4. Make follow-up phone calls to take orders, or visit in person.

Mom or Dad’s workplaceTactics:1. Go to www.littlebrownie.com to find great resources just for teens. Create and print the

customizable business card and send to the workplace with a note asking permission to host alunchtime “Cookies and Coffee Break.” Customize the PowerPoint template for a presentationat the office. Check out the recipes and take a couple of tasty treats to serve.

2. Ask your parents to send out emails at work announcing the Cookie Sale and directing orders to you.3. Following the “Cookies and Coffee Break,” take orders.4. Seek permission to set up in the lobby at closing time one afternoon.

5 Create a customer profile.Using your sales information, create an Excel spreadsheet or database in Microsoft Word (letters andmailings) that contains relevant contact information (email addresses, phone numbers) for your customers and the cookies they ordered. Next year, you can ask if they’d like the same order – plus you can suggest a new variety or two.

6 Fill in your Audience/Activity WorksheetCreate a worksheet to list all of the audiences you can. You can use the worksheet on the following pageto finalize your plan and to help you keep track of your activities. On the left side of the worksheet, list all of the audiences you can. Across the top of the sheet, check off all of the activities and tools you will use to reachyour audiences.

My Marketing Plan!

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My Marketing Plan!Other thought-starters

Public Relations ProfessionalsCall the local PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) Chapter in your area. Look on the Web atwww.PRSA.org to find the closest chapter. Ask for the recommendation of a local agency that can help youreview your plan and offer other ideas. Then, ask if the agency would like to take your team on as a “pro-bono”(free) project for a short period of time.

Be a CelebrityCall your favorite local radio stations and ask if you can be interviewed on air to talk about Cookie Season and what you and your team are doing.

Hit ‘Em Where It HelpsDeliver cookies and milk to all the local radio station DJ’s early in the morning. It’s guaranteed to get you an on-air mention.

Television? – No ProblemCall your local TV morning shows and ask if you can come on the show to talk about Girl Scout Cookie time.Be sure to take all of your varieties to show, and talk about what your plans are and why you’re doing it.

Just BecauseAsk customers if they’d like their cookies wrapped or ribboned with a little note attached that might say “just because you’re sweet.” The boxes can then be used as gifts or as tokens of thanks.

Instant MessagingIM your friends and ask for help and support. See who they know!

Make it CoolCreate bundled packages – “Chocolate Lovers Pack” or “Classic Bundle” – and customers are more likely to buy more. Decorate plain gift bags with rhinestones, sequins and other bling. Or tie up bundles with decorativeribbons. Print some recipes from www.littlebrownie.com and offer a free recipe to customers who buymultiple packages.

Make it a Hit!Ask your school’s communications teacher to help you write and tape an “audio news release” that can be sent to all the radio stations in your area. Talk about Cookie Season and what your team plans to do with the proceeds.