During the past seven weeks, twelve year old Girl Scout
Katie Francis sold 18,107 boxes of cookies. That amounts to approximately
$72,000 in overall sales with $6,303 of that going back to her troop. The old
record of 18,000 boxes had held the sales record since 1986.
The Girl Scouts of America aims to give girls the
opportunity to learn five life skills. These include goal setting, decision
making, money management, people skills and business ethics. Without a doubt
Katie exemplifies these and reminds all sales professionals that there are
three basic ingredients needed to be successful.
Three Lessons from 12 Year Old Katie Francis:
1) Time
Time is money. Katie’s sales averaged 2,587 boxes of cookies a day – this was achieved while she was going to school which meant she not only had to be organized but also willing make sacrifices to achieve her goal. Being twelve years old means hanging out with your friends, going to movies or just goofing around. She was willing to give those things up for a short time to achieve a larger goal.
Likewise you have only so many hours in the day. Choosing to
use them wisely means the difference between a little or a lot of progress
toward your goals. For this twelve year old she crushed the record while having
a full time job - school. She made every selling hour count to reach an
extraordinary goal.
2) Commitment
Katie set a goal and then she did what she had to do to achieve it. This goal was bigger than just Katie. It was about making a contribution to her fellow Girl Scouts. It was about doing something extraordinary for an organization that is positively shaping her life. It was about raising money for a cause she cares about with the proceeds from her troop going toward breast cancer research.
Katie is one driven twelve year old. She first set the goal
to be the best in her state. After accomplishing that goal she went on to beat
the national record. She demonstrated her commitment and built a team around
her to help make her dream a reality.
Most parents simply ask their circle of friends and coworkers
to buy a few boxes of cookies. Katie was able to inspire her family to help her
reach the broader community. In the process they transformed their car
into the cookie caravan, fully stocked and ready to sell on a moment’s notice.
She built, motivated and led an effective team who were as committed to
her goal as she was.
3) She Asked
Katie said that her third ingredient for breaking the record was asking everyone she knew to buy cookies. The key here is she went for the ask. In return they not only bought cookies but also bought into her passion to reach a big goal referring other friends and family to her. Asking is one the most powerful life skills one can acquire. It is what enables you to gather resources and fuel your growth.
The challenge is that most people are uncomfortable going
for the ask. They think it is about asking for money and that if someone says
no it puts them in an awkward position. This is the wrong way to view it. Going
for the ask is about creating value. It is giving someone the chance to buy
into that value proposition. And everyone knows from the happy faces and the
repeat buyers that Girls Scout’s cookies create tons of value. They give buyers
a chance to empower life lessons for young girls and the bonus is a cookie.
Now it’s up to you
Katie demonstrates
what can be accomplished applying these three simple lessons. How can you
better align your time with your goals this week? What will you do to
demonstrate your commitment to your goals? Who do you need to ask for the business?
“The quality of a
person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence,
regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” – Vince Lombardi
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