It takes a lot of social skills to approach community members and sell Girl Scout Cookies, but after years of hard work — and some bravery — Longmont sisters Dhriti and Diya Mehta have the art of selling figured out.
“I’ve learned people skills and that made me less shy,” said Diya, 13. “When I was younger, I was shy and I didn’t really talk to people. But now I’m better at speaking and persuading people.”
The two Girl Scouts said they are looking forward to another season of cookie selling, which begins on Sunday.
“Selling cookies helps me meet a lot of new people, and I really like the cookies,” said Dhriti, 9.
The proceeds from the cookie sales help to fund local Girl Scout activities, but the girls are also hoping to offer some funds to people in need, Diya explained.
“We’ll donate some of it to a charity, and that just makes you feel good about yourself, that you’re doing good things,” Diya said.
Both sisters said Girl Scouts has provided them with valuable opportunities.
“It teaches me so many skills, like business ethics — managing pretty much everything about a business — learning how to manage my money and getting better at my math, Diya said. “Girl Scouts isn’t just cookies — there’s lots of new experiences, like you go in camps or do badges, and there’s just a lot of just new experiences and new people you get to meet.”
Dhriti said she has a lot of fun being a Girl Scout.
“You get to meet new people, and I make a lot of new friends with the girls on my troop, and other girl scouts that we meet,” she explained. “One time we went in a camp, and there was another troop there, and I made new friends from that.”
Dhriti and Diya will be selling a range of cookies — Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils, Dos-Si-Dos Lemon-Ups and Adventurefuls. The girls will also be debuting a new cookie, Raspberry Rally.
“I’ve tried it and it looks just like Thin Mints, but when you bite into it, it tastes completely different — it has this crispy center that has raspberry flavoring, and then it’s dipped in chocolate, and it tastes really good,” Diya explained.
Dhriti’s personal favorite is Adventurefuls, she said.
“Adventurefuls are a brownie-themed cookie … they have caramel and chocolate, and they’re really good,” she said.
The cookies can be ordered online for in-person delivery, but the girls also plan to set up local spots where shoppers can buy the cookies in-person.
“When you go to King Soopers or Walmart, Girl Scouts will set booths up in front of those stores to persuade you buy cookies,” Diya explained. “And then if you live near a Girl Scout, they come to your door and ask you if you want to buy anything. I always have these door tags that I go hang up on people’s doors, so if they are cautious about contact stuff, I can just give them my QR code to my website, and they can just scan it and order.”
The leadership skills the girls learn through their organization will serve them well in their future careers — both sisters are eyeing medical careers when they grow up.
“I want to be a doctor,” Dhriti said. “When COVID started, I saw a lot of people suffering, and I wanted to help them.”
