Vicki Valenti is the top Girl Scout cookie seller in Western Washington.
She sold 3,257 boxes.
That’s $13,028 worth of cookies.
And, yes, she took credit cards.
Sales included 379 boxes for soldiers and the food bank.
Over the weekend she and other top sellers were whisked around Seattle in a limo for a night with top Girl Scout officials.
Vicki has sold 10,681 boxes of cookies over the past seven years.
She is a seventh grade honors student at St. Mary Magdalen School in Everett. She likes to spend time with friends, perform in plays, make music videos, play soccer, tumble and play Roblox on her computer, which she earned selling cookies.
She has been a Scout for eight years. She has achieved the highest award for her age group, the Bronze Award, which she earned by helping the victims of the Oso landslide. She is currently working on her Silver Award. She can go for the Gold Award in high school.
How in the world did you sell so many boxes? And why?
I sold 3,257 by being dedicated and making cookie sales my first priority. When cookies were my first priority there would be no time with friends because I would go to local neighborhoods to sell as much as I could. To get 3,257 boxes, my mom and I made a chart with how many I needed to sell per day, which was 100. Some days I sold 200, but one day I only sold seven boxes at a site sale and seven by a neighborhood.
It was always my goal to sell 2,000 and to be honest I don’t even remember hearing my mom say, “You’re at 2,000.” I just remember her saying, “I will tell you when you get to 3,000.”
I couldn’t have done this without my mom and dad (Tom and Renee). My dad would always do a neighborhood with me and we would make some fun out of it. My mom and I did most of the sales at the stores.
To help sell my cookies I would wear a Girl Scout cookie costume, a Samoa or a Tagalong.
I accepted credit and debit cards, which really helped.
Talk about what it was like delivering all those.
Half of my cookies were sold before the costumers went to the stores, in presales, where I went door-to-door to get cookie promises. Then delivering all those cookies was a lot of hard work.
What is your best sales technique? Worst?
My best sales technique is how I say my prices: “They’re $4 a box, or five for $20.” And people usually do the five.
My worst is not asking. The number one reason that no one buys Girl Scout cookies is because no one asks them. I ask everyone I know everywhere I go.
What do you do when people say no?
I just say, “Thank you anyway,” with a smile — but first I ask if they would like to donate to the soldiers for Operation Cookie Drop or the St. Vincent de Paul food bank at my school. Many times I got the added sale for these charities.
If you could sell or give cookies to anyone alive or in history, who would it be and why?
Juliette Gordon Low because she is a great role model for Girl Scouting and the founder for all the Girl Scouts.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to work at a Disney hotel because I want to make kids happy at Disney, and make all their dreams come true.
What books or things are on the nightstand by your bed??
A clock, tissue, lamp and the book “Kalahari.”
What are three things in your fridge?
Milk, applesauce and strawberries. Of course, Girl Scout cookies are in my freezer.
What is your pet peeve?
My pet peeve is when things are disorganized.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Sleeping in and having waffles with whipped cream for breakfast.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
Selling lots of cookies is hard work, but if you make a plan and stick to it, then it is as my mom says, “Anything is possible with a positive attitude.”
— Andrea Brown, Herald Writer
The Chat is a weekly casual conversation with ordinary questions put to local extraordinary people. Do you know someone we should get to know better? Send suggestions to abrown@heraldnet.com or call 425-339-3443.
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