Posted on 02/02/2017 2:28:55 PM PST by nickcarraway
She made BANK by telling the truth.
At only 11-years-old, Charlotte McCourt is going places. The Girl Scout from South Orange, New Jersey, wrote scathing reviews of the organization's cookies in hopes of scoring a big sale from her dad's "very wealthy" friend. But her critiques of the "flavorless" Toffee-Tastic and "kind of boring" Trefoil landed the sixth-grader a much bigger windfall: Sales exceeding 15,000 boxes, and counting.
McCourt is a member of a "miniscule but mighty" five-person-troop. While she had already sold 92 boxes, she wanted to more customers to donate cookies to the U.S. military. So Charlotte's dad, Sean, advised her to email his well-off friend from high school. The following sales pitch was pure gold.
On a scale of one to 10, Do-Si-Dos are "a five for its unoriginality and its blandness," she says. Savannah Smiles, a seven, taste "like sweet lemon wedges with just the right balance of sweet and sour." Thin Mints deserve "a nine for the delectable chocolate-mint combination." Not every cookie earned a number, though. "If you have a wild sense of adventure, try the S'mores," Charlotte wrote of this year's new flavor."Full disclosure, I have not tried the S'mores so I cannot rate it in good conscience."
The spot-on critique went viral when Mike Rowe, the former host of Dirty Jobs, shared it on Facebook. Rowe, who works with Sean McCourt on his podcast, could barely keep it together while reading the letter. But he also praised Charlotte for her honesty, encouraging viewers to buy her cookies and "send the message that when you tell the truth, good things happen."
The appeal worked. Not only did the email recipient buy 25 boxes for the troops, but fans of her review have bought more than 15,000 packages, ABC News reports. For reference, the all-time sales record is 18,107 boxes, set in 2016. In fact, Charlotte has sold so many cookies that the tracker on her website is currently broken.
So why did she take such an unusual approach? "I love being honest with my clients," the expert saleswoman wrote at the end of the email. "The Girl Scout organization can sometimes use false advertising. These ratings are only my opinion; yours may vary."
Right on, Charlotte. Here's the link to stock up on Thin Mints — but avoid the Toffee-tastics, okay?
The house looked so nice before the fire.
you have to hear the letter as ready by Mike Rowe. Tears in my eyes, laughing.
Nasty cookies filled with hydrogenated fat. Stuff for the ghetto
Abortion cookies? No, thanks.
Nice article and kudos to a smart kid.
However, I no longer support either the BSA or the GSA due to their support of the gay agenda.
“However, I no longer support either the BSA or the GSA due to their support of the gay agenda.”
Ditto that!
Today’s GS cookies aren’t much - the Campfire mints from 50 plus years ago were real good and $1 a box.
We are boycotting GS cookies...a few weeks ago, at a local Publix there was GS selling cookies and 2 of the ‘girls’ were boys.
“Well, if we took the bones out, it wouldn’t be crunchy, now would it?”
omg.
“due to their support of the gay agenda.”
Also support of Planned Parenthood.
Young boo-hoo girl?
You forgot, ‘little boys who think they are girls’
Lesbian abortion cookies.
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