Amira Williams proves that anyone can be a gamechanger at any age. At only eight, Amira has sold the most Girl Scout cookies in Brooklyn totaling 1,514 boxes!

In a New York Magazine profile, the young saleswoman detailed the strategies she uses to close the deal. Her no-nonsense approach has made her a master at the art of dealmaking and this recent experience has “taught [her] how to get better at advertising and counting money.”

Amira can trace her success to keeping her pitch simple and straight to the point so that customers know what she is selling and the quality of her products. But there's a little more to her strategy. She picks out high traffic areas to drive up the sale and organize her cookies in a rainbow display to attract more customers. Placing the Tagalongs first, Do-Si-Dos next, Savanah Smiles, Thin Mints, Toffee Tastic, Trefoils, then Samoas and S’mores in that order has proven successful.

“I set up my table in crowded spaces like outside of churches on a Sunday,” says Amira. “Also, nearby block parties, school parties, and the Greenlight Bookstore [in Fort Greene].”

She also knows that innovation is king. Instead of counting on her customers to have cash on hand, she utilized the Square’s point-of-sale technology for digital purchases. As a young child in the digital age, Amira recommends that if other kids want to replicate her success just use all the tech accessible to you.

“I would tell them to ummm … to use Square but mostly to go to crowded spots like churches or parties. Also ask your parents to go on Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat, I don’t know.”

Amira Williams

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