Girl Scouts’ entrepreneurship programs offer so much more than the opportunity to make a sale or earn a reward.

Entrepreneurship skills are important for every girl, even if they don’t “plan to go into business” as adults. There are real world applications for each of The 5 Skills.

Today we are going to talk about People Skills, which are an asset for everyone.

From a first-grader speaking up for her friend on the playground to an adult negotiating for a pay raise, people skills often make the difference between a successful and not-so-successful encounter. Being able to speak up for yourself is just the beginning. Solid people skills also include the ability to be an active listener, show empathy, demonstrate patience and appreciate the viewpoints of others.

When a girl develop a strong set of people skills early on, she will be more likely to be successful in public speaking and working with team mates on group projects or on the sports field. Sometimes she’ll be a leader and sometimes she’ll let someone else take the lead, but people skills are important in both roles. And once she’s a professional, she’ll find that her people skills are an asset in nearly every line of work.

Girl Scout entrepreneurial programs help girls develop people skills by giving them the opportunity to interact with people of different ages and backgrounds. Being able to strike up a conversation, describe a product and respond to a prospective customer’s needs is a great start! Even if the customer says “no” this time, being able to thank him or her graciously is a talent we all should aspire to have.

Here are some “People Skills” tips that can help with the fall product program:

1. Practice your sales pitch with three people.  Ask for feedback.
2. Decide on two favorite products and practice how you would describe them to someone else.
3. Create a customer contact list to help strategize selling opportunities.
4. Focus on your goals and remember to share your goal with your customers.

Curious about the other four life skills included in Girl Scouts’ entrepreneurship programs? Read all about The 5 Skills.