COOKIE LESSONS 90 PERCENT OF FEMALE CEOS GOT THEIR FIRST SWEET TASTE OF BUSINESS IN THE GIRL SCOUTS.

Byline: Candice Choi Staff Writer

You're determined to stick to your new diet, when suddenly you hear a light knock at the door.

It's Alannah Gavuzzi, the sweet-faced Girl Scout who sold a staggering 1,800 boxes of cookies last year and isn't about to walk away without trying her level-best to break down your resolve.

``If they say they're on a diet, I tell them about the reduced-fat cookies,'' said the 8-year-old who was the top seller in the San Gorgonio Council last year.

The annual cookie sales that raise millions of dollars each February and March aren't just about fund raising; they also teach young girls a range of skills from money management to goal setting to teamwork.

``It's not just about 'These are our cookies; please buy them,''' said Melanie Merians, spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts of the San Fernando Valley. ``It's really about building character.''

Ninety percent of female CEOs and 54 percent of women business owners are former members, according to the Girl Scouts.

``This teaches them a lot in terms of salesmanship,'' said Diane Hewitt, sales manager for the San Gorgonio Council, which covers the Inland Empire.

The annual cookie sales have evolved into a well-oiled operation; 8,000 Scouts in the San Gorgonio area sold $5 million in cookies in an eight-week period last year.

The Girl Scouts of San Fernando Valley sold 594,103 boxes of cookies; this year, the girls plan to ramp up sales to 641,640 in the Valley. The Mount Wilson Vista Council, which covers the San Gabriel Valley, sold 680,400 boxes this year and also plans to increase sales this year.

Fueling that growth from the ground level are scores of sales teams; each Girl Scout troop maps out and executes sales of a target number of boxes.

A troop, which comprises five to 20 girls, decides on a range of activities for the year ahead.

Numbers are crunched with adult leaders to figure out how many boxes must be sold to achieve that goal.

For Alannah's troop, the goal for each girl was 175 boxes. But she has set her sights a bit higher.

Alannah practices her pitch in front of a mirror at home and in her head. To improve her social skills, she talks with people every chance she gets. She wants to sell at least 1,000 boxes.

David Schult, a professor of personal and family financial management at California State University, Long Beach, said kids don't have to achieve at Alannah's level to take away a lesson from fund-raising efforts.

``You can start them off by giving them simple tasks when they're young, then giving them more and more responsibilities as they get older,'' Schult said.

Take sisters Jaclyn and Rebecca Lopez, who are among the top sellers in Burbank. Selling cookies was just something fun to do when the girls were younger, but now they understand that selling more boxes will help fund their troop's trip to Hawaii next year, said Ana Lopez, their mother.

``They know you've got to get out there and make the calls to family members right away,'' Ana Lopez said. ``I can make a check and just pay for it, but this lets them earn it for themselves.''

``It's a program activity that cultivates a sense of business ethics. It teaches girls about making marketing plans and good customer service,'' said Jeanne Ferrara, recruiting and marketing manager for the Spanish Trails Council.

Shannon Hendrickson, 15, of San Bernardino, has already gleaned strong business skills and has grown her sales every year by keeping records of past customers. Now she's a regular member of the ``1,000-plus club.''

The first Saturday the sale started this year, Alannah and her mother pounded the pavement for eight hours, starting at 10 a.m. They only touched base back home for lunch and a few rest breaks.

``I wasn't tired cause I knew I was helping my troop,'' Alannah said.

Candice Choi, [phone]

candice.choi(at)dailynews.com

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5 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Marbell Payne, center, looks at order forms for Girl Scout cookies from sisters Rebecca Lopez, 11, left, and Jaclyn Lopez, 13, of Burbank, star salesgirls. At top left, a special ``1,000'' patch on a Girl Scout's jacket shows she has sold at least that many boxes of cookies.

Gabriel Acosta/Staff Photographer

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

(3 -- color) no caption (Girl Scout)

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer

(4 -- 5) In Newbury Park, Caroline Reimal, left, is among Girl Scouts selling cookies in what, for many, is a first lesson in business. Alannah Gavuzzi sits with order forms for 1,800 boxes of cookies she sold last year. The 8-year-old aims to sell even more this year.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer

Gabriel Acosta/Staff Photographer