Saturday, November 29, 2008

Call #5 is Tomorrow

Did you set your stretch goal yet? Seeing any obstacles in your path that need clearing? Any questions we can help with?

This is the place to ask questions regarding anything we've covered so far. Because tomorrow night, we shift gears in a BIG way.

Tomorrow is call #5: "Ya Gotta Have A List"
Lisa's going to jump head first into a big pile of technospeak and make it so smple for you that you'll wonder why you didn't start this sooner.

In fact, Lisa can credit her online marketing efforts with creating three different direct sales teams. At least HALF of Lisa's recruits in direct sales have come from Internet leads - and She's going to show you exactly what she's ben doing to make that possible.

It's not hard. Like anything else in this business, it takes consistency. Lisa's going to share her three hottest tips for using the Internet to grow your home party business. To add more sales, more recruits and more bookings to your calendar.

You're going to get an overview on the reasons for having a website that your company DOESN'T own, and the best way to do it FREE.

You're going to learn the basic outline of a great newsletter that will keep your customers coming back for more.

You're also gong to get access to templates to make it even EASIER for you to get going fast.

Hope you've been working on your product reviews - you'll need 'em.

See you on Sunday!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Setting a stretch goal with Backward Planning

A few questions came up about what's a good goal to set.

Remember that small voice I was talking about - sometimes that's the PERFECT goal to set for yourself.

But sometimes even that goal needs to be broken down.

Since we're looking at something that can be accomplished in the next 2-3 weeks, we want to break this into a digestible component for that time frame.

Consider using a "backward planner".

Basically, you look at your end result, and calculate what the step would be jsut before you eached tha goal - and work your way back form there until you get to where you are now with that goal.

Then you'll have outlined the steps (in order) that you'll need to take to reach that goal.

Then get crackin! Be sure to post the goal to us via email. We want to be able to encourage each of you on your journey!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Threshold of Belief - Build Your Level of Belief

I posted this vid to YouTube last week, but it is a component to the exercise we did on tonight's call.



Remember what I said on the call:
Many impoverished communities would find 30 cents a month as a king's ransom. More than 2/3 of Cina's population subsists on less than a dollar a day.

That is THEIR level of belief. Those people do not see a possibility of moving beyond that level of poverty. Build those new neural pathways and create a new threshod of belief for yourself!

I know we covered a LOT of content tonight - and I'm sure there'll be questions. Please post your questions here - and email us your stretch goals. We're looking forward to helping you make it happen.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Call #4 is fast approaching: Recruiting results

Hey everyone. If you haven't already posted your reruiting packet results, here's teh palce to do it. remember, we'll be picking a winner based on total packets handed out, total appointments held and recruiting results. you can post your results, or if you're shy, you can email us.

Also, I made a post on another of my blogs regarding recruiting with the prospect's needs in mind.

Basically, I've had a number of Sarah Coventry reps calling me, and this one in particular wasn't excited about my jewelry co - she SAID it was becaus she didn't like the product.

It turned out that while it wasn't her favorite jewelry on the planet, the real problem was that she met with a local consultant before she called me. The consultant showed her 3 pieces from her kit - one of them was broken. THEN the consultant tried to strong arm her into signing up because she needed "just one more" to get her kit for free.

GAH! Can we say THE WRONG WAY TO DO THINGS!?!?!

A potential recruit (or customer, etc) is not someone you can just bend to your will and your needs, folks. I was fortunate that she was willing to talk further with me - I'll tell you why in a minute. If she hadn't been willing to talk, I never would have found outher real objection.

It turns out, she's still just a tire kicker - she hasn't figured out WHAT she wants to do yet.

As a recruiter, it's my job to help her make the best decision possible for HER. in this case, the timing was bad. She's alread going to miss the best part of the holiday shopping season, so why not wait until January, after she's had a chance to really decide how she wants to run her business.

I did, by the way, encourage her to sign up for "PartyOn!" so that she could get some free training tips before she made a decision. That way she could learn more about my training style and how I work!

So here's the question: Why did she call me if she had already "decided" she didn't like the jewelry?

Two factors: first, as I already mentioned, she really hadn't decided anything. She was still not sure about the jewelry, the company, or her career choice. Second, she GOOGLED me, learned more about me, and wanted to talk to me in person. Simply put, she saw me as an expert, wanted to talk to an expert and get an opinion from someone that she figured knew a thing or two.

THIS is what we want or each of you: to becom the expert in your company. We want people to be able to GOOGLE YOU, and reach you to ask you, the expert, questions.

As we pass the halfway point of this series, we're going to start rolling into a LOT more of the technical/internet type stuff. Ezines, newsletters, and other ideas to help keep you in front of your customers on a regular enough basis that they start to see YOU as an expert.

Questions, comments? Post 'em here, or email 'em. We'll be looking for them!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Can't Afford It / Don't Have the Time Objections

One of the best responses to the "I can't afford it" statement is "Frankly, based on what you've shared with me, I don't think oyu can afford NOT to do it."

You can't just throw that out there, though.

Remember that recruiting interviews are just that - INTERVIEWS. You should be asking questions and screening candidates based on how your opportunity can help them, but also based on how they will fit into your team.

A person that continues to make excuses will be the same person who's always looking for hand holding for the duration of their stay on your team - which may be shot lived anyway.

Remind them, that this isn't about spending money, it's about making money. The purchase of a business kit is almost always a tax deduction (check w/ your accountant. I don't provide tax advice!).

As far as "having time", I ask them right at the interview, "How much time can you see yourself devoting to working your new business?" And that's key. I remind them this is a new business.

If a potential recruit is truly only in it for the kit - you have to ask yourself if you're okay with that.

Ruth's wording for the person who doesn't want to do 6 shows is great, but I can be a little more abrupt with people sometimes. I've also used this:

"Oh! You've already talked with another consultant? Well, I don't want to step on someone else's toes! If you're happy with what they're offering as a leader, then by all means, let's end the conversation here so you can get back in touch with them."

And then remain silent.

If they want you, they'll come after you. If they just want to get a kit - let someone else have that headache.

Remember: If you're serious about growing a team, sometimes it's better to let them go.

Don't let them go TOO quickly, but after you've pulled out the arsenal of tips we're sharing, if they're still not ready, maybe now's NOT a good time for them.

The last recommendation I can make is this one:

When you're interviewing, ask THEM what they expect out of their business. If all they want is a free kit - then 1 show is all they need. If they want a consistent income of a few hundred dollars - then a show a week is what they need. If they want to replace a full-time income, then they need to be doing a minimum of 2-3 shows a week and working on building a team as well.

If someone presents the "well another consultant told me..." scenario, then you can follow up with the following:

"Well, perhaps they didn't ask you the same questions that I did. It's my job, as your recruiter, to help you be as successful as you want to be. Based on what you've told me you expect out of your business, you would need at least X number of shows on you calendar, based on our averages, to achieve that. I'm sure if you told that consultant what you told me tonight she's tell you the same thing."

This way, you're not calling anyone on the carpet, and you're not making any assumptions. Always keep your conversation in the here and now, because that conversation could have taken place 2 years ago.

Again, setting up recruiting interviews are a time for YOU to kep control of the conversatio, ask questions (just like a real job), and get to know your prospect. don't go signing up someone just because you need one more for a trip! Make sure they are a good fit for your team, because THEY will be working with YOU - possibly for a very long time!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Call 3 is tonight!

Heading into the half way mark of our fantastic telecourse and tonight, we're digging into the dirt on recruiting, what to say and more importantly, what NOT to say.

Call #3: "Watch Your Mouth! What to Say and Not to Say When Recruiting" is going to take you into the depths of how to master recruiting at the show. In one hour, we're going to cover:

1. How and when to make recruiting bids at the show.
2. Why you DON'T want to camp in the host's kitchen all night - even if she's interested in your opportunity.
3. Tested word choices and scripts you can use to recruit more effectively.
4. The two most important quesions oyu can ask a potential recruit.
5. Why and how you WATCH Your Mouth
6. The ins and outs of online recruiting.

This week is a big business boosting week! You Don't want to miss this week's call!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

This Week's Challenge: Finding sales

Remember, that you need to ppost your Challenge results by MIDNIGHT Eastern time on Saturday.

When you post (you can email, if you prefer), be sure to include your total sales, and your sales average and the period covered.

For example:

My sales for this week last year were $298, my average show is $476 (average of all shows from last year to this year), so I would need to have at least $477 in sales this week to beat my show average.

Since many of you have shows on Saturday night (I do!), I might extend this to Sunday morning, but I have church commitments, and if I miss your post, don't be mad at me!
Please make sure you post your results either via email or here on the blog. We've got prizes to give away!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

call #2 is tonight!

thanks to all of you that posted or emailed your results to us! We're sorting through everything to make the announcement for tonight's call. I have a few last minute details to finalize, and tonight we've got a LOT of ground to cover.

We're talking about ways to increase sales without being pushy, and that covers a lot of areas:

product knowledge
your show intro
testimonials
catalogs
Checkout
Customer Care Calls
and more.

You guys better bring your pencils! We've got a LOT to teach you in just an hour!

See you there!

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Writer's Cramp is a good thing, right?

Making my tickler file has been great for my business - but now I got writer's cramp. So far, over 200 index cards... and looks like I'm going to go buy more cards.

The bright side: I have a lot more contacts than I realized. Which is probably true for many of you. As I stared going back through old invoices, there were people I had TOTALLY forgotten about - sad but true.

People fall through the cracks - even when you don't mean to.

The bright side part 2: I booked a hostess I haven't talked to in 2 years. She rescheduled on me because she got mono. I figured she was blowing me off so I stopped following up. I also booked a girl that was in a musical with me this summer to do a jewelry party for me. I also added 3 new prospects to my recruiting pipeline. Their lives have changed a LOT this year, and the time is good for them. Plus the countless reps from Sarah Coventry reps that have called ME has been staggering. One poor girl had JUST gotten her kit when they closed their doors! Haven't signed them all yet, but this is a ton of activity for a girl who usually only does one show per week.

When YOU finish your challenge for this week, post your results here! There just might be a prize.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Raise The Temp For Better Shows

In a recent study, researchers at Yale discovered that a warm cup of coffee in the hand was worth two: one for you AND your neighbor.

The study reveals that not ONLY were people holding a hand warmer (cup of coffee, perhaps?) more inclined to BE nicer to others, they also PERCIEVED other people as being nicer, when in fact, the only thing different was whether they were holding a cold or warm item in their hand.

Ramifications for the home party industry?
Check the temp in your party room! If it feels chilly, turn up the heat a little. do everything you can to make a party space feel warm and inviting. If your bookings are down, suggest your hostess serve coffee, cocoa or spiced cider to warm things up a bit. When given the option to keep a gift for themselves or give a gift to a friend, the subjects holding the warm cup tended to help the friend, when those with the cold cup elped themselves.

They key here is warm. NOT unbearably hot. the more comfortable your guests and hostesses feel, the more open they are to you AND your suggestions.

Feedback? Give it a try and post your comments here!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Sarah Coventry Reps Displaced Need a JUMP Start More Than Ever!

I wanted to drop you a note to let you know a couple of things:

First, my heart goes out to ALL Sarah Coventry reps that have been effected by their recent closure. I'm working on a special call for all reps, but ESPECIALLY Sarah Coventry Reps faced with a "now what?" decision. Stay tuned for more details.

If you know anyone looking for the next step in their business, I encourage you to point them to our website, get them signed up for the newsletter and help them in any way you can. Direct Sellers need to stick together.

I've been contacted by more than a dozen Sarah Coventry Reps in the past few days, which is why I KNOW this is a critical time in the business - not just for them, but for you as well.

Most of them called asking for guidance, direction and company recommendations. But a couple called to THANK me. Because of what I teach in Home Party Solution, they were able to position themselves as an expert and grow their personal database even while their Sarah Coventry websites were being deactivated. These consultants are transitioning to new companies with less effort and headache than those that put all their eggs in the basket of Sarah Coventry.

I wish I could say I was shocked. In this day and age, not much surprises me anymore. This year has seen at least two well-funded, reputable companies close their doors - and a few more less-than-reputable ones as well.

This is why I PREACH on the fact that you need to brand yourself first. In fact, I decided today that my next book will focus entirely on that concept. Direct sales reps eed to be concerned about promoting their own image and perosnal brand in the marketplace. That way, when your company closes (and Sarah Coventry is a great example), you'll still have clients and a market to srve - you'll just need a new product.

Think of it this way: If you own "SUPER STORE", and the manufacturer stops making "Brand X Soap", do you close your doors? No! You find a different supplier. But if people only thought of you as a Brand X Soap salesman, you'd be out of business fast.

That's what's happened to so many consultants this year.

So I'm asking you to pass this message on as a reminder. The more we share this message with consultants, the stronger our businesses will grow. I'm so passionate about this, you'll see it on my blogs in a day or so. We need to keep hearing (and sharing) this message.

Lastly, I wanted to remind you we still have a couple of slots left on this teleclass. Tell your friends in the industry. I don't want to see anyone else become a "Sarah Coventry" statistic.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Direct Sales Saga #1: The Tickler File

Yesterday I went to the store to pick up my note cards - you know, I thought this would be easy.

They didn't have a file box the right size for my note cards and I didn't want to shell out extra bucks for the bigger cards.

Yeah, sometimes I'm lazy. So I got the bigger box and the smaller cards. They rattle a bit, but they work.

I also found those 1-31 and Jan-December tabs to complete the file. It's an added cost, but makes it easier to find your tabs when you're filing.

All my supplies at Office Depot were just under $15. I got 300 index cards - and will probably need a few more. But it's a good start. Today, I start the task of putting the leads on the cards.

If any of you have questions or comments, please share. We're all here to learn.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Direct Sales JUMP Start: Post Your Questions HERE!

After tonight's AMAZING call, I want to be sure you all have a place to post your questions. Just leave a "comment" here and we'll address your questions either on the blog or on the call.

You can post any questions. We'll do our best to answer them all.

Direct Sales JUMP Start: It's ON!

Tonight's the big night, and I've been going over my notes one last time - Ruth and I have packed everything we can possibly think of into this telecourse.

Tonight's call: "You Can't Start a Business with 3 People In Your Sister's Living Room"

Plus with all the challenges, stay tuned right here to see what happens next.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Direct Sales JUMP Start Countdown: It All Starts SUNDAY!

This Sunday SUNDAY SUNDAAAAAAYY!

You have to say it like the voice over on those weekend "tractor pull" commercials.

Yes folks, we're down to 15 spots today... and I'm wondering who it will be. The last few days have seen some bewildering action on our registration page. I still can't believe how many of you have already signed up.

This event is going to be transformational - for yourself and your home party businesses.

I can't wait!
If you haven't already registered, Sign up for Direct Sales JUMP Start before you miss your chance!