Get into Action

Sundays for me (or at least that is my goal) is a day of rest and reflection.  It is a time for me to recharge my battery for the week ahead - mentally, physically and spiritually.  

On Friday night, I had the opportunity to co-host a Celebrate and Connect (Thirty One's bi-monthly consultant meeting/ training).  There I was able to connect with old friends while making some new ones.    This is part of the devotion that I started with as our theme was "Get into Action"

Hebrews 11:1 

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen.” 

What does faith mean to you? 

• Faith in Electric Company. Proof? Flip the switch! Faith confirmed. Can you all agree with me that unless you FLIP the switch it’d not going anywhere for you?
• Faith in the Water Department? Proof? Turn the nozzle! Faith confirmed.  Can you all agree unless you turn on the faucet water will not drip from the spout?
• Faith in your Car Keys? Proof? Turn the key in the ignition! Faith confirmed.  Can you all agree that unless you put the key in the ignition and turn that key your car will not go anywhere?
• Faith in that alarm clock? Proof? It woke you up this morning! Faith confirmed.  Can you all agree with me unless you SET the alarm, it will not wake you up?

Faith without works is dead. We can all have faith…but unless you work to get what you want…it’s dead.

I ENCOURAGE you all: Let’s FLIP our SWITCH. TURN ON our Faucets. Put the KEY in the Ignition. & SET our alarm clocks.  We CAN GET INTO ACTION in our business and make our dreams come alive.

God has a plan for you and no matter who your Higher Power is or what you call him - you need to do the footwork.  What does faith mean to you?  What do you have faith in?  Are you ready to follow the plan of your Higher Power even if you don't know what the results will be?

As for me, I will reflect on my faith today so that I can hopefully listen and act on God's plan for me in the upcoming week.  Rest, Recharge and get ready for the week...

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Life in Atlantic City

Excitement.  Glitz and Glamour. Celebrities. Gambling. Partying.  

These were the words that came to mind in the early years of Atlantic City.  When I started working for the Claridge Casino Hotel, we were a Del Webb property with no walls and offices in a motel that at best is now a little shady   It was exciting to be on the ground floor working with Vegas Executives opening a casino hotel.  Commuting from Ocean Grove definitely had me living in two worlds - reality and illusions.  I helped to write the submission for the Division of Gaming Enforcement so that the casino could open - lots of paperwork and lots of rules.

As opening came near, we began hiring employees which is when my aunt, Elsie Weston, joined the security team. We were ships passing in the night from Ocean Grove because she worked 2nd shift and I was days.  The opening came and went with the day to day operations being some what mundane. As the youngest female security supervisor Del Webb ever had, it was a constant struggle to prove myself.  The November after we opened, there was a shift in management and the 3 youngest Security Supervisors were terminated due to a restructuring of our positions.  I was devastated and finding work in the casinos was tough for me.  See opening a casino is much different than actually working the floor in one. So without a new casino opening, I would resort to finding work in an office at half the salary and with a totally different way of life.  I wasn't sure what to do at a 9 - 5pm, Monday to Friday job after being in a 24/7 business for so long.  I longed to get back into AC but not in a casino.

I began volunteering with the local Crime Stoppers and as a result helped to put together their National Conference in Atlantic City.  It was exciting for me to be back in the 24/7 life.  Adele Black, Sales Manager of the then Deauville Hotel was the hotel contact that later offered me a job.  I was back in AC working in the Sales Department.  Booking casino bus trips, greeting buses, booking conferences and now looking for a new way to get back into the casino but in the sales departments.  Another phase in my "previous life" began in hotel/ casino sales.  I ended up back at the Claridge for a short period of time working in Hotel Sales but left to help Adele open her own business - Atlantic City Hotel Reservations Center.  It was this transition that changed my life - it was during this time that my addictions would surface and I began to live the 24/7 fantasy life of Atlantic City.

I am sure that some are wondering why I am sharing all of this - who cares, right?  Well, I hope that some of the trials that I share during my Saturday personal stories will touch someone's heart and help them.  See, the path I am on today is a blessing from God that I truly believe was laid out long ago.  The problem was that I got in the way and lost sight of his will while I was putting other things before him.  So as doors closed, windows of opportunities opened - some I grabbed, others I didn't and those I did grab were for the wrong reasons.  Learn from your past for it will help you to shape your future.  Change is possible if you are willing to forgive yourself for those mistakes and move on.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!  

  

Easy Sale - Fact or Fiction?

We have all had customers where EVERYTHING we sell will work for them.  Then there are those times when sales are not easy.  You know, the Negative Nellie customer who thinks that nothing you have is right for her but she will still look.  Curiosity will get them every time.  As Julie Anne Jones says, as long as there is a small interest - you have a chance for a sale, a party or a recruit.

As I wind up the week talking about sales and customers, I found the "Profile of an Easy Sale" in the Direct Selling Education Foundation.  They identify 4 basic steps which are now becoming my way of doing business.

1. Identify the right product for the right client.  If you have defined your target market then make sure you have products that solve their problems.  Since my target market is all women who are looking for organization solutions, I make sure that I highlight things that will help to make their life easier and less of a hot mess.  I have even begun doing "product experiences" for those customers who want to see my product but do not want to host a party.  This is a private showing based on what they have told me they are looking for or the solution they need to a problem.
2. Develop and cultivate relationships.  This is key to all direct selling businesses.  Once you have a relationship, whatever the basis is, your sales pitch now becomes a solution to their problem instead of hard sell. Customers buy from people they trust and as a result this will generate more referrals as well as reorders.
3. Once you have a relationship with your prospect, find out what their likes and dislikes are.  Practice the 10-second rule from Deb Bixler.  Ask an open ended question and then LISTEN!  Whether it is at a home party or a product experience, I find out what problem my customer is looking to solve then make a suggestion of a product.  Ask questions about other solutions they have tried and you will quickly learn what they like and dislike.
4. Finally, make the sales process quick, simple and easy.  The easier the better.  I usually tell my customers picking the product solution is the easy part, the tougher decisions come when you have to decide print and personalization options.  I make it as "painless" as possible so that they are not overwhelmed.  

What is your current approach to selling?  Are you a hard seller - sure that your product is the only one for EVERY customer?  Or, are you about building relationships while sharing your business with potential customers?  We all have different styles, talents and gifts - if your current approach isn't reaping the benefits that you want, maybe it is time to change.  Please feel free to share your thoughts?  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Lead Generators

Remember the day you told your family and friends you joined a "party plan/ direct sales" business?  At first, they were excited for you and eager to try all of the new products that you had to offer.  Then the realization sunk in that now THEY were EXPECTED to hold parties and help you.  Okay, so the words may not have ever been said but the thoughts were there.  I mean realistically, how many parties a year can you have for the same company? I would think it depends on how many catalog changes you have in a given year, for me and my company - it is three.  So, you now have family and friends locked in for 3 parties a year but your goal is 2 or 4 parties or more a month.  Where are you going to find those people?

All direct sales companies will tell you that the best place to book a party is at the party.  Okay, so you now have maybe 2 or 3 more parties a month on the calendar but you want to GROW your business.  Some here are some ideas from a top selling direct sales coach that may help you on the quest to find new customers, new parties and EXPAND your circle.

Deb Bixler talks about The Fish Bowl Lead Generator.  We have all seen those cute little fish bowls at the register of your favorite restaurant or store.  Usually, they are encouraging you to enter a drawing for a free meal or for a chance at free products.  Did you really think that they threw away all of those business cards or leads if you weren't a winner?  The idea is to put your fish bowl someplace with foot traffic, offer a chance to win your direct sales products, then advertise the winner after all is said and done.  Maybe it is a business where the manager loves your product and you can offer them a percentage of the sales from the parties that you book.  How about a bank that may highlight local businesses.  Look at your connections and determine if it is the type of customer that you are looking for then GO FOR IT!

Another tip from Deb is "Go to Vendor Events as a Guest".  This is a GREAT way to network with other vendors as well as the guests who are attending the event. I never thought about this since I was doing ALOT of vendor events but I tried it a few times and IT WORKS!  In fact, at one event where I was a guest - I booked a party and took orders.  Visit vendors that you already know are doing the event PLUS stop and meet new ones.  I ALWAYS have my product with me as well as catalogs.  Selling all kinds organizational products in the form of totes and bags helps ALOT.  It is simple: Go up to the table and let the vendor do their thing.  Always answer questions or talk in 10 seconds or less and always end in a question. Finally, wait for the right moment and say "How is this event?  I was thinking of bringing my business to it next time.  Is this vendor event a good one?"  The vendor will then ask what you do - remember the 10 second rule when you share and see what happens.

Follow-up is the key to fortune.... I have heard this many times in the workshops that I have been attending hosted by the Entrepreneurial Think Tank for Moms.  So, if you are not good with follow-up, PRACTICE.  Remember it takes 30 days to become a habit.  Set a small goal to follow-up with the leads (so many each day) and go from there.  Generating leads is not going to get the people to walk through your door (or buy your products) BUT if you follow-up with them, you can build a relationship and THEN they may become your best customer or hostess.

How do you generate leads for your business?  We would love to hear from you about what works and even what hasn't worked for you.  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Customers For Life

This week's theme is all about increasing your sales.  How many of you have had one-time buyers?  You know the ones who buy at a vendor event or a party then never buy again?  Maybe they were just helping out a friend?  Maybe they were impulse shopping?  Maybe they didn't like the product once they got it? Whatever the reason, you have never heard from them again.  For me, that is probably because I haven't been very good with customer care calls but maybe you have been so you are wondering why you don't have a customer for life.

In an article in Inc magazine there were some tips on how to change these one time customers into customers for life.  Interestingly enough, the article made one KEY statement regarding changing one time customers into loyal ones - SURPRISE THEM!  Here is how you can do that:

• Beat your customers to the punch.  The best way to do this is with customer care calls.  Now, I don't mean those calls that are ASKING THEM to do something for YOU.  I mean, a call that simply says "thank you for you order and how do you like the product that you purchased ".  This means changing the mindset that we have so that we can break through to our customers.  When was the last time that you got a thank you call just for ordering. If there was a delay in their order, apologize and offer then something with their next order.  
• Make shopping easy.  As a direct seller, we have company websites - some are easy to navigate while others take some figuring out.  I have been fortunate to have customers call or email me when they had a problem with the website, this isn't always the case.  If someone placed a large order via the internet that might reap them additional rewards, would you call them and offer them the discounts?  Why not?  Who doesn't like something for free or at a discount when they are placing a large order.
• Resolve issues without a fight.  I happen to work for an AMAZING company that has a "no questions asked" policy in the first 90 days as long as things aren't personalized.  If you are making those customer calls, you can resolve any issue before it escalates and you have a disgruntled customer.   If it is past the cut-off or the item is personalized, I try to find a solution that will work for both the customer and myself.    

These may seem like basics but we all need a reminder once in awhile on how to take care of our customers so that we can build our business.  A happy customer is a repeat customer.  So surprise your customers - call them to say thank you, call them to make sure that they are happy with their product BEFORE the warranty expires, or just call them to wish them a happy birthday, happy anniversary (anything that you remember from the party that you can congratulate them on).  

Off to make those customer care calls because I am looking for loyal repeat customers!  How about you?  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Finding My Confidence

Last week was a whirlwind of AHA moments as I listening to training calls, coached other direct sellers, attended a business plan class and then an AMAZING network meeting.  It all reinforced a posting that was on the Direct Sales Education Foundation's website about "Finding Confidence".

Self confidence has always been a struggle for me.  I have talked about it often in my blogs but it seems that I have been blessed over the last week with a bombardment of positive energy that is propelling me forward.  I am going to relate it to some of the tips that I found in the article.

• Practice makes perfect.   I used to play the piano and I heard this ALL the time.  As we get older, at least for me, continually practicing my scripts for parties, etc seemed silly.  So I started small after our business plan class on describing my business.  I used to say "I am a Thirty One Consultant.  We sell purses, totes and accessories".  Well, the truth is we do much more than that so I have been practicing "I CELEBRATE, ENCOURAGE, REWARD hardworking women with simple solutions to life's organizational challenges while helping them to fulfill their dreams by offering them opportunities".  A mouth full but let me tell you, it changed the entire perspective for people on Friday when I introduced myself.  NOW, they were interested.  Without practicing, I would have resorted to my old intro.  
• Find a mentor.  I have an amazing upline, Hope Shortt has been supportive and know just when to challenge me.  Find someone who you want to be like, ask them if you can shadow them.  Find someone who you can trust and respect and build a relationship.  I now also have an AMAZING group of women at Entrepreneurial Think Tank for Moms  who without knowing it have mentored me.  From blogging to dressing for success, they have helped me to find my confidence that I lost so long ago.  Thank you Nicole Borato from Jersey Cookie Girl for inviting me to the first meeting.
• Find a partner.  Find a close friend, family member or even your spouse who can share in your accomplishments and help to bolster your confidence.  My hubby is my partner.  He shares in my accomplishments but he is also the first one to call me out when I am making excuses.
• Dress for success.  This is something else that I have heard since my college days.  Wear something that makes you feel good when you go to a presentation or a meeting.  It should fit well and be put together with accessories and hair style.  Someone asked me the other day if I had a makeover.  I was THRILLED.  No, not a formal one but I did in my head.  How?  Hair style instead of just long hair hanging.  Out of my jeans for meetings and into a pair of khakis (capris right now) with a nice shirt and jewelry.  Makeup.  I never leave the house without some even if it is just mascara.  You never know who you will run into on the trip to the grocery store to grab a gallon of milk.

Simple tips but for those of us who have a small comfort zone, this is a BIG deal.  Things that I have heard for years but seemed to think they wouldn't work anymore - guess what, they do!  Are you ready to grow your business?  Are you ready to challenge yourself?  Try one of these tips, if not all of them.  DREAM BIG!  The sky is the limit.

How did you find your confidence?  Please share, I would love to hear and at the same time, you may help someone else.  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Selling Tips

I don't profess to have all of the answers, in fact some days I truly believe that I don't know anything when it comes to selling.  No, I am not going to be "Debbie Downer" but  I also don't want anyone reading this to think that my business never experiences the roller coaster of sales.  For some people selling comes natural - my mom, Joan Heldreth,  is like that.  I truly believe that you could sell anything.  I remember when she was a manager of a bakery - people would come in for 1 item and leave with a bag full of things that she suggested (sold) to them.  I always wondered how she did it.  I envied her and her ease with making a sale.

As I entered the world of direct sales, I was now the one "selling" my products.  I found an article on this exact subject on the Direct Selling Education Foundation website.  Here are some of the tips that they shared:

• Ask questions to quickly find out what the problem is and/ or what the customer needs.  In the party plan business, everyone is expecting the sales pitch.  You know the 100 reasons why they absolutely NEED your product.  STOP!  Your customers and the potential ones will be more open to what you have to say if you have something that will help THEM!  Sometimes they don't know that that is but if you have a SIMPLE solution to make their life easier, they are going to listen.  You have to LISTEN to them.
• Use language that is simple to understand.  Talk to people about your business as if you would talk to a friend.  Remember that you need to build a relationship with people in order for them to connect with you and your product.  Don't use acronyms or things that they aren't familiar with to try and impress them.
• Create and describe a picture for the customer.  Encourage your customer to imagine what their life would be like if they used XYZ product.  For example, if their children's sports equipment is rolling around in the trunk of the car.  Suggesting how easy it would be if everything was in one bag would be and as a result, no lost sports equipment and more space in your trunk.  Having had a daughter in sports, life would have been easier if some of those things weren't forgotten or lost in the trunk of the car.
• Ask more questions and listen carefully to their answers.  When a customer says "no" or is hesitant, I stumble sometimes depending on how far we are in the relationship building phase.  I am always worried about being perceived as pushy but as long as I remember to focus on what the customer needs and not let my own needs get in the way, it all works out.
• Think of yourself as a guide.  LISTEN and help your customers navigate through the roadblocks - color, style, price, value, etc.  Offer solutions that address their concerns - sometimes this will work, sometimes it won't.  Remember that a no now may mean not at this time.  

I love the quote "the art of selling is one that can be developed over time".  I am grateful for that or I would have given up in my first few months of direct sales.  Thank you Mom for showing me how easy selling can be when I use these tips - see, you thought I wasn't paying attention all of those years, you were a great example for me.  

What selling tips do you have?  Please feel free to share them.  I look forward to hearing from you.  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!