Even though, we're just starting to see the April showers and early flowers, now is the time to start planning out your Summer business schedule.
If it seems this year as though I'm harping on planning, there's a method to my madness. We've just wrapped up the first quarter of the year. Nearly 1/3 of 2010 is GONE, and what do you have to show for it in your direct sales business?
Bookings beget bookings, and if your calendar is looking thin now, imagine how barren it will be come July!
The school year is coming to an end, and families are planning their vacations, getaways and summer activities now. As a business owner, you need to be on their radar, and plant the seed now that a Summer show is just the ticket to reconnect, relax, and enjoy good times with friends.
Contact the hosts from last Summer now, and give them first dibs on your calendar. Just like Christmas, you can have a full Summer schedule if you give people plenty of notice. In my business, I rarely booked a show closer than 3 weeks out because I need that time to get out invitations, and do effective hostess coaching. The exception to this was repeat hosts. They are usually already schooled on how I run my business, and are quick to get all my show requirements (like guest lists) back to me in plenty of time for the event.
Repeat hosts are your best testimonials, because they liked your work enough to invite you back! You owe it to yourself to reward them with the best spots in your calendar.
Words to say:
"Hi Sally, this is Lisa (with ABC company). I'm planning now for my summer schedule. It may be a little early yet, but I know that my most successful parties are the ones that are planned in advance. Since you're one of my repeat hosts, I want to say thank you by giving you first dibs on my Summer show calendar. You held a Chocolate Lover's party last June and it was such a blast. What theme would you like to try this year?"
Assume the booking. Your repeat hosts already know you do business, and know what to expect from you. If they're not interested, they'll tell you right away. Instead, assume they love you so much they want to repeat that amazing experience they had last year. Build up the excitement and re-establish the emotional high they had at their last party by mentioning positive memorable moments from the last party. It's a psychological trigger that puts them in a positive frame of mind to book their next show with you.
If you're new to Direct Sales, or re-starting your business like many teachers I know, it's even more imperative that you start now to secure shows for your Summer calendar. Consider asking one of the parents from your child's class to host a get-together during the Summer. Or better yet, host your own and double dip on host benefits as well as your consultant income. An early summer barbecue can have the guys hanging out at the grill, the kids playing in the back yard, and the women shopping from their seat in the comfort of your home. Worried that your house is too small? Host a series of parties to invite your child's best friends over a few at a time.
Summer events are also a great way to bring in new business. If you sell a product that you can demonstrate, consider teaching a course during the summer related to your product line. Renting a small hotel conference room or even a large dining room in a restaurant can bring in new customers interested in learning the how-to of your product, and lead to big sales at the end of the session. Just be sure that the focus of the class is not selling stuff, but teaching skills. Not only can you generate revenue from the sales of products, but also from registration fees from the class. Check with your local community education office for opportunities to share your expertise there as well. Many of the Summer session classes are being decided right now.
However you choose to grow your business this summer, now is the time to start planning. Look at your own family commitments and decide when you're available to work your direct sales business. Being in business for yourself gives you some flexibility, but if you let the entire Summer pass you by, you'll miss out on a great income potential as well as those highly-coveted fall bookings. For a great Fall, you need a great Summer, and Summer selling starts by booking shows now.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
Showing posts with label Network Marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Network Marketing. Show all posts
In Direct Sales: 5 Tips to Save on Your Taxes
As a business owner, at least here in the United States, Ben Franklin reminds us that there is at least one certainty in life: taxes. As a direct seller, you may have opted to build a small "side gig" to earn a little extra operating funds for trips, to give your family a little "more" or just to fund your shoe shopping habit.
Ultimately, though, if you're producing revenue, you've got a business, and Uncle Sam wants his due. Even if you're not profiting from your direct sales business, there may be some taxable situations that will effect you.
Mind you, I'm not a tax professional, but my friend, Scott Lovingood is, and he shared some great tips on his call for the Small Biz Super Summit this Spring. While the deadline for filing your taxes for 2010 may have passed, now is a great time to consider ways to get your finances in tip top shape this year.
1. Keep good records. Even if you put all your receipts in a shoe box, at the end of the year, you're going to need to refer to them to prepare your taxes. The better records you keep, the easier it is to complete your taxes and defend yourself should an audit occur. One particular area that Direct Sales Pros tend to overlook is mileage. Keep a mileage log so that you can track all the miles you drive to and from your shows. It adds up over the course of a year, but if you don't keep track, you can't claim the deduction! At 50 cents a mile, every two miles you drive is a dollar back in your pocket come tax time!
2. Be aware of special deductions. Certain entities (like an LLC, for example) can alter your taxable benefits. Home based businesses have special deductions. Knowing this can save you thousands on your taxes.
3. Tax rules change all the time. One of the first tasks to outsource may very well be your bookkeeping. Tax pros spend all day every day staying on top of the tax code changes. They can take that responsibility off your plate so you can focus on making money.
4. Run your business as if the IRS were going to audit you at any time. Chances for an audit are small, if you fall within the "norms" the IRS uses to evaluate businesses. However, a business can be randomly selected for an audit at any time. If you're running a real business, keeping business and personal expenses separate is just one way to help the IRS see your business as a going concern. Setting up a business account, having a business phone (that's only used for business) are not only potential deductions, they help the IRS to see that you're serious about growing a real business, not just having an expensive hobby. Hobby income must be reported, but hobby expenses are NOT deductible.
5. Close your books at least quarterly, if not monthly. By balancing your books each month, you have a better look at cash flow projections, income and expenses BEFORE the end of the year. If you have a major influx of income, you might even be required to pay quarterly taxes. If you are not balancing your books each month, you should at least balance them every quarter (most businesses do). You may avoid some of the tax penalties that can occur if you don't pay those taxes on time.
Running a business from home means a lot of potential tax savings - trips to fun locations for your national conference could become deductible on your taxes at year end - but only if you're running a business and keeping good records (other rules may also apply). It is up to you as the business owner to keep track of everything. Start now (if you haven't already) to see success the next time your taxes are due. When in doubt, consult a tax professional to help you get the most out of the tax benefits a home business provides.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine athttp://www.homepartysolution.com/
Ultimately, though, if you're producing revenue, you've got a business, and Uncle Sam wants his due. Even if you're not profiting from your direct sales business, there may be some taxable situations that will effect you.
Mind you, I'm not a tax professional, but my friend, Scott Lovingood is, and he shared some great tips on his call for the Small Biz Super Summit this Spring. While the deadline for filing your taxes for 2010 may have passed, now is a great time to consider ways to get your finances in tip top shape this year.
1. Keep good records. Even if you put all your receipts in a shoe box, at the end of the year, you're going to need to refer to them to prepare your taxes. The better records you keep, the easier it is to complete your taxes and defend yourself should an audit occur. One particular area that Direct Sales Pros tend to overlook is mileage. Keep a mileage log so that you can track all the miles you drive to and from your shows. It adds up over the course of a year, but if you don't keep track, you can't claim the deduction! At 50 cents a mile, every two miles you drive is a dollar back in your pocket come tax time!
2. Be aware of special deductions. Certain entities (like an LLC, for example) can alter your taxable benefits. Home based businesses have special deductions. Knowing this can save you thousands on your taxes.
3. Tax rules change all the time. One of the first tasks to outsource may very well be your bookkeeping. Tax pros spend all day every day staying on top of the tax code changes. They can take that responsibility off your plate so you can focus on making money.
4. Run your business as if the IRS were going to audit you at any time. Chances for an audit are small, if you fall within the "norms" the IRS uses to evaluate businesses. However, a business can be randomly selected for an audit at any time. If you're running a real business, keeping business and personal expenses separate is just one way to help the IRS see your business as a going concern. Setting up a business account, having a business phone (that's only used for business) are not only potential deductions, they help the IRS to see that you're serious about growing a real business, not just having an expensive hobby. Hobby income must be reported, but hobby expenses are NOT deductible.
5. Close your books at least quarterly, if not monthly. By balancing your books each month, you have a better look at cash flow projections, income and expenses BEFORE the end of the year. If you have a major influx of income, you might even be required to pay quarterly taxes. If you are not balancing your books each month, you should at least balance them every quarter (most businesses do). You may avoid some of the tax penalties that can occur if you don't pay those taxes on time.
Running a business from home means a lot of potential tax savings - trips to fun locations for your national conference could become deductible on your taxes at year end - but only if you're running a business and keeping good records (other rules may also apply). It is up to you as the business owner to keep track of everything. Start now (if you haven't already) to see success the next time your taxes are due. When in doubt, consult a tax professional to help you get the most out of the tax benefits a home business provides.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine athttp://www.homepartysolution.com/
Direct Sales Success: Resurrect Your Biz This Spring
I know it sounds like a bad Easter joke (and it probably is), but has your direct sales business been languishing this year?
After a busy holiday season, many consultants often go on hiatus, letting their business suffer in the interim, until the snow melts, the roads dry up, and the grass is green again. If you're one who schleps product from home to car and back, that can be a good reason to slow down. No one likes hauling stuff in the snow, but when business slows down, so does your income.
Few people leave direct sales because of a full calendar. The number one reason I hear is because they can't find bookings, can't close the sales - in short, there's nothing on their calendar!
So as we enter the second quarter of the year, take a moment to examine your goals. With the year 25% of the way behind us, are you 25% of the way towards your goals? For the average consultant (if they even have goals), the answer is not quite. And most of that is due to the fact that they let their business "slip" during the first few months of the year.
Well, now's the time to get crackin' and breathe some life back into your business.
Last week at our Small Biz Super Summit, Lisa Sasevich revealed a great technique to close more business without being salesy or pushy. Lisa is the author of "The Invisible Close" and she gave some great tips about using irresistible offers to encourage your audience to make a decision sooner, rather than later. Just yesterday, Daphne Bousquet shared with us the best strategies to make more money by hosting your own events. Here are just a few ideas you can implement to resurrect your business this spring:
Breathing life into your business can be as simple as a few tweaks to what you're already doing, or completely revitalizing the art of doing business. Either way, a resurrection will give you the forward momentum you need to have a powerhouse Summer. And as we roll into conference season, it's even more important to be hitting those goals!
You can do it!
Direct Sales 101 will be re-opening soon. Look for more information in upcoming issues of "PartyOn!".
After a busy holiday season, many consultants often go on hiatus, letting their business suffer in the interim, until the snow melts, the roads dry up, and the grass is green again. If you're one who schleps product from home to car and back, that can be a good reason to slow down. No one likes hauling stuff in the snow, but when business slows down, so does your income.
Few people leave direct sales because of a full calendar. The number one reason I hear is because they can't find bookings, can't close the sales - in short, there's nothing on their calendar!
So as we enter the second quarter of the year, take a moment to examine your goals. With the year 25% of the way behind us, are you 25% of the way towards your goals? For the average consultant (if they even have goals), the answer is not quite. And most of that is due to the fact that they let their business "slip" during the first few months of the year.
Well, now's the time to get crackin' and breathe some life back into your business.
Last week at our Small Biz Super Summit, Lisa Sasevich revealed a great technique to close more business without being salesy or pushy. Lisa is the author of "The Invisible Close" and she gave some great tips about using irresistible offers to encourage your audience to make a decision sooner, rather than later. Just yesterday, Daphne Bousquet shared with us the best strategies to make more money by hosting your own events. Here are just a few ideas you can implement to resurrect your business this spring:
- Make a time-sensitive offer. Most of our companies provide us with a monthly special. That gives your hosts and guests all month to make up their mind. Give them something special for taking action on the day of the show.
- Close the party AT the party. If you hostess coach in advance, you can remind your host that you are closing the show the night of the party. Make sure she has her catalogs, samples, and outside order forms well in advance so that she can get them out and get them back to you the night of her show.
- Host your own event. In your own home, or rent a small conference room. Be your own host. If you're using social media, make it a more informal "tweetup" kind of an event so that more people will come, try your products, etc. Then have a time-sensitive offer for people that book, buy or set up a recruiting appointment with you that night.
Time sensitive offers are just one great strategy to increase sales, bookings and recruit leads. Your company can't possibly offer a new special every day - but you can. It requires a bit of planning and forethought, but if you're running a real business, you need to be planning ahead anyway.
Breathing life into your business can be as simple as a few tweaks to what you're already doing, or completely revitalizing the art of doing business. Either way, a resurrection will give you the forward momentum you need to have a powerhouse Summer. And as we roll into conference season, it's even more important to be hitting those goals!
You can do it!
==========
"Time-sensitive offer" is just one of the strategies I taught in my last Direct Sales 101 class, and here's what one of our first graduates had to say:
Well, I promoted to Team Leader, went from $300 in sales in January to $2700 in sales in February and $2000 in sales in March, and have 9 new shows on my calendar. I want to take the early graduation discount :>
You are, by far, the best direct sales/life coach I have ever had (and I have had quite a few!). You have helped me to cut through my fear, my husband is now on board with my "hobby" business (as he called it!) and wants me to go full throttle, and I have been able to do things for my family that I haven't in the past.... I can't wait to see what you have in store for the rest of the year.
Also, looking forward to the Small Biz Super Summit - what a lineup!
Lara Hall
Independent Passion Parties Consultant
www.LaraBHall.com
Direct Sales Leadership: Lead to Succeed
We're hot and heavy into the Small Biz Super Summit (formerly the Direct Sales Super Summit) and I'm excited to share the stage tonight with Nicki Keohohou from the Direct Selling Women's Alliance (DSWA). Our conversation looks at the traits that are so necessary to build a successful organization in direct sales. But it's a conversation suited to anyone looking to assume a leadership role in their business.
Whether you're an army of one or a seasoned leader with thousands of people in your organization, in my opinion, there are commonalities that all successful leaders share:
But Nicki says there are 6 skills that every leader must possess. I'm anxious to learn more tonight and share her thoughts at the Super Summit. If you'd like to hear from Nicki, there's still time.
http://www.smallbizsupersummit.com/
We'd love to have you on the call!
Whether you're an army of one or a seasoned leader with thousands of people in your organization, in my opinion, there are commonalities that all successful leaders share:
- The ability to engage the emotions of their team. It's not enough to know the "why" that encourages people to join your team in the first place, you also need to understand the "what" that almost FORCES them to stick around. When you engage with your team at this deep emotional level, your entire organization will thrive and achieve more.
- The ability to ask the right questions. Throw out the "yes/no" questions, and spend time digging into the heart of any issue your team faces: recruiting, bookings, sales. "How can I get more bookings on my calendar?" The answer often lies in the very questions your team asks. "Well, what are you presently doing, and what HAVEN'T you tried?"
- Being accountable, but not responsible. As a leader, it's your job to provide tools and resources - to lead a horse to water, so to speak. It's not your responsibility to "make them drink". You can't want their success more than they do.You have to remain committed to helping them, without being attached to the outcome of the effort they invest in their business. You are accountable to your entire team to provide help. THEY are responsible for taking advantage of the help you provide.
- Not having all the answers. Leaders aren't charged with knowing everything - they are charged with knowing enough. Leaders need to know enough to point team members in the right direction. They are to serve as a resource or connecting point and to help empower others on the team to fulfill their areas of expertise and share them with the organization. No one person can know everything, and to expect that of yourself as a leader will only slow you down.
But Nicki says there are 6 skills that every leader must possess. I'm anxious to learn more tonight and share her thoughts at the Super Summit. If you'd like to hear from Nicki, there's still time.
http://www.smallbizsupersummit.com/
We'd love to have you on the call!
Direct Sales Success: Do You Feel Lucky?
With St. Patty's Day just around the corner, I thought it fitting to talk about being 'lucky' in your direct sales business. In truth, there's relatively little about direct sales that happens because of luck - specifically when it comes to being a leader.
In direct sales, there are all kinds of leaders, but nothing bugs me more than an 'accidental leader'.
These are the people that don't have a clue how they managed to achieve leadership. And leadership doesn't mean a title or a rank. It means anytime the consultant excels and is recognized for setting the pace. They can't tell you what they did to become successful, or share with you the secrets to their success.
It doesn't bother me that they have secrets. What bothers me is that they think they somehow got 'lucky' and success just fell into their lap.
Luck doesn't just happen. Seneca said "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."
Indeed. There's a lot of preparation that goes on while we're waiting for that lucky break. We're putting together host packets, attending training meetings, learning about our products, and sharing that knowledge and enthusiasm with others.
So it always kind of irks me when a leader is asked how they won that prize, or how they achieved a goal and the answer comes back "I really don't know", or my favorite "I just talked to everybody."
The problem is that these accidental leaders are misinterpreting the question. They think people are looking for some ancient Chinese secret to success - when in reality, they were just being consistent in their business.
I know, that's about as sexy as quarterly planning, but hear me out on this. I recently sat down with Nicki Keohohou from the DSWA, and we talked a bit about the qualities of a leader. There's no magic pill here, it's about consistency, quality, and a commitment to excellence that permeates your entire organization.
The correct answer may not be glamorous, but there's nothing wrong with telling the truth:
"I held nine shows and booked three shows from each of those shows. I hostess coached like I was trained, and my shows averaged $550. So I was selling about $5000 a month, which just happened to be more than what everyone else did last month. If there's any luck, it's because no one else had a $5000 month, but you guys could all do what I just did. It's not magic. I don't have a lucky charm or anything like that."
People may not think it's a sexy answer, but there's nothing wrong with sharing the fact that direct sales is a business, and you have to work it like a business if you want to get paid like a business.
If more consultants and leaders were transparent about the work that was involved in being successful, we'd probably have fewer recruits looking for a magic pill. The recruits we DID have, would probably be more productive.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
In direct sales, there are all kinds of leaders, but nothing bugs me more than an 'accidental leader'.
These are the people that don't have a clue how they managed to achieve leadership. And leadership doesn't mean a title or a rank. It means anytime the consultant excels and is recognized for setting the pace. They can't tell you what they did to become successful, or share with you the secrets to their success.
It doesn't bother me that they have secrets. What bothers me is that they think they somehow got 'lucky' and success just fell into their lap.
Luck doesn't just happen. Seneca said "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."
Indeed. There's a lot of preparation that goes on while we're waiting for that lucky break. We're putting together host packets, attending training meetings, learning about our products, and sharing that knowledge and enthusiasm with others.
So it always kind of irks me when a leader is asked how they won that prize, or how they achieved a goal and the answer comes back "I really don't know", or my favorite "I just talked to everybody."
The problem is that these accidental leaders are misinterpreting the question. They think people are looking for some ancient Chinese secret to success - when in reality, they were just being consistent in their business.
I know, that's about as sexy as quarterly planning, but hear me out on this. I recently sat down with Nicki Keohohou from the DSWA, and we talked a bit about the qualities of a leader. There's no magic pill here, it's about consistency, quality, and a commitment to excellence that permeates your entire organization.
The correct answer may not be glamorous, but there's nothing wrong with telling the truth:
"I held nine shows and booked three shows from each of those shows. I hostess coached like I was trained, and my shows averaged $550. So I was selling about $5000 a month, which just happened to be more than what everyone else did last month. If there's any luck, it's because no one else had a $5000 month, but you guys could all do what I just did. It's not magic. I don't have a lucky charm or anything like that."
People may not think it's a sexy answer, but there's nothing wrong with sharing the fact that direct sales is a business, and you have to work it like a business if you want to get paid like a business.
If more consultants and leaders were transparent about the work that was involved in being successful, we'd probably have fewer recruits looking for a magic pill. The recruits we DID have, would probably be more productive.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
The Super Summit is coming!
I would be remiss if I didn't share this exciting news with my blog peeps. Each Spring and Fall, I host a telesummit with some of the most amazing minds in direct sales and business today. So here's my shameless plug for our Super Summit event.
This Spring, I think it's safe to say I've outdone myself. Here are just a few of the instructors scheduled to appear:
* Mari Smith - Facebook Marketing in an Hour a Day
* Paula Antonini - An Energized YOU
* Scott Lovingood - It's Your Money, Keep More of It
* Jimmy Vee & Travis Miller - Online Video to Grow Your Business in 9 Minutes a Day
* Lisa Sasevich - Boost Yoour Sales with the Invisible Close
* Jonathan Fields - The REAL Upside of Being an Entrepreneur
* Nicki Keohohou - The 6 Qualities of REAL Leadership
I've got people sharing info about books that haven't even been released yet - AND a ton more great stuff up my sleeve.
Now I can't reveal everything, but you'll definitely want to get pre-registered before March 28:
http://www.smallbizsupersummit.com/
In the past, we've called this the Direct Sales Super Summit, but we have so much valuable information for anyone looking to grow their business, we thought a name change would be appropriate. You'll be happy to note that we STILL have a track of content designed with direct sales pros in mind. That will not change.
We're hammering out the call schedule right now, but you'll want to be on as many of the live calls as you can - starting with the LIVE kickoff call on Sunday March 28 at 6pm ET.
If you can't make it, you'll have the option of purchasing the audios after you register. If you've been to any of our past events, you KNOW that this is the event of the year. I hope you'll join us!
This Spring, I think it's safe to say I've outdone myself. Here are just a few of the instructors scheduled to appear:
* Mari Smith - Facebook Marketing in an Hour a Day
* Paula Antonini - An Energized YOU
* Scott Lovingood - It's Your Money, Keep More of It
* Jimmy Vee & Travis Miller - Online Video to Grow Your Business in 9 Minutes a Day
* Lisa Sasevich - Boost Yoour Sales with the Invisible Close
* Jonathan Fields - The REAL Upside of Being an Entrepreneur
* Nicki Keohohou - The 6 Qualities of REAL Leadership
I've got people sharing info about books that haven't even been released yet - AND a ton more great stuff up my sleeve.
Now I can't reveal everything, but you'll definitely want to get pre-registered before March 28:
http://www.smallbizsupersummit.com/
In the past, we've called this the Direct Sales Super Summit, but we have so much valuable information for anyone looking to grow their business, we thought a name change would be appropriate. You'll be happy to note that we STILL have a track of content designed with direct sales pros in mind. That will not change.
We're hammering out the call schedule right now, but you'll want to be on as many of the live calls as you can - starting with the LIVE kickoff call on Sunday March 28 at 6pm ET.
If you can't make it, you'll have the option of purchasing the audios after you register. If you've been to any of our past events, you KNOW that this is the event of the year. I hope you'll join us!
Direct Sales Success: Quarterly Planning Made Easy
No, it's not glamorous, but an hour of your time now could net you some big gains before Summer hits.
It's time to start looking at your Q2 planning.
What? You mean you haven't ever DONE quarterly planning?
I hear you. Most direct sellers live two weeks from bankruptcy - meaning they're booking shows in so close, they haven't really thought much beyond the next 30 days of life in business.
It's time to make a change and get your numbers in order. We're going to lay out two quick ways to do "projections" for your quarterly planning.
First, gather your results from last year. If you're brand new, use your numbers from the first quarter. I realize we're still IN the first quarter, but bear with me here.
Look at what your numbers were for first quarter last year, compare them to first quarter this year. You'll see where you're up, down or about the same. Not sure what numbers to be looking at? Check out my previous post on knowing your averages.
Now look at quarter two from last year (that would be April-June, if you're not sure). Compare Q2 of 2009 to Q1 of 2009. Most direct sellers will see an increase in their numbers because the holiday 'slump' is over, new product catalogs are coming out, and people are more likely to book early spring parties in April and May than they are in February and March. But it's not important if the numbers are higher or lower -what's important is that you KNOW whether they were higher or lower.
This gives you an opportunity to look at your business and see where you can improve, as well as what to reasonably expect for the coming months. We only look at a quarter at a time because - well - life happens. ESPECIALLY as direct sellers that are learning to treat your business with more respect, we have to flex those business owner muscles and get used to looking at the numbers in our business in the first place.
Look at the goals you have for the next three months - show sales, recruits, team promotions, bookings, etc. If you have company incentives coming down the pike, how are you planning to achieve those incentives? What activities do you need to schedule into your business over the next 3 months to make sure you hit those goals?
Now, pull out your planning calendar - your personal one, as well as your business one. You want to look at what's already on the radar for the next three months, events, kid stuff, vacations, holidays, sales meetings, rallies, national conferences, leadership camps, incentive trips. Identify any potential items that could prevent you from holding the number of shows you'd like. Identify big expenses that might require you to do an extra show or two in the coming months to help generate additional income. Identify locations in which you'll find yourself that might make good 'recruiting recon' destinations.
By starting now - and it may take a good hour of your time to do it - you'll have a road map for the next three months of business. You'll easily know what nights you will work - as well as the nights you absolutely can't. You'll also have a good idea about how much income you can count on.
But the BEST part about planning is that if you pinpoint a potential gap (in income, recruiting, shows, etc), you'll have a few months to formulate ideas and ACT on them in order to fill the gap. Otherwise, you could end up staring down a blank calendar at the beginning of May, wondering what you're going to do to pay the bills for the month.
Quarterly planning doesn't sound all that sexy, but once you begin, it almost becomes a game. How many gaps can you fill before the end of the quarter? How much MORE money can you make this quarter? How many days off can you actually ENJOY for a change? Quarterly planning makes it possible to know all the answers to those questions - and then some.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
It's time to start looking at your Q2 planning.
What? You mean you haven't ever DONE quarterly planning?
I hear you. Most direct sellers live two weeks from bankruptcy - meaning they're booking shows in so close, they haven't really thought much beyond the next 30 days of life in business.
It's time to make a change and get your numbers in order. We're going to lay out two quick ways to do "projections" for your quarterly planning.
First, gather your results from last year. If you're brand new, use your numbers from the first quarter. I realize we're still IN the first quarter, but bear with me here.
Look at what your numbers were for first quarter last year, compare them to first quarter this year. You'll see where you're up, down or about the same. Not sure what numbers to be looking at? Check out my previous post on knowing your averages.
Now look at quarter two from last year (that would be April-June, if you're not sure). Compare Q2 of 2009 to Q1 of 2009. Most direct sellers will see an increase in their numbers because the holiday 'slump' is over, new product catalogs are coming out, and people are more likely to book early spring parties in April and May than they are in February and March. But it's not important if the numbers are higher or lower -what's important is that you KNOW whether they were higher or lower.
This gives you an opportunity to look at your business and see where you can improve, as well as what to reasonably expect for the coming months. We only look at a quarter at a time because - well - life happens. ESPECIALLY as direct sellers that are learning to treat your business with more respect, we have to flex those business owner muscles and get used to looking at the numbers in our business in the first place.
Look at the goals you have for the next three months - show sales, recruits, team promotions, bookings, etc. If you have company incentives coming down the pike, how are you planning to achieve those incentives? What activities do you need to schedule into your business over the next 3 months to make sure you hit those goals?
Now, pull out your planning calendar - your personal one, as well as your business one. You want to look at what's already on the radar for the next three months, events, kid stuff, vacations, holidays, sales meetings, rallies, national conferences, leadership camps, incentive trips. Identify any potential items that could prevent you from holding the number of shows you'd like. Identify big expenses that might require you to do an extra show or two in the coming months to help generate additional income. Identify locations in which you'll find yourself that might make good 'recruiting recon' destinations.
By starting now - and it may take a good hour of your time to do it - you'll have a road map for the next three months of business. You'll easily know what nights you will work - as well as the nights you absolutely can't. You'll also have a good idea about how much income you can count on.
But the BEST part about planning is that if you pinpoint a potential gap (in income, recruiting, shows, etc), you'll have a few months to formulate ideas and ACT on them in order to fill the gap. Otherwise, you could end up staring down a blank calendar at the beginning of May, wondering what you're going to do to pay the bills for the month.
Quarterly planning doesn't sound all that sexy, but once you begin, it almost becomes a game. How many gaps can you fill before the end of the quarter? How much MORE money can you make this quarter? How many days off can you actually ENJOY for a change? Quarterly planning makes it possible to know all the answers to those questions - and then some.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
Direct Sales Success: Misconceptions of Leadership
Often, I'm approached by direct sellers that want to move into leadership, but feel they don't have the necessary knowledge, skills or abilities to be a leader.
Bull!
There are a couple of misconceptions about leadership that prevent many would-be leaders from stepping into this role and earning the income they so richly deserve:
1. "I don't know everything!"
If you're brand new, people expect that you don't know everything. The more important point, however, is whether you can find the answers people are looking for. Train your team to try to find answers on their own and come to you when they get stuck. You should never position yourself as the know-it-all in your group because it stifles the leadership qualities in others.
In fact, make a decision now to empower your team to share knowledge, resources and best practices freely with each other.
Warning: in order for this to work well, you must have open communication on your team and a willingness to help one another. A rising tide lifts all ships - but only if all the ships are in the water.
2. "I don't know how to be a leader!"
If you've ever been a teacher, parent, or boss, you have some idea of what makes a good leader: patience, understanding, tenacity and vision (coupled with the ability to see through other people's B.S.) are a great start. In truth, most direct sellers are natural leaders because of their entrepreneurial drive and desire to help others.
When in doubt, look to people you would classify as lousy leaders for examples of what not to do. Likewise, learn from some of the great leaders of our time by reading their books and biographies. Model what works in your business.
Both of these excuses are easily vanquished for the person who truly desires to step into leadership. Here is a short list of recommendations for anyone considering a leadership role (in Direct Sales or otherwise):
1. Connect - with other leaders in other companies as well as your own. Leaders need a network that is strong and diverse. Look for people in other fields besides direct sales, too. This will broaden your horizons as well as your ability to relate to others.
2. Don't wait for permission - from your upline, your family, your friends - or even yourself. Great leaders step into their role with authority - and very often learn as they go. In fact, when you stop learning, you stop leading. Which brings us to...
3. Learn all you can - about your company, your products, your team and most importantly, yourself. This isn't an ego trip. If you really want to become knowledgable, you need to take time to learn new things. Then, SHARE what you've learned to help your team make fast progress.
4. Ask for help - from your leaders, a coach, a mentor - anyone that can shorten the learning curve and bring you to your goal faster. Be aware that any good help requires SOME kind of investment: time, energy, money, focus. You will only get out of it, what you put into it.
5. Relax. You're going to make mistakes along the way - the best leaders always do. Taking risks implies a certain amount of failure at some point. Leadership requires both a sense of humor and a thick skin.
True leadership comes from within. It's not some painted-on facade that you get to wear just because you've earned a certain amount of money or recruited a certain number of people. It's a powerful place of responsibility that anyone can step into - with a team of thousands, or a team of one.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
Bull!
There are a couple of misconceptions about leadership that prevent many would-be leaders from stepping into this role and earning the income they so richly deserve:
1. "I don't know everything!"
If you're brand new, people expect that you don't know everything. The more important point, however, is whether you can find the answers people are looking for. Train your team to try to find answers on their own and come to you when they get stuck. You should never position yourself as the know-it-all in your group because it stifles the leadership qualities in others.
In fact, make a decision now to empower your team to share knowledge, resources and best practices freely with each other.
Warning: in order for this to work well, you must have open communication on your team and a willingness to help one another. A rising tide lifts all ships - but only if all the ships are in the water.
2. "I don't know how to be a leader!"
If you've ever been a teacher, parent, or boss, you have some idea of what makes a good leader: patience, understanding, tenacity and vision (coupled with the ability to see through other people's B.S.) are a great start. In truth, most direct sellers are natural leaders because of their entrepreneurial drive and desire to help others.
When in doubt, look to people you would classify as lousy leaders for examples of what not to do. Likewise, learn from some of the great leaders of our time by reading their books and biographies. Model what works in your business.
Both of these excuses are easily vanquished for the person who truly desires to step into leadership. Here is a short list of recommendations for anyone considering a leadership role (in Direct Sales or otherwise):
1. Connect - with other leaders in other companies as well as your own. Leaders need a network that is strong and diverse. Look for people in other fields besides direct sales, too. This will broaden your horizons as well as your ability to relate to others.
2. Don't wait for permission - from your upline, your family, your friends - or even yourself. Great leaders step into their role with authority - and very often learn as they go. In fact, when you stop learning, you stop leading. Which brings us to...
3. Learn all you can - about your company, your products, your team and most importantly, yourself. This isn't an ego trip. If you really want to become knowledgable, you need to take time to learn new things. Then, SHARE what you've learned to help your team make fast progress.
4. Ask for help - from your leaders, a coach, a mentor - anyone that can shorten the learning curve and bring you to your goal faster. Be aware that any good help requires SOME kind of investment: time, energy, money, focus. You will only get out of it, what you put into it.
5. Relax. You're going to make mistakes along the way - the best leaders always do. Taking risks implies a certain amount of failure at some point. Leadership requires both a sense of humor and a thick skin.
True leadership comes from within. It's not some painted-on facade that you get to wear just because you've earned a certain amount of money or recruited a certain number of people. It's a powerful place of responsibility that anyone can step into - with a team of thousands, or a team of one.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
Direct Sales Success: Know Your Averages
In baseball, one of the key metrics used to determine a player's ability is their batting average.
The league leaders have an average around .350, which means for every 10 times at the plate, they hit the ball and get on base 3.5 times. Sixty-five times out of a hundred, they don't make it to first base.
And those are the league leaders!
Pitchers have a comparable measurement - the Earned Run Average (ERA). This statistic measures the number of runs in a game that are "credited" to the pitcher. In essence, these are the runs he gave up as a pitcher. The lower the number, the better the pitcher.
The league leaders fall in the 2.1-3.5 range. That means that even the best pitchers are giving up a few runs each time they take the field.
What about you? In the game (and business) of direct sales, you need to be tracking your own averages. In fact, there are 3 critical averages that you must track if you want to improve your business on a consistent basis - regardless of the economy. They are:
1. Your Show Sales Average (SSA). This metric tells you exactly what you can expect from every show you do. If you know that you're averaging about $350 in sales at each show you do, you can predict with a fair amount of certainty how much income you'll earn in a given month. You'll also be able to strategize ways to improve your show income. If you don't know your SSA, however, you'll always be guessing from one month to the next about how your income will look.
The SSA is an easy number to calculate. Take the total show sales you've had in a given period of time (a year is best) and divide it by the total number of shows you held to get those sales. Don't count individual sales or online income unless they are part of a show you can track. Just sales from shows and the total number of shows. If fifteen shows resulted in $15,000, you have a $1,000 show average. If fifteen shows resulted in $1500, you have a $100 show average. Your results will likely fall somewhere in the middle of hose two extremes. If you don't do shows, calculate your one-on-one's. Same math, different figures.
2. Your Bookings Per Show (BPS). This metric indicates the longevity of your business. If you consistently get 2-3 bookings per show, you have a healthy business that will continue to propagate itself with new parties. If you consistently book 1-2 parties per show, you're going to have a more difficult time keeping your calendar full. When you know this metric, you can start to take a look at the reasons for your booking success (or challenges). Sometimes, it's a matter of changing your verbiage at the party. Sometimes you realize you haven't been giving a booking talk at all. Sometimes, you hit on just the right combination of fun and education that gets people excited to want to book a show with you.
You can calculate your BPS almot as simply as your SSA. Simply add up the total number of bookings you've gotten in the past year (or 6 months), and divide by the number of shows from which they came. You are counting totals, not JUST the shows that held. Be honest with yourself. If you booked 10 shows and only 4 held, that's a different metric. We want to track the total number of bookings from each show.
This does bring up an interesting discovery. If you find you're booking a lot of shows but they aren't holding, chances are good there's a problem with hostess coaching or follow up. Or you're working with flaky people. Both problems can be easily solved with a little coaching. But you can't solve either problem if you don't know your BPS.
3. Your Recruiting Interview Percentage (RIP). This metric tells you how many recruits youll be adding to your team. This metric is a little more complex, because it's actually made up of TWO mathematical equations. First, you need the total number of guests/clients you've worked with in a given period of time. This can be a challenge, so when you first start tracking this metric, begin with the total number of guests at your shows. Over time you'll need to add in all the other people you share recruiting info with, but for now, stick with something a little easier to track. How many recruiting interviews are you scheduling from each show? Divide the number of recruiting appointments by the number of guests. This is your scheduling rate. Save that number for the next step.
Now look at your recruiting appointments. How many of them actually result in a new consultant joining the team? Take the scheduling rate from step one and divide it by this number. Now you have a percentage you can work with. For every hundred people you meet, that's the number of people that will likely join your team on average.
Let's look at an example. If you have 150 guests in a given month, and schedule 10 recruit interviews, you have a 6.6% scheduling rate. Of those 10 interviews, only 3 join the team. That means you have a 2.2% Recruiting Interview Percentage. For every 100 people you meet at shows, etc, 2.2 of them are likely to join your team.
Once you know these numbers, you can begin to see how easy it is to stay motivated. If you knew with a fair amount of certainty that you could turn 2 out of every 100 people into new recruits, you're much more likely to approach those 100 people in the first place. You're also much more inspired to want to IMPROVE that percentage so that you're not working quite as hard from the get-go.
When you keep close tabs on what I call "the BIG 3" in your business, you'll have a more consistent, stable income, with the power and ability to keep it growing, right at your fingertips.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
If you're interested in hearing more about the BIG 3, I will be chatting with Carrie Wilkerson on this topic during her Barefoot Bootcamp 2.0 happening this month. Yes, that's my affiliate link, but the videos are free, and very informative. I hope you'll check it out. Plus, if you sign up through my link for the event, you'll also get free access to my OWN Direct Sales Super Summit coming up in March!
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
The league leaders have an average around .350, which means for every 10 times at the plate, they hit the ball and get on base 3.5 times. Sixty-five times out of a hundred, they don't make it to first base.
And those are the league leaders!
Pitchers have a comparable measurement - the Earned Run Average (ERA). This statistic measures the number of runs in a game that are "credited" to the pitcher. In essence, these are the runs he gave up as a pitcher. The lower the number, the better the pitcher.
The league leaders fall in the 2.1-3.5 range. That means that even the best pitchers are giving up a few runs each time they take the field.
What about you? In the game (and business) of direct sales, you need to be tracking your own averages. In fact, there are 3 critical averages that you must track if you want to improve your business on a consistent basis - regardless of the economy. They are:
1. Your Show Sales Average (SSA). This metric tells you exactly what you can expect from every show you do. If you know that you're averaging about $350 in sales at each show you do, you can predict with a fair amount of certainty how much income you'll earn in a given month. You'll also be able to strategize ways to improve your show income. If you don't know your SSA, however, you'll always be guessing from one month to the next about how your income will look.
The SSA is an easy number to calculate. Take the total show sales you've had in a given period of time (a year is best) and divide it by the total number of shows you held to get those sales. Don't count individual sales or online income unless they are part of a show you can track. Just sales from shows and the total number of shows. If fifteen shows resulted in $15,000, you have a $1,000 show average. If fifteen shows resulted in $1500, you have a $100 show average. Your results will likely fall somewhere in the middle of hose two extremes. If you don't do shows, calculate your one-on-one's. Same math, different figures.
2. Your Bookings Per Show (BPS). This metric indicates the longevity of your business. If you consistently get 2-3 bookings per show, you have a healthy business that will continue to propagate itself with new parties. If you consistently book 1-2 parties per show, you're going to have a more difficult time keeping your calendar full. When you know this metric, you can start to take a look at the reasons for your booking success (or challenges). Sometimes, it's a matter of changing your verbiage at the party. Sometimes you realize you haven't been giving a booking talk at all. Sometimes, you hit on just the right combination of fun and education that gets people excited to want to book a show with you.
You can calculate your BPS almot as simply as your SSA. Simply add up the total number of bookings you've gotten in the past year (or 6 months), and divide by the number of shows from which they came. You are counting totals, not JUST the shows that held. Be honest with yourself. If you booked 10 shows and only 4 held, that's a different metric. We want to track the total number of bookings from each show.
This does bring up an interesting discovery. If you find you're booking a lot of shows but they aren't holding, chances are good there's a problem with hostess coaching or follow up. Or you're working with flaky people. Both problems can be easily solved with a little coaching. But you can't solve either problem if you don't know your BPS.
3. Your Recruiting Interview Percentage (RIP). This metric tells you how many recruits youll be adding to your team. This metric is a little more complex, because it's actually made up of TWO mathematical equations. First, you need the total number of guests/clients you've worked with in a given period of time. This can be a challenge, so when you first start tracking this metric, begin with the total number of guests at your shows. Over time you'll need to add in all the other people you share recruiting info with, but for now, stick with something a little easier to track. How many recruiting interviews are you scheduling from each show? Divide the number of recruiting appointments by the number of guests. This is your scheduling rate. Save that number for the next step.
Now look at your recruiting appointments. How many of them actually result in a new consultant joining the team? Take the scheduling rate from step one and divide it by this number. Now you have a percentage you can work with. For every hundred people you meet, that's the number of people that will likely join your team on average.
Let's look at an example. If you have 150 guests in a given month, and schedule 10 recruit interviews, you have a 6.6% scheduling rate. Of those 10 interviews, only 3 join the team. That means you have a 2.2% Recruiting Interview Percentage. For every 100 people you meet at shows, etc, 2.2 of them are likely to join your team.
Once you know these numbers, you can begin to see how easy it is to stay motivated. If you knew with a fair amount of certainty that you could turn 2 out of every 100 people into new recruits, you're much more likely to approach those 100 people in the first place. You're also much more inspired to want to IMPROVE that percentage so that you're not working quite as hard from the get-go.
When you keep close tabs on what I call "the BIG 3" in your business, you'll have a more consistent, stable income, with the power and ability to keep it growing, right at your fingertips.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
If you're interested in hearing more about the BIG 3, I will be chatting with Carrie Wilkerson on this topic during her Barefoot Bootcamp 2.0 happening this month. Yes, that's my affiliate link, but the videos are free, and very informative. I hope you'll check it out. Plus, if you sign up through my link for the event, you'll also get free access to my OWN Direct Sales Super Summit coming up in March!
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
Create an Editorial Calendar for Your Direct Sales Business
Magazines and periodicals have a nifty little tool that lays the groundwork for every issue they print. The editorial calendar guides the topical content for each article in a particular issue.
The most logical direct sales equivalent is our monthly host or guest specials - which are usually set up by our companies, and fed to us no more than a month or two in advance.
That's not the most effective way to create a strategic plan for your business year.
The solution is to create your own "editorial calendar" of sorts.
Each month of the year represents at least one new reason to contact your clients. In fact, this is one of the strategies I'm teaching in depth in my new Direct Sales 101 small group coaching program. An editorial calendar is a great guideline for both your newsletter AND your parties/presentations, because:
1. It allows you to have a plan in place for each month of the year at the beginning of the year - regardless of what your company proposes.
2. It puts YOU in control of your business instead of waiting for details from your home office.
3. It gives you the ability to create special connections with your clients by tailoring your offerings to their needs/desires.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few sample ideas for a monthly newsletter, based on holidays. Remember that most people will place orders in the month BEFORE the holiday, so plan ahead with your offerings:
January: Love, Valentine's Day, Showing Your Love
February: Luck of the Irish, St. Patty's Day, Go Green
March: Spring, Easter, April Showers (showers of money for great recruiting, or baby/bridal showers)
April: Mother's Day
May: Father's Day
June: Independence Day (U.S.)
July: End of Summer
August: Back to School
September: Halloween
October: Being Grateful
November: Christmas
December: New Year, New You, New Products
These samples don't begin to cover topics that are product or service-specific to your company. You are truly only limited by your imagination. Have a bi-weekly or weekly newsletter? Sprinkle in a few more topics that are related to each month, or to a specific product that your company may be featuring.
An editorial calendar doesn't chain you to sticking to these topics, but it does give you a safety net that will keep your business growing throughout the year - even when you're not sure yet what your home office has planned. You won't be scrambling, trying to figure out what to do. You'll have a confident plan of action that will move your business forward throughout the year.
Billion-dollar business woman Anne McKevitt said something to me that hit home: "Never leave anything to chance." By taking the reins of your promotional and publication schedule, you're not leaving your direct sales success to chance.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
The most logical direct sales equivalent is our monthly host or guest specials - which are usually set up by our companies, and fed to us no more than a month or two in advance.
That's not the most effective way to create a strategic plan for your business year.
The solution is to create your own "editorial calendar" of sorts.
Each month of the year represents at least one new reason to contact your clients. In fact, this is one of the strategies I'm teaching in depth in my new Direct Sales 101 small group coaching program. An editorial calendar is a great guideline for both your newsletter AND your parties/presentations, because:
1. It allows you to have a plan in place for each month of the year at the beginning of the year - regardless of what your company proposes.
2. It puts YOU in control of your business instead of waiting for details from your home office.
3. It gives you the ability to create special connections with your clients by tailoring your offerings to their needs/desires.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few sample ideas for a monthly newsletter, based on holidays. Remember that most people will place orders in the month BEFORE the holiday, so plan ahead with your offerings:
January: Love, Valentine's Day, Showing Your Love
February: Luck of the Irish, St. Patty's Day, Go Green
March: Spring, Easter, April Showers (showers of money for great recruiting, or baby/bridal showers)
April: Mother's Day
May: Father's Day
June: Independence Day (U.S.)
July: End of Summer
August: Back to School
September: Halloween
October: Being Grateful
November: Christmas
December: New Year, New You, New Products
These samples don't begin to cover topics that are product or service-specific to your company. You are truly only limited by your imagination. Have a bi-weekly or weekly newsletter? Sprinkle in a few more topics that are related to each month, or to a specific product that your company may be featuring.
An editorial calendar doesn't chain you to sticking to these topics, but it does give you a safety net that will keep your business growing throughout the year - even when you're not sure yet what your home office has planned. You won't be scrambling, trying to figure out what to do. You'll have a confident plan of action that will move your business forward throughout the year.
Billion-dollar business woman Anne McKevitt said something to me that hit home: "Never leave anything to chance." By taking the reins of your promotional and publication schedule, you're not leaving your direct sales success to chance.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
Direct Sales Passion: Are You Faking It?
'Tis the season when most companies begin their Leader Retreat events.
These are the rallies and propaganda fests where the company leaders can celebrate their accomplishments, learn best practices and get a glimpse of some of the new products for the new year - and maybe even bring some home with them.
But you know what? Even if you're not 'qualified' to attend, you may still be one of those consultants that's out-performing your leader. All it takes is a little passion.
That's what happened to me.
A few years back, I qualified to attend the leadership getaway that my then-company hosted for their leaders. I had been encouraged by my upline leader to strive to attend, reach all the goals laid before me, and work like heck to walk across the stage at Leader Retreat.
I'm not one to do 20 parties a month, so I figured I'd shoot for the goal of $5000 in sales during the first 6 months of the year, which were usually the toughest months of the year in our company.
I think I ended the period with about $7800 in sales, doing about 8 or 9 shows during that time. There were several people on our team that also achieved that $5000 goal, but because they weren't leaders, they couldn't go to Leader Retreat.
One consultant had over $15,000 in sales and missed qualifying as a leader by one recruit.
It was disappointing to me that other people who out performed me were not able to attend the event and celebrate their success. Imagine my surprise when my own leader didn't even walk across the stage with me.
Talk about "faking it"! Here she was pushing (and I DO mean pushing) all of her team to achieve these goals, get qualified for on stage recognition, and all the while she was barely doing the minimums to keep her title. She did, however, earn a nice chunk of bonus compensation for all the work we did to help her keep her title.
One of the nice things abotu Direct Sales is the compensation leaders can earn for helping their teams achieve levels of success. I have no problem with that. However, there's a problem when a leader is doing "just the minimums" and encouraging her teams to go for the gusto.
There's no congruency. She got paid despite the fact that several of her personal recruits out-performed her and eventually promoted above her. Consultants began to talk, and in less than a year, many of her recruits had lost faith in her, stopped attending her meetings, gave up, or left the company completely.
When people find out you're faking it, it's just too much of a let down.
Why was it that our team was able to achieve a goal that our own leader did not?
Passion.
First, we believed in our leader. She was a little on the pushy side, but we believed that she had our best interests at heart. Once we learned she was faking it - putting on a good show to bump up her tea numbers, but doing the minimums herself - we weren't as keen to be workhorses for her next big award.
Second, we caught the vision of an idea that was greater than our circumstance. We wanted the recognition that we thought would come from achieving something remarkable. It set us on fire. We became passionate - about our goal, our product, and about getting the message out to as many people as we could. Those of us that achieved those goals went on to bigger things within the company.
Our leader? Not so much. She was content to talk a good game, but when it came to playing the game, she was riding the bench. Ultimately, that leader left the company for what she thought were greener pastures. But her problems followed her. She was looking for other people to do the work for her. Instead of leading by example, she was ligthing the fire under her recruits, and sitting back to watch how far they would take her.
That was the final realization for me that not every leader knows more than I do when it comes to growing my business and defining my success.
In direct sales, like in life, faking it only works for so long - either your recruits pass you, or they give up on you and look to other leaders in the company to give them solid direction and advice. That's what happened to my leader. Imagine how much more successful she could have been if she'd been practicing what she was preaching!
It's one thing to be passionate about something and actively share it with your team and the world. It's something else to just "talk a good game" and not work your business with enthusiasm. People talk, and it's only a matter of time before you're found out.
If you've been in the business for a while, and feeling like the passion is fading, here are a few tips to help you re-kindle the romance with your direct sales biz:
1. Remember what it was like when you were brand new. It was a time of discovery. What are ways you can tap into that sense of awe and discovery in your business? Try a new product, find a creative use for an old product. Talk with someone you DON'T know at the home office.
2. Share your favorites. You have a list of products you love (if you don't, why are you in this business in the first place?). Think of other people that would love them for the same reasons and invite them to experience the product - no strings - in a complimentary session. Woo your customers back (maybe a few that you haven't talked with in a while) with a free sampling, or a thank-you event that doesn't end with a sales pitch.
Alternatively, if it's appropriate, make a donation to a local shelter - anonymously - of your favorite products. The gratitude will be overwhelming.
3. Bring in the kids. If it's appropriate for your product, invite the kids in and shoot a video of THEM doing a presentation with your products. talk about FUN! You'll not only get a good laugh, you'll get to see how your KIDS view the way you do business.
These are just a few ideas you can use to bring back some of the fun and excitement to your business. Seeing the way you build your business through your new consultant's eyes can often refresh a leader that's gotten a little complacent or jaded in their business.
A little passion (that's genuine) goes a long way. Eventually, if you're faking it, you'll be found out.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com
These are the rallies and propaganda fests where the company leaders can celebrate their accomplishments, learn best practices and get a glimpse of some of the new products for the new year - and maybe even bring some home with them.
But you know what? Even if you're not 'qualified' to attend, you may still be one of those consultants that's out-performing your leader. All it takes is a little passion.
That's what happened to me.
A few years back, I qualified to attend the leadership getaway that my then-company hosted for their leaders. I had been encouraged by my upline leader to strive to attend, reach all the goals laid before me, and work like heck to walk across the stage at Leader Retreat.
I'm not one to do 20 parties a month, so I figured I'd shoot for the goal of $5000 in sales during the first 6 months of the year, which were usually the toughest months of the year in our company.
I think I ended the period with about $7800 in sales, doing about 8 or 9 shows during that time. There were several people on our team that also achieved that $5000 goal, but because they weren't leaders, they couldn't go to Leader Retreat.
One consultant had over $15,000 in sales and missed qualifying as a leader by one recruit.
It was disappointing to me that other people who out performed me were not able to attend the event and celebrate their success. Imagine my surprise when my own leader didn't even walk across the stage with me.
Talk about "faking it"! Here she was pushing (and I DO mean pushing) all of her team to achieve these goals, get qualified for on stage recognition, and all the while she was barely doing the minimums to keep her title. She did, however, earn a nice chunk of bonus compensation for all the work we did to help her keep her title.
One of the nice things abotu Direct Sales is the compensation leaders can earn for helping their teams achieve levels of success. I have no problem with that. However, there's a problem when a leader is doing "just the minimums" and encouraging her teams to go for the gusto.
There's no congruency. She got paid despite the fact that several of her personal recruits out-performed her and eventually promoted above her. Consultants began to talk, and in less than a year, many of her recruits had lost faith in her, stopped attending her meetings, gave up, or left the company completely.
When people find out you're faking it, it's just too much of a let down.
Why was it that our team was able to achieve a goal that our own leader did not?
Passion.
First, we believed in our leader. She was a little on the pushy side, but we believed that she had our best interests at heart. Once we learned she was faking it - putting on a good show to bump up her tea numbers, but doing the minimums herself - we weren't as keen to be workhorses for her next big award.
Second, we caught the vision of an idea that was greater than our circumstance. We wanted the recognition that we thought would come from achieving something remarkable. It set us on fire. We became passionate - about our goal, our product, and about getting the message out to as many people as we could. Those of us that achieved those goals went on to bigger things within the company.
Our leader? Not so much. She was content to talk a good game, but when it came to playing the game, she was riding the bench. Ultimately, that leader left the company for what she thought were greener pastures. But her problems followed her. She was looking for other people to do the work for her. Instead of leading by example, she was ligthing the fire under her recruits, and sitting back to watch how far they would take her.
That was the final realization for me that not every leader knows more than I do when it comes to growing my business and defining my success.
In direct sales, like in life, faking it only works for so long - either your recruits pass you, or they give up on you and look to other leaders in the company to give them solid direction and advice. That's what happened to my leader. Imagine how much more successful she could have been if she'd been practicing what she was preaching!
It's one thing to be passionate about something and actively share it with your team and the world. It's something else to just "talk a good game" and not work your business with enthusiasm. People talk, and it's only a matter of time before you're found out.
If you've been in the business for a while, and feeling like the passion is fading, here are a few tips to help you re-kindle the romance with your direct sales biz:
1. Remember what it was like when you were brand new. It was a time of discovery. What are ways you can tap into that sense of awe and discovery in your business? Try a new product, find a creative use for an old product. Talk with someone you DON'T know at the home office.
2. Share your favorites. You have a list of products you love (if you don't, why are you in this business in the first place?). Think of other people that would love them for the same reasons and invite them to experience the product - no strings - in a complimentary session. Woo your customers back (maybe a few that you haven't talked with in a while) with a free sampling, or a thank-you event that doesn't end with a sales pitch.
Alternatively, if it's appropriate, make a donation to a local shelter - anonymously - of your favorite products. The gratitude will be overwhelming.
3. Bring in the kids. If it's appropriate for your product, invite the kids in and shoot a video of THEM doing a presentation with your products. talk about FUN! You'll not only get a good laugh, you'll get to see how your KIDS view the way you do business.
These are just a few ideas you can use to bring back some of the fun and excitement to your business. Seeing the way you build your business through your new consultant's eyes can often refresh a leader that's gotten a little complacent or jaded in their business.
A little passion (that's genuine) goes a long way. Eventually, if you're faking it, you'll be found out.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com
Direct Sales Success: From Strategy to Plan
Planning for direct sales success can be as simple as turning on a light switch, or as challenging as digging ditches. It all depends on your outlook.
My husband thinks 'plan' is a four-letter word. So I have to come up with "action items" instead of a plan. It's the only way to get anything done around my house.
But before I lay out my "honey-do" list, I have to envision my desired outcome. Then, I need to understand the important pillars of getting the job done.
The same hold true in your direct sales business.
Once you've laid a vision for your direct sales business, identified the goals and created a strategy around what the key areas of accomplishment are, we then get to "the brass tacks" of bringing that vision to life - creating the plan.
Once you've laid out you annual objectives, you've got to break that down into meaningful, manageable "chunks". For example, if your goal is to add 12 new personal recruits to your team, that breaks down to approximately 1 recruit each month.
But this kind of thinking is not likely to be accurate.
Consultants are trained to average their numbers out over the course of the year, which is a detriment. In reality, the bulk of our sales - the bulk of our business, really - comes during the last quarter of the year.
Now that doesn't mean to sit on your laurels until October. Far from it.
What it means is that you should plan appropriately and project reasonably for the year.
For example, if you look at your sales history and 50% of your sales happens from October to December, don't expect that you'll have an even time of things from January to June.
Forecast higher numbers in the fall and lower numbers in the winter.
This does two things:
1. It paints a realistic picture for your business
2. It shows you where your real opportunities lie
So if you've NEVER added a single recruit in February, you can choose to focus on that objective, or to play to your strengths instead.
This is how your business truly becomes your own.
If in March, you know there's a big bridal event that you're planning for, lay the groundwork NOW and know what your desired outcomes are. They may look something like this:
1. collect contact info for 300 leads
2. connect with 30 brides (preferably at the show)
3. book 10 parties/events from the bridal show
4. schedule 2 recruit interviews
5. sign one recruit
If there is a commandment in direct sales it should be "Thou shalt know thy numbers." You can't plan a realistic business year without knowing your numbers. How many interviews must you hold (on average) before you sign a recruit? How many people do you need to talk to before you can schedule an interview? How many leads do you need to make 30 contacts?
If you know these numbers, you can look at last year's data to break it all down. Here's a hypothetical example:
2009 Results:
Jan - 2 shows, 16 people, 1 recruit interview (did not sign)
Feb - 8 shows, 80 people, 3 recruit interviews (1 signed)
Mar - 10 shows, 85 people, 5 recruit interviews (2 signed)
Apr - 7 shows, 80 people, 4 recruit interviews (1 signed)
May - 16 shows, 150 people, 10 recruit interviews (3 signed)
Jun - 7 shows, 81 people, 5 recruit interviews (3 signed)
Jul - 4 shows, 55 people, 3 recruit interviews (2 signed)
Aug - 4 shows, 42 people, 1 recruit interview (1 signed)
Sep - 6 shows, 55 people, 2 recruit interviews (0 signed)
Oct - 11 shows, 140 people, 12 recruit interviews (5 signed)
nov - 16 shows, 225 people, 20 recruit interviews (10 signed)
Dec - 8 shows, 150 people, 10 recruit interviews (3 signed)
2009 - 99 shows, 1159 people, 76 recruiting interviews, 31 signed
These numbers reveal that for every 3 shows you hold, about 1 person will sign up. It also tells you that only aout 6% of your customers and guests will hold an interview with you, but that once you DO get them to schedule an interview, you will sign up about 40% of them.
It also shows you that June, July and January are your slowest months. this tells you that you can either take a vacation (if you're certain you'll not do any business during those months), or plan some new ideas for those months to boost business.
It also shows you that you're bringing a lot of team members on in the fall. How can you prepare yourself to have an eqally spectacular spring, and still be ready to bring on so many new recruits during the busy season?
Armed with your own numbers, you can plan a course for your entire year - without waiting to see what your home office will do in terms of incentives, prizes, bonuses or rewards.
You can also find the holes in your armor and fix them. If January is always slow, is it because you're so bogged down in December that you can't get things moving? If so, now you have ammunition to create a strategy to prevent this kind of problem at the end of this year.
You don't need a coach to tell you all of this. You can crunch these numbers on your own. But crunch them one way or another so that you can have a powerfully productive 2010!
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com
My husband thinks 'plan' is a four-letter word. So I have to come up with "action items" instead of a plan. It's the only way to get anything done around my house.
But before I lay out my "honey-do" list, I have to envision my desired outcome. Then, I need to understand the important pillars of getting the job done.
The same hold true in your direct sales business.
Once you've laid a vision for your direct sales business, identified the goals and created a strategy around what the key areas of accomplishment are, we then get to "the brass tacks" of bringing that vision to life - creating the plan.
Once you've laid out you annual objectives, you've got to break that down into meaningful, manageable "chunks". For example, if your goal is to add 12 new personal recruits to your team, that breaks down to approximately 1 recruit each month.
But this kind of thinking is not likely to be accurate.
Consultants are trained to average their numbers out over the course of the year, which is a detriment. In reality, the bulk of our sales - the bulk of our business, really - comes during the last quarter of the year.
Now that doesn't mean to sit on your laurels until October. Far from it.
What it means is that you should plan appropriately and project reasonably for the year.
For example, if you look at your sales history and 50% of your sales happens from October to December, don't expect that you'll have an even time of things from January to June.
Forecast higher numbers in the fall and lower numbers in the winter.
This does two things:
1. It paints a realistic picture for your business
2. It shows you where your real opportunities lie
So if you've NEVER added a single recruit in February, you can choose to focus on that objective, or to play to your strengths instead.
This is how your business truly becomes your own.
If in March, you know there's a big bridal event that you're planning for, lay the groundwork NOW and know what your desired outcomes are. They may look something like this:
1. collect contact info for 300 leads
2. connect with 30 brides (preferably at the show)
3. book 10 parties/events from the bridal show
4. schedule 2 recruit interviews
5. sign one recruit
If there is a commandment in direct sales it should be "Thou shalt know thy numbers." You can't plan a realistic business year without knowing your numbers. How many interviews must you hold (on average) before you sign a recruit? How many people do you need to talk to before you can schedule an interview? How many leads do you need to make 30 contacts?
If you know these numbers, you can look at last year's data to break it all down. Here's a hypothetical example:
2009 Results:
Jan - 2 shows, 16 people, 1 recruit interview (did not sign)
Feb - 8 shows, 80 people, 3 recruit interviews (1 signed)
Mar - 10 shows, 85 people, 5 recruit interviews (2 signed)
Apr - 7 shows, 80 people, 4 recruit interviews (1 signed)
May - 16 shows, 150 people, 10 recruit interviews (3 signed)
Jun - 7 shows, 81 people, 5 recruit interviews (3 signed)
Jul - 4 shows, 55 people, 3 recruit interviews (2 signed)
Aug - 4 shows, 42 people, 1 recruit interview (1 signed)
Sep - 6 shows, 55 people, 2 recruit interviews (0 signed)
Oct - 11 shows, 140 people, 12 recruit interviews (5 signed)
nov - 16 shows, 225 people, 20 recruit interviews (10 signed)
Dec - 8 shows, 150 people, 10 recruit interviews (3 signed)
2009 - 99 shows, 1159 people, 76 recruiting interviews, 31 signed
These numbers reveal that for every 3 shows you hold, about 1 person will sign up. It also tells you that only aout 6% of your customers and guests will hold an interview with you, but that once you DO get them to schedule an interview, you will sign up about 40% of them.
It also shows you that June, July and January are your slowest months. this tells you that you can either take a vacation (if you're certain you'll not do any business during those months), or plan some new ideas for those months to boost business.
It also shows you that you're bringing a lot of team members on in the fall. How can you prepare yourself to have an eqally spectacular spring, and still be ready to bring on so many new recruits during the busy season?
Armed with your own numbers, you can plan a course for your entire year - without waiting to see what your home office will do in terms of incentives, prizes, bonuses or rewards.
You can also find the holes in your armor and fix them. If January is always slow, is it because you're so bogged down in December that you can't get things moving? If so, now you have ammunition to create a strategy to prevent this kind of problem at the end of this year.
You don't need a coach to tell you all of this. You can crunch these numbers on your own. But crunch them one way or another so that you can have a powerfully productive 2010!
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com
The Direct Sales Conundrum: Embracing Entrepreneurialism
I have a few confessions to make:
1. I love direct sales. I love doing home parties, meeting people and making connections. I love seeing new faces and learning about new people. I love seeing the insides of other people's homes. Especially unique homes with stories. I love direct sales.
2. Direct Sales is not enough for me. Lest you think I'm greedy, I'm discovering that I'm not alone. I've coached dozens of direct sellers that are trying to find themselves in their business, and I've found out that they, too, feel like direct sales is not enough. It has nothing to do with the compensation plan, or feeling that they won't succeed. In fact, many of these women are VERY successful in their direct sales business. They just feel like there's something 'more'.
3. I am an entrepreneur. I mean that in the "I want something I can call my own, to grow from a seedling and watch it blossom and grow" sense of the word. By design, you never truly own a direct sales business. Sometimes, it owns you. yes, you can build a successful business in direct sales, but the busines you build is always "You, inc." and your direct salescompany is at best a wholesaler and partnerin your venture. You never really 'own' the company.
As an entrepreneur, I jumped from company to company trying to find that "right fit". Sometimes I juggled multiple company affiliations because I thought they'd work well together. And if I found a company that didn't see things my way, I'd jump ship - again.
For a long time, I thought it was just me, until I heard stories from other company hoppers. I thought there was a problem with me sticking to stuff. I thought it was my entrepreneurial ADD kicking in. And that's when it hit me.
I call it The Direct Sales Conundrum.
The problem isn't that you're flighty, or can't stick to one thing. It's not even the fact that you can't ever own the company - at least not entirely. It's the fact that you've hit the wall in your business between being a distributor and being an entrepreneur.
You're trying to force a square peg in a round hole.
Direct sales is amazing for entrepeneurs because it eliminates a lot of the original fears entrepreneurs have about going into business for themseves: your product, marketing materials and all the logistics of delivery are already handled - and you have a whole R&D team and corporate offices backing you up. You're not cash flowing that expense out of your own pocket. All you have to do is handle your personal book of business and manage your own clients - and train your team to do the same.
There are a ton of benefits for entrepreneurs to get their feet wet in a direct sales business model. The 'conundrum' comes when you're not happy with we feet, and are ready to jump headlong into the entrepreneurial pool.
The things that make direct sales great can be the very same reasons why entrepreneurs get listless in their business. Maybe you have some great ideas on how the company should create a new product, serve a new market, or provide better customer service (I sure did).
Those ideas alone would be enough to get soem entrepreneurs shifting in their seats. When you couple those ideas with a burning passion to see changes happening - and they're not happening - you can get downright frustrated in your business.
"I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore." has been a war cry for entrepreneurs probably since the beginning of time. We get to the point where we crave something more than our direct sales business, but we're carrying around too much fear to make the leap into our OWN business.
Smell it? It's fear.
I've watched client after client wrestle with their own fear demons. Some were able to successfully build a direct sales business that brought them contentment. Others wanted "more" and struck out on their own.
The irony is that many of those people wanted to transition out of their "real job" and discovered they had only transferred assignments to a new company.
They were still working a job, they just had more flexibility.
What about you? I love direct sales, and will probably always be a consultant for a company that I love. I also embrace my inner entrepreneur in the other company I've built and the new brand I'm launching next year.
There's nothing wrong with realising that direct sales has serve its purpose in your life, and moving on to the next big thing for you.
There's also nothing wrong with loving a company and products that you are passionate about and sharing them with the world.
Whichever you decide, decide it for yourself. Live life and build your business without apologies. Make mistakes, take big leaps, grow your world and expand your mind.
Because if you don't, who will? You'll be that square peg trying to squeeze yourself into a place you don't belong.
1. I love direct sales. I love doing home parties, meeting people and making connections. I love seeing new faces and learning about new people. I love seeing the insides of other people's homes. Especially unique homes with stories. I love direct sales.
2. Direct Sales is not enough for me. Lest you think I'm greedy, I'm discovering that I'm not alone. I've coached dozens of direct sellers that are trying to find themselves in their business, and I've found out that they, too, feel like direct sales is not enough. It has nothing to do with the compensation plan, or feeling that they won't succeed. In fact, many of these women are VERY successful in their direct sales business. They just feel like there's something 'more'.
3. I am an entrepreneur. I mean that in the "I want something I can call my own, to grow from a seedling and watch it blossom and grow" sense of the word. By design, you never truly own a direct sales business. Sometimes, it owns you. yes, you can build a successful business in direct sales, but the busines you build is always "You, inc." and your direct salescompany is at best a wholesaler and partnerin your venture. You never really 'own' the company.
As an entrepreneur, I jumped from company to company trying to find that "right fit". Sometimes I juggled multiple company affiliations because I thought they'd work well together. And if I found a company that didn't see things my way, I'd jump ship - again.
For a long time, I thought it was just me, until I heard stories from other company hoppers. I thought there was a problem with me sticking to stuff. I thought it was my entrepreneurial ADD kicking in. And that's when it hit me.
I call it The Direct Sales Conundrum.
The problem isn't that you're flighty, or can't stick to one thing. It's not even the fact that you can't ever own the company - at least not entirely. It's the fact that you've hit the wall in your business between being a distributor and being an entrepreneur.
You're trying to force a square peg in a round hole.
Direct sales is amazing for entrepeneurs because it eliminates a lot of the original fears entrepreneurs have about going into business for themseves: your product, marketing materials and all the logistics of delivery are already handled - and you have a whole R&D team and corporate offices backing you up. You're not cash flowing that expense out of your own pocket. All you have to do is handle your personal book of business and manage your own clients - and train your team to do the same.
There are a ton of benefits for entrepreneurs to get their feet wet in a direct sales business model. The 'conundrum' comes when you're not happy with we feet, and are ready to jump headlong into the entrepreneurial pool.
The things that make direct sales great can be the very same reasons why entrepreneurs get listless in their business. Maybe you have some great ideas on how the company should create a new product, serve a new market, or provide better customer service (I sure did).
Those ideas alone would be enough to get soem entrepreneurs shifting in their seats. When you couple those ideas with a burning passion to see changes happening - and they're not happening - you can get downright frustrated in your business.
"I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore." has been a war cry for entrepreneurs probably since the beginning of time. We get to the point where we crave something more than our direct sales business, but we're carrying around too much fear to make the leap into our OWN business.
Smell it? It's fear.
I've watched client after client wrestle with their own fear demons. Some were able to successfully build a direct sales business that brought them contentment. Others wanted "more" and struck out on their own.
The irony is that many of those people wanted to transition out of their "real job" and discovered they had only transferred assignments to a new company.
They were still working a job, they just had more flexibility.
What about you? I love direct sales, and will probably always be a consultant for a company that I love. I also embrace my inner entrepreneur in the other company I've built and the new brand I'm launching next year.
There's nothing wrong with realising that direct sales has serve its purpose in your life, and moving on to the next big thing for you.
There's also nothing wrong with loving a company and products that you are passionate about and sharing them with the world.
Whichever you decide, decide it for yourself. Live life and build your business without apologies. Make mistakes, take big leaps, grow your world and expand your mind.
Because if you don't, who will? You'll be that square peg trying to squeeze yourself into a place you don't belong.
Direct Sales Success: What's Your 2010 Vision?
[Editor's note: Now that I'm migrating the "off topic" posts to my new blog, this blog will be almost entirely focused on Direct Sales Marketing Strategies - primarily online, but offline as well. - Lisa]
Every good business starts with a vision. Actually, there's some other stuff that comes before the vision. It's the foundational, "what makes you tick" kind of stuff that is a bit beyond the confines of this blog. Frankly, in order to build a business you can be passionate about, you have to do that work first. But once you've hammered that identity stuff out, you need to look to your vision.
Some people have an overarching vision for what they anticipate will be the life of their business, and that's important. Equally important is the vision for each year - those things you need to really hone in on to achieve success on your terms.
So what's your vision?
Most direct sales companies only feed you their promotional materials a couple of months at a time. It's a great way to keep you focused on "bookingin tight". But as my Sales Diva mentor, Kim Duke, loves to remind me - you need to be planning at least 90 days out*.
Suffice it to say that unless you're a higher up leader in your company, you can't possibly know what the company has planned.
A typical vision has got to have some kind of scope - who you're going to impact/reach - as well as what you want to accomplish.
For example, to sell $10,000 in XYZ product and teach 500 guests about proper skin care techniques.
A vision can't be one-sided. There has to be a quid-pro-quo (Latin for "this for that"), that is, a service being provided for the compensation being received.
Compensation isn't always monetary either. It can be money you earn, a position or title you attain, a level of prestige or recognition.
In essence, it's something you GET for something you GIVE.
Your vision should be inspiring, and a bit of a stretch. There's no vision in saying I want to keep everything in 2010 the same as it was in 2009. There's no growth in a business that's stagnant. Only decay.
So while a lot of you have started laying out strategies and ideas for what you'd like to earn, creating plans for the beginning of the year, how will you know what success looks like?
That's where your vision comes into play.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com
* - Full disclosure: that's my affiliate link. I love Kim so much I recommend her to others and get compensated when I do.
Every good business starts with a vision. Actually, there's some other stuff that comes before the vision. It's the foundational, "what makes you tick" kind of stuff that is a bit beyond the confines of this blog. Frankly, in order to build a business you can be passionate about, you have to do that work first. But once you've hammered that identity stuff out, you need to look to your vision.
Some people have an overarching vision for what they anticipate will be the life of their business, and that's important. Equally important is the vision for each year - those things you need to really hone in on to achieve success on your terms.
So what's your vision?
Most direct sales companies only feed you their promotional materials a couple of months at a time. It's a great way to keep you focused on "bookingin tight". But as my Sales Diva mentor, Kim Duke, loves to remind me - you need to be planning at least 90 days out*.
Suffice it to say that unless you're a higher up leader in your company, you can't possibly know what the company has planned.
A typical vision has got to have some kind of scope - who you're going to impact/reach - as well as what you want to accomplish.
For example, to sell $10,000 in XYZ product and teach 500 guests about proper skin care techniques.
A vision can't be one-sided. There has to be a quid-pro-quo (Latin for "this for that"), that is, a service being provided for the compensation being received.
Compensation isn't always monetary either. It can be money you earn, a position or title you attain, a level of prestige or recognition.
In essence, it's something you GET for something you GIVE.
Your vision should be inspiring, and a bit of a stretch. There's no vision in saying I want to keep everything in 2010 the same as it was in 2009. There's no growth in a business that's stagnant. Only decay.
So while a lot of you have started laying out strategies and ideas for what you'd like to earn, creating plans for the beginning of the year, how will you know what success looks like?
That's where your vision comes into play.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com
* - Full disclosure: that's my affiliate link. I love Kim so much I recommend her to others and get compensated when I do.
Well that didn't work: When Duplication Fails
Do you remember the old mimeograph machines?
I mean those ink filled drums that teachers used to create "copies" back in the day.
...and you'd turn the crank and turn the crank, and after a while, the purple copies were so faint, you'd have to create a new master to make more copies.
That's the problem with duplication in your direct sales business.
When a leader establishes a successful method of training, new verbiage for closing a sale, etc., instinctively, everyone on the team wants to duplicate that leader's success.
Trouble is, not every method will work for every person.
It's not your fault. You may have a different personality, a different kind of clientele, or a different attitude about the method being presented.
But when a downline leader takes that successful training and "tweaks it", they've essentially created a new "master".
And we're not duplicating the original anymore.
Are you feeling the sticky purple ink on your hands yet?
Duplication only works when you can effectively duplicate a successful SYSTEM.
Styles, approaches, and even verbiage won't always be effectively duplicated because everyone is unique - just like everyone else.
So stop trying to copy the inflection of your upline - and their posture, or their hairstyle (I'm not joking!). That's not what determines your success.
Duplicate the systems they're using - only if they're successful. Examine the processes they use - and determine how successful they are.
Next time, we'll talk about the darker side of duplication. OoooOooOOOOooooh. Just in time for Halloween.
I mean those ink filled drums that teachers used to create "copies" back in the day.
...and you'd turn the crank and turn the crank, and after a while, the purple copies were so faint, you'd have to create a new master to make more copies.
That's the problem with duplication in your direct sales business.
When a leader establishes a successful method of training, new verbiage for closing a sale, etc., instinctively, everyone on the team wants to duplicate that leader's success.
Trouble is, not every method will work for every person.
It's not your fault. You may have a different personality, a different kind of clientele, or a different attitude about the method being presented.
But when a downline leader takes that successful training and "tweaks it", they've essentially created a new "master".
And we're not duplicating the original anymore.
Are you feeling the sticky purple ink on your hands yet?
Duplication only works when you can effectively duplicate a successful SYSTEM.
Styles, approaches, and even verbiage won't always be effectively duplicated because everyone is unique - just like everyone else.
So stop trying to copy the inflection of your upline - and their posture, or their hairstyle (I'm not joking!). That's not what determines your success.
Duplicate the systems they're using - only if they're successful. Examine the processes they use - and determine how successful they are.
Next time, we'll talk about the darker side of duplication. OoooOooOOOOooooh. Just in time for Halloween.
Target Marketing Online: Where to look first
My biggest challenge with marketing online is finding people who would be truly interested in the business either as a customer or a distributor. Advertising on other sites is OK, but can get expensive. So, I need to find a better way to connect with people to get the message out. I have been writing guest articles on general marketing and follow up techniques for direct sales. My articles include a simple demonstration of how my business/product can help them personally connect with customers for less money and time. I have had a few leads, but need to get the word out to more people. I know my product can help them get more referrals and reorders. I just need to find the prospects!
This is one of my favorite questions. In an industry where we've been trained that "anyone with a pulse" is our prospect, it's ironic that so many people building an online presence can't seem to find anyone interested in what they have to offer. Then the question comes: how do I find prospects?
Several entries in the 12 week challenge contset have a similar theme. But this entry outlines at least SOME strategy: advertising.
While it's true that advertising is a fast way to bring in leads - when done properly - it's also true that it's a fast way to lose money - when done improperly.
So what can we do as business owners to attract our perfect fit clients to us?
First, we have to know who those perfect fit clients are. In direct sales, we actually have multiple "customers" - or actual clients, our hosts, and our recruits. In small business we may also have multiple customer types depending onteh products or services we offer.
The challenge is that no one approach will work for everyone. There's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to marketing (online or offline).
That's one of the reasons you'll see the same print ad in different magazines with different models. Same content, same poses, same message, but the models have different hair, skin or makeup coloring. It's why you don't see ads for bikini waxing in ESPN magazine.
Because different things appeal to different people.
Just like Super Bowl ads and print magazines, online marketing is not suitable for everyone.
Uh-oh, do you feel another marketing bashing coming on?
Wait. There's more.
You can't use the same message to attract everyone.
For example, if your goal is to increase sales, you need to be looking for BUYERS. If you're looking to increase the number of recruits on your team in a direct sales organization, you need to be looking for business builders.
You won't always find those people hanging out in the same online or offline "places".
Different bait for different fish, so to speak.
Once you've developed a perfect fit customer profile, only THEN can you truly consider the likely places to find them.
For example, if your perfect fit customer is a 30-something single mom, probably a lawyer, who lives in your local community (let's say Peoria, IL), then do a google search for women lawyers in Peoria, IL.
My search yielded the women lawyer's directory pretty quickly:
http://www.womenlawyers.com/states/il.htm
Who says you can't find your target market?
So my first question to people is always: Do you really know who your prospects are? If you can identify a true demographic - right down to the color of their fingernails - it's actually like shooting fish in a barrel anymore.
They're everywhere - particularly online - and with online marketing, you don't have to limit yourself to a local area! In most cases you can attract a global, if not national audience.
I live in Michigan. The bulk of my direct sales customers are Internet leads that don't even LIVE in my state - and have NEVER met me. In my coaching business, many of my clients are on the Eastern seaboard states.
I'm a no-nonsense, play no games kind of girl. I tell it lke it is, and rarely sugar coat - mostly because I never really learned how. Easterners from New York, Maryland, Delaware, they understand that, they're attracted to that - thus, they find me.
Not everyone is my customer. I embrace that and play to my strengths. That's not to say I wouldn't enjoy having a few more clients in Arizona or California (I love reasons to travel!), but I also don't focus a lot of time spinning my wheels when I know I have a huge untapped market with people in areas I already serve.
Again, it comes to focus. Pick one thing and focus on that. If you're young in your small business, focus on increasing sales and market share - on getting your name out there, being seen and getting seen. Build some stability into your business and "grow slowly" as Wolfgang Puck said in Inc Magazine.
If you're a seasoned business owner, consider laying a foundation for expansion in your marketing. Direct Sales Leaders should focus on team building and establishing a persona for your organization - one that follows you to whatever company you may end up with. One web page can't be all things to all people. So stop trying.
If you have multiple markets, multiple segments, multiple perfect fit customers, create multiple approaches to reach them. People are not cookie cutters, and we don't all respond the same to every marketing piece. We are savvy, we need multiple contacts, and you can't jsut click your heels together three times and get us to buy into your message.
You MUST establish a level of KLT: know, like and trust.
But that's for another post another day. Tomorrow perhaps.
Today, know that your biggest successes will come from the moments of clarity you can build into your business. The more clear you can be on what you want, the easier it is to attain that want.
Otherwise, you'll be scratching your head, because you can't see the forest for the trees.
In the 12-week challenge, we'll devote time to not only identifying your perfect fit customer, but analyzing where you can find them, crafting a message and offer to attract them, and ways to connect with them that are meaningful. There's still time to enter the contest, and tickets for the program went on sale yesterday. You can purchase your tickets here before we're sold out. Only a total of 175 "seats" are available for this event. when they're gone, they're gone! Winners will be announced October 20, 2009.
5 Ways to Build a Responsive List
The money is in the list. That's what today's marketers will tell you.
But that's a half truth. The money is in the responsive list.
The phone book is a great example of a list that is mostly worthless for marketing purposes. Yes, there's money to be had in that list, but the time and effort you'll expend trying to extract it could be put to better use labeing your catalogs.
You need a responsive list. You may have heard me talk in the past about creating a customer crack addiction. These are customers that are so excited about working with you, that they're almost addicted to what you have to say, and more importantly, what you have to offer.
It's been said that if we only had 1000 true fans, most of us could live a comfortable lifestyle. These 1000 true fans would flock to our classes, devour everything we ever teach them, and be the first to own one of everything we've ever offered.
Yet, most of us are quite content to take whatever we're given and keep our mouths shut.
If you are truly building "You, Inc.", you need to consider how to gro a responsive list. Take a cue from Aunt Barbara.
You can visit youtube on any given day and you'll see dozens of videos from "Aunt Barbara" - a Tupperware representative with a twist - HE does all of his parties in drag, dressed as a quintessential 1950's marm, complete with the beehive hair and the red lipstick.
This guy sold over $100,000 in Tupperware last year and was featured on MSNBC. He's created a following of fans that enjoy his irreverent, on the fringe style of Tupperware parties, and they watch his videos religiously.
While you may not be ready to dress in drag, there are ways to build a responsive list that can have you seeing six figure sales as well.
1. Video. Sites like youtube and viddler not only allow you to post videos, you can create whole channels for your content, and promote them as well. Videos that go viral - like Aunt Barbara - mean more eyeballs. More eyeballs convert to clicks, clicks convert to buyers. Video is fast, and still forgiving. You don't need to be perfect, just genuine.
2. Ezines. Still the tried and true way to regularly reach your "tribe" of faithful, ezines are still effective. They target your market and provide you with a level of credibility when used consistently. If you can't be conistent, though, avoid getting started with ezines. Responsive lsis will come to expect them like clockwork.
3. Articles. Related to ezines, but not exactly the same, posting articles on article sites like ezinearticles.com can help drive traffic and build your list as well.
4. Blogs. A great way to generate a lot of traffic, it can be tricky to convert blog readers into list members without a strong call to action to do so. Make sure you have some sort of opt-in link or subscription form near every post to ensure those that want to sign up will.
5. Social Media. This is a fantastic way to create a following, but like blogs can be tricky to convert followers into list members. Post too many links, and you're seen as spammy. You really have to walk the line and provide a lot of value for this to be effective. When done properly, though, your social media fans will be some of your most vocal advocates in the marketplace.
Once you start building a responsive list, you'll quickly see a return on your investment of value. People that complain about giving away free content to their lists are generally the ones still using a phonebook instead of a targeted list of raving fans. People want good reasons to do business with you, and they want to be sure you're the real deal. Giving value first goes a long way toward building a responsive list, and each of these methods provides value in a real, tangible way for minimal expense.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com
But that's a half truth. The money is in the responsive list.
The phone book is a great example of a list that is mostly worthless for marketing purposes. Yes, there's money to be had in that list, but the time and effort you'll expend trying to extract it could be put to better use labeing your catalogs.
You need a responsive list. You may have heard me talk in the past about creating a customer crack addiction. These are customers that are so excited about working with you, that they're almost addicted to what you have to say, and more importantly, what you have to offer.
It's been said that if we only had 1000 true fans, most of us could live a comfortable lifestyle. These 1000 true fans would flock to our classes, devour everything we ever teach them, and be the first to own one of everything we've ever offered.
Yet, most of us are quite content to take whatever we're given and keep our mouths shut.
If you are truly building "You, Inc.", you need to consider how to gro a responsive list. Take a cue from Aunt Barbara.
You can visit youtube on any given day and you'll see dozens of videos from "Aunt Barbara" - a Tupperware representative with a twist - HE does all of his parties in drag, dressed as a quintessential 1950's marm, complete with the beehive hair and the red lipstick.
This guy sold over $100,000 in Tupperware last year and was featured on MSNBC. He's created a following of fans that enjoy his irreverent, on the fringe style of Tupperware parties, and they watch his videos religiously.
While you may not be ready to dress in drag, there are ways to build a responsive list that can have you seeing six figure sales as well.
1. Video. Sites like youtube and viddler not only allow you to post videos, you can create whole channels for your content, and promote them as well. Videos that go viral - like Aunt Barbara - mean more eyeballs. More eyeballs convert to clicks, clicks convert to buyers. Video is fast, and still forgiving. You don't need to be perfect, just genuine.
2. Ezines. Still the tried and true way to regularly reach your "tribe" of faithful, ezines are still effective. They target your market and provide you with a level of credibility when used consistently. If you can't be conistent, though, avoid getting started with ezines. Responsive lsis will come to expect them like clockwork.
3. Articles. Related to ezines, but not exactly the same, posting articles on article sites like ezinearticles.com can help drive traffic and build your list as well.
4. Blogs. A great way to generate a lot of traffic, it can be tricky to convert blog readers into list members without a strong call to action to do so. Make sure you have some sort of opt-in link or subscription form near every post to ensure those that want to sign up will.
5. Social Media. This is a fantastic way to create a following, but like blogs can be tricky to convert followers into list members. Post too many links, and you're seen as spammy. You really have to walk the line and provide a lot of value for this to be effective. When done properly, though, your social media fans will be some of your most vocal advocates in the marketplace.
Once you start building a responsive list, you'll quickly see a return on your investment of value. People that complain about giving away free content to their lists are generally the ones still using a phonebook instead of a targeted list of raving fans. People want good reasons to do business with you, and they want to be sure you're the real deal. Giving value first goes a long way toward building a responsive list, and each of these methods provides value in a real, tangible way for minimal expense.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com
The Power of a List
Whenever clients ask me why they need their own (opt-in) list of contacts and customers, I tell them this:
"She who controls the list controls the marketing message."
Then, I usually recount one story or another I've gathered from other consultants. Like the consultant that joined a new direct sales company after her previous company closed their doors. With less than a week to finalize any outstanding orders, most consultants are left cobbling together customer order forms, old guest lists, and email contacts as they try to rebuild their business with a new company.
Or perhaps you've left your company for "greener pastures" as did one top income earner I know. Eventually several of her downline team mates joined her. Naturally, you're going to let all your past hosts and customers know about your the change. In doing so, you just might end up like she did - slapped with a lawsuit for "enticement". Her former company claimed that she was using confidential company information that was owned by the company to "harvest" customers and consultants, causing them thousands of dollars in lost business.
If you look at most direct sales consultant agreements or policy manuals, you'll see wording that says all customer and consultant lists belong to the company, and that you are granted a license to use that information as long as you are a consultant. Customer lists are confidential, and considered an important "trade secret" that could cause financial harm should they fall into the "wrong hands".
Now, I'm not trying to put the fear of God in you. As a business owner, you need to be aware of all the details of any contracts/agreements that you sign. Make sure you're reading the fine print in your consultant agreement and policy manual.
You hold NO ownership claim to any list that is controlled by your direct sales company.
That means whenever a client or lead visits your company sponsored website and signs up for the company sponsored newsletter, they are part of the company sponsored marketing system and their contact info is essentially owned by the company.
It doesn't matter if the client is a lead from another state or your great Aunt Margaret. The company owns the lead.
As a business owner, YOU need to have a list that you control. As the owner of "You, Inc.", you have a right to contact, market and serve anyone on your own list. Having your own marketing list - that your clients have agreed to be on (they have opted in) - provides you several walls of protection.
Legal protection
If you have clients that opt-in to your list BEFORE you recommend your company products or services, you can prove that they were YOUR leads first. It's as easy as having them sign up for your monthly newsletter (not the company newsletter, YOURS). When leads opt-in, they have given you written permission to be added to your marketing list.
Don't just add people to your list, or you could be accused of violating CAN-SPAM regulations. Get their permission. If they're really your customers, they are usually happy to grant you that permission.
Portability & Flexibility
When you control the list, you determine how and when they are contacted. You can send them ANY message that is in alignment with the purpose of the list. Don't send cooking recipes to a list about financial managment. You assume responsibility for any and all messages going out to your list. It is also your responsibility to keep the list clean.
Plus, if you move to a new company, you can take that list with you. If you use a mailing list service, you can automate a lot of the work, and make updating a snap!
Relationship Building
As the market continues to evolve, being able to communicate effectively with your audience begins with building a relationship built on trust, identity and likeability. If your leads don't know, like and trust you, they won't follow you from one company to another. Having your own marketing list, allows you to update them on the happenings in your life - not just the hot special your company has this month.A company can only develop a product centric relationship - because they don't know your clients like you do. By sending out periodic updates about some of the personal aspects of your life, your clients get to learn more about who you are as a person, not only as a sales rep.Like Jeffrey Gitomer says:All thing being equal, people want to do business with friends. All things being unequal, people STILL want to do business with friends.
Real businesses own their list, treat it like gold, and protect it like Fort Knox. You should too.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com
Twitter Tips for Direct Sellers
As a target marketing specialist for direct sales reps, I spend a lot of time testing new strategies to help direct sales reps reach and serve their customers. My current favorite is twitter.
Twitter is an obvious choice for connecting real time with friends or followers. It's quick and relatively easy to navigate. Simply create an i.d., and start looking for people to spread your message.
The trouble comes when a person is brand new and has no idea how/where to begin.
Twitter is not a platform for heavy selling. Rather, it's a great place to introduce yourself, share more about who you are, and then open the door to potential business ventures. Heck, you only have 140 characters per tweet, and if you want people to share those tweets, you need to keep it under 120!
In the interests of ettiquette, here are a few simple tips to help direct sellers make the most of twitter:
1. Be genuine. This is at the heart of everything twitter represents. Select a user name that reflects who you are, rather than your product or company name. In fact, most companies prohibit use of their name in that manner anyway, so why risk it?People will gravitate to who you are first, THEN to what you offer.
2. Provide value. You've heard me say this time and again. People are always asking themselves, "why should I believe/listen you?" We are deluged with thousands of "advertising" messaged every single day. Your tweets need to stand out, provide value to your market and serve the very people you're trying to reach.
3. Be personal. By that, I mean resist the temptation to automate your folowing/unfollowing or direct messaging. There are appropriate ways to use automation with twitter. I've tested dozens of applications that were developed to maximize the efficiency of twitter. My results conclude that Autofollows and autoDM's just cause trouble.
Take the time to make the connection manually - which will avoid the need to unfollow at a later date. Yes, it means your number of followers may grow more slowly, but you can be sure that the followers you do have are actually INTERESTED in what you have to say.
4. Be patient. If you're being true to who you are, you're not likely to get a million followers overnight, but you WILL generate a following of people that know like and trust you. Word will spread as your followers share your message with their followers.
This is why I stress that social media and online marketing does not replace your home party business, but is an additional marketing component to running your business like a real business. Yes, there are people who have all but retired from doing home parties, but it didn't happen overnight. Don't fool yourself into thinking that a twitter account (or any single marketing strategy) is the fastest way to riches. It can help increase your reach dramatically, but it's certainly not an overnight solution.
==========
Want more help understanding twitter and how to apply it to your business? Explore Lisa's course: Twitter Secrets for Direct Sellers. The only certified Direct Sales Marketing Coach in the WORLD, Lisa Robbin Young can help demystify the business side of running your direct sales business. Visit her free online community for direct sellers today.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to use target marketing to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Register today for her free member community & target marketing program for direct sellers at http://www.homepartysolution.com
Twitter is an obvious choice for connecting real time with friends or followers. It's quick and relatively easy to navigate. Simply create an i.d., and start looking for people to spread your message.
The trouble comes when a person is brand new and has no idea how/where to begin.
Twitter is not a platform for heavy selling. Rather, it's a great place to introduce yourself, share more about who you are, and then open the door to potential business ventures. Heck, you only have 140 characters per tweet, and if you want people to share those tweets, you need to keep it under 120!
In the interests of ettiquette, here are a few simple tips to help direct sellers make the most of twitter:
1. Be genuine. This is at the heart of everything twitter represents. Select a user name that reflects who you are, rather than your product or company name. In fact, most companies prohibit use of their name in that manner anyway, so why risk it?People will gravitate to who you are first, THEN to what you offer.
2. Provide value. You've heard me say this time and again. People are always asking themselves, "why should I believe/listen you?" We are deluged with thousands of "advertising" messaged every single day. Your tweets need to stand out, provide value to your market and serve the very people you're trying to reach.
3. Be personal. By that, I mean resist the temptation to automate your folowing/unfollowing or direct messaging. There are appropriate ways to use automation with twitter. I've tested dozens of applications that were developed to maximize the efficiency of twitter. My results conclude that Autofollows and autoDM's just cause trouble.
Take the time to make the connection manually - which will avoid the need to unfollow at a later date. Yes, it means your number of followers may grow more slowly, but you can be sure that the followers you do have are actually INTERESTED in what you have to say.
4. Be patient. If you're being true to who you are, you're not likely to get a million followers overnight, but you WILL generate a following of people that know like and trust you. Word will spread as your followers share your message with their followers.
This is why I stress that social media and online marketing does not replace your home party business, but is an additional marketing component to running your business like a real business. Yes, there are people who have all but retired from doing home parties, but it didn't happen overnight. Don't fool yourself into thinking that a twitter account (or any single marketing strategy) is the fastest way to riches. It can help increase your reach dramatically, but it's certainly not an overnight solution.
==========
Want more help understanding twitter and how to apply it to your business? Explore Lisa's course: Twitter Secrets for Direct Sellers. The only certified Direct Sales Marketing Coach in the WORLD, Lisa Robbin Young can help demystify the business side of running your direct sales business. Visit her free online community for direct sellers today.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to use target marketing to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Register today for her free member community & target marketing program for direct sellers at http://www.homepartysolution.com
Income Producing Activites for Direct Sellers
In a previous post, I discussed Pareto's Law, the 80/20 Rule. And often, as was this case with this post, the comments come back like this:
"I *know* this. It's just hard to put into practice."
So I wanted to take a closer look at Income Producing Activities for Direct Sellers, as I research your most burning questions for an upcoming free teleclass for my subscribers.
Many direct sellers don't even know what their income producing activities (IPA) really are. Simply defined, IPA are any activities that directly generate income for you.
Most consultants think of this as booking, selling and recruiting. Most consultants would be wrong.
Let's look more closely at each of these activities and see if they meet our simple definition.
Booking parties is time-consuming. Even at the show, we're dropping 3-10 booking seeds to get 3-4 shows added to our calendar. When we look at industry statistics, 20% of your shows will cancel or reschedule. But in reality, it's not the booking that generates the income. Any consultant who's failed to follow up with a hostess, or forgotten to mail the invitations, or didn't confirm the booking has invariably lost a show (or had a mostly unprofitable one). Therefore it's not the act of BOOKING the party that produces the income, but rather hostess coaching and follow up that produce the income.
Dozens of industry trainers will offer you host coaching programs. The best one I've ever seen - and use myself, is Deb Bixler's Create a Cash Flow Show - which virtually guarantees you'll have a $1,000 show every time you do a party. And yes, out of full disclosure, that's my affiliate link. It give me credit for referring you to her website. I only recommend products I use and love. Deb's is one of the best on the market in terms of content and delivery. Her no-nonsense, build it like a real business approach is in complete alignment with the way I run my business, and she's a trainer of integrity.
So booking is NOT an income producing activity, per se. Hostess Coaching is. And often, this is the area in which we suffer most.
Selling is quite obviously an IPA, since the result of selling is that you earn income. Whether you're doing custmer care follow-up, reorder calls, or the show itself, I think that IPA is fairly self-explanatory.
Recruiting can be an IPA, but you need to check your company rule book. In nearly all direct selling companies, no one is paid for recruiting someone, but rather, is paid when that recruit meets a performance goal - selling a certain amount, getting "qualified" or some other performance based measurement.
In fact, many companies have strict rules AGAINST compensating a person for adding recruits to their team to avoid being considered a "pyramid/ponzi scheme". Ponzi was notorious for paying people in the pyramid a portion of the recruiting fee and there was no real product to sell - which ultimately meant the pyramid would crumble when people stopped signing up. The DSA and the federal government have some pretty strict rules about this.
So recruiting in and of itself is not an income producing activity, rather the income is produced based on team performance. But how do you encourage consultants to perform? Coaching. Thus COACHING your team is the income producing activity.
So aside from the actual sales process, the bulk of your income is derived fom your coaching activities - either with your hostess or with your team.
But where are we told to spent the bulk of your time? Booking, Selling and Recruiting.
Don't get me wrong, these are important activities, but when it comes to the 80/20 rule, Booking and Recruiting (also known as prospecting) shouldn't take more than 20% of your business time (they likely take up 80% of your time now). The remaining 80% of your business time should be focused on actual Income Producing Activities: SELLING and COACHING your hostesss and teams.
Yet this is the very complaint I hear over and over again: I don't have the TIME. Thus the need to streamline, automate, delegate and eliminate activities that don't fall into the most productive parts of our business.
Freeing yourself to focus on IPA isn't an overnight task. It takes time, but is critical to the overall success of your business. Top Direct Sales Leaders don't try to do it all themselves. Neither should you. Begin today by looking at what you could delegate, or things you know you're not good at that you could have someone else handle for you.
Take time to develop the list. Eventually, put a plan in place to start delegating. You'll free up your time to focus on making more money, which will eventually turn into freeing up more time because you won't need to work so much!
==========
Want more help understanding IPA and how to apply it to your business? Use this form to Ask Lisa your questions for an upcoming free teleclass about Income Producing Activities for Direct Sellers. The only certified Direct Sales Marketing Coach in the WORLD, Lisa Robbin Young can help demystify the business side of running your direct sales business. Visit her free online community for direct sellers today.
"I *know* this. It's just hard to put into practice."
So I wanted to take a closer look at Income Producing Activities for Direct Sellers, as I research your most burning questions for an upcoming free teleclass for my subscribers.
Many direct sellers don't even know what their income producing activities (IPA) really are. Simply defined, IPA are any activities that directly generate income for you.
Most consultants think of this as booking, selling and recruiting. Most consultants would be wrong.
Let's look more closely at each of these activities and see if they meet our simple definition.
Booking parties is time-consuming. Even at the show, we're dropping 3-10 booking seeds to get 3-4 shows added to our calendar. When we look at industry statistics, 20% of your shows will cancel or reschedule. But in reality, it's not the booking that generates the income. Any consultant who's failed to follow up with a hostess, or forgotten to mail the invitations, or didn't confirm the booking has invariably lost a show (or had a mostly unprofitable one). Therefore it's not the act of BOOKING the party that produces the income, but rather hostess coaching and follow up that produce the income.
Dozens of industry trainers will offer you host coaching programs. The best one I've ever seen - and use myself, is Deb Bixler's Create a Cash Flow Show - which virtually guarantees you'll have a $1,000 show every time you do a party. And yes, out of full disclosure, that's my affiliate link. It give me credit for referring you to her website. I only recommend products I use and love. Deb's is one of the best on the market in terms of content and delivery. Her no-nonsense, build it like a real business approach is in complete alignment with the way I run my business, and she's a trainer of integrity.
So booking is NOT an income producing activity, per se. Hostess Coaching is. And often, this is the area in which we suffer most.
Selling is quite obviously an IPA, since the result of selling is that you earn income. Whether you're doing custmer care follow-up, reorder calls, or the show itself, I think that IPA is fairly self-explanatory.
Recruiting can be an IPA, but you need to check your company rule book. In nearly all direct selling companies, no one is paid for recruiting someone, but rather, is paid when that recruit meets a performance goal - selling a certain amount, getting "qualified" or some other performance based measurement.
In fact, many companies have strict rules AGAINST compensating a person for adding recruits to their team to avoid being considered a "pyramid/ponzi scheme". Ponzi was notorious for paying people in the pyramid a portion of the recruiting fee and there was no real product to sell - which ultimately meant the pyramid would crumble when people stopped signing up. The DSA and the federal government have some pretty strict rules about this.
So recruiting in and of itself is not an income producing activity, rather the income is produced based on team performance. But how do you encourage consultants to perform? Coaching. Thus COACHING your team is the income producing activity.
So aside from the actual sales process, the bulk of your income is derived fom your coaching activities - either with your hostess or with your team.
But where are we told to spent the bulk of your time? Booking, Selling and Recruiting.
Don't get me wrong, these are important activities, but when it comes to the 80/20 rule, Booking and Recruiting (also known as prospecting) shouldn't take more than 20% of your business time (they likely take up 80% of your time now). The remaining 80% of your business time should be focused on actual Income Producing Activities: SELLING and COACHING your hostesss and teams.
Yet this is the very complaint I hear over and over again: I don't have the TIME. Thus the need to streamline, automate, delegate and eliminate activities that don't fall into the most productive parts of our business.
Freeing yourself to focus on IPA isn't an overnight task. It takes time, but is critical to the overall success of your business. Top Direct Sales Leaders don't try to do it all themselves. Neither should you. Begin today by looking at what you could delegate, or things you know you're not good at that you could have someone else handle for you.
Take time to develop the list. Eventually, put a plan in place to start delegating. You'll free up your time to focus on making more money, which will eventually turn into freeing up more time because you won't need to work so much!
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Want more help understanding IPA and how to apply it to your business? Use this form to Ask Lisa your questions for an upcoming free teleclass about Income Producing Activities for Direct Sellers. The only certified Direct Sales Marketing Coach in the WORLD, Lisa Robbin Young can help demystify the business side of running your direct sales business. Visit her free online community for direct sellers today.
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