As a direct sales consultant, I was party to more than my share of horrible events.
You know the kind: five consultants standing around in a mostly empty booth, while the crowds of passersby pass you by.
You look on, longingly hoping that someone, anyone, will enter the booth to talk to you.
But people keep walking by, afraid you'll all descend like vultures.
Yeah. I've been there. Thousands of people, no leads to speak of.
Then I had the opportunity to set up my own booth at a 2-day event, instead of "buying in" to someone else's.
I had complete control over how things were "supposed" to go (more on that in a minute).
I learned there were three critical factors to a successful event booth:
1. Traffic
2. Leads
3. Buzz
If you do it right, it's like a circle. Traffic generates leads, which creates buzz, which stimulates traffic.
But you can't get those three things to work if you haven't done your homework BEFORE the event. Here are the three MUST HAVES for any successful expo-type vendor event.
1. Know the desired outcome. What is it you're looking for from this event? More bookings? More recruits? More sales? A combination of the three? Be very clear on what it is you want from the leads that enter your booth.
2. Know the special offer. The best events I've ever had included some kind of incentive for creating the desired outcome AT the event. A special incentive for booking your party at the expo, for example.
3. An eye-catching display and sticky collateral. It doesn't have to be fancy, but it does have to be vertical. Something tall and easy to spot across a crowded expo center, or takeaways that have your visitors advertising for you, are both effective means of generating buzz once people have made it to your booth.
There's one more thing you need to plan for before the event - time to follow up with leads. If you're too busy to follow up with contacts you've made at the event, don't bother going. It's the equivalent of flushing your money down the toilet. Before the big day, block out time in your calendar AFTER the big event to be sure you can reach out to as many of your prospects as possible. If you've made a plan for the three must-haves, you'll need that time after the event to connect and close your leads.
Done properly, these three items are the biggest determining factors of your event success. If you handle yourself well and stick to the plan, you'll likely come out with more leads than you can handle.
If you opt to do things the old-school way (as did some of the consultants that joined me in my booth), you'll drive people away.
The proof is in the pudding, as they say. I set up my booth, told the other consultants how we we're going to handle the event, and left to speak on the main stage at the event. When I returned, two of the consultants were out in the aisles, passing out business cards and begging for bookings.
These two ladies were not on my team, but were part of my leader's team. They had paid to share the booth with us, so I wanted them to be successful. I politely explained to them that they needed to be in the booth, following the outline we had created to make the event successful for everyone.
"But that's too distracting. We aren't talking to as many people that way. Out in the aisle, we're talking to eveyone that comes by."
"My point exactly." I said, as I motioned for my team mate to join us in the aisle.
She was finishing up scheduling a booking on her calendar and I asked her to report out her results.
"I've booked a show and scheduled one recruiting appointment, but I've only talked to about 15 people since you left."
I then turned my attention to the ladies in the aisle.
"We've passed out about 50 business cards. I've got one lady that said she'd come back later to talk about booking a party. She's a friend of mine from work."
She did book that party. But at the end of the evening, when we were sorting out the leads, those two women had decidedly fewer leads than my team. They also had fewer booked appointments, and fewer business cards in their hands.
They didn't come back the next day. On their way out for the evening, they grumbled about how poorly the event fared for them, and how I must have somehow cheated to get nearly twice as many leads for my team.
Ladies! It's about quality, not quantity. Those women were forcing themselves on anyone that stood still long enough to take a card, instead of getting people to be excited about what they offered, and sharing that excitement with everyone they came in contact with.
Who's going to keep a business card? Not very many people. Who's going to wear a sticker that says "I got lucky!" and then tell other people at the event where they can go to get a sticker of their own?
Now you see my point. My team was engaging people in a game and putting the sticker on these people so that we would know who'd already played the game. People were coming to our table to play the game, walking away with a sticker and doing the advertising for us about our booth. We didn't have to go out into the aisle. They were coming to us.
But playing the game takes about 45 seconds per guest. That means you won't talk to as many people. BUT the ones you DO talk to are engaged, excited about what you're offering, and more likely to book, buy, or consider joining your team.
So I guess you could say we cheated. We used the power of the crowd on itself. We created a viral marketing campaign right there in the event. We created buzz, which drew traffic, which generated leads...
...And we had more leads than we could handle at the end of the night - and looked forward to even more on the next day.
© 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 customer service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label customer service. Show all posts
Longer is Much More Gratifying: Business Relationships That Work
I subscribe to far too many mailing lists.
My assistant creates filters in my gmail account so that I can sort the wheat from the chaff on a regular basis, but even I recognize I'm still on far too many lists. Some lists I'm not even sure how I got there - or they only send me an email once every blue moon, so I forget to unsubscribe before I hit the delete button.
Today, I got an email from one such list. But I shan't be unsubscribing just yet.
One little sentence saved him from the dung heap.
Normally, I don't like ezines that force me to click through to read the article. But his title was compelling, revealing the business trend we witnessed in 2009 - how 7 figure companies were fast dwindling into 5 figure companies due to a failue to adapt to change.
The one little sentence that caught my eye (despite the problems with formatting on the page)?
"It takes us longer to convert a lead into a customer but it is much more gratifying in the end."
Hello! Welcome to the world of marketing your business!
Gone are the days of sticking a business card in your prospect's face and expecting them to buy a couple hundred dollars worth of your product. In fact, Bob suggests that going after bigger ticket clients is actually a better strategy because they understand the value of your product, and are less likely to shop based solely on price.
The reality of that, however, is that people who shop based on value take a little more time to assess, resolve and decide to make the purchase.
I'll have a guest that attends 3 or 4 parties before they ever purchase a thing. I'm on the verge of writing this person off as uninterested just as they are whipping out their checkbook to pay for a $300+ order.
I wish I was joking, but I'm not.
See, the flip side to our "instant gratification" world is that there are still people that believe in taking their time, doing things the right way, and NOT rushing into anything. In our rush to service the next in line, we sometimes forget what serving our clients is really all about: finding their needs, and helping them make decisions that will improve their lives.
And sometimes it takes more than four point two seconds to determine if the value of your offering really is better than the other guy. Sometimes value is determined by how much time you actually SPEND WITH the client.
This isn't just a direct sales application. This is a life application. Our best friends are usually the ones we've known the longest - or it at least "feeeeels like we've known them foreeeeeeeever". Longer relationships are much more gratifying.
That's the dilemma of social media. So many direct sellers have jumped on the SM bandwagon thinking it's the road to fast riches. NO. Just like eveything else bout direct sales, it's not get rich quick. It's get rich by building relationships - on a national platform instead of a local one.
So if someone sold you that bill of goods, my apologies. The strength in any relationship - business or otherwise - lies in the number of genuine, valueable connections you have with that person. Sometimes you can take shortcuts, but you can't short circuit the entire process.
© 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 assistant creates filters in my gmail account so that I can sort the wheat from the chaff on a regular basis, but even I recognize I'm still on far too many lists. Some lists I'm not even sure how I got there - or they only send me an email once every blue moon, so I forget to unsubscribe before I hit the delete button.
Today, I got an email from one such list. But I shan't be unsubscribing just yet.
One little sentence saved him from the dung heap.
Normally, I don't like ezines that force me to click through to read the article. But his title was compelling, revealing the business trend we witnessed in 2009 - how 7 figure companies were fast dwindling into 5 figure companies due to a failue to adapt to change.
The one little sentence that caught my eye (despite the problems with formatting on the page)?
"It takes us longer to convert a lead into a customer but it is much more gratifying in the end."
Hello! Welcome to the world of marketing your business!
Gone are the days of sticking a business card in your prospect's face and expecting them to buy a couple hundred dollars worth of your product. In fact, Bob suggests that going after bigger ticket clients is actually a better strategy because they understand the value of your product, and are less likely to shop based solely on price.
The reality of that, however, is that people who shop based on value take a little more time to assess, resolve and decide to make the purchase.
I'll have a guest that attends 3 or 4 parties before they ever purchase a thing. I'm on the verge of writing this person off as uninterested just as they are whipping out their checkbook to pay for a $300+ order.
I wish I was joking, but I'm not.
See, the flip side to our "instant gratification" world is that there are still people that believe in taking their time, doing things the right way, and NOT rushing into anything. In our rush to service the next in line, we sometimes forget what serving our clients is really all about: finding their needs, and helping them make decisions that will improve their lives.
And sometimes it takes more than four point two seconds to determine if the value of your offering really is better than the other guy. Sometimes value is determined by how much time you actually SPEND WITH the client.
This isn't just a direct sales application. This is a life application. Our best friends are usually the ones we've known the longest - or it at least "feeeeels like we've known them foreeeeeeeever". Longer relationships are much more gratifying.
That's the dilemma of social media. So many direct sellers have jumped on the SM bandwagon thinking it's the road to fast riches. NO. Just like eveything else bout direct sales, it's not get rich quick. It's get rich by building relationships - on a national platform instead of a local one.
So if someone sold you that bill of goods, my apologies. The strength in any relationship - business or otherwise - lies in the number of genuine, valueable connections you have with that person. Sometimes you can take shortcuts, but you can't short circuit the entire process.
© 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
Social Media DON'T: LinkedIn Presentation Blunder
File this in the "Oh NO you DIDN'T!" category...
Some of you may know that I've had a linkedin profile for a while, but never really used it.
I started making a few connections a couple of months ago, and I'm starting to think it was a bad idea.
From what limited info I have about linkedin, you're only supposed to "accept" real people that you know. So that's what I did.
This week, I got a peculiar email from one of my linkedin "contacts".
In essence this person sent me a slide show to review under the guise of getting my professional opinion. This person said they had "just finished" the presentation and wanted to get my honest feedback on it.
OhhhhhhHHHHhhhhh. I don't really think they want my honest feedback, so I'm going to share it publicly so that YOU can learn what went wrong and how you can prevent looking like a total flake when you're using LinkedIn.
1. The presentation was posted over a month ago.
This was not a NEW presentation, which was the first giveaway. If this person reeally wanted help, why wait a whole month to have someone review your presentation?
2. The FIRST Slide was titled "Why is NOW a graet time to join XYZ Co."
Oh NO you DIDN'T! When I clicked through to the person's profile, I saw that this presentation was one of the most viewed presntations on LinkedIn... for obvious reasons. This person was capitalizing on the good nature of people to view the presentation, when in reality the goal was either to get people to join the biz, or to push up the popularity of their presentation. Either way, it's a limy, underhanded tactic, and to use it on smeone in yuor own profession HAD to be one of the most ignorant moves on the planet.
Yep, I'm seething a bit here, but there's more.
3. It was not a personalized invitation.
Now I'm not one to consider myself arrogant, but this person didn't use my name ONCE in the email that I recieved to review the presentation. That tells me I'm just another name on the list getting this email. God knows how many other unsuspecting folks have been hit with this same email. This person played the "I know you're a busy professional, that's why I want your professional opinion" card. Yes, shame on me for clicking through, but if it saves you a world of grief, my work here is done.
4. The entire presentation was TOO wordy.
Since they really asked for my opinion of the persentation, here's the long and short of it. The slides had WAY too many words on most of them. Instead of using them as visuals, they were sales pages, loaded with way more content than you could even READ in the micro-sized format that linkedin offers in the preview pane.
Now I'm pretty verbose myself, so if I think it was wordy, it was REALLY horrible. The slide was so full, it sscrolled off the page! I couldn't even READ the entire story of the company founder - not that I really needed to, or WANTED to. But if I did, I couldn't. This person needs to brush up on Seth Godin's 'Really Bad Powerpoint' Post before composing another presentation.
5. The final slide was a cheesy graphic of themselves with all their contact info.
Now really, if you weren't convinced that this person was actually just trying to recruit me, nothing says it more than the final slide. I mean, seriously, if you're giving a presentation to people that already know you, WHY would you need a whole slide just about you - with contact information too?
Let's get to the heart of the matter. This person was pitching their product/biz opp to anyone with a puls. Granted, these were at least business professionals, so I applaud their desire to work with business builders, but if you're wasting your time in LinkedIn or any other venue (online or off) trying to push your presentation on someone, you need your head examined.
Yep. I'm still seething. But I feel a little better now.
But here's the cherry on top of the sundae: This person is connected to the owners of the direct sales company this person represents.
Everyody say it with me now: TACKY!
Not only is this a horrible reflection on Direct Sellers in general (I've 'dis-connected' myself from this person), but it also means that the company will get a black eye to boot.
This is exactly why we need more online marketing strategists and social media coaches working with direct sellers. At such a critical time, when companies are FINALLY embracing social media (or as Jennifer Fong pointed out, at least they're dipping their toe in), we've got galactic blunders like this hurtling about cyberspace just TRYING to ruin it for everyone else.
So while I doubt this person will EVER see my review of their "presentation", let my advice to you be plain: DO NOT BE THIS PERSON!
Lest you incur my wrath as well. :-)
Some of you may know that I've had a linkedin profile for a while, but never really used it.
I started making a few connections a couple of months ago, and I'm starting to think it was a bad idea.
From what limited info I have about linkedin, you're only supposed to "accept" real people that you know. So that's what I did.
This week, I got a peculiar email from one of my linkedin "contacts".
In essence this person sent me a slide show to review under the guise of getting my professional opinion. This person said they had "just finished" the presentation and wanted to get my honest feedback on it.
OhhhhhhHHHHhhhhh. I don't really think they want my honest feedback, so I'm going to share it publicly so that YOU can learn what went wrong and how you can prevent looking like a total flake when you're using LinkedIn.
1. The presentation was posted over a month ago.
This was not a NEW presentation, which was the first giveaway. If this person reeally wanted help, why wait a whole month to have someone review your presentation?
2. The FIRST Slide was titled "Why is NOW a graet time to join XYZ Co."
Oh NO you DIDN'T! When I clicked through to the person's profile, I saw that this presentation was one of the most viewed presntations on LinkedIn... for obvious reasons. This person was capitalizing on the good nature of people to view the presentation, when in reality the goal was either to get people to join the biz, or to push up the popularity of their presentation. Either way, it's a limy, underhanded tactic, and to use it on smeone in yuor own profession HAD to be one of the most ignorant moves on the planet.
Yep, I'm seething a bit here, but there's more.
3. It was not a personalized invitation.
Now I'm not one to consider myself arrogant, but this person didn't use my name ONCE in the email that I recieved to review the presentation. That tells me I'm just another name on the list getting this email. God knows how many other unsuspecting folks have been hit with this same email. This person played the "I know you're a busy professional, that's why I want your professional opinion" card. Yes, shame on me for clicking through, but if it saves you a world of grief, my work here is done.
4. The entire presentation was TOO wordy.
Since they really asked for my opinion of the persentation, here's the long and short of it. The slides had WAY too many words on most of them. Instead of using them as visuals, they were sales pages, loaded with way more content than you could even READ in the micro-sized format that linkedin offers in the preview pane.
Now I'm pretty verbose myself, so if I think it was wordy, it was REALLY horrible. The slide was so full, it sscrolled off the page! I couldn't even READ the entire story of the company founder - not that I really needed to, or WANTED to. But if I did, I couldn't. This person needs to brush up on Seth Godin's 'Really Bad Powerpoint' Post before composing another presentation.
5. The final slide was a cheesy graphic of themselves with all their contact info.
Now really, if you weren't convinced that this person was actually just trying to recruit me, nothing says it more than the final slide. I mean, seriously, if you're giving a presentation to people that already know you, WHY would you need a whole slide just about you - with contact information too?
Let's get to the heart of the matter. This person was pitching their product/biz opp to anyone with a puls. Granted, these were at least business professionals, so I applaud their desire to work with business builders, but if you're wasting your time in LinkedIn or any other venue (online or off) trying to push your presentation on someone, you need your head examined.
Yep. I'm still seething. But I feel a little better now.
But here's the cherry on top of the sundae: This person is connected to the owners of the direct sales company this person represents.
Everyody say it with me now: TACKY!
Not only is this a horrible reflection on Direct Sellers in general (I've 'dis-connected' myself from this person), but it also means that the company will get a black eye to boot.
This is exactly why we need more online marketing strategists and social media coaches working with direct sellers. At such a critical time, when companies are FINALLY embracing social media (or as Jennifer Fong pointed out, at least they're dipping their toe in), we've got galactic blunders like this hurtling about cyberspace just TRYING to ruin it for everyone else.
So while I doubt this person will EVER see my review of their "presentation", let my advice to you be plain: DO NOT BE THIS PERSON!
Lest you incur my wrath as well. :-)
Birthday Parties, Sales, and Saying Goodbye
I don't normally "do sales". I certainly don't broadcast them publicly very often.
I feel like I'm discounting the quality of my products when I "slash prices" and offer incredible savings on my products.
However, I have a very special circumstance that warrants doing something incredible.
My son turns 13 today. The BIG 1-3. But today's both his birthday party and his going away party.
See Forest has been struggling not only with teenage hormones, but also some emotional problems and mental health issues that have placed him and our family in harm's way more times than I care to count.
I can share this with you because he has consented to co-author a book with me about this ordeal. For the next couple of years, Forest will be in a camp program for boys with emotional problems. As a mom, this is the toughest thing I've ever done. It's
probably also the smartest thing I could ever do for my son.
You can read the details on my new website.
But here's the situation: the program costs nearly $24,000 a year - and we found out our insurance doesn't cover any of it. Big surprise, right?
And he starts December 31, so I have a lot of motvation to do something a little bit drastic.
Here's the link to get the print edition of Home Party Solution at more than 50% off.
If you want the 3.0 edition at the 1.0 price, you need to act fast. We can deliver as many copies as you can purchase, but the deadline for this "sale" is December 31 - the day Forest goes to camp.
I'm not one to ask for handouts. We don't have fifty grand just lying around, either. So here's the best of both worlds.
It may sound a little desperate, but hey, it's my kid. If it means looking a little foolish in order to save his life, that's a small price to pay. If it was your kid, what would you do?
If you've ever considered buying the book, now's the absolute best time to do it. You'll also get a special coupon you can use for a complimentary copy of our book when it's completed (but that won't be until after he graduates from the program).
It's the least I can do to say thanks.
Click here to purchase the book
There's no limited quantities on this. You can order as few or as many as you'd like. It's a great book to have in your leadership lending library for your consultants. The book offers step-by-step instruction on building your online presence quickly and effectively. Online marketing isn't just social media, folks, and this book covers all the basics in an easy to read, step-by-step approach.
So that's the reason I've been kind of incognito for the last month. We've been finalizing all the details on his enrollment, and that's kind of kept me out of the public eye for a bit.
And yes, that means next year will see some big changes for me and my family. I hope you'll stick around, because even with this ordeal, you're going to see some pretty incredible stuff coming out of our company!
I feel like I'm discounting the quality of my products when I "slash prices" and offer incredible savings on my products.
However, I have a very special circumstance that warrants doing something incredible.
My son turns 13 today. The BIG 1-3. But today's both his birthday party and his going away party.
See Forest has been struggling not only with teenage hormones, but also some emotional problems and mental health issues that have placed him and our family in harm's way more times than I care to count.
I can share this with you because he has consented to co-author a book with me about this ordeal. For the next couple of years, Forest will be in a camp program for boys with emotional problems. As a mom, this is the toughest thing I've ever done. It's
probably also the smartest thing I could ever do for my son.
You can read the details on my new website.
But here's the situation: the program costs nearly $24,000 a year - and we found out our insurance doesn't cover any of it. Big surprise, right?
And he starts December 31, so I have a lot of motvation to do something a little bit drastic.
Here's the link to get the print edition of Home Party Solution at more than 50% off.
If you want the 3.0 edition at the 1.0 price, you need to act fast. We can deliver as many copies as you can purchase, but the deadline for this "sale" is December 31 - the day Forest goes to camp.
I'm not one to ask for handouts. We don't have fifty grand just lying around, either. So here's the best of both worlds.
It may sound a little desperate, but hey, it's my kid. If it means looking a little foolish in order to save his life, that's a small price to pay. If it was your kid, what would you do?
If you've ever considered buying the book, now's the absolute best time to do it. You'll also get a special coupon you can use for a complimentary copy of our book when it's completed (but that won't be until after he graduates from the program).
It's the least I can do to say thanks.
Click here to purchase the book
There's no limited quantities on this. You can order as few or as many as you'd like. It's a great book to have in your leadership lending library for your consultants. The book offers step-by-step instruction on building your online presence quickly and effectively. Online marketing isn't just social media, folks, and this book covers all the basics in an easy to read, step-by-step approach.
So that's the reason I've been kind of incognito for the last month. We've been finalizing all the details on his enrollment, and that's kind of kept me out of the public eye for a bit.
And yes, that means next year will see some big changes for me and my family. I hope you'll stick around, because even with this ordeal, you're going to see some pretty incredible stuff coming out of our company!
Enthusiastic or Pushy? What's the difference?
As a direct sales coach, I hear it all the time:
There's a difference between being enthusiastic about your business and being pushy.
Pushy, to me, comes off more as bullying, or force-feeding your agenda on unwilling, or unsuspecting people.
Enthusiasm is a contagious attitude that is positive in nature.
One stems from fear, the other from faith.
In fact, the word enthusiasm is derived from the Greek, meaning "God inside". You've no doubt seen enthusiastic people, perhaps 'bouncing off the walls' a bit, as if the fire of deity burned within them.
Enthusiasm is a motivating, inspiring force. Pushy is an oppressive, demanding force.
As business owners, we need to realize that we can be enthusiastic, and even FIRM about our expectations without being pushy.
Granted, there will always be a small cadre of folks whom you can never satisfy. Someone will always find fault with you. This is not for those types - since you really shouldn't be building your business around them anyway! They're certainly not your perfect fit customer.
When you've developed a following of 'fans' - what I call "crack addicts", they will pick up on and share your enthusiasm.
Fans rarely (if ever) share your pushy attitude.
Let's look at an example of reasonable expectations and enthusiasm in your business - and when they might turn into pushiness.
You're at an event, demonstrating the versatility of your product. You begin to share how this particular product has saved you hours of time at home, and made your life less stressful and more enjoyable. You smile and others smile with you. People begin asking questions and you can tell you've hit on a topic of interest.
So far, you get high marks for enthusiasm.
Suddendly, you notice two women (we'll call them Jane and Mary) are asking the bulk of the questions. Both seem very interested not only in your product, but also in your business opportunity. You answer their questions, and Mary schedules an appointment to talk with you further.
Inside, you are doing the dance of joy. Your smile is as big as all outdoors. Your enthusiasm is contagious, and others begin to ask for additional information about your products - but not Jane.
At the close of the event, you pull Jane into a corner and begin to tell her all the wonderful reasons why she should take your information and set up an appointment to tal with you further. She politely declines and you insist that she'd be great at what you do and she should just take the packet and "sleep on it". She tells you she's not very good at sales, and you proceed to tell her why you felt the same way when you started, and that you found with a little practice you got pretty good, and now you're making good money each month and that she won't lose anything by just taking the packet and setting up a time to chat with you.
Okay. I hope you see where you went from enthusiastic to pushy. Assuming you do get Jane to set an appointment, it's highly unlikely that she'll show - or ever return your calls again.
Enthusiasm is one way of providing value to the world. We're helping others, sprading a positive message or positive energy in a way that seeks only to serve. When we're enthusiastic about our product, we want the WORLD to know how great it is.
But when someone disagrees, shows a lack of interest, or simply refuses to participate, we begin to feel as if WE'VE been rejected - and take that rejection personally. That's when fear - and pushiness - set in.
When "everyone else" was so excited about our offering, the enthusiasm was contagious. The moment we see someone who's not "on our side" we begin to think something's wrong - and we move away from helping the other person and move into defensive mode - trying to "overcome objections" and "close" them to a decision.
Some people just take more time than we're willing to give them to make a decision.
Here are a few tips to avoid feeling (and being) pushy:
1. Always ask yourself if you are providing a real value to the client.
Real value is in the eyes of the client, however, so this can get tricky. you may THINK you're providing something valueable - after all, you shelled out $5 per recruiting packet and it comes with free samples - but the client has no interest in joining your team, so they see no value in what you're offering.
2. Look to the client's desires first.
This ties into number one above. If you are seeking to understand what's important to your client at any given time, you will rarely be perceived as pushy. In fact, you'll be seen as incredibly helpful, somewhat refreshing and a nice, friendly person. Why? Because so few people take the time to care these days. Perhaps a client has difficulty expressing their desires. The act of seeking to understand them FIRST goes a long way towards building a lasting relationship.
3. Keep your mouth shut.
I wanted to say listen, but today, so many people are hearing what's going on and instead of truly getting to the heart of their client's issue, they're preparing their rebuttal or their comeback statement. This is something I STILL struggle with because my mind races a million miles a minute trying to find solutions for people. You have to close your mouth - including the voice in your head - and LISTEN to what your customers want and need. Ask them. Then shut up long enough to really hear what they're saying.
4. Vocalize appropriate expectations.
As a business owner, setting clear expectations of your customers does not make you pushy. It is completely acceptable to say "I'll call you on Tuesday to confirm" and then call on Tuesday. You've laid out an expectation, and it's your responsibility to follow up appropriately.
It's NOT appropriate to then call Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and THREE times on Saturday. THAT'S being pushy. There's probably a good reason why Jane isn't returning your call - and if you've "camped out" on her phone line every day for a week, chances are good she'll NEVER return those calls.
And I hear you asking 'but what do I do if they never return my call? Well there are two considerations here. First, did they REALLY want to talk to you in the first place? If you strong-armed them into accepting a call from you, they may be looking for any excuse to never return your call. Those are not perfect-fit customers, and you need to rid yourself of them ASAP.
If they are still very interested in connecting with you, try a postcard, text message or other means of contacting them.
Just make sure you don't do one a day for a whole week. There's keeping in touch, and then there's being desparate.
One is an act of enthusiasm. The other is an act of pushyness.
I don't want people to think I'm being pushy
There's a difference between being enthusiastic about your business and being pushy.
Pushy, to me, comes off more as bullying, or force-feeding your agenda on unwilling, or unsuspecting people.
Enthusiasm is a contagious attitude that is positive in nature.
One stems from fear, the other from faith.
In fact, the word enthusiasm is derived from the Greek, meaning "God inside". You've no doubt seen enthusiastic people, perhaps 'bouncing off the walls' a bit, as if the fire of deity burned within them.
Enthusiasm is a motivating, inspiring force. Pushy is an oppressive, demanding force.
As business owners, we need to realize that we can be enthusiastic, and even FIRM about our expectations without being pushy.
Granted, there will always be a small cadre of folks whom you can never satisfy. Someone will always find fault with you. This is not for those types - since you really shouldn't be building your business around them anyway! They're certainly not your perfect fit customer.
When you've developed a following of 'fans' - what I call "crack addicts", they will pick up on and share your enthusiasm.
Fans rarely (if ever) share your pushy attitude.
Let's look at an example of reasonable expectations and enthusiasm in your business - and when they might turn into pushiness.
You're at an event, demonstrating the versatility of your product. You begin to share how this particular product has saved you hours of time at home, and made your life less stressful and more enjoyable. You smile and others smile with you. People begin asking questions and you can tell you've hit on a topic of interest.
So far, you get high marks for enthusiasm.
Suddendly, you notice two women (we'll call them Jane and Mary) are asking the bulk of the questions. Both seem very interested not only in your product, but also in your business opportunity. You answer their questions, and Mary schedules an appointment to talk with you further.
Inside, you are doing the dance of joy. Your smile is as big as all outdoors. Your enthusiasm is contagious, and others begin to ask for additional information about your products - but not Jane.
At the close of the event, you pull Jane into a corner and begin to tell her all the wonderful reasons why she should take your information and set up an appointment to tal with you further. She politely declines and you insist that she'd be great at what you do and she should just take the packet and "sleep on it". She tells you she's not very good at sales, and you proceed to tell her why you felt the same way when you started, and that you found with a little practice you got pretty good, and now you're making good money each month and that she won't lose anything by just taking the packet and setting up a time to chat with you.
Okay. I hope you see where you went from enthusiastic to pushy. Assuming you do get Jane to set an appointment, it's highly unlikely that she'll show - or ever return your calls again.
Enthusiasm is one way of providing value to the world. We're helping others, sprading a positive message or positive energy in a way that seeks only to serve. When we're enthusiastic about our product, we want the WORLD to know how great it is.
But when someone disagrees, shows a lack of interest, or simply refuses to participate, we begin to feel as if WE'VE been rejected - and take that rejection personally. That's when fear - and pushiness - set in.
When "everyone else" was so excited about our offering, the enthusiasm was contagious. The moment we see someone who's not "on our side" we begin to think something's wrong - and we move away from helping the other person and move into defensive mode - trying to "overcome objections" and "close" them to a decision.
Some people just take more time than we're willing to give them to make a decision.
Here are a few tips to avoid feeling (and being) pushy:
1. Always ask yourself if you are providing a real value to the client.
Real value is in the eyes of the client, however, so this can get tricky. you may THINK you're providing something valueable - after all, you shelled out $5 per recruiting packet and it comes with free samples - but the client has no interest in joining your team, so they see no value in what you're offering.
2. Look to the client's desires first.
This ties into number one above. If you are seeking to understand what's important to your client at any given time, you will rarely be perceived as pushy. In fact, you'll be seen as incredibly helpful, somewhat refreshing and a nice, friendly person. Why? Because so few people take the time to care these days. Perhaps a client has difficulty expressing their desires. The act of seeking to understand them FIRST goes a long way towards building a lasting relationship.
3. Keep your mouth shut.
I wanted to say listen, but today, so many people are hearing what's going on and instead of truly getting to the heart of their client's issue, they're preparing their rebuttal or their comeback statement. This is something I STILL struggle with because my mind races a million miles a minute trying to find solutions for people. You have to close your mouth - including the voice in your head - and LISTEN to what your customers want and need. Ask them. Then shut up long enough to really hear what they're saying.
4. Vocalize appropriate expectations.
As a business owner, setting clear expectations of your customers does not make you pushy. It is completely acceptable to say "I'll call you on Tuesday to confirm" and then call on Tuesday. You've laid out an expectation, and it's your responsibility to follow up appropriately.
It's NOT appropriate to then call Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and THREE times on Saturday. THAT'S being pushy. There's probably a good reason why Jane isn't returning your call - and if you've "camped out" on her phone line every day for a week, chances are good she'll NEVER return those calls.
And I hear you asking 'but what do I do if they never return my call? Well there are two considerations here. First, did they REALLY want to talk to you in the first place? If you strong-armed them into accepting a call from you, they may be looking for any excuse to never return your call. Those are not perfect-fit customers, and you need to rid yourself of them ASAP.
If they are still very interested in connecting with you, try a postcard, text message or other means of contacting them.
Just make sure you don't do one a day for a whole week. There's keeping in touch, and then there's being desparate.
One is an act of enthusiasm. The other is an act of pushyness.
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!
==========
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.
Facebook Vanity URLs: 4 Reasons You Need One
At midnight last night, Facebook opened up a new world of branding, identity and marketing: their vanity URL.
According to some reports, hundreds of thousands of people logged on just after midnight and started requesting their own vanity URL.
It makes sense for you to do the same on a number of levels:
1. Ease of access. It's infinitely easier for someone to find me at http://www.facebook.com/lisarobbinyoung than it is at
facebook.com/?profile=2348970o8yq43589y1q... you get the idea.
If for no other reason than to make it easier for people to find you, I strongly recommend the new URL's. BUT there are even more great reasons:
2. More Branded Web Real Estate
With the addition of Google profiles lately, it's becoming easier to get your name on more pieces of Website real estate. More sites with your name build your credibility in the marketplace. Google likes credibility - which means potentially better page rankings and more visibility in teh search engines
3. You MUST brand yourself. Facebook mkes it clear that you can't have a vanity URL like "Flowers4U" or even a trademarked name like "MaryKay", "PamperedChefGirl" or the like. That means you MUST use some derivative of your name to brand your facebook profile. You can use a company name to brand your page - but trademarks are being watched like a hawk. If you're a PartyLite consultant, for example, you can't go create a fan page and get a vanity URL with 'PartyLite' in the name - because it's a trademarked name. You shouldn't want to do it anyway - for reasons I've mentioned in dozens of other articles. Plus, Facebook has the added restriction that fan pages (not profiles) must have at least 1,000 followers effective May 31 in order to qualify for the vanity URL. They may be lowering that limit ata later date, but for now, without 1000 followers, you can't get a vanity URL for your fan pages. VanityURLs do not apply to group pages as far as I've found.
4. You have more control over the URL identity. Many people who orginally signed into Facebook believed that they had to include their "full name" when they created their page, and as such you'll see people with really long names on their profile. So if your name was Janet Hills Baker Smith, you can now opt for Janet Smith, or Janet Baker and people can still find you. '
Plus for the Horowicz's and the Yvnegafney's of the world, you might opt to become "JanetH"or "BillY" if the name is otherwise difficult to spell or is frequently misspelled.
Whatever you choose, make sure it's consistent with how you're promoting yourself in other places. Lisa Young is a common name, so I opted to brand myself as Lisa Robbin Young. Everywhere you look, I'm branded as LisaRobbinYoung as much as possible. Consistency makes it easier for your clients and potential clients to do business with you.
So if you haven't already grabbed your profile vanity URL, get crackin. ESPECIALLY if you have a comon name, your window of opportunity may already have dwindled.
According to some reports, hundreds of thousands of people logged on just after midnight and started requesting their own vanity URL.
It makes sense for you to do the same on a number of levels:
1. Ease of access. It's infinitely easier for someone to find me at http://www.facebook.com/lisarobbinyoung than it is at
facebook.com/?profile=2348970o8yq43589y1q... you get the idea.
If for no other reason than to make it easier for people to find you, I strongly recommend the new URL's. BUT there are even more great reasons:
2. More Branded Web Real Estate
With the addition of Google profiles lately, it's becoming easier to get your name on more pieces of Website real estate. More sites with your name build your credibility in the marketplace. Google likes credibility - which means potentially better page rankings and more visibility in teh search engines
3. You MUST brand yourself. Facebook mkes it clear that you can't have a vanity URL like "Flowers4U" or even a trademarked name like "MaryKay", "PamperedChefGirl" or the like. That means you MUST use some derivative of your name to brand your facebook profile. You can use a company name to brand your page - but trademarks are being watched like a hawk. If you're a PartyLite consultant, for example, you can't go create a fan page and get a vanity URL with 'PartyLite' in the name - because it's a trademarked name. You shouldn't want to do it anyway - for reasons I've mentioned in dozens of other articles. Plus, Facebook has the added restriction that fan pages (not profiles) must have at least 1,000 followers effective May 31 in order to qualify for the vanity URL. They may be lowering that limit ata later date, but for now, without 1000 followers, you can't get a vanity URL for your fan pages. VanityURLs do not apply to group pages as far as I've found.
4. You have more control over the URL identity. Many people who orginally signed into Facebook believed that they had to include their "full name" when they created their page, and as such you'll see people with really long names on their profile. So if your name was Janet Hills Baker Smith, you can now opt for Janet Smith, or Janet Baker and people can still find you. '
Plus for the Horowicz's and the Yvnegafney's of the world, you might opt to become "JanetH"or "BillY" if the name is otherwise difficult to spell or is frequently misspelled.
Whatever you choose, make sure it's consistent with how you're promoting yourself in other places. Lisa Young is a common name, so I opted to brand myself as Lisa Robbin Young. Everywhere you look, I'm branded as LisaRobbinYoung as much as possible. Consistency makes it easier for your clients and potential clients to do business with you.
So if you haven't already grabbed your profile vanity URL, get crackin. ESPECIALLY if you have a comon name, your window of opportunity may already have dwindled.
SHAMEFUL Self Promotions & Predictions
Okay, I'm a little miffed here, and I'm calling people on the carpet today...
I have it set up to feed my blog posts to my page on facebook.
So in a recent post, I posed a question - and the answer, with a redirect to additional resources.
And wouldn't you know it? The VA of a very prominent direct sales coach posted on my facebook page with a pitch for HER products and services.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for sharing relevant content and cooperation in the industry.
But this was using social media the WRONG way.
I deleted the post.
Not because I think poorly of the coach. On the contrary, I've used her products and services myself and recommend some of them to others.
I deleted the post because it was off topic. Completely. I was talking about using online marketing to grow your business, and this person posted back with a recommendation for something that she ADMITTED wasn't related.
That's the equivalent of SPAM in social media circles, folks.
So, to help her save face, I deleted the post, rather than call her and her VA on the carpet in front of God and everyone on my facebook page.
Here's another GEM:
A different, well known direct sales trainer was promoting her upcoming teleclass on twitter. Nothing wrong with that. I think it's important to let people know what you're doing and how they can connect with you. Sending occasional tweets like that is great.
Then I posted something that she saw and she tweeted to me PERSONALLY with the same teleclass message - and asked me to retweet it for her.
So, because I was feeling snarky, I tweeted HER personally and asked her to retweet MY message as well.
Needless to say, neither of us retweeted the other.
Sadly, this so-called industry expert is also copy-catting other coaches, refuses to "play nicely with others" and hasn't learned her lesson on twitter yet.
I could go on about this kind of unprofessional behavior from several BIG NAME trainers that have decades of experience in the industry - and frankly, they should know better.
But they refuse to seek out professional help to navigate social media properly and provide VALUE to their followers, instead of just advertising their services.
*sigh*
I predicted this trouble MONTHS ago.
"Watch, as 'old school' direct sales trainers, and so-called coaches start jumping on the social media 'me too!' bandwagon", I said.
Consultants are watching these women to see how THEY use social media, and will imitate what they see. Sadly, I've already seen some great facebook groups get spammed by this kind of shameful self promotion. Anyone who tries this in my facebook group or online community gets their post deleted (the first time) or gets booted (repeat offenders).
There's a right way and a wrong way to connect with people on twitter, facebook, linked in and other social media spheres.
It doesn't begin by creating a page and plastering your links on every friend's wall or Auto DM'ing everyone that follows you to try your products and services.
When I was a teenager, I got a piece of junkmail from AARP.
Yes, the retirement mag - for "old folks".
Hey, I was 13 and had no idea why I was on their mailing list!
So I took their Subscription card, tore it into teeny weeny itty bitty pieces, placed it in an envelope with a note explaining that I was 13 and used their postage paid reply envelope to send it back to them.
I never heard from them again.
That's what I'd like to do with these insensitive 'coaches' (and I'm using that term LOOSELY) who ask me to retweet all their promotions, but don't have the common sense to have a conversation with me to connect with me as a person before asking me to help promote their regurgitated, "same old, same old" stuff.
And I know if they're doing it with me, they MUST be doing it to their followers - whom they see as nothing more than "sheep with wallets." To quote another direct sales trainer I spoke with.
It turns my stomach, and makes me wonder why I feel called to serve in this profession. I don't want to be lumped in their category. It makes me want to create an entirely new category of direct sales educational professionals - ones that believe in providing value and truly serving consultants.
There are honest, genuine, authentic, REAL coaches out there that serve direct sales reps with value. I've had the pleasue to work with some of them. I've also had the disdain of working with some of the other "industry leaders" that are so catty, and selfish that frankly, it makes me want to vomit.
And I just might piss a few of them off in this post.
*Tough.*
If you're mad, then you know who you are, and what category you belong in.
The reason these trainers are still seeing success is because they've ingratiated themselves with top income earners that see their teachings as comfortable. It's safe to recommend these trainers to their teams because the message is the same every single time you hear them speak.
And yet, it's the number one complaint I hear from direct sellers: "these trainers keep saying the same stuff over and over again. They don't understand that the industry has changed, and doing business today is different than it was 10 or 20 years ago when they were consultants."
Now, in defense of sesoned trainers (I won't even use the word "coach" because I don't want to offend the real ones), they are doing what they know works - because it worked for them.
In that respect, there's nothing wrong with that.
But just because it worked like gangbusters in 1974 doesn't mean it will be as effective in 2009 and beyond. Yes, it may still work, but there are dozens more effective ways of writing than quill and ink. Quill and ink still works, but I like blogging - it's faster, more efficient and economical in terms of scale and reach.
And now you see these arcane 'leaders' trudging (Some are even begrudging it!) into the online marketing/social media world. And they're clumsily leading their 'tribes' like the blind leading the blind.
I feel bad for all the consultants saying "I want to learn how to use facebook, twitter, and online marketing to grow my business just like [insert direct sales trainer's name here]"
There are answers out there that the so-called leaders aren't embracing.
What's my next prediction?
Watch for direct sales trainers to align themselves with social media people in new teaching programs that they can offer to their lists - even before they know what they're doing themselves. Then they'll start trying to jockey for being "the first" to offer a program like this in the industry to establish themselves as "the expert" in direct sales and online marketing/social media.
There arent very many of us in the industry right now - so be looking for a surge of so-called direct sales marketing "experts" to appear over the next 6-18 months. We've been quietly coaching and training for the past 2 years now, and after the DSA event in DC, more companies are looking for people to help them understand this perplexing 'new medium' for spreading the word about their business.
I also predict that you're going to see the companies that serve the direct selling industry looking for ways to capitalize on this trend and market to direct sales companies with a social media angle.
And in the meantime, there's going to be a flood of spam traffic to facebook groups and other social media sites that were once considered valueable networking arenas, just because people don't know better. The great groups will consider becoming private groups, and some may just dry up altogether.
All because of ignorant, shameful self promotion.
I have it set up to feed my blog posts to my page on facebook.
So in a recent post, I posed a question - and the answer, with a redirect to additional resources.
And wouldn't you know it? The VA of a very prominent direct sales coach posted on my facebook page with a pitch for HER products and services.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for sharing relevant content and cooperation in the industry.
But this was using social media the WRONG way.
I deleted the post.
Not because I think poorly of the coach. On the contrary, I've used her products and services myself and recommend some of them to others.
I deleted the post because it was off topic. Completely. I was talking about using online marketing to grow your business, and this person posted back with a recommendation for something that she ADMITTED wasn't related.
That's the equivalent of SPAM in social media circles, folks.
So, to help her save face, I deleted the post, rather than call her and her VA on the carpet in front of God and everyone on my facebook page.
Here's another GEM:
A different, well known direct sales trainer was promoting her upcoming teleclass on twitter. Nothing wrong with that. I think it's important to let people know what you're doing and how they can connect with you. Sending occasional tweets like that is great.
Then I posted something that she saw and she tweeted to me PERSONALLY with the same teleclass message - and asked me to retweet it for her.
So, because I was feeling snarky, I tweeted HER personally and asked her to retweet MY message as well.
Needless to say, neither of us retweeted the other.
Sadly, this so-called industry expert is also copy-catting other coaches, refuses to "play nicely with others" and hasn't learned her lesson on twitter yet.
I could go on about this kind of unprofessional behavior from several BIG NAME trainers that have decades of experience in the industry - and frankly, they should know better.
But they refuse to seek out professional help to navigate social media properly and provide VALUE to their followers, instead of just advertising their services.
*sigh*
I predicted this trouble MONTHS ago.
"Watch, as 'old school' direct sales trainers, and so-called coaches start jumping on the social media 'me too!' bandwagon", I said.
Consultants are watching these women to see how THEY use social media, and will imitate what they see. Sadly, I've already seen some great facebook groups get spammed by this kind of shameful self promotion. Anyone who tries this in my facebook group or online community gets their post deleted (the first time) or gets booted (repeat offenders).
There's a right way and a wrong way to connect with people on twitter, facebook, linked in and other social media spheres.
It doesn't begin by creating a page and plastering your links on every friend's wall or Auto DM'ing everyone that follows you to try your products and services.
When I was a teenager, I got a piece of junkmail from AARP.
Yes, the retirement mag - for "old folks".
Hey, I was 13 and had no idea why I was on their mailing list!
So I took their Subscription card, tore it into teeny weeny itty bitty pieces, placed it in an envelope with a note explaining that I was 13 and used their postage paid reply envelope to send it back to them.
I never heard from them again.
That's what I'd like to do with these insensitive 'coaches' (and I'm using that term LOOSELY) who ask me to retweet all their promotions, but don't have the common sense to have a conversation with me to connect with me as a person before asking me to help promote their regurgitated, "same old, same old" stuff.
And I know if they're doing it with me, they MUST be doing it to their followers - whom they see as nothing more than "sheep with wallets." To quote another direct sales trainer I spoke with.
It turns my stomach, and makes me wonder why I feel called to serve in this profession. I don't want to be lumped in their category. It makes me want to create an entirely new category of direct sales educational professionals - ones that believe in providing value and truly serving consultants.
There are honest, genuine, authentic, REAL coaches out there that serve direct sales reps with value. I've had the pleasue to work with some of them. I've also had the disdain of working with some of the other "industry leaders" that are so catty, and selfish that frankly, it makes me want to vomit.
And I just might piss a few of them off in this post.
*Tough.*
If you're mad, then you know who you are, and what category you belong in.
The reason these trainers are still seeing success is because they've ingratiated themselves with top income earners that see their teachings as comfortable. It's safe to recommend these trainers to their teams because the message is the same every single time you hear them speak.
And yet, it's the number one complaint I hear from direct sellers: "these trainers keep saying the same stuff over and over again. They don't understand that the industry has changed, and doing business today is different than it was 10 or 20 years ago when they were consultants."
Now, in defense of sesoned trainers (I won't even use the word "coach" because I don't want to offend the real ones), they are doing what they know works - because it worked for them.
In that respect, there's nothing wrong with that.
But just because it worked like gangbusters in 1974 doesn't mean it will be as effective in 2009 and beyond. Yes, it may still work, but there are dozens more effective ways of writing than quill and ink. Quill and ink still works, but I like blogging - it's faster, more efficient and economical in terms of scale and reach.
And now you see these arcane 'leaders' trudging (Some are even begrudging it!) into the online marketing/social media world. And they're clumsily leading their 'tribes' like the blind leading the blind.
I feel bad for all the consultants saying "I want to learn how to use facebook, twitter, and online marketing to grow my business just like [insert direct sales trainer's name here]"
There are answers out there that the so-called leaders aren't embracing.
What's my next prediction?
Watch for direct sales trainers to align themselves with social media people in new teaching programs that they can offer to their lists - even before they know what they're doing themselves. Then they'll start trying to jockey for being "the first" to offer a program like this in the industry to establish themselves as "the expert" in direct sales and online marketing/social media.
There arent very many of us in the industry right now - so be looking for a surge of so-called direct sales marketing "experts" to appear over the next 6-18 months. We've been quietly coaching and training for the past 2 years now, and after the DSA event in DC, more companies are looking for people to help them understand this perplexing 'new medium' for spreading the word about their business.
I also predict that you're going to see the companies that serve the direct selling industry looking for ways to capitalize on this trend and market to direct sales companies with a social media angle.
And in the meantime, there's going to be a flood of spam traffic to facebook groups and other social media sites that were once considered valueable networking arenas, just because people don't know better. The great groups will consider becoming private groups, and some may just dry up altogether.
All because of ignorant, shameful self promotion.
Direct Sellers Need a Social Media Strategy
This is the extended version of a reply to Jennifer Fong's blog post on Software v. Social Media
Pretending that facebook or twitter or other social media contexts do not exists will not make them go away – NOR will it make them less relvant to your company. Companies large and small need a social media strategy.
This includes individual direct sellers. Slapping up a facebook page and posting monthly specials in your status doesn’t not count as a strategy – unless your strategy is to annoy the few who continue to follow you.
Social Media requires interaction – give AND take – not a one-sided “down your throat” approach to brand communication.
Companies (including “you, Inc” direct sellers) need to find ways to engage their prospects/customers/clients where they are at already.
In V. Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning”, he comments on this very idea. Instead of trying to drag, coerce or force people into your worldview, you need to meet them where they are, introduce them to yoru world view and continue to invite them to take the next step in doing business with you.
Gone are the days of hitting people over the head with the “my company is better than the rest” diatribe. There’s far too many voices beating their chests with the same message now. People are far more savvy then they were even just a few decades ago – and they KNOW that you need them. Without them, you fail to exist.
So make it easy for them to connect and get excited about what you have to offer in the world. Don’t just tell them what to think (it doesnt work anymore anyway). Tell them you care about what they’re ALREADY thinking, and help them share it with you!
How do you do that?
Several famous marketers say "join the conversation alredy going on in your prospect's mind". In this case, it means get involved where they'er already 'hanging out'. In the past, that was at home parties, sales meetings and other "get togethers" in person, in real time.
Now, it means there's a 24 hour GLOBAL get together going on in social media networks around the world. You need to establish a presence, maybe even 'lurk' a bit to monitor the conversation. You don't want to be seen as one of those nerdy wannabes that hangout near the watercooler and interject completely irrelevant stuff just to sound like they're part of the group. You have to BE part of the group. Undertand the dynamic, and then get involved. Ask questions, participate and provide VALUE to those that are talking about you.
That doesn't mean being on every social network on the planet. It DOES mean starting somewhere, building a reputation and growing your audience by being part of the audience from time to time. Oprah rarely interacts with her followers on twitter - but then she doesn't follow very many herself. She can't possibly know what the pulse of her audience is if she's not interacting (note: she DOES have other people on her team that DO interact on twitter. SMART Strategy on her part).
If Oprah can do it, so can any Direct Sales company (or any other company) out there. Get involved in the brand you're creating, don't just hold it up like a shield. I believe it was the Spartans that said something abotu coming home with your shield held high or ON it.
Dying for the brand. What a concept! Being so committed that you're personally involved, passionately involved in the livelihoods you're creating for others. That kind of give provides a LOT more in return for you to take.
Plan your entry into social media - but get there, sooner rather than later.
Pretending that facebook or twitter or other social media contexts do not exists will not make them go away – NOR will it make them less relvant to your company. Companies large and small need a social media strategy.
This includes individual direct sellers. Slapping up a facebook page and posting monthly specials in your status doesn’t not count as a strategy – unless your strategy is to annoy the few who continue to follow you.
Social Media requires interaction – give AND take – not a one-sided “down your throat” approach to brand communication.
Companies (including “you, Inc” direct sellers) need to find ways to engage their prospects/customers/clients where they are at already.
In V. Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning”, he comments on this very idea. Instead of trying to drag, coerce or force people into your worldview, you need to meet them where they are, introduce them to yoru world view and continue to invite them to take the next step in doing business with you.
Gone are the days of hitting people over the head with the “my company is better than the rest” diatribe. There’s far too many voices beating their chests with the same message now. People are far more savvy then they were even just a few decades ago – and they KNOW that you need them. Without them, you fail to exist.
So make it easy for them to connect and get excited about what you have to offer in the world. Don’t just tell them what to think (it doesnt work anymore anyway). Tell them you care about what they’re ALREADY thinking, and help them share it with you!
How do you do that?
Several famous marketers say "join the conversation alredy going on in your prospect's mind". In this case, it means get involved where they'er already 'hanging out'. In the past, that was at home parties, sales meetings and other "get togethers" in person, in real time.
Now, it means there's a 24 hour GLOBAL get together going on in social media networks around the world. You need to establish a presence, maybe even 'lurk' a bit to monitor the conversation. You don't want to be seen as one of those nerdy wannabes that hangout near the watercooler and interject completely irrelevant stuff just to sound like they're part of the group. You have to BE part of the group. Undertand the dynamic, and then get involved. Ask questions, participate and provide VALUE to those that are talking about you.
That doesn't mean being on every social network on the planet. It DOES mean starting somewhere, building a reputation and growing your audience by being part of the audience from time to time. Oprah rarely interacts with her followers on twitter - but then she doesn't follow very many herself. She can't possibly know what the pulse of her audience is if she's not interacting (note: she DOES have other people on her team that DO interact on twitter. SMART Strategy on her part).
If Oprah can do it, so can any Direct Sales company (or any other company) out there. Get involved in the brand you're creating, don't just hold it up like a shield. I believe it was the Spartans that said something abotu coming home with your shield held high or ON it.
Dying for the brand. What a concept! Being so committed that you're personally involved, passionately involved in the livelihoods you're creating for others. That kind of give provides a LOT more in return for you to take.
Plan your entry into social media - but get there, sooner rather than later.
Target Marketing In Your Home Party Business
Direct Sales coach and trainer, Lisa Robbin Young reveals two quick ways to identify your target market for maximum effect in your direct selling business.
This is an excerpt from her upcoming STAR Power 12 month leadership coaching program, designed for direct sales leaders in the home party industry. Regsitration ends May 19. Learn more at http://www.homepartysolution.com/starpower
This is an excerpt from her upcoming STAR Power 12 month leadership coaching program, designed for direct sales leaders in the home party industry. Regsitration ends May 19. Learn more at http://www.homepartysolution.com/starpower
Building the Cocoon
It's been just over a month since my last blog post for several reasons:
1. I was up to my ears in the Direct Sales SUPER Summit, which was an amazing success in more ways than I think I will realize for months or years to come.
2. I was BOMBARDED by bizops from well-meaning, yet opportunistic consultants (more on that in a minute).
3. I've been building a cocoon, I think, and I'm nearly finished.
If you followed my last post, you know that my career with The Body Shop at Home is officially ending this month. To that end, I have been humbled (and sometimes annoyed) by consultants approaching me with their opportunities - some of them right here on this blog. The comments in my last post that I DIDN'T delete were the posts done right.
Take a look and learn. These people offered quality comments that added value to the discussion BEFORE they shared their business opportunity. So many of the posts to my blog looked somethng like this:
"I'm so sorry to hear about TBSAH closing. It's such a shame, but we have the best products in the world and we'll give you a bunch of free stuff for joining our team becaue you can really make a lot of money with us, and please join my company because we're the best."
Bleh.
Without incriminating anyone, let me just say that this is NOT the way to approach someone with your business opportunity. You come off like a vulture circling prey.
There are right and wrong ways to make a connection. If you want to recieve something (like a new team member), you want to GIVE first. Give content, give advice, give connections, give love, but GIVE.
And shame on you if you didn't give first and have been following my blog for any length of time! You should know better.
If you really want to approach a potential business partner with an opportunity, it's much better to:
a) approach them privately, or if that's not possible
b) approach them discreetly, by first providing value and setting yourself up as an expert that can help their situation.
For example, when I approached a handful of Sarah Coventry Reps last fall, I didn't start with how great I or my company was, but offered to help them in their search. Now it HELPS that I have some authority in my market - but many of the women didn't know who I was.
In fact, some of them didn't even know Sarah Coventry was closing when I approached them. I also talked to them about why I thought THEY would be a great addition to any team - and never mentioned my company.
Of the 5 I approached, 2 joined my business - and neither one of them had ever heard of me. They appreciated that I focused on THEM and not on trying to get them on my team.
That's one of the reasons I ultimately went with the new company I'm with, Sensaria. So please don't approach me about joining your "hot business opp", because I'm all set, thanks. They approached me, and shared how I could be valuable with any company - and then asked to get on my schedule to share more about the product BEFORE we talked about the opporunity.
I'm now in the process of migrating clients, systems and marketing to my new company - which because of the summit has been stalled until this week.
So that's part of the reason for the month-long absence. Transitions like this have usually been more difficult - this one wasn't difficult, just lengthy.
The other reason - the cocoon reason - is really just getting going. And it hit me HARD today.
I'm calling it a cocoon because it doesn't feel like a wall, but there's definitely some kind of barrier around me right now. I can sense that I'm insulated from a lot of people I used to have regular contact with. And it feels like it's leading to a major transformation that will require a bit of struggle to make it work fully.
I talked with a new friend today that cleared up a few things for me, and it's been an amazing couple of hours since then. It's almost time to wriggle out of the cocoon, and get ready for what's next.
I've just launched a 12-month coaching program for direct sellers and am planning for my first ever LIVE event in August, and that's just the beginning of te transformational shift I'm feeling.
It's overwhelming right now. I'm still processing, but I think God's tapping me to take the next big step, and as my friend indicated today, to jump head first into the pool.
But first, I've got to wriggle out of this Cocoon...
1. I was up to my ears in the Direct Sales SUPER Summit, which was an amazing success in more ways than I think I will realize for months or years to come.
2. I was BOMBARDED by bizops from well-meaning, yet opportunistic consultants (more on that in a minute).
3. I've been building a cocoon, I think, and I'm nearly finished.
If you followed my last post, you know that my career with The Body Shop at Home is officially ending this month. To that end, I have been humbled (and sometimes annoyed) by consultants approaching me with their opportunities - some of them right here on this blog. The comments in my last post that I DIDN'T delete were the posts done right.
Take a look and learn. These people offered quality comments that added value to the discussion BEFORE they shared their business opportunity. So many of the posts to my blog looked somethng like this:
"I'm so sorry to hear about TBSAH closing. It's such a shame, but we have the best products in the world and we'll give you a bunch of free stuff for joining our team becaue you can really make a lot of money with us, and please join my company because we're the best."
Bleh.
Without incriminating anyone, let me just say that this is NOT the way to approach someone with your business opportunity. You come off like a vulture circling prey.
There are right and wrong ways to make a connection. If you want to recieve something (like a new team member), you want to GIVE first. Give content, give advice, give connections, give love, but GIVE.
And shame on you if you didn't give first and have been following my blog for any length of time! You should know better.
If you really want to approach a potential business partner with an opportunity, it's much better to:
a) approach them privately, or if that's not possible
b) approach them discreetly, by first providing value and setting yourself up as an expert that can help their situation.
For example, when I approached a handful of Sarah Coventry Reps last fall, I didn't start with how great I or my company was, but offered to help them in their search. Now it HELPS that I have some authority in my market - but many of the women didn't know who I was.
In fact, some of them didn't even know Sarah Coventry was closing when I approached them. I also talked to them about why I thought THEY would be a great addition to any team - and never mentioned my company.
Of the 5 I approached, 2 joined my business - and neither one of them had ever heard of me. They appreciated that I focused on THEM and not on trying to get them on my team.
That's one of the reasons I ultimately went with the new company I'm with, Sensaria. So please don't approach me about joining your "hot business opp", because I'm all set, thanks. They approached me, and shared how I could be valuable with any company - and then asked to get on my schedule to share more about the product BEFORE we talked about the opporunity.
I'm now in the process of migrating clients, systems and marketing to my new company - which because of the summit has been stalled until this week.
So that's part of the reason for the month-long absence. Transitions like this have usually been more difficult - this one wasn't difficult, just lengthy.
The other reason - the cocoon reason - is really just getting going. And it hit me HARD today.
I'm calling it a cocoon because it doesn't feel like a wall, but there's definitely some kind of barrier around me right now. I can sense that I'm insulated from a lot of people I used to have regular contact with. And it feels like it's leading to a major transformation that will require a bit of struggle to make it work fully.
I talked with a new friend today that cleared up a few things for me, and it's been an amazing couple of hours since then. It's almost time to wriggle out of the cocoon, and get ready for what's next.
I've just launched a 12-month coaching program for direct sellers and am planning for my first ever LIVE event in August, and that's just the beginning of te transformational shift I'm feeling.
It's overwhelming right now. I'm still processing, but I think God's tapping me to take the next big step, and as my friend indicated today, to jump head first into the pool.
But first, I've got to wriggle out of this Cocoon...
Clue #8: Mein Kampf - For Business
Say what you will about Adolph Hitler, but that was a man with a mission.
He knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish in his lifetime, he wrote it all out in a book, and then set out to accomplish it.
It's said that if people had given more creedence to his book "Mein Kampf", his vicious tear through Eurpoe could have been prevented.
But people wouldn't listen to a humble housepainter - until that housepainter became the infamous "HITLER".
Mein Kampf translates as "my struggle" and in his book, he literally outlines virtually every single choice he ultimately made as the ruler of Germany during the Nazi regime.
What I'm about to share is nothing so sinister, although it ties into my previous clue about creating a crack addiction.
When you write things down, it makes them more tangible. It gives them more credence, and it outlines more clearly, the steps you need to take to achieve them.
So for a "pusher" to be successful, he must first:
obtain a product that obtains the desired effect
Offer free samples to the unsuspecting public
provide a supply to the addicts for a price
offer freebies to addicts that bring more customers
rinse and repeat
When followed precisely, the pusher always has a steady stream of clients coming in. And if someone dies along the way,it's no biggie, because they've got plenty more people coming in on a daily basis. They just need to keep up with supply and demand.
To the uninitiated, this sounds liek a cold, calculating attempt to part you from your hard earned cash. And it would be except that in my analogy, the products I'm offering don't kill you. At least I haven't heard anything so crazy yet.
This is the exact model that most business owners try to replicate, except they usually omit one or two steps, thus flawing the system.
In order to create a crack addiction with your customers, you MUST follow the steps exactly:
Create a great product (a newsletter isn't enough anymore)
Give it away free (FREE, not for a very low price, FREE!)
Create a second product even better than the first and command a good price for it
Offer specials/discounts/freebies to customers that bring in new clients
rinse and repeat
The people that fall in love with your product will tell other people - why not reward them? That's part of the reason affiliate programs and customer loyalty programs have become so popular in the last decade.
Spreading the word creates an exponentially increasing customer base. As you continue to create better products (everything can be improved upon), people will seek you out. Because you have a reputation for "good stuff", people will be willing to pay the price you ask - instead of having to slash prices during a recession.
It's all around us right now. People closing up shop, slashing prices, "everything must go" attitudes. I would bet that drug dealers aren't feeling the pinch. They aren't lowering prices because they know there's someone out there willing to pay for their "good stuff".
And during times like these, MORE people are probably turning to them because they want to escape from the depression all around them.
And so it goes in business. If you've created something so spectacular that people are lining up to get it, you can afford to NOT slash prices because you've got people willing to pay you for your product or service.
You can literally start your own campaign for world domination - or at least your business world.
This is my manifesto. It's my plan of conquest - one addict at a time. Me and my army of addicts are going to change the face of the business world. We're going to storm through the streets in hamlets and cities and declare an end to regurgitated information at insanely high prices. We're going to demand quality and quantity, and not settle for cookie cutter coaching.
We're raising the bar, creating a "super race" of business people that are smart, savvy, and ready to grow powerful businesses for the benefit of themselves AND mankind. We're an army of women that are tired of being lied to, sold to, and cheated out of our dreams. We're taking control of our businesses and creating the future WE dreamed about - the future God has planned for us.
We're committing ourselves to excellence, and sharing knowledge, and pushing the envelope for constant improvement. We'll take our message across the globe, and create a community of devotees (addicts, if you will), that will spread this message one addict at a time.
Insert maniacal laughter here.
In all seriousness, this is the way good companies are built. Jeep created a hard core fan base - Jeep addicts. Same with Hummer, Apple, Coke, Virgin, and dozens more. They stand for something, create a culture, and promote the heck out of it. They give to get. Give an experience, get a loyal customer, repay the customer's loyalty, get an addict. Addicts beget addicts. And the cycle continues.
And so it is with me.
Have you got it figured out yet? We're getting down to the wire and I'm sharing more and more details as we get closer to the BIG unveil tonight at 7pm Eastern.
You can post your guesses here. I'll be checking in periodically, and the first person to correctly guess will be declared the winner of every physical product I've ever created. I'll announce that winner at 7PM as well. Good luck everyone!
He knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish in his lifetime, he wrote it all out in a book, and then set out to accomplish it.
It's said that if people had given more creedence to his book "Mein Kampf", his vicious tear through Eurpoe could have been prevented.
But people wouldn't listen to a humble housepainter - until that housepainter became the infamous "HITLER".
Mein Kampf translates as "my struggle" and in his book, he literally outlines virtually every single choice he ultimately made as the ruler of Germany during the Nazi regime.
What I'm about to share is nothing so sinister, although it ties into my previous clue about creating a crack addiction.
When you write things down, it makes them more tangible. It gives them more credence, and it outlines more clearly, the steps you need to take to achieve them.
So for a "pusher" to be successful, he must first:
obtain a product that obtains the desired effect
Offer free samples to the unsuspecting public
provide a supply to the addicts for a price
offer freebies to addicts that bring more customers
rinse and repeat
When followed precisely, the pusher always has a steady stream of clients coming in. And if someone dies along the way,it's no biggie, because they've got plenty more people coming in on a daily basis. They just need to keep up with supply and demand.
To the uninitiated, this sounds liek a cold, calculating attempt to part you from your hard earned cash. And it would be except that in my analogy, the products I'm offering don't kill you. At least I haven't heard anything so crazy yet.
This is the exact model that most business owners try to replicate, except they usually omit one or two steps, thus flawing the system.
In order to create a crack addiction with your customers, you MUST follow the steps exactly:
Create a great product (a newsletter isn't enough anymore)
Give it away free (FREE, not for a very low price, FREE!)
Create a second product even better than the first and command a good price for it
Offer specials/discounts/freebies to customers that bring in new clients
rinse and repeat
The people that fall in love with your product will tell other people - why not reward them? That's part of the reason affiliate programs and customer loyalty programs have become so popular in the last decade.
Spreading the word creates an exponentially increasing customer base. As you continue to create better products (everything can be improved upon), people will seek you out. Because you have a reputation for "good stuff", people will be willing to pay the price you ask - instead of having to slash prices during a recession.
It's all around us right now. People closing up shop, slashing prices, "everything must go" attitudes. I would bet that drug dealers aren't feeling the pinch. They aren't lowering prices because they know there's someone out there willing to pay for their "good stuff".
And during times like these, MORE people are probably turning to them because they want to escape from the depression all around them.
And so it goes in business. If you've created something so spectacular that people are lining up to get it, you can afford to NOT slash prices because you've got people willing to pay you for your product or service.
You can literally start your own campaign for world domination - or at least your business world.
This is my manifesto. It's my plan of conquest - one addict at a time. Me and my army of addicts are going to change the face of the business world. We're going to storm through the streets in hamlets and cities and declare an end to regurgitated information at insanely high prices. We're going to demand quality and quantity, and not settle for cookie cutter coaching.
We're raising the bar, creating a "super race" of business people that are smart, savvy, and ready to grow powerful businesses for the benefit of themselves AND mankind. We're an army of women that are tired of being lied to, sold to, and cheated out of our dreams. We're taking control of our businesses and creating the future WE dreamed about - the future God has planned for us.
We're committing ourselves to excellence, and sharing knowledge, and pushing the envelope for constant improvement. We'll take our message across the globe, and create a community of devotees (addicts, if you will), that will spread this message one addict at a time.
Insert maniacal laughter here.
In all seriousness, this is the way good companies are built. Jeep created a hard core fan base - Jeep addicts. Same with Hummer, Apple, Coke, Virgin, and dozens more. They stand for something, create a culture, and promote the heck out of it. They give to get. Give an experience, get a loyal customer, repay the customer's loyalty, get an addict. Addicts beget addicts. And the cycle continues.
And so it is with me.
Have you got it figured out yet? We're getting down to the wire and I'm sharing more and more details as we get closer to the BIG unveil tonight at 7pm Eastern.
You can post your guesses here. I'll be checking in periodically, and the first person to correctly guess will be declared the winner of every physical product I've ever created. I'll announce that winner at 7PM as well. Good luck everyone!
Clue #6: One Part Mom, One Part Rock Star
If you've read my bio blurb in my weekly ezine, it says "one part mom, one part rock star". That's only slightly tongue in cheek.
When I was a little girl, I dreamed of touring the country, being a rock star, singing songs I wrote. In fact, I've even self-released two albums. You can even listen to some of my music. It's 'defniitely not mainstream pop music' - or at least that's what one of the guys at Universal Music said when I submitted my demo for a listen.
I've never been a conformist - at least not on the surface. I have some core beliefs that are pretty standard, but my mode of operation has always been a little on the rebellious side of things. If people tell me I 'Can't' do something, I almost always say "watch me!" and figure out a way to do it anyhow.
So even though I'm a relative unknown in the music industry, I have fans across the globe that listen to and enjoy my music.
And just to be clear, this post has NOTHING to do with me forming a rock band, releasing a new album or touring whilst playing my music. The Stand Up Coach and I are planning a 'world tour', but you'll hear more about that at another time, and it has nothing to do with these new developments.
It's really been the last couple of days that have crystallized these must do activities for me.
As far as your guesses go, Lauren's on the right track. This isn't about a speaking tour (there's more details about that coming later in Spring), and it isn't about me quitting my DS company (HEAVENS NO!). This is about me stepping into a space that I should have been in all along, and was too afraid to do it.
The only antidote for fear is faith.
I always envisioned Rock stars, in my mind, as fearless. They could get up on a stage, entrance a crowd of thousands and inspire throngs of people with their work. Everytime their music plays freely over the airwaves, you get re-inspired, transported and motivated to feel this kind of empowerment from within the very music itself.
I always wanted to have that kind of effect on people. Without the drugs, scandals and bad habits that many musicians were known for. I wanted to inspire and motivate people with my creations and do it in a very unconventional way.
That means taking a zig when others zag. It means standing out in a crowd. It means going against the grain.
Like a Rock Star.
In this economy, people are still paying $500 a seat to see The Police live in concert. Why?
Because they're Rock Stars! They've established themselves as a household name to the audience that loves them. They don't have to worry about whether or not people will show up to their concerts, or if they'll make enough money to pay the bills this month.
They're ROCK STARS!
Watch what other direct sales coaches are doing right now: they're sweating. They've taught you everything they know. You've heard it all before, and to keep themselves alive, they're doing bargain basement price slashing. One direct sales coach is offring a teleseminar series (5 calls) for $40! That would barely cover the costs of putting on the FIRST call, let alone all 5.
Why is she doing that? Simple, just like you (well, some of you) bookings are down. Her income is tanking, and she needs to stay at the top of mind to keep you buying from her.
Another diect sales coach piloted a monthly telecoaching program at an introductory rate, and couldn't get enough members to raise it to the standard rate she wanted to charge. Why? Because she's just regurgitating her content!
There's nothing new there.
Like a good Rock Star, you have to have new material on a regular basis. Sure, the Greatest Hits are fun to hear, and familiar. They're easy to embrace. And YES, you run the risk of alienating some of your die hard fans when you create something new. But on the whole, your fans want to be delighted with something exciting, different and NEW.
Do you remember the first time your favorite band played a new song on the radio? I do. I would scooch up to the radio as close as I could so I didn't miss a single note. I'd scribble down the lyrics as fast as my pencil could keep up. I wanted to be the FIRST to know that new song, so I could share it with everyone - and look cool in the process.
Sometimes I still do that, although I will admit I'm a bit more restrained as a 'grown up' than I was as a child. i don't actually push people out of the way anymore to get to the radio.
So when direct sales coaches offer "new" products, I get excited! I scramble to the front of the line to see what it's all about.
And I usually shuffle away with my head hung down in shame at another batch of regurgitated content.
Don't get me wrong, booking, selling, and recruiting are the 3 pillars of direct sales. If you want to be truly successful, you have to do all three in some combination.
But there's more to this business than just those three things, and frankly, I'm tired of hearing so-called industry 'experts' that just keep saying the same things over and over and over.
Maybe that list of 100 people ISN'T enough to get your business started. Maybe you DO have to think outside the box - especially in this economy.
So that's what I'm doing. I'm thinking outside the box. I'm doing something that, as far as I know, no other direct sales business coach has ever done before. I'm going against the grain and doing some things that no other direct sales coach would ever DREAM of doing, because to them, it would mean losing money.
But I think like a ROCK STAR!
Think you've got this all figured out yet? Bet ya don't! But the clues get hotter as the day goes on today. We're leading up to the BIG unveil tonight at 7pm eastern. Post your comments below. The first one to correctly guess will win a complete set of all the physical products I've ever created (yes, even my music CD's, if you want them!).
When I was a little girl, I dreamed of touring the country, being a rock star, singing songs I wrote. In fact, I've even self-released two albums. You can even listen to some of my music. It's 'defniitely not mainstream pop music' - or at least that's what one of the guys at Universal Music said when I submitted my demo for a listen.
I've never been a conformist - at least not on the surface. I have some core beliefs that are pretty standard, but my mode of operation has always been a little on the rebellious side of things. If people tell me I 'Can't' do something, I almost always say "watch me!" and figure out a way to do it anyhow.
So even though I'm a relative unknown in the music industry, I have fans across the globe that listen to and enjoy my music.
And just to be clear, this post has NOTHING to do with me forming a rock band, releasing a new album or touring whilst playing my music. The Stand Up Coach and I are planning a 'world tour', but you'll hear more about that at another time, and it has nothing to do with these new developments.
It's really been the last couple of days that have crystallized these must do activities for me.
As far as your guesses go, Lauren's on the right track. This isn't about a speaking tour (there's more details about that coming later in Spring), and it isn't about me quitting my DS company (HEAVENS NO!). This is about me stepping into a space that I should have been in all along, and was too afraid to do it.
The only antidote for fear is faith.
I always envisioned Rock stars, in my mind, as fearless. They could get up on a stage, entrance a crowd of thousands and inspire throngs of people with their work. Everytime their music plays freely over the airwaves, you get re-inspired, transported and motivated to feel this kind of empowerment from within the very music itself.
I always wanted to have that kind of effect on people. Without the drugs, scandals and bad habits that many musicians were known for. I wanted to inspire and motivate people with my creations and do it in a very unconventional way.
That means taking a zig when others zag. It means standing out in a crowd. It means going against the grain.
Like a Rock Star.
In this economy, people are still paying $500 a seat to see The Police live in concert. Why?
Because they're Rock Stars! They've established themselves as a household name to the audience that loves them. They don't have to worry about whether or not people will show up to their concerts, or if they'll make enough money to pay the bills this month.
They're ROCK STARS!
Watch what other direct sales coaches are doing right now: they're sweating. They've taught you everything they know. You've heard it all before, and to keep themselves alive, they're doing bargain basement price slashing. One direct sales coach is offring a teleseminar series (5 calls) for $40! That would barely cover the costs of putting on the FIRST call, let alone all 5.
Why is she doing that? Simple, just like you (well, some of you) bookings are down. Her income is tanking, and she needs to stay at the top of mind to keep you buying from her.
Another diect sales coach piloted a monthly telecoaching program at an introductory rate, and couldn't get enough members to raise it to the standard rate she wanted to charge. Why? Because she's just regurgitating her content!
There's nothing new there.
Like a good Rock Star, you have to have new material on a regular basis. Sure, the Greatest Hits are fun to hear, and familiar. They're easy to embrace. And YES, you run the risk of alienating some of your die hard fans when you create something new. But on the whole, your fans want to be delighted with something exciting, different and NEW.
Do you remember the first time your favorite band played a new song on the radio? I do. I would scooch up to the radio as close as I could so I didn't miss a single note. I'd scribble down the lyrics as fast as my pencil could keep up. I wanted to be the FIRST to know that new song, so I could share it with everyone - and look cool in the process.
Sometimes I still do that, although I will admit I'm a bit more restrained as a 'grown up' than I was as a child. i don't actually push people out of the way anymore to get to the radio.
So when direct sales coaches offer "new" products, I get excited! I scramble to the front of the line to see what it's all about.
And I usually shuffle away with my head hung down in shame at another batch of regurgitated content.
Don't get me wrong, booking, selling, and recruiting are the 3 pillars of direct sales. If you want to be truly successful, you have to do all three in some combination.
But there's more to this business than just those three things, and frankly, I'm tired of hearing so-called industry 'experts' that just keep saying the same things over and over and over.
Maybe that list of 100 people ISN'T enough to get your business started. Maybe you DO have to think outside the box - especially in this economy.
So that's what I'm doing. I'm thinking outside the box. I'm doing something that, as far as I know, no other direct sales business coach has ever done before. I'm going against the grain and doing some things that no other direct sales coach would ever DREAM of doing, because to them, it would mean losing money.
But I think like a ROCK STAR!
Think you've got this all figured out yet? Bet ya don't! But the clues get hotter as the day goes on today. We're leading up to the BIG unveil tonight at 7pm eastern. Post your comments below. The first one to correctly guess will win a complete set of all the physical products I've ever created (yes, even my music CD's, if you want them!).
Clue #5: If You Love Something, Set it Free
"If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was. We do not possess anything in this world, least of all other people. We only imagine that we do. Our friends, our lovers, our spouses, even our children are not ours; they belong only to themselves. Possessive and controlling friendships and relationships can be as harmful as neglect."
A Chinese Proverb, this quote has been in my head in one form or another since childhood. My grandmother cautiously reminded me to let the butterflies be, instead of trying to catch them by their wing on the flower.
Nobody said I was classy. I thought catching bugs was cool.
But Grandma was truly a woman. She was kindhearted and earthy. She didn't think catching bugs was ladylike. She strove to "meet me where I was" though, and used a little psychology on me.
"If you love it, set it free and see if it comes back to you. If it doesn't it wasn't yours."
I lost more butterflies that way. Thanks Grandma!
But the lesson was indellible in my mind. And in the past year, my childhood memories have been replaying - a bit more somberly now than before - and I'm remembering some valuable lessons.
I love learning. I've loved reading and growing and powering up my brain for as long as I can remember. I started reading at an early age, and I really wanted to see my kids grow into loversof learning as well.
Right now, my oldest is NOT big into learning. Although I did catch hm checking out a book of Latin poetry at the library a few weeks ago. He said he wanted to impress a "chick at school" by writing out the latin and the english side by side.
There may be hope for him yet.
I've always wanted to share my passion for learning and knowledge and skill-building. But I NEVER wanted to be a teacher. Our educational systems are assembly lines for cranking out kids that meet the minimum requirements for life. And I say that with all the love I can possibly have, because my mom was a teacher, my aunts are teachers, my cousin is a teacher. My sister even did a stint as a teacher.
And I guess some would say I'm a teacher, too.
But public school teaching in this country is a thankless, tough job. I never had the intestinal fortitude to endure the grief so many in my family willingly did. They gave up a lifetime of working to teach childrn, mold minds and create a different world. I give them all teh props in the world - because I never could have done it.
Instead, I turned my desire to teach into an income-driven business model. I taught voice, piano and clarinet lessons from my mobile studio. I even taught guitar briefly. Then I developed my newsletter, the book, and ultimately the entire construct that is now Home Party Solution.
And along the way, I found myself felling like it wasn't all exactly right. Like I was only doing part of the work God set out for me to do.
I reached a turning point last July.
If I could do anything, if money were no object, if what others said or thought didn't matter, and if I knew I couldn't fail, where was I feeling God pulling me?
I couldn't dodge it. And the process that I went through inspired the build a better customer program. It's truly been a labor of love for me.
I knew I had developed something life changing, but I was so afraid that mine would be the only life it would change. I was scared to share my findings because deep down inside I wondered:
"What if this process only works for me? Then what will I do?"
But January proved to me that this s one of the most amazing and transformative processes I have ever experienced - and it works for others, too. And I've been thrilled with the way it has changed people's businesses and outlooks on life as well.
But I keep hearing Grandma's voice in my head...
Think you've got this one figured out? Post your guess. The first correct answer will win the keys to the kingdom! Every physical product I've ever created. We've had some creative guesses so far, but we're gettng to the wire and NO ONE's gotten it all right yet. There's only a few more clues between now and Sunday night at 7pm eastern.
A Chinese Proverb, this quote has been in my head in one form or another since childhood. My grandmother cautiously reminded me to let the butterflies be, instead of trying to catch them by their wing on the flower.
Nobody said I was classy. I thought catching bugs was cool.
But Grandma was truly a woman. She was kindhearted and earthy. She didn't think catching bugs was ladylike. She strove to "meet me where I was" though, and used a little psychology on me.
"If you love it, set it free and see if it comes back to you. If it doesn't it wasn't yours."
I lost more butterflies that way. Thanks Grandma!
But the lesson was indellible in my mind. And in the past year, my childhood memories have been replaying - a bit more somberly now than before - and I'm remembering some valuable lessons.
I love learning. I've loved reading and growing and powering up my brain for as long as I can remember. I started reading at an early age, and I really wanted to see my kids grow into loversof learning as well.
Right now, my oldest is NOT big into learning. Although I did catch hm checking out a book of Latin poetry at the library a few weeks ago. He said he wanted to impress a "chick at school" by writing out the latin and the english side by side.
There may be hope for him yet.
I've always wanted to share my passion for learning and knowledge and skill-building. But I NEVER wanted to be a teacher. Our educational systems are assembly lines for cranking out kids that meet the minimum requirements for life. And I say that with all the love I can possibly have, because my mom was a teacher, my aunts are teachers, my cousin is a teacher. My sister even did a stint as a teacher.
And I guess some would say I'm a teacher, too.
But public school teaching in this country is a thankless, tough job. I never had the intestinal fortitude to endure the grief so many in my family willingly did. They gave up a lifetime of working to teach childrn, mold minds and create a different world. I give them all teh props in the world - because I never could have done it.
Instead, I turned my desire to teach into an income-driven business model. I taught voice, piano and clarinet lessons from my mobile studio. I even taught guitar briefly. Then I developed my newsletter, the book, and ultimately the entire construct that is now Home Party Solution.
And along the way, I found myself felling like it wasn't all exactly right. Like I was only doing part of the work God set out for me to do.
I reached a turning point last July.
If I could do anything, if money were no object, if what others said or thought didn't matter, and if I knew I couldn't fail, where was I feeling God pulling me?
I couldn't dodge it. And the process that I went through inspired the build a better customer program. It's truly been a labor of love for me.
I knew I had developed something life changing, but I was so afraid that mine would be the only life it would change. I was scared to share my findings because deep down inside I wondered:
"What if this process only works for me? Then what will I do?"
But January proved to me that this s one of the most amazing and transformative processes I have ever experienced - and it works for others, too. And I've been thrilled with the way it has changed people's businesses and outlooks on life as well.
But I keep hearing Grandma's voice in my head...
Think you've got this one figured out? Post your guess. The first correct answer will win the keys to the kingdom! Every physical product I've ever created. We've had some creative guesses so far, but we're gettng to the wire and NO ONE's gotten it all right yet. There's only a few more clues between now and Sunday night at 7pm eastern.
Clue #4: Scriptually Speaking...
Here's where I'll lose a truckload of subscribers, but I'm okay with that.
I am a Christian.
I am a God-fearing woman that has really struggled with the question "Just how much God can I sprinkle into my work without coming across as a Bible thumper?"
I still screw up. I still make horrible, terrible mistakes in my life. I am FAR from perfect. And I still love God and hear the voice of the Baptist pastor from my youth telling the entire congregaton that if we wanted to have peace in our hearts, "You need JEEESUS!"
I don't think it's wrong to say I need Jesus. I don't think it's wrong to share that love and gratitude with others - or to cite the source. To NOT do so would be contrary to everything I believe, in terms of giving credit where credit is due.
To God be the glory.
That said, I DO think it's wrong to try to ram scripture down the throats of people that aren't interested. That's just a waste of time and energy -two commodities I've discovered this year that are very precious to me. I think it was Victor Frankl, in his book, Man's Search For Meaning, that laid down a challenge to meet people where they are. You can't push people into your space. They have to be led, and desire to go there of their own will. Only then will they embrace the space you're in as their own.
So while my Catholic charge is to preach the good news in the world, as a business person, I have to temper my fervor for God by meeting people where they are. Many of the business women I work with are stay-at-home moms. Many are from a Judeo-Christian background, but some are not. My business is NOT here to convert people. But it IS an extension of my mission to serve God.
So as a Christian, how do I convey to the world that part of why I'm good at what I do is a direct result of the relationship I have with my creator and sustainer?
That was one of the biggest challenges I faced when I was developing the Build a Better Customer Program. In fact part of creating my perfect fit customer was the idea that I wanted to serve more Christian business women - regardless of their industry. But I also wanted to continue to serve my core client base - home party consultants - in a way that would elevate everyone and help me fulfill my mission without burning bridges unnecessarily.
I created Home Party Solution because a number of my friends, family and fellow direct sales consultants said that I should write a book about how I grew my business. 'PartyOn!' was a newsletter I created because I wanted to help consultants grow their business like a real business. Everything I've ever done in this crazy little company has been an extention of serving others.
I wanted to help others. I wanted to bless others as God had blessed me. There's no real secret to my success. I just found something that worked for me and I implemented it. I stayed consistent with it, and I was rewarded for my commitment.
So as I roll into 2009, I'm looking at ways to help even more people, reach even more people, and effect positive change in the lives of even MORE people still.
Think you've figured out my Big Announcement? Post your guess here. I'll announce the big winner (and the BIG Announcement) on the Blog on Sunday night.
I am a Christian.
I am a God-fearing woman that has really struggled with the question "Just how much God can I sprinkle into my work without coming across as a Bible thumper?"
I still screw up. I still make horrible, terrible mistakes in my life. I am FAR from perfect. And I still love God and hear the voice of the Baptist pastor from my youth telling the entire congregaton that if we wanted to have peace in our hearts, "You need JEEESUS!"
I don't think it's wrong to say I need Jesus. I don't think it's wrong to share that love and gratitude with others - or to cite the source. To NOT do so would be contrary to everything I believe, in terms of giving credit where credit is due.
To God be the glory.
That said, I DO think it's wrong to try to ram scripture down the throats of people that aren't interested. That's just a waste of time and energy -two commodities I've discovered this year that are very precious to me. I think it was Victor Frankl, in his book, Man's Search For Meaning, that laid down a challenge to meet people where they are. You can't push people into your space. They have to be led, and desire to go there of their own will. Only then will they embrace the space you're in as their own.
So while my Catholic charge is to preach the good news in the world, as a business person, I have to temper my fervor for God by meeting people where they are. Many of the business women I work with are stay-at-home moms. Many are from a Judeo-Christian background, but some are not. My business is NOT here to convert people. But it IS an extension of my mission to serve God.
So as a Christian, how do I convey to the world that part of why I'm good at what I do is a direct result of the relationship I have with my creator and sustainer?
That was one of the biggest challenges I faced when I was developing the Build a Better Customer Program. In fact part of creating my perfect fit customer was the idea that I wanted to serve more Christian business women - regardless of their industry. But I also wanted to continue to serve my core client base - home party consultants - in a way that would elevate everyone and help me fulfill my mission without burning bridges unnecessarily.
I created Home Party Solution because a number of my friends, family and fellow direct sales consultants said that I should write a book about how I grew my business. 'PartyOn!' was a newsletter I created because I wanted to help consultants grow their business like a real business. Everything I've ever done in this crazy little company has been an extention of serving others.
I wanted to help others. I wanted to bless others as God had blessed me. There's no real secret to my success. I just found something that worked for me and I implemented it. I stayed consistent with it, and I was rewarded for my commitment.
So as I roll into 2009, I'm looking at ways to help even more people, reach even more people, and effect positive change in the lives of even MORE people still.
Think you've figured out my Big Announcement? Post your guess here. I'll announce the big winner (and the BIG Announcement) on the Blog on Sunday night.
Business Stripped Bare: What I've learned from Sir Richard Branson, Part One
I'm a reader. Folks who know me know my bookshelves are stocked to the gills with books read, underlined, notated and paraphrased. They also know I have boxes of books that won't fit on my shelves. So what better gift to give a girl like me than Sir Richard Branson's book, Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur? Along with a book light and a lifetime supply of batteries for that light, my sister made my holiday bright (no pun intended) with this gift.
My intention this year is to write more, and read more, and most importantly to share my findings with my subscribers so they too can benefit from what I learn. This is the first installment of revelations from Sir Richard's book.
After swimming through the first chapter, dozens of action steps popped into my head that I felt compelled to implement in my business. But nestled in the center of that first chapter was this little gem:
"business has to give people enriching, rewarding lives, or it's simply not worth doing."
I stopped cold when I read those words. I must have re-read them 16 or 20 times, because the underline is pretty black on the page. Then I took out my notebook and started writing down ideas about what makes an enriching, rewarding life - and how my businesses could do that for me.
Beyond the monetary considerations, your business must provide social/emotional fulfillment.
You've got to feel good about the work you're doing, and share that joy with others. That's the beauty of work: different people get joy from doing different tasks. Why put yourself in a position where you HAVE to do the work you hate? If you find yourself foucsing on the drudgery of the work you do, you'll quickly hit burnout, become disgruntled, and look for excuses to not get your work done.
Direct Sales consultants suffer from a chronic dread of getting on the phone and doing the requisite follow-up with their customers. If this is a problem for you, there are solutions. Hire some help. Recruit a customer service rep to handle the calls and follow ups for you. There are two immediate benefits: you'll be freed from the work you hate, PLUS your customers will get the follow up they deserve. The downside? There may be a cost to hiring help. But not necessarily. You can often find inexpensive help through a local college or via online help at places like elance.com.
You will do your best work when you are pursuing your passion.
So often, we find ourselves plugged into work that we thought we would enjoy, only to find out we're really not cut out for it. We haven't taken the time to investigate where our passion truly lies. As a result, we may feel stuck or trapped in a position that we can't escape. That's simply not the case. There are always alternatives.
A coaching client recently made the discovery that, although she loved her work, her real passion was in spending time "being a good mom" to her babies. She felt as though her mission had to be work related, and during our coaching sessions, she came to realize that her work is the vehicle that helps her fulfill her mission of being a good mom. Are you clear on what you live to do? What is that thing that makes you jump out of bed in the morning?
In Direct Sales, we call it your "why", but it can really be anything. The passion that inspires you to do out-of-the-ordinary things to achieve your goals. The fire that pushes you through some of the more mundane moments in your business. When you structure your work around pursuing your passion/mission, nothing can prevent you from achieving success - all it can do is delay it a bit.
There has to be reciprocity. You must give to get.
Sir Richard talks about the various charitable activities that are tied into the Virgin brand. In Direct Sales, many of our companies already donate a portion of profits to worthy causes. At the consultant level, what are YOU doing to give back to your community/customers? It can be a simple hostess appreciation event, giving extras with orders, or any manner of giving back as a way to establish a deeper connection with the people you serve. Service is the key. A business that seeks to serve it's customers (not sell to them), is more profitable, more successful, and more powerful in the marketplace.
In a saturated marketplace, the company that cares - the business with heart, that has concern for the public, makes a bigger splash. Customers "don't care what you know, until they know that you care."
Finding your passion in your business, and serving your customers in a value-added way makes a tremendous difference in the value YOU derive from it as a business owner. When an opportunity presents itself to serve your customers, take it. You'll find your business to be more rewarding, enjoyable, and successful in the long run.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young
==========
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR PRINT OR WEB PUBLICATIONS?
I'd be honored - so long as you include this complete blurb with it: Lisa Robbin Young teaches entrepreneurs how to be celebrities in the eyes of their customers. Lisa's mission is to educate entreprenurial women about big business ideas they can apply to their small business enterprise for stellar success. Learn the 4 steps to Building a Better Customer at http://www.homepartysolution.com/bbc.
My intention this year is to write more, and read more, and most importantly to share my findings with my subscribers so they too can benefit from what I learn. This is the first installment of revelations from Sir Richard's book.
After swimming through the first chapter, dozens of action steps popped into my head that I felt compelled to implement in my business. But nestled in the center of that first chapter was this little gem:
"business has to give people enriching, rewarding lives, or it's simply not worth doing."
I stopped cold when I read those words. I must have re-read them 16 or 20 times, because the underline is pretty black on the page. Then I took out my notebook and started writing down ideas about what makes an enriching, rewarding life - and how my businesses could do that for me.
Beyond the monetary considerations, your business must provide social/emotional fulfillment.
You've got to feel good about the work you're doing, and share that joy with others. That's the beauty of work: different people get joy from doing different tasks. Why put yourself in a position where you HAVE to do the work you hate? If you find yourself foucsing on the drudgery of the work you do, you'll quickly hit burnout, become disgruntled, and look for excuses to not get your work done.
Direct Sales consultants suffer from a chronic dread of getting on the phone and doing the requisite follow-up with their customers. If this is a problem for you, there are solutions. Hire some help. Recruit a customer service rep to handle the calls and follow ups for you. There are two immediate benefits: you'll be freed from the work you hate, PLUS your customers will get the follow up they deserve. The downside? There may be a cost to hiring help. But not necessarily. You can often find inexpensive help through a local college or via online help at places like elance.com.
You will do your best work when you are pursuing your passion.
So often, we find ourselves plugged into work that we thought we would enjoy, only to find out we're really not cut out for it. We haven't taken the time to investigate where our passion truly lies. As a result, we may feel stuck or trapped in a position that we can't escape. That's simply not the case. There are always alternatives.
A coaching client recently made the discovery that, although she loved her work, her real passion was in spending time "being a good mom" to her babies. She felt as though her mission had to be work related, and during our coaching sessions, she came to realize that her work is the vehicle that helps her fulfill her mission of being a good mom. Are you clear on what you live to do? What is that thing that makes you jump out of bed in the morning?
In Direct Sales, we call it your "why", but it can really be anything. The passion that inspires you to do out-of-the-ordinary things to achieve your goals. The fire that pushes you through some of the more mundane moments in your business. When you structure your work around pursuing your passion/mission, nothing can prevent you from achieving success - all it can do is delay it a bit.
There has to be reciprocity. You must give to get.
Sir Richard talks about the various charitable activities that are tied into the Virgin brand. In Direct Sales, many of our companies already donate a portion of profits to worthy causes. At the consultant level, what are YOU doing to give back to your community/customers? It can be a simple hostess appreciation event, giving extras with orders, or any manner of giving back as a way to establish a deeper connection with the people you serve. Service is the key. A business that seeks to serve it's customers (not sell to them), is more profitable, more successful, and more powerful in the marketplace.
In a saturated marketplace, the company that cares - the business with heart, that has concern for the public, makes a bigger splash. Customers "don't care what you know, until they know that you care."
Finding your passion in your business, and serving your customers in a value-added way makes a tremendous difference in the value YOU derive from it as a business owner. When an opportunity presents itself to serve your customers, take it. You'll find your business to be more rewarding, enjoyable, and successful in the long run.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young
==========
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR PRINT OR WEB PUBLICATIONS?
I'd be honored - so long as you include this complete blurb with it: Lisa Robbin Young teaches entrepreneurs how to be celebrities in the eyes of their customers. Lisa's mission is to educate entreprenurial women about big business ideas they can apply to their small business enterprise for stellar success. Learn the 4 steps to Building a Better Customer at http://www.homepartysolution.com/bbc.
4 Simple Strategies Saved My Life
The last 6 months have been a time of tremendous change in my life. Heck, this whole year has been a roller coaster, but especially the last half of 2008.
Things have been so crazy, and stressful, and frantic, and exciting, that my doctor told me I needed to lighten my stress load before I became another family statistic.
So I got cast in a musical, created a new direct sales training course with my good friend Ruth Fuersten, and agreed to help a friend create a website for a local comic and entertainment publication that's being born in my home town.
And I didn't break a sweat. Well, okay, I sweat a lot during the musical, but that was because it was hot on the stage under all those lights.
I've lost 15 pounds (and counting). I feel less stressed most days (remember, I've got 2 kids!). And I have never felt better about my business and financial future.
Why? I'm building better customers. My businesses now revolve around me, instead of revolving my businesses around my frustomers - those frustrating customers that seemed to exist oly to make my life more difficult.
So I finally said "ta ta" in 4 simple steps.
Wanna know the steps?
I'm sharing them FREE of charge on a call this Monday night. I'm not holding anything back, either. You'll not only hear from me, but two of my "guinea pigs" that I've already shared this process with. They'll be telling you how it's helped them. And if it will help us, I know can help you, too.
Clear away the "frustomers" in your life. It could save your life, too!
Things have been so crazy, and stressful, and frantic, and exciting, that my doctor told me I needed to lighten my stress load before I became another family statistic.
So I got cast in a musical, created a new direct sales training course with my good friend Ruth Fuersten, and agreed to help a friend create a website for a local comic and entertainment publication that's being born in my home town.
And I didn't break a sweat. Well, okay, I sweat a lot during the musical, but that was because it was hot on the stage under all those lights.
I've lost 15 pounds (and counting). I feel less stressed most days (remember, I've got 2 kids!). And I have never felt better about my business and financial future.
Why? I'm building better customers. My businesses now revolve around me, instead of revolving my businesses around my frustomers - those frustrating customers that seemed to exist oly to make my life more difficult.
So I finally said "ta ta" in 4 simple steps.
Wanna know the steps?
I'm sharing them FREE of charge on a call this Monday night. I'm not holding anything back, either. You'll not only hear from me, but two of my "guinea pigs" that I've already shared this process with. They'll be telling you how it's helped them. And if it will help us, I know can help you, too.
Clear away the "frustomers" in your life. It could save your life, too!
Breakthroughs Are Often Disguised as Breakdowns
If your whole world tipped on it's axis 3 degrees, what would you do?
What if your whole world dried up and blew away?
Welcome to December, 2008 for me!
In the last 2 weeks, my entire upline at my primary company was dismissed due to breach of contract - the problem? Recruiting downline members into a new biz op using genealogy lists while they were still associated with my company.
We lost 6 Director-level leaders in our state which could be an incredible blow to my business.
Essentially, I am "leaderless".
But honestly, I'm dancing in the streets.
The dead weight is finally gone. YAHOO!
Then I got word that a coaching client was now without a direct sales company because they're closing at the end of the month.
She's also dancing in the streets.
Why?
Because we're both using the concepts of personal branding to grow our reach even in hat would seem like hard times.
But also, because we recognize that BIG Breakthroughs are often disguised as breakdowns.
You know:
Whenever God closes a door...
That's TRUE even more now than ever before. The problem most of us have is that we're too busy looking at the closed door - and knocking on it - that we don't hear or see the window open.
Don't keep staring at a closed door - look for a window!
What's happening for me? Because of the recent changes, I now have more opportunities to create a name for myself in this area - lead training and grow a new culture that doesn't include dead weight.
Plus my new coaching system - Build a Better Customer is slated for release in early 2009 - and having the ability to devote my time to helping others create teh same level of freedom just jumped incrementally.
Can you say excited?
December really came in like a lion for me - and it seemed to be NOT in a good way. But when I stopped staring at a closed door (which didn't last long, I'll admit), The big gaping picture window sure looked inviting.
Where's your window?
What if your whole world dried up and blew away?
Welcome to December, 2008 for me!
In the last 2 weeks, my entire upline at my primary company was dismissed due to breach of contract - the problem? Recruiting downline members into a new biz op using genealogy lists while they were still associated with my company.
We lost 6 Director-level leaders in our state which could be an incredible blow to my business.
Essentially, I am "leaderless".
But honestly, I'm dancing in the streets.
The dead weight is finally gone. YAHOO!
Then I got word that a coaching client was now without a direct sales company because they're closing at the end of the month.
She's also dancing in the streets.
Why?
Because we're both using the concepts of personal branding to grow our reach even in hat would seem like hard times.
But also, because we recognize that BIG Breakthroughs are often disguised as breakdowns.
You know:
Whenever God closes a door...
That's TRUE even more now than ever before. The problem most of us have is that we're too busy looking at the closed door - and knocking on it - that we don't hear or see the window open.
Don't keep staring at a closed door - look for a window!
What's happening for me? Because of the recent changes, I now have more opportunities to create a name for myself in this area - lead training and grow a new culture that doesn't include dead weight.
Plus my new coaching system - Build a Better Customer is slated for release in early 2009 - and having the ability to devote my time to helping others create teh same level of freedom just jumped incrementally.
Can you say excited?
December really came in like a lion for me - and it seemed to be NOT in a good way. But when I stopped staring at a closed door (which didn't last long, I'll admit), The big gaping picture window sure looked inviting.
Where's your window?
Real Life Strikes Again: How NOT To Brand Yourself
My oldest is a handful.
That's being polite.
He's struggled with ADHD and behavioral issues since he was small. Until last year, his issues were somewhat controlled with medication, although I never felt convinced that his Psych was really conerned about his well being, and more concerned with the drug mill he was pushing people through.
I think my suspicions were confirmed today.
I'll skip the intervening time and many personal details, but since my Mother's death in March, my son has not been the usual cantankerous kid we've grown to love. He's been more voilent, reclusive, explosive and difficult to manage. Add to that a request to return to regular school (I homeschooled last year), and it's been a combustible year, to say the least.
A school incident got us involved with our local Community Mental Health department in an effort to get him expedted service and treatment for what is looking more and mor like it might be high functional autism or a form of Asperger's, due to some new symptoms now presenting. So an appointment was made for a "full psych eval" to be held today.
Here's where I scratch my head in disbelief. the exact same psychiatrist that had been seeing him once a month for 3 years walked out, called him by the wrong name (again), and ushered us into an office.
Once in the office, my oldest said "Hey, I Know you!" and the Doctor put his oot in it royally.
"No, I don't think we've ever met before."
"Oh yes, you have!" I corrected him. "You were his psych for 3 years at a different facility!"
"Oh. Well, what brings you in today?"
Other than that inane question, he listened to my tale of increasing violence and disturbing symptoms, copied down a few notes, then asked me the following EVEN MORE STUPID question
"If we could give a magic pill, what would you want it to do?"
Are you kidding me? You saw this kid for 3 years and have no recollection of him, and you want me to diagnose him?
I said, "frankly, I see medication as a last resort, and would like to find out what the underlying issues are before we stuff drugs down his throat. I mean, if he needs drugs, fine, but if the drugs end up masking what the real issue is, then that's not fine."
He asked my son 4 questions, handed me 2 scrips and recommended I schedule an appointment with the child psychiatrist at his next available opening.
"He has more symptoms than I feel comfortable with. I'm calling in the specialist."
My question is, why wasn't I seeing the child psych in the first place?
At that moment, his NP came around the corner, and my son said "Hey! I know you too!"
The NP said "No, I don't think you do."
"UGH! Yes you do! You work with that Doctor and he was my kid's doc for 3 frickin' years!"
Can you tell I wasn't too happy?
Let us break this down so that you NEVER EVER have this happen in your business.
1. Know your client's name. Maybe he read it wrong, but once I corrected him, the doctor STILL called my child by his last name, instead of his first name. Come on! This is common courtesy, folks.
2. Make eye contact. This sounds like a no brainer, but for the entire time we were in the office, I counted a whopping 1:22 of total eye contact, give ot take a few seconds. If he had an intensive questionnaire or computer form he needed to complete, I would have been a touch more understanding. I've had more compassionate, friendly service at WalMart's self-service lane!
3. Spend time understanding your customer. You don't diagnose in 15 minutes, when one of the 4 questions you ask is botu a magic pill! That shows you're not trying to understand anything - you want them to do the work for you. In business, you need to make connections with your customers. In this country, medicine is very obviously a business. this guy didn't even try to make a connection with either of us.
4. Solve the client's problem - or get out of the way so someone else can. He knew immediately that my son didn't belong under his care - yet instead of taking charge to ge me set up right away with the proper doctor, he pushed us out the door to seek help from the receptionist - who was conveniently not at her desk for 10 minutes. I stood in the hallway waiting patiently and silently for someone to return until that NP rounded the corner. Even HE didn't get me any help.
Perhaps I'm just a grumbling bumbling mom. But I was sore when I realized the very doctor I took issue with for 3 years was back as co-pilot of my child's psychiatric care.
You can bet my son's case manager will be hearing from me.
The real life marketing lesson? Take the time to care. Even within that small 15 minute window, there were plenty of opportunitied for that Doctor - or anyone in that office - to turn that situation around. And yet, NO ONE took the time to care. Don't let that be you. One good thing could have made this a POSTIVITE memorable experience.
Instead of a horrifyingly negative one.
That's being polite.
He's struggled with ADHD and behavioral issues since he was small. Until last year, his issues were somewhat controlled with medication, although I never felt convinced that his Psych was really conerned about his well being, and more concerned with the drug mill he was pushing people through.
I think my suspicions were confirmed today.
I'll skip the intervening time and many personal details, but since my Mother's death in March, my son has not been the usual cantankerous kid we've grown to love. He's been more voilent, reclusive, explosive and difficult to manage. Add to that a request to return to regular school (I homeschooled last year), and it's been a combustible year, to say the least.
A school incident got us involved with our local Community Mental Health department in an effort to get him expedted service and treatment for what is looking more and mor like it might be high functional autism or a form of Asperger's, due to some new symptoms now presenting. So an appointment was made for a "full psych eval" to be held today.
Here's where I scratch my head in disbelief. the exact same psychiatrist that had been seeing him once a month for 3 years walked out, called him by the wrong name (again), and ushered us into an office.
Once in the office, my oldest said "Hey, I Know you!" and the Doctor put his oot in it royally.
"No, I don't think we've ever met before."
"Oh yes, you have!" I corrected him. "You were his psych for 3 years at a different facility!"
"Oh. Well, what brings you in today?"
Other than that inane question, he listened to my tale of increasing violence and disturbing symptoms, copied down a few notes, then asked me the following EVEN MORE STUPID question
"If we could give a magic pill, what would you want it to do?"
Are you kidding me? You saw this kid for 3 years and have no recollection of him, and you want me to diagnose him?
I said, "frankly, I see medication as a last resort, and would like to find out what the underlying issues are before we stuff drugs down his throat. I mean, if he needs drugs, fine, but if the drugs end up masking what the real issue is, then that's not fine."
He asked my son 4 questions, handed me 2 scrips and recommended I schedule an appointment with the child psychiatrist at his next available opening.
"He has more symptoms than I feel comfortable with. I'm calling in the specialist."
My question is, why wasn't I seeing the child psych in the first place?
At that moment, his NP came around the corner, and my son said "Hey! I know you too!"
The NP said "No, I don't think you do."
"UGH! Yes you do! You work with that Doctor and he was my kid's doc for 3 frickin' years!"
Can you tell I wasn't too happy?
Let us break this down so that you NEVER EVER have this happen in your business.
1. Know your client's name. Maybe he read it wrong, but once I corrected him, the doctor STILL called my child by his last name, instead of his first name. Come on! This is common courtesy, folks.
2. Make eye contact. This sounds like a no brainer, but for the entire time we were in the office, I counted a whopping 1:22 of total eye contact, give ot take a few seconds. If he had an intensive questionnaire or computer form he needed to complete, I would have been a touch more understanding. I've had more compassionate, friendly service at WalMart's self-service lane!
3. Spend time understanding your customer. You don't diagnose in 15 minutes, when one of the 4 questions you ask is botu a magic pill! That shows you're not trying to understand anything - you want them to do the work for you. In business, you need to make connections with your customers. In this country, medicine is very obviously a business. this guy didn't even try to make a connection with either of us.
4. Solve the client's problem - or get out of the way so someone else can. He knew immediately that my son didn't belong under his care - yet instead of taking charge to ge me set up right away with the proper doctor, he pushed us out the door to seek help from the receptionist - who was conveniently not at her desk for 10 minutes. I stood in the hallway waiting patiently and silently for someone to return until that NP rounded the corner. Even HE didn't get me any help.
Perhaps I'm just a grumbling bumbling mom. But I was sore when I realized the very doctor I took issue with for 3 years was back as co-pilot of my child's psychiatric care.
You can bet my son's case manager will be hearing from me.
The real life marketing lesson? Take the time to care. Even within that small 15 minute window, there were plenty of opportunitied for that Doctor - or anyone in that office - to turn that situation around. And yet, NO ONE took the time to care. Don't let that be you. One good thing could have made this a POSTIVITE memorable experience.
Instead of a horrifyingly negative one.
Obama Camp Got It Wrong: Last Minute Marketing Mistakes
Regardless of how you vote (or if you vote) today, I have a "real life marketing" story about the campaign that demonstrates what COULD have been a great last minute push for a presidential candidate, but instead turned into just so much litter on the streets.
As I sat in my office working on my ezine yesterday, a strange looking, ball cap wearing gentleman approached my home. He walked up to the door, never rang the bell and walked away.
Nervous, I went to the door and saw him descending the stairs and heading down the street. It was not my mail carrier, but I knew that the mail carrier had just delivered, so I opened the door to get the mail out of my box, thinking this weirdo might have tried to swipe my mail.
No such luck. All the bills, letters and magazines were still tucked safely inside my mailbox.
But as I collected the mail and turned around I noticed two things: first, another gentleman was on the other side of the street, pacing this nut job, going from house to house. Second, there was an annoying blue hang tag attached to my door asking me to "Vote Tuesday Nov. 4th for Change".
With no concern as to who or how I'm voting, what matters to me or why, these yahoos are going door to door leaving their yard waste on the front doors of my neighbors, without so much as a knock.
It reminded me of when the kids used to play ring and run. Only not as much fun.
Here's where the Obama Camp got it wrong. First, they're just plastering. I call this "the shotgun approach" to doing business - and say what you want political campaigns are business. They're just throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something will stick.
Never mind looking in the yard to see if there is a political sign or anything. Just hang a tag on every door (there are at LEAST 3 McCain supporters on my street - they've got signs - and these yahoos put hang tags on their doors anyway).
There's a difference between "never pre-judge" and "don't take no for an answer". I would think a yard sign would be a fair indicator of how a person feels.
This morning, there are a handful of these hang tags blowing down the street - several of the houses they posted are vacant.
How could this have been solved?
Ring the bell, folks. Knock on a door. Say HELLO, for pity's sake. You'll have better luck encouraging someone to get out the vote if you take the time to connect with them.
The same holds true in business. CONNECT with your constituents (customers). Build a relationship - at least say HELLO and ring the dang bell.
Otherwise, don't be surprised if they choose your competitor IN SPITE of your actions.
As I sat in my office working on my ezine yesterday, a strange looking, ball cap wearing gentleman approached my home. He walked up to the door, never rang the bell and walked away.
Nervous, I went to the door and saw him descending the stairs and heading down the street. It was not my mail carrier, but I knew that the mail carrier had just delivered, so I opened the door to get the mail out of my box, thinking this weirdo might have tried to swipe my mail.
No such luck. All the bills, letters and magazines were still tucked safely inside my mailbox.
But as I collected the mail and turned around I noticed two things: first, another gentleman was on the other side of the street, pacing this nut job, going from house to house. Second, there was an annoying blue hang tag attached to my door asking me to "Vote Tuesday Nov. 4th for Change".
With no concern as to who or how I'm voting, what matters to me or why, these yahoos are going door to door leaving their yard waste on the front doors of my neighbors, without so much as a knock.
It reminded me of when the kids used to play ring and run. Only not as much fun.
Here's where the Obama Camp got it wrong. First, they're just plastering. I call this "the shotgun approach" to doing business - and say what you want political campaigns are business. They're just throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something will stick.
Never mind looking in the yard to see if there is a political sign or anything. Just hang a tag on every door (there are at LEAST 3 McCain supporters on my street - they've got signs - and these yahoos put hang tags on their doors anyway).
There's a difference between "never pre-judge" and "don't take no for an answer". I would think a yard sign would be a fair indicator of how a person feels.
This morning, there are a handful of these hang tags blowing down the street - several of the houses they posted are vacant.
How could this have been solved?
Ring the bell, folks. Knock on a door. Say HELLO, for pity's sake. You'll have better luck encouraging someone to get out the vote if you take the time to connect with them.
The same holds true in business. CONNECT with your constituents (customers). Build a relationship - at least say HELLO and ring the dang bell.
Otherwise, don't be surprised if they choose your competitor IN SPITE of your actions.
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