Home Party Solution will self-destruct in...

I've been hinting at this for a while. I want to need to blow up my website.

It's gotten so cumbersome, difficult to navigate, and frankly, it's not performing like it used to. There are too many buttons, too many ways to get lost, and too many processes we still need to handle manually.

I'm trying to streamline my life and my business, and I want it to be easy for Bonnie (my super duper assistant) to navigate everything we own.

So, we're blowing it up. Shortly.

We've already pulled Home Party Solution off the shelves (I think we've got 3 copies left), to prepare for the re-launch. Pretty soon everything else will be yanked, too. Direct Sales Jump Start will be going buh-bye, and my social media training (Twitter Secrets for Direct Sellers) will be completely re-vamped, too.

Which means, for a short period of time, the only programs I'll have running are my coaching, any speaking gigs I've scheduled, and my Marketing Mentor Program - which won't be accepting any new members.

So essentially, I'm cutting off my income so I can better serve you.

That almost doesn't make sense, does it?

If you don't know by now, I coached with @elizabethpw last year, during a time when she was going through some major transition. More than the things she coached me on, I was able to see what SHE was going through, and learn vicariously.

Elizabeth just remodeled her website. I was jealous. I've been plotting a revamp for a while, "and now it looks like I'm totally being a follower" (I say in my best Valley-girl voice).

Again, though, I can learn from Elizabeth. Her post outlines strategic choices she made to be sure she's actually getting paid for the work she's doing.

I've been reflecting on that. Some of what I was trying to accomplish has not worked the way I planned. I've been remiss in tracking because I've been too busy launching. But without tracking, I can't see what's working. Ack.

I've got html pages with outdated info that we crafted eons ago that I can't even figure out how to find, let alone edit. And people are still going there. Double Ack.

I've got about 30 domains. I actually manage about 7 of them. The rest are all ideas that haven't transpired yet - or are being re-directed elsewhere. Triple Ack.

I've got ownership of something like 6 blogs. I only frequent 2 of them. Ack-tastic.

So we're consolidating. Refining. Making something more effective. For you AND me AND my team.

But this stuff takes time.

The GOOD news is that we've already launched The Renaissance Mom, and that site is working fabulously. Going forward, there will be two major sites, The Renaissance Mom, and my site for all my direct sales-specific content. Yes, this blog will probably move. We're still figuring that out.

I've learned something else, too. But that's a post for my other blog.

At any rate, the newsletter will keep going out, there still be this blog (at least during the transition), but the rest is, as they say, history.

And the "new and improved", I think, is going to revolutionize direct sales training and coaching.

More on that in another post.

Sometimes, you have to shut down the whole store to do a full remodel. And this remodel will be like nothing you've ever seen before. I'm so excited to share it, and it's been a long time in the making.

I just hope it's not a long time in the presenting. A girl's gotta feed the kids!

Direct Sales Mentoring: The Super Summit Shortens Your Learning Curve

Last year, I had a wild idea as I sat in my dining room on a Thursday night.

I fantasized about how cool it would be if someone would put together a teleseminar series for direct sellers who wanted to grow a real business, instead of an expensive hobby. There were a few live events targeted at leaders, and most companies have a national conference, but there was so much information regurgitation, that not much new was being shared in terms of what really works now.

And then I heard that voice.

"Why not you? Why not now?"

Oh, I got all kinds of internal resistance. 'But I don't know anyone. Who could I find to speak at this event?' And on and on.

I seriously didn't think I was qualified to do something like this. And several other more established direct sales trainers seemed to agree. I hit wall after wall trying to connect with some of the more well-known trainers in direct sales. They were either too busy, or unimpressed by what I was trying to accomplish.

They didn't understand online marketing, JV partnerships, or cross promoting to help one another. Frankly, their fear of competition prevented them from sharing this info with their own lists because they were afraid someone might steal their clients away.

But by Sunday night, I had secured 8 of the 15 speakers for my first event. I give a lot of the credit to twitter for that, because I was able to cut through the clutter and talk straight to several of the people I wanted to work with. In fact, I still do a lot of my connecting there.

And so it began. More than a thousand people participated in that first event. The response was so overwhelming that I was able to put together a second summit in the fall. In 2009, more than two thousand people registered for the summits.

It became clear to me that working with mentors from other business sectors was appealing not just to direct sales pros, but for all kinds of entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Why Work With Mentors?
Our third summit begins March 28, and the line-up is so powerful, that I know everyone that participates will walk away with at least one business building tool or strategy they can use right away to improve their business. That's the big reason I believe in mentoring so much. It helps you shorten your learning curve.


In direct sales especially, we can easily get stuck in a rut. We're learning from our up-line, or from other successful consultants and leaders within our company - and maybe from another direct sales coach or trainer. Often, though, the rut becomes 'incestuous'. We start copying each other, doing the same things, and not being as effective as we could be. Mentors break us out of those ruts, offering fresh perspectives, sometimes completely out of your original knowledge base.

Why Teleseminars?
The beauty of a teleseminar is that you don't even need to leave home, take off your slippers or comb your hair! It would cost a pretty penny to attend a live event that brings together a roster of experienced business professionals to speak at a 2 week event. The travel, day care and costs for room and board alone would prevent most direct sellers from participating. Plus, you'd be hard pressed to all these folks at the same event. It would just be too expensive! Teleseminars are truly the best of all worlds - expert advice that you can take action on right away, no travel required, and a minimal time investment to get on the call.

Mentors are experts in their given field. Mari Smith is an undisputed expert when it comes to Facebook Marketing. Lisa Sasevich is the champion of selling without being pushy - and you're not likely to see these folks at your national convention. The Super Summit gives you an opportunity to learn from the best minds in business for a very minimal investment. In fact, you can listen to all the live broadcasts for just $3.

We've got more than a dozen people sharing their genius at this summit - and they're not selling anything. You can take it all in, apply it to your business and go with a smile - for less than the cost of a kid's meal. Where else can you learn from so many mentors for such a small investment?

If you're serious about building a real business - not an expensive hobby - you'll want to develop a mindset of continually learning from mentors and experts that can help you grow your business successfully.

Direct Sales Success: Incentivizing Hosts

As I coach  my hosts, one of the things I often do is include incentives for the actions I want them to take.

Frankly, if my host and I are a partnership, it's important to me that she keeps up her end of the partnership. My job is to help her have the most successful show possible: happy guests that spend lots of money so she gets tons of free and half priced products.

In my experience, there are a few things that help make a show successful right from the get-go:
1. plenty of guests
2. outside orders
3. bookings before the show

If those things are in place, the show is a success before I even arrive. Plus, it helps me to know I'm already making money on this show before I even head out to do the party.

The best way to encourage your hosts to demonstrate this kind of behavior is to incentivize their actions.
I use a special business card sized "cheat sheet" (that I share with my Direct Sales 101 clients) that outlines exactly how I will reward my host for helping me make the event successful.

But you don't need to be a client to do the same thing. Here's what I recommend:
1. decide what are the most important outcomes from your show (bookings, sales, recruits, etc)
2. decide what actions are required to get those results (calls to make, guests at the show, etc)
3. figure out how much of that burden should fall on your hostess (creating a guest list, making RSVP calls, etc)
4. decide what kind of incentives you can give your hostess for completing those actions.

It can be as simple or as complex as you'd like. My primary focus is always on the guest list. That's my insurance policy for a successful party. The better the guest list the more successful the show, almost across the board. I would offer a small gift to my hostess when her guest list contained 40 or more different names and addresses.

Gifts don't need to be big or fancy, but they should be commensurate with the reward you're getting in return. For example, if I had a host that collected $500 in outisde orders, I might give her a $10-20 gift on top of her host bonus rewards. That's $500 I didn't really have to work for, and that's my way of thanking her for making our partnership successful. On the other hand, if she collected $20 in outside orders, I might offer her a free sample product or an extra draw from my mystery gift grab bag. Think about your gifts as if you were the one receiving them. Would you feel special or truly appreciated? If not, it's probably not a gift worth offering.

When you incentivize your hosts, you train them to perform their duties and "keep up their end" of the business relationship. Set the expectation for success. You are not a slave. You are a partner in a successful business endeavor. Train your hosts so that they know what it takes to have a successful show.

© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.

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USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):

Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/

Direct Sales: It's Playing, Not The Game, That Matters

I lost count at the number of emails I got asking me what game we played in our booth. I'm actually planning on doing an entire call for my Marketing Mentor coaching group next month about Expos and Events. But for you, dear readers, I will reveal the game we played in our booth.

But here's the thing. At different events, we played different games:

We played black jack.
We rolled giant dice and played craps.
We played "Where's the Queen?" (like the shell game, but with cards)
We played bingo.

The booth theme was "casino night". And it wasn't the game we played that mattered, it was the fact that we engaged our audience in a unique way that allowed them to see we were about more than just our product and our comp plan.

The games were pretty short - so we weren't spending more than a minute or so with each person. The games were also engaging. Participants had to participate and talk with us.

And that, dear readers, is what makes the difference. When people walk away from the booth, we'd slap the "I got lucky" sticker on them so that we knew they'd already played the game. But they were also advertising for us. So when someone asked "Hey, how'd you get that sticker?" people could say "I just played this really fun game over at that booth" and point in our general direction.

Woo hoo! They were driving traffic for us, advertising for us, and creating buzz for us. It was kind of an offline viral marketing technique.

But honestly, it didn't matter which game we played, the results were the same. People were excited about what we offered, we got to talk with people for more than two seconds, and we were able to have a memorable cue for follow-up calls ("you played craps at our booth at the expo...").

In big events, it's hard to stand out, hard to be remarkable. It's even more challenging when you have to compete with dozens of other direct sellers - even if they offer different products. People will likely only book one show, and you want it to be with you. You have to be very compelling. But that's another post for another day.

So now you know my "secret game". It's no secret. It's all in how you play the game, not what game you play.


© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.

USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!

Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):

Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/

Direct Sales Success: Expectations Set the Tone

When I work with clients on their target marketing, one of the biggest areas of contention is the realization that ultimately, everyone is not their target market.

No, everyone that fogs up a mirror is not your prospect. Neither is everyone who showers (if you're in skincare), everyone who eats (if you sell kitchen gadgets or food), or everyone with kids (if you sell toys or educational goodies).

You've got to be a little more specific.

For example, if you choose to service a local, offline, market, then people more than 100 miles from your home would not be part of your target market. This limits the number of people you can serve.

And that word, "limits", seems to put a stranglehold on a consultant faster than a rope 'n ride at the rodeo.

They want to serve everyone. Because if they don't serve everyone, how will they get enough clients for their business.

Then I try to remind them of this episode of I Love Lucy:


You can't possibly serve everyone and do a good job.
Really. You can't.

So, why not change your expectations? establish a market that you CAN serve, and that you WANT to serve.

And expectations go both ways. Be sure to let your target market know what they can expect from you, how you expect to serve them, and how they can expect to hear from you. here are some suggestions to help set the tone with new clients in your target market:

1. Lay out the ground rules from the get-go.
Tell them your guest lists typically have 40-50 names on them, and that you usually get them back within 3 days. If they have problems with that, you'll be more than happy to help them in person, or to direct them to another consultant that would be glad to work with them.

2. Express your excitement about helping your host have a successful show. Your best shows are going to have a certain number of guests (get this info from your statistics from last year). Let your hosts and guests know what they can expect if the evening is a success for everyone.

3. Decide in advance what kind of show you want to have. Leave nothing to chance. I have had success inviting my "go only" guests to other people's parties. If a guest says "I only go to parties, I don't host them" I put them on a list so that when I have a host that's struggling to get RSVP's, I can call them up and invite them to the party. The host thinks I'm her hero, and the guest appreciates being remembered and treated respectfully.


Ultimately, it's up to you to decide how you're going to make the most of your business, policies and procedures. your home office lays the foundation, but the framework is built by you. Your expectations set the tone for the outcome of your parties AND your business as a whole.

Expect more to get more.

Direct Sales Success: From Strategy to Plan

Planning for direct sales success can be as simple as turning on a light switch, or as challenging as digging ditches. It all depends on your outlook.

My husband thinks 'plan' is a four-letter word. So I have to come up with "action items" instead of a plan. It's the only way to get anything done around my house.

But before I lay out my "honey-do" list, I have to envision my desired outcome. Then, I need to understand the important pillars of getting the job done.

The same hold true in your direct sales business.

Once you've laid a vision for your direct sales business, identified the goals and created a strategy around what the key areas of accomplishment are, we then get to "the brass tacks" of bringing that vision to life - creating the plan.

Once you've laid out you annual objectives, you've got to break that down into meaningful, manageable "chunks". For example, if your goal is to add 12 new personal recruits to your team, that breaks down to approximately 1 recruit each month.

But this kind of thinking is not likely to be accurate.

Consultants are trained to average their numbers out over the course of the year, which is a detriment. In reality, the bulk of our sales - the bulk of our business, really - comes during the last quarter of the year.

Now that doesn't mean to sit on your laurels until October. Far from it.

What it means is that you should plan appropriately and project reasonably for the year.

For example, if you look at your sales history and 50% of your sales happens from October to December, don't expect that you'll have an even time of things from January to June.

Forecast higher numbers in the fall and lower numbers in the winter.

This does two things:

1. It paints a realistic picture for your business
2. It shows you where your real opportunities lie

So if you've NEVER added a single recruit in February, you can choose to focus on that objective, or to play to your strengths instead.

This is how your business truly becomes your own.

If in March, you know there's a big bridal event that you're planning for, lay the groundwork NOW and know what your desired outcomes are. They may look something like this:

1. collect contact info for 300 leads
2. connect with 30 brides (preferably at the show)
3. book 10 parties/events from the bridal show
4. schedule 2 recruit interviews
5. sign one recruit

If there is a commandment in direct sales it should be "Thou shalt know thy numbers." You can't plan a realistic business year without knowing your numbers. How many interviews must you hold (on average) before you sign a recruit? How many people do you need to talk to before you can schedule an interview? How many leads do you need to make 30 contacts?

If you know these numbers, you can look at last year's data to break it all down. Here's a hypothetical example:

2009 Results:
Jan - 2 shows, 16 people, 1 recruit interview (did not sign)
Feb - 8 shows, 80 people, 3 recruit interviews (1 signed)
Mar - 10 shows, 85 people, 5 recruit interviews (2 signed)
Apr - 7 shows, 80 people, 4 recruit interviews (1 signed)
May - 16 shows, 150 people, 10 recruit interviews (3 signed)
Jun - 7 shows, 81 people, 5 recruit interviews (3 signed)
Jul - 4 shows, 55 people, 3 recruit interviews (2 signed)
Aug - 4 shows, 42 people, 1 recruit interview (1 signed)
Sep - 6 shows, 55 people, 2 recruit interviews (0 signed)
Oct - 11 shows, 140 people, 12 recruit interviews (5 signed)
nov - 16 shows, 225 people, 20 recruit interviews (10 signed)
Dec - 8 shows, 150 people, 10 recruit interviews (3 signed)

2009 - 99 shows, 1159 people, 76 recruiting interviews, 31 signed

These numbers reveal that for every 3 shows you hold, about 1 person will sign up. It also tells you that only aout 6% of your customers and guests will hold an interview with you, but that once you DO get them to schedule an interview, you will sign up about 40% of them.

It also shows you that June, July and January are your slowest months. this tells you that you can either take a vacation (if you're certain you'll not do any business during those months), or plan some new ideas for those months to boost business.

It also shows you that you're bringing a lot of team members on in the fall. How can you prepare yourself to have an eqally spectacular spring, and still be ready to bring on so many new recruits during the busy season?

Armed with your own numbers, you can plan a course for your entire year - without waiting to see what your home office will do in terms of incentives, prizes, bonuses or rewards.

You can also find the holes in your armor and fix them. If January is always slow, is it because you're so bogged down in December that you can't get things moving? If so, now you have ammunition to create a strategy to prevent this kind of problem at the end of this year.

You don't need a coach to tell you all of this. You can crunch these numbers on your own. But crunch them one way or another so that you can have a powerfully productive 2010!

© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.

USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):

Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com

Direct Sales Success: What's Your 2010 Strategy?

So now we've got a vision, what about a strategy?

You've probably been hearing a lot about Social Media strategies lately, and yes, that's important, but it's only part of the picture for a business strategy.

If you're serious abut growing a business, and not just having direct sales "hobby" income, you need to plan specific strategies for generating leads, and converting those leads into more bookings, sales and recruits.

Social media are tools you can use as part of that strategy. But if you put all your eggs in the social media basket, you're missing the boat.

Jennifer Fong, one of the foremost authorities on Direct Sales and Social Media often says that you need a strategy to attract the right people to your business. You have to know WHO and WHERE they are before you can determine WHAT tools are effective in reaching them.

Part of developing your strategy means identifying your target market. I hope by now, you've gotten the message that everyone is not your target market. In fact, if you're brand new in direct sales, I hope you'll take a serious look at what kinds of customers are your "perfect fit". This is a term I use for the people that make it easy for you to do business - the kind you actually WANT to work with.

If you're not new to direct sales, and you've already got a laundry list of clients that are not your "perfect fit", this is a great place to start looking at your target marketing strategy. One of the great things about deciding WHO you want to work with is that the crums you no longer want to work with will either drop off the face of the earth, or get their act together. Before that can happen, though, YOU need to make some decisions.

* What was the best party/sales event you ever attended? What made it the best?
* What was the worst party/sales event you ever attended? What made it the worst?
* What was your top selling show? Was it worth all the work?
* What was your top booking show? Why was it so successful?

These are just a few of the questions I ask clients when we do a target marketing strategy session. The answers to these questions will give you a good idea of:

* What you enjoy most about the work you do
* The kinds of people that you enjoy working with
* Where to draw the line (some times the money doesn't matter, it's still not fun!)
* The elements of a succssful show

From here, you can craft a strategy to attract the kinds of people to your business that will help meet your "perfect fit customer" profile.

If you're already a member of our online community, you have free access to my 30-day target marketing program. In January 2010, we'll be launching an entire course focused on helping you develop a clear vision for your target market (oops! I think I just let the cat out of the bag!).

Until then, keep in mind, as you peruse your customer lists, the kinds of people you'd LOVE to work with, and start figuring out where you can meet them. This isn't about excluding others, or NOT doing business with people just because they don't meet your requirements. It IS about taking control of your business, and running it like a real business owner - because that's what you are.

© 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

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!

No budget? No problem for real beginners

The tips I'm sharing in this post are not for people with an established web presence. This is purely for folks who have NOTHING online, and little to no cash to get started.

Boy does that sound hinky.

The purpose of the post is to answer a question posted on my 12 week challenge contest blog. Basically, how do I get SOMETHING going when I have no resources?

First think about the resources you DO have.

Sites like Office Live or Google sites will allow you to set up a basic bare bones website for free. It costs nothing.

Heck you can host your blog on blogger.com or wordpress.com - that's free too.

There are places like Morguefile.com where you cn get high-quality royalty-free images to use as well.

There's no excuse to NOT have soem kind of website.

What about an opt-in? even office live now has a makeshift otion to create a contact email management system. Not my favorite, but if you're totally broke, it's better than NO opt-in at all.

What about video? Windows moviemaker comes standard on most PC's now, and there are sites where you can create short videos for free. Just want to post informational videos? embed something from youtube.com

Seriously. You can create all of this from scratch for nothing. No hostng fees, nothing.

There's simply no excuse.

Now if you've got a budget (even a small one) there are other ideas - like a domain name that you OWN and can re-direct to your new site (that shouldn't cost more than $10 from godaddy.com). Or web hosting so you can have more specialized content on your site (or to host your own customized blog).

Obviously the more money you have, the more options you have. But there are great, simple ways to get yourself online in a professional manner for FREE.

Yes, there may be a gazillion other people out there using the same blog template as I do, but it's free, it works, and I get traffic. THAT'S what matters most. It prevents analysis paralysis because blogger only has a few dozen templates from which you can choose. And you don't need to obsess over how it looks - you need to obsess over getting things going!

I hope that clears up the "I can't afford it" issue. EVERYONE can afford (and should have) a website of some sort that markets THEM (not their product). The 12 week challenge will spend a whole session on building a website and step-by-step help on how to make it happen.

We start October 26. Are you signed up? There are only a handful of seats remaining!

http://www.homepartysolution.com/12weeks

Hope to see you there!

Overnight Success: Your Magic Pill Has Arrived.

Michael Jackson did the elementary school talent show. Judy Garland sang with her sisters in her folks' theater. And dozens of celebs and would-be celebs talk about how they are an "overnight success ten years in the making."

An overnight success rarely is. And the ones that are work like hell to make it happen. In a recent post by Chris Brogan, he demonstrates just what kind of sacrifice it takes to achieve that level of status.

Most of us just don't have the gumption to go there. And in truth, most of us don't NEED to go there to be successful.

Part of the issue is that so many of us get wrapped up in the comparison game - the "keeping up with the Joneses" kind of bull-hockey that puts us on a hamster wheel from which we'll never retire.

I maintain that success holds a personal definition for each of us, and under no circumstances should we allow ourselves to be taken prisoner by someone else's success.

I love the idea of 1,000 true fans that Seth Godin shares in his book, Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us.

(Full disclosure: that's my amazon affiliate link. Buy the book from my link and I might make twelve whole cents, woo hoo! Don't get me started on the FTC again.)

Seth talks about how we really only need 1,000 true fans to attain a quality of life that most people would consider successful - not multi-millionaire successful necessarily, but happy, sufficient, and comfortably sated in our life. It's not his original idea, but that's where I first discovered it.

One of the planks of my "platform" - if you call it that - is that success has to be defined on your terms, not mine or anyone else's. I can't want something more for you than you do.

And along with that is the level of investment you're willing to make to achieve that level of success. Investment of your time, energy and money. It's not jsut abuot the money you throw at a problem to "make it go away". There are no ruby slippers when it comes to creating success: just investment and a return on that investment.

Have you defined your success? Do you have a plan in place for it? What are you willing to commit to in an effort to attain those things?

That's the difference between the "overnighters" and the rest of the world.

Overnight success is more a reflection of the amount of time one spends dedicated to their mission/passion - i.e. they stayed up OVERNIGHT (repeatedly) to complete everything already on their to-do list so that they could then devote additional resources to the attainment of their success plan.

I can't count the number of people I've talked to who've said that they jsut don't have the time to make something work - or they don't have the money to invest - or they don't have the energy because they're not as spry as they once were.

It's as if they're looking for someone to tell them that it's okay and they can still achieve success even if they're not willing to make the investment. Or worse, that there's a "magic pill" that will solve all their ills.

They COULD still attain success - but something has to give:
* it will take longer
* it won't be at the same level
* it will be short-lived

Most people on the front end don't want to compromise their vision of success. They want the best of the best and nothing less - until they see what kind of investment is involved.

My mom used to paraphrase Robin Leach: "Champagne wishes, and Kool-Aid money."

Let's be realistic. If you're not willing to invest in your business (time, energy or money), you need to be willing to accept whatever you've already got going for you as your personal level of success.

If that's NOT good enough for you, then something has to change. That change requires an investment - either time to analyze the situation and implement new changes, effort in throwing mud on the wall to see what will stick, or money to get expert help to improve the situation.

Usually, it's a combination of the above.

The "magic pill" is called investment. Time. Energy. Money or some combination of the three. You can't achieve anything in life without some level of investment/effort.

Chris is part of an army of entrepreneurs that get it. And people respect him for it. He's bustin' hs butt on the front end to enjoy the fruits of his labors on the back end. That's the only known magic formula that gets results every time.

And with apologies to The Princess Bride: "Anyone who says differently is selling something."

Develop an Online Marketing Strategy FIRST

Online Marketing is more than Social Media.

There's products, services, websites, blogs, email, opt-ins, copy, autoresponders and so much more to the picture.

Here's one of the recent entries in my 12-Week Challenge Contest:

"My biggest challenge with marketing my business online is......taking all the info that I have learned from various sources and translating it into a workable, realistic plan that I can easily stick to. My weakness is jumping from great idea to excellent implementation" - Anna Marie

(If you haven't entered yet, there's still time to enter here.)

One of the big hurdles to navigating the web is what to do first - and how to make it effective. There are as many opinions as there are experts on the topic about what will work best - for small business or direct sellers. One thing most everyone seems to agree on, however, is the importance of developing a strategy FIRST.

When you approach building your business with a strategic plan - a roadmap if you will - it becomes much easier to determine where to invest your time, energy and monoey for maximum effectiveness.

The same holds true when creating an online presence. Create a roadmap that outlines exactly what your objectives are. Once you've developed that strategy, you can look to which elements of online marketing will best meet those objectives, and make an educated decision about the amount of time, entegy and money you'll invest in each.

At present, I maintain several blogs and websites - in addition to my multiple social media presences, newsletters, and offline media.

I STARTED with one thing.

This is the big "sticky wicket" that online marketing strategiest want to pose - set up multiple things, try to keep all the plates spinning and watch it all come crashing down in a huge time suck.

The reality of all this online marketing hoo-hah is that there's really only one place you need to start when it comes to growing your business online. It's something I call your Perfect Fit Customer.

Once you've identified your Perfect Fit Customer - which is not just a demographic, but a complete profile of the ideal client you want to serve - you can lay out an effective strategy to approach, attract and retain people with whom you enjoy working.

An effective strategy begins with clarity and focus. The first place to focus is on your passion. Assuming your business is a reflection of your passion, the next place to focus is your perfect fit customer. Once you're clear on who you want to serve, the next step is figuring out where to find them - and you may discover that it's NOT an online environment, after all.

*GASP!* Did I just recommend against an online strategy?

Well, if your perfect fit customer doesn't own a computer, online marketing is virtually pointless, isn't it?

Fortunately, that's not the case for the majority of purchasers in the US these days.

The point is that you need to know WHERE to find your perfect fit customer before you go off looking for them - otherwise you're just snipe hunting.

In our 12-Week Challenge, we'll begin with an in-depth look at your Perfect Fit Customer, help you determine your area of expertise, and lay out a customized online marketing strategy built around the way YOU do business. Designed for small business owners of all types - not just direct sellers - the 12-Week challenge is great for anyone looking for hand on help to grow their business using online marketing strategies.

Get the full details at homepartysolution.com/12weeks.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow!

More about the 12 week challenge

Wow! In a day, I've had half a dozen entries come in. I'm looking forward to seeing even more questions from all of you.

You can post your entry by clicking here. All the instructions are on yesterday post.

And I realize that many of you are probably waiting to see just what exactly is involved in the 12 week challenge. So here's the skinny:

Beginning October 26, and for the following 12 weeks, you're invited to join me on a step-by-step walk through of Home Party Solution. Now, I'm not going to read you a chapter a week, because I figure you all can read! What I am going to do is walk you through each element, with additional insights and strategies that aren't included in the book, to help you take action right away and help you grow your online presence in an easy to digest way.

Now I know it's a challenge to know from one month to the next what you'll be doing - let alone for the next 12 weeks - particularly when we're rolling into the new year.
So we're giving you the MP3 downloads as well, so that you can keep up with the group if you have to take a holiday or your computer crashes for a week.

The reason I put this group together is because so many of you were telling me that even though it's laid out in bite-sized pieces, it was easy to put the book on a shelf, and let "life get in the way". The result was a bunch of half-completed work that left you feeling more frustrated than successful. Then there were those of you that wanted to attend the Live event, but just couldn't make the trip.

Frustration is not why I wrote this book. This book was created out of a true desire to help consultants become MORE successful and LESS frustrated. It's the process I used to grow my direct sales business - and also my coaching business.

I used the exact same process for both businesses. Which means yes, you can use this info even if you're not in a direct selling business. Any micro/small business looking to create and build an online presence with a personal brand at the front of it all can use this program successfully.

So we'll be working on mindset, and focus. Then we'll develop a perfect fit customer profile that you can use to develop your marketing strategy. Armed with that laser-focused information, you'll be able to quickly assess which online marketing methods will be your best bet for rapid results, and then we'll take ACTION to get things rolling quickly. With 12 weekly assignments (in bite sized, easy to handle pieces), you'll have plenty of time to get everything handled.

Plus, there's Q&A, video training, and more. I'll personally be critiquing your work, reviewing your sites, and helping you build a powerful web presence. We'll even have private coaching sessions to make sure your particular situation is covered. Can you tell how serious I am about helping you succeed?

You can view the info page here:
http://www.homepartysolution.com/12weeks
(link opens in a new window)

Because of all the personal attention, we are strictly limiting the number of "seats" for this telecoaching series to 175 - and HPS Live attendees shrink the number of available seats - and 6 more seats will go to my contest winners. With less than 200 seats available, you know the tickets will go fast - and tickets will go on sale October 10.

If you've already purchased the book, you get a $200 discount on the program. If you were at the HPS Live event, this 12 week challenge is free for you. A special announcement will go out to all our customers this week with further details on the discounts.

AND, during the contest, I'll be posting answers to the questions contestants are asking in their entries. I invite you to engage as well, asking more questions, offering suggestions of your own, etc. I want people to LEARN from this blog, and the best way to do that is to share the answers with all of you - not just the contest winners or challenge participants.

I might even post updates during the challenge! It really depends on the level of interest you show here.

Direct Sales Reps Need a Blog

Blogs are a critical component to your online marketing strategy.

Many direct sellers, however are reluctant to get started for a variety of reasons:

* Lack of technical savvy
Direct Sales in general has been slow to embrace technology of any kind, and many long-term consultants are still faxin or calling in orders to their home office. The idea of having complete control over webspace can feel intimidating to someone who may only use their computer for checking email - or may not even OWN a computer at all.

* Lack of confidence
In a sea of home-party presenters, you might be surprised to know how many don't have the confidence to speak in public, and worse yet, don't believe they have the skillset to manage a blog of their own.

* Lack of funds
Many consultants believe that setting up a website or a blog can be costly and even more expensive for ongoing maintenance.

* Lack of time
Direct Sellers are notorous for spinning many platesand keeping many balls in the air. I frequently hear the "I don't have time for that" excuse.

In reality, there are simple, easy solutions to all of these issues. Blogs, like this one, are free to set up, use templates, and are quick to get up and runnig - often in less than 10-15 minutes. In fact, at my upcoming Home Party Solution LIVE Workshop, we'll be holding a race to see who can set up a blog the fastest. The point-and-click techology of Blogger and Wordpress make setting everything up a breeze.

The more important concern is one of content. "I'm not sure what to write about!" I often hear direct sales consultants exclaim.

This isn't a challenge either. Here are four tips to make blog posting a snap:

1. Write about who you are. This does not mean to post incessantly about how you're a consultant with XYZ company. What we DO is not the same as who we ARE. Maybe you're a mom, or a dog-lover, or a baseball fanatic, or a lipstick fiend. Find an uplifting passion - something that brings you joy, and you're sure to build a following of people that also share that joy, that passion, that resonate with you and want to hear more from you regularly.

2. Write about topics related to your product line. This can be a product review, but more importantly, it should reflect an area of expertise that's related to your product line. For example, one of my blogs is about skin care, and while I rarely post directly about my skin care company, I often post articles related to skin care. This is a topic we will cover in greater depth at my live workshop. In fact, we'll actually HELP YOU determine your area of expertise and get your first posts written at the event.

3. Get someone else to write for you. There are tons of online writers willing to share their content with you at no charge. This is content you can freely post on your blog or anywhere else online for that matter. By sharing guest content, you build even more credibility in the eyes of your customers, which can only help your business in the long run. Home Party Solution lists many reliable sources for free content to share on your blog or even in your newsletters!

4. Let someone else pick the topic. From reader surveys to paid endorsements for your blog posts, there are ways to post content related to what other people WANT to have you post. In fact, monetizing your blog is a great way to make it pay you for the time you spend posting.

In all, there are tons of ways to make building your online presence quick and painless. Fear is quite possibly the only thing holding you back at this point. As a Direct Seller, it is imperative that you take advantage of every possible marketing opportunity - including online tools like blogs. With over 15 million consultants in the US alone, online marketing is fast becoming the tool that distinuishes the leaders from the rest of the pack.

Blogs, like Social Media, are only ONE piece of the online marketing puzzle. You need a comprehensive marketing strategy that includes these elements to effectively dominate your marketplace. Blogs, are quick and easy, and no direct seller should be without one.

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Have more questions about marketing yourself online? Blogging is just one piece of the online marketing puzzle. Without an online marketing strategy (social media, etc), you may find yourself pulling your hair out and calling it quits before any real progress is made. Lisa Robbin Young is the only Certified Direct Sales Marketing Coach in the WORLD, and can take the guesswork out of using the Internet to promote your direct sales business. Visit the free online community for direct sellers today at http://www.homepartysolution.com

Target Marketing in Direct Sales (Part Two)

(This article, second in a series, is also an open letter to Direct Sales Industry Trainers)

I was on a call the other day that just blew my mind. I wish I would say it was a one-time deal, but as I spend more and more time "behind the scenes" in the direct sales training industry, I get more and more disenchanted with the prevailing attitude of fear, competition, and territorialism.

I take pride in the fact that I'm pretty clear on who I want to work with in my business. And I am also proud of the fact that, despite what many are calling the worst economic meltdown in the last century, in less than six months, I've already made more money than I did in all of last year.

Yet, I look at many of the other trainers, coaches and speakers in the industry right now and they're "rolling back prices to 1994!" in an effort to drum up business and keep "market share" as the direct sales training industry starts fracturing with the onslaught of new faces in the crowd - myself being one of them.

In fact, a quick look at Alexa.com revealed that my own website with online marketing training for direct sellers was rising in popularity - even more popular than several of the more well-known direct sales trainers on the web - while theirs were declining. And while Alexa isn't the most reliable source for web statistics, it gives you a quick glance at the trends online.

One of the reasons I created the Direct Sales Super Summit was so that we could bring together the thought leaders in direct sales training and share best practices to help consultants and leaders (at all levels) to grow their businesses even in a poopy economy - without bending them over for their last thin dime to do it.

But after talking with countless trainers in the industry, I'm a little fed up with what I'm hearing.
The way they talk about clients and customers in closed door sessions turns my stomach. This is just part of how one conversation went:

They want it all for free!
The only people who are spending any money right now are leaders.
I don't think they'll get it. I mean, I get it, but I don't think they do.
They don't understand the business side of things, and there's no point trying to teach them. They aren't that smart to begin with.

In essence, they think you are stupid and cheap.

The first time I heard this, I thought, "Well, gee, maybe I DON'T want to work with you if your customers are like that. That's not my target market."

But in the past four months, I've heard that same song and dance time after time from countless industry trainers in one way or another.

That tells me we have an epidemic on our hands - either the direct sales community at large is a bunch of bumbling tightwads, or the trainers in our industry haven't figured out that the gravy train reached the end of the line a decade ago. They can't rest on their laurels anymore and rely on their reputation to keep the income flowing.

Companies are tightening their belts, paying less for keynote speakers at conferences and conventions. Does that mean the companies are a bunch of dense penny pinchers, too?

Now, if they had said to me "Lisa, your content just doesn't fit my target market." then, I probably wouldn't be writing this today.

If they had said, "Sorry, Lisa! My promotional calendar is full, and I can't squeeze you in right now." I wouldn't be fuming like this.

But they didn't. So I am.

Are my customers and clients more intelligent than the average direct seller? Maybe. As much as I'd like to think so, I won't begin to speculate.

My Alexa.com profile shows that more of my website visitors have college degrees, so maybe I do draw a more educated clientele - which is part of my target marketing in the first place. But I've said before that it's not the paper that makes the person, it's the person that makes the paper.

Are my clients and customers more extravagant than the average direct seller? Doubtful. I charge (and get) upwards of $300 for an hour of my coaching time. My upper level coaching clients pay thousands to work with me in a one-on-one capacity every month.

They are not multi-jillionaires, they are hard-working people that have invested in themselves and see the value in what I have to offer to help them grow their business. I offer specific, results oriented information that is tailored to their specific situation. They see value in that, and are willing to pay for it.

But you know what? I give away a lot of FREE information as well. At this time, I am the only certified direct sales marketing coach in the world - and I could probably charge big bucks because of it. But because my passion is in helping consultants become successful, I also have a free online community, with complimentary resources, including a training program that teaches target marketing for direct sellers - in addition to my weekly ezine that goes out to consultants around the world.

My clients are not cheap, nor are they stupid. I would be willing to bet that the average direct seller isn't cheap or stupid either.

In truth, I think the real problem lies with trainers that haven't taken the time to target market effectively. In the good old days, there were 3 or 4 trainers and they shared the national conferences and leader retreats amongst themselves. Those days are long gone. Now, there are more people with a story to share, and audiences want to hear fresh, new content, not regurgitated material they've heard twenty times before.

They're not cheap, they're looking for real value.

Heck yeah, if I can find it for free, why should I pay you for it? If I've already heard you give the same talk 15 times, why would I pay to go hear it again? Some messages bear repeating, but there's a law of diminishing returns that says after I've bought the CD, seen the seminar, and own the video, I don't need to buy it again.

What do you have to offer that they percieve as vauable? If you find your distinctive value, people will gladly open their wallets and shop with you - even in a poopy economy. I'm living proof of that.

Real value lies in how you share and what you do that's unique. There are countless trainers that teach booking, selling, and recruiting - that's why I train on marketing methods - including online marketing strategies. I'm the only certified direct sales marketing coach in the world at the moment. There's value in being the first or the only. Problem is, so many of today's trainers haven't continued to innovate - instead, they've let the world pass them by. Now, they're competing on price, instead of asserting their unique value in the marketplace.

They're no longer unique - they're a commodity - bought and sold almost entirely on price.

People want to be valued - and they all believe their situation is unique.

In the medical profession, specialists command a premium for their time and services. They are so good at what they do that people are willing to pay more because they know the specialist will deliver the promised results.

The days of the generalist in direct sales training are fast coming to an end. Trainers and speakers need to face it, get over it, and figure out what they're going to do to re-establish their expertise in the marketplace.

There are trainers who tout that they're an expert on everything - booking, selling, recruiting, leadership, organizational management, time management, and now social media. PLEASE.

You can't be everything to everyone, so stop trying. It's smarter to partner with specialists that KNOW the content exceptionally well - plus it makes you look like a hero with your customers.

I firmly believe that any company that doesn't do target marketing will not be successful in the long run. You must know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, who your perfect fit customer is, and how to attract them, or you will not reach them.

Maybe these trainers are content with the customers they serve. It didn't sound like it to me.

I'm VERY happy to be working with my clients and customers. They are NOT cheap or stupid.

And if they're smarter than the average direct seller, so much the better!

===========WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE?
You may, so long as you do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is the founder of HomePartySolution.com, a free online community for direct sellers. Lisa is a certified direct sales marketing coach helping consultants and leaders use the Internet to grow their direct sales business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Register today for her free target marketing program for direct sellers at http://www.homepartysolution.com/

Direct Sales Muscles Need Stretching

[Note: This is an excerpt from me free Build a Better Customer Program that's available to all members of the Home Party Solution Community. Register today to recieve the entire program as my gift to you. That's how important I think it is to target market. My brother-in-law is presently in the hospital as the final stages of his disease make their move. - Lisa]

When I was writing yesterday, I thought about my brother-in-law, who lives with a horrible crippling disease that essentially erodes his bones from the inside out. It's very rare, and few who are diagnosed live past childhood. He's a miracle, still living in his 30's. Though he's paralyzed from the waste down, he lays himself out every single day to stretch his muscles. He's on a strict regimen of medications, exercises and nutrition to help keep his bone density as high as possible.

Muscles that aren't stretched will atrophy. The nature of building muscle is such that you create small tears in the tissue when you exercise. The muscle then repairs itself during rest, making it stronger than it was before.

You have to stretch if you want to grow stronger. If you want to die, stay where you are.

How can you stretch yourself in healthy ways? I don't mean dong MORE things than you can handle, but rather DIFFERENT things that would broaden your horizons, extend your business network, or build your skills. Small stretches that will build your "comfort zone" muscles.

Finding a Niche in Your Direct Sales Business

Regardless of your product line, it's important to narrow your target market and find a need that they want filled - that's your niche. Direct Sales Coach, Lisa Robbin Young shares quick tips to help you understand the importance of creating a niche in your market, as well as how to focus in on a niche you can monetize in your direct sales business.

This is an excerpt from her new 12 month STAR Power coaching program for direct sales Leaders. Registration closes May 19. To learn more, visit http://www.homepartysolution.com/starpower

Tips to Crafting an Effective Elevator Pitch

Your 30 second commercial is NOT a sales pitch for your company. It's a means of engaging a prospect, to get them to build a relationship with you. It's through this relationship that the door opens to more.



Many thanks for Barbara Lopez at Brightfarm Introductions for her willingness to supply my participants with this special gift. Learn more about this 12 month Direct Sales Leadership Coaching Program.

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

Advertising Your Home Party Business

Direct Sales coach and trainer, Lisa Robbin Young shares a personal experience from her direct sales career about the right and wrong ways to use advertising in your home party 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