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.
Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts
Direct Sales Success: Misconceptions of Leadership
Often, I'm approached by direct sellers that want to move into leadership, but feel they don't have the necessary knowledge, skills or abilities to be a leader.
Bull!
There are a couple of misconceptions about leadership that prevent many would-be leaders from stepping into this role and earning the income they so richly deserve:
1. "I don't know everything!"
If you're brand new, people expect that you don't know everything. The more important point, however, is whether you can find the answers people are looking for. Train your team to try to find answers on their own and come to you when they get stuck. You should never position yourself as the know-it-all in your group because it stifles the leadership qualities in others.
In fact, make a decision now to empower your team to share knowledge, resources and best practices freely with each other.
Warning: in order for this to work well, you must have open communication on your team and a willingness to help one another. A rising tide lifts all ships - but only if all the ships are in the water.
2. "I don't know how to be a leader!"
If you've ever been a teacher, parent, or boss, you have some idea of what makes a good leader: patience, understanding, tenacity and vision (coupled with the ability to see through other people's B.S.) are a great start. In truth, most direct sellers are natural leaders because of their entrepreneurial drive and desire to help others.
When in doubt, look to people you would classify as lousy leaders for examples of what not to do. Likewise, learn from some of the great leaders of our time by reading their books and biographies. Model what works in your business.
Both of these excuses are easily vanquished for the person who truly desires to step into leadership. Here is a short list of recommendations for anyone considering a leadership role (in Direct Sales or otherwise):
1. Connect - with other leaders in other companies as well as your own. Leaders need a network that is strong and diverse. Look for people in other fields besides direct sales, too. This will broaden your horizons as well as your ability to relate to others.
2. Don't wait for permission - from your upline, your family, your friends - or even yourself. Great leaders step into their role with authority - and very often learn as they go. In fact, when you stop learning, you stop leading. Which brings us to...
3. Learn all you can - about your company, your products, your team and most importantly, yourself. This isn't an ego trip. If you really want to become knowledgable, you need to take time to learn new things. Then, SHARE what you've learned to help your team make fast progress.
4. Ask for help - from your leaders, a coach, a mentor - anyone that can shorten the learning curve and bring you to your goal faster. Be aware that any good help requires SOME kind of investment: time, energy, money, focus. You will only get out of it, what you put into it.
5. Relax. You're going to make mistakes along the way - the best leaders always do. Taking risks implies a certain amount of failure at some point. Leadership requires both a sense of humor and a thick skin.
True leadership comes from within. It's not some painted-on facade that you get to wear just because you've earned a certain amount of money or recruited a certain number of people. It's a powerful place of responsibility that anyone can step into - with a team of thousands, or a team of one.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
Bull!
There are a couple of misconceptions about leadership that prevent many would-be leaders from stepping into this role and earning the income they so richly deserve:
1. "I don't know everything!"
If you're brand new, people expect that you don't know everything. The more important point, however, is whether you can find the answers people are looking for. Train your team to try to find answers on their own and come to you when they get stuck. You should never position yourself as the know-it-all in your group because it stifles the leadership qualities in others.
In fact, make a decision now to empower your team to share knowledge, resources and best practices freely with each other.
Warning: in order for this to work well, you must have open communication on your team and a willingness to help one another. A rising tide lifts all ships - but only if all the ships are in the water.
2. "I don't know how to be a leader!"
If you've ever been a teacher, parent, or boss, you have some idea of what makes a good leader: patience, understanding, tenacity and vision (coupled with the ability to see through other people's B.S.) are a great start. In truth, most direct sellers are natural leaders because of their entrepreneurial drive and desire to help others.
When in doubt, look to people you would classify as lousy leaders for examples of what not to do. Likewise, learn from some of the great leaders of our time by reading their books and biographies. Model what works in your business.
Both of these excuses are easily vanquished for the person who truly desires to step into leadership. Here is a short list of recommendations for anyone considering a leadership role (in Direct Sales or otherwise):
1. Connect - with other leaders in other companies as well as your own. Leaders need a network that is strong and diverse. Look for people in other fields besides direct sales, too. This will broaden your horizons as well as your ability to relate to others.
2. Don't wait for permission - from your upline, your family, your friends - or even yourself. Great leaders step into their role with authority - and very often learn as they go. In fact, when you stop learning, you stop leading. Which brings us to...
3. Learn all you can - about your company, your products, your team and most importantly, yourself. This isn't an ego trip. If you really want to become knowledgable, you need to take time to learn new things. Then, SHARE what you've learned to help your team make fast progress.
4. Ask for help - from your leaders, a coach, a mentor - anyone that can shorten the learning curve and bring you to your goal faster. Be aware that any good help requires SOME kind of investment: time, energy, money, focus. You will only get out of it, what you put into it.
5. Relax. You're going to make mistakes along the way - the best leaders always do. Taking risks implies a certain amount of failure at some point. Leadership requires both a sense of humor and a thick skin.
True leadership comes from within. It's not some painted-on facade that you get to wear just because you've earned a certain amount of money or recruited a certain number of people. It's a powerful place of responsibility that anyone can step into - with a team of thousands, or a team of one.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
Create an Editorial Calendar for Your Direct Sales Business
Magazines and periodicals have a nifty little tool that lays the groundwork for every issue they print. The editorial calendar guides the topical content for each article in a particular issue.
The most logical direct sales equivalent is our monthly host or guest specials - which are usually set up by our companies, and fed to us no more than a month or two in advance.
That's not the most effective way to create a strategic plan for your business year.
The solution is to create your own "editorial calendar" of sorts.
Each month of the year represents at least one new reason to contact your clients. In fact, this is one of the strategies I'm teaching in depth in my new Direct Sales 101 small group coaching program. An editorial calendar is a great guideline for both your newsletter AND your parties/presentations, because:
1. It allows you to have a plan in place for each month of the year at the beginning of the year - regardless of what your company proposes.
2. It puts YOU in control of your business instead of waiting for details from your home office.
3. It gives you the ability to create special connections with your clients by tailoring your offerings to their needs/desires.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few sample ideas for a monthly newsletter, based on holidays. Remember that most people will place orders in the month BEFORE the holiday, so plan ahead with your offerings:
January: Love, Valentine's Day, Showing Your Love
February: Luck of the Irish, St. Patty's Day, Go Green
March: Spring, Easter, April Showers (showers of money for great recruiting, or baby/bridal showers)
April: Mother's Day
May: Father's Day
June: Independence Day (U.S.)
July: End of Summer
August: Back to School
September: Halloween
October: Being Grateful
November: Christmas
December: New Year, New You, New Products
These samples don't begin to cover topics that are product or service-specific to your company. You are truly only limited by your imagination. Have a bi-weekly or weekly newsletter? Sprinkle in a few more topics that are related to each month, or to a specific product that your company may be featuring.
An editorial calendar doesn't chain you to sticking to these topics, but it does give you a safety net that will keep your business growing throughout the year - even when you're not sure yet what your home office has planned. You won't be scrambling, trying to figure out what to do. You'll have a confident plan of action that will move your business forward throughout the year.
Billion-dollar business woman Anne McKevitt said something to me that hit home: "Never leave anything to chance." By taking the reins of your promotional and publication schedule, you're not leaving your direct sales success to chance.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
The most logical direct sales equivalent is our monthly host or guest specials - which are usually set up by our companies, and fed to us no more than a month or two in advance.
That's not the most effective way to create a strategic plan for your business year.
The solution is to create your own "editorial calendar" of sorts.
Each month of the year represents at least one new reason to contact your clients. In fact, this is one of the strategies I'm teaching in depth in my new Direct Sales 101 small group coaching program. An editorial calendar is a great guideline for both your newsletter AND your parties/presentations, because:
1. It allows you to have a plan in place for each month of the year at the beginning of the year - regardless of what your company proposes.
2. It puts YOU in control of your business instead of waiting for details from your home office.
3. It gives you the ability to create special connections with your clients by tailoring your offerings to their needs/desires.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few sample ideas for a monthly newsletter, based on holidays. Remember that most people will place orders in the month BEFORE the holiday, so plan ahead with your offerings:
January: Love, Valentine's Day, Showing Your Love
February: Luck of the Irish, St. Patty's Day, Go Green
March: Spring, Easter, April Showers (showers of money for great recruiting, or baby/bridal showers)
April: Mother's Day
May: Father's Day
June: Independence Day (U.S.)
July: End of Summer
August: Back to School
September: Halloween
October: Being Grateful
November: Christmas
December: New Year, New You, New Products
These samples don't begin to cover topics that are product or service-specific to your company. You are truly only limited by your imagination. Have a bi-weekly or weekly newsletter? Sprinkle in a few more topics that are related to each month, or to a specific product that your company may be featuring.
An editorial calendar doesn't chain you to sticking to these topics, but it does give you a safety net that will keep your business growing throughout the year - even when you're not sure yet what your home office has planned. You won't be scrambling, trying to figure out what to do. You'll have a confident plan of action that will move your business forward throughout the year.
Billion-dollar business woman Anne McKevitt said something to me that hit home: "Never leave anything to chance." By taking the reins of your promotional and publication schedule, you're not leaving your direct sales success to chance.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
The Direct Sales Conundrum: Embracing Entrepreneurialism
I have a few confessions to make:
1. I love direct sales. I love doing home parties, meeting people and making connections. I love seeing new faces and learning about new people. I love seeing the insides of other people's homes. Especially unique homes with stories. I love direct sales.
2. Direct Sales is not enough for me. Lest you think I'm greedy, I'm discovering that I'm not alone. I've coached dozens of direct sellers that are trying to find themselves in their business, and I've found out that they, too, feel like direct sales is not enough. It has nothing to do with the compensation plan, or feeling that they won't succeed. In fact, many of these women are VERY successful in their direct sales business. They just feel like there's something 'more'.
3. I am an entrepreneur. I mean that in the "I want something I can call my own, to grow from a seedling and watch it blossom and grow" sense of the word. By design, you never truly own a direct sales business. Sometimes, it owns you. yes, you can build a successful business in direct sales, but the busines you build is always "You, inc." and your direct salescompany is at best a wholesaler and partnerin your venture. You never really 'own' the company.
As an entrepreneur, I jumped from company to company trying to find that "right fit". Sometimes I juggled multiple company affiliations because I thought they'd work well together. And if I found a company that didn't see things my way, I'd jump ship - again.
For a long time, I thought it was just me, until I heard stories from other company hoppers. I thought there was a problem with me sticking to stuff. I thought it was my entrepreneurial ADD kicking in. And that's when it hit me.
I call it The Direct Sales Conundrum.
The problem isn't that you're flighty, or can't stick to one thing. It's not even the fact that you can't ever own the company - at least not entirely. It's the fact that you've hit the wall in your business between being a distributor and being an entrepreneur.
You're trying to force a square peg in a round hole.
Direct sales is amazing for entrepeneurs because it eliminates a lot of the original fears entrepreneurs have about going into business for themseves: your product, marketing materials and all the logistics of delivery are already handled - and you have a whole R&D team and corporate offices backing you up. You're not cash flowing that expense out of your own pocket. All you have to do is handle your personal book of business and manage your own clients - and train your team to do the same.
There are a ton of benefits for entrepreneurs to get their feet wet in a direct sales business model. The 'conundrum' comes when you're not happy with we feet, and are ready to jump headlong into the entrepreneurial pool.
The things that make direct sales great can be the very same reasons why entrepreneurs get listless in their business. Maybe you have some great ideas on how the company should create a new product, serve a new market, or provide better customer service (I sure did).
Those ideas alone would be enough to get soem entrepreneurs shifting in their seats. When you couple those ideas with a burning passion to see changes happening - and they're not happening - you can get downright frustrated in your business.
"I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore." has been a war cry for entrepreneurs probably since the beginning of time. We get to the point where we crave something more than our direct sales business, but we're carrying around too much fear to make the leap into our OWN business.
Smell it? It's fear.
I've watched client after client wrestle with their own fear demons. Some were able to successfully build a direct sales business that brought them contentment. Others wanted "more" and struck out on their own.
The irony is that many of those people wanted to transition out of their "real job" and discovered they had only transferred assignments to a new company.
They were still working a job, they just had more flexibility.
What about you? I love direct sales, and will probably always be a consultant for a company that I love. I also embrace my inner entrepreneur in the other company I've built and the new brand I'm launching next year.
There's nothing wrong with realising that direct sales has serve its purpose in your life, and moving on to the next big thing for you.
There's also nothing wrong with loving a company and products that you are passionate about and sharing them with the world.
Whichever you decide, decide it for yourself. Live life and build your business without apologies. Make mistakes, take big leaps, grow your world and expand your mind.
Because if you don't, who will? You'll be that square peg trying to squeeze yourself into a place you don't belong.
1. I love direct sales. I love doing home parties, meeting people and making connections. I love seeing new faces and learning about new people. I love seeing the insides of other people's homes. Especially unique homes with stories. I love direct sales.
2. Direct Sales is not enough for me. Lest you think I'm greedy, I'm discovering that I'm not alone. I've coached dozens of direct sellers that are trying to find themselves in their business, and I've found out that they, too, feel like direct sales is not enough. It has nothing to do with the compensation plan, or feeling that they won't succeed. In fact, many of these women are VERY successful in their direct sales business. They just feel like there's something 'more'.
3. I am an entrepreneur. I mean that in the "I want something I can call my own, to grow from a seedling and watch it blossom and grow" sense of the word. By design, you never truly own a direct sales business. Sometimes, it owns you. yes, you can build a successful business in direct sales, but the busines you build is always "You, inc." and your direct salescompany is at best a wholesaler and partnerin your venture. You never really 'own' the company.
As an entrepreneur, I jumped from company to company trying to find that "right fit". Sometimes I juggled multiple company affiliations because I thought they'd work well together. And if I found a company that didn't see things my way, I'd jump ship - again.
For a long time, I thought it was just me, until I heard stories from other company hoppers. I thought there was a problem with me sticking to stuff. I thought it was my entrepreneurial ADD kicking in. And that's when it hit me.
I call it The Direct Sales Conundrum.
The problem isn't that you're flighty, or can't stick to one thing. It's not even the fact that you can't ever own the company - at least not entirely. It's the fact that you've hit the wall in your business between being a distributor and being an entrepreneur.
You're trying to force a square peg in a round hole.
Direct sales is amazing for entrepeneurs because it eliminates a lot of the original fears entrepreneurs have about going into business for themseves: your product, marketing materials and all the logistics of delivery are already handled - and you have a whole R&D team and corporate offices backing you up. You're not cash flowing that expense out of your own pocket. All you have to do is handle your personal book of business and manage your own clients - and train your team to do the same.
There are a ton of benefits for entrepreneurs to get their feet wet in a direct sales business model. The 'conundrum' comes when you're not happy with we feet, and are ready to jump headlong into the entrepreneurial pool.
The things that make direct sales great can be the very same reasons why entrepreneurs get listless in their business. Maybe you have some great ideas on how the company should create a new product, serve a new market, or provide better customer service (I sure did).
Those ideas alone would be enough to get soem entrepreneurs shifting in their seats. When you couple those ideas with a burning passion to see changes happening - and they're not happening - you can get downright frustrated in your business.
"I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore." has been a war cry for entrepreneurs probably since the beginning of time. We get to the point where we crave something more than our direct sales business, but we're carrying around too much fear to make the leap into our OWN business.
Smell it? It's fear.
I've watched client after client wrestle with their own fear demons. Some were able to successfully build a direct sales business that brought them contentment. Others wanted "more" and struck out on their own.
The irony is that many of those people wanted to transition out of their "real job" and discovered they had only transferred assignments to a new company.
They were still working a job, they just had more flexibility.
What about you? I love direct sales, and will probably always be a consultant for a company that I love. I also embrace my inner entrepreneur in the other company I've built and the new brand I'm launching next year.
There's nothing wrong with realising that direct sales has serve its purpose in your life, and moving on to the next big thing for you.
There's also nothing wrong with loving a company and products that you are passionate about and sharing them with the world.
Whichever you decide, decide it for yourself. Live life and build your business without apologies. Make mistakes, take big leaps, grow your world and expand your mind.
Because if you don't, who will? You'll be that square peg trying to squeeze yourself into a place you don't belong.
Direct Sales Success: Strategy Part 2, Goals
As I write this, it's almost the new year, and if there's one thing I've learned to dread, it's the annual list of "resolutions" that are so often ignored about 3 weeks into the year. I stopped making resolutions a while back, and decided to create an annual strategy to achieve the things I wanted to accomplish in my life.
Did you hear me say "goals" in there? Most of us have gotten immune to the word goal. My husband even claims that "plan" is a four-letter word and refuses to do much in the way of planning. Thus, I've had to resort to semantics so that we can "create a strategy" (plan) for the things we want to accomplish (goals).
Some people are so turned off by the word, that I hesitated to use it here. That said, we need to decide what we want to accomplish - what our goals are - before we can finalize our strategy.
Would you like to reach more clients this year? Perhaps you'd prefer to really focus on generating more income from your existing customer base? Maybe you'd like more shows on your calendar - or maybe higer show sales averages?
You can't get what you want, until you know what you want. I think there's a song in there somewhere.
Take some time to really think about the three or four major goals you'd like to hit in your business this year. Take them and spend 3-4 months working on each one. It might be hard to prioritize them, but if you know you want to do an event at the end of the year to reach a new group of customers, make that your focus for that quarter.
This is how strategy is created in a real business. Even though your companies only tell you what's coming up for the next couple of months, they're already working on the holiday catalog for NEXT year! They've got a strategy, a business plan, and they have a direction to help them achieve their goals.
Does this mean we won't 'course correct' along the way? Heavens no. We need to look at our strategy and our plan periodically throughout the year to make sure we're on track - or to determine new goals. Sometimes, I find that the goals I laid out for a year are all met before the end of July. Sometimes, not. Funny thing about writing down our "goals" is that they become easier to accomplish.
It doesn't matter what they are - or how "SMART" they are. They need to be YOUR goals.
So what are your goals for the new year?
© 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
Did you hear me say "goals" in there? Most of us have gotten immune to the word goal. My husband even claims that "plan" is a four-letter word and refuses to do much in the way of planning. Thus, I've had to resort to semantics so that we can "create a strategy" (plan) for the things we want to accomplish (goals).
Some people are so turned off by the word, that I hesitated to use it here. That said, we need to decide what we want to accomplish - what our goals are - before we can finalize our strategy.
Would you like to reach more clients this year? Perhaps you'd prefer to really focus on generating more income from your existing customer base? Maybe you'd like more shows on your calendar - or maybe higer show sales averages?
You can't get what you want, until you know what you want. I think there's a song in there somewhere.
Take some time to really think about the three or four major goals you'd like to hit in your business this year. Take them and spend 3-4 months working on each one. It might be hard to prioritize them, but if you know you want to do an event at the end of the year to reach a new group of customers, make that your focus for that quarter.
This is how strategy is created in a real business. Even though your companies only tell you what's coming up for the next couple of months, they're already working on the holiday catalog for NEXT year! They've got a strategy, a business plan, and they have a direction to help them achieve their goals.
Does this mean we won't 'course correct' along the way? Heavens no. We need to look at our strategy and our plan periodically throughout the year to make sure we're on track - or to determine new goals. Sometimes, I find that the goals I laid out for a year are all met before the end of July. Sometimes, not. Funny thing about writing down our "goals" is that they become easier to accomplish.
It doesn't matter what they are - or how "SMART" they are. They need to be YOUR goals.
So what are your goals for the new year?
© 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: Lessons from 'The Wrong CEO's"
Merry Christmas! Just had to get that in before the article:
On twitter the other day, someone tweeted a post about "celebrating the wrong CEO's". The article, from the Harvard Business Review, talks about the metrics we SHOULD be using when we celebrate the accomplishments of CEO's.
Too often, the media darling of the minute is someone that has made a big success, turnaround, or otherwise made a 'big splash' in the short term.
Instead, the article asserts we should be looking at the integrity of the long-term record of these CEO's - how thay have performed overall - before we start handing out awards and patting them on the back.
I found an immediate correlation to Direct Sales leadership and had to shake my head.
All too often, companies bestow big prizes, gifts and awards on the "top" recruiter, sales leader, etc, and yet, the next year, that same leader is nowhere to be seen in the company hierarchy, let alone in the top rankings of the company. We laud and honor these big achievers, and don't think about the message that's being sent to our teams.
For years, I've used a combination of recogniton to help celebrate the right people, and still encourage leaders (and consultants) to strive to achieve more. Including longevity, consistency and what I like to call "repeat offenders" in the recognition encourages everyone to do their part to grow your organization - AND their own personal business.
I've only seen a handful of Direct Sales/Home Party companies that actually include this kind of recognition at the corporate level, and to me it seems like a no-brainer.
As a business builder, you want people who are in it for the long-haul, yet companies usually offer a 3-month incentive for consultants to stay on board. The industry statistics show that most consultants drop off after abotu 3 months. Belinda Ellsworth is noted for reminding people that at all times "a third are coming, a third are going, and a third are staying". Then what are we doing to encourage retention beyond those first 3 months?
While I didn't have the biggest team in my company, I had a solid team with average longevity of over 2 years, and an attrition rate under 20%. That means for every 10 people I signed up, less than 2 quit and most of them stayed longer than 2 years.
I don't usually talk about those numbers, mostly because I didn't think it was a big deal. But this year, I've realized it's a HUGE deal. There are hundreds, if not tens of thousands of leaders in this industry that are pluggin along, actively working thier business, being consistent, but that will probably not ever be in the top 10 or 20 of their companies. They'll never walk across the stage and win the awards that other leaders will, when THEY are the unsung heroines of most Direct Sales companies. These folks are working their businesses consistently - and isn't that what we want in our business?
I watched this happen first hand in one of my former companies. Sitting at one of my first ever National Conferences, I watched my own leader and her upline teach a class about recruiting - because my leader was the top recruiter for the company that year. What wasn't made public was that she earned that title because she promoted to Director because she transferred half her team from her former company to ours. By the time the next national confernce rolled around, she wasn't even an active consultant anymore, let alone a leader!
And yet, at that conference, we were led to believe she had the golden ticket to promoting to director in less than a year. Well, I don't know about you, but that feels kind of dishonest to me. Our company never remarked about it, and there was never an asterisk placed by her name in the "record books", and yet, we were all talking in hshed tones about how "she didn't really earn that title fairly".
She earned it fairly, she just shouldn't have been the one teaching strategies that she herself didn't use to attain that title. And everyone in the room knew it.
As a consultant, you need to be watching your leaders - even if your leader is MIA. Watch other leaders that are "doing things right" with a track record of longevity. find out what works for them and find ways to incorporate those strategies and tools into your business.
As a leader, you need to be honest with your teams. If you rightfully earned a title, stop fretting about competition, and help them learn how you did it. A rising tide - particularly in direct sales - raises all ships. Plus, they'll be ready to share with you when they are having successes of their own.
As company owners, we need to be looking for ways to recognize our ranks that will inspire others and not put the brass ring out of reach for the workhorses of our company. It's not hard to recognize people who consistently submit shows, regardless of the show size. Or to recognize people who consistenly add one new recruit every month. Leaders should be giving recognition for the daily actions (making the calls, holding the shows), but it's the company responsibility to encourage retention in meaningful ways beyond the almighty dollar.
In fact, the potential cash bonus is usually much less an incentive than the marketing potential of a professionally written press release or feature in the monthly magazine that helps build their crediblity in a way that directly connects them back to your brand in a positive way. It also shows potential recruits that you don't need to be the tops in the division, just consistent - something that is more attainable for more people.
This is a topic I harp on about once a year, but only because I'm so strong a proponent. I know people who tirelessly do everything their leader tells them to, and still get beat out month after month for those top slots. What a great way to recognize them for doing what we really want them to do - build a strong solid business that's designed to last a lifetime.
On twitter the other day, someone tweeted a post about "celebrating the wrong CEO's". The article, from the Harvard Business Review, talks about the metrics we SHOULD be using when we celebrate the accomplishments of CEO's.
Too often, the media darling of the minute is someone that has made a big success, turnaround, or otherwise made a 'big splash' in the short term.
Instead, the article asserts we should be looking at the integrity of the long-term record of these CEO's - how thay have performed overall - before we start handing out awards and patting them on the back.
I found an immediate correlation to Direct Sales leadership and had to shake my head.
All too often, companies bestow big prizes, gifts and awards on the "top" recruiter, sales leader, etc, and yet, the next year, that same leader is nowhere to be seen in the company hierarchy, let alone in the top rankings of the company. We laud and honor these big achievers, and don't think about the message that's being sent to our teams.
For years, I've used a combination of recogniton to help celebrate the right people, and still encourage leaders (and consultants) to strive to achieve more. Including longevity, consistency and what I like to call "repeat offenders" in the recognition encourages everyone to do their part to grow your organization - AND their own personal business.
I've only seen a handful of Direct Sales/Home Party companies that actually include this kind of recognition at the corporate level, and to me it seems like a no-brainer.
As a business builder, you want people who are in it for the long-haul, yet companies usually offer a 3-month incentive for consultants to stay on board. The industry statistics show that most consultants drop off after abotu 3 months. Belinda Ellsworth is noted for reminding people that at all times "a third are coming, a third are going, and a third are staying". Then what are we doing to encourage retention beyond those first 3 months?
While I didn't have the biggest team in my company, I had a solid team with average longevity of over 2 years, and an attrition rate under 20%. That means for every 10 people I signed up, less than 2 quit and most of them stayed longer than 2 years.
I don't usually talk about those numbers, mostly because I didn't think it was a big deal. But this year, I've realized it's a HUGE deal. There are hundreds, if not tens of thousands of leaders in this industry that are pluggin along, actively working thier business, being consistent, but that will probably not ever be in the top 10 or 20 of their companies. They'll never walk across the stage and win the awards that other leaders will, when THEY are the unsung heroines of most Direct Sales companies. These folks are working their businesses consistently - and isn't that what we want in our business?
I watched this happen first hand in one of my former companies. Sitting at one of my first ever National Conferences, I watched my own leader and her upline teach a class about recruiting - because my leader was the top recruiter for the company that year. What wasn't made public was that she earned that title because she promoted to Director because she transferred half her team from her former company to ours. By the time the next national confernce rolled around, she wasn't even an active consultant anymore, let alone a leader!
And yet, at that conference, we were led to believe she had the golden ticket to promoting to director in less than a year. Well, I don't know about you, but that feels kind of dishonest to me. Our company never remarked about it, and there was never an asterisk placed by her name in the "record books", and yet, we were all talking in hshed tones about how "she didn't really earn that title fairly".
She earned it fairly, she just shouldn't have been the one teaching strategies that she herself didn't use to attain that title. And everyone in the room knew it.
As a consultant, you need to be watching your leaders - even if your leader is MIA. Watch other leaders that are "doing things right" with a track record of longevity. find out what works for them and find ways to incorporate those strategies and tools into your business.
As a leader, you need to be honest with your teams. If you rightfully earned a title, stop fretting about competition, and help them learn how you did it. A rising tide - particularly in direct sales - raises all ships. Plus, they'll be ready to share with you when they are having successes of their own.
As company owners, we need to be looking for ways to recognize our ranks that will inspire others and not put the brass ring out of reach for the workhorses of our company. It's not hard to recognize people who consistently submit shows, regardless of the show size. Or to recognize people who consistenly add one new recruit every month. Leaders should be giving recognition for the daily actions (making the calls, holding the shows), but it's the company responsibility to encourage retention in meaningful ways beyond the almighty dollar.
In fact, the potential cash bonus is usually much less an incentive than the marketing potential of a professionally written press release or feature in the monthly magazine that helps build their crediblity in a way that directly connects them back to your brand in a positive way. It also shows potential recruits that you don't need to be the tops in the division, just consistent - something that is more attainable for more people.
This is a topic I harp on about once a year, but only because I'm so strong a proponent. I know people who tirelessly do everything their leader tells them to, and still get beat out month after month for those top slots. What a great way to recognize them for doing what we really want them to do - build a strong solid business that's designed to last a lifetime.
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. :-)
Direct Sales Success: What's Your 2010 Vision?
[Editor's note: Now that I'm migrating the "off topic" posts to my new blog, this blog will be almost entirely focused on Direct Sales Marketing Strategies - primarily online, but offline as well. - Lisa]
Every good business starts with a vision. Actually, there's some other stuff that comes before the vision. It's the foundational, "what makes you tick" kind of stuff that is a bit beyond the confines of this blog. Frankly, in order to build a business you can be passionate about, you have to do that work first. But once you've hammered that identity stuff out, you need to look to your vision.
Some people have an overarching vision for what they anticipate will be the life of their business, and that's important. Equally important is the vision for each year - those things you need to really hone in on to achieve success on your terms.
So what's your vision?
Most direct sales companies only feed you their promotional materials a couple of months at a time. It's a great way to keep you focused on "bookingin tight". But as my Sales Diva mentor, Kim Duke, loves to remind me - you need to be planning at least 90 days out*.
Suffice it to say that unless you're a higher up leader in your company, you can't possibly know what the company has planned.
A typical vision has got to have some kind of scope - who you're going to impact/reach - as well as what you want to accomplish.
For example, to sell $10,000 in XYZ product and teach 500 guests about proper skin care techniques.
A vision can't be one-sided. There has to be a quid-pro-quo (Latin for "this for that"), that is, a service being provided for the compensation being received.
Compensation isn't always monetary either. It can be money you earn, a position or title you attain, a level of prestige or recognition.
In essence, it's something you GET for something you GIVE.
Your vision should be inspiring, and a bit of a stretch. There's no vision in saying I want to keep everything in 2010 the same as it was in 2009. There's no growth in a business that's stagnant. Only decay.
So while a lot of you have started laying out strategies and ideas for what you'd like to earn, creating plans for the beginning of the year, how will you know what success looks like?
That's where your vision comes into play.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com
* - Full disclosure: that's my affiliate link. I love Kim so much I recommend her to others and get compensated when I do.
Every good business starts with a vision. Actually, there's some other stuff that comes before the vision. It's the foundational, "what makes you tick" kind of stuff that is a bit beyond the confines of this blog. Frankly, in order to build a business you can be passionate about, you have to do that work first. But once you've hammered that identity stuff out, you need to look to your vision.
Some people have an overarching vision for what they anticipate will be the life of their business, and that's important. Equally important is the vision for each year - those things you need to really hone in on to achieve success on your terms.
So what's your vision?
Most direct sales companies only feed you their promotional materials a couple of months at a time. It's a great way to keep you focused on "bookingin tight". But as my Sales Diva mentor, Kim Duke, loves to remind me - you need to be planning at least 90 days out*.
Suffice it to say that unless you're a higher up leader in your company, you can't possibly know what the company has planned.
A typical vision has got to have some kind of scope - who you're going to impact/reach - as well as what you want to accomplish.
For example, to sell $10,000 in XYZ product and teach 500 guests about proper skin care techniques.
A vision can't be one-sided. There has to be a quid-pro-quo (Latin for "this for that"), that is, a service being provided for the compensation being received.
Compensation isn't always monetary either. It can be money you earn, a position or title you attain, a level of prestige or recognition.
In essence, it's something you GET for something you GIVE.
Your vision should be inspiring, and a bit of a stretch. There's no vision in saying I want to keep everything in 2010 the same as it was in 2009. There's no growth in a business that's stagnant. Only decay.
So while a lot of you have started laying out strategies and ideas for what you'd like to earn, creating plans for the beginning of the year, how will you know what success looks like?
That's where your vision comes into play.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com
* - Full disclosure: that's my affiliate link. I love Kim so much I recommend her to others and get compensated when I do.
Definitions Make the Difference: #SHINE Wrap-up part Deux
I promised the good things that came out of Ali Brown's SHINE event - and here they are (if you missed yesterday's post, that's where I put the yucky stuff).
For as much as I was disappointed about Ali's content and delivery of the event, there were a TON of great things to take away from Shine. The first was the environment itself. Imagine a room of 450 entrepreneurs that are all on a journey of discovery and upleveling together. That's what Napoleon Hill talked about when he was discussing Masterminds. And his group was a cross section unlike any other. CEO's and start-ups, men, women, billionaires and people who spent their very last dollar to be at the event. Truly an amazing blend of people.
I pretty much had my values locked down before the event. So while I only took away a small a-ha from the values exercise, SO many people continued to talk about it well into Day three. I discovered that I value experiences, and that I need them - and that's something I didn't know about myself that will definitely change the way I approach business in 2010.
A ton of great new connections were forged. People that were silent followers were reaching out to say hi - and even thanks - to the ones they've been following. And those people were gracious, considerate, and even helpful at times. It was good to know that there were so many good folks at such a large event.
I left my laptop in the ballroom repeatedly and my bag was never touched. The integrity, compassion and genuine helpfulness of the attendees was tremendous. The bulk of the group were women, and all of them were genuinely appreciative of one another, willing to help each other, support each other, and cheer for each other. Often, when one person would voice a concern or an ah-ha, that person would be approached at a later time by a throng of attendees seeking to assist.
The speakers all shared some great sound bites. Julie Clark, an accidental millionaire, has worked hard to help children have better lives. She's overcome a few obstacles to do it. That story was well recieved. Barbara Corcoran was an absolute RIOT, being completely honest, blunt, and entertaining at the same time. The lessons from her Mother were priceless.
But the star of the show was far and away Marlee Matlin. Honest, direct, and uber positive, she shared her triumphs so candidly, interacted with participants and even spoke a few words. She shared the realities of being a wife, mom and business owner - the joys and struggles. That was something we could all relate to. I felt she was the most "like us" of the bunch of speakers.
Anne McKevitt was very approachable throughout the event. Answering most questions, and creating quite a stir in the back of the room between breaks. I stood off to the side a few times listening to her share stories, offer advice, and try to be a genuine help to the women in the room. I look forward to getting her slides from the presentation.
Ali provided some good overview material. The only piece of "deep thinking" was on day three, with Dr. Jill's TED video. That was a smart move on Ali's part. Call in a female brain expert to explain the abilities of the left and right brain. I've seen this video numerous times, and it never fails to impress.
The hot seats were fun and entertaining. You could see the wheels turning for these entrepreneurs - and they also made a ton of new connections after sitting in the "Ali Halo" for a few minutes. There was lotsof learning going on in the room.
I met a faerie godmother. For as open a person as I am, she was able to connect the dots on some issues I've NEVER publicly shared before. It was an eye opening experience for me. It answered so many questions, and raised a few more I'll be exploring in 2010.
My swipe file is FILLED with ideas from Ali's event. I learned a TON about how to effectively run a live event (and what not to do). I took more notes on that than anything else. Ali puts on quite a show, and anyone paying attention could see how much behind the scenes work was going on right in front of our eyes.
I also learned a TON about upselling a big ticket coaching product. Ali had dozens and dozens of women making a beeline to the front of the stage as the scantily clad Vegas showgirls brought the MPC applications to the front of the room. Ali used her clients as examples for each of the business blueprint "models" she offered, allowing her the opportunity to not only showcase her handiwork, but to get live testimonials from her clients.
The bulk of day two served to set up the pitch for her program at the end of the evening. Presenting James Roche to deliver content focused on helping people see the logical steps in building a business set him up as a content expert. Then drawing the connection that he'll also be teaching not one but two tracks for this year's MPC program got the crowd even more excited.
Ali sealed the deal for many with her promised live event mid 2010 all about setting up and running a multi-tier coaching/mastermind program, and free VIP access tonext year's Shine event for those that opted to join at either the platinum or diamond level.
This was a HUGE opportunity to observe the upsell, as well as cleve ways to pre-fill the seats for a live event.
We were also able to see and connect with people that were getting results. In a year of depessing economic news, it was good to hear that some people (myself included) were having their best year EVER in business. Many of them were doing something new, out of the box, or testing an entirely different market, but they were doing SOMETHING - and it was working. It wasn't one particular market that was seeing success, these industries were as varied as the women that worked them.
Michele DeKinder-Smith's JaneOutOfTheBox.com direct mail campaign was genius! Complete with what NOT to do, it was so cool to see what happened, what worked and what didn't in a way that we could translate into our own business. That was AWESOME!
You get what you take out of an event like this. I came not expecting much in terms of content (Ali was still creating content only a couple of weeks before the event, according to social media posts). My focus was on learning from others in the room, seeing what new "tricks" Ali had up her sleeve, and hearing from the celeb speakers.
The event totally matched my expectations, although I was hoping for more. When things become predictable for me, that's a sign that it's time to uplevel my thinking and connect with more ambitious folks. That was a huge take-away for me.
Whenever major upleveling happens in my life, it's usually coupled with a major weather disturbance (weird, I know). So after Sunday's earthquake AND the tropical storm we flew through on my way home, I knew I made a good decision to attend Shine - even if the content wasn't all that was promised.
So for as much belly aching as I did yesterday, you can see there was still a ton of awesome goings on in Vegas. Plus, I made a few new friends, and even spied a celebrity or two in the lobby of my hotel after the event. And yes, staying a couple of extra days definitely gave me time to get some clarity on my 2010 directions as well. New ideas, new biz ventures, and some great new connections means that 2010 will likely be my best year yet.
Bring. It. On.
For as much as I was disappointed about Ali's content and delivery of the event, there were a TON of great things to take away from Shine. The first was the environment itself. Imagine a room of 450 entrepreneurs that are all on a journey of discovery and upleveling together. That's what Napoleon Hill talked about when he was discussing Masterminds. And his group was a cross section unlike any other. CEO's and start-ups, men, women, billionaires and people who spent their very last dollar to be at the event. Truly an amazing blend of people.
I pretty much had my values locked down before the event. So while I only took away a small a-ha from the values exercise, SO many people continued to talk about it well into Day three. I discovered that I value experiences, and that I need them - and that's something I didn't know about myself that will definitely change the way I approach business in 2010.
A ton of great new connections were forged. People that were silent followers were reaching out to say hi - and even thanks - to the ones they've been following. And those people were gracious, considerate, and even helpful at times. It was good to know that there were so many good folks at such a large event.
I left my laptop in the ballroom repeatedly and my bag was never touched. The integrity, compassion and genuine helpfulness of the attendees was tremendous. The bulk of the group were women, and all of them were genuinely appreciative of one another, willing to help each other, support each other, and cheer for each other. Often, when one person would voice a concern or an ah-ha, that person would be approached at a later time by a throng of attendees seeking to assist.
The speakers all shared some great sound bites. Julie Clark, an accidental millionaire, has worked hard to help children have better lives. She's overcome a few obstacles to do it. That story was well recieved. Barbara Corcoran was an absolute RIOT, being completely honest, blunt, and entertaining at the same time. The lessons from her Mother were priceless.
But the star of the show was far and away Marlee Matlin. Honest, direct, and uber positive, she shared her triumphs so candidly, interacted with participants and even spoke a few words. She shared the realities of being a wife, mom and business owner - the joys and struggles. That was something we could all relate to. I felt she was the most "like us" of the bunch of speakers.
Anne McKevitt was very approachable throughout the event. Answering most questions, and creating quite a stir in the back of the room between breaks. I stood off to the side a few times listening to her share stories, offer advice, and try to be a genuine help to the women in the room. I look forward to getting her slides from the presentation.
Ali provided some good overview material. The only piece of "deep thinking" was on day three, with Dr. Jill's TED video. That was a smart move on Ali's part. Call in a female brain expert to explain the abilities of the left and right brain. I've seen this video numerous times, and it never fails to impress.
The hot seats were fun and entertaining. You could see the wheels turning for these entrepreneurs - and they also made a ton of new connections after sitting in the "Ali Halo" for a few minutes. There was lotsof learning going on in the room.
I met a faerie godmother. For as open a person as I am, she was able to connect the dots on some issues I've NEVER publicly shared before. It was an eye opening experience for me. It answered so many questions, and raised a few more I'll be exploring in 2010.
My swipe file is FILLED with ideas from Ali's event. I learned a TON about how to effectively run a live event (and what not to do). I took more notes on that than anything else. Ali puts on quite a show, and anyone paying attention could see how much behind the scenes work was going on right in front of our eyes.
I also learned a TON about upselling a big ticket coaching product. Ali had dozens and dozens of women making a beeline to the front of the stage as the scantily clad Vegas showgirls brought the MPC applications to the front of the room. Ali used her clients as examples for each of the business blueprint "models" she offered, allowing her the opportunity to not only showcase her handiwork, but to get live testimonials from her clients.
The bulk of day two served to set up the pitch for her program at the end of the evening. Presenting James Roche to deliver content focused on helping people see the logical steps in building a business set him up as a content expert. Then drawing the connection that he'll also be teaching not one but two tracks for this year's MPC program got the crowd even more excited.
Ali sealed the deal for many with her promised live event mid 2010 all about setting up and running a multi-tier coaching/mastermind program, and free VIP access tonext year's Shine event for those that opted to join at either the platinum or diamond level.
This was a HUGE opportunity to observe the upsell, as well as cleve ways to pre-fill the seats for a live event.
We were also able to see and connect with people that were getting results. In a year of depessing economic news, it was good to hear that some people (myself included) were having their best year EVER in business. Many of them were doing something new, out of the box, or testing an entirely different market, but they were doing SOMETHING - and it was working. It wasn't one particular market that was seeing success, these industries were as varied as the women that worked them.
Michele DeKinder-Smith's JaneOutOfTheBox.com direct mail campaign was genius! Complete with what NOT to do, it was so cool to see what happened, what worked and what didn't in a way that we could translate into our own business. That was AWESOME!
You get what you take out of an event like this. I came not expecting much in terms of content (Ali was still creating content only a couple of weeks before the event, according to social media posts). My focus was on learning from others in the room, seeing what new "tricks" Ali had up her sleeve, and hearing from the celeb speakers.
The event totally matched my expectations, although I was hoping for more. When things become predictable for me, that's a sign that it's time to uplevel my thinking and connect with more ambitious folks. That was a huge take-away for me.
Whenever major upleveling happens in my life, it's usually coupled with a major weather disturbance (weird, I know). So after Sunday's earthquake AND the tropical storm we flew through on my way home, I knew I made a good decision to attend Shine - even if the content wasn't all that was promised.
So for as much belly aching as I did yesterday, you can see there was still a ton of awesome goings on in Vegas. Plus, I made a few new friends, and even spied a celebrity or two in the lobby of my hotel after the event. And yes, staying a couple of extra days definitely gave me time to get some clarity on my 2010 directions as well. New ideas, new biz ventures, and some great new connections means that 2010 will likely be my best year yet.
Bring. It. On.
Speechless, An apology of sorts
This doesn't usually happen to me.
I started working on a blog post on October 29, and I saved it to review later...
...and later is still waiting to arrive.
Now I could say something about analysis paralysis, but the reality of why I held off on the post was that I was afraid.
I'm noticing some trends in the online world - and maybe it's because I've been around a while now - and these trends are bothering me in a BIG way.
My coach and pal (hope I'm not overstating that) @ElizabethPW made a remarkable post today about her experiences at Ali Brown's recent Shine event.
I told her she stole my blog post. Elizabeth has a great way of saying what other people are thinking. She's like the kid that's not afraid to tell the world that the Emperor is naked.
I heart her.
So as I wrestled with fear, she was stepping out to face the wolves.
It got me to thinking about the other things we think but don't say - things we need to say.
I don't usually get speechless, paranoid, or worried about the impressions of others. I'm kind of known as being blunt, direct, and sometimes a little terse.
I try to speak the truth in love - and sometimes I'm a bit too honest for my own good, so I'm told.
That's part of what curbed my tongue this time.
You see, being on "the inside" of an industry reveals a lot of dirty secrets. Part of me wants to keep my mouth shut because I'm afraid of getting tossed out on my ear once I start revealing all this stuff to the masses.
Then I'm reminded of Groucho Marx, who said he didn't want to be part of a club that would have him as a member.
In the past week, there's been a lot of soul searching, discussions, ranting, and whatnot. I thank God above that you aren't privvy to some of the stuff I've heard/dealt with in the past week.
There's just too much subterfuge in business that makes ding business hard. It doesn't have to be that way.
So in an effort to get clear on some stuff, there's changes coming - saying goodbye to some old peeps that just don't resonate with my new direction - and saying hello to new peeps that are going to rock your world.
You'll get my take on Shine, and lessons learned later this week. There were plenty, although not the ones you might think.
Oh! And I've created a new workout program for myself...
- it's called rocking the boat.
You have been warned.
I started working on a blog post on October 29, and I saved it to review later...
...and later is still waiting to arrive.
Now I could say something about analysis paralysis, but the reality of why I held off on the post was that I was afraid.
I'm noticing some trends in the online world - and maybe it's because I've been around a while now - and these trends are bothering me in a BIG way.
My coach and pal (hope I'm not overstating that) @ElizabethPW made a remarkable post today about her experiences at Ali Brown's recent Shine event.
I told her she stole my blog post. Elizabeth has a great way of saying what other people are thinking. She's like the kid that's not afraid to tell the world that the Emperor is naked.
I heart her.
So as I wrestled with fear, she was stepping out to face the wolves.
It got me to thinking about the other things we think but don't say - things we need to say.
I don't usually get speechless, paranoid, or worried about the impressions of others. I'm kind of known as being blunt, direct, and sometimes a little terse.
I try to speak the truth in love - and sometimes I'm a bit too honest for my own good, so I'm told.
That's part of what curbed my tongue this time.
You see, being on "the inside" of an industry reveals a lot of dirty secrets. Part of me wants to keep my mouth shut because I'm afraid of getting tossed out on my ear once I start revealing all this stuff to the masses.
Then I'm reminded of Groucho Marx, who said he didn't want to be part of a club that would have him as a member.
In the past week, there's been a lot of soul searching, discussions, ranting, and whatnot. I thank God above that you aren't privvy to some of the stuff I've heard/dealt with in the past week.
There's just too much subterfuge in business that makes ding business hard. It doesn't have to be that way.
So in an effort to get clear on some stuff, there's changes coming - saying goodbye to some old peeps that just don't resonate with my new direction - and saying hello to new peeps that are going to rock your world.
You'll get my take on Shine, and lessons learned later this week. There were plenty, although not the ones you might think.
Oh! And I've created a new workout program for myself...
- it's called rocking the boat.
You have been warned.
Never juggle alone
So I actually did a little research for this post:
I watched a handful of juggling videos on YouTube. As a kid, I had to learn how to juggle for science class. We started with one ball, which was incredibly boring, but we had to demonstrate mastery before we could move on to juggling two balls... and then three.
Fortunately, three was our limit. We just had to be able to prove we could keep three balls in motion for a preiod of time. And for as great of a multi-tasker I've become, it was not easy to keep three balls in the air in 7th grade.
So imagine my surprise when I found 5 ball forced juggling, 4, 6 and 8 object jugglers!
And it got me to thinking about how many responsibilities we, as business owners have in our daily routines.
And along comes online marketing, and "you want me to add ANOTHER ball to my juggling routine?"
I hear you.
I selected this video for two reasons - and I hope you watch it to the end. If you watch, for the most part, no one is ever responsible for more than 3 or 4 objects at one time - there are lots of items in the air, but each team member really only has to focus on their piece of the pie.
The other reason is that if you watch to the end you see where they actually DROP something. Now this was planned for effect, and if you watch, it's all done "on the beat" to the music and set up so that it times out perfectly with the end. Even there, you'll note that more than one person is throwing things at the catcher - no ONE person is responsible for everything.
In small business - particularly in direct sales, we feel like we've got to go it alone in and do it ourselves. That's the surest way to stay small in your industry.
That doesn't mean hire a bunch of elves to handle your tasks. It DOES mean seek out competent, qualified help - even if it's only on a project basis, to help free up your time to focus on the essential activities that MUST be done by you and only you.
Maybe you need a VA or one of your kids to help with loading/packing, shipping or customer follow up.
Run your business like a real business would and find excellent people to support you.
It's worth it in no uncertain terms.
With the right support team in place, you can have many many objects in the air, making it look incredibly difficult, and knowing all the while, that it's really simple if you stay focused on the part that's your responsibility.
I watched a handful of juggling videos on YouTube. As a kid, I had to learn how to juggle for science class. We started with one ball, which was incredibly boring, but we had to demonstrate mastery before we could move on to juggling two balls... and then three.
Fortunately, three was our limit. We just had to be able to prove we could keep three balls in motion for a preiod of time. And for as great of a multi-tasker I've become, it was not easy to keep three balls in the air in 7th grade.
So imagine my surprise when I found 5 ball forced juggling, 4, 6 and 8 object jugglers!
And it got me to thinking about how many responsibilities we, as business owners have in our daily routines.
And along comes online marketing, and "you want me to add ANOTHER ball to my juggling routine?"
I hear you.
I selected this video for two reasons - and I hope you watch it to the end. If you watch, for the most part, no one is ever responsible for more than 3 or 4 objects at one time - there are lots of items in the air, but each team member really only has to focus on their piece of the pie.
The other reason is that if you watch to the end you see where they actually DROP something. Now this was planned for effect, and if you watch, it's all done "on the beat" to the music and set up so that it times out perfectly with the end. Even there, you'll note that more than one person is throwing things at the catcher - no ONE person is responsible for everything.
In small business - particularly in direct sales, we feel like we've got to go it alone in and do it ourselves. That's the surest way to stay small in your industry.
That doesn't mean hire a bunch of elves to handle your tasks. It DOES mean seek out competent, qualified help - even if it's only on a project basis, to help free up your time to focus on the essential activities that MUST be done by you and only you.
Maybe you need a VA or one of your kids to help with loading/packing, shipping or customer follow up.
Run your business like a real business would and find excellent people to support you.
It's worth it in no uncertain terms.
With the right support team in place, you can have many many objects in the air, making it look incredibly difficult, and knowing all the while, that it's really simple if you stay focused on the part that's your responsibility.
Time for success?
In my last post I talked about how you've got to invest SOMETHING in your business if you want to see success.
Perhaps the BIGGEST issue I hear is the one of time.
We all know we have only 24 hours in a day.
So it's not a matter of time - we've all got the same amount.
It's a matter of priority, and clarity.
My husband and I go around on this topic regularly. I want him to mow the lawn, for example, and he wants to watch the Lions play football.
Don't get me started on the Lions. He's a die-hard fan and has been for decades. Our wedding colors wre blue and silver.
So when Sunday rolls around and the lawn's still not cut and he's watching TV, he looks at me and says "Honey, I just didn't have time this week."
BZZZZZT Wrong answer.
He CHOSE the Lions over the lawn. I can't say that I blame him, entirely. I'd rather sit in a warm room in front of a TV on a cold October day, too. Okay, I'd rather read or "hang out" on twitter, but you get the idea.
His priorities are such that Football is more important than the lawn.
My priorities are such that he is more important than football or the lawn. So I let him watch his football, and then point him in the direction of the lawnmower.
I'm telling the truth in love here.
And the road runs in both directions. There are times when I'm finishing up an email or talking with a client when it's dinner time.
It's all about priorities.
If you want to have success in anything - goal achievement, personal success, business success, relationships, etc. - you have to make it a priority.
Most people can't juggle 75 priorities. Something gets dropped.
This is where clarity comes in.
It's critical that you gain absolute clarity about what's important to you. Clarity on what your utmost priorities are.
Is your success part of that picture? If it's not, don't complain about not having the time. You've ranked your priorities.
And if something is so important you WANT to make it a priority, but you don't know how?
Figure out what gets cut.
Something has to give. You can't be all things to all people at all times.
Maybe you get less sleep. Maybe you spend less tim at the gym. Maybe you work while you're in line at the drive thru at the bank. Perhaps you delegate some activities to an assistant or high school kid that you can pay a few bucks to handle.
I've never yet met a person that could't re-arrange their priorities to accomplish something if they TRULY wanted to make it happen.
In fact, we're more likely to have too much time on our hands that we're wasting, than not enough time to achieve our goals.
I know. Them's fightin' words to many moms.
Sometimes, though, success means sacrifice. Sacrifice doesn't mean killing yourself to make something happen - it means relinquishing something of value, so that you can gain something else of greater value.
Which, when you think about it that way, isn't really a sacrifice, is it?
Perhaps the BIGGEST issue I hear is the one of time.
We all know we have only 24 hours in a day.
So it's not a matter of time - we've all got the same amount.
It's a matter of priority, and clarity.
My husband and I go around on this topic regularly. I want him to mow the lawn, for example, and he wants to watch the Lions play football.
Don't get me started on the Lions. He's a die-hard fan and has been for decades. Our wedding colors wre blue and silver.
So when Sunday rolls around and the lawn's still not cut and he's watching TV, he looks at me and says "Honey, I just didn't have time this week."
BZZZZZT Wrong answer.
He CHOSE the Lions over the lawn. I can't say that I blame him, entirely. I'd rather sit in a warm room in front of a TV on a cold October day, too. Okay, I'd rather read or "hang out" on twitter, but you get the idea.
His priorities are such that Football is more important than the lawn.
My priorities are such that he is more important than football or the lawn. So I let him watch his football, and then point him in the direction of the lawnmower.
I'm telling the truth in love here.
And the road runs in both directions. There are times when I'm finishing up an email or talking with a client when it's dinner time.
It's all about priorities.
If you want to have success in anything - goal achievement, personal success, business success, relationships, etc. - you have to make it a priority.
Most people can't juggle 75 priorities. Something gets dropped.
This is where clarity comes in.
It's critical that you gain absolute clarity about what's important to you. Clarity on what your utmost priorities are.
Is your success part of that picture? If it's not, don't complain about not having the time. You've ranked your priorities.
And if something is so important you WANT to make it a priority, but you don't know how?
Figure out what gets cut.
Something has to give. You can't be all things to all people at all times.
Maybe you get less sleep. Maybe you spend less tim at the gym. Maybe you work while you're in line at the drive thru at the bank. Perhaps you delegate some activities to an assistant or high school kid that you can pay a few bucks to handle.
I've never yet met a person that could't re-arrange their priorities to accomplish something if they TRULY wanted to make it happen.
In fact, we're more likely to have too much time on our hands that we're wasting, than not enough time to achieve our goals.
I know. Them's fightin' words to many moms.
Sometimes, though, success means sacrifice. Sacrifice doesn't mean killing yourself to make something happen - it means relinquishing something of value, so that you can gain something else of greater value.
Which, when you think about it that way, isn't really a sacrifice, is it?
Online Marketing Strategies: Where to begin?
My biggest challenge with marketing my business online is probably the same with alot of people. You just don't know where to start! So you keep doing what you always do and keep getting what you always got. NOT Smart. - Donna
Yet another entry, this time, from one of my facebook friends. Yes, it's probably the underlying issue that most small business owners struggle with - the not knowing.
But if you notice what Donna wrote, there's actually a couple of issues at play here.
1. not Knowing where to being AND
2. Always doing the same thing
Did you also notice that Donna already acknowledged that she realizes she's not on the path to success?
This is a big one.
In reality, with online marketing, there's no wrong answer, only a less efficient one.
I know, it sounds like I'm knocking online marketing again. But hear me out.
It really doesn't matter where you begin: video, facebook, blog, twitter, website, build a list, create a product, autoresponder... it doesn't matter.
All of them WILL work - some are just more efficient than others. And some of them will have a shorter learning curve for you.
The real problem lies in the fact that everyone is looking for an instant win, a lottery ticket that will set them up for life. "If I do this, then I'll be SET!"
That's not reality - well if you're that lucky powerball winner (Odds of winning the Powerball Jackpot are 1 in 195,249,054) - then I guess it would work for you.
Reality says, pick something, hone it, craft it, and tell the world about it. If you build it, they won't come. If you build it, it's good stuff, and then you tell people, invite them to have a peek - THEN they come - and they tell their friends.
Walt Disney said "Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again - and bring their friends."
That's what you have to do in business. Whether it's dirct sales, carpet cleaning, running a theater, or building a real estate empire. It doesn't matter what you pick, what matters is the passion and commitment behind what you're doing.
So if you detest blogs, don't start one. If you can't commit to building a website, don't do it. If the idea of using twitter totally freaks you out, DON'T DO IT.
And realize there are consequences for that inaction.
You can't have it both ways in business. You must do SOME kind of work to get some kind of return. Some actions will be more efficient, some less.
But if you're drawn to twitter, and can't stand facebook, use twitter with a passion, contribute value, and tell people what you're doing so they can come check you out. Do it so well that they'll want to come back over and over - and bring their friends.
That's how you make online marketing work for you.
In our 12-week challenge, we're examining the heart of your expertise - that thing you are uniquely qualified to share with the world - and creating a strategy to help you bring it out for the world to see. Your strategy will be unique to you, customized by and for you - so that you KNOW what you're doing will work for your business. There's still time to Enter the contest, if you haven't already. Tickets are now on sale for the challenge as well. Take the 12-week challenge here.
Streamline Your Business - Italian Style!
When I think of Italy, images of canals, the Sistine Chapel, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa come to mind.
I certainly don't think of scruffy Italian men from centuries ago.
And yet, there are two Italian men who have a hand in helping you streamline your business and increase your profitability at the same time.
Say hello to Fibonacci (fib-oh-NAH-chee) and Pareto (pah-RAY-toh). One is an Italian mathematician of the 1200's, the other, an Italian Economist and educator of the early 1900's.
As boring as it may sound, these two guys can give you a clear head when it comes to balancing your work for maximum effectiveness.
Fibonacci was actually born in Pisa. He devised the Fibonacci sequence: a series of numbers in mathematical relationship, that ultimately led to the discovery of The Golden Ratio (not to be confused with the Golden Rule). Simply put, the Golden Ratio is a nearly perfect proportion that exists in nature: roughly a 60/40 ratio.
Pareto, is more likely to be recognized as the man who developed what became "Pareto's Law", more commonly known as "The 80/20 Rule". Pareto noticed a naturlawhat he called the “vital few”, the top 20 percent, and the “trivial many”, the bottom 80 percent.
Essentially, the 80/20 Rule states that 80% of your results will come from 20% of the effort and 20% of your clients will produce 80% of your income.
In fact, it is reputed that Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, used this very rule when deciding who to fire - the lowest performing 20% were the first to be let go.
You've probably heard a lot more about Pareto's Law than you have the Golden Ratio. But it's the Golden Ratio that puts the oomph in Pareto's Law.
In my coaching, I drive my clients to focus on their income producing activities. Often, they have no idea what those activities are. Knowing what to focus on is a topic for another article. This article shows you how it all works.
The Golden Ratio suggests that there is a 60/40 split we must maintain in our business. It happens naturally. 60 percent of our time should be focused on income producing activities (which includes marketing), while the other 40% of our time should be used to manage the other areas of our business. In a 10 hour work day, 6 hours should focus on marketing and the actual EARNING of income, while 4 hours may be split up amongst other business activites.
So how does the 80/20 rule fit in? Simple. The 80/20 rule is where we focus the TOP 20% of our time. This is where the activities that produce the greatest amount of income should be. In that same 10 hour work day, 2 of those 6 hours should be focused on our most lucrative income producing activities.
But what should you do with all that time?
Tips From the Experts:
International speaker and best selling author, Brian Tracy, says "before you begin work, always ask yourself, 'Is this task in the top 20 percent of my activities or in the bottom 80 percent?' The hardest part of any important task is getting started on it in the first place. Once you actually begin work on a valuable task, you will be naturally motivated to continue."
Don Mastrangelo, author of "Ready, Set, Sell!" suggests investing 80% of your productive time over the next three months doing some type of prospecting for new business. Don says "If you do, you’ll find that from there forward you will never need to invest more than 20% of your time prospecting to keep your momentum going.
Let go of distraction and forget about multitasking. Tim Ferris, author of the 4-Hour Work Week, cites multitasking as a big reason for inefficiency while working. The time it takes to re-focus on a project when multitasking can actually make the project take longer - sometimes substantially longer. If at all possible, focus on one thing at a time. Use a timer if you must, but stay focused.
Keep these ratios in mind the next time you're planning your workload, and seeking to find balance in your business.
And the next time you visit Pisa, remember Fibonacci and Pareto.
==========
Have more questions about income producing activities in your direct sales business? Submit your questions here for an upcoming teleclass where I'll answer the most popular questions.
I certainly don't think of scruffy Italian men from centuries ago.
And yet, there are two Italian men who have a hand in helping you streamline your business and increase your profitability at the same time.
Say hello to Fibonacci (fib-oh-NAH-chee) and Pareto (pah-RAY-toh). One is an Italian mathematician of the 1200's, the other, an Italian Economist and educator of the early 1900's.
As boring as it may sound, these two guys can give you a clear head when it comes to balancing your work for maximum effectiveness.
Fibonacci was actually born in Pisa. He devised the Fibonacci sequence: a series of numbers in mathematical relationship, that ultimately led to the discovery of The Golden Ratio (not to be confused with the Golden Rule). Simply put, the Golden Ratio is a nearly perfect proportion that exists in nature: roughly a 60/40 ratio.
Pareto, is more likely to be recognized as the man who developed what became "Pareto's Law", more commonly known as "The 80/20 Rule". Pareto noticed a naturlawhat he called the “vital few”, the top 20 percent, and the “trivial many”, the bottom 80 percent.
Essentially, the 80/20 Rule states that 80% of your results will come from 20% of the effort and 20% of your clients will produce 80% of your income.
In fact, it is reputed that Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, used this very rule when deciding who to fire - the lowest performing 20% were the first to be let go.
You've probably heard a lot more about Pareto's Law than you have the Golden Ratio. But it's the Golden Ratio that puts the oomph in Pareto's Law.
In my coaching, I drive my clients to focus on their income producing activities. Often, they have no idea what those activities are. Knowing what to focus on is a topic for another article. This article shows you how it all works.
The Golden Ratio suggests that there is a 60/40 split we must maintain in our business. It happens naturally. 60 percent of our time should be focused on income producing activities (which includes marketing), while the other 40% of our time should be used to manage the other areas of our business. In a 10 hour work day, 6 hours should focus on marketing and the actual EARNING of income, while 4 hours may be split up amongst other business activites.
So how does the 80/20 rule fit in? Simple. The 80/20 rule is where we focus the TOP 20% of our time. This is where the activities that produce the greatest amount of income should be. In that same 10 hour work day, 2 of those 6 hours should be focused on our most lucrative income producing activities.
But what should you do with all that time?
Tips From the Experts:
International speaker and best selling author, Brian Tracy, says "before you begin work, always ask yourself, 'Is this task in the top 20 percent of my activities or in the bottom 80 percent?' The hardest part of any important task is getting started on it in the first place. Once you actually begin work on a valuable task, you will be naturally motivated to continue."
Don Mastrangelo, author of "Ready, Set, Sell!" suggests investing 80% of your productive time over the next three months doing some type of prospecting for new business. Don says "If you do, you’ll find that from there forward you will never need to invest more than 20% of your time prospecting to keep your momentum going.
Let go of distraction and forget about multitasking. Tim Ferris, author of the 4-Hour Work Week, cites multitasking as a big reason for inefficiency while working. The time it takes to re-focus on a project when multitasking can actually make the project take longer - sometimes substantially longer. If at all possible, focus on one thing at a time. Use a timer if you must, but stay focused.
Keep these ratios in mind the next time you're planning your workload, and seeking to find balance in your business.
And the next time you visit Pisa, remember Fibonacci and Pareto.
==========
Have more questions about income producing activities in your direct sales business? Submit your questions here for an upcoming teleclass where I'll answer the most popular questions.
Direct Sales Coaches vs. Trainers: What's the Difference?
There's a heated discussion going on in the back rooms of direct sales companies across the country.
There's been a surge of people hanging up a shingle and calling themselves "coaches" in the industry...
"International direct sales coach and trainer"
"Direct sales coach and speaker"
"Direct Sales Coach and Trainer"
"Marketing Coach and speaker"
"Life coach"
"business coach"
"accountability coach"
"support coach"
"recruiting coach"
"Speaker, trainer, consultant and Direct Sales Coach"
These are just a few of the titles I've personally seen on websites of professionals in and around the direct sales industry that include the word coach. It's starting to perplex the Direct Selling Company owners to the point that they've started asking "so are you a life coach, a trainer, a speaker or what?"
Maybe I'm just getting snarky in my old age, but I like it when we call a spade a spade. It makes for clear, easy to understand communication.
I can understand some of the confusion. The dictionary offers a basic definition of trainer as an instructor or a coach. But the definition of coach is far more complex, providing a deeper insight into what a coach does, as opposed to just a trainer. The crux of the differentiation focuses on a personal element in coaching that depends on the person being coached.
For example:
1. private instruction, special instruction
2. private tutor employed to prepare a student
3. Baseball: a playing or non-playing member of the team... to signal instructions to and advise base runners and batters
In each of these more specific definititions the coach is working in a more private capacity - even individually - to help a specific person achieve a specific desired result that is tailored to the individual.
THAT'S coaching.
A football team may have multiple trainers, but only one Head Coach.
In my mind, trainers are people that develop or work with a system of achieving a desired result, and instruct you on how to achieve that desired result using their system.
Programs like Belinda Ellsworth's Power Hour come to mind. When Belinda speaks on the Power Hour, she's not coaching, she's training. It's the same message every time, because she's teaching you how to implement the same system. That's training.
A coach, on the other hand, would assess your current goals and issues, and help you determine WHICH training program would bring you the best results based on your individual needs.
Too many speakers & trainers today have appended "coach" to the list of credentials at the end of their name, and don't deserve the title.
And maybe I sound a little sour grapes about this, but hear me out.
In my previous post, I ranted a bit about how there are some well known speakers (because that's what they really are) in the industry that have started calling themselves "coaches" because that's the new buzz word in the industry. Yet they do absolutely no coaching. They have a few training programs, and speak at dozens of events every year and make a great living as TRAINERS and SPEAKERS.
They are NOT coaches.
The reason I'm ranting is because they spoil it for the rest of us who are actively coaching and serving as real coaches.
But I'm not even including myself in this equation. i'm still a consultant in the trenches and for the most part, I'm a rookie in the coaching industry. I wouldn't begin to compare myself to the more seasoned vets that grace the stages of national conferences on an annual basis (I'll leave that for you to decide).
I work to serve my clients in the capacity that best meets their needs. I'm not cranking out new (or recycled) products to train them how to do the same things they already know how to do (but don't).
I'm talking about the REAL coaches, who have a full practice, serving, guiding, instructing and supplying individual attention to their clients - helping them craft specific results based on specific concerns of the client. NOT a one-size-fits-most program.
No doubt those "one-size" programs are effective (or they wouldn't stay on the market for long), but by nature that is NOT coaching. It's training.
I foresee a day when coaches will need to be credentialed. And as such, I'm working on completing my own coaching certification this year. I'm so passionate about this, I'm applying to the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Education (CEU) credit for my live event in August.
We need to treat real coaches with a level of respect that most trainers have not earned:
You can't just call yourself a doctor, but a good (or bad) coach can have just as much impact on your well being.
You can't just call yourself a teacher (in most states), but a good coach can teach you more than you'll ever learn in school.
You can't just call yourself an attorney or judge, but a good coach can show you more truth than you ever knew existed.
You can't just sell securities, but a good coach can have an equally powerful impact on your financial condition
You can't just call yourself a cosmetologist, but a good coach can have just as much impact on your self image.
You can't just call yourself a psychologist, but a good coach can help you get inside your own mind and be equally effective at helping you be a "better you".
All of those professional designations come with a price, investment and a piece of paper. It's not the paper that makes the professional valuable. It's the commitment of the professional that makes the piece of paper valuable.
Coaches train for hours, and apply what they've learned to individual circumstances. They also work together in training situations - sharing and collaborating to advance the coaching profession as a whole for EVERYONE involved. They work at a higher level than a trainer - who may only be versed in a particular area of expertise. Coaches have a focus, but their focus is in bringing out the best in an individual or small group of individuals. That requires a multifaceted approach as unique as each client.
Julie Anne Jones is a GREAT example of a real coach. Not only does she have the piece of paper, she uses that knowledge to work intimately with coaching clients in a setting where they can achieve the best results for themselves - whether or not they need one of her training products to reach that result. And she may be a fantastic speaker (I've yet to hear her speak), but she's a COACH at heart: striving to improve the individual.
There are other trainers that are also excellent speakers: Belinda Ellsworth, Karen Phelps, Christie Northrup, just to name a few. But they are NOT coaches in the strict sense of the word. And many speakers are venturing into the training arena. Again, they are NOT coaches. They are leveraging their income and time by generating progams based on their popular talks. It's a great marketing strategy, but they are NOT coaching.
And with the economy on a roller coaster ride, I wouldn't be surprised if you start to see more people offering coaching as part of their product package. But unless the focus is on the client, and not the product, even THAT is not coaching!
You can call yourself a coach all you want (at least for now), but the reality is that a COACH and a TRAINER are not the same. I expect to pay more for a coach than I would a training program. A training program is a "cookie cutter" that can produce general results for a general audience. A coaching program is a tailored, specific program that focuses on my needs, what I want to accomplish and what my vision for my (life, business, etc) is.
Anyone who tells you different is selling you something.
There's been a surge of people hanging up a shingle and calling themselves "coaches" in the industry...
"International direct sales coach and trainer"
"Direct sales coach and speaker"
"Direct Sales Coach and Trainer"
"Marketing Coach and speaker"
"Life coach"
"business coach"
"accountability coach"
"support coach"
"recruiting coach"
"Speaker, trainer, consultant and Direct Sales Coach"
These are just a few of the titles I've personally seen on websites of professionals in and around the direct sales industry that include the word coach. It's starting to perplex the Direct Selling Company owners to the point that they've started asking "so are you a life coach, a trainer, a speaker or what?"
Maybe I'm just getting snarky in my old age, but I like it when we call a spade a spade. It makes for clear, easy to understand communication.
I can understand some of the confusion. The dictionary offers a basic definition of trainer as an instructor or a coach. But the definition of coach is far more complex, providing a deeper insight into what a coach does, as opposed to just a trainer. The crux of the differentiation focuses on a personal element in coaching that depends on the person being coached.
For example:
1. private instruction, special instruction
2. private tutor employed to prepare a student
3. Baseball: a playing or non-playing member of the team... to signal instructions to and advise base runners and batters
In each of these more specific definititions the coach is working in a more private capacity - even individually - to help a specific person achieve a specific desired result that is tailored to the individual.
THAT'S coaching.
A football team may have multiple trainers, but only one Head Coach.
In my mind, trainers are people that develop or work with a system of achieving a desired result, and instruct you on how to achieve that desired result using their system.
Programs like Belinda Ellsworth's Power Hour come to mind. When Belinda speaks on the Power Hour, she's not coaching, she's training. It's the same message every time, because she's teaching you how to implement the same system. That's training.
A coach, on the other hand, would assess your current goals and issues, and help you determine WHICH training program would bring you the best results based on your individual needs.
Too many speakers & trainers today have appended "coach" to the list of credentials at the end of their name, and don't deserve the title.
And maybe I sound a little sour grapes about this, but hear me out.
In my previous post, I ranted a bit about how there are some well known speakers (because that's what they really are) in the industry that have started calling themselves "coaches" because that's the new buzz word in the industry. Yet they do absolutely no coaching. They have a few training programs, and speak at dozens of events every year and make a great living as TRAINERS and SPEAKERS.
They are NOT coaches.
The reason I'm ranting is because they spoil it for the rest of us who are actively coaching and serving as real coaches.
But I'm not even including myself in this equation. i'm still a consultant in the trenches and for the most part, I'm a rookie in the coaching industry. I wouldn't begin to compare myself to the more seasoned vets that grace the stages of national conferences on an annual basis (I'll leave that for you to decide).
I work to serve my clients in the capacity that best meets their needs. I'm not cranking out new (or recycled) products to train them how to do the same things they already know how to do (but don't).
I'm talking about the REAL coaches, who have a full practice, serving, guiding, instructing and supplying individual attention to their clients - helping them craft specific results based on specific concerns of the client. NOT a one-size-fits-most program.
No doubt those "one-size" programs are effective (or they wouldn't stay on the market for long), but by nature that is NOT coaching. It's training.
I foresee a day when coaches will need to be credentialed. And as such, I'm working on completing my own coaching certification this year. I'm so passionate about this, I'm applying to the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Education (CEU) credit for my live event in August.
We need to treat real coaches with a level of respect that most trainers have not earned:
You can't just call yourself a doctor, but a good (or bad) coach can have just as much impact on your well being.
You can't just call yourself a teacher (in most states), but a good coach can teach you more than you'll ever learn in school.
You can't just call yourself an attorney or judge, but a good coach can show you more truth than you ever knew existed.
You can't just sell securities, but a good coach can have an equally powerful impact on your financial condition
You can't just call yourself a cosmetologist, but a good coach can have just as much impact on your self image.
You can't just call yourself a psychologist, but a good coach can help you get inside your own mind and be equally effective at helping you be a "better you".
All of those professional designations come with a price, investment and a piece of paper. It's not the paper that makes the professional valuable. It's the commitment of the professional that makes the piece of paper valuable.
Coaches train for hours, and apply what they've learned to individual circumstances. They also work together in training situations - sharing and collaborating to advance the coaching profession as a whole for EVERYONE involved. They work at a higher level than a trainer - who may only be versed in a particular area of expertise. Coaches have a focus, but their focus is in bringing out the best in an individual or small group of individuals. That requires a multifaceted approach as unique as each client.
Julie Anne Jones is a GREAT example of a real coach. Not only does she have the piece of paper, she uses that knowledge to work intimately with coaching clients in a setting where they can achieve the best results for themselves - whether or not they need one of her training products to reach that result. And she may be a fantastic speaker (I've yet to hear her speak), but she's a COACH at heart: striving to improve the individual.
There are other trainers that are also excellent speakers: Belinda Ellsworth, Karen Phelps, Christie Northrup, just to name a few. But they are NOT coaches in the strict sense of the word. And many speakers are venturing into the training arena. Again, they are NOT coaches. They are leveraging their income and time by generating progams based on their popular talks. It's a great marketing strategy, but they are NOT coaching.
And with the economy on a roller coaster ride, I wouldn't be surprised if you start to see more people offering coaching as part of their product package. But unless the focus is on the client, and not the product, even THAT is not coaching!
You can call yourself a coach all you want (at least for now), but the reality is that a COACH and a TRAINER are not the same. I expect to pay more for a coach than I would a training program. A training program is a "cookie cutter" that can produce general results for a general audience. A coaching program is a tailored, specific program that focuses on my needs, what I want to accomplish and what my vision for my (life, business, etc) is.
Anyone who tells you different is selling you something.
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.
A Tale of Two Direct Sales Moms
Normally, I'm not one to go on about my kids. I like at least a small sense of anonymity and privacy for them, since they didn't choose to grow up in the limelight or the shadow it casts from being aimed at me.
And while this story isn't so much about them, they are involved, so I felt it only fair to warn you.
This story, however is a tale of two moms: one's an ambitious, "big thinker", who constantly strives to grow her business, builder her "empire" and make the world a better place for her clients and customers. She believes that she's the best product her company has to offer, and shares her time, talent and treasure to help others make the most of their business.
She does her momly duties, of course: getting up at the crack of dawn, tries to make sure the kids are fed and ready for the trip to school, and even shares her laptop with her 3 year old so he can get a jump start on academics at pbskids.org. She does her best to have dinner cooking and ready by the time her husband arrives home at 5pm and even manages to clean a little: a couple loads of dishes (by hand, of course), and sometimes gets the table set too!
She loves to entertain, has a big house with plenty of room for company and KNOWS how to cook. Her Momma taught her how to make virtually anything from scratch - except anything made with asparagus (her Mom HATED Asparagus), and she's quite a performer, too. Her haminess runs in the family: both her sons are musical and while her husband couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, they make for a cute "perfect" family photo.
She works with an INCREDIBLE support team that keeps her business running like a well-oiled machine, even in her sleep.
I'm sure you've figured out who this is, but before I do the big reveal, let's talk about our other mom...
This woman does her best to get to bed at a decent hour each night, but is usually up WAY past her bedtime. She's always got way too much on her plate, and sometimes finds herself wading through 4,000 emails in her in-box trying to find a message that was sent a while ago that she knows she needs to act on. She loves her two kids dearly, and her husband has his moments, too, but sometimes she'd just love to use the mute button on her remote control to find a little peace and quiet in the home.
She's lucky if she can find the time to take a shower in the morning, and occasionally brushes her teeth on the drive to take her oldest to school!
This woman is far from perfect. Her childhood is not something she looks back on with many pleasant memories: abuse, loneliness, and not many friends were hidden behind her very intellectual veneer. She's smart, but was never able to make friends easily, and to this day struggles with strong, lasting friendships.
Her husband and oldest son just don't see eye to eye, and it's a horrible point of friction in her family. She insists they fight like brothers, and hates "being in the middle" when things come to a head.
And if that wasn't difficult enough, now her oldest son is in the hospital. She's blessed to have a job that allows her to 'be there' for him when he needs her most, but struggles with the guilt of not being with her 3 year old son. Hubby's off at work during the day, and doesn't like hospitals, so hasn't visited his step-son much at all. She feels like her support system is crumbling around her ears...
hmm... those two people sound strikingliy different, don't they?
Yet the are one in the same.
This is probably one of the hardest, and most personal posts I'll ever make, but I'm at the point where I need to share this because it might just help someone else.
The beauty of direct sales is that we have the power to do as much or as little as we choose in our business. We control our income, our hours and the freedom we make for ourselves in this industry.
It has been an amazing blessing to me this past month as my son has moved in and out of hospitals while they work to find the answers for his pancreatitis.
And ironically, it has been my friends in the industry - my leader, fellow coaches, recruits and my clients and 'friends' on Facebook and twitter that have been the most supportive bunch of all.
I've gotten emails, calls, tweets and amazing shows of support from people that barely know me in real life. And I can't get my husband to take a day off from work to help around the house.
To be clear: we are not fighting about this. He has a horrible aversion to hospitals, and he's extremely busy at work right now. I wish he could be more supportive, but he's doing the best he can with his situation. Plus, we're grateful beyond grateful that he hasn't lost his job yet when so many others are struggling to survive! If it wren't for his job and his insurance, there's no telling how God would manage to cover the hospitalization & testing costs.
I've done some pretty BIG things this year in the face of a tightening economy - all when people said it couldn't be done. I took that a God's message to me that I was in fact heading in the right direction, and fulfilling his will to serve others the best way I knew how: as a direct sales consultant and marketing coach/mentor to the Direct Sales Industry. I've even started the ICF certification process to complete the requirements to make that an officially recognized designation.
I have a LOT on my plate - I almost always do. And I don't mind so much most of the time. I've got a fantastic business coach, and a new VA that I love - plus an assistant that's also a friend of my family and a powerful prayer warrior. I have a handful of really close friends that I know are praying me through all this.
And with the small exception that I wish my husband was a little more accessible, I have a LOT of peace in this whole ordeal. I can be at my son's bedside in the hospital and work from my laptop, or have a coaching call on my cell phone.
God bless technology!
My 3 year old is well tended by an incredible nanny that is also one of my team recruits for my direct selling business. My income continues to roll in on autopilot, my kids are tended, and I can focus on the needs of my oldest son right now.
But I'm FAR from perfect. There are days when I don't want to get out of bed - yes even while my kid's in the hospital. There are days when I don't even SEE the shower, much less take one (perhaps a little TMI, but hey, it's trh truth). And I know that the phrase "who has time to exercise" must have been coined by me - I have the spare pounds to prove it.
The office has clutter piles - like the rest of the house. And while I love to entertain, I very rarely do.
I struggle with self-esteem issues, even though I know my business is awesome and I'm serving some amazing women with an amazing mission that I KNOW God put firmly in my heart. I feel like I'm not moving fast enough, not doing near enough, to be the person God has called me to be.
This isn't a personal plea for people to feel sorry for me, or even to cheer me on. It's just a statement that I had to make before I exploded all over the place one day. And I figured that if I'm going through this, it's for a reason, and God placed it on my heart to share it in this manner today.
If I may be selfish for a minute: I want to know what's wrong with my kid. I want him to be okay, and I want to not have to worry about the cost of getting that answer. I want my husband to participate in all of this and realize how much he's needed around here. I also want him to know that I understand how he feels and that I'm doing my best to honor him and his needs, too. I want my
business to thrive and flourish and be a example of God's light in the world.
But most of all, I want to serve. And if this post does that for you, then once again God's got it goin' on, because I think that sharing this is one of the most 'out there' things I've ever done. I started a Facebook group a few weeks ago because He suggested it through a friend, and I've been amazed at how on target everything is. I'm learning each day that the more I listen to Him and follow his lead on even the most outrageous things, He provides. He doesn't fail. There are so many things I feel like I need to be doing on a daily basis, and God keeps it all in perspective. The peace I feel is directly related to a "system" he's shown me to help keep it all together - even when everything seems to be falling apart.
So it's a weird way to say thank you, but Thank You. I've got over 100 posts on this blog, and I did say there might be an occasional personal post about me or the kids. This was the best way I knew to reach out to all of you and let you know how much your prayers, words and thoughts have been a tremendous blessing this past month.
I know not what God's next move for me is in the great playbook of life, but I do know that I have to just keep on making the plays, and moving down the field until I reach whatever goal he has planned.
It's been a crazy start to 2009 - which means I know it's ging to get even bigger and better as it goes along. I hope you'll be on the ride with me.
And while this story isn't so much about them, they are involved, so I felt it only fair to warn you.
This story, however is a tale of two moms: one's an ambitious, "big thinker", who constantly strives to grow her business, builder her "empire" and make the world a better place for her clients and customers. She believes that she's the best product her company has to offer, and shares her time, talent and treasure to help others make the most of their business.
She does her momly duties, of course: getting up at the crack of dawn, tries to make sure the kids are fed and ready for the trip to school, and even shares her laptop with her 3 year old so he can get a jump start on academics at pbskids.org. She does her best to have dinner cooking and ready by the time her husband arrives home at 5pm and even manages to clean a little: a couple loads of dishes (by hand, of course), and sometimes gets the table set too!
She loves to entertain, has a big house with plenty of room for company and KNOWS how to cook. Her Momma taught her how to make virtually anything from scratch - except anything made with asparagus (her Mom HATED Asparagus), and she's quite a performer, too. Her haminess runs in the family: both her sons are musical and while her husband couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, they make for a cute "perfect" family photo.
She works with an INCREDIBLE support team that keeps her business running like a well-oiled machine, even in her sleep.
I'm sure you've figured out who this is, but before I do the big reveal, let's talk about our other mom...
This woman does her best to get to bed at a decent hour each night, but is usually up WAY past her bedtime. She's always got way too much on her plate, and sometimes finds herself wading through 4,000 emails in her in-box trying to find a message that was sent a while ago that she knows she needs to act on. She loves her two kids dearly, and her husband has his moments, too, but sometimes she'd just love to use the mute button on her remote control to find a little peace and quiet in the home.
She's lucky if she can find the time to take a shower in the morning, and occasionally brushes her teeth on the drive to take her oldest to school!
This woman is far from perfect. Her childhood is not something she looks back on with many pleasant memories: abuse, loneliness, and not many friends were hidden behind her very intellectual veneer. She's smart, but was never able to make friends easily, and to this day struggles with strong, lasting friendships.
Her husband and oldest son just don't see eye to eye, and it's a horrible point of friction in her family. She insists they fight like brothers, and hates "being in the middle" when things come to a head.
And if that wasn't difficult enough, now her oldest son is in the hospital. She's blessed to have a job that allows her to 'be there' for him when he needs her most, but struggles with the guilt of not being with her 3 year old son. Hubby's off at work during the day, and doesn't like hospitals, so hasn't visited his step-son much at all. She feels like her support system is crumbling around her ears...
hmm... those two people sound strikingliy different, don't they?
Yet the are one in the same.
This is probably one of the hardest, and most personal posts I'll ever make, but I'm at the point where I need to share this because it might just help someone else.
The beauty of direct sales is that we have the power to do as much or as little as we choose in our business. We control our income, our hours and the freedom we make for ourselves in this industry.
It has been an amazing blessing to me this past month as my son has moved in and out of hospitals while they work to find the answers for his pancreatitis.
And ironically, it has been my friends in the industry - my leader, fellow coaches, recruits and my clients and 'friends' on Facebook and twitter that have been the most supportive bunch of all.
I've gotten emails, calls, tweets and amazing shows of support from people that barely know me in real life. And I can't get my husband to take a day off from work to help around the house.
To be clear: we are not fighting about this. He has a horrible aversion to hospitals, and he's extremely busy at work right now. I wish he could be more supportive, but he's doing the best he can with his situation. Plus, we're grateful beyond grateful that he hasn't lost his job yet when so many others are struggling to survive! If it wren't for his job and his insurance, there's no telling how God would manage to cover the hospitalization & testing costs.
I've done some pretty BIG things this year in the face of a tightening economy - all when people said it couldn't be done. I took that a God's message to me that I was in fact heading in the right direction, and fulfilling his will to serve others the best way I knew how: as a direct sales consultant and marketing coach/mentor to the Direct Sales Industry. I've even started the ICF certification process to complete the requirements to make that an officially recognized designation.
I have a LOT on my plate - I almost always do. And I don't mind so much most of the time. I've got a fantastic business coach, and a new VA that I love - plus an assistant that's also a friend of my family and a powerful prayer warrior. I have a handful of really close friends that I know are praying me through all this.
And with the small exception that I wish my husband was a little more accessible, I have a LOT of peace in this whole ordeal. I can be at my son's bedside in the hospital and work from my laptop, or have a coaching call on my cell phone.
God bless technology!
My 3 year old is well tended by an incredible nanny that is also one of my team recruits for my direct selling business. My income continues to roll in on autopilot, my kids are tended, and I can focus on the needs of my oldest son right now.
But I'm FAR from perfect. There are days when I don't want to get out of bed - yes even while my kid's in the hospital. There are days when I don't even SEE the shower, much less take one (perhaps a little TMI, but hey, it's trh truth). And I know that the phrase "who has time to exercise" must have been coined by me - I have the spare pounds to prove it.
The office has clutter piles - like the rest of the house. And while I love to entertain, I very rarely do.
I struggle with self-esteem issues, even though I know my business is awesome and I'm serving some amazing women with an amazing mission that I KNOW God put firmly in my heart. I feel like I'm not moving fast enough, not doing near enough, to be the person God has called me to be.
This isn't a personal plea for people to feel sorry for me, or even to cheer me on. It's just a statement that I had to make before I exploded all over the place one day. And I figured that if I'm going through this, it's for a reason, and God placed it on my heart to share it in this manner today.
If I may be selfish for a minute: I want to know what's wrong with my kid. I want him to be okay, and I want to not have to worry about the cost of getting that answer. I want my husband to participate in all of this and realize how much he's needed around here. I also want him to know that I understand how he feels and that I'm doing my best to honor him and his needs, too. I want my
business to thrive and flourish and be a example of God's light in the world.
But most of all, I want to serve. And if this post does that for you, then once again God's got it goin' on, because I think that sharing this is one of the most 'out there' things I've ever done. I started a Facebook group a few weeks ago because He suggested it through a friend, and I've been amazed at how on target everything is. I'm learning each day that the more I listen to Him and follow his lead on even the most outrageous things, He provides. He doesn't fail. There are so many things I feel like I need to be doing on a daily basis, and God keeps it all in perspective. The peace I feel is directly related to a "system" he's shown me to help keep it all together - even when everything seems to be falling apart.
So it's a weird way to say thank you, but Thank You. I've got over 100 posts on this blog, and I did say there might be an occasional personal post about me or the kids. This was the best way I knew to reach out to all of you and let you know how much your prayers, words and thoughts have been a tremendous blessing this past month.
I know not what God's next move for me is in the great playbook of life, but I do know that I have to just keep on making the plays, and moving down the field until I reach whatever goal he has planned.
It's been a crazy start to 2009 - which means I know it's ging to get even bigger and better as it goes along. I hope you'll be on the ride with me.
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
The Single Most Important factor in Direct Sales Success
Can you guess what it is?
In Direct Sales, your mindset is CRUCIAL to your success. If you're ready to grow the power of your network and create some momentum around the product that is you, take a peek at the STAR Power direct sales leadership program.
In Direct Sales, your mindset is CRUCIAL to your success. If you're ready to grow the power of your network and create some momentum around the product that is you, take a peek at the STAR Power direct sales leadership program.
The Body Shop At Home US Closes April 30
As a Direct Sales Coach and trainer, I've always wondered about the other coaches that don't tell you what company they were with.
They'll tell you they earned fancy trips, shiny cars, and made a ton of cash climbing the leadership ranks, but the never tell you what company they were with.
When I became a coach, just over a year ago, I vowed I wouldn't use my business as a recruiting platform, so while I didn't advertise any of the companies I worked with, I also didn't really HIDE it from anyone.
I've ben involved in numerous direct selling/network marketing companies in the past decade. None of them made me feel more at home than the At Home division of The Body Shop. I loved the values, the products and the people. They quickly became "my primary bizop".
And today, regrettably, they have announced a closing of the doors in the US. Amid some other scandalous issues from late last year, we are all elft wondering the root of the decision, but ultimately, At Home was not a profitable, sustainable channel for The Body Shop brand.
People have already started coming out of the woodwork asking me if I'm going to be okay, which makes me chuckle.
Of COURSE I'm going to be okay. I never promoted The Body Shop in the first place.
I always branded ME.
This isn't the first company I've been a consultant for that's closed it's doors (it's the third, actually), yet, of all the companies I've worked with, they're the ONLY ones that I've seen do it RIGHT.
A stream of correspondence showered the morning. With REAL commitments to help us transition to other opportunities, plus increases in pay, bonuses, etc for teh remainder of the term.
For some of these women, TBSAH was the ONLY source of income for their families. Many were earning $10,000 or more each month - and in 6 weeks that will all be gone.
The Body Shop has done a outstanding job of making a bad situation more tolerable. They are proactively seeking ways for us to transition to other opportunities, even offering up priority consideration for employment within TBSAH stores.
It's never a good thing to have to lop off a division of a company - in terms of headcount, morale, etc. But if it has to be done, The Body Shop is a good example of the right way to do it.
And I'm not the least bit concerned about my direction now that TBSAH is closing in the US. I'll just turn back to the sme methods I've been teaching in Home Party Solution. I know offers will come out of the woodwork, so it's just a matter of finding the right fit for me.
And I never promoted my direct sales company - I took my own advice. I am the most important produt my company has to offer, so I promote myself first. That's why people know me, instead of the face cream, candles, toys, kitchen gadgets, jewelry, and other products I used to sell.
Now more than ever, I maintain that you NEED to be creating a name for yourself first - your product second and your company third. Most companies don't like that idea.
Who cares!?! It's YOUR life that's at stake here. Build it to YOUR benefit.
They'll tell you they earned fancy trips, shiny cars, and made a ton of cash climbing the leadership ranks, but the never tell you what company they were with.
When I became a coach, just over a year ago, I vowed I wouldn't use my business as a recruiting platform, so while I didn't advertise any of the companies I worked with, I also didn't really HIDE it from anyone.
I've ben involved in numerous direct selling/network marketing companies in the past decade. None of them made me feel more at home than the At Home division of The Body Shop. I loved the values, the products and the people. They quickly became "my primary bizop".
And today, regrettably, they have announced a closing of the doors in the US. Amid some other scandalous issues from late last year, we are all elft wondering the root of the decision, but ultimately, At Home was not a profitable, sustainable channel for The Body Shop brand.
People have already started coming out of the woodwork asking me if I'm going to be okay, which makes me chuckle.
Of COURSE I'm going to be okay. I never promoted The Body Shop in the first place.
I always branded ME.
This isn't the first company I've been a consultant for that's closed it's doors (it's the third, actually), yet, of all the companies I've worked with, they're the ONLY ones that I've seen do it RIGHT.
A stream of correspondence showered the morning. With REAL commitments to help us transition to other opportunities, plus increases in pay, bonuses, etc for teh remainder of the term.
For some of these women, TBSAH was the ONLY source of income for their families. Many were earning $10,000 or more each month - and in 6 weeks that will all be gone.
The Body Shop has done a outstanding job of making a bad situation more tolerable. They are proactively seeking ways for us to transition to other opportunities, even offering up priority consideration for employment within TBSAH stores.
It's never a good thing to have to lop off a division of a company - in terms of headcount, morale, etc. But if it has to be done, The Body Shop is a good example of the right way to do it.
And I'm not the least bit concerned about my direction now that TBSAH is closing in the US. I'll just turn back to the sme methods I've been teaching in Home Party Solution. I know offers will come out of the woodwork, so it's just a matter of finding the right fit for me.
And I never promoted my direct sales company - I took my own advice. I am the most important produt my company has to offer, so I promote myself first. That's why people know me, instead of the face cream, candles, toys, kitchen gadgets, jewelry, and other products I used to sell.
Now more than ever, I maintain that you NEED to be creating a name for yourself first - your product second and your company third. Most companies don't like that idea.
Who cares!?! It's YOUR life that's at stake here. Build it to YOUR benefit.
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