Even though, we're just starting to see the April showers and early flowers, now is the time to start planning out your Summer business schedule.
If it seems this year as though I'm harping on planning, there's a method to my madness. We've just wrapped up the first quarter of the year. Nearly 1/3 of 2010 is GONE, and what do you have to show for it in your direct sales business?
Bookings beget bookings, and if your calendar is looking thin now, imagine how barren it will be come July!
The school year is coming to an end, and families are planning their vacations, getaways and summer activities now. As a business owner, you need to be on their radar, and plant the seed now that a Summer show is just the ticket to reconnect, relax, and enjoy good times with friends.
Contact the hosts from last Summer now, and give them first dibs on your calendar. Just like Christmas, you can have a full Summer schedule if you give people plenty of notice. In my business, I rarely booked a show closer than 3 weeks out because I need that time to get out invitations, and do effective hostess coaching. The exception to this was repeat hosts. They are usually already schooled on how I run my business, and are quick to get all my show requirements (like guest lists) back to me in plenty of time for the event.
Repeat hosts are your best testimonials, because they liked your work enough to invite you back! You owe it to yourself to reward them with the best spots in your calendar.
Words to say:
"Hi Sally, this is Lisa (with ABC company). I'm planning now for my summer schedule. It may be a little early yet, but I know that my most successful parties are the ones that are planned in advance. Since you're one of my repeat hosts, I want to say thank you by giving you first dibs on my Summer show calendar. You held a Chocolate Lover's party last June and it was such a blast. What theme would you like to try this year?"
Assume the booking. Your repeat hosts already know you do business, and know what to expect from you. If they're not interested, they'll tell you right away. Instead, assume they love you so much they want to repeat that amazing experience they had last year. Build up the excitement and re-establish the emotional high they had at their last party by mentioning positive memorable moments from the last party. It's a psychological trigger that puts them in a positive frame of mind to book their next show with you.
If you're new to Direct Sales, or re-starting your business like many teachers I know, it's even more imperative that you start now to secure shows for your Summer calendar. Consider asking one of the parents from your child's class to host a get-together during the Summer. Or better yet, host your own and double dip on host benefits as well as your consultant income. An early summer barbecue can have the guys hanging out at the grill, the kids playing in the back yard, and the women shopping from their seat in the comfort of your home. Worried that your house is too small? Host a series of parties to invite your child's best friends over a few at a time.
Summer events are also a great way to bring in new business. If you sell a product that you can demonstrate, consider teaching a course during the summer related to your product line. Renting a small hotel conference room or even a large dining room in a restaurant can bring in new customers interested in learning the how-to of your product, and lead to big sales at the end of the session. Just be sure that the focus of the class is not selling stuff, but teaching skills. Not only can you generate revenue from the sales of products, but also from registration fees from the class. Check with your local community education office for opportunities to share your expertise there as well. Many of the Summer session classes are being decided right now.
However you choose to grow your business this summer, now is the time to start planning. Look at your own family commitments and decide when you're available to work your direct sales business. Being in business for yourself gives you some flexibility, but if you let the entire Summer pass you by, you'll miss out on a great income potential as well as those highly-coveted fall bookings. For a great Fall, you need a great Summer, and Summer selling starts by booking shows now.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
Showing posts with label strategic planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strategic planning. Show all posts
Direct Sales Success: Quarterly Planning Made Easy
No, it's not glamorous, but an hour of your time now could net you some big gains before Summer hits.
It's time to start looking at your Q2 planning.
What? You mean you haven't ever DONE quarterly planning?
I hear you. Most direct sellers live two weeks from bankruptcy - meaning they're booking shows in so close, they haven't really thought much beyond the next 30 days of life in business.
It's time to make a change and get your numbers in order. We're going to lay out two quick ways to do "projections" for your quarterly planning.
First, gather your results from last year. If you're brand new, use your numbers from the first quarter. I realize we're still IN the first quarter, but bear with me here.
Look at what your numbers were for first quarter last year, compare them to first quarter this year. You'll see where you're up, down or about the same. Not sure what numbers to be looking at? Check out my previous post on knowing your averages.
Now look at quarter two from last year (that would be April-June, if you're not sure). Compare Q2 of 2009 to Q1 of 2009. Most direct sellers will see an increase in their numbers because the holiday 'slump' is over, new product catalogs are coming out, and people are more likely to book early spring parties in April and May than they are in February and March. But it's not important if the numbers are higher or lower -what's important is that you KNOW whether they were higher or lower.
This gives you an opportunity to look at your business and see where you can improve, as well as what to reasonably expect for the coming months. We only look at a quarter at a time because - well - life happens. ESPECIALLY as direct sellers that are learning to treat your business with more respect, we have to flex those business owner muscles and get used to looking at the numbers in our business in the first place.
Look at the goals you have for the next three months - show sales, recruits, team promotions, bookings, etc. If you have company incentives coming down the pike, how are you planning to achieve those incentives? What activities do you need to schedule into your business over the next 3 months to make sure you hit those goals?
Now, pull out your planning calendar - your personal one, as well as your business one. You want to look at what's already on the radar for the next three months, events, kid stuff, vacations, holidays, sales meetings, rallies, national conferences, leadership camps, incentive trips. Identify any potential items that could prevent you from holding the number of shows you'd like. Identify big expenses that might require you to do an extra show or two in the coming months to help generate additional income. Identify locations in which you'll find yourself that might make good 'recruiting recon' destinations.
By starting now - and it may take a good hour of your time to do it - you'll have a road map for the next three months of business. You'll easily know what nights you will work - as well as the nights you absolutely can't. You'll also have a good idea about how much income you can count on.
But the BEST part about planning is that if you pinpoint a potential gap (in income, recruiting, shows, etc), you'll have a few months to formulate ideas and ACT on them in order to fill the gap. Otherwise, you could end up staring down a blank calendar at the beginning of May, wondering what you're going to do to pay the bills for the month.
Quarterly planning doesn't sound all that sexy, but once you begin, it almost becomes a game. How many gaps can you fill before the end of the quarter? How much MORE money can you make this quarter? How many days off can you actually ENJOY for a change? Quarterly planning makes it possible to know all the answers to those questions - and then some.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
It's time to start looking at your Q2 planning.
What? You mean you haven't ever DONE quarterly planning?
I hear you. Most direct sellers live two weeks from bankruptcy - meaning they're booking shows in so close, they haven't really thought much beyond the next 30 days of life in business.
It's time to make a change and get your numbers in order. We're going to lay out two quick ways to do "projections" for your quarterly planning.
First, gather your results from last year. If you're brand new, use your numbers from the first quarter. I realize we're still IN the first quarter, but bear with me here.
Look at what your numbers were for first quarter last year, compare them to first quarter this year. You'll see where you're up, down or about the same. Not sure what numbers to be looking at? Check out my previous post on knowing your averages.
Now look at quarter two from last year (that would be April-June, if you're not sure). Compare Q2 of 2009 to Q1 of 2009. Most direct sellers will see an increase in their numbers because the holiday 'slump' is over, new product catalogs are coming out, and people are more likely to book early spring parties in April and May than they are in February and March. But it's not important if the numbers are higher or lower -what's important is that you KNOW whether they were higher or lower.
This gives you an opportunity to look at your business and see where you can improve, as well as what to reasonably expect for the coming months. We only look at a quarter at a time because - well - life happens. ESPECIALLY as direct sellers that are learning to treat your business with more respect, we have to flex those business owner muscles and get used to looking at the numbers in our business in the first place.
Look at the goals you have for the next three months - show sales, recruits, team promotions, bookings, etc. If you have company incentives coming down the pike, how are you planning to achieve those incentives? What activities do you need to schedule into your business over the next 3 months to make sure you hit those goals?
Now, pull out your planning calendar - your personal one, as well as your business one. You want to look at what's already on the radar for the next three months, events, kid stuff, vacations, holidays, sales meetings, rallies, national conferences, leadership camps, incentive trips. Identify any potential items that could prevent you from holding the number of shows you'd like. Identify big expenses that might require you to do an extra show or two in the coming months to help generate additional income. Identify locations in which you'll find yourself that might make good 'recruiting recon' destinations.
By starting now - and it may take a good hour of your time to do it - you'll have a road map for the next three months of business. You'll easily know what nights you will work - as well as the nights you absolutely can't. You'll also have a good idea about how much income you can count on.
But the BEST part about planning is that if you pinpoint a potential gap (in income, recruiting, shows, etc), you'll have a few months to formulate ideas and ACT on them in order to fill the gap. Otherwise, you could end up staring down a blank calendar at the beginning of May, wondering what you're going to do to pay the bills for the month.
Quarterly planning doesn't sound all that sexy, but once you begin, it almost becomes a game. How many gaps can you fill before the end of the quarter? How much MORE money can you make this quarter? How many days off can you actually ENJOY for a change? Quarterly planning makes it possible to know all the answers to those questions - and then some.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
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