There are many people who we cross paths with and affect us deeply. I’d like to introduce my amazing grandfather who just turned 95 and share with you how he has helped me grow into the business woman I am today! He has taught me about optimism, to be persistent, generous and to live life with love and compassion.

Optimism- I remember when I was 7 my sister and I stayed at my grandparents house. At the dinner table he always tried to trick us with a glass of milk- asking us “Is this glass half empty or half full.” Of course either anser was correct but it taught us that it is all how you looks at things in life.

Persistence- I remember after college I was inbetween jobs and he took it upon himself to teach me about life’s obstacles. Instead of letting me feel sorry for myself he stayed up all night dreaming up ways I could propse advertising campaigns for one of the local businesses. He taught me to bounce back and to learn from my experiences.

Generous- Grandpa has told us many times about how he helped street people who came by his business asking for money. Instead of handing over the money he would take them to a local restaurant and treat them to a meal. He took the time and interest to help them out!

Love and Companssion- There was no better example than the love and compassion my grandparents expressed towards eachother. They communicated with one another and it was apparent that they knew eachother so well they could finish eachother’s sentences. We all learned that proper communication is the key to relating to one another and building long term relationships.

Please share some of your mentors and how they have helped you in your business!

Do you ever feel uncomfortable imposing on your friends , family and new contacts to host a party?  Do you feel that people are looking at you differently because you think they are thinking you have your own agenda? Do you feel like you are asking everyone for favors?

Sorry to say, but, the truth is “it’s not about you.”

Often consultants run their home party business incorrectly by asking for bookings.  Many consultants assume their hostesses are doing them a favor by holding a party.  Well the truth is there are a ton of benefits for the hostess to hold a party and have a fun filled evening amongst their own friends. With most companies, including Sydney Andrews, the hostesses earn a large percentage of FREE product based on party sales.  Also, additional items often can be purchased by the hostess for half off.  Many direct sales companies offer benefits to the guests as well, currently Sydney Andrews offers 10% off all orders over $100.00. Therefore this is a win, win, win senario- the hostess is eligible for free and discounted jewelry, the guests are eligible for discounted items and the consultant earns his/her commission!

Below are some examples of how you can approach booking a party- which one sounds best to you?

1. “Jane, my company is holding an annual conference and by booking a party I will be one step closer to being able to go this year”

2. “Jane, I am so glad you enjoy the jewelry as much as I do.  I would love to help you get as many pieces of jewelry as you can for as little cost as possible.  The best way to do this is to purchase an item tonight and book a party as soon as possible so you can earn the rest.  I have a few nights available in the next two weeks, would Tues. or Thurs of next week work for you? This is a great opportunity to spend quality time with your friends and earn free and discounted jewelry”

3. “Jane, I know you are fond of this jewelry line. Would you like to host a party for me?”

When booking parties it is better for the sentence to not end with “for me” type phrase. In option 2, “for me” was not mentioned at all.  When you focus on the other person it is not perceived as a favor anymore but as a geniune opportunity! When you approach it this way you will actually be helping them! Don’t forget, you are providing a wonderful service of FREE and discounted products to your hostesses and guests!

1. Time and Convenience (I’m too busy to make a commitment.”)
2. Money (“Everyone I know is out of money or work.”)
3. House or location (“I’m never home”, or “My house is a mess.”)

For the time and location issues, try using the Low-Carb Alternative party*–in other words, just give them the meat. Low-Carb dining is popular. Just as a Low-Carb meal needs to be light, flavorful, instant and satisfying, so it is with low-carb booking success.

Light: Minimize the presentation time and the number of guests required.

Flavorful: Power-pack the mini product demonstration tailored to their needs.

Instant: make it easy to book with you with minimal planning or lead time-book in close.

Satisfying: Cut the time, but don’t skimp on customer service.

One nice thing about Low-Carb parties is that they can be done virtually anywhere! Before and after presentations work well. They are done before the movies, after work, after exercising; in fact, meet them at the gym! Because the Low-Carb party happens without much notice, invitation are informal (a call or an email) and the hostess need not be stressed about her home or refreshments.

Of course, this recipe only works if you make the booking calls and offer! It might sound like this: “Sally, I would love to conduct a party for you because I know it would be successful and fun. I offer two options: we can do a regular party with all the bells and whistles, or I now offer a lighter low-carb alternative. What sounds most appetizing to you?”

She may laugh, but she will certainly ask you to tell her more.

Address the money issue with free product offerings for the hostess or for a guest who provides referrals. Also, adopting a genuine no-pressure sales attitude is the key! If you are passionate about your jewelry, you know they will love it once they see it. 

Catalog parties have become quite the craze. It’s a matter of  dropping off a catalog and some order forms and having them fill out the information on their time and place.

Here are some suggestions of where to find sales…

-School Front Office- the ladies love to wear the jewelry and show it off to other parents

-Doctor and Dentist offices

-Starbucks, Panera (post a flyer on the corkboard)

-Discussions in the gym locker room

-Supermarket

-Church or Synagogue

-Airport

*Thanks to Build and Big and Joellen Sutterfield, direct seller, for her low-carb alternative idea.

I explained to her that I’m sure she will have these pangs for 5-10 minutes at the most and then she should focus on having the time of her life! 

Sometimes people get caught in a moment and can’t see beyond that moment.  I know I have experienced that even recently in business.  I can get very focused on one area and not see the other 15 areas that I need to attention becasue I am so caught up in a detail.  Recently a friend of mine said to me “I see a temendous future in your business, but right now you have to JUMP!”  I really took that piece of advice to heart and decided to take chances and risks I may have not considered before. It was like I wouldn’t know it unless I tried it.  If it is sucessful that would be marvelous, if not, I tried and would just have to appraoch it a different way. I believe one cannot grow or improve while staying complacent.

I encourage you all to take chances, whether big or small, scared or excited! Let me know what you’ve come up with!

I recommend asking the following questions when you are doing your search.

1. What makes the product different than other similiar companies?
2. What makes this opportunity stand out from the rest? Explain the compensation plan, quotas (if any) and recruiting requirements(if any)
3. Who is responsible for collecting taxes?

4. What type of support or training does the company offer it’s consultants? Are there weekly/monthy webinars or teleseminars?

5. How much are the kits and are there any other ongoing costs such as catalogs, order forms, annual fees, business cards?
6. What is the company guarantee on its products?
7. Does the company drop ship to each customer or is the rep./host responsible for distributing the products?
8. Are the commissions deducted at the time of sale or paid out on a monthly basis?
9. How many consultants are in your area? How many leaders?
10. How often are new products introduced and how often are there new catalogs?

Good luck with your search! I welcome any of your feedback!

Anyone who tried out for a team of any kind is familiar with the process. At the end of try-outs, they tape a list of who made the cut on the wall for all to see. If you find your name on the list, you celebrate! If not, you make the long walk home holding back the tears…

But the story didn’t end that way for one teenager after Laney High School basketball try-outs in the late ‘70s. Instead of believing that basketball wasn’t ‘his thing,’ the dejected player went home, had a good cry with his mother, and made a decision that changed history—to commit himself to improve.

“I started working on my game the day after I was cut,” he says. “Whenever I was working out and got tired and figured I ought to stop, I’d close my eyes and see that list in the locker room without my name on it. And that usually got me going again.”

For the next year, he worked out day after day, month after month. While his 5-foot-11-inch body gained four more inches, he practiced shot after shot and dribble after dribble, showing up early to school and using the hoop in his driveway to prepare for next year’s try-outs and the season that would follow.

The dejected teenager made his Laney High School Varsity team the next year and eventually led them to a state championship.

Thus began the legend of Michael Jordan.

Long before his sixth NBA Championship season, his fifth MVP award or any of his postseason scoring records, Michael Jordan learned that “some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” Great athletes and great business builders can, almost without exception, point to moments in their lives when they realized that simply being interested or doing the average won’t make a difference. They had to make the choice to commit!

Some become discouraged and shy away from the challenge of making the choice and seeing it through. Others seize the situation, make a commitment and take control of the steering wheels in their lives. For Michael Jordan, that moment came when he saw a blank space where his name belonged. Have you had YOUR moment yet?

If so, and you choose to commit it is because you have understood one very important principle: successful people are willing to do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Therefore, you decided to do what it takes to become successful.

Are you willing to pay the price of success? True commitments are followed by sacrifice—dedicating more time and effort to achieving the goal. That can also mean taking time away from other things—sometimes even good things—to fulfill your commitment.
Sometimes ‘making the decision’ involves working smarter as well as working harder.

What is your message? In consumer-direct marketing, you are the message you’re sharing with potential customers. Before customer buy your product or service, they must buy YOU. Successful people know their weaknesses and strengths, and they are committed to resolving those weaknesses. Why? It’s because they know they will then deliver a better message because they took the time for personal development.

Michael Jordan’s long-time coach, Phil Jackson, says of Jordan’s work ethic: “The thing about Michael is he takes nothing for granted. When he first came into the league in 1984, he was primarily a penetrator. His outside shooting wasn’t up to professional standards. So he put in his gym time in the off-season, shooting hundreds of shots each day. Eventually, he became a deadly three-point shooter.”

Urgency Counts! When you have the urgency to really pursue your goals, you’re quick to make changes to improve your business and yourself. You know that some prospective customers will only give you one chance to share, and you know that you need to make that one chance count. Successful people are willing to “look in the mirror,” to change elements of themselves in order to become better business owners and in turn, foster growth of their business.

Team Up for Success. Do you have a strong team? Are you the leader that others want to follow? If not, what can you do to improve? Reach out to others who have walked in your shoes and watch them closely because success always leaves clues!

Whatever you do, don’t back down from your business. Imagine how things would’ve been different if Michael Jordan had decided to quit basketball after he was cut from his high school team—surely most NBA fans and citizens of Chicago alike would agree that would have been a tragedy. Now imagine the tragedy of your business left untapped. Don’t back down; make a commitment for the long haul and then be prepared to reap the benefits.

Sources:
1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jordan
2 http://www.quotes-famous.com/person/Michael-Jordan-quotes.html