By Jill Pfefer

 Are you searching for a new endeavor and considering the home party industry.  Below are some helpful tips…

1. Direct selling is a great way to own your own business.  You get to be your own boss and set your own goals. If you are self motivated and conscientious you will appreciate this freedom.

2. Flexible work schedule.  You can set your hours based on what works for you and your family. For example, you can make your follow up phone calls when your children are at school or you can have your parties at night and on weekends after your full time job.

3. This is a great way to nework and meet new people.  You will be always meeting new people such as your new customers and feel apart of a team within your company. You will be encouraged by people who are as excited about your product as you are.

4. Earn extra income.  Anyone can do this because there are no resume or education requirements.  You can work part time or full time with very little investment.

5. Earnings are in proportion to your efforts.  The more you put into your business the more success you will have. The level of success you can achieve is limited only by your willingness to work hard.

6. Receive training and support from your company. Most companies offer manuals, teleseminars, webinars and conferences as well as upline support.  So even though it is your own business- you will work with a supportive team!

The home party business is a growing industry.  The direct sales industry has doubled in the past decade to $100 billion worldwide.  Many people start out part time and later leave their careers when their direct sales business becomes so lucrative!

Check out the Sydney Andrews opportunity- it may be just right for you! Let us know what you think!

The definition for success is different for each individul. A methodical and logical way to acheive this success is attained by setting goals and having a clear vision. Learning to set goals takes practice and a strong focus.  It’s like going to Weight Watchers and having set that weight goal and planning each step as to how to get to your desired weight.  With practice, focus and support you can acheive your goal and the more you do it the easier and better you get at doing it. By creating a good habit you will see positive results and your behavior will likely repeat itself.

I recommend writing down your goals and actions that will lead to your ultimate vision.  By writing it down you have a visual and it will make you accountable.  Look to the positives and see your progression in your home party business- learn from your negatives and move on.   Believe in yourself and your desires. Visualize the end before you begin. Take control instead of waiting to see what happens. Surround yourself with people who are your mentors and people who support your vision.

Create good habits, acheive your goals and visualize your success! Please share your ideas of your habits, goals and vision!

I have been working out with the same teacher, “Aray” for nearly 7 years now. The exercise classes keep on changing but this devoted and amazing teacher remains the same! Aray is energetic, very funny and absolutely an  inspiration to me. Every class is different and I always appreciate her creatively and levity! I have taken everything from Barbell to Salsa dancing with her and “it’s all good!”

I’d like to outline many of Aray’s phrases and actions that demonstrate how these can be applied to you and your home party business.

1. Are you warmed up yet? At the start of class we always do a warm -up getting ourselves ready and prepared for class. Have you planned out your day and have a logical list to follow and stay organized?

2. Are you breathing?  Check to make sure your day is going at a pace that works for you. Many times I find myself going 100 miles and hour and glazing over the details- I stop, I breathe and get back into focus. My Dad always says “Cool heads prevail” and I think of that often.

3. Are you working on your core? Most movements come from the center of your body. Are you in touch with your spirituality? Do you know your “why” for being in this business?

4. Keep your head up- you will get many no’s before getting some yes’s. Keep your head up and look to those yes’s.  A positive attitude is always more contagious.

5. Have attitude- a good one of course! People will be drawn to you if you exude confidence and a positive outlook!

6. Shake it (Fake it) till you make it!  We all don’t know everything in this busines.  Many times I need to dive into something and learn it as I go along. 

7. Laugh- This one is so important and I look forward to when I am struggling with the 7.5 pound weights and Aray cracks a joke about herself.  It is wonderful to find humor in oneself and lighten up the mood.

8. Pat yourself on the back- We always end class with a last minute breadth and an applause that we made it through the class. Take time to acknowledge the hard work you have done and all of your accomplishments!

Please comment below and fill me in on your comparisons with exercise and your home based business! 

Mother’s Day is right around the corner! April and May are the second biggest direct sales months next to the holiday season. Women are out buying for their moms, aunts, sisters, friends and themselves. But what about tapping into husbands, fathers, sons etc. who would like to get a unique gift for the special mom/woman in his life. The following are some ideas that I have seen consultants utilize.

1. E-Party- Send an invite to the husbands or men on your mailing list to shop at your e-party specifically set up for Mother’s Day. By the press of a computer button he can have the gift delivered without having to go shopping at a live store. Jewelry is always a winner!

2. Open house- Open up your house and  welcome local friends and neighbors for a family night. A suggestion would be to have the women and children upstairs and the men downstairs watching a sporting event and picking out a giftfor their loved one.

3. Daddy/Daughter night- Host a party and have the daughters pick out something with their father for their Mother. This is a nice way to have the children involved in the gifting process and feel a part of the holiday.

4. Gift Certificate- Send an email to your list and offer them the opportunity to buy a gift certificate. This way his loved one can pick out exactly what she’d like for Mother’s Day.

5. Free Wrapping and/or Shipping- offer your male customers a Mother’s Day special! You can offer free gift wrapping and/or get a bulk shipping and distribute your product(jewelry) directly to him.

6.Wish List- At your next home party distribute a wish list tp the guests.  This way if she is not comfortable purchasing everything she would like that evening she can jot down what else she wishes for and you can subtly give that list to the man in her life.

What other creative ideas have you come up with to market to men around Mother’s Day? I’d love to hear your ideas.

1. Think about a place where you can hold a party outside the “traditional” home. What about meeting up at a park, your friend’s office, coffee shop or even a daycare center. The most unusual place I displayed my jewelry was actually at a horse stable- it was a bit messy but fun and successful!

2. Hold a multi host party. This is where a 2-3 or more friends have a joint party and and each invite their groups of friends. There may be some overlap but each host will have her own list. The party space is shared and the more the merrier!

3. Offer a “ special bonus” to those that book a party either on a weeknight or during a weekday.

4. Contact either your past hostess or past customer and offer them an incentive to book a party. A suggestion may be a gift certificate towards your product or a free piece of  jewelry.

5. Sometimes hosts do not want to have the party at their home- why not offer up your home? What about an e-party?

6. Get involved in community events. Local craft shows, women’s expos or even displaying at your children’s athletic event if they let you set up tables there (I have seen this at soccer tournaments, volleyball playoffs and even dance recitals.)

7. Donate a necklace or bracelet to your school auction and put up flyers about hosting parties and the hostess rewards.

8. Hold a trunk show- literally! By keeping your product (jewelry case) in your car – you may never know when an opportunity to show it off may arise! I have done many drive by sales in my day!

9. Offer a “cliff book” version of a party. People are so pressed for time these days. You can offer your host an abridged version of a party. Instead of a typical 2-3 hour party you can have an hour party- be there or be square!

I hope these ideas are helpful for your home based business. Please share any other creative ideas you may have when booking your home parties!

By Jill Pfefer- Founder and CEO of Sydney Andrews

Here are three things that should be included in an optimized social media profile. Have you done all three on yours?

1.Profile Photo: First (and I’ve said this before), make sure you include a picture of yourself as your profile photo. Not your kids. Not your dog. People aren’t doing business with them. They’re doing business with you. (By the way, make sure it looks like you and not the skinny version without gray hair that you’re walking around with in your head.  We’re going for transparency here, folks.) And don’t stand so far away from the camera that I can’t make out who you are, because you’re so tiny. An ideal profile picture is a headshot, which shows you from the top of your head, to halfway down your torso (or so). The sides of the photo frame your shoulders. You should be looking directly at the camera, so we feel like we have eye contact with you.
And this doesn’t have to be a professional photo, taken by a pro. My husband took my profile photo, and it works fine. Although if your company is offering photos this year at convention, be sure to get one taken. And the best part is, once the photo is taken, you should be using the same photo on all your social networking profiles (so people always know it’s you, no matter where they meet you), so you only need one good photo.

2.Use Your Real Name. Next, be sure your profile is in your own name. Not “Sue XYZ Company.” First of all, this is in violation of the terms of service for some social networks, such as Facebook. But second of all, it tells people that you’re there to sell them. And people don’t like to be sold on their social networks. By avoiding the alias, and using your real name, you can begin where you’re supposed to (and where it’s most effective)…at the point of the relationship. And people won’t run in the other direction when they see you coming, because they think you’re there to try and sell them something.
3.Website Links. Include your links to your personal website, and your blog if you have one. This is such an easy one, and yet I see people neglect it all the time. If you’ve got a personal website through your company, or a blog you use to market your business, make sure you’ve got a link to it on your profile. Both Facebook and Twitter give you an area to include a link…Twitter gives you one link, so include a link to your blog if you have one (personal website is 2nd choice, because typically when people click it, they want to find out more about YOU, not your products yet. An About page link is ideal.) On Facebook, you can include multiple links, so put them both up.
Your social networking profiles are the places that relationships online start. You meet people, listen to them, and get to know them. These can be a great place to introduce people to your business through conversations, as opposed to outright sales pitches. But there are things we can do to help that curiosity along, so people don’t run in the opposite direction because they feel like they’re going to be “sold.”

Take a minute today to go through your social networking profiles. Where can you make adjustments so that you come across as a human being, rather than a sales attack waiting to happen?

What tips do you have about profiles? Do you have any stories about your own profile, or the profiles of others that you’ve seen? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Jennifer Fong helps direct sales companies, direct sales professionals, and other home-based business owners leverage the power of social media to grow their businesses. A former direct sales company CEO, Jennifer is passionate about teaching direct sellers how to use social media tools to enhance their businesses in a strategic way. Visit Jennifer’s blog at http://www.facebook.com/l/d7813;jenfongspeaks.com and follow her on Twitter at http://www.facebook.com/l/d7813;twitter.com/jenfongspeaks

The following are some tips of where you can leave your business cards behind in your direct sales networking efforts. It is such a simple gesture but can lead to more business for you.

- Visiting doctors, dentists, hairdressers, bank- basically anytime you are doing a business transaction around town you can explain what you do by handing out your card.

-When you are paying for a product such as checking out in a clothing store- that’s a great time to strike up small talk with a salesperson. Many times the conversations starts with a compliment on the necklace I am wearing and I explain that the necklace is from a home party jewelry party and we would be happy to show her the rest of the line or do a home party.

- Slip a card in your outgoing mail and bills.

- When someone hands you a card be sure to hand one of yours back.

- In FREE LUNCH drawing boxes.

- With every product that you have sold and deliver.

-To every person at your events or parties.

-Put your card on magnets and stick to bathroom stalls.

- Write a note on the back of the card with the monthly special.

- On bullentin boards- I am always reading the board at Panera.

It’s a good idea to have your cards your home number, cell number, email address and replicated site if your company has one.

What other creative and successful ways have you found to pass out your cards?

Social media is such a fantastic tool for your direct selling business.  However, it IS social, which means that there are LOTS of people there…not all of them good people.  Now some people decide that they’re not going to engage in social media at all because of this.  However I believe that this approach will cause more harm than good for your business.  After all, if you want to attract leaders to your team, studies in our industry show that most director-level people started the business in their 20’s.  This is Generation Y, and they’re more comfortable communicating through social media tools than talking on the telephone!  And because there are SO many people engaging online these days, chances are you’ll miss out on a LOT of potential orders and reorders if you choose not to engage.

A better solution is to make smart decisions that protect you and your private information.  That way you can enjoy the benefits of social media, while avoiding the nasties.  Here are some tips:

Never list your real birth date, especially the year of birth. (This is open season for identity thieves)
Never enter your user name and password (for anything) into a site you did not purposely navigate to yourself.  I even avoid sharing my Twitter password on sites that need it in order to work.
Never give the exact time or address of where you’ll be. (The only exception might be an event where there will be a lot of people in a public place.)
Never share your home address (and possibly your home phone number) on any social media sites.
When sharing pictures of your children, you may wish to avoid sharing their names, where they go to school, their exact ages, etc.
If someone friends/follows you that makes you feel uncomfortable, unfollow/block them immediately.
If meeting an online contact in person for the first time, go with someone else, and meet in a public place.
If you’re sent a link to something, even by someone you know, double-check that the person sent it and their account wasn’t hacked.  (And if there are tons of misspellings in the words around the link, you can almost be guaranteed it’s spam…well unless your friend’s just a bad speller )
By making some smart decisions, you can meet a lot of wonderful people who will help your business grow.  You’ll also spread the word about your amazing company, helping even more people experience the benefits that you enjoy.  Just be wise, and social media will help you shine!

Jennifer Fong helps direct sales companies, direct sales professionals, and other home-based business owners leverage the power of social media to grow their businesses. A former direct sales company CEO, Jennifer is passionate about teaching direct sellers how to use social media tools to enhance their businesses in a strategic way. Visit Jennifer’s blog at http://www.facebook.com/l/d7813;jenfongspeaks.com and follow her on Twitter at http://www.facebook.com/l/d7813;twitter.com/jenfongspeaks.

Below is a copy of the letter she wrote…..

I’m glad you like your bracelet and I LOVE hearing that you get so many compliments.

 I would LOVE to help you out for your Spring Gala. I have a proposition for you that would make it a win-win for both of us.

 Are you willing to host a party for me? Assuming you are, with just $300 in sales, you would earn $60 in FREE jewelry (20% of your total sales), which would be enough to “buy” the necklace of your choice to use as an auction item. In addition, I would be willing to donate the earrings to match.

 Hosting a party is easy. All you need to do is invite a few friends – think of all the people who have previously complimented you on your bracelet – and the jewelry sells itself. Actually, the average Sydney Andrews party is well over $500 in total sales. (I used $300 in the above example to be conservative). And, once you hit $500 in sales, the FREE jewelry reward bumps up to 25% – that would be $125 in FREE jewelry….enough for a silent auction item AND something for yourself!

 Let me know what you think…..

I thought the letter was clear, concise and upbeat.  I am optimistic that this will be a win- win for Amy T. by her booking a party and having the hostess gift be represented in the auction.

I would love to here your feedback on thinking “outside the box” and getting party bookings.

In Direct Sales: 5 Secrets to Fill Your Calendar Without Overcoming Objections

By Lisa Robbin Young

With the changing economy, direct sales consultants are pulling out their hair trying to secure bookings and keep their calendar full. Even the most experienced consultants are “getting back to basics” in an effort to fortify their fading calendar.

But savvy consultants I know are still holding a consistent book of shows, with calendars that are full and steady.

As a business coach, I work with consultants with many different companies, and the successful consultants have revealed their ‘dirty little secrets to massive success – even during tough economic times. At first blush, these “secrets” are common sense ideas that will make you roll your eyes into the back of your head. Before you get dizzy, however, ask yourself how well you are implementing these secrets.

1. Create a schedule and stick to it. Top consultants will tell you that they work when they want to, and fill their work calendar around their life calendar. This is a critical component for any successful consultant. You need to know WHEN you want to (and are able) to work.

Mark it down and do your work when you’re working. By scheduling and utilizing time that is set aside to work, you’ll be a million miles ahead of the consultant that prays for bookings to fill the empty white space on her calendar.

When you know your next two or three available work dates at a moment’s notice, people take you and your business more seriously. And if you don’t have a show planned on a day you have scheduled to work? Work anyway! Practice your demo, download a teleclass, read up on product knowledge or network. Do SOMETHING to grow your business.

2. Desperation stinks. Customers and clients can smell desperation a mile away. When you need shows, and start doing “Crazy Eddie” antics to get them, people stop taking you seriously. You don’t see Bill Gates jumping up and down on begging people to buy Windows. Neither should you. This is where most consultants develop their fear of “being too pushy”. You should ALWAYS present the opportunity to join, host, or buy, but once a client says no, and you’ve answered her questions, leave it alone. I can’t count the number of recruits I’ve signed at a later date because I was patient and didn’t sit on their doorstep waiting for them to join my opportunity.

 
Attraction marketing (aka gravitational marketing) helps you create an identity, establish yourself as an expert in your field and draws interested, like-minded people into your circle of influence. They naturally gravitate to you and, ultimately, choose to do business with you – no desperation required.

3. Touch your business daily. While you can bet that Donald Trump isn’t sitting in the office every day making deals, he is touching his business in SOME way every day. Be it a public appearance, speaking engagement, television episode, or contract closing, he’s busy being an entrepreneur and making sure that his delegates are tending to business in his absence. Likewise, you as a consultant need to be making contact with your business on a daily basis. Your stor e is essentially “closed” any day you’re not working.

Working doesn’t just mean doing parties. It means preparing hostess packets, making coaching calls, holding recruiting interviews, doing customer care and follow up. You don’t have to work all day everyday, but you should make a point of doing SOMETHING connected to your business that propels you and your company forward.

By the way, YOU are the CEO of your own company as an independent Direct Sales consultant. Legitimate networking, travel and mastermind groups all count as touching your business. Organizing your desk, socializing on the phone, cleaning your stapler and vacuuming the floor do NOT count.

4. Keep in touch. Regardless of the method, hostesses, customers and recruits want (and need) to hear from us. A Ho stesses number one complaint is that their consultant didn’t make enough contact with them. Most coaching programs recommend ten different times to contact a hostess before, during and after a party. Customers should be contacted at least once every two months – and preferred customers at least monthly. Attraction marketing pros use ezines, conference calls, and newsletters to keep in touch, en masse, with a personal feel. These lead generating, rapport building tools are only part of the arsenal that propel the big money earners to the top of their company rankings.

5. Be “REAL” and talk to everyone. This is not exactly the same as the old-school 3-foot rule, where you would talk to anyone that would listen about your “amazing, ground floor opportunity.” Rather, this is an invitation to release inhibitions and strike up conversations with anyone and everyone about anything and everything. Be friendly. People l ike – and gravitate toward – friendly. Opening channels of communication help you to discover common interests, and open doors to natural conversations about booking, sales, and recruiting. When you are likable, and easy to talk with, people enjoy your presentations more. Enjoyable presentations lead to more bookings, more sales and more recruits – without having to beg for “just one more host” at any party.

As consultants around the globe are waking up to the power of the Internet, and the potential of automating contact with their prospects, more leaders are growing into powerful, marketing savvy machines. These attraction marketing whiz-bangs are raking in recruits, selling up a storm, and breaking booking records – without ever having to overcome a single objection, because people are seeking THEM out for their expertise and professionalism. They have become the hunted, instead of the hunter. Begin implementing these five secrets today and watch your business soar. Who knows? Maybe YOU’LL be the next top achiever at your company’s National Conference.

© 2008-2010 Lisa Robbin Young.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