Do You Avoid the Phone?

Guest Post by Jen Fitzgerald

I used to avoid the phone like the plague. It was so hard to pick it up and make a call to someone I hardly knew and ask them to book a show with me or buy some of my product. I never really had a hard time doing the follow-up calls after a show because I had a purpose for calling. Once I said I was calling to see if they got their product and how they liked it, I could hear the relief on the other end of the phone. I know they were relieved not to have to make an excuse as to why they can’t book a show or to tell me to call back in the spring or fall.

It was the other calls I dreaded: picking up the phone and trying to get bookings. You companies and upline will probably tell you that out of 50 “No’s” will come a “Yes”…but who wants to make 50 calls and hear “No” that much? Not me!

Here is how I overcame this problem…

Gratitude Is Always In Season

Guest post by Melissa Dery

The holiday season is upon us, and while this is the time of the year when people tend to acknowledge their customers more than any other, gratitude and appreciation can — and should — be expressed all year long.

The problem facing many business owners is that while they often feel appreciation, the work involved with actually letting people know takes time away from an already over-loaded schedule.  Finding just the right card, deciding what to write inside, addressing, stamping, (heck, some days even FINDING a stamp), sending it – the frustration involved with not being able to keep up prevents too many people from even getting started.  It’s easy to get discouraged and start beating up on yourself just thinking about the process.

What fun is that? 

Telling people that we value and appreciate them should feel good – to everyone involved.  The good news is there are a few systems that can make it easier.

My personal favorite, and the one I personally recommend is SendOutCards (I am an independent distributor).  This online system allows you to create personal cards, with pictures and even to your own handwriting font.   When you press “send” a real greeting card is printed, addressed, stamped and sent by “snail mail” to your recipient, from the company headquarters.   You never have to leave your office or lick a stamp!

Cards can be scheduled to go out on specific dates, a batch of cards can be sent to a group (for example: your Team or your Hostesses). You can even choose to include gifts such as books, gift cards, or brownies!

Best of all, if this still feels like too much time, a steep learning curve or you are not confident on the computer, your Virtual Assistant can create and schedule these cards to go out for you. That makes following up and staying in touch even easier!

Being able to follow through and actually share those encouraging words with others is a very powerful tool. Create a follow-up plan that includes showing your gratitude to your customers and team members. Not just during the holidays, but throughout the year.

About The Author

Melissa H. Dery is The Golden Rule Virtual Assistant (VA) providing Virtual Business Management to Direct Sales leaders.  A former direct sales consultant, Melissa also grew up in a direct selling family.  She knows first hand about the “behind the scenes” work required to help your business grow and prosper.

When Melissa combined more than 20 years of experience as an administrative professional with her desire support those in direct sales and The Golden Rule VA was born.  Her mission and her “rule” are the same: to treat your business as if it were her very own, with respect, creativity and professionalism.

Melissa is married to her best friend and lives in New Hampshire with her two boys.  She has a Bachelor Degree in Business Management and a “Ducktoratte” Degree from Disney University.  She loves coffee, running, and – most of all – camping with her family.

Direct Sales Success Tips For The Holidays

Are You Watching Your Scoreboard?

by Teresa Romain

One of the most disempowering scarcity patterns I see direct sellers practice is the equivalent of driving a car down a busy highway blindfolded, i.e., not LOOKING. They do not have clarity about where they’re at – which makes it difficult to get where they want to go. Without clarity, they’re doomed for scarcity.

For example, I have met thousands of direct sellers who rarely tracked their actions and results – especially financially. Only a handful create and review a monthly Profit/Loss Statement. Some don’t even record their income and expenses. They “don’t want to know”. In fact, I’d be rich if I had a nickel for every direct seller I’ve met who has told me “Teresa, I can’t wait until I’m making enough money so that I never have to think about money again”.

The problem is that if you don’t like or want to think about/look at your money now, the likelihood you’ll make a lot of money in the future is small.

Retiring From Your Direct Sales Business

Once again, I find myself at a crossroads.

The direct selling company I’ve worked with for the past few years has closed their doors for good.

This is not the first time I’ve experienced this. Some of you may recall when The Body Shop at Home decided to cease operations in America about 3 years ago. I was with them for about 5 years.

I was able to quickly bounce back, set up shop with a new organization and keep things rolling because I had set up my online marketing to change over, essentially at the flip of a switch, as soon as I established where my next company would be.

And I’m set to do that again, but I don’t think I want to.

For lots of reasons I won’t go into here (but you can read about some of them on my other blog), being a consultant and leader in a direct sales company has been slowing down the growth of my coaching practice.

There was a time when I thought I’d never give up direct sales – especially since I had created a nice, mostly passive revenue stream for myself with my soon-to-be-former company. And I could do it again in a matter of minutes.

But I feel like God is telling me it’s time to retire. Close this chapter of my business, and focus on expanding my coaching/training, and time with my family.

Essentially begin a new chapter.

So rather than blather on about what I’m going to do (I’m taking time to really pray about this new development), I want to share with you my retirement game plan. That way, when you’re ready to hang up your cleats as a leader (or your company decides to close their doors), you’ll have a roadmap to help you as well.

1. Refer my consultants to effective leaders, my leaders to effective companies. I don’t hold my downline captive as I make the decision to move to a new company (or not). I am fortunate to have a laundry list of amazing clients that I would happily refer my team to, if they decided to go to another company. My leaders and team members have mouths to feed, just like I do, and it may cut into my own paycheck to do things this way, but leaving people hanging is doing them a disservice. It’s already a pain in the butt for everyone that the company is closing, and you can bet that if you don’t move quickly to keep your team together, they’ll be looking elsewhere anyway. Instead of worrying about “my income”, I created a list of my best clients in terms of leadership, personalities, and quality of training they provide their organiztion. I forwarded that “recommended” list to everyone in my organization and told them to go interview those folks if their product line sounded interesting. In my opinion, they wouldn’t find better leaders in the industry than folks I’ve already trained and know well. While you may not have that kind of list, if you’re building a solid business, you have met plenty of leaders in other companies that you could refer your team to when your retirement is imminent. If not, get started now.
2. Notify my customers (if the home office doesn’t do it). Let clients know that change is coming. Refer them to other trusted consultants on your team if your company is staying open. If your company is closing, connect with someone selling a comparable product so that your clients don’t have to panic about finding a new source. Yes, this takes a bit of effort that won’t likely return much revenue for you, but it shows genuine concern for your clients. Give your clients the option to choose how they want to do business – and with whom.
3. Save your pennies. If you’re retiring, keep an eye on your expenses for at least the 6-9 months prior to your retirement. If your company closes, review your last 6-9 months of expenses, and make saving money a priority. Even if you can switch your whole team over to a new company, it may still be at least a month before you’ll see a residual check (sometimes 3-4 months), so you’ll want to be prepared for the cut in income. Going forward, strive to save at least 3-6 months of living expenses to tide you over through future lean months. Now’s not the time to be investing in huge starter kits if you can avoid it. Liquidate as much of your current product as possible so that your shelves are empty and ready for whatever’s coming next.
4. Keep your online marketing presence active. Regardless of what you’re planning to do, maintaining your online presence lets people know what you’re up to. That way, if you ever decide to re-enter the direct sales arena – or any other business arena – you’re not starting from scratch.

Delegating 101 with The Golden Rule VA: WHO?

by Melissa Dery, The Golden Rule VA

Delegate:  To entrust (a task or responsibility) to another person

If you’ve ever wondered, “What, to whom, how or when do I delegate?” or  “How do I know what to “entrust” someone else to do?” you’re in the right place.  Delegation does not need to be a complicated or overwhelming process, but in order to grow and succeed in your business it does need to happen. 

Each month I will share with you another step in the process of getting comfortable with delegation.  You will find simple yet powerful ways to gain more control of your time in the day-to-day operation of your business.  So let’s get started!

Who to delegate to?

Last month we discussed “WHAT” to delegate, worked through a simple exercise and helped you create a list of tasks you might start to delegate.  So, grab your list and let’s take a look!

Review your list and think about the level of complexity and technical skill required to complete each task.  An example that comes to mind, and is most likely on your list, are both “mailing catalogs” and “entering product orders on the company website.”  To complete these tasks requires different skill levels.  See the difference?