‘Tis the Season of All or Nothing Something!

Guest Post: Teresa Romain

Throughout the years I have worked with direct sellers and network marketers, I have noticed that this particular time of year leads to an intensification of one of the most debilitating scarcity patterns.

The pattern I’m referring to is the “All or Nothing” pattern.  It shows up this time of year in one of two predominant ways.

For some direct sellers, the time leading up to the holidays is one of the busiest times of their year – with holiday parties, gift-shopping, open houses, etc.   In fact, right up until the last day products can be shipped and still arrive before Christmas, many direct sellers find themselves pushing, pushing, pushing… with their business getting all (or nearly all) of their time, attention and energy.   The rest of their lives are, to a greater or lesser degree, put “on hold”.

Of course, as soon as this “holiday surge” in their business is over, they immediately jump into the holiday plans and preparation they had been putting off – setting up more of that pushing, pushing, pushing energy.  And then, after ALL that – when their business surge is over and the holidays are past… well, then comes the collapse.  The recovery.  The NOTHING.  And that NOTHING often continues well into the month of January – until they find themselves, mid-January, without the production or bookings or sales they need.   And then the pattern begins again – as they push to get a month’s worth of production or sales in two weeks’ time.

Just checking – have I, by chance, described you and/or one of your direct selling friends or associates?

If not, perhaps the “All or Nothing” pattern shows up in your life a little differently right now.

You see, for others – the exact opposite occurs. Either December isn’t a particularly great time for their business (based on the products they sell) and/or they SO enjoy the holiday season that they immerse themselves in ALL of the holiday festivities and do little to NOTHING in their business.   They’re waiting for the New Year – and their “fresh start” – and the time when people will be more interested in their products or business opportunity courtesy of New Year resolutions or the simple fact that the holidays are over.  And they usually have ALL these ideas of ALL that they will do and ALL the shows or sales they will have come January.   But until January comes, again, they do little or NOTHING.

Did I describe you this time?

I’m not saying that every direct seller or network marketer falls into this pattern at this time of year – but it does happen more than you may realize.  And some people don’t even realize the scarcity it sets up – the rollercoaster of highs and lows, ups and downs, feast and famine, start and stop action (and results) it creates in your business.

Not to mention the impact it has on your life in general – and on your sense of balance, wholeness and well-being.

The All or Nothing pattern does not support consistency nor is it sustainable.  It does not support lasting success and growth over time.  And it wreaks havoc on your life – as you catapult from doing ALL or ALOT in your business and NOTHING in other areas (family, home, friends, hobbies, relaxation) to ALL that you suddenly need to do to “catch up” or “make up” in those areas and NOTHING in your business.

So – what’s the way out – during this season and throughout the year?

Do SOMETHING.  Set limits.  Have boundaries. Define what “enough” is for you.

In you’re one of the ones who does ALL business this month and NOTHING (or darn little) in the non-biz areas of your life, then plan your “SOMETHINGS” with friends, family, relaxation, exercise, hobbies, or just plain ‘ol relaxing TODAY.  Reserve the time for them on your calendar and work your biz around those few “somethings” that will keep you more sane and whole and balanced.

But it’s not about doing these “somethings” on TOP of ALL that you are doing in your business – it’s not about packing even more in.  It’s about using your need for these “somethings” (your well-being and sanity depend on them) to help you set limits in your business – to define what is “enough” (for NOW) and maintain important boundaries.

If, on the other hand, you have the tendency to do NOTHING in your business in December because you get caught up in ALL holiday activities or figure your customers are (which is why you don’t want to call them or “bother them”) – then your way out of this pattern is to do SOME THINGS in your business.  Make some phone calls. Hold some shows or classes.  This month, book shows or classes for that first week of January.

Rather than put business “on hold” until January – keep YOURSELF in momentum (and your biz) by doing SOMETHING. Trust me, that will make it much easier for you to have the great start to the New Year that you want – because you’ll already be in motion.

I have often told my direct selling clients that your business is only PART of your life and is designed to support you to live the life you want.  It is not intended to become your life or take over your life or keep your from living your life.   That’s especially true during the months of December and January.

So – rather than a season of All or Nothing – let’s make this a season of SOMETHING.  Because the ease, balance, wholeness, fulfillment, freedom, consistency and momentum that will result is – truly – something worth CELEBRATING!

Teresa Romain is the President & Founder of www.AccessAbundance.com and has trained and coached thousands of individuals around the world access and experience greater freedom, fulfillment, well-being and abundance in their businesses and their lives. Unique in her approach and dynamic and passionate in her style, Teresa is known for making the transformational process of accessing abundance challenging, fun and powerful in its results.

Delegating 101 with The Golden Rule VA: HOW?

Guest post by Melissa Dery

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!

How to delegate?

Whenever I tell someone I’m a Virtual Assistant they generally want to know these three things:

• Ÿ  How does it work?
• Ÿ  How do you get the work?
• Ÿ  How do we work together….virtually??

Technology has made it easier than ever to provide this type of service.  Here are my top picks for HOW to delegate virtually:

1. Email – Nothing too high tech about email, it’s a fast, easy, uncomplicated way to communicate.  I tell my clients “email is always open” and my policy  is to respond to your  email within 24 hours.  You can email a task whenever you need to, even if it’s the middle of the night, knowing it won’t be an intrusion and, more important, won’t be forgotten.
2. Dropbox – This online tool is fast becoming one of my favorites!  Dropbox allows clients to share documents without having to email them, which is especially helpful when dealing with large files.  Once installed on your computer you save files to it as you would any other folder on your computer, and like “magic” they appear in the matching folder on my computer as well.  This allows for much easier editing and sharing of information.
3. LogMeIn – Sometimes there are programs that exist only on your computer, but the fact that some of the work is not online does not have to stop you from delegating.  LogMeIn allows me to remotely access your computer (with your permission) and work on your computer as if I was there in person.
4. Mail – Traditional USPS mail.  Yes, with flat rate envelopes you can affordably send your hardcopy documents to me to work on for you, and have mailed back to you when completed.
5. Scanner/FAX – If you prefer to hold on to your original documents, you always scan and put them in an email attachment, into Dropbox or fax them to me.

There are many, many other tools available to work virtually, these are just a few favorites.  As you can see, delegating to a Virtual Assistant can be either high-tech, low-tech or somewhere in between.    Where there’s a will there’s a way, and a VA has many tools available to help make the process as smooth as possible.  Don’t let the “virtual” part scare or intimidate you.

Put all the pieces together, WHAT, WHO and HOW and you have the first steps of plan to stop the overwhelming feeling  you get when  your tasks get away from you.  Get back to what you do best and delegate the rest!

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 firsthand 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.

Eight Easy Ways To Build Your Direct Sales Team

[Editor's note: this week's post was submitted by Deb McDevitt, a Team Leader with Lindt R.S.V.P. If you have ideas, tips or suggestions you'd like to share, contact us for more information.]

1. LOVE YOUR PRODUCT AND BE EXCITED:  If you really love the line you represent and are passionate about it, then recruiting is easier. People create excitement when they really love their product.  It will show in the way you speak of your line and demonstrate your products.
2. TALK TO EVERYONE ABOUT IT:   It is not your job to decide if it is a right fit for them, only to give them the option to decide for themselves.   If you never talk about your opportunity, they will never have a chance to decide.
3. ALWAYS OFFER ADDITIONAL INFO.  Offer them a chance to listen in on a team call and discover how enthusiastic everyone is.  Offer to take them to a party so they can see how easy it is to be a consultant. Be sure to check with your hostess first!
4. GIVE THEM RECRUITING INFO:  Always have a “portable office” in your car containing hostess and recruiting info.   ALWAYS have your business cards or contact information handy. It’s a missed opportunity if someone wanted info and you didn’t have it!
5. LISTEN CAREFULLY:  During normal conversation listen for cues to where and how your opportunity can help them.   If they are mentioning the high cost of dance classes for their children, show them how they can earn the extra money for those classes – and then some!
6. LISTEN TO EVERY OBJECTION EVEN MORE CAREFULLY:  Don’t try to change their mind. It seems desperate. No one wants to sign with a company were the consultants are begging for recruits!  Instead, simply show them how you can assist them in overcoming that objection.  If their objection  is not enough time, break down the real time needed to do the job. Then break down the amount of income per hour that can be made.  Usually, when people see the dollar amounts in black and white (and that it really isn’t a lot of time committment), they are more receptive.   If the objection is about money, simply show them how they can earn back the cost of the kit after just a party or 2.
7. OFFER ONGOING SUPPORT:  I have signed up for direct sales companies and NEVER heard from my upline. I did everything on my own. Luckily I had experience and knew what to do to get things off the ground. But many people are new and need support and guidance – be there for your recruits.
8. ALWAYS FOLLOW UP:  If someone really seemed interested but you never heard from them, don’t think they are not interested, life probably just got in the way.  Make it easy for them – pick up the phone!

If you sign a recruit you are responsible for helping them succeed!   If your recruits succeed then you succeed as well. Remember:   leaders don’t create followers… they create more leaders.

Online Marketing When Your Direct Sales Company Says “No”

Talking with one of my VIP coaching clients this week, she shared her frustration that her company has put the kibosh on consultants using Facebook Pages to promote their business. Along with a slew of other fuzzy guidelines, her company is essentially pulling in the reins on all forms of online marketing using the company name, logo, or likeness. She expressed that not only were the consultants upset with the change, but also many of teh leaders, who had been using Facebook as their personal online sales magnet for months now.

I told her that this was an opportunity to get excited instead of getting bummed. Because now, the playing field truly was level, and everyone could market themselves rather than the company they represented.

Direct Sales Success: Delegating 101

[Editor's Note: Melissa Dery is joining us as an expert on delegation, outsourcing, and leveraging our time by not doing all the work ourselves! I'm grateful to have Melissa's genius guiding this recurring series for Direct Sales Classroom. Welcome Melissa!]

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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!

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Delegate Successfully: What to Delegate

What do you delegate? When you look at your to-do list, if you have one, do you dream of handing the entire list over to the first person that walks by your paper-filled desk? Step back and let’s look at that list a little more carefully, or, if you’re beating yourself up for not having one, let’s create a to-do list.