Rejection

 

How many times have you heard the word “NO” when you have called a potential customer, hostess or recruit?  I am sure more times that we want to admit to and each time it may sting just a little, right?

For some, the word NO is a personal rejection and not a NO to the business option presented to that person.  For some, the word NO is just a word and they move on to the next person.  Which one are you?  It has taken a LONG time but I don’t take it personally now.  The truth is:

Picture this:

You go out for lunch or dinner, at the end of the main meal, your wait staff offers you dessert.  You think about it and say “no, thank you”.  Does the wait staff never ask another person if they want dessert?  Does the wait staff go back and beat themselves up because they didn’t sell a dessert?  No, they just go on about their work – offering options to the next customer.

So why is it different in our direct sales business?  Yes, I know that there are LOTS of people who can take the same approach as the wait staff.  I also know that there are many who take it to heart, wondering what they could have done differently or letting the negative feelings take over.  Shaking them off may take a little longer for this person.  Why is it easier for some and not others?

I learned (the hard way) to change my mindset from always looking for a YES to always expecting a NO.  Okay, that sounds a little crazy right?  But when you are looking for the NO, you are excited about the YES.  I am not going to say that it is easy especially for those who are always looking for a YES and almost come to expect it.  It takes practice but changing that mindset can make all of the difference in your business.

The 100 NO challenge is a great way to help to change that mindset:

Start tracking the NOs that you receive when you offer the opportunity to someone.  It can be to host a party, join your team or simply purchase a product.  Now, this doesn’t mean that you should imply the question, it means ASK them specifically.  Would you be interested in (insert the opportunity)?  When they say NO, cross it off.   Believe it or not, for every 10 NOs that you will receive, you will receive a YES.  Then celebrate that YES with a happy dance.  It will feel so good.

 

A NO doesn’t mean that you are in the wrong business.  A NO doesn’t mean that you aren’t good at booking, selling, or recruiting.  A NO simply means that the person is not ready TODAY.  Call them in a week and the answer may be different.

A great lead in for that is when they say NO, ask them if it is okay if you call them back in (enter a time frame).  Maybe it will be month, maybe it will be a different season, to maybe it will be 6 months.  The chances are good that they will give you an okay to call them again.  On the far side that they said, please take me off your list – it is okay.  For the very few customers that tell me not to call again, I tag them to mail them a “thinking of you” card in about 3 months.  Maybe they had a bad day.  Maybe I can get them to smile when they get the card.  Who knows, maybe they will call YOU because you thought of them without getting a sale.

 

 

 

 

 

The key is not to give up.  Who is going to join me in the 100 NO Challenge?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Be International

The buzz word in direct sales lately is “intentional”.  What does that really mean?  According o Webster’s Dictionary, the word intentional is something done on purpose.  For example “If you specifically make a plan to be nice to someone you don’t like very much and you are extremely careful to be nice, this is an example of when your nice behavior would be described as intentional.”

Let’s apply it “getting bookings” in our direct sales business.  The obvious thing would be to just “ask”, right?  Maybe you have tried and you keep getting shot down.  Maybe you have run out of contacts.  Maybe you just don’t seem to have the right words.  Whatever the obstacle, there is a way to fix it.

The old message of “just pick up the phone and make booking calls” rings on deaf ears, right?  No one answers their phone.  You try to think of creative messages so that they will return your call.  You offer incentives.  You “beg”.  If we don’t talk to anyone, we get discouraged and we think that no one wants to party.

The truth is that people do want to have parties, we just need to find a different way to connect with them.  Facebook has been the go-to for many lately and it has worked.  Texting is an option. Email is another option.  If you know the preferred method of contact for your customers, you can reach out to them but the message has to fit THEIR need.

When we are at a party, it is easy to talk about the fun you can have at a party.  They are there and experiencing it.  This message doesn’t work outside of the party.  Potential hostesses do not have the emotional connection out side of the party.  So what are some key words:

• FUN!
• Break!
• A Night off!
• Girlfriend time!
• Pampering!

The party should be taking something off of the hostesses plate not adding more to it.  The party should not be stressful for them, it should be a fun time.

Every week (I prefer daily) set aside time to make booking contacts.  Work for the NO’s because after a certain percentage, you will get a YES!  Now, I mean actually talk to people.  Leaving messages doesn’t count as a NO.  Make those pink bag calls and talk to your customers.  At the end of the conversation, ask them if they could use a “night off” or some “girlfriend time”.  After you have listened to them, you will know what key words to use to lock in that booking.

Who is ready to be intentional about booking parties and their business?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Turn a NO to a YES

Happy Monday Morning!  Yes, it is Monday and I am ready to conquer the week, what about you???  It is a busy day filled with lots of errands, lunch with hubby and then some Thirty One office time.  I am so excited because hubby and I have set up a time schedule for me to work in the office.  I know you are probably wondering, I thought she had office hours?  I do, on paper which in theory works BUT I didn’t have a buy-in from hubby.  So now, since both of us are getting organized on a calendar, we have actually blocked time where I will work in my office on MONEY MAKING things – not busy work.  With that being said,  I am on a mission to turn a NO into a YES wherever I can.

As always, an article comes across my computer that points me in the right direction.  Today it is from DSWA..

For many of us, the word “no” is thought of as a dirty word in direct sales.  It is the word that sometimes sets us in a downward spiral that invites Negative Nellie and Doubtful Debbie into the office for a meeting.

First, let’s start by changing your thinking about the word no.  It doesn’t mean “no” FOREVER, just for the moment.  As JulieAnn Jones always says, she never stopped asking until a person said “do not call me again”!  It may take longer for some than others BUT in the end, it is worth the wait.  Have you ever heard of the “100 NO challenge“.  Why not look for the no’s instead of expecting a yes and being disappointed?  Then when you get a YES, you are so excited that you are ready to keep moving forward. See how we are changing the picture you have of the word “no” from a negative to a positive?

Did you know that customers will say “no” about five times before they say “yes”?   People buy and do things on emotions instead of making rational decisions.  Here are the reasons that people say NO:

1. Wrong Time.  We know what that is like, right?  Not a pay week, busy with family obligations, stressed out from work and the list goes one.  Stay patient, contacting people at a later date may get a completely different result.
2. Wrong Information.  Were you listening to the person you were talking to or were you planning the next thing that you were going to say?  As a result, you missed what they were saying and missed the opportunity to share the perfect solution to their situation.  Maybe you “threw up” too much information and as a result lost them?  Just because you shared the wrong information this time doesn’t mean you can’t try again.  Next time LISTEN closely to the cues that they are giving you.
3. Wrong situation or circumstance.  This is the toughest one to understand but if the customer is willing to let you reach out to them again, they there is a possible “yes” in yours and their future.

So, how do you go from a NO to a YES….

• Be curious while being persistent.  Show sincere interest in your potential customers, hostesses and recruits.  People like when others are interested in them.
• Talk to the potential customer/ hostess/ recruit like a friend which will alleviate the tension that usually happens in a sales environment.
• Transition the conversation… keep it moving from the one request that they are not interested in to a completely different topic.  This way you are not hounding them and they may be  more willing to talk again.  Who knows that may be the time that they say “yes”.
• The BEST way to go from a NO to a YES – build a friendly rapport with a customer.  LISTEN, ask questions about THEM and be ready to follow-up with information that will help them (and as a result, help you).

Who is ready to hit the 100 NO Challenge?  Kick you Monday off in high gear with me….

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!