Storytelling

When you think of storytelling, what do you think of?  Kids snuggled in bed listening to a story before bed.  Or as a kid, sitting in a circle on the floor listening to a story at school or at the library.

Did you know that the best way for your business to stand out in the crowd is when you make an emotional connection to your audience?  Think about your target audience.  Can you picture them?  I mean down to the smallest detail – age, sex, occupation, favorite things to do, etc?  If you can’t and you are just tossing your business out there – you are getting lost in the clutter.

In direct sales we are often taught that “if they want it, they will come”.  You know sort of like the “if you build it, they will come” BUT the truth is you need to stand out.  Your customers need a reason to select YOU over all of the others.  Will it be because of your awesome customer service? Will it be because you have a great story?  What is the reason that people stay with you as their consultant?  What are the compliments that you receive from your customers?  Do you host a great party?

Your success is dependent on your ability to trigger the right emotions, from the right audience, at the right time.  Scary, right?

The real connection to your customers happens when you share a story that helps them to see themselves in your story. So here are the 3 outcomes that you want from your story:

1. It’s memorable – your story is relatable and people feel a part of it
2. It inspires action – a great story will draw people in and motivate them to act (buy, book or join)
3. The story travels – meaning it will be recounted and shared with others

So what does your story do?  I have always hoped that mine will inspire but depending on the group it sometimes draws people in so that they can easily retell it. According to Bridget Brennan, author of Why She Buys, “women talk to connect” If your main audience is women, storytelling is the way to inspire them.

A great way to share your story is with a “why” bag.  I can hear the  groans as you think – “here comes the importance of your why lecture”.  Nope, not going to happen.  Just a few suggestions for your why bag:

• if you are working to pay off debt – have a cut up credit card
• if you are working for a vacation – have something that represents it
• if you are working to stay home with your kids – have a picture of your kids

See, it really isn’t hard just think about what you are using your commission check for and share it.  When you share your story or your why at a party, keep it to 2 – 3 minutes.  Just enough highlights to spark their interest and hopefully trigger an emotion to help them connect with you and your product.

When you shift to talking about your products – it should be about the benefits first and the features second. It’s important to explain what your product can do for your customers.  We can all see the features but we may need a story so that we can see it in our lives.

The final key is to not overwhelm your customers with too much detail.  Did you know that too many options can have the reverse affect on your customers?  Inside of reveling in the choices they become overwhelmed and frustrated to the point where they don’t want anything.  In some cases, more options can actually mean fewer sales and less satisfaction.

Think about it, what happens when you have too many options?  Our customers are the same way.  The best is 2 or 3 items from each “category” of your business.  In the long run, narrowing down the options will be drive more sales in the long-term.

When your customers connect with your story – whether it is your why or your products in their life – you become valuable which helps you to sell your product solutions.  From there, you can continue to strengthen your emotional connection with them so that you can] build long-term, profitable relationships.

So, who wants to share their story? Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Why She Buys

Talking about statistics usually puts me in a fog!  I am a creative thinker and all of the numbers usually boggle my mind so when Bridget Brennan took the stage at National Conference to talk about “Why She Buys”, I thought I would be LOST!

Bridget shared ALOT of information that made me re-think some of the ways that I do things.  The first rule of SUCCESS – women we are selling to are Females FIRST and Customers SECOND.  I know, that should have been a no brainer right?  I just think that sometimes we get so wrapped up in selling that we forget about the “female factor”.  Did you know that our economy is driven by women?  Women make up 70-80% of the consumer economy.  Why?  Because they are not only buying for themselves but they are buying for everyone else – friends, family, co-workers, boss, etc.

Here are 6 of the most important trends that will help us in today’s market:

1. Women in the labor force.  Over 70% of them are Moms and moms who need to shop for everyone.
2. Ponytail Power.  I thought this fact was really interesting…Ponytail power are those women born between 1980-2000 who are entering their purchasing power price. In addition, more than 1/2 of these women want to start and own their own business.
3. Smaller Families.  The average family now has 2 children as compared to years past when it was 3 or 4.
4. Divorce and Singlehood.  Despite all of the statistics (and what I thought), the divorce rate in this country is down by 40%.  Does that mean that more people are staying married?  Not necessarily, there are a lot more single women who are heading up households as single moms – never getting married.
5. Women Dominate Social Media.  This almost seemed like a no-brainer.  I mean really, how many men do you really see posting daily.  This is how we, as women, share are lives through mass documentation.  The only thing is that when we do this for our business, we need to be intentional and not saturate the new feeds with sales pitches.
6. 60 is the new 40.  I LOVED hearing this since I am getting close to the 60 mark (a mere 3 years away).  Women are continually reinventing themselves – new clothes, change in hobbies, business, etc.

Will knowing about these trends change your business?  I am not guaranteeing increased sales but if you know about some of these trends, it may help you connect better with your customers, hostesses and recruits.

My last tidbit of information from Bridget….

• Men are transactional.  Think about the last time you went shopping with your hubby (or another male).  They shop for 1 item of the one item that they need.  If it is a large purchase, they evaluate the product and their options BEFORE making a purchase. They are information seekers.
• Women are holistic.  We want to know what else goes with it – especially when clothes shopping.  How often do you just buy a skirt or a pair of pants without buying a shirt or shoes to go with it?  This is why “solution sets” are a great way to share Thirty One.  We tend to base our decisions on the salesperson – do we like them, are they helpful, right?  We are information AND inspiration seekers.

So as you look to plan your next party or talk to you next recruit… think about some of these things.  Don’t overshare facts and figures when recruiting but share in a way that will appeal to her with a few facts and some inspirational insights.  Sharing products with a customer, why not show one core product and two add-ons or accessories that will make a complete set.

Would love to hear how you are going to transform YOUR business this year?  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

The Fall Reveal

Good Morning!  Today is the OFFICIAL start of Thirty One’s National Conference… The General Session today will cause the earth to rumble as 14,000 excited Thirty One consultants scream and shout over what is coming in the Fall catalog.

Thirty One consultants got a sneak peak the first week in July since there are THREE  – West, East & Canada conferences this year!  Home Office wanted to make sure that everyone got to see SOME of the NEW items at the same time – no spoilers here…  There are some returning favorites, here is one of them which is great for the man in your life:

Then there is one of MY favorites so I guess it will be time to update my prints since I have an old one…

Along with sharing new prints and products, there will be some AMAZING training from the BEST of the BEST and they are:

Bridget Brennan is a pioneer in developing business strategies that appeal to women. She’s the CEO of the strategic consultancy, Female Factor, and author of the acclaimed book Why She Buys: The New Strategy for Reaching the World’s Most Powerful Consumers. Her book was called “essential reading” and was named a “Top 10 Marketing Book” by MediaTrust. She is a contributing writer on the subject of marketing and selling to women for Forbes and is one of the world’s most popular speakers on the subject.

Leigh Anne Tuohy’s inspirational story was the basis for the movie The Blind Side, for which Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for her portrayal of Leigh Anne. She inspires audiences to recognize the full potential of individuals in their community and find value in those who society has deemed valueless. She shares her personal “Blind Side” observations, from seeing Michael Oher for the first time to how the experience changed her as a person – and the Tuohys as a family.*

Of course there will be some Thirty One ROCK STARS (Directors and above) who will impart their words of wisdom and share with us their best tips for growing our business this year.  I am excited to learn but even more excited to be able to share my journey on growing my business with others so that it might help them to grow theirs…

Who is ready to PARTY like a ROCK STAR?  Check out my VIP Facebook Group for more pictures of things to come as far as prints and products.  If you want to be a part of all of the fun, friend me on Facebook where I will be sharing lots of pictures of our trip.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!