A Thank You in Life and in Business

Do you remember, as a child, being reminded to send thank you notes when you were given a gift?  Maybe it was a birthday, a special occasion or for some it was even for holiday gifts.  I used to dread them.  I mean what do you say to someone who you never really see who sends you a gift, right?  I always wanted the thank you notes that had messages already on them.  Less writing and I could just sign my name!  LOL!!

Fast forward to being a Mom. I had Belinda write thank you notes.  She grumbled ALOT but what kid doesn’t, right?  She thought that saying “thank you” when she saw the person was enough.  I have to admit, at times it made perfect sense.  When she asked, I always said “it is proper”.

Then I became a business owner.  I heard “the fortune is in the follow-up“. So, what would make me stand out from so many other consultants?  What would make them remember ME?  I began handwriting thank you notes and mailing them about 10 days or so after an order was placed.  At first, I didn’t think much of it.  If I met the individual in-person, I mentioned something that I remembered about them.  If it was an online order, I thanked them and told them that I knew how much they would love their order.

I thanked them a second time when I sent them the shipping information for direct ship orders.  If I was delivering them, another thank you note was included in their bag.  Some thought it was “overkill” BUT I I truly do appreciate their support of my business.

I have continued this practice for 5+ years no matter what – old or new customer.  The response is AMAZING!  In this day and age of internet and social media, people truly appreciate “snail mail” that is NOT a bill.

I still hand write thank you notes for things that people do for me personally whether it is a gift or just a thoughtful gesture.  I want people to know that they have made a difference in my life.  Now, I will admit that if I use a thank you card that already has a message, I will add a special note.  People need to know that you care.  They buy products from people that they like and care about.  What better way to continue to build that relationship that by sending a thank you note, right?

Here is my tip to make this easy for you (or your children)… I use Thirty One’s Timeless Beauty Bag to hold everything.  There is a spot for pens, cards, envelopes, and stamps.  It is a great gift for that NEW team member or for the college bound student or someone in the military.  I picked up LOTS of thank you cards at the Dollar Store.  You get 8 or 10 in a pack and then I get a variety of them.

Have thank you notes to send to your customers, grab the bag & take it with you.  You can write a few while you are waiting for the kids to get off the bus or while they are at practice.  We all know how long that can take, right?

Just remember that a little “thank you” can make a difference in the life of the person that is receiving it.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tips for a Successful Vendor Event

I LOVE the fall…. time for hoodies, jeans, boots and LOTS of craft/vendor events.  I am a crafter at heart so when I started in direct sales, I wanted to figure out the best way to use these for my business.  I can remember telling my sponsor “I am only going to do vendor events, no home parties for me”.  Well that worked for sales in the first year since I was still working a crazy busy work schedule.  When I decided that I wanted Leadership, craft/vendor events took on a whole new meaning.

They went from being all about the sales to all about getting outside of my own circle and building leads with potential customers, hostesses and team members.  Don’t get me wrong, sales are GREAT but they are the cherry on top of the cake.

Here are some tips for making the most of your next vendor event:

1. ARRIVE EARLY.  I love being early.  I know that it only takes me about a half hour to set up but arriving early has its perks.  Honestly, some event coordinators don’t pre-assign tables which gives you a chance to scope out the best spot.  I ALWAYS take an end spot.  Being early will give you more time for unloading and booth setup, and less problems with parking.   The best thing for me about arriving early is that I get to walk the event before it starts, talk to other vendors while they are setting up and maybe even help them.  It is my social time before the event begins.

2.  STAY FOR THE WHOLE EVENT.  We have all been at shows where things are slow or there isn’t a lot of foot traffic but I  NEVER leave an event early.  It is simply bad form to be packing up and leaving, while customers may still be browsing other booths. You never know who might stop by, and the end of events is often the time that vendors network with other vendors.  Some of my best customers of the day could be other vendors.

3.  STAND WHEN POSSIBLE. First impressions are lasting impressions. This is the best way to engage with your customers, move about your booth freely, and present the best possible, positive experience.  You will be able to pull product more easily, or direct to various display pieces that might be of interest to passers by.  Remember that direct sales is about building relationships.  You can’t build relationships if you are buried behind the table reading a book until someone asks you a question.

4. NETWORK WITH OTHER VENDORS.  Vendors will often refer events to other vendor friends. Talk to vendors around you.  You might not gain customers, but at least you’ll gain relationships that may yield future event leads.  Networking with other vendors is a great thing to do when the event traffic is slow.  I always offer them a discount if they place an order – who knows where a $5 coupon could lead.

5. ENGAGE WITH CUSTOMERS.  I know that this may be a no brainer, BUT how many times have you seen a vendor sitting behind their booth, staring at their phone , and NOT engaging with their customers?  I don’t mean give them a sales pitch.  I mean a simple “hello” or “how is your day” or if they hesitate at my table, I usually ask them “what caught your eye”.  Greet each passerby and invite them to view your product and display.  Ask open ended questions to start a dialogue that will hopefully move into building a relationship. Ask a question then LISTEN!

6.  OFFER A WAY TO COLLECT CUSTOMER INFORMATION.  Remember the money is in the follow-up so the primary goal at a vendor event is hostess, customer, and team member leads.  Offer a raffle entry or a drawing where all your leads can enter and provide their contact information.  People like the chance to win.  Then, be sure to follow-up with those leads within a reasonable amount of time.

Vendor events are what you make of them.  No matter how “bad” they may seem on the surface, you want to make an impression on the event coordinator, the other vendors and your customers.  You want to be known as someone who is respectful, reliable, and relational.  Believe it or not, you will soon build a network of other vendors who will invite you to participate in future events.  You can ROCK your vendor events, just by being a good vendor!

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!