It’s Not Just A Party …

The new year brings new ideas, hopefully, for working your business.  We have all set New Year’s resolutions on how we will do things bigger and/ or better, right?  Our goal is to increase our business for whatever reason – more time, more money or more of our wonderful products.

January is one of those “J” months.  If you are in direct sales, I’m sure you have heard the tales of “J” months being tough on business.  Think about it – January, June, and July.  What did your business look like last year during those months?  Truth is, January, June and July last year were three of my highest months in 2016.  Crazy, right?  So, how did I do it?  What was the magic formula?  Honestly, I don’t have a clue.  I didn’t have a plan.  What I did have was determination to NOT be one of those who said “It is a J month so I will just wait until next month”!

My parties during those months were non traditional.  I had a party using ZOOM because it was during the middle of a snow storm.  Then there was the girls night out with wine, food & shopping.  I held fundraisers and did Facebook parties.  I had hostesses who were excited about earning FREE and discounted products.  Why?  Hostess coaching was key.

So, here we are in the middle of January when the supply of parties is high and the demand for them is low, what are you going to do to fill your calendar?

The secret is …

Stop doing parties and start consciously creating experiences for people.

Think about the service businesses and the people in them…. are they outside their office shouting discounts?  NO!  In most cases, they are busy supplying a service to those in need.  The question is: how do you do that?  They are making a difference in people’s lives by creating an experience for them.

I know you are thinking, I sell product.  You have been taught, in most cases, to SELL SELL SELL.  If you don’t believe me, check your Facebook newsfeed on any given day when people are pushing their products.

Why not consider these things when “sharing” your product with potential customers and recruits….

• Experiences can be both good and bad.  They are created through our five common senses of sight, taste, touch, sound and smell.  Then for many women through their six sense of intuition or gut feeling.
• Think about the sensory experience you are creating when you are with a group of people or one on one.  I don’t just mean your physical products but also your party experience, and your business opportunity.
• When you share your story or your “WHY” what experience are you sharing with them? The gift of more time with family and friends because of your business.  The confidence you gained.  The sisterhood.  The “me time” for a busy mom. How the extra money has helped you to pay bills, or leave a job you hated? Has the additional products allowed you to donate to your favorite causes?  Focus on what matter’s most to you and share it.  Chances are your guests will willing join in your experience.

Remember …

You can’t control people’s experience because everyone processes information differently through their senses. You can however use conscious creation to influence their experience.

So I’m curious.. … how are you going to create an experience for your potential hostess and her guests?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

How to Get More A.F.T.E.R.

WOOHOO WEDNESDAY!  I am playing catch up after working my part-time job on a full-time basis last week.  I must really be getting OLD because I am exhausted.  Not only was I working, I had a busy week in my direct sales business – closing parties, coaching hostesses and working with new team members.

I had an BIG event on Saturday so I am working on follow-up.  We all know it is the key to success, right?  Truth be told, in the past, I was not very good at it. So I am working this week on changing my mindset so I can change my business.  I mean it worked for changing my mindset about recruiting and gained 5 new recruits in 3 months.  So, why not put it to the test for booking and sales?

This is an article I found on DSWA and the thinking process started.  I know scary but sometimes it triggers some really exciting stuff.  At a home party 100% of the people buy something – a sale is a sale no matter how small which is good. I seem to struggle on Facebook/online parties and after vendor events.

The article highlighted the word AFTER as an acronym on how to get more sales..So let me know what you think:

A stands for Attitude.  Your attitude (positive or negative) will determine the results after the event.  Are you positive?  Do you think it is normal for people to place orders AFTER an event or a direct sales party? Or, do you think it is pushy to contact people AFTER the event/party about more sales?  Your attitude will determine the outcome.  Change your mindset, change your attitude.  I have been blessed with repeat business after home parties.  I tend to struggle during vendor events because my attitude is all about leads and NOT sales.  Does your phone weigh 500 pounds, so you can’t lift it?  The Fortune is in the Follow-up.

 F stands for Fun.  The most important part of any home party, right?  Are your parties fun? Would you want to attend or book a party from YOU?  You need to have fun so your guests can have fun.  Even at vendor events, I have fun!   I am learning it is not about perfection, it is about progress.  Thank you Deb Bixler. Who wants to party or be part of a team not having fun, right?

T stands for Tell.  Talk to your hostess and make sure that she knows how to collect orders – if she doesn’t she won’t do it.  I offer an incentive to my hostess for gathering $200 in pre-orders BEFORE the party, this has helped to increase my party averages.  At a vendor event, I tell EVERYONE who will listen how easy it is to host a party with me.  Simply 6 orders of $35 equals a party.  I mean you must know 6 people who are looking for a gift or like to shop.  Telling doesn’t mean DEMAND, it means talk, explain, have a conversation and LISTEN to what they are saying to you.

E stands for Energy or Excitement.  Without this, you don’t have a business – it is the make or break it of direct sales. Translate your excitement to your hostess, your customers and get things rolling.  I get told I am “too perky” – I used to tone things down but not any more.  People want to be a part of my energy.

R stands for Remind, Remind, Remind.  In today’s crazy, fast-paced world, we need reminders – you use post it notes to stop to the store, the grocery list, the to do checklist, and a hundred other things, right?  I’m not alone in this, although, I usually blame my need for reminders on the MS or health struggles. Why would you think your hostess, her guests or those who stop by your table at vendor events wouldn’t need a reminder?  Every time you talk with someone after the initial encounter, talk to them about specifics – an upcoming sale, a product they were interested in or even wanting to book a party.

Things happen AFTER an event or party because YOU have a plan.  What are some of your tips for success AFTER a party or vendor event?  Share your best ideas.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day! #hope

How to Improve Facebook Interactions

Happy Monday!  It has been a whirlwind twelve days since the launch of the $1 offer at Thirty One Gifts.  New recruits learning the ins and outs of growing their business through social media.  I LOVE the excitement and being able to share so many tips from so many different resources.

How many times have you posted a picture or a message on Facebook and you hear crickets?  No one comments.  No one “likes” it.  NOTHING!  I usually blame it on Facebook’s algorithms!  Wouldn’t it be great to get LOTS of likes, comments and better yet some shares?

At Thirty One, we are all about sharing and not selling on social media.  Yes, I will highlight this month’s customer special BUT I will leave out the price.  Yes, I will show how I use my products and share the excitement of them.  NO, I will not say “I need XXX in sales to meet my goal”.  NO, I will not say, “I need XXXX to reach an incentive.  Why?  Because then we look desperate.  Who wants to buy something from someone who is desperate to sell something?  Wouldn’t you rather get excited about the product and its uses?

Here are some winning Facebook Strategies:

1. Update your profile picture:   I know, a no-brainer, right?  The truth is that people connect with real people. Replace your logos or product pictures with your smiling face.  How exciting would it be to meet someone for the first time and they say “I recognized you from your picture”?  I love when that happens.  Use the same pictures on all of your social media sites.  I change them all every other month to keep things fresh.

2. Update your cover picture:  I do this monthly.  WHY?  People check back when there are new pictures in their news feed.  Avoid too much text or using more than 3 pictures in your cover picture. Websites like picmonkey.com or canva.com are great to make your own for even the most non-tech person.

3. Enter a description for your super amazing new cover photo:  This is a great tip from Lynn Bardowski: “this is a secret trick that few people take advantage of. Click on your cover photo and you’ll see the description section on the right. I’m betting you’ve never filled it out. Enter a greeting like, “Hey, (your name) here. Thanks for stopping by,” with a call to action, like asking your fans to join your email list. End with a link to your contact form and SAVE. Now, here’s the cool part. Go back to view your page and hover over your cover pic. The description will pop-up. Boom!”

4. Be more social: Another no-brainer, right?  Social media should be social, right? Believe it or not, when you begin to interact with people instead of trying to SELL, you will get a response.  Ask questions, show your funny side, inform, inspire and be you. Social selling is about building relationships, not actually selling.

5. Use your EVENTS tab: I will admit that I didn’t use the one on my public page very often – okay, never!  Did you know that you can click on “Manage Tabs” and move it up near the top so your Events tab shows under your cover pic. AMAZING, right?  Use that to create events for everything from Facebook Parties to Vendor Events to Product Reveals to Opportunity Events. Since your biz page is public, all the events you create are searchable like in a Google search.  This makes the possibilities huge. Include keywords in your event title to maximize your reach.

6. Schedule posts at the best times:  I have to be honest, I have heard a lot of talk on the best time.  The truth is that the best time is what works best for your niche.  The general rule for posts on Facebook are typically in the afternoon 2pm – 4pm on weekdays, 10am – Noon on Saturday and Sunday at 8pm. I have found that mornings also work for my customers.  I use CinchShare to save time and it helps to post at the best times for my audience.

7. Create more albums:  Want to increase your ranking on Facebook?  It is based on the engagement on your page.  What gets the most engagement?  Photos and videos.  Albums can be themed for events, holidays, motivational quotes, customer favorites and more. You can also share the album link on Facebook Parties and Event pages to create a virtual catalog of your products.

So, who is ready to get visible on Facebook?  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Thirty One’s June Hostess & Customer Specials

OMG!!!!   It’s June… last weekend was the “unoffical” start of summer.  Alright, so maybe I am pushing things BUT it was the start of the tourist (AKA shoobie) invasion at the Jersey Shore.  This month is full of graduations

  Weddings (Picture from Pinterest)

and end of the school year festivities.

I know, you are thinking… “I have NO time for a party“.  Money is tight with end of the year expenses.  What if I told you that YOU could reap all of the benefits of a “home party” without the work?  What if I could meet you at the ball park or in the parking lot at work?  What if you just carried a catalog with you and sent all of your friends to an online Facebook party that was fun?

I know “too good to be true”, right?  The truth is I have a party to fit your lifestyle this month.  And WHY am I willing to do this?  This months’ Customer and Hostess Special is WAY too good to pass up.

#1 –  June’s Customer Special is AMAZING!

Thirty One’s Customer Special for June is the MEDIUM UTILITY TOTE AND the STAND TALL INSERT for the medium utility tote!  Have you never heard of this product? Well, once a year it comes out for a limited time.  The BEST part is the addition of the Stand Tall Insert.  The perfect way to let your tote stand on its own.  It also adds pockets to the inside of your tote.

#2 – Be a hostess and the gifts just keep on coming…..

For just $200 in orders, YOU can have a qualified party. Did you know that only 6 orders of $35 will get you a $200 party?

BUT if you jump to a $600 party which is MY party average, here is what you can get:

#3 – Now, what if I told you that you could EARN extra money while chauffering the kids to activities or sitting on the beach?  What would you do with that money? Maybe you could pay off some bills. Pay for the kids summer activities.  Maybe it would just give you a chance to hang out with your friends.  Do you want to know the details?  Here is the inside scoop:

For just $99, you get over $350 in FREE product

PLUS with $600 in orders, every month for the first 4 months, you get to pick ONE of these AWESOME bundles.  That is an additional $600 in FREE product during your first 4 months in our StartSwell program.

PLUS you have the chance to earn DREAM REWARDS…. Collect points from May 1st – September 30th and you can earn up to a $1,300 gift card!

PLUS, if you collect $1,000 in PV during your Startswell, you will receive the Away We Go Roller for FREE!

Yes, you read this right….FREE product, gift card AND commission.  YES, you are going to get paid to have fun and collect all of these FREE perks.

So, there are THREE opportunities with Thirty One this summer:

Which opportunity is for you? Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Thirty One 5th Anniversary

February 7th, 2011 – the first time I talked to Hope Shortt.  Some would call it stalking – I followed her on Facebook and I read about her when I Googled her name.  I already knew what an amazing person she was BEFORE I had this conversation. I told her that I wanted to join her Thirty One team. She asked me “what my why” was? I mean we ask people that all of the time, “What is YOUR why?”. I was nervous and this people pleasing person told her that I wanted to earn some extra money. No big dreams. I wanted to share the products at vendor shows, didn’t want to do home parties and really was not interested in having a team. The recruiting aspect was kind of taken care of because it was just one day prior to the FREEZE. WOW, that was a relief.  I had been doing craft/ vendor shows for over 20 years, so that was going to be easy.  Hope listened and said that she would be there to help when I needed her. No pressure just support and kindness.

I shared Thirty One at vendor events – selling but still NOT booking parties. I mean I had a full-time CRAZY busy job, who had time for home parties. Then my first TWO potential recruits. OMG!!! I was honest with both of them from the start.  I wasn’t doing home parties and I was going to learn along with them. Believe it or not, they still joined as soon as the freeze lifted and quickly qualified with $1,000 in sales each. I was a Senior Consultant.  I wasn’t sure what that meant but that was okay.   Then I got a home office lead that wanted a HOME PARTY! Panic set in… it was someone I didn’t know and I was clueless. I had never done a home party. I could do this… and I DID!  I stumbled my way through it – no additional booked parties or recruits but I had sales.  So that was okay.

My FIRST Thirty One National Conference in 2012 was where I set the goal and decided that I wanted to be in Leadership.  The goal was to be Director BEFORE National Conference 2013. All of those stats that say those who go to national conference earn more – TRUE! Those who go to national conference – PROMOTE – TRUE! October, 2012 I was DIQ and in January 2013, I was blessed to earn my $1,000 Director Bonus. It was a whirlwind time filled with lots of emotions.

National Conference 2013 with my daughter and members of the Rays of Hope Team.  I walked across stage and was CELEBRATED as a NEW Thirty One Director. Tears of joy flowed freely that weekend and continue each time I think back to the moment.  Hope Shortt, my National Executive Director, hugged me and the tears continued to flow.

Since that year, my why has changed so much.  I no longer work full-time but have a part-time job till my Thirty One business pays all of my bills.

I still struggle with my “why” and learning to DREAM BIG. Home parties are second nature.  I continue to work on personal development so that I can CELEBRATE – ENCOURAGE – REWARD my team. The biggest blessing from Thirty One is the restoration of a confidence in myself that I lost when I was in HIGH SCHOOL. Yes, I have earned FREE products! Yes, I have been able to pay off debt & travel as a result of my commission checks! Yes, I have found a sisterhood that I didn’t know existed in my Thirty One sisters! Yes, I have grown in my walk with God, learning to trust and believe that his will will be done in my business! These are all the things that Thirty One has blessed me with…. it CHANGED MY LIFE. Could it be the think that changes your life?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!