Keep Your Team Motivated Over the Summer

There is a sigh of relief among direct sellers with the passing of June.  It is a crazy busy month for most people – end of the school year, graduations, weddings, baptisms, confirmations….. You get the picture.

I have already heard from many on my team, “no one wants to party in the summer” or “everyone is too busy” or “everyone is on vacation”.  I used to be one of those who said the same things.  The end result was – little or no business in the summer.  It translated to little or no business in the busiest time of the year – the Fall.  What happens now has a direct effect on what your business will look like in three months.  Yes, I jumped ahead a little bit…

Think about the people you know who are taking the Summer off from their business.  Are they the same people who take the month of December off? In my early direct sales years, I was one of those people.  I mean, I worked for myself so I could make my own hours, right?  So why not enjoy the break and get back to work in September?  What happen was, I had no business to get back to in September.  I was always starting over.

Summer is a fantastic time to have home parties and help others see the awesomeness of having their own direct sales business. Plus, during the summer, we’re gearing up for the busiest season of the year (the fall selling season), so now is the time to focus on building a strong business.

As a leader, you are an example to your team. Do I admit when I’m struggling?  YES!  But at the same time I offer solutions to help them overcome the struggles.  If you’re a leader, the summer months may take some creativity on your part, but working harder now to keep your team motivated and working will pay off for them (and you) this fall.

Here are three ideas on how to do this from JulieAnn Jones.  If you aren’t a leader, these ideas will help you keep your business on track this summer:

1. Help them set goals for the Fall

I hear the signs and see the eyes rolling.  Who is thinking about Fall, right?  Now, is the time you want to set goals for what you want your business to look like in September.  If you wait till then, it will be too late.  Help them by asking them what they would like to happen in the rest of the year.  The best way is to have them connect with how it will feel to have the money they will make with a full calendar.  What will they use it for?  Encourage them to set specific goals around the income, and the number of parties they want to hold.  With a plan, they will know what they’re working toward now.

2. Give them incentives they really want

What excites your team?  Would a CASH incentive keep them moving forward?  Would fun products? Or how about a trip?  Your direct sales company may offer these along the way but as a leader, you can also offer them.  Keep them within your budget. Don’t know what would get and keep them motivated, ask them.  And what would you like to encourage them to do to earn it?  Is it bookings, sponsoring, sales, or all of the above? Get creative and use the few months to help them work toward a fun incentive (and a stronger business).  I will be using this again this year to help me work towards the Leadership Incentive Trip with Thirty One.

3. Teach them creative ways to work their businesses during the summer months

Yes, you will need to be creative to book home parties in the summer, but fun themes make it a little easier!  How about: Ice cream socials, office parties, block parties, patio parties, BINGO, or Happy Hour parties. How about doing some FB parties to keep things going or to at least fill in the gaps.  Hostess of the Month Clubs.  Trunk parties.  I will admit, there are challenges working from home during the summer.  Encourage your team to share what has worked for them while you share what has worked well for you too.

Don’t be a Vacation Veronica in the summer months so you are a Struggling Sally in the Fall.  An investment of your time in supporting, encouraging, and training your team now will pay off big time this fall.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

The Party Host Challenge

The 25th of the month and for some in direct sales (me included) we are working on closing out a strong February while casually glancing at next month’s calendar.  It is the fine line we walk as we approach the end of the month to be sure we “don’t leave money on the table this month” while ensuring we have bookings next month.

One of the most challenging aspects of direct sales is finding people to host parties especially home parties.  We all know home parties are the best way to share our products.  By touching and feeling the products, guest are more likely to purchase them.  Or are you one of those consultants who get people to say yes to hosting? The struggle is getting them to team up with you so their living room is full of friends and family.  Or they cancel at the last minute because the excitement has worn off or no one is responding to their invitation. Sometimes, there isn’t much you can do but chalk it off as a bad experience. Or is there?

What if you could spark a fire in your party hosts they simply couldn’t refuse to follow through on?

Think about how you met your potential hosts – at a party, a referral from a customer, a vendor event or maybe they just clicked on your link.  The truth is most hosts fail due to a lack of trust in their consultant.   Crazy, right?

The fact a potential party host may not trust you has NOTHING to do with you.  It is usually based on a past bad experience with another direct seller.  They “assume” (you know what they say about ass-u-me?) you’re just like her.  You can be the  nicest person in the world, have the best referrals but those bad memories linger. So, how do we change it?

#1 – Educate them.  Don’t panic! I don’t mean a full length course – who has time?  Just some simple tips to help your host have a successful party. I use a cover letter like this in my hostess packet:

No matter what system you use, make sure you walk with them through every step you expect them to take. The point is to make it as easy as possible for your hosts so they feel like they can’t fail.  Remember you are a team working toward a common goal – her success! Her success = money in your pocket!

#2 – Compel Them With an Incentive.  This comes with mix emotions.  You know your potential host has an interest in your products.  So why not turn the interest into a desire in them to succeed.  Some would say the “hostess rewards” are enough, for some it will be.  We know incentives work, right?  The free and discounted hostess rewards is probably what prompted her to take the leap of faith and say yes to hosting her own party.  But why not offer her something more if she meets your expectations.  Here is one way:

Or offer an incentive for completing tasks such as: getting their guest list back to you within a week; having at least five guests at their party or for getting outside orders or bookings.  I know, you are in this to make money not spend it, right?  But the small cost will be outweighed by having a solid successful party.  The incentive can be free shipping or a less expensive item from your product line or a customer special or a favorite retired product you have in stock.  REMEMBER, your host doesn’t get the incentive until you show up for their ACTUAL party. Be sure to make it clear when you outline the incentives for them.

#3 – The Value Of Your Business Opportunity.  I will admit, I struggle with this some months. You know the ones I mean when  your calendar is empty and you need/want to book some parties?  Some advocate flipping your host before the party while I believe the party is her training ground to see how easy it is to be a consultant.  Your host is having a party for FREE and discounted product. She doesn’t see the bigger picture of what joining your company could mean for her or her family.  Plant seeds along the way.  Your guidance and a successful party may be just the encouragement they need to give what you do a try.  Offer to turn their party into a kickoff party and give them all the bookings you get if they say yes to starting their business.

#4 – Offer Assistance.  This one should be a no-brainer.  You want to make it super easy for your potential host to do her job.  You can help her by offering to call her guests to ensure attendance, send out the invitations for her, and offer to arrive early to help her set up which will also help to calm her nerves and build a relationship with them.  Make sure you stay in touch often before her party to give her support, answer questions, and remind her of what her next step is.

Will these tips guarantee success 100% of the time?  No, but it will definitely help to establish the trust factor.  The combination of trust and a growing relationship will decrease your cancellations and lead to more successful parties.

Are there things you do for your hosts to help them succeed? Share them with us in the comments below.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

The Summer Scoop

WOW!  Can you believe it, summer vacation is almost here.  The kids will be out of school.  No time for you or your business, right?  Did you know that what you do now sets the tone for your business for 90 days from now?  Crazy, right?  Maybe you were thinking about being a Vacation Veronica.  I mean it is only a few weeks or maybe even a month, right?

I have already heard the rumblings of “the summer is hard” from my team.  They have already planted the seed that this will be a typical “J’ month (January, June & July).  In direct sales, we all know that traditionally they have been bad months BUT I am here to tell you that you can change that.

The biggest problem is that when we take the summer off or start thinking we can’t BEFORE we even try – we set ourselves up for failure. The summer is a GREAT time to have parties.  If you live at the shore, don’t you have a ton of people wanting to crash at your house for the summer to go to the beach?  So does everyone else.  Cash in on it with a theme party.  Don’t you wish you had more money to do more things in the summer?  Or that you didn’t have to miss time with the kids, hubby or friends because of work.  Why not check into the benefits of your own business with Thirty One.

Your summer parties may look a little different – more outdoor parties, more open house formats, more kids – the key is to just have fun. Get creative. Remember, the summer parties will set you up for a successful Fall so keep your business on track with some of these ideas:

1. Set goals for the Fall. I know it may be crazy to plan this far in advance but with a good plan, you and your team will know what they are working towards. Do they need money for holiday gifts? Do they want to take a holiday vacation? Whatever the goal, break it down to how many parties you need and your personal sales volume.

2. Give them incentives they really want. Who doesn’t LOVE an extra gift or two right?  Now I am not saying give away TONS of stuff.  Think about it, don’t parties increase when there is an incentive? For Hostesses, why not an additional gift for having outside orders BEFORE the party or having 10 people at the party.  Get creative.  If you are looking to encourage your team – what would be an incentive for them, ask them? Do a Facebook Survey on your team page. Do a Google survey so that they can give you more information. CELEBRATE – ENCOURAGE – REWARD your hostesses, customers and team.

3. Get creative on how to work your business during the summer months. Host a trunk party. Do an open house party with a hostess who has a pool – kids swim, parents shop. Lots of sporting events where you can take your product & catalogs to share with other families. Do a Facebook party. How about a “twisted fundraiser“? Do a theme party. The ideas are endless. The key is to not give up – go for 100 No’s and you will end up with some Yes’s.

Don’t let the summer months set the tone for the Fall and the biggest selling season of the year.  Whose ready to party?  Share your ideas with us…

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Leadership Myth #2

Do you feel like you are watching The Dave Letterman Show?  Okay, so I am showing my age, right?  But he has always done the Top Ten of things in reverse order…

This myth, I kind of knew but had my doubts about it….

Myth #2 is You have to create financial incentives or contests for you team.

Having been with Thirty One for over three years, I have been blessed with a variety of company AND team incentives.  Were they the reason that I pushed for bookings, sales and recruits?  NO!  Okay, so occasionally, I have – I mean who wouldn’t want some of the AMAZING company incentives – new products and trips.  My Upline is offering a 4-day cruise right now and I am pushing but not for this trip.  It requires me to promote but in order to do that, I need one more on my team to promote.  It is out of my control so I will just CELEBRATE – ENCOURAGE – REWARD in the hopes that prayers will be answered…

The truth shared by Dana Wilde is that MONEY is not necessarily the best motivator.  Motivators can be public recognition, personal connections, being a part of something bigger, and just plain friendly competition.  My upline is offering the cruise incentive and I have passed it down to my team in the hopes that this will be enough incentive for my team to want to promote.

I have learned one thing… if the company is offering an incentive, there is no need for me to offer one.  These were the words of given to me by my upline – the AMAZING Hope Shortt.  I am learning to make solid business decisions which means that even if the “fun, creative” side of me wants to offer lots of incentives….the practical side says – this is not a good business decision.  Everything that you do in YOUR business has to fit YOUR budget.  You don’t need to compare yourself to others (even though we sometimes do).

Happy mail seems to be just as much fun for my girls.  Happy mail can range from a simple postcard to candy bars to cookies to a small gift.  Give happy mail a try for not only your team but also for your hostesses….

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Is FREE Worth the Cost?

Friday and the start of the weekend….some of you may be hosting parties while others are trying out vendor events to expand your customer base.  In either case, we are looking to grow our business and in our eagerness we sometime give away too much.  I have to admit that I am guilty of this. So, I went on a hunt to find some tips for offering incentives WITHOUT hurting sales or in some cases cutting your price….

Direct Selling Education Foundation offered lots of tips in a recent article with my favorites are:

• Loyalty Programs – Every time a customer places an order with me, they receive a “frequent shopper card”.  After 5 purchases of $31 or more, they are entitled to a discount on the 6th purchase of $15.  I have some regular customers who absolutely LOVE this bonus.  Here is the money side of things – 5 purchases x $31 = $155 at 25% commission = $38.75 – $15(discount) = $23.75.  Yes, there is a slight cost but in the long run – it is great for building a relationship with your customers.  Even though customers that purchase once online, I send them a thank you card AND a frequent shopper card.  Who knows where your next loyal customer will come from, right?
• Free Gift With Purchase – Everyone likes something for FREE no matter how small the item.  I often offer a Thirty One Key FOB with a minimum purchase of $75 or a FREE nail file with a $35 purchase.  Both of these items can be purchased at a discounted rate as a consultant or I can add it to the customer’s order and receive a commission on it.  I have also made various crafts (magnets, coasters, angels, gift card holders) with our retired prints that I offer as a FREE gift at some vendor events for placing an order.  The cost is minimal and lets the customer know how much I appreciate them.

A Thirty One product experience allows an individual customer to try our products in the comfort of their home without having a party.  Just for allowing me to come into their home to share my products, I now give them a small gift (usually a key fob).  This has been a great way to increase sales and build relationships with customers who LOVE our product but are NOT party people.   In some cases, I have had orders well over $200 while in other cases it has only been a $35 order – either way, it is a great way to build customer relationships.  When a customer is placing a large individual order (just shy of a $200 party minimum), I will add an outside order to make it a party and offer the customer the FREE or half price item typically available to a hostess.  With no cost to me, the customer is grateful for the FREE bonus and will remember it when they are ready to shop again.

Incentives are a great way to connect with new potential customers but you don’t want to GIVE away everything for FREE.  Then why would I shop, right?  Think outside of the box and there are endless possibilities.  What are some of your ideas?  Please share them with us.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!