Value Yourself

My weightless journey has been a journey.  Actually more like a roller coaster.  Last week at our meeting we talked about valuing ourself no matter what the scale says.  This was like a SMACK in the head for me.

The numbers on the scale have always played a factor in how I feel about me.  No, let me be honest, when I was at my heaviest I didn’t get on a scale.  I had no clue how much I weighed and being clueless seemed to be okay with me.  I liked myself as I hid behind the weight not letting anyone get too close.  Does this story sound familiar?

I walked into the doors of Weight Watchers seeing myself through different eyes.  The eyes of the scale.  It didn’t get really hard until I got closer to my goal weight.  As the number got lower, the insecurities of my youth came out.  No, I didn’t head to the nearest shrink to bare my soul – I began fighting the inner gremlins with some help of some really good people. I learned to start seeing myself as others see me.

I know what does all of this have to do with anything, right?  How many of us let the number on the scale define us especially when we are on a weightless journey?  We let our self-worth be connected to the number on the scale.  When it goes down, we are happy.  When it goes up, the inner gremlins join us in beating ourselves up.  It is time to stop the madness.

Recognizing and appreciating ourselves for our many gifts and talents is not an easy task. The reality is when we feel good about ourselves, we are more likely to have a positive outlook on life, take better care of ourselves and the end result is we lose weight.  The better we feel about ourselves, the easier it is to lose weight.  Think about your own journey….

I remember doing a VERY scary exercise when I began trying to squash my inner gremlins.  I was told to ask 5 friends and/or family what they thought my best qualities were.  In other words, how would they describe me?  YIKES!  I sent the message out and was definitely not ready for the responses I received.  I was told I was kind, generous, compassionate, determined, helpful and strong.  I didn’t see myself from their perspective. But on my worst days (seems to be quite a few lately), I go back to the list and repeat the positive traits over and over again.  Why?  So I can feel and believe them again.

What can you do to see yourself through loving eyes?  No, I am not suggesting you reach out to family and friends to ask for their input (unless you want); I am suggesting you find a quiet spot, grab a piece of paper and a pen, reflect AND…..

THINK about someone in your life who cares about you; a friend or relative, spouse or significant other.

FOCUS on the person for a minute and describe them in words or draw a picture.  What do they look like? Height? Eye color? Hair? Do they smile a lot? Do they have a soft or loud voice?  How would you describe their personality?

CONSIDER what makes this person special to you.  Does thinking of this person make you happy?  Excited? Loving? How do they make you feel?

IMAGINE you are this person who loves YOU and start to see yourself through their eyes.  What do you like about this person you see?  Write down thoughts, feelings and behaviors you love about yourself.  I know this is tough.  You may just start with “I like my eyes” – something simple.  Then dig deeper.  Think about the qualities you have down deep – are you caring? kind? passionate about life or a cause? hard worker? friendly?

COME BACK to yourself and read what you wrote.  You will notice a growing appreciation for how you feel about yourself.

Believe me, I get how tough this can be.  I struggle with it too. Do this once a week for one month and read the positive qualities daily.  You will be amazed at the difference it will make in your life.  Thirty days make a habit, right?

Change those negative, unhelpful thoughts into positive thoughts.  Changing your mindset is the first step to make a difference in your life which will give the ripple effect of making a difference in the lives of those around you.  Share you best qualities with us.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Customer Service Tips

Saturday for many mean a day off.  If you can call shuttling kids to activities, errands, sporting events or cleaning a day off.  For those in direct sales during the busiest time of the year, it means working your business – parties and/or vendor events or maybe both.

So, how do you capitalize on this time of year?  The best way is to provide your customers with the BEST customer service they have ever received from any business or business owner.  You want your customers to remember you.  Here are some tips from Party Plan Divas to help you become remarkable:

1. Stay in contact with your customers on a regular basis. Don’t just rely on your company’s newsletter or Social Media outlet.  Pick up the phone and make Customer Care Calls for special events (holiday, new catalog, etc) The more often you are in front of your customers – the more often they think of you.

2. Give Customers more than they expect.  There is no such thing as “too much” customer service. Send “Thank you” notes for no reason other than to say thanks. Offer discounts at random times throughout the year. Send free gifts with large purchases with no notice. The more people feel appreciated, the more likely they are to not only do business with you but send referrals your way as well.

3. Resolve complaints and conflicts quickly. We want everyone to be happy with our products but the truth is sometimes problems arise – shipping delays, back orders, products malfunctioning, etc. Show your customers you really care by taking care of their problems quickly. Good Customer Service does not have a price tag. Never avoid a phone call or email. Personally take care of the problem as best as you possibly can.

4. Make it easy for your customers to find you.  Offer as many contact methods as possible, so when a customer reaches out, she feels like she will be able to get to you. Email, cell phone, social media, etc are all great contact methods. Make your contact methods easy to remember by using a universal business name as often as possible. (i.e. www.partywithHope.com, HopeWs31@gmail.com, facebook.com/Hope Heldreth-Wissel, Hope Wissel, HopeWissel.com)

5. Strong relationships is the basis of a strong business.  The more your customers like you, the more they will do business with you and encourage their friends to do the same. Interact daily on social media. Send birthday and anniversary cards. Create special Customer Appreciation events.  Your customers will feel important when they are included in these kinds of special events.

6. Always be polite.  You must always be very aware the things you say – both out loud and on social media – can never be taken back.  THINK before saying or posting anything. Take a minute and ask yourself “if this was the very first thing a potential customer saw, would she want to do business with me?” Make sure everything you put out into the universe is becoming of a direct sales professional. Use the words “you’re welcome”, “thank you”, “please” etc often. Be calm and polite even when they are upset.

What is your best tip for building strong business relationships with your customers?  Share them with us…

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!