Did an Entire Week Go By?

Sorry for the lack of posts, kids. I've been frantically trying to finish my Campaign 13 party book (should be released tomorrow!). I'm also working on a "Diva and Dummy's Guide to Avon Party"; a playbook for your hostess to help her prep for her party.

Campaign 11 did quite well; I did a 15/50 so I made very little profit. But with Double Dollars, my goals was just to jack up my sales so that I could achieve President's Club ASAP. I sold roughly $2100, so that gives me $4200 towards PC. I'm already more than half way there and we're only 3 Campaigns in. However, I can't get lazy now. After this, HONORS is calling me for the second year!

C13 Summer Madness Party Script - Coming Soon!

Fear not! I'm creating a C13 Summer Madness Party Script!  A full list of products along with a link to purchase the script will be out very soon!

Hosting a 15-50 Party

Avon is giving double dollars in Campaign 11. That means that whatever you make in C11 will earn you double credit towards President's Club for this year. Sell $500 in product, it earns you $1000 credit towards PC.  You need to sell $10,100 in products in a year to achieve PC.

Why bother getting to President's Club? Because with PC, you will earn a 40% commission no matter your sales during a campaign. It's a guaranteed raise for your business.

Knowing I wanted to take full advantage of double dollars, I decided to hold a 15-50 party. You find 15 people to purchase $50 in core-products, and you give them $50 more products (of their choice of core products) free.  Essentially, they're getting a 50% discount.

Why do you need 15 people to make this successful? Because you need to sell $1550 in products to get a 50% discount during a campaign. Make no mistake -I will make no profit this campaign. I will do a lot of bagging, sorting and delivery. But with $1500 in sales along with double dollars, that puts $3000 in my account towards President's Club.

With 2.5 days to go, I've just sold over $1600 and I expect more orders before I close on Thursday.

How To Use Video Conferencing (EASY) for Your Direct Sales Business

From Jen Fong Speaks

I am SUPER excited to share with you that Skype has launched a beta version of its service which supports up to 5 video callers at a time.  (Windows only…Mac coming soon.)  Now if you’re not yet familiar with this service, you are REQUIRED to go download it after you finish this article.    Seriously, though, this service is SO easy to use and makes SO much sense for direct sellers, I can’t imagine a direct seller living without it!


You see, Skype allows you to have face to face conversations with people anywhere in the world.  Oh, and did I mention that it’s FREE to make those calls?  All you need is a computer with a webcam, and the Skype software, which you can download from their website for free.

OK now all you techno-phobes…don’t you all go freaking out on me at the thought of “video conferencing.”  Skype is so easy to use, my elementary school kids can do it.  We Skype regularly while I’m on the road.  We’ve even had dinners together on Skype.  It rocks.  So I want you to give yourself the benefit of the doubt here.  If you can use your web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.) you can Skype.

Here are some of the applications for direct sellers:

• Coaching calls – We all know how important body language is.  When you are coaching someone in your downline, imagine being able to see their face and their body language!  What kind of difference would that make?  HUGE!
• Team meetings - You’ve got a team meeting going on in someone’s living room, but someone on the team can’t make it because her husband has to work late and she doesn’t have a babysitter.  Guess what?  Now she can come…and participate…through Skype!
• Opportunity meetings – There are a couple applications here.  If you’re a leader training someone on your team how to conduct an opportunity interview, and they don’t live nearby, imagine being able to see one another as your team member watches you conduct that interview.  And it’s also a great way for someone who is good at recruiting to help others on the team bring people into their organizations.  One person does the presentation, and up to 4 others can ask questions and otherwise participate.
• Virtual presentations – Say your sister in Toledo totally wants to host a party for you, but you live in Alaska.  A challenge, right?  Not anymore!  Just login via Skype, and her friends can see your demo, ask questions, and enjoy the experience.  And if a couple friends can’t make it to your sister’s living room, well they can login too as part of the Skype meeting.  You can also use this technology for one on one presentations, calling on your upline to help you demonstrate if necessary.
• Sharing the convention experience – I’ve talked about this as a use for live streaming video before, but Skype now provides a great way for team members who can’t make it to convention to get a little taste of the experience.  Just gather all the team members at convention together at a certain time, log into Skype with your computer, and have your team members who couldn’t make it get just a taste of the excitement your team members in attendance are enjoying.  What a great way to encourage folks to make it next year!

The new version is in Beta right now, and therefore is free.  When the official version comes out, group calls will incur a charge.  But go download it right now, so you can take advantage of it while it’s free!
Do you use Skype?  How?  Would love to hear your ideas for using Skype for a direct selling business below!

The Gwen Versatile Bag from Avon

Run From vs. Running To

It's late and I just finished meeting with Ed. Ed was one of my students when I taught at a local area high school. There was a strict rule that "while you are my student, you will be my student. Once you're 18 and graduated, you can become a friend." Ed took me up on that, and 17 years later, we still get together to catch up.

My college graduation gift to Ed was a trip to Chicago. Prior to that, he had never been on a plane, nor had he been outside of Ohio. That weekend trip changed his life. In just a few days, he saw how much more life had to offer. Within a year Ed bought a motorcycle, learned how to ride it and took off on a cross-country trip that forever changed his life.

In California he landed a brilliant job and met a wonderful woman who became his wife.

After 5 years of marriage, Ed feels stale. Uninspired. The old man on campus. "How do I get that 'thing' back that made me drive cross country?", he asked.

It was then that we realized when Ed left Cleveland, he was running away. He wasn't sure where he was going; he was just getting away from here. Now, he wants that next great adventure, but he's not running away from anything. He wants to run TO something; something rewarding and fulfilling and something that gives his life purpose. He's just not sure what that something is yet.

Is your business like that? Are you finding it harder to run TO something (sales goals, calling customers, leadership), but you're not sure what exactly you're running to?

Define what you DON'T want (financial ruin, lack of purpose, failure) and do everything you can to get away from those things. Run away from the uncomfortable things and maybe you'll find the things you want to find along the way.

Pyramid Schemes

Nick's Note: I found this article on the Direct Selling 411 website. For those of you who are asked how your business is different than a pyramid scheme, here's your answer.

The ever-growing popularity of direct selling often motivates dishonest individuals and companies to misrepresent themselves as legitimate direct selling businesses in hopes of enticing victims. Thousands of Americans have lost millions of dollars participating in scams and pyramid schemes. Many victims thought they were paying for help in starting a small business of their own, when in fact they were being fooled by a slick pyramid scheme disguised to look like a legitimate business.

What is a pyramid scheme?

Pyramid schemes are illegal scams in which large numbers of people at the bottom of the pyramid pay money to a few people at the top. Each new participant pays for the chance to advance to the top and profit from payments of others who might join later. For example, to join, you might have to pay anywhere from a small investment to thousands of dollars. In this example, $1,000 buys a position in one of the boxes on the bottom level. $500 of your money goes to the person in the box directly above you, and the other $500 goes to the person at the top of the pyramid, the promoter. If all the boxes on the chart fill up with participants, the promoter will collect $16,000, and you and the others on the bottom level will each be $1,000 poorer. When the promoter has been paid off, his box is removed and the second level becomes the top or payoff level. Only then do the two people on the second level begin to profit. To pay off these two, 32 empty boxes are added at the bottom, and the search for new participants continues.
Each time a level rises to the top, a new level must be added to the bottom, each one twice as large as the one before. If enough new participants join, you and the other 15 players in your level may make it to the top. However, in order for you to collect your payoffs, 512 people would have to be recruited, half of them losing $1,000 each.
Of course, the pyramid may collapse long before you reach the top. In order for everyone in a pyramid scheme to profit, there would have to be a never-ending supply of new participants.
In reality, however, the supply of participants is limited, and each new level of participants has less chance of recruiting others and a greater chance of losing money.

Identifying and avoiding pyramid schemes

Pyramid schemes seek to make money from you (and quickly). Multilevel marketing companies seek to make money with you as you build your business (and theirs) by selling real products and services. Before you sign up with a company, investigate carefully. A good way to begin is to ask yourself these three questions:

1. How much are you required to pay to become a distributor?

   If the startup cost is substantial, be careful! The start-up fee in multilevel companies is generally small (usually for a sales kit sold at or below company cost). These companies want to make it easy and inexpensive for you to start selling. Pyramid schemes, on the other hand, make nearly all of their profit on signing up new recruits. Therefore, the cost to become a distributor is usually high. CAUTION: PYRAMIDS OFTEN DISGUISE ENTRY FEES AS PART OF THE PRICE CHARGED FOR REQUIRED PURCHASES OF TRAINING, COMPUTER SERVICES, PRODUCT INVENTORY, etc. These purchases may not even be expensive or "required," but there will be considerable pressure to "take full advantage of the opportunity."
   

2. Will the company buy back unsold inventory?

   IF YOU COULD BE STUCK WITH UNSOLD INVENTORY, BEWARE! Legitimate companies which require inventory purchases will usually "buy back" unsold products if you decide to quit the business. Some state laws and the DSA Code of Ethics require buy-backs for at least 90% of your original cost.
   

3. Are the company’s products sold to consumers?

   IF THE ANSWER IS NO (OR NOT MANY), STAY AWAY! This is a key element. Multilevel marketing (like other methods of retailing) depends on selling to consumers and establishing a market. This requires quality products, competitively priced. Pyramid schemes, on the other hand, are not concerned with sales to end users of the product. Profits are made on volume sales to new recruits, who buy the products, not because they are useful or attractively priced, but because they must buy them to participate. Inventory purchases should never be more than you can realistically expect to sell or use yourself.
   

Warning Signs of Fraud

1. Pressure to sign a contract quickly and agree to pay a large sum of money before sales claims can be investigated or legal advice obtained.
   Legitimate opportunities will not disappear overnight. It’s OK to be enthusiastic about getting involved in direct selling (and in fact it’s enthusiasm and a love for what they do that drives any direct sellers) but you should take the amount of time necessary for you to feel 100% comfortable before signing on the dotted line.
   
2. Promises of extraordinarily high or guaranteed profits
   It’s easy to be swayed by promises of a high income, especially if it’s billed as “guaranteed” or “easy.” Scam artists try to take advantage of human vulnerabilities, which is often very easy if someone is in a situation where they need cash fast. It’s important to remember that, as in any business model, earning substantial sums of money requires time and attention to building the business. In direct selling, the amount of time required varies based on one’s goals and the amount of time one anticipates spending on direct selling activities. It may take a relatively short amount of time to begin earning supplemental income, but if your goal is to rely solely on direct selling, it may take several years before you can quit your 9-5 job.
   Exaggerated earnings claims are an unfortunate lure used by scam artists to entice people to join in. It’s most unfortunate because it is possible to make a great deal of money in direct selling and those dishonest folks who misrepresent the facts muddy the waters for everyone. Those with unrealistic expectations are the most likely to fail, far before even approaching realization of their goals. Even those accurately represent what THEY make, may still be guilty of making exaggerated claims if they do not follow very specific guidelines for how the information is presented.
   Earnings Claims
   
3. Claims that profits can be achieved easily.
   Direct selling requires work to sell the products and services. You will not reap profits by just signing up or through the mere act of sponsoring others. Direct selling income must be based primarily on the sale of products and services to consumers who will use those products and services – if you are being told this part of the process isn’t necessary or is only a sidebar to recruiting, be suspect. Even if you choose to build your business by recruiting others, you’ll spend time training and mentoring those recruits so they can be successful sellers as well. In other words, don’t use your first commission check as a downpayment on a comfy couch where you plan to count your income – you need to be actively engaged in your business to truly be successful.
   
4. A required initial fee which greatly exceeds the fair market value of any products, kits or training
   Any fees you are required to pay to the company should be reasonable based on what you get in return. It’s fairly easy to verify this in cases where you spend $69 for a sales kit that includes product samples, a training manual, catalogs and order forms. It becomes more difficult in instances where the fee is substantial ($1000 or more, for example) and you may not get anything in return besides the right to recruit others. There’s no magic number that serves as a dividing line between legitimate and suspect so you need to use your best judgment in evaluating any startup fees.
   
5. A large fee payable before you receive anything in return
   This is closely related to the previous item. In most cases, you should be able to start selling right away. Just as you’re anxious to get the ball rolling, legitimate companies want you to get started selling as soon as possible, too. Be sure to find out exactly what you’ll receive and when you’ll receive it before paying any money.
   
6. Evasive answers by the salesperson or unwillingness to give disclosure documents required by law.
   Sometimes sellers may not know the answers to all the questions you may ask. That alone is not necessarily cause for concern, but a dismissive attitude about your concerns or an unwillingness to find the answers or direct you to someone who can help you should be a red flag. You should read over your salesperson agreement carefully, ask any questions you have and don’t be afraid to contact the company directly if you have more questions.
   

These are only warning signs of the most obvious frauds. An independent investigation is necessary in any case. A fraudulent salesperson may be prepared with glib assurances and authentic-looking documents. Remember, if it’s worth your money, it’s worth your time to investigate.

What is the difference between a pyramid scheme and direct selling?

Pyramid schemes seek to make money from you (and quickly). Direct selling companies seek to make money with you as you build your business (and theirs) selling consumer products and services. Legitimate companies rely on solid sales over time. A strong base of customers who love and use the products is key to continuing success. Scams like pyramid schemes, on the other hand, count on you to make a large upfront payment, from which the scheme promoter derives his profit. Building a business over time is not important because the promoter knows the scheme will likely collapse. However, by that time the promoter will likely be long gone – with your money.

Explaining Why Purchasing From Direct Sellers is Important

Last night as I prepared for an Avon Party at my house. I lit candles and placed them in some lovely lamps I purchased from Partylite. I set out the refreshments in some beautiful serving dishes that I picked up at a Pampered Chef party. I set out a crystal cut bowl and thawed a frozen sangria that I had stored in my Tupperware.

I've spent a good sum of money with these companies and for good reason. Here's why I tell my customers that they should purchase from a direct seller instead of from another big-box retailer.

1) When you purchase something that costs a little more, you take care of it. I am consciously more careful when I light my Partylite candles and place them in their holders, being careful not to break them. I delight in finding the right foods to place on Pampered Chef servingware rather than just plopping food down on any old plate that I have lying around. The more the value, the more you care.

2) The personal service that you receive from a direct seller outweighs the convenience of picking up an item at a store. When Bob Saringer from Tastefully Simple does a party for me, he'll show us a product from their catalog. If I were to buy a similar product in the store, I would be able to bring it home faster, but Bob tells me how to prepare the product and then he'll give me several other ways to serve it -- ways that Tastefully Simple doesn't include in their product recipes.

3) You're helping a small business person. When you want an economy to grow, you support the Mom & Pop shop. All direct sellers are independent business owners - we ARE the Mom & Pop shop. While our brand name is national, we are truly small business owners. Remind your customers that every time they purchase from a small business owner, they are making a difference in the local economy.

10 life lessons you should unlearn

By Martha Beck, O, The Oprah Magazine

(OPRAH.com) -- In the past 10 years, I've realized that our culture is rife with ideas that actually inhibit joy. Here are some of the things I'm most grateful to have unlearned:

1. Problems are bad
You spent your school years solving arbitrary problems imposed by boring authority figures. You learned that problems -- comment se dit? -- suck.
But people without real problems go mad and invent things like base jumping and wedding planning.
Real problems are wonderful, each carrying the seeds of its own solution. Job burnout? It's steering you toward your perfect career. An awful relationship? It's teaching you what love means. Confusing tax forms? They're suggesting you hire an accountant, so you can focus on more interesting tasks, such as flossing. Finding the solution to each problem is what gives life its gusto.

2. It's important to stay happy.
Solving a knotty problem can help us be happy, but we don't have to be happy to feel good.
If that sounds crazy, try this: Focus on something that makes you miserable. Then think, "I must stay happy!" Stressful, isn't it? Now say, "It's okay to be as sad as I need to be." This kind of permission to feel as we feel -- not continuous happiness -- is the foundation of well-being.


3. I'm irreparably damaged by my past
Painful events leave scars, true, but it turns out they're largely erasable. Jill Bolte Taylor, the neuroanatomist who had a stroke that obliterated her memory, described the event as losing "37 years of emotional baggage." Taylor rebuilt her own brain, minus the drama.
Now it appears we can all effect a similar shift, without having to endure a brain hemorrhage. The very thing you're doing at this moment -- questioning habitual thoughts -- is enough to begin off-loading old patterns.
For example, take an issue that's been worrying you ("I've got to work harder!") and think of three reasons that belief may be wrong. Your brain will begin to let it go. Taylor found this thought-loss euphoric. You will, too.

Read the rest of the article here.

Having a Party? Tab Your Books!

When I have an Avon party, it's important for me to be able to show my guests where in the catalog they can find the products I'm showcasing.  Considering the size of our catalogs and the small page numbers, that can be tricky for most guests.

I came up with a method of tagging my books that makes the job easy. When I first started, I used colors post it notes. That worked well, but it got expensive. Every new campaign & party meant having to purchase new post its.

Then I moved on to paper circles that I would cut out with a hand punch and then glue to each page with a glue stick. They were nicer than the PostIts because they were more rigid allowing guests to flip the to correct page easier. However, after each party, I was stuck with a book with was then stuck with colored circles, making it impossible to pass along.

I think I've found the solution. These combination PostIts & Paper Clips are call "Clip Its" and I found them at a local office supply place.  They have the rigidity of the paper, the visual appeal of the Post Its, and the flexibility of paper clips. When I'm done with them at a party, I slide off the Clip Its and I can reuse them at the next party. Cool, huh?