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?

Shake it off and take a step up!

One day a farmer's donkey fell into an abandoned well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway; so it just wasn't worth it to him to try to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. Realizing what was happening, the donkey at first cried and wailed horribly. Then, a few shovelfuls later, he quieted down completely. The farmer peered down into the well, and was astounded by what he saw. With every shovelful of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up on the new layer of dirt. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.

Pretty soon, the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off, to the shock and astonishment of all the neighbors. Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to not let it bury you, but to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone.

We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!

------------------

The moral to the story is very simple.  Life is going to shovel dirt at you.  You have two choices:

You can be buried alive by the dirt life throws at you

or

You can shake it off and step up

Blogging Secrets for Building Your Credibility, Your Brand and Your Business

Presenter: DAVE SAUNDERS 
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM PDT

In this Webinar, Dave Saunders will teach you how anyone can start a blog and how having a blog can help you grow your business.
By popular demand, this class will teach you the essentials of building a blog that positions you as a person of authority in your marketplace. Blogging is one of the easiest methods for building an audience of followers.
While some stand out, most fail because of simple mistakes.  Learn how to keep your blog from the scrap heap and make it work for you.

• Discover the Do's and Don'ts of blogging
• Learn the best places to start blogging for free
• Promote your blog through social media using free and automated social media techniques
• Learn the five best types of blog posts you can use anytime
• Find out how to use your blog to position yourself as an authority in your niche, even if you barely passed English class

Register Here

Organize for Success: Increase Productivity and Profit by Managing Your Time and Space

Folks: Today I'm showcasing 3 online seminars from Networking Times. They're all free, about an hour long and they provide some really great gems for those of us in direct marketing.


Presenter: LAURA ARIDGIDES, Ph.D. 
Wednesday, May 5, 2010 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM PDT

This Webinar is a must for any entrepreneur. Being able to function at a high level of productivity and generate massive results in your business directly correlates to the level of organization and your ability to successfully manage time.

In this webinar, you will learn 10 strategies for better organization, 7 tips to save you time and much more from Dr. Laura Aridgides, an 11-year veteran high producer in both direct sales and network marketing.

You will leave with a game plan that you can implement immediately, including simple organizational systems that will help you create order from chaos, as well as specific time management techniques that will help you get more done in less time while feeling balanced and refreshed.

Get ready to:
• Learn 10 strategies for better organization in your business
• Discover 7 things that you can do to get more done in less time
• Increase productivity and profit in your business
• Create balance and synergy between work, family, job or other obligations
• Implement systems that will help you simplify and streamline your business

Register Online

Don’t Sell Anything on Facebook

(Nick's Note: After experimenting with selling on Facebook, I couldn't agree more. Folks just tune you out when you're selling. Engaging them is far more effective.)

By Dave Kerpen

I was thinking of titling this post, “5 Better Ways to Engage on Facebook” because that’s the content I plan on delivering to you. But the truth is, I wanted to get your attention.

If you’re a reader of this blog, you’re likely involved in the direct sales industry. And there are 450 million+ people on Facebook, including you and just about everyone you know (My 90 year old grandma joined this week.) The average Facebook user has 130 friends, and many of you have way more friends (or “people who like you”, if you have a Fan Page). So the temptation to sell to all of these people is powerful.

The problem, of course, if that this does not work. The moment someone tries to sell to me on Facebook, for instance, unless I’ve really grown over time to know, like, and trust that person, I’ll immediately de-friend. Do YOU like to be sold to, or engaged?

Too many direct sellers and direct selling companies are making their updates all about them and their products. If you want to win on Facebook, it’s more about creating “likeable content.” The content shouldn’t be arbitrary, of course. It should be relevant to your category or target audience. For example, if you’re selling:

* Cooking products, think recipes
* Health & beauty products, think celebrity beauty tips
* Gardening items, link to articles about gardening

You may consider content about entrepreneurs and business success too.

Over the course of time, likeable, engaging content will build trust with your audience, and they will become excited buyers who come to you, instead of you trying (and failing) to sell to them on Facebook. Here are my 5 most engaging types of updates:

1. Post photos. A picture is worth a thousand words. Instead of using words, post pictures. By posting interesting pictures, you will get people talking.
2. Post videos. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a thousand pictures. Create a short form content video between 30 seconds and two minutes and share it with your friend or fans. A great feature about posting a video on Facebook is if someone is watching the video, they can click on the top left of the video to “like” the page if they haven’t already!
3. Share links to interesting articles and resources with your friends or fans. Links are a great way to bring relevant content to your page that may not be your own.
4. Ask questions. If people are not commenting on your updates, it is often because you are not asking them to. If you ask people what they think of something or what they are doing, they will answer these questions on your page.
5. For the more advanced users, utilize interactive apps including polls, quizzes, and virtual gifts. These are some ways to engage your friends and fans on a more advanced level.

What other ways do you engage with your friends and fans? Share by commenting here!

Greed is Good: Why You Need to Tap Into Your Inner Gordon Gekko

April 28th, 2010 by Robert Pagliarini

Greed is good. Embrace it. Love it. Live it. In fact, greed may be the one thing that can save us. Don’t believe me? Greed was the foundation for this country. The brave souls who risked their life to settle in a new country did so out of self interest. Our forefathers recognized the importance of self-interest in the Declaration of Independence where they emphasized our unalienable right to pursue happiness.
Greed is good not just for your own life but for others as well. By elevating your life, you can radically elevate your family’s life, your community, and yes, even the world. Mother Teresa was greedy — she had an unquenchable thirst for serving the poorest of the poor. Missionaries are greedy in their quest to spread their religious beliefs. You just need to get greedy. You need to focus so intently on what it is you want that your desire seeps out of your pores.



But not all greed is created equal. The greed that nearly brought the world economy to a screeching halt in 2008 is disgusting. The greed that led to millions of hardworking people around the world losing their jobs is not “good greed.” You can (and must!) be greedy without exploiting others.
The problem is not that we’re too greedy, it’s that we’re not greedy enough! Sure, there are the occasional Bernie Madoffs and John Edwardses that lose themselves in their excessive desire — that will do anything to achieve their goal — but that’s not the issue most of us face. Our problem is that we are plagued by not caring, wanting, or being voracious enough in the pursuit of our own goals.

The solution? Stop putting yourself last and stop sacrificing your goals and dreams. Any successful entrepreneur is greedy. They have an insatiable desire to see their product come to market. They want to see their invention in the hands of as many people as possible. They want their book to hit the New York Times bestseller list. They will do whatever it takes to achieve their goal. They will stay up later and get up earlier. They‘ll say no more often.

Want to lose weight? Put yourself first. Schedule time on your calendar to exercise and don’t cancel for anything. Don’t let others get in the way of your goal. I get criticized for bringing my own food to parties and events. I don’t get this. Should I just go along with what everyone else is eating even though I know it’s not best for me? If I only wished for better health, I wouldn’t go through the hassle of preparing and bringing my own food and instead I‘d have a plateful of little weenies and Doritos. But I’m not simply wishful. I am greedy. Nothing is going to get in my way of better health — not even annoyed looks from the host.

The other 8 hours are the secret to improving your life. By focusing on yourself, and by elevating your own life, you are then best able to transform the lives of others. Self-focused is not selfish; self-focused is self-less. You learn this every time you get on a plane . . . “put on your own mask before helping others.”

When you invest in yourself during the other 8 hours, the life you change may be more than just your own. Now it’s your turn. Tap into your inner Gordon Gekko and relentlessly pursue your happiness.

The 30-Minute Business

I dedicate a lot of time to my Avon business. I can't help it, I love what I do. But there are definitely days when I just don't have the time to give 4-6 hours a day to my part-time business.

If you only had 30 minutes a day to dedicate to your business, how would you spend it? Mine would look something like this:

5 minutes: Input receipts into Shoeboxed.com
5 minutes: Review any new materials on youravon.com
10 minutes: Contact customers via email/phone/postcards/constantcontact.com
5 minutes: Look at upcoming brochures. Plan sales strategy for next campaign.
5 minutes: Listen to a podcast, audiobook or something inspirational

It's not a lot of time, but you can squeeze a lot of mileage out of just 30 minutes a day on your business

Campaign 11 - Double Dollars - Throw A Party w/my Party Pack

You've probably heard that throwing an Avon Party is a great way to boost your income as a Representative. Most reps don't have experience, or get tongue-tied or just simply don't have the time to prepare for parties with new products being released every 2 weeks.

This packet gives you the word-for-word script of what to say for 10 hot Campaign 11 Items! Simply print out the Party notes, arrange your items and start reading! It's as simple as that. And with the Clipboard Order Form, you have a hand ready-to-go order form custom made for this event!

NOTE: These are the identical notes that I will be using for my C11 parties. I'm starting the price at a low $3.99 so that you can try my products risk-free. In the future, I will add additional handouts including Which products to order, how to tab your catalogs and much more! Prices will go up when the entire packet is put together, so enjoy this low introductory price.

Want to order a downloadable pack for yourself? http://www.youpublish.com/files/29721

Avon's Representative Times

Up until a few months ago, we used to get a paper copy of the Representative Times newsletter. It's a great resource for sales advice, product tips and sales information. In an effort to go green (and probably save some green), Avon now publishes the Representative Times online only.

You find the Representative Times on your home page. Right now it's in the lower right corner, a pink box that says, "Representative Times". Click the link and enjoy the new news!

Social Media Marketing is Not Your Core Business

Nick's Note: Here's a great article by Jen Fong. It's true what she says, if you're spending more time trying to attract customers using Facebook, Twitter, etc than actually talking to your customers, you're doin' it wrong.

-------------------------

Are you spending your life in front of a computer? 

If you’re a direct seller, I sure hope not.

You see, direct selling is, at its heart, a person to person business, and your main job is NOT social networking.  While it’s great to use social media as one of the tools in your overall marketing strategy, it’s important to remember that this is NOT your core business.

Your core business is making appointments (booking parties in party plan), selling products, and recruiting new consultants/distributors into the business.  This is what makes you money.  Your social media efforts should be focused on creating more opportunities to do your core business.

Don’t get so swept away with social media marketing, that you forget what your job is.  Otherwise, you may find yourself with a huge list of friends online, and nothing to show for it.

So how do you use social media marketing to provide opportunities for your core business?

• Find people who may have an interest in your products or opportunity through targeted keyword searches, and word of mouth referrals from other friends.
• Provide content-driven status updates and links to articles that answer questions your target market has, related to your product line or home-based businesses in general.
• Build relationships with people through conversation and “small talk.”
• Be helpful to your online friends.  Find resources they’re looking for, and answer their questions.

That’s how you start.  Later you can provide an online community/group for your existing customers to drive reorders, blog for your business, and more.

But to get started, simply begin connecting with people.  And then, when the opportunity presents itself, try to turn that relationship into an opportunity for a call or a meeting with them.  That’s how you use social media marketing to create opportunities for your core business.

At the end of the day, isn’t that what it’s all about? 

Getting The Camps Organized

It's "New Catalog" time; time for me to contact customers and let them know that the newest catalog is out. I was assuming that everyone knows that our catalog comes out every two weeks, but it turns out (from an informal poll) that this is news to my customers.

Why is it important for them to know when the new catalog comes out? So that they're lookin' for it -- they become hungry for good deals and to be the first to see the new product.

My problem has become that there are so many ways to contact people that I can't always do it effectively. Here's what I find myself doing:

1) Customers who I know "buy": Drop a catalog off personally, sometimes with a handwritten note. Old fashioned customer service rocks and it shows in sales.

2) Email customers: I don't have the time to deliver books to each and everyone one, so I drop an email with details that the books are available online

3) I leave books out in front of my home. For as many people take them, they're not really "customers" because I don't have their contact info.

I need to find a better way to target customers and get them all notified. I've thought about a "Call Tree": A service where I call and leave a voice mail and it goes out to everyone whose phone number I have. Not sure if it would be worth the expensive price tag.