Success Starts With This Key Ingredient!

It’s like a tennis match isn’t it?  Our thoughts can go from positive to negative in a minute. We can go from confident to worried in a snap.  Mastering our thoughts to stay on a positive track can make a night and day difference with our business and life for that matter.

This weekend I was thrilled to hear from six team members who had party sales go over a thousand dollars.  Cha-ching!

What was the common denominator with each of these remarkable women?

They claimed it!  They were driven to hit it big and they did it first by claiming it.  Dream it, Believe it, Achieve it!

I was reading the direct selling notebook blog and came across this excellent acronym they shared for dream…

D is for Desire

Every dream starts with desire. Big or small, do you know what you want? Big or small, do you dream for others?

R is for Responsibility

Will you take responsibility for your business? Will you blame others for your lack of success?

E is for Engaged

Get involved with your business. Engage in those activities that will bring you the results you want. Will you get in and get going or stand on the sidelines watching others?

A is for Attitude

We really do choose our attitude. We really can wake up every morning and decide if it is going to be a great day…. or not. What is your daily attitude? If it isn’t so hot, change it.

M is for Momentum

Everyone knows it is easier to keep our business rolling rather than jump start it from a standstill. What are you doing to initiate your momentum this month? What are you doing to kick your business up a notch?

I’d love to read your thoughts and comments below!

Jill

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Jill Shea is a Regional Manager and business coach in the direct sales industry.  She has been a successful work-at-home mom for over ten years.  For more information head on over to About Jill

Photo Credit: Doug88888

What Four Letter Words Have No Place in Business?

I went to a store recently and the sales person said it…”I can’t get that for you.”

What?

What CAN you do was what I was thinking?

One of the things I’ve learned along the way is to try and never use these three words in business:

Can’t - such as “I can’t do that”.   Your clients believe that you can do what they ask you to do.  If you can’t, then change the word to “here’s what I CAN do for you”.   People really hate to hear the word no or can’t.  If you’re not able to produce the results they need then of course be honest but give them another option of how you can help.

Same - such as “I’m doing the same old, same old”.   We’ve done it this same way for years.  People change, technology changes and our clients needs and wants change.  We need to change too and always be learning.  Business is much different than it was five years ago.   Our ways of communication have drastically changed.  If you’re wondering why people aren’t returning your calls have you tried to also email, do a search on Facebook, send a text message, send a note in the mail or even better use an auto-responder system like I do with Constant Contact?  If you’re doing the same things you were doing last year and expecting different results this year then it’s time to make some adjustments.

Busy – such as ‘Let me call you back I’m busy’.  That can really turn someone off.  Instead I’ve said  “I want to give you 100% of my attention, I’m in the middle of a project can I call you back at 7pm?”  Next, be as good as your word and follow up when you say you will.  Don’t make promises you can’t keep.  It’s okay to let someone know it could take a couple days to deliver a product.  Never tell them you’ve been real busy and just didn’t have a chance to ship them their order.  YIKES!  I doubt you’ll be receiving any word-of-mouth referrals from that person.  Give people a reasonable time frame.  Clients want to know they are your most important client!

How about you?  What words do you find don’t work in business?  I’d love to read your thoughts and comments below!

Love & Success,

Jill Shea

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Jill Shea has been a successful work-at-home mom for over ten years.  For more information head on over to About Jill

Reading: Direct Sales Recruiting: Friend or Foe?

Have you ever recruited a friend to join your direct sales business?

I have.

It’s not because I’ve pushed my company’s opportunity.  There is nothing more annoying than knowing every time you see a certain person all they do is talk about their business.  I hope you don’t do that and if you do please STOP.  This only hurts your business.

I’ve recruited some friends because they watched my success and then contacted me to take advantage of the same opportunity and it’s worked out just fine.

How about you?  I’d love to read your thoughts and comments after reading Lisa’s article below!

Direct Sales Recruiting: Friend or Foe?
By Lisa Robbin Young

Many of my direct sales recruits have become good friends. I still email, ask about their children, and send holiday cards long after they’ve quit the business.

I can’t always say the same for friends that join the business.

If you are serious about growing a solid direct sales business, one of the worst mistakes you can make is “hitting up” your friends and family to take a look at your business opportunity. Sure, they may feel obligated to ‘help you out’ as you get started, but more often than no, it does more harm than good.

Here are a few reasons why it’s not always a good idea to recruit your friends into your direct sales business:

1. They are doing you a favor.
Business relationships that begin with a favor, usually end with resntment or disappointment. One person takes the other for granted, makes assumptions, or just doesn’t have the gumption to really put their heart into making the business successful. They were, after all, only doing you a favor to help you out. So why should they do all this work?

In business, you need to cull the wheat from the chaff. Be focused on working with people that want to be successful and realize there’s effort involved in making su ccess happen.

2. They are not serious about working a real business.
Related to the first issue, this issue is more about their long term goals. You may have a friend that’s interested in being successful, but not at the risk of giving up computer time, or talking on the phone, or doing any of the things that a truly successful direct sals business requires of them. In that case, they have no business being in this industry, no matter how much they want to be successful. You have to do the work to reap the rewards.

3. They aren’t a good fit for your team culture.
They may be hard workers, and desire success, but if they don’t approach life and work the way you do, you may have more friction than you care to deal with on your team. It’s up to you as a leader to set the tone for your organization, and if they aren’t on the same page, it can cause problems in your business and your friendship.

4. They may expect special treatment.
Let’s be honest. Friends “do” for friends, and it’s not uncommon to expect a little more from our friends than we do the general public. Feelings can get hurt when our expectations don’t measure up to reality.

5. They just don’t  get it.
Sometimes a person is just not cut out for direct sales. There’s nothing wong with that. I often say that direct sales is a career that anyone can do, but not everyone will. Just because I’m good at it doesn’t mean my friends will be, or that I can teach them to overcome their own doubts about their skill set. Sometimes it’s better to stop before you start.

I’ll be the first to admit that good friends can be great team members, and vice versa. It’s up to you, however to be clear on the expectations, procedures and parameters of your business relationship. Like any good business partnership, a clear line must be drawn to define roles and responsibilities early on if the venture is to be successful.

© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.

Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com

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Jill Shea has been a successful work-at-home mom for over ten years.  For more contact information head on over to About Jill

Need a Boost? 6 of My Favorite Quotes

Need a boost to get the week started?  Today I’d like to share some of my favorite quotes to kick start a new week …

• “You’ve got to continue to grow, or you’re just like last night’s cornbread–stale and dry.”  Loretta Lynn
• “Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them” W. Clement Stone
• “Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.”  Auguste Rodin
• “Life is a gift and it offers us the privilege, opportunity and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” Anthony Robbins
• “Take a chance!  All life is a chance.  The one who goes the furthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare.” Dale Carnegie
• “Even when opportunity knocks, you still have to get up off your seat and open the door.” Author Unknown

How about you?  Do you have a motivational quote you’d like to share? I’d love to read your comments below!

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Jill Shea has been a successful work-at-home mom for over ten years.  For more contact information head on over to About Jill .

Reading: The Best Place to Get Bookings is at Your Parties

I read this yesterday and HAD to share with you.  Great information from Julie Anne Jones!

“I’ve made no secret about the fact that I didn’t like creative bookings when I was working my party plan business. It was just no fun to pick up the phone to get bookings. That’s why I always made it my goal to get as many bookings as I possibly could at my parties. There is an art to this, however. Today’s home party guests are smart and, frankly, a little jaded. They’ve heard every “canned pitch” to book a party you can think of and don’t want to be leveraged (which is what they expect).

I also only booked with hosts who were at least a little enthusiastic about doing a party with me. I had more than one conversation with someone who was being bullied by the host to have a party in which I actually talked them out of it. I would look at the less-than-enthusiastic host and ask, “Do you really want to do this?” If the answer was any variation of “no,” I offered to hold a catalog party instead. The point is, you want to make sure you’re not only getting bookings, but you’re also booking parties with quality hosts.

Here are some simple tools to make sure you’re getting enthusiastic new hosts from every party you hold.

• It’s all about the experience! Make it fun for your current guests and they’ll be excited about creating the same experience with their friends. If someone isn’t having a great time at your party, there’s no way they’ll want to book one of their own.
• Use tools that support communication with potential hosts. I talk a lot during my trainings about the Guest Care Card (which gauges your guest’s interest in booking a party and learning more about your opportunity using a scale from 1-10) and a Wish List instead of an order form so that you can see all of the products they like and offer to help them get many of those things for free or 1/2 price by booking a party.
• Create a booking commercial and make sure you do it at every party you do, NO MATTER WHAT! (You can learn more about creating an effective booking commercial here).
• Use the language of offering instead of asking. That means offer to come spoil your potential host and her friends with a great experience that’s all about her.
• Find a fun way to display your open party dates (I used a Booking Tree. What’s that? You can read about it and see what I’m talking about here)
• Most importantly, make sure you’re dropping booking seeds throughout your party, focusing on the next month’s host special and all the benefits your current host is getting as you go through your presentation. Just make sure they’re seeds you lightly sprinkle, not full grown trees you’re bashing them over the head with!

Always remember that guests and potential hosts are smart and they’ve probably all had a bad experience at a home party in the past. Never talk “down” to them and don’t patronize them. Best to just be yourself and relax. I guarantee, more people will want to sign up to spend more time with you if you’re focused on that.

How about you? What booking tools work best for you at your parties?”

Julie Anne Jones is a success language consultant, a direct sales coach and trainer, and the CEO of Julie Anne Jones, Inc. She is known for her authentic and easy-to-use scripting and specializes in specific language and tools for success in direct sales. To learn more about Julie Anne and her products and services, visit her at www.julieannejones.com or check out her blog athttp://julieannejones.com.

What Are You Afraid Of?

What are you afraid of?  If you’re not sure about a direct sales business the first thing to keep in mind is are you excited about the products?  Can you see yourself doing this?   Are you talking with someone who has achieved the success you dream of?

When you believe in your products and the company you’ll be headed in the right direction.   You’ll be able to learn everything else as you go along.  It’s normal to have some fear if you’ve never done this before  just don’t let that fear stop you from living your dreams.

Don’t wait until you think you know it all.  Most of us don’t have a degree in direct selling.  It’s important to dedicate yourself to learning everything you can about this industry. Most of us have never done anything like this before. Most of us don’t have a background in booking, selling and recruiting; therefore, we must learn through doing and by following other successful people.

Be prepared to commit time to your direct sales business.  It will not grow on it’s own.

The key to success in this business is continually listening and being willing to learn and reach out to others.  Fear Not!

Love & Success,

Jill Shea

Drop a Pebble in the Water – Are Your Words Careless or Cheerful?

Have you read this poem before?  It’s one of my favorites about the volume of one kind word by John W. Foley.

Drop a Pebble in the Water

Drop a pebble in the water; just a splash, and it is gone;
But there’s half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to sea.
And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.

Drop an unkind word, or careless; in a minute it is gone;
But there’s half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on.
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading, from the center as they go,
And there is no way to stop them, once you’ve started them to flow.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness; just a flash and it is gone;
But there’s half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave
Till you wouldn’t believe the volume of that one kind word you gave.

That poem gives a great visual about the power of one word.  Reminds me of what I’ve been teaching my daughter…be slow to speak, quick to listen and choose your words wisely.   Good words to live by don’t you think?  Do you have a favorite poem or motivational quote you’d like to share?  I’d love to hear from you!

Love & Success,

Jill Shea
Photo Credit: nxb

6 Self-Confidence Boosters!

Would you agree with this statement?  Self-confidence is the single most important component of happiness.

I do believe that to be true and also believe that you must maintain confidence in yourself AND business in order to be successful.  I call it taking your vitamin Bs.

• Believe in Your Products
• Believe in Your Company
• Believe in YOURSELF!

The last vitamin B is especially important!  You MUST believe you can do what you are doing.

Now for a quick self-esteem boost, complete the following sentences every day to remind yourself just how amazing you are!

1. I kick butt at ____________________ .
2. I’m getting better and better at ______________ .
3. I’m proud of myself for __________________ .
4. I made ______________ smile today.
5. I make a fantastic _________________ .
6. I know I can do ______________ today.

I’ve had these taped to my bathroom mirror for years and can’t even remember which magazine I found it in but it does help to give you a quick self-esteem boost!  Try it out for three weeks, what do you have to lose?  Start every morning or end the day readings these 6 positive statements to yourself.

How about you, do you already do something like this?  Do you have any self-esteem boosters you’d like to share?  I’d love to read your thoughts and comments below!

Love & Success,

Jill Shea

Financial Management for Women Available!

I’m absolutely THRILLED to share the Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF), the nonprofit within our industry dedicated to promoting ethics and educating the public about direct selling, is sponsoring a teleseminar series on financial management for women.

Thanks to the DSEF sponsorship, this is completely free!

You can get all the details here: MoneyWise Women Get Smart series

Love & Success!

Jill Shea

6 Things I Will NOT Eat at Fast Food Restaurants

Do you tend to go through the drive-thru several times a week?  Sometimes it’s just unavoidable and fast food is convenient when you’re in a hurry.  I know how it can be…need to get the car packed because you have a party tonight, kids are running around, you’re trying to figure out what to wear, need to feed the dogs, not sure what to make for dinner so take out or picking up fast food is the quickest option.

Here’s 6 Things I will NOT eat at Fast Food Restaurants

1. Arby’s Beef-n-cheddar 440 calories
2. Burger King’s Whopper 700 calories
3. Hardee’s Double Thickburger 1,420 calories YIKES!!!!!
4. McDonald’s Big Mac 560 calories
5. Sonic SuperSonic Cheeseburger 839 calories
6. Wendy’s Big Bacon Classic 580 calories

Now that’s not to say I will not eat at these restaurants because there are alternatives.  I love that McDonald’s now offers sliced apples instead of fries and a variety of salads.  They’ll also give you a sheet with all their items’ nutritional information so you can see the amount of calories.  I was reminded last year by a fitness instructor that you cannot just exercise and eat whatever you want,  80% of your health comes from what you eat and 20% is from exercise.

This week I came across a GREAT article I wanted to share with you.  There are many choices we can make when eating out to keep our bodies healthy and full of energy.   Check out the complete article here -   Drive-Thru Nutrition .

You can live your life any way you want but you can only live it once!  Take good care of YOU.

What about you?  Do you have any low-cal items you recommend when eating out?  I’d love to read your comments below, let’s keep the conversation going!

Here’s to Life, Laughter and Good Health!

Jill Shea