Getting the Most from Your Direct Sales Convention

Many of you will be attending your company’s National Convention this summer. Going to big conferences is one of my very favorite ways to get energized and inspired. So many great ideas to implement. So many great goals to set and work toward. There’s only one problem. Overwhelm. I used to get home and get so overwhelmed by my new information and my new goals that I either flew around in an unfocused frenzy or did nothing - at all.

 

Some of you may have no idea what I’m talking about (!) but just in case you know someone who has felt this way after your company’s Summer Convention, here are a few tips to keep you sane and focused while you are there and after you get home.

 

1. Before you even get to the convention - maybe while you are on the plane - think about what you want in the next six months. Write down three things that would thrill you if they happened by December 1 or January 1. Just three things.

 

2. As you attend workshops and listen to speakers, take notes on the ideas that will help you get those three things. Just those three things. If you muddle your mind with ideas that aren’t immediately useful, you will quickly move into overwhelm. This is hard, I know. But believe me, taking strategy notes on 3 goals will keep you plenty busy.

 

3. Connect with your team in a meaningful way. Ask questions and listen, listen, listen. Support what your team members want from their businesses. Understand their frustrations and help them find useful practical solutions to their challenges. Help them get what they want. You will be amazed at how that will help you get what YOU want:)

 

4. When it is time to say goals out loud, avoid the temptation to say something that will impress those around you or that sounds as big as the next person. Say a goal that feels good and authentic to you and that you feel is a stretch, but in the realm of doable. Again, this is tough in the rarified environment of a convention. Remember, I want you to come home inspired and focused with an achievable goal out in front of you that will pull you forward into your business. What others think is none of your business.

 

5. Lift up someone who is struggling. Every now and then I hear a horror story about a someone who is practically shunned  in her company because she dared admit she was having a tough time. How sad - and what a poor reflection on the industry. Find someone who needs encouraging and give them your full support and attention. You will be the better person for it.

 

And most of all - have some fun.  This industry is supposed to be just that - FUN!  So enjoy yourself:)

 

Love & Success!

Sarah

 

Motivating Your Direct Selling Team

Hi All!

I was on a great call today abut coaching and motivating your direct selling team.  The coach who was leading the call offered this Aesop as an illustration of the choices we make when we are trying to get others to take action.

The Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger. Suddenly they saw a traveller coming down the road, and the Sun said: “I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can cause that traveller to take off his cloak shall be regarded as the stronger. You begin.” So the Sun retired behind a cloud, and the Wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveller. But the harder he blew the more closely did the traveller wrap his cloak round him, till at last the Wind had to give up in despair. Then the Sun came out and shone in all his glory upon the traveller, who soon found it too hot to walk with his cloak on.  He was so warmed by the sun that he voluntarily removed his coat.

After reading and pondering this story, ask youself these questions:

1. Are there times when I try the strategy of the wind to get others to do what I want them to do?

2. Can I learn something from the strategy of the sun?

3. How can I apply that starting right now with my team?

I aspire to be more like the sun, so I am going to figure out how to connect what I want others to do with something they want to do anyway.  That is the secret of this story:)

Enjoy!
Sarah

How Can I Help You With Your Business

Frequently during my private or group coaching sessions, the topic at hand will wind down but we still have a few minutes left in the session.  One of my favorite things to do at that point is to simply say “How Can I Help You?”

Of course this question is usually followed by about 30 seconds of silence while the listenes ponder the question! But what follows are usually very meaty, real-time, relevant topics that everyone on the call is interested in.

I would like to throw out the same question to this group.

How Can I Help You?

If you will take a minute and post your response to that question in the comments section of this blog, I will answer either publicly or privately in the most helpful way I can.

Looking forward to it!
Sarah
www.directsellingleaders.com

 

Traveling to a Convention This Summer?

Hi everyone!

Summer is fast approaching which means many companies are hosting Annual Conventions. These are great opportunities for learning and remembering why it is you’ve chosen to do what you do.

All the travel expenses can take a real bite out of business profits, though, so I’ve found a tool that helps me make the most of every dollar! I’d like to share it with you so you can be a savvy convention traveler, too!

www.biddingfortravel.com will give you the inside scoop on how to make priceline work for you - especially when it comes to hotels and rental cars. You can see exactly what people bid to win a hotel room and you see exactly which hotels are the “usual suspects” for priceline.

On top of that, if you take the time to read and learn the inside strategies, you will be able to master getting a great hotel **exactly** where you want to stay! For example, I just returned from Sedona, Arizona. Hotels there this time of year start at $125 for the most basic 2-star experience. Using Bidding for Travel’s information, I stayed at a Hilton Resort, got a king suite (lists for about $425 a night) for $120/night AND I knew that that was where I was going to stay before I ever started bidding.

Oh and I got a rental car for $17 a day.

Like I said, you have to do some reading and take the time to teach yourself the strategies, but it is well worth the $$$$ you will save when you travel to convention!

Good Luck!

Love & Success!
Sarah

Get Your Direct Selling Year (and Rear!) In Gear

Hi Everyone!

My post today is actually an audio! If you want to grab some instant and profitable tactics for your business and get the “inside scoop” on exactly what strategies I teach to my intimate Get Your Year In Gear class, give this audio a listen: http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/Wt52qSmk

And, it isn’t tool ate to register for my Get Your Year In Gear class that is starting April 3! If you are curious and want to know if this class could be what you are looking for, check it out right here: http://www.directsellingleaders.com/gyyig.html

Love & Success!
Sarah
www.directsellingleaders.com

Finding Your Vision - in Your Business and Your Life

As the Get Your Year In Gear class that I teach reaches it’s second week, some participants seem to hit a wall. I’ve asked them to create a vision for where they want to be in their life and their business (using the techniques in my previous post) and they simply don’t think they HAVE a vision. (One reader made a comment about that last week.)

I believe we all have a vision tucked deep down inside of us - we just need to do some excavation work to uncover it:)

The first step in this is figuring out where to dig. I have two suggestions that really help determine where your heart’s vision resides:

1) Three 15 minute walks this week. Here are the requirements for this walk: no ipod or walkman and no companions to talk to. This is not a walk about exercise either. This is a 15 minute walk to observe the world around you. Notice what captures your attention, what draws your eye. Don’t judge whether it should or shouldn’t - just notice it. You can even do this in a store like Target - notice what makes you say “hmm…..i like that” or “oooo….I want to look at that or smell that or listen to that or touch that.” Your only job is to observe what interests you.

2) Pull out that stack of magazine. Again - this is a 15 minute exercise. As fast as you can, go through those magazines and rip out the images that immediately speak to you. Doesn’t matter if you don’t know why; doesn’t matter whether they should or shouldn’t. Just rip them out. Do this at least 3 times.

Now, pull together what you observed about your interests in the first exercise along with the images you pulled out of the magazines. Look for commonalities. Look for themes. Look for colors. Our inner selves “speak” in images - and the clues you’ve assembled have much to say to you about where you want to go.

If this kind of conversation is interesting to you, check out my next Get Your Year In Gear class that starts April 3: http://www.directsellingleaders.com/gyyig.html.

Love & Success!
Sarah

Mapping Your Direct Selling Success

One of the strategies I teach in my Get Your Year In Gear class that will PULL your business forward, almost effortlessly is to create a powerful vision for your business and your life. Participants in my classes find this exercise to be both motivating and inspiring, and I’m certain you will, too.

Once a year, I schedule a short retreat to work on my vision for my life. This includes my business as well as all other areas of my life that matter to me. I take this retreat away from my office but with my family (though you can do it alone if that is the best way for you to get uninterrupted time). I spend about 4- 5 hours each day thinking about and choosing what I want in the next year, the next two years, and the next three years. Because I am highly visual, I actually envision the details of what my life will look like at that time. Then, I create goals that will take me to my chosen destination. My husband and I talk about my vision and goals – he gives me great feedback and helps frame everything in reality.

When I am done, I have what I call my Success Map. Creating it reminds of why I love to do what I do and gives me the “how’s” that truly inspire my passion for my work. It also acts as a system of checks and balances to guide me away from conflicting priorities and overwhelming life-loads. If I find myself stressed and exhausted, I can check my map and see where I made a wrong turn and got off course.

The first step to creating your own Success Map is summoning a powerful vision of what you want your life to look like in every area. Knowing where you are going makes your journey so much easier, faster and, simply more enjoyable.

Here are some steps to get you started:

Step 1. Book Your Personal Retreat

No one is going to give you permission to take this time away, so you must give it to yourself. Isn’t your life, your happiness, and the peace and prosperity of your family worth it? I usually take 2-3 days for my retreat because I also combine it with family vacation. This may not be possible for you. So, I suggest you book a whole day away from the office – even if you are at the library – to focus on this important task. If you have children, drop them at school, daycare, or the sitter’s and head straight for your retreat. If you “just run by the house”, you will never leave. Stop reading right now and go get your calendar. When can you commit to doing this?

Step 2. Retreat Activities:

You will need a beautiful notebook and your favorite kind of pen.
Answer these questions for yourself:
What do I want my life (your whole life) to look like in 1 year? In 3 years?
What is the most inspiring, compelling vision you can dream of for your future?
What will your business look like? What will other important areas of your life look like?

So that you don’t set yourself up for frustration, try to frame your vision in reality. For example, if you’ve never run a marathon before, your chances of winning a marathon in the next year are pretty slim. In the next three years, you can absolutely do it. So what is a reasonable goal in the next year? How about beginning marathon training and running in a couple of half-marathons? If you are willing to forsake everything else in your life, you could actually become competitive in full marathons before the year is out. Are you willing to make that kind of sacrifice? Choose now so you don’t get frustrated later.

The truth is you can design your perfect life and you can design the perfect business. Do you want to earn six figures working the hours and days you choose to work? If that is your dream, it is achievable. You won’t get there overnight, but if you plot your course and design your map, you can get there sooner than you think.

To get your writing started, try this Ideal Day exercise. Imagine that you are waking up in your perfect life. What kind of bed do you wake up in? Who is next to you? What does the room you wake up in look like? When you go to your closet, what kinds of clothes and shoes do you find there? When you look out your window, what do you see? When you breathe deeply, what do you smell? When you get ready to go out, what kind of car is in your driveway? How do your important relationships feel? Who are the important people in your life? Fill in all of the details and do the same for your business. Who are you working with? What kind of clients and consultants are you attracting? What days do you work? What kind of activities do you do on those days? When do you take vacations? Design a vision of a life you absolutely love!

Once you’ve written it, you will get excited and energetic. And, you can start setting goals and making choices that will turn your vision into reality.

If you and your business need this kind of strategic thinking to get you where you want to go, I invite you to consider joining my next Get Your Year In Gear class jut for direct selling leaders. Read more about it and discover if it is right for you here:

http://www.directsellingleaders.com/gyyig.html

Love & Success!
Sarah

Success Story: A Direct Seller Makes Herself An Expert

I could not be more excited to share this success story with you!

Last month at a live workshop, I talked about a strategy that will set any direct seller apart in a loud, crowded marketplace. That strategy is positioning yourself as an expert. Here are a couple of ways to do that:

1) Put together a 30 minute presentation about what you help your prospects do. For example, you might help them turn their home into a sanctuary (with fabulous decorating products), or you may help them prepare fast and healthy meals that gets the family to the table together (using great cookware).

2) Become an expert columnist for your local community paper - The Beauty Expert or The Scrapbooking Expert for example.

Now it is important to note that you can’t overtly sell your products in either of these scenarios. You talk about your expertise and give tips and tactics that your audience can use no matter what products they have. BUT when you use visuals at your presentation or mention what you do in your author byline - that is the place to mention your company.

So - now to the success story. A member of the audience who heard me mention these strategies, went home and contacted her local paper and they fell all over themselves asking her to be the Beauty Columnist for a paper with a circulation of 9000!!!! Her first column will run today.

This stuff works - so I hope you will try it!

Love & Success
Sarah

The Challenge of Recruiting in Direct Sales

Recruiting is down.  I hear it across the industry. I also hear everyone scrambling to explain why.  They are focusing on the wrong thing.

We can spend lots of time trying to diagnose why OR we can examine our recruiting tactics, sharpen them and move forward.

Which sounds like the bigger help to your business? Right.  I thought so! So let’s look at a 4-step process to re-focus your recruting strategies.

1) Who are you recruiting?  Anyone who breathes?  That might be your first mistake.  Take a look at your team.  Who do you naturally attract?  What kind of person do you work with most easily to build success?  Write out a description of EXACTLY who you are looking for (some of my clients even name their perfect prospect).  Yes I am asking you to be selective - extremely selective.

2) Once you’ve defined your very specific prospect, pull out all the material on your business opportunity.  Now divide a piece of paper into two columns.  On the left side, write down all the challenges you can think of that your specific prospect might experience (lack of time with children, for example, or lack of career growth in current job).  Once you make that list, move to the right-hand column and come up with a specific way your business opportunity might solve that challenge.  Yes, I am again asking you to be specific:)

3) When you are out and about at your shows, classes, networking events, etc., ask my favorite question “So, what’s your biggest challenge these days?” - stop talking and listen, listen, listen to what they tell you.  Do not, I repeat do not, jump in the first time they draw breathe - let them talk and talk and talk.  Your job at this point is to gather important information - that is all.

4) Using your two columns of information and the challenges your conversation partner just laid out, you can help them solve their biggest problems with YOUR products and services.  Now don’t throw up on them.  Ask for permission to share some things that MIGHT help.  Then share just a couple of things from your list.  Stop. Wait and see if they move toward you.  If they do, great, continue the conversation.  If they don’t, change the subject so you don’t seem pushy.

This is by no means a fool-proof formula and I am not guaranteeing that it will rack up recruiting awards for you.

I am promising that you will appear more professional and more interested in the other person’s needs by using this approach.  You will also position yourself as someone who is more interested in others than in “pushing” your business opportunity. 

I can also promise you that this approach will set you apart in the loud crowded marketplace of recruiting in direct sales/network marketing - and that is something you can be proud of!

Love & Success!
Sarah

Go Courting This Valentine’s Day!

I have a special Valentine’s Video Message just for you!  It’s all about setting yourself apart in a loud and crowded marketplace.

Check it out here: http://members2.viditalk.com/view/?id=9S9HMWJIA7DWYDD5POGRH

Love & Success!
Sarah

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