Quick Tips for Party Plan Success
E-mail tips delivered free every fortnight, with ideas, strategies and tools to make your party plan business a success.
"After reading this awesome material, I got so excited again. I got on the phone and managed to book in 4 parties that night, all one call after the other which was fantastic!!!" Trudie Smith, NZ
Sign up for Quick Tips Here!Short, snappy and useful ideas to help you in your business, fortnightly to your inbox - and receive a free article - 'Get Bookings FAST!' as a welcome gift |
| Click on a topic to read a past Quick Tip | |
| Recruiting Tips: | Booking Tips: |
|
The Dangers of Talking about percentages- Part 1 |
Get More Bookings at your Parties When they say "I'll get back to you"... |
| Party Tips: |
Organising Tips: |
| The Pregnant Pause |
|
| General Business Tips: | Trade Show Tips: |
|
Are you Ready for the end of Year? |
|
______________________________
It's the time of year
where we take time to reflect and be grateful for all the good things in our
life.
How are you planning to
show your appreciation to all the people who have been important for your
business this year? Make up some beautiful
invitations and get ready for a fun night of spoiling the people who
supported your business throughout the year. Make sure it's a night to
show your gratitude, not a disguised attempt to boost sales or recruits.
There's nothing wrong with a business component but don't make it the main
focus. There are limitless ideas
for what you can do. Hopefully these give you a starting point for getting
your creative juices flowing! Whatever you do, have
lots of fun and be generous. This is the time to 'give back' and you will
find that by doing this well you will develop loyal hosts that continue to
help your business flourish into the future.
Often when people have this experience its because they have been focusing on the wrong thing. While you are talking to a passer-by about your products at an expo and maybe (or maybe not) getting a sale, lots of people have walked by your stand without stopping. A sale is a one-off. You want to expand your business with bookings, recruits and life-long customers. You will recoup your entrance fee to the expo many times over once you do this successfully, not from sales on the day. Have a survey form which people fill out to enter a lucky draw. Make sure there aren't too many questions - here is a sample you can use for ideas. Make sure you call the people who are interested as soon as possible. They have filled out other forms at other stands, and you need to call before the other businesses do. From the survey form you have an idea of whether they are interested in the products, a party or the business opportunity, so you have a starting place for your conversation.
Last Quick Tips we looked at how to
improve your chances of success at a Trade Show with a carefully
thought out survey form for people to fill out to enter a lucky
draw. If you missed this Quick Tip, you will find a link to it
here under Trade Show Tips. Once you get home from a Trade Show you
can find that you end up with many forms all filled in, with lots of
people wanting parties and to look at the business. This is very
exciting and straight after the Trade Show you will feel very happy
with your "results". Once you start the phone calls,
however, you may find quite a different story. Many people aren't
interested after all and this can come as a very unwelcome shock. What has happened is that often people
think that if they tick the right boxes it will increase their
chances of winning the draw. So, when you call them to book the
party they said they wanted, they actually aren't interested at all. As people fill in forms at your stand,
chat briefly to them. You will get an idea of their actual interest.
Once they have left the stand, and
before you put their form in the box, write on it as much
information as you can about them and what you talked about. Give
them a code - H (high interest), M (medium) or L (low).
Once you get home from the Show call
the H people first (as soon as possible) as they are the most likely
to be genuinely interested in your products or business. Then, call
the M people. There is probably no point in calling the L people.
Because you have written notes about
the person and what you talked about on their form, you will
remember them and be able to make a connection quickly with your
phone call.
Make sure you call them very quickly
after the Show, so that you are one of the first to contact them. If
you wait, they will have had many calls from other companies who
were at the Show and will either have made commitments to them so
not want to meet with you, or be tired of hearing from people.
There is a lot you can do before you even get to the party to maximise your bookings and recruiting opportunities.
Once you are at the party though, booking and recruiting starts from the moment the first person arrives.
You need to be completely set up, so you can be present with, and focused on the people. As guests arrive, they see you as a salesperson. There could be some mistrust there as people wait for you to pounce! It's right at the beginning you must try and change this view so they see you as a real person.
Chat to people (not about your products or business), find out about them and how their day was. Be friendly but not overbearing - give people their space.
If you can find common ground with people, or even better find out that someone knows someone you know (you will be amazed at how often this happens when you talk about interests and children), you will suddenly find barriers come down, people are keen to chat and feel safe asking you about booking a party, or even joining the business. It's often like someone has waved a magic wand - any tension in the air vanishes!
This business is all about relationships, so relax, chat and enjoy being with people and you will find they feel comfortable enough with you to want to see you again - either at their own party, at an appointment to learn about the business or at the very least they will talk to their friends and recommend you to them.
Plus you will have lots of fun and since you will have earned people's trust your sales will be most likely be high as well!
Do you want your business to be bigger, better and more successful? Or would you like it to be more organised, less stressful and more streamlined?
Continuous Improvement is something that Japanese companies like Toyota have used to become economic giants. It works for them, and it can work for you too.
To continually improve, you need to constantly reflect on how you are
doing. Don't try and change everything at once - do it gradually and the
changes will be permanent and effective.
Try this:
Ask the following two questions after every party, every recruiting interview, at the end of every week and month and after you run a training session.
Congratulate yourself for what you've done well, and think of ways to improve on what you could have done differently. There is no failure - there is only room for improvement!
Make this a habit and watch every small change you make increase your business success before your eyes! Continual small steps turn into big improvements (and bonus cheques) very quickly!
When you are talking to someone about your business opportunity, people will sometimes wonder if this is one of "those pyramid schemes".
When this question comes up, it's important not to feel defensive. Remember that they don't know, they aren't trying to offend you and are simply asking for information.
Try saying something along these lines:
"No, this is not a pyramid scheme. Those are illegal and I would never be involved with something like that.
I wasn't sure about the difference myself at the beginning, so I checked it out to make sure I was clear.
Pyramid schemes are scams and they rely on recruiting people to make money. There is either no product or just a token product for sale. In a legitimate direct selling company like <your company>, it is possible to make good money just selling the products.
In our company we do not have to recruit if we don't want to and anyone can make great money just selling our products. We are also rewarded really well if we do choose to build a team. One of the parts I love most about <your company> is being able to help people get started and develop successful businesses of their own."
This reply:
-
Acknowledges that this is a valid and good question.
-
Clarifies the difference between a pyramid scheme and your business.
-
Lets the person know that they have a choice in how they run their business (should they decide to join).
-
Lets them know that if they join your team that you will be supporting them and helping them get started.
Now the "dreaded question" is much more welcome!
If you are not getting bookings, but feel you are doing all the right things, it's time to have a big think about what you are portraying. What do people see and what are they experiencing?
- How long do your parties take? If they are too long people won't want to book their own.
- Do your hosts prepare lavish spreads? Ask them to provide only a basic supper - a packet of biscuits and coffee is fine. If it looks like a hassle to host a party people won't want their own.
- Are you friendly and informal? Would you want to take YOU home to meet your friends? Make sure you look, act and speak like someone people would feel comfortable to invite into their home.
- Are you desperate for bookings? It might come across in your manner and it's a real turn off for prospective hosts. Relax!
- Are you having fun and pleased to be there? - if you are enjoying the evening they probably are too and will be more likely to book.
- Are you on time and professional? Reliability is very important and first impressions last a long time.
What else do you think might come across as off-putting to people? It's worth thinking about asking someone who is good at booking to come and watch you do a party. Don't be nervous about this - she is there to help, not judge you, and her visit could make a huge difference to your business!
It's so easy to put Customer Care calls to the bottom of the priority list. We know they're important but it's really easy not to get to them.
We think we will get to them when we get a free night - but when that free night comes along, do we?
The truth is that not doing the calls makes our business harder than it needs to be in the long run. Customers are our business, Word of mouth is extremely important - and worth more than any advertising you can pay for. The way to get it is easy - look after your customers.
It's far easier and more profitable to keep existing customers happy, than spend time looking for new ones. Studies show that over 80% of sales come from the recommendations of satisfied customers. Sales and bookings come much easier when you have a strong relationship with customers. You will also find that when you need a favour there are plenty of people willing to help.
When you look after your customers well, lots of good things happen for your business:
- The customers will get to know you and feel comfortable with you - maybe even enough to ask about your business opportunity.
- They will pass your details on to other potential customers and tell them how well they are being looked after.
- They will learn how to use your products well and be interested about new product releases.
- They will actually phone you with orders and bookings - imagine coming home to and answerphone full of messages like this!
- You will start to climb the leadership ladder of your company - and it will all seem so easy!
- You will make strong relationships and friendships with people - some of my best friends now are people I met 10 years ago as my hosts and customers.
Don't let anyone say this about you: "Once I bought from her I never heard from her again".
Look after people, build relationships and make sure when they need more product you are the first person that they think of to call.
When it's booked more than 21 days away.
Your new host is most excited and motivated soon after making the booking. Let too much time go by and she gets busy, leaves it too long, finds it all too hard and postpones - or worse, cancels completely.
Booking more than three weeks away simply does not make good business sense. You will have a business hampered by parties that don't hold - and you cannot earn an income from cancelled parties! Better six bookings in close than sixteen far out in your diary.
Don't let your host tell you she needs four weeks to get organised. In reality, despite our best efforts, most people organise their party two days beforehand anyway.
If someone insists on booking outside 21 days, take the booking (in pencil) and let her know you will be in touch three weeks beforehand. That is when you will give her the host envelope with the up to date promotions in it. That way you get a chance to confirm her within 21 days and to re-excite her. Do not bother host coaching her or giving her the envelope before then as your efforts may be wasted and the contact closer to the date will be much more effective.
Booking in close is not just something that sounds like a good idea - it relates to success in your business, therefore money in your pocket.
|
|
|
Your diary can easily end up in a mess by the end of the month as people change their party dates. You may have to cross them out and rewrite them, sometimes more than once. You can end up with scribbles, arrows, white-out and squashed up writing that is hard to read.
Try this:
Write the booking details on a small Post-it and
stick it in your diary on the appropriate date. Only write it directly into
your diary after the party has been held. Up until then anything could happen
and if a date moves you can simply shift the Post-it. No more mess and much
better organised!
Transfer the Post-it to your customer care call list once you have done the
party and go from there!
When they say "I'll get back to you"...
When people say, "Yes, I want to have a party, but I will call my friends first and then get back to you with a date" they usually have all the best intentions in the world - but it's likely to all get too hard and they will end up not calling back - and not booking a party at all.
Try saying this:
"I know you would like to check with your friends so that everyone can come, but you might find it really hard to find a date to suit everyone.
We do need for both of us to be free for your party though, so what we could do is find a date that suits the two of us first, and pencil it in.
It's not confirmed, but at least when you call your friends you have a date in mind and if it doesn't suit too many people it's no problem to change it."
People are normally very happy to do this (it does make good sense, after all), and almost every time the party will hold on the exact date you "pencilled" in.
Learn how to tell when someone is interested in finding out more about
joining your business. Sometimes people want to know more, but don't know
how to ask - and are maybe scared of being pounced on if they do!
People who are mulling things over in their mind will often ask one or more
of the following questions at a Party, and they probably don't mean quite
what you think:
DON'T give casual, throw away answers to these questions. They are important clues! Make sure you think about how you want to reply next time one of them crops up.
For many, phone calling is one of the least favourite parts of their business. No wonder when you think about it.
From your point of view you have to explain who you are, remind them where you met and tell them why you are calling. You may (rightly or wrongly) feel that they aren't all that pleased to hear from you. If you are calling because you badly need sales or bookings even worse!
From their point of view: They were happily going about their day, busy doing whatever they do when you called. Out of the blue you interrupted to ask them for something. Their first reaction is naturally to say 'no'.
Write a short note to the people you will call this week, reminding them of who you are and your reason for contacting them. Include the latest company information, details of any offers or promotions and let them know when you will call.
When you call you will not be interrupting out of the blue - they are expecting you. They have already thought about what you want to talk to them about and are ready with their response. You will find the call easy, quick and to the point. You will come across as organised and professional, and the experience will be cringe-free with a higher success rate.
You've done the presentation, everyone loved the products and they have had a great time. Now it's time to get down to business and for people to start ordering what they want.
Do you sometimes get to this part and find an awkward silence descend upon the group? No one wants to talk or even look at you for fear of being pounced on. (Even though you wouldn't do that they are cautious, just in case).
Once you come back in everyone will be relaxed and chatting and you will be able to help them with their orders and questions without any awkwardness at all.
Get more bookings at your parties
The best (and easiest) place to get future bookings is at parties. If you are struggling with this it may be as simple as mentioning bookings earlier in the evening.
If you wait until near the end to talk about hosting a party, people will not have had time to process the idea and it will be instantly filed in their "too hard basket", resulting in no bookings for you.
"Before we get started, I'd like to thank Mary for having us here tonight. I met Mary last week at a party that one of her friends was having and she liked the products so much she wanted to give you a chance to see them too.
I have a small gift for you Mary, to show my appreciation for organising this evening. (give it to her in front of everyone).
By the end of tonight if any of you feel that your friends might be keen to have a look at these products, you will have the chance to do the same as Mary and book your own party."
There! You've said it! You've planted the booking seed and people can now think about it throughout the evening. Make sure you nurture this seed throughout your presentation by mentioning bookings several times in different ways. Get ready to collect your harvest of bookings at the end (don't forget to ask for them though, or all your efforts may be wasted!).
Return to Top
Do you sometimes have trouble with party guests getting out of control and
having their own long (and sometimes loud) conversations while you are
trying to talk? It can be uncomfortable for you, and difficult to bring
attention back to your products without looking like you are telling them
off and trying to spoil their fun. Don't engage in the conversation, try to catch the host's eye and give her a
little smile. Don't look annoyed - just be patient.
They are there for a social time and some fun, don't forget - not a lecture.
So allow them a little time, sit quietly and before long people will notice
and start paying attention. When they do, you could make a joke about how
they obviously have lots to catch up on, so you want to get finished as soon
as you can so they can get back to it.
Return to Top Have you been hit with the "Postponement
blues"? Here are some ideas that might help: Make sure you phone to confirm with your
host the day before the party. Call her before she has a
chance to call you to leave a message on your answer phone. 2. Even though she wants to postpone until a
date when "everyone can come", it's not likely to happen. If you go ahead
with the evening, chances are she will get excited and make a new date
anyway - this time with much more enthusiasm which will actually get people
there. 3. Often by removing the stress factor
(which may be why she is trying to postpone) and making it relaxed and "no
problem", when you get there you may find that there are some guests there
anyway. Use your common sense, of course when it
comes to certain circumstances such as illness and misfortune. There are
some situations that definitely require compassion and an "OK".
When she says she needs to change the date, DON'T simply say "OK". Instead
try saying this:
"I've already put the night aside for you, so why
don't I come over anyway. If there's only 1 other person
(2 others, only you) it doesn't matter
- we could have a cup of coffee and a play with the products"
Here's the point of it:
1. You were planning to work that night anyway, and often this type of
1-on-1 leads to very good sales or even a recruit lead.
So: DON'T just say "OK" - try to keep the date.
We are coming up to the most important month of the entire year
(November) as far as
party plan selling goes... are you ready?
3 Great reasons to book as many parties as you possibly can in November:
-
There is the opportunity to sell more this month than any other time of year with Christmas only weeks away.
-
Many people would love to save on Christmas gift spending by receiving some free or discounted products through hosting a party.
-
November sets up your year for 2009. Momentum generated now continues into December and results in party bookings for January.
What can you do to prepare?
-
Set your goals - how much money would you like for your own family Christmas? click here for a worksheet you can use to work out how many parties you need to do before Christmas to achieve it.
-
Book as many parties in as you possibly can NOW. Don't take bookings for December until mid way through November - they are likely to cancel if booked too far in advance.
-
Consider a special promotion of your own just for hosts.
If you found the Christmas worksheet useful, there are others available
free from our website - click
here.
Return to Top
There are many reasons people would choose to join your company. Can you
remember what it was for you? What are the reasons you continue to love the company you are with? Now, think about when you are talking about your business opportunity, or
anything to do with how fantastic your company is. How much of what you say, or the support material you show, relates to
your reasons? Chances are, quite a bit - and you may not
mention any of the reasons other people could have at all! ...which means there are people who could well be interested if given the
"right" reason - and you are missing them. Remember - recruiting is not about you and what pushes your
buttons. It's all about theirs!
As I am sure we are all
aware, times are tough in business at the moment, and every industry is
working hard to find ways to weather the storm.
Party Plan is one industry that continues to
bloom and grow in an economic downturn. If you understand the conditions and
what you need to do, you can achieve marvellous success in this economy
because:
Recruiting may be
easier. More people are looking for ways to bring money into the
home. Conventional business is expensive and risky to start, and the job
market seems to be shrinking daily. Party Plan costs very little to get
into, and can return an income after only a couple of weeks. Click on this
link to read more about recruiting in a difficult economy: CNN
Money Report
Booking may be easier. People want to be able to access
your product cheaply as hosts, and when times are tough social get togethers
provide a great outlet and diversion for people.
Sales may need extra work. With less disposable income
around, sales per party may drop a little. You may need to be prepared to do
more parties than normal to maintain your income. Let's face it, who doesn't
have to work a little harder at the moment? One or two extra parties a week
isn't a huge ask. You may also need to get creative. Money and spending are
priority issues - how can you bring your products up the priority scale for
people? And to boost your income, how can you increase sales outside
parties? Everyone is affected by the
current economic situation and we all need to get creative. Do more parties,
focus on giving fantastic value for money and recruit like crazy (making sure
you support your recruits well to help them make the money they are joining
for). Learn all that you can and find and try new ideas. Do all
this, and when the economic slump is over, your business will be a force to
be reckoned with. Not only will you have done well through a time when many
people in other industries are really struggling, but the accelerator will
well and truly be on! You will be on a VERY fast trip straight to the stars
(if you aren't there already)!
Take advantage of the incredible opportunity that this economy gives us as
Party Planners. It's there if you want it!
Not everyone has their Christmas shopping
organised in advance, and because of this shops are busy right up until
Christmas Eve. You can be too.
Christmas is the only time of
year I suggest you consider buying a little extra stock. Buy only the most
popular items in your range, and wrap them beautifully. Use them to generate
instant sales once delivery before Christmas closes for orders from your
company. There is no need to stop earning income until the very last minute! Organise an Open Home where you invite
customers to come and do last minute shopping. It's a good chance to thank
them for their support over the year and enjoy a drink and some Christmas
Cake with them. Put some products in a basket and visit
businesses and offices where people are likely to have little time for
shopping. Offer them your beautiful products already wrapped and take some
of the stress away from them. Let people buy your wrapped gifts on the night
at parties as Christmas gets closer. Make sure your customers know that your "shop"
is open right up to the last minute, and that you can gift wrap and deliver.
Successful businesses take advantage of all
selling opportunities. If you do all you can to generate sales right up to
Christmas Eve you will finish the year on a high, ready to take a well
deserved break with your family, and have some extra cash to enjoy your
holiday even more.
If you were going to paint a masterpiece this year, now would be the time to
gather all your paint and brushes, to think about what you want to create,
draw the outline and then to start filling it in. In business it is no different. It's time to gather your enthusiasm and
tools, think about what you want to create, then make a plan to get
started. Your canvas has already been primed and stretched. You are starting with a
business that already has customers, possibly bookings and recruits and the
experience you have already gained. Even if you are brand new in the
business you are still starting with your initial training and your new kit. With that in mind, you are ready to start creating your year. It won't all
go smoothly, and there will be times that things seem to be going wrong. You
probably have a good idea about what they might be already - and you
can even plan for those times in advance! We have created a worksheet for
you to plan your business year and invite you to make yourself a coffee,
find somewhere quiet and sit down for half an hour to do it. We are excited about 2009. There will be a new book on Party Plan
Leadership, online access to training and workshops, greater support for new
Party Plan companies, a brand new website and of course, Quick Tips free to
your inbox every fortnight. We hope that as we work to fill our canvas this year, we will be helping you
to fill yours. Click
here for your worksheet.
When you are talking to people about what they could earn if they joined
your company, do you sometimes feel you are losing them? Or if they do join,
does it seem that they aren't all that committed? When you are recruiting people, make sure that what you say is relevant and
real to them. Keep talk of percentages to a minimum until the person you are talking to is
very interested and excited.
"You will earn 25% on your sales and then a bonus
of 3% once you get your sales to $1,500. You will also earn 4% on the sales
of anyone you recruit and when you get to Manager this will increase to 8%."
This is NOT exciting! Percentages mean nothing and are very unlikely to
result in recruits who are on fire and determined to make it happen! People are interested in what they will put into their pocket from their
work - so talk about an hourly or weekly rate: If an average party returns
$100 income and it takes 2 hours of work - that's $50 per hour!
If you then translate this into what the money can actually do
for them, you will find people join your business with a whole new
mindset. Talk to them about what they would do with the money, get them
visualising actually having it to spend. Not only will this make recruiting easier, but your new people will join
with a clear goal of what they want - and they will feel more confident
and motivated to reach out to get it.
Check your recruiting literature;
if there are lots of percentages and not much else, you might want to
consider modifying what you are giving potential recruits. Download our
free template for an idea of information you could give people that talks
to them in their language and not percentages!
Last Quick Tips we looked at how to talk about
income when you are recruiting people. We mentioned the importance of
not getting stuck on percentages but focusing on actual money in the
pocket. To read this Quick Tips in full,
click here.
Another reason talking about percentages is
not always helpful is that it encourages people to compare companies and
make a decision based on who they believe pays the most.
The most important factor in earning money in your
party plan business is how you feel about the products. If you love
them, you will always sell more than you would with a product that isn't
your "thing". No matter what company you are in, or what the pay plan
is, consultants are more likely to make good money when they love the
products they are working with. This is an important point to get across to people as you talk to them
about the business.
When you are recruiting and
you start trying to "sell" someone on the percentages that your company
offers, apart from seeing their eyes glaze over, you are also giving
information that actually means nothing at all! If people really want to make comparisons, then make sure they
compare "apples with apples" - and the only way to do this is to
talk about money in the pocket - not percentages.
Company "B" offers 31% on retail sales.
Firstly, what are average party sales? If Company
A has a $600 average and Company B has a $300 average, then income from
an average party looks better from Company A.
Although you can earn 40% from Company C, based on
points, the actual percentage of retail sales is less than that and may
be more in line with the other 2 companies. The match between the person and the products means much more as far
as income goes than percentages and averages. Remember this when you
are recruiting and be prepared for some excited new consultants
(without glazed-over eyes) coming on board!
2009 sits in front of us like a blank canvas. What will you paint on yours?
To run a successful business it is extremely important that you are easy to get hold of. Customers could call with orders or to book a party, hosts could call or your Manager could call with some exciting news.
If people can't leave a message they will give up very quickly, and if it happens more than once they could give up for good.
Voicemail is inexpensive and will pay for itself very quickly. Make sure you have it on your phone. Record a clear message for people, which is friendly and businesslike. "Cute and funny" messages are best kept on a separate phone line that is only for family members and friends.
Make sure that if someone calls you they never hear an engaged tone. Have your voicemail set up so that it automatically answers if you are busy talking on the line.
Call waiting allows you to hear beeps if someone else is calling while you are on the phone. Only switch to the new caller if you have let the person you are talking to know that you are expecting a call and will need to take it if you hear the beeps.
A BIG advantage of Voicemail is that it allows you to control the phone - rather than it controlling you. You will be able to return calls in your own time rather than talking at random times all through the day. This will make you more efficient and more in charge of your own time.
Is your business not going quite as well as it used to? Chances are you have stopped doing some of the things that were bringing you success. Think back to the time you were happier with your business and write down everything you used to do, as well as how you felt about your business at that time.
- do follow up customer calls more consistently?
- always call the host the day before?
- write personal thank you notes?
- run special promotions for your guests?
- ask for bookings differently?
- be more proactive in getting outside orders?
- do more phone calls?
- be more organised? In what way?
- feel more excited about the business? (how you feel is catching!)
It could be a seemingly small thing that has changed - and if you reinstate it, may just get you into that "better place".
Have you ever found yourself making a decision for someone else - without even letting them know you are doing it?
It's very easy to meet someone at a party that looks exactly like the type of person we would love to have in our business, and instead of offering them the opportunity to consider our business, we talk ourselves out of even mentioning it to them.
- She's got a full time job, she won't have time for this.
- She's a professional person in a management position. There is no way she would consider this.
- She has 6 small children, she won't have the energy.
- She lives too far out of town, it would be too hard for her to get in to do parties.
- She mentioned she isn't well, this would be too hard for her.
... and so on.
It's not fair of us to do this, especially when the person we are making the decision for might be looking for exactly what we are offering! (Or in this case NOT offering!)
The person working full time or in a management position might be yearning for more time with her children or a less stressful life.
The person with 6 small children might be desperate to put clean clothes and lipstick on and do something for herself.
The person living out of town might be feeling lonely and isolated and be more than happy to travel into town to spend time with other people, and earn some money.
The person who is not well might just be very grateful to have something to do that takes her mind off her discomfort.
It's not for us to decide for others. Offer the business to everyone you believe would make a good addition to your team, regardless of their situation. They are big enough to decide and let you know for themselves. At least give them that chance - and don't fall over with surprise when someone you were sure would say NO, says YES!
Are your children causing you frustration? You love them dearly, but sometimes they just aren't helping you reach your goals.
Maybe they need a goal too? After all you are working for one, and you need the children on your team if you would like an easier, less stressful life. It's work for them too!
- being quiet and patient when you are on the phone.
- answering the phone nicely.
- getting ready for bed with no problems.
- not complaining when you are going out to work.
- maybe even helping with getting orders ready or sticking stamps on newsletters.
If they would do some of these things, would it make reaching your goals easier?
Talk to the children about goal setting (in an appropriate way for their age of course!) and what you are working for. Let them know that they are an important part of your team to make this happen. What would be worth the work for them? A family holiday? An X-Box? For younger children it might even be something like a pony ride. Let them think of something that would really make it worth the effort for them.
When you have agreed on a reward, put pictures on the fridge or on their bedroom wall and start working as a team towards your goal.
You may find attitudes change over night. When I started this with my own children suddenly if I was home one evening I got comments like "Mum, shouldn't you be out?", and my daughter made sure her brother was very quiet when I was doing my phone calls.
You may find that even the smallest children will become interested in how you are all going towards the goal - so put up some charts to monitor how you are going. You will find your own determination rise as well - you won't want to have to tell your child that you missed the goal so the pony ride is off, will you?!
One of the important aspects of recruiting good, keen people is having a business yourself that they look at and say "I want what she has". They will then join you hoping that you will show them how to get it.
Are you making any money? It doesn't have to be thousands of dollars, it just has to be enough that it is making a difference. If you are not, you will not find people lining up to do what you are doing!
Before you can successfully and consistently recruit people who will be an asset to your business, you have to be doing it for yourself. If you are struggling to make headway, what is it that you are inviting other people to do? Struggle with you?
If you are new in the business you need to have made a good, enthusiastic start and be loving your new business.
If you have been in the business longer you need to be able to show that you can continue to get bookings and make some money.
You need to have your name appear in the company newsletter or achievers list as often as you can for credibility and proof that you really are doing what you say you are doing. This is a powerful recruiting tool in itself as people want to join someone who can help them.
If you are not doing many parties, not only will you not be making money, but you won't be meeting enough potentially interested people and you certainly won't be looking all that excited about your business! Recruiting will not happen.
Working to increase your bookings before attempting a recruiting drive is the best thing you can do. You will be making money, meeting lots of interested people and looking confident and excited about your business opportunity. You will become a 'people magnet' and they will want to join you.
Sign up for Quick TipsShort, snappy and useful ideas to help you in your business, fortnightly to your inbox - and receive a free article - 'Get Bookings FAST!' as a welcome gift |