It's Not About YOU

I was told a story of an experiment a man tried on an airplane. On one leg of his flight, he talked non-stop about himself to the person sitting next to him. The next flight, he asked the person next to him questions to learn about that person. Both people were interviewed after leaving the plane. The first person said the person sitting next to him was the most boring person he had ever met. The other person said the gentleman was so interesting and that he enjoyed talking with him. Hmmm. It goes to show that IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU!

Dale Carnegie once shared this brilliant thought: "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you."

According to Belinda Ellsworth, motivational speaker and direct sales trainer, "These words have literally changed my life and the way I do business. When communicating with others, the more impressed you are by them, the more impressed they will be by you. It's not about you; it's about them!

"When you're at your shows or sharing your opportunity, always understand that you're not the star. It's not about you. It's about the people whom you're trying to reach. Stop talking and start listening. Effective listening is a two-way street. It's a dialogue, not a monologue. This give-and-take is where the greatest learning takes place."

My challenge for you this week is to take a genuine interest in the people you meet. Be positive and look for the good in everyone. The more positive you are and the more you care for others, the more people will be attracted to you -- in your business and your life.

Sorting Orders and Post Cards

Here are some more helpful hints from Laurie H. She makes an effort to supports her hosts’ when they receive their order (she ships party orders directly to the host to allow her more time with her family, to do her business, and it saves her money.) She has had great success and her hosts love seeing what everyone purchased. I agree with this - every time I get an order in I take off the lid of everything and sniff -- and it gives me ideas for what I want next! I encourage you to try this, too!

Laurie's idea:
I have a small "Wrap It Up" packet that I mail my hostesses after I see her party has shipped (usually only cost a regular 42 cent stamp). I don’t mail it too soon because I don’t want it to get misplaced before her order arrives. The packet includes the following items:

*Enough re-order stickers for each candle
*"How to sort your party" letter (see text below)
*The yellow receipt copies for my hostess records and the pink copy that she can use to sort the party. This could be used like the packing list.
*Post cards from Vistaprint.com that say:
"Thank you for your recent Gold Canyon Order. As always you don’t have to wait for the next party to order. You can call, email, or visit my website any time. Remember Gold Canyon fundraisers earn 40% profit! Be sure to trim your wicks to 1/4" to ensure even burning."



How to Sort & Distribute your Gold Canyon
Candle Show

Invite everyone over to your house after you receive the party for coffee and doughnuts to pick-up their orders. This is another opportunity for friends to get together and you will not have as many deliveries. After seeing what everyone purchased, guests may choose to place another order!
This could possibly be a catalog party for you allowing you to earn even more FREE Gold Canyon product!!!

Here are a few simple instructions on completing your show:

1. Remove all products from the boxes. Lift bottom box flaps and check for wick dippers and bookmarks. These sometimes work their way to the bottom. Also remove all grey foam inserts. Product sometimes will slide between the side of the box and this insert.

2. If you have any damaged or broken candles, please call me ASAP!

3. If there is no damage or broken candles, please place one gold reorder label on the back of each candle. Turn label sideways for the 5oz candles, and on the bottom for the pillars. Please do not place stickers on the box.

4. Bag each customer individually and if customer has ordered more than one candle that is not in a box wrap one of the candles in one of the white bags included with your order and in your labeling packet mailed to you. Writing the customers name, and how many bags they have, on the front of the bag makes it easier to pass them out.

If you have any questions during this process, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Demonstrator’s name
Gold Canyon
Demonstrator’s phone number
Demonstrator’s email
Demonstrator’s web address

Flip Your Lid!

Below are a couple of ideas that was shared by Laurie H., Sr. Manager from TN:

Situation: Laurie went to a Pampered Chef party to purchase a specific pitcher. A customer at the party started telling everyone how her pitcher fell apart and wasn’t good quality, etc. Of course, the Demonstrator was horrified.

Laurie decided to start doing “Flip your Lid” calls to customers after they received their product. The purpose was to make sure the customer had taken the lid off her candle and started using it. Then Laurie would ask if the candle was burning the way she expected, smelled the way she expected, etc. If there was an issue with the burning, she would offer candle care tips. If this was a first time customer and she didn’t like the fragrance, she would try to replace it with something she had.

The main thing Laurie learned from the Pampered Chef party was that she didn’t want customers sitting at another Gold Canyon party talking about a candle, etc. they were unhappy with from their last purchase.

Laurie would also tell the customer she had an order going in soon (even if she didn’t have an order—she would send one in after getting enough sales) and ask if she wanted to order anything. She said she is having great success adding additional sales.

When Laurie makes the “Flip your Lid” calls, she keeps the conversation to talking about a maximum of 3 things to keep the calls short. That way when she calls this customer again, the customer is more willing to talk because she knows Laurie is not keeping her on the phone.

So, “Have you flipped your lid yet?” What a great one-liner to start the conversation!

Another idea Laurie uses when coaching her hosts: She tells them if they get 10 or more guests at the party, she will give them an extra 10 oz. candle. She then uses the Host candle availble inexpensively on your supply order.

You could also offer “an ounce for every guest in attendance.” If she has 16 guests, she would get a 16 oz. candle of her choice as a bonus. I would do the Host candle for 10 guests and then give her a goal of 16 guests she would get a 16 oz. of her choice, 26 oz. with 26 guests, etc.

Usually, I don’t like encouraging Demonstrators to give ‘extra’ to a host; however, this is a great sales tool because we know if we get the guests to the party they will purchase and book. The host has to ‘earn’ this gift.

Thanks, for sharing your ideas and success!

These are my challenges to you:
1. Start today doing your “Flip your Lid” calls
2. Make note of open-ended questions you will ask the customer
3. After you have made 10 “Flip your Lid” calls, share this information and your open-ended questions with me by phone or email.
4. Do 4 “Flip your Lid” calls a day for the next 5 days and report back to me.
5. Continue following-up with your customers.

Enhance Your Success and Your Income

"Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do."

--Pope John XXIII7

Do you realize how lucky you are? You are living in the land of opportunity. You are living in a time when everything is moving so fast, today's technology will be outdated tomorrow. That's exciting, because there is always opportunity in an ever-changing world. You can have anything you want but you may not want it bad enough to go after it. WOW!

I just attended an amazing training event (as a student) so I could learn about the new software we invested in last year. I was in a room with over 600 other entrepreneurs all eager to learn. It was awesome! Every one was so excited. It reminded me a lot of you and other direct sellers like yourself. You are excited to succeed in your business! You want to have a consistent "weekly income" but too often you let things slip through the cracks.

When you joined Gold Canyon you probably made a conscious decision to learn all you could before you got started and then when you were supposed to attend the first training something came up and you couldn't attend. The second training, another catastrophe struck and pretty soon you said, the heck with it, I'll just go out and muck my way through it and see if this direct selling stuff works.

A colleague of mine has often said, "I'm constantly amazed at how stupid I was last week." He is a constant student of learning. He reads one book a week, he attends trainings and workshops in his field and no matter how much he knows he said he always comes back from a training or meeting having learned as much if not more than some of the paid attendees. By the way, he is the speaker at the events.

Why is it, the people who already know a lot are always the ones eager to learn more? What are you doing to gain the competitive edge over other salespeople in your company? What will distinguish you from the "rest of the pack" when you are at a trade show or vendor show grabbing at the same people to get them to come to your booth?

Are you willing to go the extra mile for your customers? Are you willing to invest in yourself and your business? Are you going about your business in the same mediocre way because you are too stubborn or too lazy to change?

Some people have probably already quit reading by now. The sad truth is, it's probably the one's who need this information the most. I just have to say, I am really tired of the lousy attitudes of most people. I'm tired of hearing about the lousy economy (I live in Michigan so you can help us by buying a US made automobile.) I know people are out of work and I feel sorry for them, however I also know one man's misfortune is another man's opportunity.

Some people will go for another two or three years looking for the perfect job instead of trying something new and different. There is an amazing opportunity to earn an above average income with your direct selling company. How many unemployed people have you shared the opportunity with? Granted, this business is not for everyone, but are you at least sharing it with people to let them know what a fantastic opportunity it is?

Are you just like the others who are making excuses as to why they don't have the bookings, sales, recruits and money they want? Is it every one else's fault or is it your fault you don't have the income you want to take your family on vacation this year? Whose fault is it you don't have the money to pay off your credit cards? If you are in direct selling it's your responsibility to set goals, create and action plan and get off your bottom and go to work. I know you don't have a time clock to punch in to work (maybe you should) but don't you think you should show up for at least 10 hours a week?

If you are sold on being in this funky state of mind I wish you luck, since you'll definitely need it. If you are ready to step put of your recession and you want to take the next step toward financial independence and lifestyle freedom then continue reading.

Get out of your own way. Your negative thoughts are preventing you from having the success you desire. In his book "Success Principles", Jack Canfield suggests you put a rubber band on your wrist and every time you have a negative thought snap the rubber band and replace it with a positive thoughtI know many people who would be black and blue because they had to snap themselves so many times. I hope you aren't one of them. Do you find yourself doing just enough to "qualify" each month to reach your minimums. If so you will never rise above the mediocrity you continue to plan for and accept. Maybe it's time to "raise your own bar". You will never become better than your most dominant thoughts. If you have a severe case of "stinkin' thinkin" as Zig Ziglar would say, it's time to put some processes into action to change your thoughts to begin to change your life.

Face your fears. Are you one of the people who are afraid to take action because something might go wrong. GET OVER IT! I'm currently reading a great book that provides a whole list of people who went bankrupt at least once and then continued on to become very successful. If fear is preventing you from trying something new or taking the next step stop and ask yourself this question. "What is the best thing that may result from me taking this action." If the best thing that can happen is a whole lot better than the fear you are allowing to consume you then "put your big girl panties (or big boy boxers) on and deal with it" You will be instantly amazed at how much more you will accomplish in less time with less energy (worrying drains the heck out of you) and with much more enthusiasm.

Start Studying. How much time and money have you invested in yourself to increase your worth. Since January I have already attended one training and I have registered for two more to attend this year. The total cost for all three trainings including hotel and airfares will be approximately $12,000. Some of you are thinking, is she nuts? I guarantee you what I am learning is imperative for my success and the information I learn is passed on to the members of Direct Selling Doctor. I have been learning sales and marketing skills and have begun to teach these same techniques to our members to use in their direct selling businesses to help them keep the competitive edge over their peers. I also attend sales trainings, Direct Selling Association Events and other things that will help me to help you! You must be learning all the time! When is the last time you picked up a business book and read it from cover to cover?

Become a student of success. "Those who perceive themselves to know the most often find themselves at the bottom of the success ladder."--Karen Phelps

Keep Marketing. As soon as you get a prospect, customer or hostess you can't assume they are yours for life. You must continue to market to them. There are many ways to market to your list including mail and email. Every time you market to your list you need to have a reason for contacting. It could be notification of a sale, special promotion or upcoming event. Keep your name, number and website in front of your list all the time and they will soon become your loyal fans.

Get to Work. I am utterly amazed at how lazy people become when the economy is unsettled. It's like they are looking for an excuse not to go to work. There is such a thing as "speed to market" and the bottom line is when you have a new idea, or learn a new procedure you must be ready to begin using it right away. I realize now, that is what distinguished me from so many others when I was in direct selling and that is what distinguishes me from others today. I never took time to overanalyze anything. If it sounded good and I thought it would get me results I went ahead and jumped in. Too many people find themselves waiting for the perfect time, the perfect situation, the perfect prospect or whatever other stupid excuse they can find to not go to work. NOTHING AND NO ONE IS PERFECT! We can all hope to be great at best but I will never pursue perfection. It is a useless and complete waste of my time. I will always keep studying and working to improve but perfection is not a goal of mine.

Go the Extra Mile. What have you done to provide extra service for your customer, hostess or recruit. I have an awesome consultant, Melanie H., with Gold Canyon, who did my show last fall. She has since called me at least 3 times to make sure everything was okay and to follow up. She even ordered a replacement for a damaged item that was not ordered from her. She wanted to make sure I am a "satisfied customer." DO YOU FOLLOW UP AS CLOSELY with your hostesses and customers? I've got to tell you, Melanie is on the ball! I've had numerous other consultants over the years and most have been pretty good, but no one, SO FAR has done such an exceptional job to keep me as a customer. You need to spend as much energy keeping your hostesses and customers as you do getting them in the first place. Satisfied customers will re-order, refer and book a party from you. They will not even consider dealing with someone else because you have taken such good care of them. I have a whole list of people I CHOOSE TO DO BUSINESS WITH, because of the good customer service. I have sales clerks in some of my favorite stores who contact me when things they know I like go on sale, (more stores could benefit by doing this), I have preferred waitresses at many of our favorite restaurants and we've been know to wait for a table in our favorite waitress' section. Do your customers look for YOU?

Get to National Convention. There is absolutely no reason for you not to attend Gold Canyon's Annual Convention. (Well childbirth and caring for ailing parents could keep you away) You should also be attending the leadership teleseminars if you are a leader. What could you possibly think you have to gain by staying home? Are you using the lame excuse "I can't afford it?" (Wow, if I had a nickel for every time I heard that from someone in direct selling I'd be wealthy.) Do you understand how important it is for you to associate with and be around other happy, motivated, successful people from your company? If you don't have the money, here is a homework assignment: BOOK SOME PARTIES! How many? As many as it will take for you to get enough money to pay for your registration, airfare, meals and other expenses. ARE YOU WORTH IT? I think you are! I think you should do everything you can to make sure you are at Gold Canyon's convention. I have heard so many stories from consultants who swear that attendance at their company convention changed them and their business. Sometimes you just have to do what you KNOW YOU NEED TO DO! Sometime you have to figure out a way to make it happen.

Remember, you don't get what you deserve in life, You get what you plan for and work for. Are you willing to work for what you deserve? Tough times call for tough people and you will find the strong will survive and even prosper with their businesses. If you are not on road to prosperity it's time to begin the journey. Your next best life is about to begin with a single step. What are you waiting for? Do something NOW!