The Price is Right Game

I did this game twice this week and it went over well. It's a fun alternative for your regular party product/host/opportunity presentation.

I wrote mine on 3x5 cards but you can probably print from here - but you'll have to make adjustments depending on what items you have in your inventory to show. Use the catalog for description ideas. Take with you: Monopoly money, a little hourglass or timer, a bell or buzzer, customer contact cards or slips of paper, a small prize (or 2 in case of a tie)

Give each guest $100 to start out. Sit the bell, timer and an addition $300 on the table. At any time, if a guest decides to book they can pick the $300 up off the table. Have each guest complete the customer info cards or put their name on a ticket, and collect. Pass out the commercials to guests and ask for a Vannah White to come up to be your lovely assistant.

Draw the first 2 contestants, they need to come up front to the bell. Introduce the first items up for bid... Gold Canyon's new Seasonal candles! "All 3 of these candles are the perfect choice for your home or a gift. first, our 16oz Orange Pomander, comes in a simple, elegant glass design embellished with foil stamping, 3 wicks and the fragrance of juicy mandarin orange covered in whole cloves..... second, our 13oz Apple Dapple Drops, with a cheery red grossgrain ribbon makes this ready to give! has a real recipe to try under the top label and smells of caramel, apple, ginger and nutmeg... finally, our 15.5oz Spiced Gumdrops candle - with a home crafted charm and the fragrance that will warm your home with the sweet delights of an old-time holiday favorite. Two of these candles are the same price and one is not - which item up for bid is NOT the same price as the other two?" First one to ring the bell gets to answer. In this case, the Orange Pomander and Spiced Gumdrops are both $17.98 and the Apple Dapple Drops is only $15.98, so the correct answer is Apple Dapple Drops. Award the correct answer with $100 and give the loser $100 for playing. Offer a bonus either to the contestants or your studio audience to tell how much the actual retail value is for extra cash.

Now it's time to pause for a commercial break. Have the first reader announce the Host specials for the month. Novembers:

"Tonight's program is brought to you by Gold Canyon ~ bringing you the World's Finest scented products and an opportunity for individuals looking for inspiration to discover and elevate their natural born talents. HOST a party this month and receive $20-40 MORE host rewards!! A $550 party normally gives you $80 and this month you get $100 plus 2 1/2-off items and a FREE 16oz Cinnamon Garland candle. That's $162.97!!! Book yours now!"

Turn the hourglass over and open up to your audience for questions on the host program. Everyone who asks a question gets $50 each.

Draw 2 more contestants. Introduce the 2nd item up for bid. I had the new Patchwork Pottery pod warmer I wanted to show off. So as Vannah was showing it around the room I read, "Gold Canyon's Suddenly Scented line offers unlit expressions of fragrance in Room Sprays, Book Marks, Diffusers, Auto Fresheners, Sachets, Linen Scent and Scent Pods. Our new Patchwork Pottery pod warmer is a pretty way to liven up a room. This quaint, detailed design features checks and stripes in vibrant colors, a lovely addition to your home or office. Convenient on/off switch with timer option of auto-off at 4, 8 or 12 hrs. No fuss, no mess, no flame!" This is the "More or Less Game". The first contestant to tell if this item is MORE or LESS than $31.98 wins. The actual retail price of this item is $29.98 so the correct answer is "LESS". The person who guessed correctly gets $100 and the loser also gets $100. You can offer a bonus by not telling that and letting them guess the actual price - and open up to the audience if you wish.

Pause for another commercial break. This one is the sponsoring information from the monthly promotions. "Now, a word from our sponsor..." (have guest read)

"Gold Canyon proudly offers ways for you to stimulate your income - make money NOW by joining our team! This month there are 3 choices for signing up from $20 to 3 easy payments of $49.99 - or earn it free with $700 in sales PLUS get $25 Gold Dollars and refund your shipping if you earn the kit free!"

Turn the hourglass back over and open up for questions on demonstrating. Hand out $50 for every question.

Have the guests count their money and the two with the most get to advance to round 3 for our Showcase Showdown. You are going to showcase 5 products and they have to total the amount of all 5 products, without tax or shipping, and the contestant to guess the price without going over WINS! You might offer and pen and scratch paper for the really competitive ones. I tried to have items from our different lines for my showcase showdown. Let Vanna help show each item and you give a short description. Here's mine:

"19oz Baking Line in delicious Caramel Ginger Strudel comes in a reusable kitchen canister, burns up to 170hrs... 35oz Homeology Peppermint Eucalyptus Glass Cleaner - plant based, made with real essential oils, worry and streak free... Emerge Out on a Limb Body Lotion 8fl oz of a wonderful lightweight formula with botanical nutrients to restore your skin in a feminine fragrance... 4x6 Heather & Hyacinth pillar candle - a sweet and inviting fragrance in olive green, 39oz, burns 150-180 hrs... 4-pack Apple Orchard Pearadise Votives, 2oz each, petite simplicity, inviting aroma with a soft glow, now offered in 25 fragrances."

Give the girls time to add it all up. Let each contestant announce her bid. The actual retail price is $75.90 so the one closest without going over wins. You might consider letting the audience participate if both contestants go over. Award the winner $100. Also let them know if this was their order, they would save $5.75 this month with the Nov. customer promotion of saving 25% off one item on orders over $75.

Thank the guests for playing and remind them to have their pets spayed and neutered!!! Award a gift to the big winner (the one with most $$$) An alternate way to play is have items for sale such as tealights for $300 each, votives for $400, etc.

Have fun!!

Halloween Party Game

Happy Halloween month! Following is a fun Halloween party game submitted by Patricia McCoy.

The demonstrator brings a small gift wrapped in a halloween treat bag (or whatever you have, black, orange, yellow or purple). No one knows what's in it. Then she hands it to the first guest to arrive (or someone else after all are seated.

The game is used as an "ice breaker" to start the night off AND it has a booking seed & an opportunity seed incorporated into the story. The demo tells everyone that when she says LEFT, the person holding the gift hands it to the person to her left and when she says RIGHT, then it moves to the person on her right. The person that has the bag when the story ends is the winner of the gift and then the demonstrator can move easily in to her presentation with the captivated audience.

A Halloween Story
_______________ (Hostess), left her house and was on her way to go pick up the Halloween costume she mistakenly left behind at the store. “I hope the one I picked out is still right where I left it,” she said. ______________ knew that she needed to get back there right away, before there was nothing left. She headed right for the Party store and went down one aisle. She turned left, and then she turned right, and she made her way back down the next aisle for the right costume. Sure enough, there it was, right where she had left it, … right next to the candy. Finally, she had what she needed. So she left for home, to go and carve the pumpkins. When she got home, there were big brown boxes left right on her doorstep! __________________ knew right away that it must have been her Gold Canyon candles… and they arrived right on time for Halloween! _______________ got right to work… she lit her new Gold Canyon candles, decorated the house with her new Halloween candle holders, then carved her pumpkins. Their spooky faces lit right up with her fragrant tealights. When all was done, she enjoyed a wonderful Halloween night with family and friends. Now that I’ve shared this little Halloween story with you, I hope I’ve gotten you into the Halloween spirit. Right now, I’d like to offer you a treat of your own… a chance to treat yourself to a free shopping spree just like our Hostess ______________will be receiving for having tonight’s Show. There’s no trick to this treat! Just pick a date right away to relax with your friends by candlelight and I’ll do the rest. Also, keep in mind, that if you left home with the intention of shopping for gifts tonight, we have the right gift for everyone. Review your shopping list because we wouldn’t want anyone to be left out. We have just the right gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and all special occasions. The holidays are also a perfect time to bring in extra cash in a fun way. If this is the right time for you to explore starting up your own home-based business, please talk to me right after the demonstration. Don’t be spooked! Because there’s no experience necessary and best of all, you can start for only $20. You heard me right! You can start making money right away with a Gold Canyon business of your own! I’m glad to be here with all of you tonight and I hope you have fun, too. And so, without further delay, I will get right to the point, which is showing you all of our fabulous candles and accessories. Therefore, there is really nothing left for me to do, except congratulate our winner, right? Congratulations!

Demonstrators

We have a new teammate that is on fire! Raquel (AZ) stirred up interest in the business with a friend at her first party. She brought the friend, Chrissy to our team meeting and she signed up just after. Raquel helped Chrissy sign up a demo after her first party as well! They've been working together to market their businesses. Raquel is great to update me on her new team's success by email, "She is doing great and excited as ever. I'm helping her with her second party tomorrow. Her recruit is doing great, too and I believe her party is coming up very soon too. We are all pretty much an excited bunch of demo's. We let our excitement SOAR. :) We're tryin to burn some pounds by marketing twice a week in the mornings. It's nice yet I've bumped into 2 old friends in this manner. One gal is going to do a catalog party and the other I need to check in with." I just love hearing about it and feeling inspired by her enthusiasm. Raquel and Chrissy both recently attended the Tucson training meeting with me. She reports, "I encouraged myself to invest in the tealites. The tealites have helped me be stronger in the way of speaking up about Gold Canyon. In order to be successful I have to be out there with my team. We market twice a week utilizing flyers, but when I we see a individual walking into a store, or heading towards their vehicle I get there attention and let them know how wonderful our products are by giving them a brochure, and a free tealite, and I end my conversation by collecting their name, address, and phone number so I can follow up with them in a couple of days. It's a powerful little tool to utilize. From marketing Christy has received one party, and I have received one catalog party. We make action happen every week without out we will not succeed."

Another wonderful demonstrator also attended our Tucson meeting. Megan brought her good friend Eli with her.... who claimed she was just there for moral support. I really enjoyed meeting both ladies and hoped I could get Eli on board, she would be a great demonstrator!! I have since talked to Megan and Eli really is considering joining... come Eli, DO IT!!! Anyways, I asked Megan what she brought back from the meeting and she replied, "it helped me to just refocus and put more time into my business. I have 2 parties scheduled for October 3 and October 4! I have only done one party so I didn't really have anything but the samples to show. So I ordered some things a couple days ago that I think people would buy if they could see it in person. I also have another two parties in the works but one of them wants to have the party in their new home so we are waiting till that gets finalized! If I can get a good base of customers from these parties then I am going to get my website back up and running! Also, I think that I am going to try to make the toffee for the parties coming up! It was soooo tasty and would be a great way to sell the candle!" I can feel her excitement and I'm happy that she has reignited her flame with her candle business.

Thank you Raquel and Megan for sharing your stories with us, and for the amazing work you are putting in to your candle business! We all have a few things to learn from you!

Tucson Regional Meeting 9/1

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending a regional meeting launching our fall products. I was pleased to have some of our team members representing us. I got to present the new fall line up to the group, and brought some home made Caramel Pecan Brittle from the recipes in our new fall catalog. It was a sweet way to showcase our new Sweet Traditions line.

One of my favorite quotes from the evening is "The fortune is in the follow up". I think we often grab our money and run and forget to take great care of our customers. I'm going to work harder at following up with my customers so I can keep them coming back to me.

We had a great presentation about Gold Canyon's Prayer Child foundation. It is important for us to be aware and share what we know with our friends, guests, hosts and customers. It was stressed to push the Prayer Child line by selling at least one at every party. One of the demonstrators in attendance has applied for assistance from the Prayer Child Foundation for a special friend of hers. The program is close to home, there to help and we need to be supporting it.

Notice my pose, I'm trying to show off the Prayer Child Bracelet I won in the raffle at our meeting! It is the new 2009 addition to Gold Canyon's jewelry, silver with a chunky dangling heart, designed exclusively for the Prayer Child Foundation. Buy yours for $75 at http://www.prayerchild.org/. Profits benefit the foundation for children in need. It goes with everything from t-shirt & jeans to dresses and is a great conversation starter for your business!

We received a BOOKING handout I wanted to share with you. Everything in your Gold Canyon business starts when you book a selling appointment. From it comes sales, more bookings, regular customers and new team members. So your first step is to PACK YOUR CALENDAR! When you are writing on your calendar, you are writing in your checkbook!!! All you have to do is simply follow the suggested outline below. Then BELIEVE, WORK, FOLLOW THROUGH and IT WILL HAPPEN!

1. Make a list of every person you can imagine, to ask about giving them an opportunity to introduce their friends to our fabulous new products and scents.

2. Set aside one hour a day, your "Power Hour", each day of the week to work on the phone. Call each person to tell her you are participating in a special program and your assignment is to introduce at least five people this week to our fabulous new products and fragrances. Then ask for a date, giving her a choice (Tuesday night or Thursday night). Next, tell her to please share her Gold Canyon experience with five to ten friends and how she can receive free products. Explain our Host program and current monthly promotions. BOOK HER and then call your next prospect.

3. It is imperative that every one of your customers receives at least one phone call per catalog cycle. Seasonal changes in fragrances and updates in new products make it a vital service on your part as their PROFESSIONAL DEMONSTRATOR. Call and book a home or catalog party by offering the opportunity to earn free products or invite them to your open house.

4. The best possible place to book a party is at your party or open house. Your goal is to always book two selling appointments, one to replace the appointment you just had and one to grow on! Leaving a selling appointment without your 2 bookings is like walking out of your host's home and leaving money on the table. I would be much more excited about a $150 party with two bookings than a $400 party with no bookings. BOOKINGS ARE THE LIFELINE OF YOUR BUSINESS!

5. There are many other ways to book, however, the KEY to each and every approach is simply ask and expect a YES! The worst possible result you will get is a "no" and believe it or not, that will not injure or disable you unless you let it. A "no" is not a terminal situation, unless you want it to be.

These are our regional leaders, Senior and Gold Managers from Tucson. L-R Dana, Toni, me, Kathleen Quirk (home office), Kim, Lisa

Mystery Hostess Event

Plan your own Open House this month and share the Host Rewards with your guests! Your flyer could say something like this:

Don't miss out on the biggest Gold Canyon Summer Event, where everyone can be a winner. Door prizes will be given for all in attendance. You do not need to be present to win the final drawing. Winner(s) will receive a percentage of the Hostess Rewards (Value up to $138*).
*Will be a 1st (60%), 2nd (25%), & 3rd (15%) place winner based on party total. Name drawn only once.Names are entered into the final drawing by the following ways:
1. Receive 2 tickets for attending
2. Bring a friend - receive 5 tickets/per guest
3. Order total of $50 - receive 5 tickets
4. Order total of $75 - receive 10 tickets
5. Order total of $100 - receive 15 tickets
6. Book a party - receive 20 tickets
7. Start your own business - receive 25 tickets

Pod Party

The word is out! Scent Pods are quickly becoming very popular. Be sure to have a POD PARTY this month to introduce all of the newly released pod products to your customers and friends! Call up your previous hosts because they'll surely want to host one, too. Our amazing new and improved warmers with timers and the fact that Gold Canyon is offering OVER 70 fragrances in the pods is really brining in rave reviews! Don't miss out on the excitement!

POD PARTY IDEAS: Use scent pods as prizes and gifts at your party, and be sure to have your favorite fragrance warming when the guests arrive! Have a "Pod Hunt" by handing out catalogs and the first one to find the page with all the pod fragrances wins a prize. Use your creativity and make four "Help Me" pins/necklaces/stickers for you or your host. You or the host will wear all 4 and only remove one to place on a friend or guest who is willing to book a party. If the host gives away one, she gets a free 5oz, if she gives away two, upgrade it to an 8oz, if she gives 3 upgrade your booking gift to a 16oz and if she can get four bookings give her a free 26oz. "Name that Scent" take the lids off 4 or 5 pods and pass them around for the guests to write down their guess. Then tell what the answers are and see who got the most right. Be sure to have a Bonus Pod ready for a tiebreaker! This is a great way to get everyone smelling something new and talking about the products.

The pods and pod warmers are HOT this summer, make sure all of your customers and hosts know about it so you don't miss out on mega sales! Read more about our scent pods using the Labels section in the right column, just scroll down to Scent Pods to learn more ---->

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!

"Big Mac" Scripts

Okay ladies, here's some direct-sales vocabulary for you. The phrase is "Big Mac". At our training meetings my sales manager is always asking us if we make our "Big Mac" calls. You may ask what on earth a "Big Mac" is besides the hamburger at McDonalds... is the Big Morning After Call. This is what you should do the morning after your home parties.

This post is all about Follow-Up calls with your customers. This is the way you will have excellent customer service for your candle clients and it will set you apart from all the other candle girls on the block. Use these scripts and you will be AMAZED how well they increase your sales volume, return customers and sponsoring efforts. At first it feels funny, but you will quickly get the hang of it and before long you won't need your cheat sheet. Practice, practice, practice! I've done this and it truly works. Print this, open your customer database and pick up the phone. I'd love to hear your success stories!

Big Mac Scripts

The telephone is fabulous for follow-up. Don't depend on email. The more calling you do, the better you will get. Practice using these scripts and make up some of your own.

When making Big Mac calls:

“Hi, (Customer’s Name). This is (Your Name) from Gold Canyon. We met last night at (Host’s Name)’s Party. Do you have a minute? I really enjoyed meeting you and appreciated your order.”

If it was the Guest's First Party. say: “You mentioned it was your first Gold Canyon Party. What did you like best?”

If she is a Sponsoring lead, say: “You seemed to really love the product. Your enthusiasm was contagious! You really helped me sell the products. Were there other things you’d like to get that you didn’t get last night? Well, I wanted to let you know that there are two options for getting more product for a very small price or free … one is to book a Party and get all the Host Rewards and the other is to do what I do. What was it about my job that appealed to you?”

Another Sponsoring lead “I was so involved with the other guests that I realized you may have had some questions I didn’t have time to answer. What questions would you like to ask about our Host or Demonstrator opportunities?”

If she was interested in Host a Party, say: “Are you excited about getting all the items you ordered? It was hard to choose from so many great products, wasn’t it? (Customer’s Name), I’d love to do a Party for you and help you get some of the items on your wish list for free. I’m sure you have lots of friends who would be interested in what we have to offer.”

When you are ending the call, say: “As I mentioned at the Party, one of the most important parts of my business is service. You can call me with phone orders. I know how a birthday can sneak up on you sometimes. I can get you candles easily and quickly. Thanks so much for your time, (Customer’s Name). I’ll call you periodically to see what I can help you with.”

If you're calling someone who placed an Outside Order, say: “Hi (Customer’s Name). My name is (Your Name) and I’m with Gold Canyon. I wanted to thank you for placing an order through (Host’s Name). I like to get to know all of my customers and make sure they are aware of all the services we offer at Gold Canyon. Do you have a minute?”
“May I ask who you purchased your candles for? (Pause and listen.) I’m curious about how familiar you are with our products. Is this the first time you’ve purchased them? (Pause and listen.) Have you ever attended a Party?”
“I would love the opportunity to share Gold Canyon in person with you and your friends and family and help you earn free product like (Host’s Name) did. I’m also actively looking for people interested in the opportunity of joining Gold Canyon. May I tell you about it?”

You’re-Worth-Waiting-For “Timing is everything, isn’t it? I understand that you feel the timing isn’t right for you to get started with Gold Canyon. I just want you to know I think you’d be terrific and you’re worth waiting for. If things change, will you promise to call me?”

Party Prep

I was just getting a few things together for a party tomorrow night and I thought I'd post my preparations. It's always fun to see what someone else is doing, so feel free to copy. Hopefully, this will spark something in your own creativity to share with the rest of us. This first picture is my "on time" drawing prize. I do a drawing to open every party - it's a fun way to get everyone gathered so I can start my presentation. Only the people who are there on time get to enter, and I obtain the guests' name and contact information little entry papers. You may recognize this elegant keepsake box from our Boutique Chic line. This is the pretty blue-green box from my FAVORITE candle in this line, the brand-new Woods & Vanilla Romantique. I burn that candle in my bedroom and I always have the cute boxes leftover..... so tie it up with some satin ribbon and voila! an adorable gift box. I had a little bit of paper shred I placed in the bottom along with a car freshener. I applied vinyl lettering spelling "Simplify" to dress up the votive glass. The two tealights in the glass were leftovers out of my own package. It is simple, cute, easy low/no cost, and I think it will be a fun keepsake for whoever wins tomorrow! Use whatever you have laying around to create unique prizes & gifts. Take some pictures and share with us!
These are the gifts for my booking game. After my short presentation, we'll play the game outlined here on the blog under Karen Phelps' convention lecture (find the instructions using the labels in the right column "booking"). I wondered if all my demos knew how cute these bags are, and if you knew they're available to you through the supply orders! On Essentials, click Action/Order Entry/Supply Order and use item #96351, Small Floral Shopping Bags. You'll get a package of 20 for $5.00. They are sturdy and cute and have the Gold Canyon Logo on them so you'll look professional and all. I've also used lunch sacks tied with pretty ribbons and tissue, or reused gift bags when I'm out of the Gold Canyon bags. For these gifts, I just picked items off my shelf that were out-of-date, or that I received for free or discounted prices from previous party orders. So all 3 gifts plus my host gift didn't cost me anything out of pocket - it's stuff I had on hand. Keep your eyes open for good deals so you can do the same. For example, one of these is Emerge Start Clean Body Lather. That would cost the customer $14.98 - but I got it on a promotion about a year ago for buy 1 get 1 free. Since I had stocked up so much I decided to get it out there. It didn't cost me but she'll not only use and fall in love with it, but she's going to think I really went all out for her!! Another bag contains the Garden Sparrow Set from our spring catalog. I used them in my living room all year, but I got bored and they still looked as good as new, so instead of donating them to charity, I dusted them off, put a fresh, new tealight in each of them, wrapped them in tissue paper, and badda-bing, another booking gift. Again, these are a $15-20 value, so the guest is going to feel spoiled. This is all stuff I had on hand by chance this time. You can get by with less if you need, in fact, send me good & cute ideas for inexpensive gifts and prizes, please!

The last thing I was putting together - well it was kind of already done I just had to update a couple of things - is my guest folders. At back-to-school time every year I stock up on these pocketed folders for 10-cents apiece at Wal-Mart. I keep a page protector in it and insert the current monthly promotional flier. For this party, in the left pocket, I put Gold Canyon's Holiday Wish List (.pdf file available through email) along with the second page of November's print quality promo file (available on Essentials, click Current Promotions on home page). I also have an order form - notice it's pink! I hate wasting 1-2 copies of our invoices because I really only need the original and ONE duplicate, not 3 duplicates for crying out loud! So when I get them, I put my contact information on them and then separate half of the copies. (Half of my invoices are white and the customer keeps the canary copy, then the other half are pink and the customer keeps the golden copy.) I try not to be tacky about it - like at this party everyone will have the pink ones. Notice my business card is placed in the front of the folder. If you don't have a business card, make one! Or order through Town & Country (Action/Marketing Tools/Stationary & Logo Merchandise). Flipping the page, behind the flier I poked an invitation card with the picture side facing out. I wrote in a sharpie on the invitation "Book a show with me and receive $10 Gold Canyon Cash". You can give out the actual Gold Canyon Cash guest booking certificates instead (available through Supplies, item #96436, $2 for 20). The post-card is more colorful and candle-ish though. In the back pocket I've placed an Opportunity Pamphlet, which is a recruiting flier that has been discontinued now but I'm using up my old stuff. You could add anything there to personalize it for your guests. I also slide a catalog inside and clip a pen to the front. As guests arrive I hand each one a folder and as they leave they hand them back. Taking eight is usually sufficient, and I always carry extra supplies in case there's a big turn out.

Another thing you don't want to forget when you're preparing for a party is to get change! It's a little embarrassing when it's time to take their money and you can't make correct change. So break up a twenty or two, grab a handful of change out of the ash tray, and take it in a bank bag, cash box or envelope so you look like you're organized with your money! And don't forget to take your samples! (Right Traci????) Tomorrow I'm also taking some fall table cloths and fake fall leaves and a few of my other home decorations to make the table pretty. I'll stick my camera in and if I don't feel too conspicuous I'll snap a few shots for you guys!

One last thing I always do before my parties is raid my house for everything Gold Canyon. I have a little basket of my Homeology sprays, my Emerge products and my 1/2 burnt candles in their holders. I take it all with me - there I will share my personal products for testers and if the host doesn't have a candle to burn I'll let her pick one (or two or three) of mine to have going at the party (Don't forget to take it back home with you!!!)

You know, I'd really love for this blog to become a forum! I hope you're not all sick of hearing from me, but this is what I have to do till I get you all on board! Sign up for a Google account (take 5 seconds) and leave some comments, or email me and I'll post your ideas, pictures and comments. THANKS EVERYBODY! Party Hard!

Just a few tidbits...

Monday I participated in a conference call with other Senior Managers in our region, hosted by our Kathleen Quirk at the home office. I always bring little ideas away with me and thought you might enjoy some of them as well...

Some of the demonstrators expressed an inability to get "home" parties - many are leaning towards "catalog" parties. This wasn't the case with the panel of Senior Managers on the phone, only a few had experienced this challenge. That means LOTS of people out there are willing, and having home parties. But an idea that might help your host lean towards a HOME party would be to increase your offerings; add a little "something" to your host gift and let your potentials know, if they have a catalog party they will get such & such but if they have a HOME party they get that PLUS ________. (Don't break the bank, do something you can afford or that you have on hand already). If any of you have more ideas for this, please comment or email.

Once you get your party on the calendar, be sure to use the booking game explained in the previous Karen Phelps post and you'll get a lot more parties coming down the pipe.

One demonstrator on the call was having a party and the "buzz" was that everyone in attendance had already purchased the candles they needed from a recent fundraiser. (I've heard this one before!) For some, this kind of talk could ruin the mood and dampen the party. But not this demonstrator! She jumped right in with a fantastic plan. She had bottles of the Homeology cleaning products on hand and a roll of paper towels for her demonstration, and she announced "We're going to have a cleaning party!" She assigned different guests a bottle and a task and they all took turns cleaning windows, walls, counters, tile, etc. Everyone had such a great time and the host's home was sparkling! Needless to say, lots of Homeology products were purchased that night! And to top the evening off, they all washed their hands with the Emerge Start Fresh Hand Soap, Grains of Truth Hand Scrub and Raise Your Hand Silk. It was a very successful party. Make sure you incorporate our unique lines into your parties and presentations - especially those of you who have been doing this business for a long time and might be feeling a little "blah".

It's been said that "the eye buys". If you have the resources and talents, take a minute to dress up your candles - a simple ribbon with a jingle bell tied to it, pretty raffia or bows, ornaments, candy, etc. Use little props from the dollar store to make your display more attractive. (See Fall ideas from convention post).

I received by email some spreadsheets you might enjoy and find useful for your businesses. One of them lists all of the current fragrances and prices by category, the other has all the fragrances, prices, tax and shipping (you would need to modify for your rates). You could use these lists for a number things, from wish lists, to party packets, to fliers, and more. If you are interested I will you email them to you.

The last idea is one that can also be emailed or you can create your own. One of the demos on the call uses a 1/2-sheet questionnaire for gathering new customer information. She sits them out at parties, boutiques and craft shows and anyone who fills it out completely receives a free tealight. The form consists of the following fields: Date, name, address, best time to call, phone #, favorite item/scent, party interest, interest in selling, interest in fundraising, email address. Again, please email me if you'd like me to send you a copy.

Thanks for reading! Come again soon!

"Do You Love Candles?"

One of our team demos, Jenny from AZ sent me an email today. She said "I can't seem to find anyone that wants to buy anything, do you have any suggestions?"

I wanted to share my response with all of you as well.

My first suggestion for you would be to try to meet some new people with the purpose of your candle business in mind. For most people, this means getting out of your comfort zone a little, but it pays off. At conference a demonstrator who is doing remarkably well, shared how she experiences so much success. Her name is Roshonda Contee-Davis, and she had a friendly, smiley, outgoing personality. Every person she talks to, she asks, "Do you love candles?" It opens up a conversation that leads to a business opportunity. Almost always, the person will answer "yes", then you can share why you sell Gold Canyon, and tell about our products. Then, give a catalog or business card or whatever you promote yourself with. The person can become a customer, a host or a new demonstrator.

The key is, Roshonda literally asks EVERYONE -- including the person giving her the food at the drive-thru, the lady in line at the supermarket, the insurance service rep on the telephone -- anyone and everyone she talks to, she asks that same question, "Do you love candles?" So let's all give that a good try. Be brave! Just ask that simple question to everyone you come in contact with for a day and see if it opens any doors for you. I bet you'll want to do it the next day, too!

My second suggestion would be practice some of the scripts we were given to "call up" parties. To find these, scroll down to the "Labels" section of the column to the right. Click "Booking" and then scroll down to the post titled "It's a Party Out There". Be confident, you have much to offer!

While you're going about these challenges, remember this: If you want what you've never had you must do what you've never done. My piano teacher used to tell me, "Practice makes nearly perfect" - so everybody, let's start practicing!!! Please let me know how it goes.

Candy Bar Game

Everyone, watch your mailboxes for the Essentials magazine from Gold Canyon! There's lots of great articles for us. Inside the front cover is a recap on the Simply 2 program. Page 1 is Karen's article "Why I Love..." where she shares a cute party display idea for the Snowman Pod Warmer. Inside you will also find great information on Fundraisers, which will help boost your fall sales. The Dear Maven article has some FAQ answers you should read up on to be prepared when your customers ask about our dual wicks and cool-burning wax. The cool-burning wax is always fun information for customers, once I poured some wax onto my arm to demonstrate and everyone gasped. It's amazing that this wax doesn't heat up like normal candle wax and it doesn't burn your skin. My FAVORITE article of the Essentials magazine is on p. 12 called "The Power of Parties". There are great points and ideas in here from Alicia Lundy, a Manager in AZ. She talks about a Candy Bar game that I couldn't wait to share with you! I emailed Alicia right away to get the details, and here is her reply:

CANDY BAR GAME
Recipe For Bookings:
12 Full Size Candy Bars (I use King Size bars)
12 Raffle Tickets (I use GC Contact Cards)
Tape
2 Party Pleasers
1 Grand Prize
Willing Audience

Raffle Tickets
3 ENJOY
2 FREE GIFT
1 GRAND PRIZE
6 LET'S PARTY

Right after you show everybody what they receive as FREE and DISCOUNTED from our Host Rewards and Monthly Promotions, take your basket of candy bars and say…. "We are going to play a SWEET GAME! This is a game of Chance and a game of Honor. I have 12 candy bars and they each have a raffle ticket taped to the bottom. A few raffle tickets say ENJOY and you get to enjoy your candy bar! A couple say FREE GIFT and you can choose one of my free gifts. There is one that says GRAND PRIZE and you are the winner of this (hold up your grand prize). The rest say LET'S PARTY and you are the luckiest winner of all because you get to have a party and receive all of your favorite Gold Canyon products FREE (wave your hand over the grouping of the host rewards and monthly promotions that you just showed them). Now remember….this is a game of CHANCE and a game of HONOR. You DO NOT have to play….however if you choose to play I am going to expect you to hold up your end of the bargain just like you would expect me to hold up my end of the bargain."

Pass your basket of candy bars around the room and watch the bookings flow in. I ask them once they pick a candy bar to hold it with the raffle ticket face down until everyone has picked. As soon as someone picks Let's Party hand them your date card. Anyone who takes a candy bar CAN BE BOOKED! They are willing to CHANCE having a show so GO GET THEM!!!

Simply 2

Last night we had a team tele-conference discussing Gold Canyon's new "Simply 2" Slogan. Much thanks to all the demonstrators who took time out of their lives to join me on the call: Mary (AZ), Kathy (NY), Traci (AZ), Monica (CA), Jenny (AZ), Ronda (NY) and Kelly (MA).

Simply 2 reminds us to do 2 things a day for our Gold Canyon business to remain consistent and help build our teams and sales. The 2 things can be adapted to fit your level of activity, but their recommendations are: 2 Parties per Week, 2 Bookings per Party, 2 Sponsors per Month, 2 Customer Contacts per Day, 2 Fundraisers per Month (and for leaders,) 2 Personal Coaching Sessions per Day and 2 Team Promotions per Quarter.

We also discussed Gold Canyon's Simply 2 Incentive taking place 9/1-11/30. It's an additional way to be rewarded for your efforts in consistency this fall. There are higher rewards available but right now I'm just focusing on everyone achieving the first level. (See full incentive flier at Essentials online.)

MONTHLY REWARD: 4 Parties over $350 = 75 Gold Dollars and/or a $2500 Fundraiser = 75 Gold Dollars

MONTHLY BONUS: Sponsor 1 new Demonstrator = $50 in cash

CUMULATIVE REWARD (Paid out 12/10 for combined totals in Sept, Oct & Nov): Sponsor 2 new Demos + 4 Parties over $350 = $150 Target or WalMart Gift Card!!! and/or Sponsor 2 new Demos + 2 fundraisers over $2500= $150 Target or WalMart Gift Card

Gold Canyon designed this special incentive for ALL demonstrators to succeed. Even if you're starting brand new with no customers - implement "SIMPLY 2" into your business and you will succeed!

We recognize our team members who have already placed a party order over $350 this month and are already on their way to the first incentive: Gina Anderson $485, Christine Dunlap $466, Mary Reynolds $554, Ronda Strauss $353, Lisa Thorpe $406, Monica Vega $451.

20 Selling Phrases

These are some helpful phrases that you can rehearse and help boost your sales and booking techniques. Think of these while you're looking through your catalog to help you plan your show presentations. My sister-in-law shared these with me from her Pampered Chef national convention this summer. Any of you are welcome to share any pictures or ideas that have helped your business, too!

1. "Take advantage of this unique opportunity"
2. "An experience you’ll never forget"
3. "Be the first to have one of these…"
4. "Imagine pleasure when…"
5. "Even better than you possibly thought"
6. "Must have"
7. "A bold new look"
8. "As beautiful as it is practical"
9. "Attractive and welcoming"
10. "A clear choice that only the best will do"
11. "A small investment that goes a long way"
12. "A popular choice for a good reason"
13. "A new twist…"
14. "Ground breaking design"
15. "Updated and improved"
16. "Begin your own family traditions"
17. "This is what everyone is raving about"
18. "Years of knowledge and experience"
19. "Hard to resist"
20. "Let yourself be pampered"

It's a Party Out There

"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it!" ---Michelangelo

The key note speaker at conference on Saturday morning was Karen Phelps, Direct Sales Success Coach. She was beaming with enthusiasm and quick, witty humor, it was impossible not to love her! Her goal is to "keep the fun and profit in direct selling". She shared how our life is shaped by the decisions we have made. We create our own destiny. What are you creating with your Gold Canyon business? 45% of your success comes from prospecting (finding people and telling them what you do). 20% of your success comes from good presentation skills. 20% of your success comes from product knowledge and 15% comes from personal and professional development. So what do you need to do to be successful? Prospect, present, learn and develop. Most of our boundaries are in our head.
"Being successful means breaking down boundaries. No one wants to be mediocre but we are creatures of habit." - Karen Phelps
To help you succeed, you need to write down answers to the following questions and hold yourself to them.
*WHAT IS YOUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR GOLD CANYON BUSINESS?
*HOW MUCH WOULD YOU LIKE TO EARN FROM YOUR PARTIES IN THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS?
*WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR EARNINGS?
*HOW MANY TIMES PER WEEK DO YOU WANT TO HOLD PARTIES?
*WHEN DO YOU WANT TO HOLD PARTIES?
Here are some ideas for booking parties, which we all know, is where the money is at! First we all had to write down 5 potential hosts (try it! It was too easy) She also shared a forbidden phrase. We can not use the words "Do you want to have a party for me?" Instead use this script: "Hi, this is _______. I'm so excited! I just got back from Gold Canyon Convention and we have so many new and exciting products! I immediately thought of you because I know you will love them and want to earn some free! I have a couple of special dates for your party, __________ and __________. Which one is best for you?"

An idea that she brought to my attention is that if we don't treat our business like a business, we won't have regular paydays. That's a big perk of a 'real' job is having set paychecks. So if we want paid weekly or biweekly, we must book parties for that frequency or we'll miss our paydays! So start setting your dates and make the most of your business.

Booking Challenge: Call 5 leads each day for 10 days. Keep track of each call, the date, phone number, name and their lousy excuse. If you seriously get 50 rejections you can email karen@karenphelps.com and she'll give you 1.5hrs of free coaching. It's impossible *not* to succeed if you do this!

Here are some ways that Karen taught to be able to book 2 parties at every party: 1. During Host Coaching, have your host go through her guest list and mark "B" for "booking" next to the names she thinks would make good hosts. Offer her a special gift that if she has 2 parties booked before you come to the party. Then have her turn in the list to you and you will have more leads. 2. When the guests arrive, greet them by asking "Did you pre-book a party? Please decide before the party so _______ can get her free gift" 3. During your presentation, ask the group, "How many of you have ever had any type of home party? Raise your hand. Then after they raise their hands, say "I'm sure you do it for the same reason I do, to get free and discounted products. Let me show you what you'll get when you party with Gold Canyon..." Then let them know the average party is $400, which means the host gets $60 free plus 1 50% off item. Use your product and pile candles equivalent to that amount on the host's lap (or a separate table) plus be sure to add any of your own specials or promotions on there. 4. Play a booking game. This game is fool-proof for getting bookings. Hold up 3 gift bags, foofed up with tissue paper and looking pretty. Each needs to contain some kind of a booking gift. Then ask for 8 guests to volunteer, you know they will when you're holding those cute bags! After they're standing up in front of the group, give each volunteer a special envelope. Inform them that each envelope contains one of two messages. Either "Book A Party" or "Book a Party AND Receive a Gift". The game is that each gets the chance to open her envelope and see if she is just booking a show OR booking a show AND receiving the pretty gift bag. Each has the opportunity to "Pass" meaning give the envelope back to you and not "risking" a party, or she may open the envelope and see her fate, or she can "UPGRADE" to a "Bonus Envelope" which happens to be your host packet, and you promise that she'll receive her foofy bag the night of her party. It is fun to go down the line and see who's a chicken and passes, who takes chances, and open their envelopes, and who is confident and goes right for the bonus envelope. You can also open up the Bonus Envelope invitation to anyone left in the audience. After you've booked all 8 shows, ask your host, "Do you want to go to all 8 parties and SPEND money or do you want to sign up with me and EARN money at their parties?" Of course if she wants to sign up be sure to give her all of her friends' bookings so she can start her business off with a bang.

Here are some more sponsoring techniques: You sell Gold Canyon products! You market hope and opportunity! *WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL SPONSORING GOAL FOR THE NEXT 5 MONTHS? "Sponsoring is an unselfish act of sharing a fantastic opportunity!" -Karen Phelps In your party presentation, take 1-2 minutes to tell your story. This should include why you're passionate about our products or what drove you to sell them. Ask the guests if they think they could do what you're doing. Talk to your host about selling, make at least 3 attempts: 1. Add a sponsoring booklet to her host packet. During host coaching ask her "Have you ever thought about doing something like this?" 2. During your follow-up call to get directions or confirm the party, ask her "Have you thought more about selling? 3. During the party, get the host involved. Let her tell why she loves the products or why she booked a party. Let her help you pass out catalogs, let her draw winners for door prizes, and be as much of the presentation as possible. When totaling her party, let her know how much your commission was off her party and ask if she'd like to sign up and take this as her first party. She'll already know how easy it is because she's done most of the "work" with you!!
A quick sponsoring game that can be used at parties is pass out little strips with questions for the guests to ask you. You have to answer each in one sentence (avoid "verbal vomit"). The questions are: 1. How much does it cost to start up? 2. How soon can I promote/move up? 3. What type of training will I receive? 4. How much time do I have to spend? 5. What other perks are there? 6. How much will I make? 7. What is the best part about selling? 8. How often do you get paid? Be prepared with concise and positive answers!

Follow these steps and ideas and your business will explode!