The Greatest Book on Sales and Marketing

The Greatest Book on Sales and Marketing

If I asked you to name the five best books on selling, Green Eggs and Ham probably wouldn’t leap into your mind.

But it should.

Immortal Sam I Am is one of the greatest salesmen ever.

Here are two reasons why:

1. He tries to close the sale sixteen times before he gets a “yes.”
Sixteen! The average salesperson asks twice.
Sam knew the average sale is made when the customer is asked five times.
Sam knew that 67% of all shoppers expect to return home with the item they went out to look for, but only 24% actually do.

2. Sam knew that simply asking again and again wasn’t enough.
That’s not closing, that’s being a pain in the backside.

This is key: Sam came up with sixteen options, ideas, new ways of thinking about green eggs and ham.

Would you like them in a box? With a fox? In a house? With a mouse? In a train? In the rain? Here or there?

Cheesy sales trainers love to spout, “Ya gotta remember ABC! Always Be Closing!” But what does that mean? Hammer on people till they give in? Let us hope not. Let’s hope your sales people think ABC-UWI-TWHP. Always be coming up with innovative ideas that will help people.
Oh, you’re not a sales person? But of course you are.

If you’re alive, you’re selling. Your ideas, your writing, your blog, your Web site, a product, your business… everything.

Stick with it. Get creative. Be like Sam.

(Did you know a Random House editor bet Ted Geisel $50 he couldn’t write a book using only fifty words? Green Eggs and Ham was the result.)

Welcome Shanta Newby!

Shanta Newby from MS is one of our newest Hive Members and has filled out her questionnaire so we can get to know her better. Learn about Shanta below!

I am married, live in Columbus,Mmississippi, and my birthdate is 8/4/1979. I have 3 boys Ricky Jr., Isaiah, Quanterris, and my husband's name is Ricky. Some of the reasons why I joined UB are:

I like the commission structure, not having to pay the hostess benefits, as well as having a consumable product that is not hard to sell.

I really don't have a great support team, my own support is my personal drive and my relationship with christ. I have found that strangers sometimes give the best encouragement I can find.

The people I introduce this product to are excited about creating their own scent. My personality test said that I like mostly floral scents and yes I do agree, I was so surprised that test was so accurate.

As far as where I see myself with the company, right now I am in between, but I can see myself having a real income sharing this product.

What trait will help you do well in the business? I am so open I can get anyone to talk and down to earth, no one is a stranger to me I know to make people feel relaxed in my presence.

WELCOME SHANTA! YOU ARE GOING TO BE AWESOME AND REALLY ROCK MISSISSIPPI!

Back in the Swing of Things

Wow - when I see the last post of my blog it's truly embarrasing! I'm so glad I work with a lot of other Moms that get the fact it's truly possible for months to get away from you with an infant. It's honestly hard for me to believe that Dawson will be a year old at the end of March. I constantly look back and think! Impossible - he was just brought into the world such a short time ago and now he's going to need his first hair cut.

I've decided in my own life that I need to simplify and become consistent in order to not only grow my business but survive in my day job, family job, and job as a wife. From now on I'll be updating the blog every month at least 1x a month for sure - maybe some extra times when Corp makes announcements, etc. But for sure 1 TIME A MONTH!

I know this is something I can commit to and I'm adding it to my calendar as a reoccuring event. This will also take the place of our monthly newsletter that I know you've also been missing. So we'll simplify your inbox messages from me as well.

After returning from AZ and UT for our first family vacation (see pool above) I realize that with the economy where it's currently at everyone and I mean EVERYONE is looking for a back up or 2nd income and we have a great option for those with little experience or those that have been out of the job market for awhile to really do well!

Plug in to Virtual Office and all the calls/events that Corp has to offer and sign up for the Scent of the Month club if you haven't already. It's become a real highlight of my month and I think that those who have customers on the plan are noticing it's a perfect gift as well for those that love scent like you do and a perfect way to introduce them to it.

Please comment on the blog this month if you're still active in the company and what you're doing to drive parties, web orders, etc.

Best Wishes,

Shawna Straub

Is November really over!?

I looked at the last date on the blog and went UHHHHHHHHHHH whoops! I can't believe November is already gone! With Dawson suffering from recurrent ear infections I finally bypassed my pediatrician and took him to a specialist. Low and behold they scheduled his for ear tubes a week later and we just finished our post surgery ear drops and are on the mend and hopefully will have a better night sleep for the whole family. I've honestly been living on pure adrenaline thanks to the exhaustion this "no sleep" state has given us.

When the doctor came out of surgery and told me there was fluid on both ears and a huge infection pocket that he had to clean out on the left ear I knew that my Mother's intuition had been right. That's one thing we all have that we need to listen to. Whether it's that person that we had know would be incredible in our business, the perfect hostess wanna be if we'd just ask, or the best new networking opportunity if we would just hand out our card. Taking that first step is the most important thing we can do.

I'm looking forward to a great December. November shaped up to be a great month with over $1000 in RSV in The Hive. Keep it up and remember that UB is the best gift for Christmas you can give!

On the road again… (TSF)

I may have mentioned that my husband and I love road trips. We love road trips so much, in fact, that this year in just the last 8 months we have put over 20,000 miles on our mini van. You may think we are nuts and sometimes we wonder the same thing given the current cost of a gallon of gas. However, our family is a bit spread out at the moment. One daughter is attending school 900 miles away and our son (who is now moving back home) has been living 1400 miles away but not in the same part of the country as our daughter. So, there you have it.

Recently, a good friend of mine and her husband (who leave next week on a road trip to a family reunion) asked me what in the world we do on these road trips to keep from terminal boredom. One of the things we enjoy, I shared, was books on CD. Yes, she and her husband had thought of that but were appalled to find that an audio book they were interested in was retailing for $30 on Amazon.com. To her SHOCK and surprise, I suggested that she might enjoy checking out the audio book for FREE from her local library. I say SHOCK because apparently my friend and her husband NEVER realized that the library checks out more than just print books.

Many of you are saying ‘duh’ at this point – however – I consider my friend to be someone in the know. That said, since SHE had no idea, we thought perhaps some of you might appreciate this tip as well.

Your automobile is a rolling classroom. It’s your choice. Flip through the radio stations OR ‘read’ a business building book as you drive. It’s a great way to maximize the time you spend on the road and I have found it to be far less distracting than using my cell phone. Visit your local library and visit the non-fiction audio section for some great books on tape that will cost you ZERO dollars.

P.S. Many libraries let you reserve and renew your books online AND offer MP3 downloads of audio books as well!

So Exciting! Denise featured in a blog!

Here I was just getting back in the swing of things with some bloggers and low and behold I get this great email from Denise Eloundou in Minnesota...

"Hi Shawna,

Long time no email! I read on your blog the other day that is has been 6 months since you had the baby. Time flies!! I just wanted to drop you an email and give an update on what's going on with me and UB!I I have started calling into the Today Counts! hotline and taking an action step each day. I had a party last month and have one scheduled for the 16th. This was a lead I received from corp this past summer. I've kept in touch with her and now is the right time.

A woman I play volleyball with does silk wedding flowers and has a website
www.loveisblooming.com We are doing a give-away on her blog http://www.loveisblogging.blogspot.com/ I don't think the readership is huge but it is a start.

Thanks for reading. I hope all is well. Take care and talk to you soon.

Denise"

I visited the blog and it's darling and I hope that Denise gets some readership from it and hopefully can book a few parties! Just some great ideas for anyone re-engaging!

Where in the World is Shawna?

So as I look at my last post I realize it's been WAY too long since I've updated the blog and I apologize. There are many excuses but no one need to hear them ;)

I am reinspired with Urban Botanic as I've just received my first shipment from the Scent of the Month club! OMG the Harvest Pumpkin is amazing. My entire home really smells incredible. I must say the blended scents for the SOTM are INSANELY good. I know McKenna also mentioned that if I had enough people on SOTM that I wouldn't have to do parties regularly as with 100 people on SOTM you have your $1k in volume! So I think she said something like if I blitz 22 parties I'd sign up enough people for SOTM that I'd be done if I "wanted" to be! I'm sure I may have messed up some of what she had said but I do know basic math. 100 people on SOTM and I'm good to go! 25 on it and I make my every other month volume for commissions every month!

I'm serious when I say that the SOTM scents are amazing. I'm actually on pins and needles to get November and December now. I'm hosting Christmas Eve so I'm excited to have everything be perfect for my husband's family and for my White Elephant Gift I'm giving them a warmer!

I've also been working with a new blogger on the Home Fragrances. I'm very excited to get some traction again there for some online sales. I just had an online $200 order from someone who took the personality test so I know that works. I quickly ordered $50 in volume after that and made my volume now for the month! LOVE THE WEBSITE!

Anyway - I'd love to hear any success stories you're having with SOTM! Look for an updated newsletter as well from me and a more active role again - I know I can get $1000 in Volume every month from this club. Already waiting for orders to come in from some of my Die Hard party folks :)