Fun new scents based on a Crabtree & Evelyn favorites...

So I was playing around on the Crabtree and Evelyn website to find out what is contained in some of their great fragrances and low and behold I found a perfume that has a simple recipe. It only contains 4 ingredients. I'm not positive what it smells like but my concoction is WONDERFUL!

Nadira
Eau de ToiletteWarm and exotic blend of sensuous gardenia, Moroccan rose, amber and precious sandalwood. Luxurious decorative glass flacon with spray mist applicator.

Shawna's Version: 1 Amber, 1 Rose, 2 Gardenia, 2 Sandalwood - Soft, feminine, and delicious!

Wisteria
Eau De ParfumOur eau de parfum fragrance captures the scent of delicate wisteria blossoms, fresh lilac and notes of sweet violet.

Shawna's Version: Try one of each note and adjust to your taste!

Freesia
Eau De ParfumOur fresh and innocent fragrance of freesia blossoms and sweet jasmine captures a glamour that is simple at heart.

Lily of the Valley
Eau de Parfum TravellerThis chic perfume traveller holds our perfume of lily of the valley, pure white roses, night-blooming jasmine and a hint of cashmere musk.

Shawna's Version: Use Lily, Rose, Jasmine, and White Musk. You'll probably need 2 Musk and 2 Lily to the others.

Spring Rain
Bath & Shower GelEnriched with extracts of nourishing linden flower, mallow and honey, our bath and shower gel leaves skin smooth and soft. Fragranced with a scent of crisp grasses and delicate rosebuds.Spring Rain
Bath & Shower GelFeatured Ingredients:Honey, Jojoba Oil, Linden Extract, Mallow Extract, Vitamin E

Lauri Hetzer has a creation that she says smell exactly like this. I'll have to get her recipe but you can start with Linden Blossom and Rose.

For the grand finale their baby scents look fun and easy to re-create:

Nursery Tails™
Pudy Cat Comfort CreamPudy is the kind of good friend who can cheer you up, when you're feeling blue. Pudy's comforting cream soothes tenderness and helps protect against nappy rash irritation. Delicately scented with a baby-fresh blend of soothing lavender, rosebud and geranium.

Shawna's Suggestion: Maybe a touch of heliotrope to that trio to make it powdery!

Happy Mixing!

Using Fundraising to turbo boost your Urban Botanic business

Direct Sales Fundraising

Fundraising in a direct sales business can not only be very profitable, but can also increase your customer base dramatically!


There are so many organizations today looking to hold fundraisers with companies that offer quality service and outstanding products that sell!


A common mistake consultants tend to make, is not talking about fundraisers. A great way to get started with fundraising is simply offering the idea at your shows! Many direct sales reps never mention Fundraising during shows, however you never know who is at that show that may be in need of your fundraising services you can offer or that may know someone looking to hold a fundraiser!


The great part about offering fundraisers, is the opportunity to grow your customer based and the income fundraisers can produce with little work on the consultants end.
Here are a few tips on finding organizations in need of fundraising and tips on increasing sales with fundraisers!


1- Always offer the fundraiser opportunity at your shows! Even if it is just a catalog party, give your hostess a flyer explaining the benefits.


2- Contact your local day care centers, animal shelters, police association, little league sports coaches and tell them about the fundraiser opportunity you can offer them along with the benefits of choosing your company over others. When you make direct contact with each person or organization, you show your interests in helping them. If you do not feel comfortable calling them, create a fundraiser packet and mail it to each organization. This way they can contact you when they are in need of fundraising.


3- Cut into your profits a bit and offer them more! Let's say your company offers candle fundraisers and will give $2 per candle for each candle sold. If you can offer an additional .50 on each candle sold, this sounds like a huge difference in fundraising dollars! This can actually make a large difference in the amount the fundraiser will give the organization, however will also help you increase your chances to help this organization other another company! Fundraiser Coordinators are normally on the hunt for companies offering the most benefits, so make your stand out!


4- Once you gain a fundraiser and it is over, instead of giving the items to the organization to deliver, you deliver them! This will give you a chance to make contact with each person who placed an order. Allowing you the opportunity to tell each person about your company and handing out business cards, and catalogs. Just make sure that each customer provides a name, address, and phone number so that you may contactthem to arrange delivery.


If you are unsure of who you should contact here is a list of some places to help you get started!

1- Fire Stations
2- Police Associations
3- Day Care Centers
4- Cub Scouts
5- Girl Scouts
6- Churches
7- Animal Shelters
8- Pet Rescue Organizations
9- Little League Groups
10- Schools
11- Research Centers
12- Single Parent Groups
13- Battered Women's Shelters

And don't forget to read Lauri's blog on fundraising and charity events for even more info! (click on Lauri's blog on my main page)

Why are some people more successful than others?

Why are some people more successful than others?
by Kristina Cottrell

It's a one word answer. The word NO. Some people really have a tough time accepting the fact that they are going to hear the word NO fairly often. They get discouraged and feel rejected because they look at the word NO as a negative. Nothing could be further from the truth. The word NO, simply means that nothing changes.

Think about it. You approach your neighbor andask her to be your customer. She says NO. What changed? Is she still your neighbor? Yes. Did your income go up or down? NO. Nothing changed. It can't be negative; to be a negative things would have had to get worse, and they didn't. Everything remained exactly the same.

On the other hand, suppose she said YES. Now there are some positive changes. She receives personal service (a positive). You can see by this example that there are no negatives in our business. There are only positives.... And times when nothing changes. When Someone tells you NO, they are not rejecting you or your products. They are simply telling you that they are unable or unwilling to make any changes at the moment. Once you understand this, doing this business becomes a lot more fun.

So why not look for a way to make the word NO fun?

Awesome Advice from Karen Phelps

This morning I turned the television (which I never do) and flipped through the channels and low and behold I came across one of my favorite speakers, Zig Ziglar on one of the channels. I sat and listened for awhile and the one thing that came across loud and clear is something I’ve been telling people I’ve mentored over the years. “Passion alone is not enough, you need a PURPOSE for your life and your business”.
If you are passionate about what you are doing it’s a good start but until you have a purpose; which is the end result you will not accomplish as much as you will when you begin focus on your purpose!


My purpose for doing my direct selling busines was to be home with my sons, Brandon and Bryan! That’s how simple it was! If I kept coming back to my purpose I became passionate about doing anything I had to do that would ultimately keep me moving in the right direction.


Is your purpose for your business clearly defined in your head? Are you working this business…just because? There’s nothing wrong with having your business as a part time hobby as long as you understand that’s what it will always be until you change YOUR PURPOSE for doing the business.


There’s no one to credit for your failure or success except YOU! Once you determine your purpose YOU WILL FIND A WAY to make it happen. So, I encourage you to take some time for some soul-searching and determine what your purpose for your business and your life are…once you do you will rediscover the passion to ignite you! Once you’ve re-ignited your passion you will seek ways to make it happen rather than seeking for ways to self-sabotage!

Good Urban Botanic Party Last Night

You know you're getting good at the biz when a 4 person party still ends up being $200 in volume. It's funny how you actually come to expect those sales and they really begin happening. I'm dying to catch up with Anne in CO who had a party tonite and I hope it went really well for her.

This next Wednesday Kris Vanlew in WA has a 22 person staff appreciation event which will truly test her scent making capabilities with that many people, but I know once she finds those that are a natural, she'll get them to help her with the others and it should go really well. I am just so excited about all of our activity. I've been trying to keep up the team calendar on Teamburst.com to show all of the parties and events The Hive has going and it's really getting excited. Don't forget to add your event if I've forgotten anyone.

It's getting hard to keep track now and that's exciting. We're getting close to the 20 Hive Members mark and that is so thrilling and such an accomplishment for all of us I'm loving it! With those of you working towards Team Scentsational I know that it will triple our Hive size in March and April! Everything is really coming together and is in place for us to turbo boost the company and being part of it is soo exciting!

My party tonite was with a Mary Kay rep that I'm having a party for tomorrow. She will be joining the new Direct Sales chapter I'm starting in South King County here in WA and I've got quite a few other companies interested in joining. I think it will be huge with the quarter auctions (like Lauri in OH is doing) and just meeting once a month to really share our direct sales learnings and help to train one another. According to her it's amazing how much I use the internet and how I can spread the word. Finding new customers and new groups to network with is a challenge for her.

I honestly think that our concept and products really speak to a lot of that. It's just not difficult to get referrals on these parties and I'm really enjoying the fact that I'm coming into the re-fill time for a lot of my past customers and hoping to see that really take off as well. I'm starting to keep better track of my customers and send out postcards or emails to remind them to come and make another scent or to think about gifts, parties, etc. for themselves.

It's been a good week for UB and I'm thankful that we have such an incredibly talented team to constantly inspire me!

"Schedule" your Urban Botanic Success

Schedule Your Success

A lot of people dream of owning their own home-based business. They dream of setting their own hours, working when they want to work and with whom. The reality is that very few of these people ever take the time to ensure that they have the right skill set - the right tools - to make the leap to a home-based enterprise. The first major pitfall that most new home-based business owners face is a lack of scheduling discipline. They just don't plan out their work days. This can cause problems in two ways, under-working and overworking.

Let's look at the first one, "under-working." It's very easy to sit at home, on the ol' PC surfing the web. You might intend on working on your new website or putting up auctions on eBay, but, before you know it, you've spent the entire day reading email and surfing for the latest news and gossip.Sure, you were online and you were doing something, but the things you were doing are not the things that will put a dime in your bank account.

Overworking is pretty easy to understand. Some people simply don't know how to keep business hours. When they work from home, the temptation is there to "work 'til you drop." That's not good,especially if you are building your home-based business on the side and still work a day job.If you spend all your time working, you'll soon feel that you're never getting any "down time," and burnout is sure to follow. Believe me, I know all about this one.

Here's the solution. You must be very disciplined in planning your day. Write down what you need to accomplish every day and how long you will work on each item. Be sure to include downtime in your plan - time for your family, relaxation, exercise, whatever. This is important. after all, you're building a home-based business to build a lifestyle, not to become the richest person in the cemetery!

Your daily plans and goals need to be very specific. It won't do you any good to write something like, "work on project x." What does that mean? How exactly do you "work on something?" Your plan needs to include a definite finishing point, such as "write a new article on dog grooming for page one of the website." See the difference? You can "work on" a project for years and never reach a point where you've had any success. By contrast, when you "write an article on x," you know you're done as soon as you've typed the final period.

If you're in a marketing business, try to farm out as much of the non-marketing related work as you can afford to do. For example, if you sell products or services, it might be beneficial for you to hire someone to help build and maintain your website. The money you'll spend to have someone else do it will be more than offset by the amount of time it will free up. Other areas you can outsource might be bookkeeping, mailing, etc.

Be realistic when planning your day. If you're still working your day job, schedule that from the time you get up in the morning until you get home from work. Don't forget to include commute time. Then, plan out your evening accordingly. Don't schedule a four hour task to be complete din one hour. It won't happen. If you have huge tasks, break them up as much as possible and schedule your time accurately. This will allow you to have a feeling of accomplishment and you'll get a lot more done in the long run.

Don't multi-task. I know that this is the latest "buzzword," but, in reality, multi-taking is one of the leading killers of productivity for most people. Schedule only one project at a time. You can work on more than one project during the day, but you shouldn't work on more than one project at a time.It's very difficult, if not totally impossible, to serve to masters at the same time. Give one project your undivided attention. Once you've completed that task, move on to another tasks on that project or to another project.

You should also be a little flexible in your scheduling. In any business, there are bound to be interruptions that you couldn't possibly have planned for. In home-based businesses, the chance of distraction goes up exponentially. You'll be working on that hot new project, only to have the toilet overflow or a neighbor ring the doorbell. Plan on it. There will be things that happen that you can't plan for. That's why your schedule needs to include a little cushion.

What I like to do is plan out the items I want to get done and overestimate the time it will take to do them, by say 10%. Then, I have other items which are "on deck." These items aren't quite on today's schedule, but I want to do them soon. If I complete all of my scheduled tasks for the day, I simply look to see what's on deck and start on one of them. It's a bonus.

Sometimes, no matter how well you plan, you just won't finish what you schedule. It happens to everyone. That's when you simply revise your schedule for the next day to include the missed item(s).Don't get hung up on the fact that an item or two didn't get done as planned. Just take it in stride and keep on moving forward. Now, if you find yourself routinely missing your deadlines, you'll need to reevaluate your scheduling. Are you being realistic in your time allotments? Probably not. Adjust accordingly.

Here are just a few tips to help you maintain sanity and get your work done. With a little planning and a little effort, you can balance your home life with your home-based business and literally schedule your way to success.

Creating Urban Botanic Gift Baskets

Charity Auctions, Gifts, and fundraisers are great places to up the ante with your UB product and create an Urban Botanic Gift Basket. Sometimes coming up with those great ideas on the "theme" for the basket can be a challenge. I went ahead and "borrowed" some of these ideas and then added in the products that I would use to enhance it!

Make Your Own Gourmet Gift Baskets by Donna Monday

Everyone loves to receive a gift basket. Corporate gift baskets are often given by businesses to their customers as a token of their appreciation. However, most gift baskets are person to person expressions of love and friendship.

You can find a great selection of online gift baskets from the very expensive to the cheap. Or, you can come up with your own unique gift basket idea and surprise a cherished friend or loved one.

It's not difficult to make your own personalized gift baskets. Most gift baskets involve a theme. Here are some sample ideas to get you started:

** Cookie Gift Basket - bake up some homemade cookies and enclose them in colorful plastic wrap, include a personal card or poem. - For UB product use the Cinnabon recipe: 1 Vanilla, 1 Brown Sugar, 1 Allspice, 1 Cinnamon or the Just Baked is my favorite: 1 Almond, 2 Vanilla, 2 Allspice, 2 Brown Sugar, 2 Cinnamon for your cookie inspired lotion and shower gel (perfume is great as well)

** Chocolate Lovers Gift Basket - include individual fancy chocolates, boxed chocolates, or the person's favorite chocolate bars along with hot chocolate mix.** - A chocolate inspired UB product is perfect here. My suggestion is cocoa cabana from our Sample Recipes in the UB Library or Lauri Hetzers Chocolate Truffle: 2 Chocolate, 2 Vanilla, 1 Almond, 1Raspberry, 1 Brown sugar - You might add a brown teddy bear as well. - Another scent that I love for kids is called Minty Fun - It's 2 Chocolate and 1 Peppermint.

Holiday Gift Basket #1 - a Christmas holiday gift basket idea could include small stocking stuffers, candy canes and homemade Christmas cookies. - You could refer to the earlier cookie scents but for Christmas I like the following as well...

Cinnamon and Coconut make a candy cane type scent. Something with Pine can be really good - only 1 drop off pine to 4-5 drops of other scents. Refer to McKenna's earlier Cmas email if you still have it (I couldn't find mine).

** Holiday Gift Basket #2 - a Halloween holiday gift basket can be stuffed with candy, throw in some plastic skulls, spiders, cob webs and assorted creepy items. - Mandarin and Brown Sugar can smell like Candy Corn with a titch of vanilla. I love the Green Apple, Cinnamon, Allspice mix and call it Bobbing for Apples. I'm hoping that we get a pumpkin seasonal scent for this year but pomengranate with some spicies can get you close.

** Wine Country Gift Basket - wine and cheese baskets are favorites, include two bottles of choice wine from your favorite winery or wine shop, add cheese and crackers. - Any of your floral scents you like such as whimsy and the linen one from the samples would be great with this. I would also use Get Lucky which is 2 Grapefruit, 1 Mimosa, 1 Violet, 1 Jasmine or Beach House which is 5 Naked, 2 Green Apple, 2 Violet, 2 Honeysuckle.

** Coffee Gift Basket - Your favorite coffee lover will enjoy fresh gourmet ground roasted coffee (or their favorite brand), flavored creamer, cookies and a fun coffee mug. - Use the more food scented or spicy line for this basket. Vanilla and Chocolate would go well with some Almond top it off. I would focus on the lotion/shower gel combo here or bubble bath vs. the perfume.

** Italian Gift Basket - include a variety of dried gourmet pasta like spinach, whole wheat, or dried tomato, two jars of pasta sauce, fresh mozzarella and parmesan cheese, garlic bread and fancy olive oil. - Any combo with Tomato Leaf would be fun for the perfect "Herby" personality. Kelsey's blogger recipe would work well: tomato leaf 3, cucumber 3, oakmoss 1, white tea 2

** Tea Lovers Gift Basket - you can include several varieties of black tea, green tea and herbal teas, a mug and homemade butter cookies adds a nice finishing touch. I would use Green Tea and Freesia or White Tea and Honeysuckle for a simple and clean tea loving scent!

** Champagne or Beer Gift Basket - the champagne basket would be elegant: includes a bottle of fine champagne, cheese and crackers, and fancy chocolates; the beer basket includes several domestic and/or imported beers, lagers, or ales, chips, pretzels and nuts. - You could also use the Chocolate Truffle recipe here or something very elegant and yummy. With the beer basket you could actually go a little beachy and add in a scent with Pina Colada or Coconut. Cocoa Cabana might be fun as well.

** Pet Gift Basket - dog and cat gift baskets are the most popular. For a dog you can include: homemade doggie biscuits or cookies, a doggie collar, doggie toys. For a cat you can include: cat treats, cat nip and cat toys. Now you know that all it takes to make a unique gift basket that will be treasured is a little ingenuity and your personal touch. - On the UB product side the shower gel would make a great pet wash and the perfume spray in something woodsy or citrus would tone down fido's overly zealous "dog scent" with something fresh. The tea scents could also work well but I would suggest Get Lucky or something with Cedar Wood/Pine as well.

Selling to Urban Botanic customers by using WIIFM approach

Margaret in HI sent over a great newsletter article that I wanted to share out with the team. It really helps to put in perspective how to engage your customer and really understand the 2 things they are looking for! Features and Benefits!

"What's In It For Me?"

Once your customer knows that you can identify with her situation and feelings, you are free to discuss your product. There are two aspects of your product that you can emphasize:
(1) the features (content, quality, strength, durability, etc.) (2) the benefits (how it will solve your customer's problem)


Talking about the features is easier, and that is why those new to sales tend to talk about them first. You have been given a manual and training materials that discuss all of the features of every product in your line. You've studied them and memorized the ingredients and are ready to show off our knowledge. You must know the features inside and out, but only as backup material, not as an actual sales tool. The features of a product are often one of the last things your customer wants to know!


She doesn't care about the product itself, she wants to know what the product can do for her.
The seasoned salesperson knows that once your customer is ready to listen, she wants to hear how your product will benefit her. Picture your customer with a neon sign flashing above her head that says, "WIIFM" (what's in it for me?) Remember, effective sales come from the perspective of the customer.


"This bracelet is made with natural stones, is hand crafted, and comes in two lengths." (Features)Your customer is thinking, "So what? What will it do for me?"
Let's try that again...


"This bracelet will coordinate with your casual and business attire, needs minimal care, gives you that polished and classic look you said you liked, and will never slip off." (Benefits)
"I'll take it!"


Right now, take out a pice of paper and make three columns and label them "Product" "Features" and "Benefits". Start with your top five best selling products and determine the features and benefits of each. Once you get the hang of determining the difference, you'll be able to talk almost entirely about the benefits, which will increase your sales substantially.
(This article is one of many lessons in our "Psycho Selling" eBook. To find out more go to http://www.unitgems.com/products.htm)


Now go have a POWERFUL day!


Warm regards,

Ann Vertel
http://www.unitgems.com/ "Taking You to the Top!"

Article Marketing Oppty on Synergi Group for Urban Botanic

Hello Team and Happy Tuesday!

I've been working with Rashell @ Synergi Group (http://www.syngergigroup.com/) who had posted the following info for their Ezine called "Forward"

GET INVOLVED, GET PUBLISHED! Everyone has an area of expertise not possessed by the general population. Are you an attorney, accountant, marketing guru or an expert in another field? If so, we extend the opportunity to you to write articles based on your knowledge area. Other women entrepreneurs need your advice. Email your topic idea to https://webmailcluster.perfora.net/xml/webmail/mailDetail;jsessionid=A943647133B8519AA301F8B348A4302B.TC130a?__frame=_top&__lf=AdresseUebernehmenFlow&__sendingdata=1&resyncFolder.Doit=true&resyncFolder.TreeID=leftNaviTree&createMail.Action=create&createMail.To=rashelloneal@synergigroup.com&__jumptopage=mailNew&__CMD[mailDetail]:SELWRP=resyncFolder&__CMD[mailDetail]:SELWRP=createMail. This is a great PR opportunity!

I asked her to share out the themes for the rest of the year so that for those of you are incredible writers, this is a chance to get noticed and also have your website address and email at the bottom of your article for all of those impressed entrepreneur types to check out!

April 2007 - Spring Forward (Organization)

May 2007 - Building Enduring Relationships (Customer Service and Networking)

June 2007 - The Inspirational Issue (Success Stories)

July/August 2007 - The Best of Forward (Recap of Articles in the year)

September 2007 - Power Marketing (Marketing and Branding Issue)

October 2007 - Weathering the Seasons (Preparing for business ebbs and flows)

November 2007 - Giving Thanks

December 2007 - Strategic Planning and Goal Setting and Holiday Gift Guide (UB My Scents Kits for sure!)

I think it's a huge opportunity to write some great articles and get ourselves out there. Currently this group has 443 members but is consistently growing so a perfect opportunity to network with them through this medium.

New Team Site through TeamBurst.com

As many of you have seen from last night's email - we now have a Team Site called The Hive and it's posted on http://www.teamburst.com/. For those that have not yet received an email from the site you can log in as a guest with the following information:

Login: HiveMember
Password: thehive

I think this site will be especially helpful as we can post documents, news and a team calendar so we can see who is having parties or events and when and what type of support they will need. I will also be adding the following to the site in the next few weeks:

1. New Member Orientation Folder - documents that are specific to new members and helping them to get off to a fast start.
2. Hive Member Site - with profiles and pictures of each Hive Member and something fun and different about that person to help us get to know them better.
3. Parties Folder - for info and articles specific to booking parties, games at parties, etc.
4. Recruiting Folder - Tips for recruiting new consultants and great info to use during interviews, or on the phone.

Let me know if I'm missing anything. We have some great things in the UB Library as well but as it's evolving we can make sure to test out in the field some of our ideas and then deliver the fool proof method to McKenna for adding to the Library files. As we're in the field dealing with customers every day it's an awesome opportunity for us to give our valuable feedback to Corp.

I hope this week proves to be very productive and successful for all of you. Remember to work to talk to 5 people via phone, email, or other methods to bring you closer to that next party or new consultant!

Kicking it up a notch - your Urban Botanic team

This info comes from the Success Factory and is GREAT for team building...

Subject: Kicking it up a notch…

Dear TSF:
I have seen you speak in Memphis TN, and I religiously listen to the 4pack of CDs we got there, so I am coming to you for help! I am an Executive Director (highest level of recruiting), and I did over $30,000 in sales last year... but I am looking to step it up a notch - I need your advice about how to really take an already established, well running business to the NEXT LEVEL. I book parties from every party, and I have a pretty full schedule for 8 weeks out consistently. I have a team of 60+ who are doing pretty well, and I recruit from every party. I just need to do something to take it to the next level, cause I feel like I am "stalling out". Please help! Thanks so much - I look forward to your reply!!

Lynsey


Dear Lynsey -
First of all, congratulations on your business success - you are clearly treating your business like a business and that is SO SMART! You are DEFINITELY ready to move onward and upward and your question is so good that we will take the next couple of days for a “mini-series” to give you some tips on moving on to the next level.


We hope you already own John Maxwell's book “Developing the Leader Within You” (if you don't it is available on our website). What you will find is that in a nutshell - true growth is all about developing leadership in your organization. This process has many similarities to what you have done thus far to get your business to the point that it is already. (Remember, it is the same job, same job, same job)…


In order to have built your team to 60+ members, you worked from a pool of potential recruits. From that pool, some decided to join you in the business (and some did not - we SORT, we don't convince).


The same holds true when you begin to develop leaders in your organization, you are working from a pool of team members - some will decide to join you in leadership (and some will not - we SORT for the cream that will rise to the top!) Just as you focus on the specific reasons that your business would benefit a potential team member (extra income, fun, recognition, etc;) - you need to identify your potential team leaders in the same way. Interesting - leadership can offer the same benefits as joining the business can wouldn't you agree?


We look for “green flags” (people who seem interested in joining our business at our parties), now let's look for some “green flags” that can identify potential team leaders.


- Who is a consistent seller/recruiter?
- Who LOVES all the products and owns everything?
- Who attends every meeting, event and conference call?
- Who is always offering to help out?
- Who calls you with lots of questions?
- Who is a long distance team member? (This is a TRUE self starter and she needs to build a team in HER area!)
- Who tells you she wants to build her business and then DOES IT - who is a “no excuses” individual?
- Who asks you questions about what you do?
- Who takes the initiative to see help and is solution oriented (not a whiner)?
- Who IS a complainer? (This is one green flag that may surprise you - “the fact that you took the time to tell me how you feel tells me that you need to be a leader in this company because leaders have the ability to work towards change!”)

Now that you have identified your potential leaders, it is time to invite them to join your team of others who are like-minded. The synergy of consultants working together towards a common goal will help keep them focused, energized and encouraged.


Offer special conference calls for them that help them with fine tuning the basics of the business. Not only tips and challenges for recruiting, but helping them to systematize what it is that they do AFTER they sign on a new team member. Help them with any area that they feel uncertain of…(did you know that many people don't recruit because they have NO IDEA what they would do with someone if they DID join? Many people ALSO avoid asking others to join because they don't know how to do a recruiting interview or how to fill out the company paperwork)… These are simple things that people need to feel confident about in order to experience recruiting success!


Run contests and offer special recognition for this elite group. You WANT EVERYONE on your team to be aspiring to be leaders. Have the mind set of believing in them before they believe in themselves!


Don't forget that at TSF we offer conference calls with specialized training that will meet the specific needs of your aspiring leaders. If you love our CD's, you will find our continuing education calls invaluable!


Remember the importance of being “other centered”. Keep at the forefront the “why's” of leadership that will benefit the aspiring leader. Leadership must be HER goal for HER reasons. The worst mistake that you can make as a leader is to try to promote leaders in order to fulfill YOUR needs. Just like with recruiting, everyone listens to the same radio station - WIIFM (What's In It for ME?).


Zig Ziglar says: “Help enough other people get what THEY want and YOU will get what YOU WANT!” Use this as your mantra as you help others on your team to build their own teams and you will be amazed as the momentum builds and your organization explodes!

Joining the NDSN and starting a WA chapter

I'm so excited I could do a jig! I sent in my application to start a chapter of the National Direct Sales Network (see link http://www.nationaldirectsalesnetwork.com/aboutndsn.htm) as WA currently does not have a chapter. Lauri Hetzer on our team is part of this in Ohio and has told me some great things about it, including the monthly quarter auctions that are super cool.

I need 5 board members to get started and I have a few in mind currently. I'm going to be sending out an email to them and see who would like to join in my area. They meet 1x a month and have great discussions on what they learn from each other. This paragraph is from their site:

The National Direct Sales Network© started in 1997, when Melanie Moore, a high school English teacher in Ohio, decided she was tired of being alone in her direct sales home party business. She wanted to meet other direct sales business owners, and wanted to find other direct sellers to talk and share ideas with. When she discovered there were no other organizations that met the need of the direct sales and party plan need, she decided to start a brand new organization just for direct sellers, and the National Direct Sales Network was born.

The cool thing about this is that only one member of each company can be represented in a chapter. So this allows other chapters to be born in the state as well. WA will be the furthest west and I'm going to work out the kinks of start up and pass along my experience with the rest of you so you can start one up in your area if you have the time and ambition!

The Key to Creating a Power Partnership in your Urban Botanic Business

WomensCommunity.com shared a chapter of their ebook that really helps you to know what is important to you and how to work with yourself in a nutshell. I've included some great excersises I'd like us to do and report back on with the next conference call (or should I say ?) - we need to get a new name for that and I'll be sending out a separate email on the prizes for your effort!

The Key to Creating a Power Partnership
With Yourself to Live a Life of Joy


KEY # 1 KNOW YOURSELF



To build and sustain a successful business, it must begin with you! When you build a business “from the inside out” and integrate your personal passions into your business, you will be poised for immense success. Consider this “Partnership with Self” your most important partnership. It is the key ingredient and foundation for building a successful business.

It is critical that you have a clear understanding of:
your strengths
your interests
your knowledge and experience
the contribution you want to make
the areas in which you need to grow and improve
what you don’t like to do

This understanding will allow you to leverage your positives. It will also allow you to be aware of what sort of help you need and give you the courage to find ways to get that help!

Before you can build Power Partnerships with others, know yourself. Build the foundation—your Partnership with Self—and begin to celebrate the fact that you have laid the groundwork for a rock-solid business!


EXERCISES




Block out some uninterrupted time, take out a pen and paper, and answer the following questions:


1. What are you most interested in? What do you love to do? What are you passionate about?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________


2. What are your greatest strengths?


___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________


3. What are your unique talents and gifts? Which of these would you like to contribute to others?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________



4. Recall some of your happiest moments. What made them so happy?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________



5. What is the most satisfying, fulfilling, joyful work you have done? (Consider both work for pay and volunteer work, and/or work in the home.) What qualities made that work so enjoyable?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________


6. What unique combination of skills, knowledge, and experience do you possess?
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________


7. What are your basic values and beliefs? How do you see yourself incorporating these values and beliefs into your business life? What would happen if you were to engage in a business that failed to honor these values and beliefs?
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
8. Can these values and beliefs become an advantage of doing business with you versus the competition?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________


9. If you could focus time and energy exclusively on what you truly love to do, what business activities would you pursue?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________


10. What would your ideal business day look like? How would you spend your time?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

The "Corp Approved" Way to handle boutiques

My head is still hurting from my evening last night (and not for any reason that's good). On my way to my exciting dinner cruise with my husband an 18 minute drive to paradise became a 2 hour nightmare along with getting rear-ended. Luckily the guy who hit me was from Microsoft as well so I agreed to track him down tomorrow and try to make our boat. As my husband sat with the string quartet and rose petals at our table hoping to embark on a 2 hour journey, he actually had to wave bon voyage to the ship as it sailed into the sunset WITHOUT US! At $100 a person we're still reeling from the sadness of this moment. We ended up at Ivars on the sound for Salmon and when I saw the fresh sheet with pan seared scallops I wept with joy. All to be told that they were out of scallops! KILL ME NOW!

Crisis overted I am now home safe and sound with a head ache from the car accident but nothing that isn't alread on the mend. My new Nissan Maxima's love tap will end up being a new bumper, but couldn't we all use one of those once in awhile LOL. My favorite saying with this car? No worries... It's a lease!

There had been some questions on how to engage with boutiques so I copy/pasted my email interaction with McKenna because she really explains this clearly and to the point. Hopefully this will answer any questions you might have and feel free to comment with any others not covered!


I had some overall questions on how to engage with boutiques and which methods were Corp approved. See my discussion with McKenna below - it really helped to clarify!



Shawna, here are the answers, let me know if I missed any of your questions below:

1. Can consultants consign already scented (or unscented) product to a store to sell to customers that come into the store? No.

2. Can a small boutique be a consultant and have customers create their own fragrance on the spot or in an after hours workshop?

Yes. They can display a tester and brochures in the store, but not sell the product off the shelf.

As an example, for Angie's "Just Ducky", she can create Just Ducky for the store and the store can have a sample of Just Ducky along with brochures and Angie's card so customers can order from Angie. She may provide a small commission to the store for referring customers to her. However she can't mix up 50 bottles of Just Ducky lotion/bubble bath and stock it on the store's shelves. We don't want consultants to carry the financial risks of consigning product to stores, and Urban Botanic is simply not an "off the shelf" product.

Another idea for Just Ducky... the store can have a Just Ducky sampler and sign people up for workshops in the store on a regular basis. Customers can sample Just Ducky, get excited about the quality and the concept of creating their own scent (or the Just Ducky recipe if they prefer), and sign up for a $10 workshop on a certain date where that $10 goes toward their purchase at the workshop. That way attendance at the workshop will be ideal (because the customer has invested in the workshop) and sales are guaranteed. It's a win-win for everyone involved: the consultant gets sales and party/consultant leads. The store gets to offer a really cool workshop and retain some profit.

Most UB sales really should come from parties, workshops, MyScents orders, and recipe re-orders. Getting your UB business to have a presence in small retail stores, salons, spas, etc is a fantastic idea! It should just be structured in a way to bring in leads for parties, etc... and not just provide a one-time sale to the consultant, in which she has to share the bulk of her profit.

Hope this helps clarify everything.

-McKenna

Happy Valentines Day Urban Botanic Consultants!

Hello Team!

I hope you all have an incredibly enjoyable Valentines Day and I hope you have all received your special Valentine from me! You are all so amazing and inspiring and continually amaze me with your dedication and consistent work ethic.

As Urban Botanic continues to grow the exciting momentum of everything that we are doing in The Hive is a huge buzz and example to those coming into the company. I want to congratulate Irene in Las Vegas for her huge weekend in California this last weekend. She was able to sell over $700 retail in 2 days and I know she's at home resting after her whirlwind! Congrats Irene!

Yesterday was actually my 3 year anniversary and we are celebrating on a dinner cruise tonite just my hubby and me. I'm looking forward to a night out on the town and re-connecting as things can be so hectic juggling work, family, and the wonderful growth of UB!

Below you'll find the free teleconference that Karen Phelps is offering and it's a great opportunity so I hope you'll be able to attend. Her Valentines gift to all of us! Have an incredible day ladies!


Direct Selling Leadership 101 Free Teleseminar
Filed under: What's happening — karen @ 8:29 pm
When: Wednesday, February 28′th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 p.m. Central, 6:00 p.m. Mountain and 5:00 p.m. Pacific.


Whether you are a new consultant who’s deciding to become a leader or a seasoned leader in your Direct Selling company you’ll learn some exciting, easy to implement strategies for growing and developing a successful team!


“Leadership is ACTION, not POSITION!” It doesn’t matter if you have a leadership title if you don’t know what to do! If you would like the answer to these and many of the other questions Direct Selling Leaders have make sure you join us on the call. How do you find business builders? How do you motivate your new recruits to start right away? How do you encourage your new recruits to set goals? How do you persuade consultants to move into leadership? How much time do you spend on your personal sales and development? What are your new responsibilities? How do you get help from other team members?

To register visit www.KarenPhelps.com

Send your Leadership questions to support@karenphelps.com

TO ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS REMEMBER YOUR ABC'S

Avoid negative sources, people, place, things and habits.
Believe in yourself.
Consider things from every angle.
Don't give up and don't give in.
Enjoy life today, yesterday is gone, tomorrow may never come.
Family and friends are hidden treasures, seek them and enjoy theirriches.
Give more than you planned to.
Hang on to your dreams.
Ignore those who try to discourage you.
Just do it.
Keep trying no matter how hard it seems, it will get easier.
Love yourself first and most.
Make it happen.
Never lie, cheat or steal, always strike a fair deal.
Open your eyes and see things as they really are.
Practice makes perfect.
Read, study and learn about everything important in your life.
Stop procrastinating.
Take control of your own destiny.
Understand yourself in order to better understand others.
Visualize it.
Want it more than anything.
Xcellerate your efforts.
You are unique of all God's creations, nothing can replace YOU!
Zero in on your target and go for it!!

Great Conference Call for Urban Botanic

Sunday night was a great call for February in The Hive. We covered a lot of ground and had some great insight from members that have completed some major events and shared their lessons learned and also their successes. To hear a replay of this call, please dial (641) 985-5009 - Access Code: 805628#

Some lessons learned from the call for me was to find out what would really motivate the team on contests, etc. 100% of the team wanted business supplies such as hostess items, brochures, goodies for clients, and of course $ towards ad placement or items to grow your business. We did have some spa items and personal rewards as well but it was a great lesson to me and we'll be implementing that on the Team Contests to come.

Angie also shared out a great idea to me after the call that her former upline had done fake $'s to earn points and prizes and especially business essentials as we talked about. So call attendance was $1 and then participating on the call was another $1. So I'm going to put something like that together as well to help you all earn some free business essentials and save that money from coming out of your own pocket! Holding your first party would be like $10, etc.

The homework for those that attended and all of you regardless before our next call is as follows:

1. Come up with a new name for our Conference Call besides "Conference Call" - there will be 3 prizes to choose from for the winner and my business coach suggested that we name it something that when you "hear or see" the name, you think of a fun, juicy call, that you just don't want to miss no matter what!
2. Email me what questions or concerns you'd like to cover in your 1:1. I will be setting up monthly 1:1s with each team member and can do them more often for our newbies :)
3. For those that weren't on the call, please send me a list of what things would really motivate you to win a contest...

I'm so excited at all the incredible work you consultants are doing with UB. There are so many opportunities it's just amazing! I also try to find creative ways to go beyond the party angle, but honestly your bread and butter are PARTIES! So use new ways such as after hour boutique workshops, or bridal and women's shows, etc. to get you great leads into the home. Because home parties will continue to bring you the sales you need to be successful!

Overcoming phone phobia in your Urban Botanic business

Great advice from Karen Phelps on getting over your phone fears!

Even the most successful salespeople in the world, if they were honest, would probably tell you they hate to pick up the telephone to make "cold calls". It's not easy and probably outside the average salesperson's comfort zone.


So, how do we overcome the fear that makes our insides turn flip-flops every time we try to make a call? The February 2003 issue of "Entrepreneur Magazine" says to focus on "what's the worst that could happen?" Hey, so maybe they hang up on you or they say they are not interested. So what!


Over the years I spent a lot of time teaching my sales team how to call on their leads. I found team members who had a prepared script and several different answers to overcome objections were most successful when making calls. Here are a few ways to increase the positive results of your phone calling sessions.


Have a list ready with the names and phone numbers of the people you will be calling.
Decide in advance the purpose of your call. Example: to get an order, to book a show or to schedule and interview to show the company program.


Have a simple script ready that includes an introduction, an interest creating comment and a call to action. Example: "Hi Susie, this is Karen Phelps with XYZ company and we met at Cathy's home last week. I noticed how interested you were in the amount of money that could be earned with our company. I'll be in your area tomorrow and I would love to stop by and show you our program. I can be there at 1:00 in the afternoon or 7:00 in the evening. Which time is best for you?" Pause and wait for her response.


Have answers ready to overcome objections. Example: If Susie says, "I don't think I'd be interested." You might answer, "Susie, I understand you are probably a little apprehensive, I felt the same way when I was introduced to the program. I only need a few minutes to explain the opportunity to you and after you have heard everything you can make the decision whether or not you would like to join us."


If there is resistance to your first offer, make another. Example: "I appreciate you are not interested in hearing about the opportunity right now, however, I noticed that you really loved the product. I'd love to have you share the product with your friends and have the chance to earn product for yourself. I have a few "bonus dates" available this month and I will bring you a FREE GIFT. The Bonus dates are Monday the 10'th and Tuesday the 11'th. Which date is best for you?"


Don't ask a question that she can easily answer "NO" to. "Do you want to have a show?" Remember to offer something and something. Example: Monday or Tuesday, 1:00 or 7:00.
Keep track of your results! Knowing how many calls you made and what your results were give you your "calling ratio". You may find you need to call five people to get one booking. You'll be excited to get on the phone and get the first four no's out of the way!

Now or later? Timing for potential Urban Botanic recruits...

Subject: Now or later?
How often, when we are giving information to a prospect regarding the business opportunity do we get the response, “Maybe down the road…” (When the kids are in school, when I have more time, when I finally get organized). You've heard it all, right? Well, suffice it to say, that timing is probably never perfect; and while sometimes there is a legitimate reason why someone can't begin immediately, often it is just procrastination and fear raising its ugly head. Your job is to ALWAYS know why RIGHT NOW is the BEST time to join your company. Right now, it is just $499 to get involved. Right now, we have a wonderful hostess special, so you will have a really easy time booking parties! Right now we are just beginning to work on earning next year's incentive trip.


No matter what, RIGHT NOW is always better than later and you should be prepared to know each month of the year why RIGHT NOW IS THE BEST TIME TO JOIN! If you are having a tough time figuring out why RIGHT NOW is the best time for someone to join your company; check in with your upline. They will always be able to tell you why someone would want to join today. Each time you accept the reply “maybe later”, rest assured that you will have to start from the beginning when you contact this prospect about joining your company again down the road. Creating a sense of urgency is key to helping new prospects get started RIGHT NOW!

3 Steps to Quickly Accelerate Your Urban Botanic Business

By Christine Kloser, “The Conscious Business Coach”

Is this your year to exponentially grow your business? If so, I’ve got good news for you. It’s possible! But, there may be some old thinking (and habits) that needs to be tweaked in order for your rapid growth to occur.

What I’ve noticed with some of my clients and customers is a struggle between being of service to the world and making a lot of money. If you’re nodding your head up and down in greement... stop. You don’t need to choose, you can have both meaning and money. How do I know? I’ve been there. I’ve been of service (and not focused on money) to the point where it drove me to the verge of bankruptcy. Thankfully, that was several years ago and since then I’ve consistently generated a generous six-figure-plus income.

I’m going to share a few of the key lessons that accelerated my business in hopes you’ll use these steps to quickly manifest YOUR dreams.


Step 1: Let Go
This is the first place to start... to let go of something you feel is holding you back. Let’s face it. Times changes, you change, circumstances change, goals change, people change... you get the picture. As your life evolves, transforms and shifts there are things you may still be carrying that no longer serve you.


Step 2: Focus
Now that you’ve done some self-assessment and released those things that no longer serve you, it’s time to get down to business and FOCUS on what you most want to manifest in your life. Here’s a tool I use when I’m having trouble focusing on getting my highest priority tasks done. And, it doesn’t cost a dime. Simply find an accountability partner who also needs to spend some focused time on his/her priority tasks. (Hint: These are the tasks that are closest to the money.)


Now, choose a time you will BOTH focus on your priority tasks. For starters, two hours is a good time to schedule for this exercise. Now, once the time is in your calendar (in pen), make arrangements to call each other when your “focus time” begins and tell your partner what you will do in the next two hours. Then, turn off your phone, shut down your email, ignore the doorbell and do ONLY what you told your partner you’d do. After the two hours is up, call your accountability partner and tell them what you did during that time. It’s easy to focus for a specific amount of time like this, especially when you know your partner is doing the same.

Step 3: Make Public Deadlines

This one’s my favorite! If you really want to light a fire under yourself, make a public deadline. What do I mean by a public deadline? It’s when you book the hotel room for the workshop you’ve been talking about doing. It’s when you say “yes” to a speaking engagement when you don’t even have your speech outlined yet. It’s setting the date for your tele-class before it feels “comfortable” to do so. It’s committing to publishing your ezine on a specific date, even if you only have five subscribers. You get the picture. This step ensures your rapid forward progress through the methodology of “learning by doing”. You’ll always learn more (and faster) when you are learning as you do something.

All the book smarts and knowledge in the world doesn’t mean anything until the rubber hits the road. And, this step is where it happens. Have fun with these three steps. If it feels overwhelming to do all three of them at once, not to worry. The important this is that you do at least one of them and then another and another... continually. Ultimately this three-step process will become second-nature and you’ll be taking these steps without even realizing it.

How Women Recruit Through Relationship Marketing

This article by Linda Locke is a great explanation of FORM which I try to use all the time in building relationships and finding out if people are interested in our business...

One of the major strengths that women have traditionally brought to their network marketing business is their advanced social and people skills. The current rage of "Relationship Marketing" just puts a new label on the tools that women have always used to build their business.

Many people believe that network marketing is a "selling" business, but women know that its really about sharing and building long-term relationships that last. And successful women use these "sharing and caring" skills as a major tool in the recruitment process.

The recruiting techniques that work best for women center around their ability to develop long-term relationships with people in both business and social settings. They do this by listening to prospects, asking questions, sharing information, and finding out what the prospect wants from their business and then helping them get it. The bottom line is that direct sales is a people and communication business and women shine in these areas.

Women use several "soft" methods of relationship marketing to make contact with prospects that might be potential new recruits for their business. Many of these methods may seem too slow and too time-consuming for many people to take them seriously. But just like in Aesops fable "The Tortoise and the Hare", its the slow and methodical tortoise that wins the race over the frenetic and aggressive hare. And so it is in building a relationship.

Building Relationships
How do the successful networking women cultivate these relationships? There are several relationship-based communication tools they use.

One is to be a product of the products. They tell their story. They share it with others. (Women share things all the time. If they see a movie they like, they tell people about it. If they discover a restaurant they like, they tell others. If they discover a product they like, they tell others. Its that simple.) They follow up. Once they share a product with someone, they follow up. They know that if they wait by the phone for people to call them, they will die a lonely person. They know that peoples lives are ruled by inertia. They know they must take the first step and call their prospects to ask how they liked the products.

Another communication based tool that women use is the FORM method. That stands for Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Money. When they engage people in conversation, they don't talk about their business right away, they ask about:

Family: When they ask questions about family, they ask because they are truly interested. And to find out if they like this person enough to work with them. (After all, if they sign up in their business, they're stuck with them.) They also ask questions about family to find out if they are likely to be users of their company's product. (If you're selling high-tech security devices and they live in a rural "leave the doors unlocked" small town, they may not be prime prospects.) They also want to find out what their dreams and goals are. Do they like where they live? Do they want to move somewhere better? Would they like to quit their job and have more time for family or stay home with their kids?

Occupation: Where do they work? (If they are an airline pilot, for example, they might not be interested in getting travel discounts.) Do they like their job? What is it they would really like to do, if they could?

Recreational Activities: What do they do for fun? Do they do it as often as they'd like? If not, is it because of lack of time, or lack of money, or both? If time and money were not limiting factors, what would they really like to do?

Money: Do they make as much as they'd like? Do they work an extra job to make more? How much more would they like to make? Have they ever thought about starting a home-based business?

And why do they ask these questions? Well, because they are women and it comes naturally to them. They find out lots of neat things about people they talk to. They make new friends. They know that people like people who are interested in them. And when they get the answers to these questions they know exactly what to say when people ask them about their business.

In other words, they know exactly how to present their business so it will be exciting to that person and fit their needs. They don't have to worry about when to start talking about their business. Because people ask them ("Well, hey, tell me about yourself! What do you do?") The bottom line is that if you have made a real connection, they'll want to know about you. And because they are now a friend, people will listen to what they have to say. And even if the person is truly not right for their business, at least they have made a new friend, who may later refer them business.

Putting the Focus on the Prospects Point of View
Women tend to focus more on their prospects point of view. They talk about the benefits of the business and solicit feedback from their prospects. They don't let their own wants and needs get in the way. They don't use hard sales techniques and closes. They let the prospect decide. They know that they really cant "talk" someone into this business. The prospect has to want it for themselves.

Getting Contacts through Networking
Women have always been consummate networkers. Its a skill they use every day. They share information and referrals at business networking organizations such as their local Toastmasters or Leads Club, social organizations, religious organizations etc. When they start their business they can just plug into their network and get the word out about what they do. After all people like to do business with people they already know, like and trust.

Do all women work their business this way? Of course not! No two people ever build their business in the exact same way. But these methods take full advantage of the many inherent strengths that women already possess. Recruiting through relationships is not the quickest way to build a business, and some people are more comfortable with traditional sales oriented techniques that focus on faster growth.

But as many successful women network marketers (and now many men as well) have found, building a business through relationships works best for building a business that lasts.

Double Events = Double Success for Urban Botanic

I'm sorry I'm posting this a bit late today but I'm still recovering from an exciting and productive evening at The Chat Party and also after talking to Emie in OR who had The Affair of the Heart party! Both events were great but I think Emie came out the winner for sure.


We both ended at 9pm so I gave her a call on her cell when she was breaking down the booth to get an idea of how her event was. She was flying so high and I couldn't believe it! She actually ran out of business cards (she had 350) and brochures (100 of those) and DRAWING SLIPS for the giveaway! Luckily she had recruited a friend to go with her and help out at the booth and she said without her it would've been impossible. Emie ended up running to get more copies of slips and items they were missing while her friend manned the booth. For 2 hours they had 10 people at a time at the booth. She even sold 3 lotions! LOL


The really cool part is that she booked 15 (yes that's right!) parties, has 3 potential consultants from it, and 400 leads that entered the giveaway to follow up on! So it was immensely successful and the event is already sold out for next year but since Emie was there they are giving it to her again and for the same price as 2007! She has been working SO HARD this is completely deserved and I'm so excited for her and for the state of OR! She is recruiting her booth hand as well who was an absolute natural at explaining the process and getting people interested. I think she was one of the most popular booths and it was a huge success. One thing I noticed is that the event was FREE so that drew in a huge crowd and it was the perfect type of venue so we'll keep our eyes out for more like these in other areas.


My party was really fun as well. The Chat ladies were there and some people actually recognized me from the radio show. I didn't have a booth and was trying to figure out a way to become apparent to the ladies there so decided to wear my apron and name tag and have brochures in my hands at all times. I let them know that there was a goodie in their bag from me with my contact info and a sample and this brochure would explain more to them on the company and process, etc.


Towards the end of the party I also stood by the goodie bags to make sure everyone left with one and new about UB. For a fun moment I had my "lips" read by a Lipologist. She said that I hate being told what to do, can never be bored, am well trusted, very successful, and a true mentor. Well that made me feel pretty good considering what she was telling others! HAHA


She asked me to email her my experience and that she would like to put me in her book as I have the true "diamond" lip print. She asked if I had any diamonds in my life (very funny as well as my wedding ring is 4 carats and blingy to the max). She did say that I needed more affection and hugs in my life and so I thought that was really weird but probably true. So I'm loving the fact that I had that done and to finish it off I bought the book for the authors that were speaking at the party. As soon as I'm done with Never Eat Alone I'm moving onto The Girls Guide to Starting Your Own Business. The authors signed it for me so that was really fun!

So last night has been a big night for The Hive and am so psyched about this weekend as well as we have 4 Hive Parties so hoping that everyone has a very successful weekend and really enjoys their self. Thanks to Emie for her LEAP of faith for the event last night and keeping it real! (successful that is ;) - I will add some pictures from Emie's event and mine if they post them on the web in the next few days.

Fabulous Post by The Make Up Girl on Urban Botanic

I was so excited to receive a call from The Make Up Girl (Lianne Farbes) to let me know that the UB post had gone live on her site... (see http://themakeupgirl.typepad.com/themakeupgirl/2007/02/custom_blend_ba.html)

It's an awesome article and made me feel sooo good after the work I put into her custom fragrance. It's also another testimonial about how much everyone LOVES our products and what an incredible concept we have. You can see the way I named it definitely hit a note with her on the positive side. UB is so personal it really makes things special!

Wednesday is the Chat with Women Party and Emie's Debut at "Affair of the Heart" in Eugene, OR. See these link for more info on the audience that will be there:

http://www.chatwithwomen.com
http://www.kmtr.com/content/affair/default.aspx

We have so many awesome things going on in The Hive right now. Kris had a fun super bowl party this weekend and sold 3 perfumes and one to a guy! She's got 12 people coming to her party on the 11th so that will be huge for her! Kelsey has her first party this Saturday the 10th.
I know that Mary Ann and Denise are getting ready for their firsts and Karen also has an event the end of the month and Angie has another bridal fair.

It's a buzzing of activity and it's really paying off! Irene had an open house and is booking a party from it and sold $65 worth to one person! I love when I do the google alerts on Urban Botanic and see your Craig's List ads and all kinds of different posts, blogs, etc. It's just amazing how far we've come in such a short time!

Asking for the Sale in your Urban Botanic Business

I had posted this earlier but as I mentioned in the team newsletter I think these steps are crucial in taking you to the next level with parties and recruits. See below the info for my details on meeting with Coach Karrie!

7 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR SALES:

1. Ask for information.
To win potential new clients, you first need to know what their current challenges are, what they want to accomplish and how they plan to do it. Only then can you proceed to demonstrate the advantages of your unique product or service. Ask questions starting with the words, who, why, what, where, when and how to obtain the information you need. Only when you truly understand and appreciate the needs of a prospect can you offer a solution. If everything fits, the solution will be your product or service.

2. Ask for business.
Here's an amazing statistic: After doing a complete presentation about the benefits of their product or service, more than 60 percent of the time, salespeople never ask for the order. That's a bad habit, one that could ultimately put you on the selling scrap heap.

Always ask a closing question to secure the business. Don't waffle, talk around it, or worse, wait for your prospect to ask you. You have read good suggestions for these questions, like "Would you like to give it a try?' The point is, just ask. Note that these questions are designed to produce a yes or no answer, unlike the open type questions used in the discovery process.

3. Ask for written endorsements.
Well-written, results-oriented testimonials from highly respected people are powerful for future sales. They solidify the quality of your work and leverage you as a person who has integrity, is trustworthy and who gets the job done on time. Yet most people in sales don't do this. That gives you a great opportunity to jump ahead of your competition. All you need to do is ask. When is the best time? Right after you have provided excellent service, completed a major project under budget, gone the extra mile to help out, or any other time you've made your customer really happy.

Simply ask if your customer would be willing to give you a testimonial about the value of your product or service, plus any other helpful comments.

4. Ask for top-quality referrals.
Just about everyone in business knows the importance of referrals. It's the easiest, least-expensive way of ensuring your growth and success in the marketplace. In our experience, however, only one out of ten companies has a system for gathering referrals.
Your core clients will gladly give you referrals because you treat them so well. So why not ask all of them for referrals? It's a habit that will dramatically increase your income. Like any other habit, the more you do it the easier it becomes.

5. Ask for more business.
Salespeople lose thousands of dollars in sales every year because they have nothing more to offer after the initial sale. Look for other products or services you can provide your customers. Devise a system that tells you when your clients will require more of your products. The simplest way is to ask your customers when you should contact them to reorder. It's often easier to sell your existing clients more than to go looking for new ones.

6. Ask to renegotiate.
Regular business activities include negotiation. Many salespeople get stuck because they lack skills in negotiation. It's another form of asking that can save a lot of time and money. All sorts of contracts can be renegotiated in your own personal life like changing your mortgage terms and rate. As long as you negotiate ethically and in the spirit of win-win, you can enjoy a lot of flexibility. Nothing is ever cast in stone.

7. Ask for feedback.
This is an important component of asking that is often overlooked. How do you really know if your product or service is meeting the needs of your customer? Ask them, "How are we doing? What can we do to improve our service to you? Tell us what you like about our products and what you don't like. " Set up regular customer surveys that ask good questions and tough questions. It's a way to fine-tune your business.

HOW TO ASK

Some people don't enjoy the fruits of asking because they don't ask effectively. If you use vague, unspecific language you will not be understood. Here are four ways to ensure that your asking gets results.

1. Ask clearly.
Be precise. Think clearly about your request. Take time to prepare. Use a notepad to pick words that have the greatest impact. Words are powerful, so choose them carefully.

2. Ask with confidence.
People who ask confidently get more than those who are hesitant and uncertain. When you've figured out what you want to ask for, do it with certainty, boldness and confidence. This does not mean being brash, arrogant or conceited. The only negative thing that can happen is that your request may be denied. You are in no worse position than before. It just means that you need to look for another route for results.

3. Ask consistently.
Some people fold after making one timid request. They quit too soon. Keep asking until you find the answers. In sales there are usually four or five "no's" before you get a "yes. " Top producers understand this. When you find a way to ask that works, keep on asking it.

4. Ask creatively.
In this age of global competition, your asking may get lost in the crowd, unheard by the decision-makers you hope to reach. There is a way around this. If you want some one's attention, don't send an ordinary letter. Use your creativity to dream up a high- impact introduction. You may not want to go so far as the saleswoman who sent a chief buyer a homing pigeon with her card attached to one leg. On the card she had written, "If you want to know more about our product, just throw our representative out the window." Think of what you can do to create a powerful impact with your most important prospects and don't be surprised when those impenetrable doors swing wide open to welcome you in.

5. Ask sincerely.
When you really need help, people will respond. Sincerity means dropping the image facade and showing a willingness to be vulnerable. Tell it the way it is, lumps and all. Don't worry if your presentation isn't perfect; ask from your heart. Keep it simple and people will open up to you.

When you've exhausted all avenues to get what you want, people are more likely to give a helping hand when you ask for support. People who ask for a free ride all the time rarely succeed.


Mark Victor Hansen is the co-author of the wildly successful Chicken Soup for the Soul series and The One Minute Millionaire. He is also founder of “Goal-Mining Challenge” visit http://www.markvictorhansen.com.

I'm still in awe after my first meeting with Karrie. I honestly can say that I am getting my $'s worth and more. My biggest weakness as a leader is the fact that sometimes I'm so focused in one area, that I tend to neglect others. She basically found my weakness and spent time educating me on how it will be my complete downfall in this business if I don't change it. I wanted to cry on the way home because I totally believe it's true. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care... I've heard that so many times and it seems like such a simple concept but I'm already blowing it in some areas and I'm going to fix it quickly.
Those of you in The Hive will become my complete confidantes and I will be putting all my heart and soul into your success and the success of your teams so I hope you are open to the coaching, listening, learning, and accountability that I want you to hold ME too! (ha ha you were thinking it was all about me "doing" to you but you're wrong!) You all have so much to offer and so many great ideas and I'm truly ready to open my heart up to you and work together so that this team grows and becomes the benchmark for all other UB teams.

That's all I'm spilling tonight but just know that "it's" coming! Karrie is really making me own my own success and partly the team's success as well. I'm so emotional writing this because I actually asked her before we left, what can I do to drive more traffic to my site and book more parties, etc. Do you know what she told me? DO YOU????? LOL sorry I love the drama. She said that I needed to worry more about building my teammates and helping them succeed than my website traffic! HOLY HELL I LOVE THIS WOMAN! She just stuck it to me and I paid for it! I love the irony...

Pyschology of Booking Parties for Urban Botanic

I'm not sure who the author is on this but it definitely sounds like Karen Phelps and she is RIGHT ON! In working with a few team members lately I realized that this advice would come in handy this week. I know this week is big one and I'm certainly nervous and excited about my event on Wed. I know Emie is too and of course Angie's event was yesterday so I'm dying to catch up with her! Booking the party is definitely taking things to the next level from "talking" about UB, to "acting" on their interest. Here are some fool proof methods to GET ER DONE!

Booking parties is sooooo easy, once you learn not only the "how" but the "why"! I've never seen anyone who, once they learned the "Psychology of Booking" couldn't keep their calendar full.


Is there a "Psychology of Booking"? You bet! Some understand it right away but some consultants never learn it! I've seen consultants quit after a few years because they were tired of their constant battle to get bookings. They obviously never got it!


I've observed consultants begin their direct selling business by "asking" people to have parties to help them get started and never explain to the person "what's in it for them"! I've listened to consultants say they feel as if they are "begging" people when they ask someone to book a party. Wow, I never would have lasted for over 22 years if I had to spend the whole time "begging". What is the secret that helps consultants transfer from "mediocre" to "great" at booking parties? Here it is!


The secret is "IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU"! What do I mean by that? Well, often consultants make an assumption which results in an incorrect way to ask for bookings. Have you ever assumed that when someone booked a party for you they were "helping you out and doing you a favor"? I know I have! Especially when there was a contest or trip I was really close to earning. I let everyone know and I asked them to "help me out".

The problem with this was I was more focused on myself than the person who was booking. That's not what booking parties is all about! This attitude of "doing me a favor" unconsciously begins at the start of your Direct Selling career. Leaders unintentionally plant the seed that you need to call in your favors and ask people to help you get started, which to some extent is true. Often we overlook the obvious fact...hosting a party can actually benefit the Hostess.


"IT'S ALL ABOUT THEM" and how you can help them earn free and discounted products by inviting you and a few of their friends over for a fun-filled evening. My business exploded when I finally really understood that booking parties was a WIN-WIN situation. Yes, I was a winner because I was going to earn money and the sales would help me win contests and trips but my Hostesses were winners too! It was when I realized that it really was "a super fantastic deal" for the Hostess that my business began to explode.


I changed my thinking! Instead of thinking to myself, "I hope she'll have a party to help me win this trip" I would think, "Wow, She loves everything, I need to show her how much she can save by hosting a party". When I took "ME" out of the equation and made booking parties "about doing them a favor" it became an easier process. I want you to say these questions out loud and listen to which one sounds the best to you.


Option #1 "Susie, my company is in the middle of a contest and I can earn a trip to (wherever). Would you please host a party to help me out?"


Option #2 "Susie, I'm so excited that you loved almost everything I showed you. I would really like to help you get as many items as you can for as little cost as possible. The best way to do this is to purchase some of your favorite items tonight and then book a party as soon as possible so you can earn the rest. I have a few bonus night available and you will receive a Free gift. They are Tuesday the 4'th or Thursday, the 6'th. Which one is best for you to earn your free and discounted products by inviting me and a few friends over?"


Option #3 "Susie, you saw a lot of things that you like. Would you like to have a party for me?"
I'm not sure why, but I often hear consultants ask for bookings and they end with the words, "for me". You will notice that option #2 doesn't mention "me" at all. I have completely focused on Susie and the favor I want to do for her! When you get excited about "helping your hostesses" you will book more parties than you ever dreamed possible.


So, the "psychology of booking parties" means you really truly believe that you are providing a service to your Hostesses and a means for them to earn products at special prices. If you really don't believe this your "true colors" will show through.

If you are struggling with this the therapy I recommend is to call someone from another party plan and book a party yourself. Learn first hand the benefits of being a Hostess. Once you become a believer you will really be able to "PARTY ON"!

Winning is Easy! 7 Simple Strategies to Win Any Contest or Sales Promotion

I thought this article was perfect training for those of us working to become Team UB Scentsational!

Year after year in Direct Selling I earned trips to glamorous destinations, beautiful jewels and household and office equipment that anyone would envy! I also earned Free Samples and Cash Bonuses. If our company offered it as a contest or promotion I earned it! Some promotions were a little more challenging than others but none were impossible to accomplish. Some promotions were a monthly contest while others required a year long effort. Did you ever wonder why some people in your company win time after time while others never could get it all together to win? You will often hear people moan over how hard a contest is while others are reveling in how easy this will be to win.


What's the secret to winning every time? I discovered 7 fool proof strategies that helped me attain all my goals through the years. Here they are:


1. Have the Vision. This may sound like a very simple step but it's not as easy as you think. It's almost impossible to do something that you cannot envision yourself doing! Example: Your company is offering a travel trip to Hawaii and there are set sales and sponsoring requirements. Do you want to play on the beach in Hawaii? If your answer is "YES", as it should be, then make sure you visualize yourself on the beach. Close your eyes and listen to the waves as they crash to the shore. Taste the salt water on your tongue as you play in the surf. Feel the heat of the sun on your body. In your mind are you there yet? You've got to take time to see and feel what your final destination will be like.


2. Know the Rules. Don't miss out on something because of a simple technicality. Make sure you read through the entire promotional piece completely. Highlight or underline every step of the promotion. Make sure you understand what you need in each area. Example: If your contest is a 6 month contest based on a combination of personal sales and qualified recruits, make sure you know the sales volume needed you need, how many recruits and what each recruit has to do to be considered qualified. Don't forget to ask if there is something in the contest that you are not sure about. It is better to ask questions in the beginning of the contest than it is to ask for "an exception" when the contest is finished.


3. Write it Down. I learned very early in my Direct Selling career that if I really wanted to win something I HAD TO WRITE IT DOWN! It didn't matter if I just said I was going to win. I cemented my goal when I took the time to write it down. I had a monthly goal card and on it were 4 to 6 things that I wanted to accomplish for the month or year. I made 3 copies of the goal card and put one on my bathroom mirror, one on the dashboard of my car and one on the window right in front of my desk. The goals I had written down for myself were in front of me every day! I never FORGOT what I was working on. I can remember the very first trip I won was to Hawaii. Once our company had announced the trip I went to a local travel agency and asked them if they had any Hawaii posters I could have. They ordered several for me and I taped 3 posters on different doors in my house. The pictures of the beautiful sandy beach and blue ocean were a constant reminder of where I could be if I continually focused on the goal. As corny as this may sound I promise you it will work! So make sure your WRITE IT DOWN!


4. Plan Your Strategy and Make Your Map. If you were going to take one month to travel across the United States would you just hop in the car and take off or would you take time to plan your route and what you wanted to see at each stop? It's the same thing when you have a contest or promotion or even a move up the leadership ladder. Decide where you want to go and what you are going to do each step of the way. Make yourself a detailed plan of everything you need to do on a weekly or monthly basis. If you need $12,000 in personal sales in 3 months divide $12,000 by 3 and you will have $4,000 each month. Divide $4,000 by 4 weeks in the month and you will have $1,000 per week. If you have a party average of $500 you will have to hold 2 parties each week to have $1,000 in sales. If you have a party average of $350 you will need to hold 3 parties each week to have $1,000 in sales. After you have determined what you need to do draw up a chart for each week of the contest so that you can keep track of your results. (more about this is step 5).


5. Keep Track. 3 imaginary people I didn't want to keep meeting were Shoulda, Woulda and Coulda. The company Shoulda made it easier for us! I Woulda won the contest if the rules has been clear! I Coulda been on the trip but it wasn't important to me! Imagine how wonderful your life would be if you really did see the opportunity in every given situation and never had to use hindsight to learn all your lessons! The secret is to use foresight to look ahead and a tracking system to keep you on target. In step 4 your broke down your goal and know that you need $1,000 per week for 12 weeks to reach the $12,000 level. You have a chart made up for twelve weeks. Column one is weekly sales, column two is cumulative sales, column three is remaining sales and column four is weekly sales needed. At the top of column three you write $12,000. At the end of each week total your sales for the week and enter in column one. Add that amount to the previous sum in column two and enter into column two. subtract the total in column two from $12,000 for your remaining sales balance and enter into column three. Divide the remaining sales needed by the remaining number of weeks to get the weekly sales needed amount. Every week just by looking at the chart you know what you have done already and what is left to do!


6. Re-evaluate and Re-adjust. Using your chart each week you will need to continually re-evaluate what you need to do and re-adjust the amount and effort if you find you are falling a little behind. Example, week one of the contest your actual sales in column one are $500 and column two are $500. You subtract that from $12,000 and you have a remaining sales balance of $11,500 and 11 weeks remaining. Now your weekly sales needed is $1,046.00 per week. During week two you have $2,000 in column one weekly sales. You add that to the $500 in column two and your cumulative sales are $2,500. Your balance left in column three is $9,500 and you have 10 contest weeks remaining so your weekly sales needed in column four is $950 per week. I found that by using a weekly chart like this I often earned the contest with several weeks or months remaining instead of cramming everything into the last week or month of the contest. Just remember that every time you write down your sales that you take time to re-evaluate and re-adjust your amounts and the work that needs to be done!


7. Celebrate your Success. As a "life time Weight Watchers member" I learned the importance of celebrating little successes along the way to your ultimate goal. When you take time to celebrate your success and give yourself a small reward along the way you are reinforcing the importance of the goal you have set for yourself. Let's use the example of the trip to Hawaii again. Let's say you are one third of the way into the contest and you are on target. You might want to go out and buy yourself a beach bag and some beach essentials that you will use on the trip. When you are two thirds of the way into the contest and you are on target you take time to go shopping for a bathing suit and cover-up to use on the trip. When the contest is over and you are a WINNER you go shopping for a few new outfits for your trip!

Decide in your "Planning stage" when and how you are going to reward yourself and make sure you follow through. That way you will have fun along the way and not just when you reach your final destination!


Winning is easy when you know how! I hope these seven simple strategies help you prove to yourself that you really are the winner we all know you can be!