Changing Your Paradigm - TSF

This week, we continue with our topic of Customer Service. One of the biggest deterrents in providing good customer service is the big “P” word, PUSHY! Today, we hope to change your paradigm. It has been said that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. As we said in a previous email, providing great customer service involves listening, listening, listening to your customer and then providing service based on her needs, not yours!

What do we mean by that? Pushy is contacting a small group of customers too frequently just because you need to hit a personal goal. Customer service, on the other hand, is being aware of a customer's needs, likes, and past purchases and following up as needed. Knowing your company's mission, being passionate about what you have to offer, knowing your products and the benefits of your products sets the foundation of great customer service.

If this is your first year in the business, your goal is to develop 200-300 customers that you will service on a regular basis. By working a pool of customers this large, you will vary who you call and not end up contacting the same small group of customers over and over again.

Remember that business has a 30-90 day cycle, so give it time. Consider year one to be your “cultivation” year. Jim Rohn talks about business in terms of farming. You can't have a “fall harvest” until you've done “spring planting” and you can have a spring anytime you'd like. So even if you are several years into the business and just feeling stale, you can start again, as if you are a new consultant in year one.

Your customers should hear from you every 3-6 months. The key is to vary how it is that you are in touch.

Personal contact and telephone are the most effective forms of contact. Additionally you may also try the following:

1) Email -
2) Customer newsletters
3) Specials
4) Open House invitations (follow up with a phone call!)
5) Snail Mail -
6) Customer newsletters
7) Articles of interest pertaining to your product (can be sent email as well)
Remember, your “core” of preferred customers need to hear your voice every 3-6 months, even if it's just a message on an answering machine. And yes, TSF believes it is fine to leave a message on the answering machine. In this day and age of caller ID, people will know you called anyway. You might as well leave a message, but don't feel offended when people do not return your call!

P.S. How is your thank you note challenge coming along? Remember, personalized notes to your customers are a wonderful form of customer service!!

Keeping Your Summer Cool Staying Organized

Customer Service and Staying Organized - continued from TSF

We talked about using your Customer Order form for great customer service. Perhaps this left some questions in your mind as to how to physically keep track of this information. Keep in mind what we said; no one ever organized himself or herself into management. However, you do want to have some type of system in order to access your information when you need it.

The key to organizational systems is to use one that works FOR YOU and that YOU will use. There are a variety of different personality types and myriads of organizational systems out there, each with its own appeal. We will deal today with just a couple of thoughts on how to better organize your Customer Order forms. Here are some ideas:

1) Monthly - Staple customer order forms together by party. Set up file folders, one for each month of the year. Simply place each party in the month the order was placed or party held. This way you can reference a customer by knowing who's party you met her at and the time of year. It is a great way to open the conversation. “Hi, this is Mary Jane Smith (pause and wait for her reply). If you recall, we met at Jo Simon's house last November…I was the consultant selling for XYZ company and I promised I'd call you about our summer specials. (remember, you got permission to call!)

2) Alphabetically - If your brain works better this way, simply file a customer's order form A-Z in file folders or a 3 ring binder. Be sure you have a note as to the hostess' name whose party you met her at for your reference when speaking with her.

3) Monthly Tickler - You can also file customer order forms by requested “next contact” date (or birthday if you want to send out a card or coupon for a percentage off their order). Simply use file folders or a 3 ring binder with monthly tabs. That way, you will know each month who you are to be calling and from your fully filled out Customer Order form, you will know why.*

4) “Service” Tickler - File customer order forms by how they'd like to be serviced in the future (Recruit? Hostess? Sales/Specials?)*

* Note, if you plan on using the one of the tickler systems, you will need to be able to access her customer information (name and phone number), by having an additional alphabetical listing. This can be as simple as index cards with basic information or a data base of some variety.
Now, while TSF realizes there are lots of computer data base systems out there, and we suspect that you are probably a user of one of these systems because you are receiving our daily emails; we suggest you print these suggestions out and file them for future reference. Stephen Covey says “begin with the end in mind.”

If your “end” is to have a growing team, realize as a future trainer and coach, you will have people join your organization who aren't necessarily computer users. For those people, you need simple solutions. And also, it's not always possible to have your computer every where you go. By having a “paper” organizational system in place, you can grab a file folder and take it with you to fill those pockets of time from your cell phone while waiting in the car pool line or sitting at soccer practice!

Food For Thought From The Sucess Factory

Shawna's prelude: After reading this email today I realized that this of course works with booking parties, online marketing, and a load of other things that we all want to improve in our business. The grass is always greener doesn't suit you in direct sales. Take your patch of grass and start watering it and green up on your own side of the fence ;)



I heard a great quote today and unfortunately, I didn't have a pen and paper handy. However - the basic gist of the quote was that we should celebrate positive changes made instead of fretting over whether or not you are hitting your goal. The goal will come as a result of those changes.

Think about it for a moment. Maybe your goal is to promote into management. But in order to do this, you need to begin to build a team. You have yet to recruit even one person and you need five people to become a manager. This can make the goal of becoming a manager seem completely unattainable to you. But, you make the decision to learn everything you can about recruiting and so every time you get into your car, you play training CD's that help you to understand better the whole process of recruiting. Your focus begins to shift and soon you find that you are `wearing your recruiting glasses' and looking for green flags from the guests in attendance at your parties. You actually have started to ask people if they have ever thought of doing what you do and handing out some information. GOOD FOR YOU!

Even if that first recruit still eludes you, celebrate the fact that you are now being more intentional about starting to grow a team and have begun to develop new habit. Recruiting is a numbers game. By continuing to ask, ask, ask - eventually you will experience the success of helping someone to join your company.

Little changes become positive habits and positive habits will result in big results! What little change can you to make today?

Happy 4th of July!

Our country is having it's birthday today and I'm about to celebrate my 1 year anniversary with Urban Botanic coming up in August. I can still remember the day I signed up and the anticipation of receiving my kit and becoming the first consultant outside of UT. Urban Botanic has just been reborn with this incredible new technology available to us.

I know I sent out an email to all of you with news that the first UB Signature Collection had been purchased on my website and how excited I am about the future that this option will bring us both with parties and without.

If you go to Account Inquiry in the UB Office you'll be able to see the orders placed on your site and match them up with those hosting a party that have guests purchasing outside orders. It's pretty cool and I had McKenna walk me through it the other day so I'm feeling VERY confident about the future.

Tonight I spent the evening with my son and Grandmother watching "America's Got Talent" (which obviously it mostly doesn't) and putting together the La Mode lotion samples and postcards for their VIP bags (300). She was a lot of help and it reminded me of ways that we continually are able to involve our family and not take away from them but still get our business done that needs to be done on time! Honestly I probably wouldn't have made the trip over to visit with her had I not been wanting to get these finished and knowing she would be happy to help! So tonite UB created family time of all things!

I know that Summer can be a bit more challenging in booking parties but hopefully you are all working towards your goals of how many parties you want to have booked every week and which days you want them on. Coming up in the next few months I am hiring a consultant that usually works with Corporate companies and is going to begin working with our team specifically. I will actually take one of my training sessions and put her on the team call for the hours to really educate and help you build your businesses locally. I'll give you plenty of advanced notice to prepare to be on the call and be happy to record it as well!

Enjoy your 4th, be safe, and smell good!

TSF On Your Order Form - The Most Powerful Tool

In our business it is often said that no one ever organized himself or herself into management. Over the years TSF has watched many consultants organize themselves right out of business. Spending too much time “playing office” will prove fatal to your business; and we all know, it is always easier to be online, or making new fliers and “forms” for our business than it is to pick up the phone or go out prospecting, right? Our email today will offer one very simple solution to your organizational dilemmas.

We talked about knowing your customer on a more personal basis. You have in your possession what we at TSF consider to be THE MOST powerful organizational tool for the party plan business. And the best thing about it is that you do NOT need to know tons about computers or computer software to be able to use it. In fact, you don't really need a computer at all, so this system is VERY duplicatible as you grow your team of consultants. Train them to use this powerful tool as well. So, what is this tool that you ALREADY HAVE IN YOUR POSSESSION?

Are you ready? Are you sitting on the edge of your chair? Here it comes…

It is your CUSTOMER ORDER FORM! How simple is that?? Too simple you might say…well maybe so, but simple is good, right?

Think about the ways you can use your customer order form for good customer service…
1) At your parties, have customers use this as their “Wish List”. Throughout your presentation, encourage them to make notes or check off items they find of interest. THINK about the information you will glean.

2) When working individually with the customer to complete her order, be sure the order form is filled out completely. Most companies ask for additional information from a customer on that order form (and if yours doesn't, just ask for it!). Make it a part of your job when adding up her order. You might say something like, “Just so we have filled this form out completely, if I gave you some information about the company would you read it?” “Do you want to host a party at any point in the future?” (If yes, or maybe, find out when) “Do you want to know about our specials?” And yes, she will tell you the date of her birthday or anniversary, all you need do is ask!

3) Look at what she orders! Look at what she doesn't order but checked off. By asking permission to call when related products or products she couldn't afford right now go on special, you have opened the door for great future customer service. You also may be able to book a party down the road (if not that night) so she can earn products on her wish list for free.
When pulling customer order forms to do phoning, you will have huge amounts of information at your fingertips. Add notes each time you speak with her. Pay attention, ask questions, and make notes of your conversation for future reference. Listen, listen, listen and write, write, write. You will have volumes of information to be able to service that customer very well in the future.

July is the month for FIRSTS!

I've decided that July is truly the month of 1sts!

Having just returned from Hoop Fest with Dallon I'm tired but rejuvenated with life and business in general. I am so proud of my almost 8 year old I could tear up! He was amazing and I'll share some pictures and video as soon as I can but I wanted to share the exciting journey. Saturday they played their first game at noon. It was a bit rough. They were nervous and not really on with their shots but they held their own and only lost by one point in overtime.

The next game they played was much better. So much better they won 20/1 and creamed the other little guys. Their confidence was high and they were truly the team we knew they were. Hoop Fest is a double elimination and truly street ball so the rules aren't real clear, the players are super aggressive and my little guy was playing kids 2 years older than him for the most part. So it's every parent's nightmare.

Game 3 was also Saturday and at the time limit we were one point ahead and were sure it was victory. Nope! You have to win by 2 or the first team to 14. Of course the score was 14/13 and a very sad day for these little guys. A lot of them fell apart and were crying, but not my son! He was actually tired and happy. He said "those guys were really hard Mom!" I said "Yes they were, and you held your own and almost won!" He was really pleased with how hard he played and I LOVE how he re-acts to losing when he gives it his all. I know he learns that from the same attitude I've learned from my parents and that's that it's more important to do your best and play the game than whether you succeed or fail. Because every time you fail you are closer to succeeding!

So back to 1sts. Your homework is to experience 2 firsts today!

#1 - Go check out your UB site and experience all the new technology, take the test again and see the Signature Collections pop up and truly experience what your potential customers will soon have access to!

#2 - Listen to my radio show today at http://www.directsalesradioshow.com/ and give me some great feedback as to what you liked and how you might have answered the questions differently! Then comment on those answers so we can all experience them!

#3 - Go make your own 1st today - whether that's giving out a business card to someone you don't know, approaching a boutique or salon, or just talking to a potential recruit about the business!

Customer Service in your UB Business

Right now the TSF focus is customer service. Customer service is one of the most important ingredients of our business that makes sure our customers come back to us time and time again. We have the opportunity to distinguish ourselves over the Wal-Marts and Targets of the world simply by building repoire and caring about our customers. When people look at you as someone who cares, vs. someone who's just “doing their job” or “out to make a sale” they will think of you over and over when they have a need for your products and more importantly, they will refer you to others.

Here are some things to think about when servicing your customers:

1) Do you know something about them personally?
-Do they have children, grandchildren?
- How old are they, what are their names and ages?
- If they are married, what is their spouse's name?
- Do you know the date of their birthday or anniversary?

How special would your customer feel if you sent her a card or quick note on her birthday or anniversary? When calling, if the husband answers the phone and you are able to call him by name, won't it be more likely that your message will be relayed?

2) Do you have a note of their past purchase history and/or wish list? What a great service to be able to phone when a particular product goes on special or when a new related product comes into your line that might be of interest to her.

Keep good records on your customers and use them. Be sure you are making notes when you chat. Stay in touch at least four times a year, either by phone or mail. The key is to be sure that when they think of your product, they think of you…by name!
In the next email we will share some practical ideas for staying in touch and record keeping!