Monday, April 30, 2007
What is your biggest challenge in your Urban Botanic business?
Great advice from TSF:
When I first started out as a party plan consultant I decided that the only part of the job I was going to do was to sell product, period - nothing more, nothing less. My recruiter was a strong seller and didn't focus much of her business on recruiting and so, when I told her I wasn't going to “do” that part of the business (recruiting) - she told me that was fine.
After about a year, I realized the error of my ways and went about the business of learning how to “do” that part of the business. It took me almost another full year before I had finally built a large enough team (five people) to promote to a leader in my company. And for the next several years, recruiting continued to be the area of my business that I was most challenged by.
So, I determined that recruiting would become my focus. I read every book on the topic I could get my hands on. At convention, I attended seminars offered by the leaders in our company who were experiencing the success that I desired. I picked brains, I listened in on conference calls and every time I got in my car I listened to tapes on recruiting. By becoming a serious student of the area of my weakness I eventually got better. Much to my delight and surprise I started being the leader who was asked to teach this part of the business that was once my biggest challenge.
What part of the business do you most struggle with? A CD training set is a great way to help you to focus while traveling in your car. Training and coaching calls can be customized to the area that is YOUR biggest challenge. Feed your mind by reading, listening to tapes/cds and listening to people who are achieving the success that you would like for your business. Success leaves clues...pay attention!
Shawna's Note:
In the UB Book Club we're reading "Never Eat Alone" by Keith Ferrazzi. An incredible book for networking and recruiting. This is a great opportunity if you don't have a workshop scheduled Monday night.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
5 Tips on Utilizing your Business Cards in your Urban Botanic Business
Your business card screams to the world upon first glance whether you are just "playing business" or if you are in it to win it. A well-crafted business card speaks volumes; it is a great, yet, inexpensive marketing tool. Conversely, you can loose a customer without ever uttering a word if your business card is not up to par. If your business cards are of poor card stock (flimsy), contain any grammatical or spelling errors, have outdated information, and fails to reflect the brand of your business stop reading this article right now! These issues need to be addressed immediately, as this article deals with those who are looking for ways to increase the impact of their business cards, I am assuming that the basics are already taken care of. So, for those astute business owners looking put your business card to work, here are 5 tips that will surely help:
1. Give Out Two. When you meet someone give them 2, not just one card, don't be stingy! What this does is allow that person to pass one on to any others that may be interested in your product or service. Now, don't get carried away and give them all the cards in your wallet, that is unprofessional. Make a habit of giving out two cards, not only is it smart business, but it is efficient. Encourage your networks to work for you!
2. Put Something On the Back. Every business card has two sides, there is no reason not utilize the back of your business card. If you are not utilizing both sides of your card you are wasting valuable advertising space. You can use this additional room to add customer testimonials, a brief product list, tips or anything that will provide a value add to the person reading it. Calendars, appointment reminders, kitchen measurements and sports schedules are other practical ways for using the back of your business card. Yes, it may cost a little bit more, but it is well worth the expense.
3. Go For Quality. Your business cards may be of professional quality. But if you are in a saturated industry such as real estate then you should seek to add a little something extra to your cards to make you stand out among the competition. This could be as simple as switching from a plain to a glossy business card stock. Or as dramatic as getting a complete business identity overhaul by a professional and utilizing professional printing services with all the bells and whistles. You may want to even look at the business cards you have from others, and jot down notes on what works and what doesn't work and begin to adjust your own cards based on your analysis.
4. Make It A Magnet. Let's face it, even well-intentioned people loose business cards. They wind up in a shoebox, a Rolodex that never gets used just or scattered all over the place in cars, chair cushions, utility drawers, toy boxes, you get the drift here. Consider ordering business card magnets. If they can be stuck to something, say a refrigerator, the higher the likelihood your card will be retained. What is even better, is that your card will be highly visible! The great thing is that business card magnets are fairly inexpensive, but as with anything, go for quality even if you have to pay a tad bit more.
5. Be Different. Your business card is your chance to shine, to show your uniqueness, your personality so you can let your customers know what makes you better than the rest! Do something extra, something memorable. Since horizontal business cards are the norm, consider going vertical. As a mortgage consultant, specializing in working with women, I have some of my business cards attached to a chocolate treat of Hershey's Kisses wrapped in tulle. It is a hit with virtually everyone. While this works for me, it may not work for a man who owns a construction company. So be creative, but keep in mind your customer, your industry and your brand. The sky is the limit.
Now that you have been equipped with 5 powerful tips to make your business card work for you, get to it! What changes can you make to increase the impact of your business card? Enlist trusted family members, friends and colleagues and ask them their opinion of your cards. Ask your customers their opinion too. I challenge you to jot down at least 5 ways you can update your business card to increase impact right now. Enjoy the process!
Shawna's Note - using the perfume vials clipped to your card is a GREAT way to become memorable :)
1. Give Out Two. When you meet someone give them 2, not just one card, don't be stingy! What this does is allow that person to pass one on to any others that may be interested in your product or service. Now, don't get carried away and give them all the cards in your wallet, that is unprofessional. Make a habit of giving out two cards, not only is it smart business, but it is efficient. Encourage your networks to work for you!
2. Put Something On the Back. Every business card has two sides, there is no reason not utilize the back of your business card. If you are not utilizing both sides of your card you are wasting valuable advertising space. You can use this additional room to add customer testimonials, a brief product list, tips or anything that will provide a value add to the person reading it. Calendars, appointment reminders, kitchen measurements and sports schedules are other practical ways for using the back of your business card. Yes, it may cost a little bit more, but it is well worth the expense.
3. Go For Quality. Your business cards may be of professional quality. But if you are in a saturated industry such as real estate then you should seek to add a little something extra to your cards to make you stand out among the competition. This could be as simple as switching from a plain to a glossy business card stock. Or as dramatic as getting a complete business identity overhaul by a professional and utilizing professional printing services with all the bells and whistles. You may want to even look at the business cards you have from others, and jot down notes on what works and what doesn't work and begin to adjust your own cards based on your analysis.
4. Make It A Magnet. Let's face it, even well-intentioned people loose business cards. They wind up in a shoebox, a Rolodex that never gets used just or scattered all over the place in cars, chair cushions, utility drawers, toy boxes, you get the drift here. Consider ordering business card magnets. If they can be stuck to something, say a refrigerator, the higher the likelihood your card will be retained. What is even better, is that your card will be highly visible! The great thing is that business card magnets are fairly inexpensive, but as with anything, go for quality even if you have to pay a tad bit more.
5. Be Different. Your business card is your chance to shine, to show your uniqueness, your personality so you can let your customers know what makes you better than the rest! Do something extra, something memorable. Since horizontal business cards are the norm, consider going vertical. As a mortgage consultant, specializing in working with women, I have some of my business cards attached to a chocolate treat of Hershey's Kisses wrapped in tulle. It is a hit with virtually everyone. While this works for me, it may not work for a man who owns a construction company. So be creative, but keep in mind your customer, your industry and your brand. The sky is the limit.
Now that you have been equipped with 5 powerful tips to make your business card work for you, get to it! What changes can you make to increase the impact of your business card? Enlist trusted family members, friends and colleagues and ask them their opinion of your cards. Ask your customers their opinion too. I challenge you to jot down at least 5 ways you can update your business card to increase impact right now. Enjoy the process!
Shawna's Note - using the perfume vials clipped to your card is a GREAT way to become memorable :)
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Beyond Self-Promotion: Why Good People Should Sell Themselves
If you work for yourself, and are perhaps a teeny weeny bit resistant to selling, this wake up call is for you. It is possible that "learning to sell" -- as opposed to learning how to promote yourself -- is not on your priority list. But, if you truly care about your customers, self promotion deserves your attention.
Maybe you feel that it is inappropriate to promote yourself in any way, especially when you meet new people. Have you ever you met someone who asked about what you do, and watched their look of confusion when you gave them a barely adequate answer, all because you didn't want to seem pushy or self-interested?
I imagine you have the most sincere motives for avoiding self promotion, but may I also suggest that you may be confusing modesty with self-protection? It's natural to want to protect yourself against anything short of drooling adulation that you might receive in response to a sales pitch. (By the way, how does that phrase "sales pitch" land with you?) It's natural, but it isn't modest.
It also isn't kind to the other person. There they are, carrying on a friendly conversation, and suddenly you classify them as a threat to your self-esteem. How likely are they to benefit from the interaction?
Until quite recently I thought that the reason I lit up in some sales situations while hanging back in others, was that I was highly sensitive. (I hear this from my clients a lot. Highly sensitive people keep a lot of coaches employed.)
One day I realized that I wasn't avoiding self promotion out of sensitivity, but out of fear. And it wasn't even fear of a particularly elevated kind. It was the venal fear of not getting what I wanted when I wanted it and as I wanted it. In other words, when I felt confident of getting the result I wanted, I'd reach out. If I thought somewhat might question what I wanted or say, "No," I'd hang back.
Notice that the fear of being denied what you want is not the same as the fear of rejection. Being told "no" in response to a sales pitch does not signal the end of a relationship. It doesn't have anything to do with accepting or rejecting you as a human being. It doesn't even have anything to do with increasing or decreasing your perceived worthiness. All it means is "No. I do not want what you are offering." (Hey, you want a glass of water while I'm up? No. You see?)
You are perhaps a better person than I. But even if your reluctance to self-promote or sell is rooted in the soil of modesty, isn't it time to distinguish modesty from playing small?
Cloaking self-seeking in the garment of selflessness is not a mortal sin (believe me, I would know), but it's awfully unattractive and it's an abysmally ineffective strategy for staying employed when you work for yourself.
So what's a person to do? Ask your internal monitor to nudge you when you move away from instead of toward selling or self-promotion. Don't try to change anything yet, just notice. Jot down some of the flickering of thoughtlets that run through your mind at these moments.
"Just noticing" will allow you to experience how your current attitudes toward selling and self promotion keep you from being a clear and open channel for your best work. As you become more aware of how avoiding sales or promotion keeps you from authentic engagement with your best clients and customers, your reluctance to sell or self-promote will shift into curiosity about how to reach and support the people you serve.
About the Author:
Molly Gordon, MCC, is a leading figure in business coaching and an acknowledged specialist in small business marketing. Don't miss her article about writing elevator speech at authenticpromotion.com/self-promotion/elevator-speech.html Join 12,000 readers of her ezine and receive a free 31-page guide on effective self promotion: authenticpromotion.com/self-promotion/index.htm
Maybe you feel that it is inappropriate to promote yourself in any way, especially when you meet new people. Have you ever you met someone who asked about what you do, and watched their look of confusion when you gave them a barely adequate answer, all because you didn't want to seem pushy or self-interested?
I imagine you have the most sincere motives for avoiding self promotion, but may I also suggest that you may be confusing modesty with self-protection? It's natural to want to protect yourself against anything short of drooling adulation that you might receive in response to a sales pitch. (By the way, how does that phrase "sales pitch" land with you?) It's natural, but it isn't modest.
It also isn't kind to the other person. There they are, carrying on a friendly conversation, and suddenly you classify them as a threat to your self-esteem. How likely are they to benefit from the interaction?
Until quite recently I thought that the reason I lit up in some sales situations while hanging back in others, was that I was highly sensitive. (I hear this from my clients a lot. Highly sensitive people keep a lot of coaches employed.)
One day I realized that I wasn't avoiding self promotion out of sensitivity, but out of fear. And it wasn't even fear of a particularly elevated kind. It was the venal fear of not getting what I wanted when I wanted it and as I wanted it. In other words, when I felt confident of getting the result I wanted, I'd reach out. If I thought somewhat might question what I wanted or say, "No," I'd hang back.
Notice that the fear of being denied what you want is not the same as the fear of rejection. Being told "no" in response to a sales pitch does not signal the end of a relationship. It doesn't have anything to do with accepting or rejecting you as a human being. It doesn't even have anything to do with increasing or decreasing your perceived worthiness. All it means is "No. I do not want what you are offering." (Hey, you want a glass of water while I'm up? No. You see?)
You are perhaps a better person than I. But even if your reluctance to self-promote or sell is rooted in the soil of modesty, isn't it time to distinguish modesty from playing small?
Cloaking self-seeking in the garment of selflessness is not a mortal sin (believe me, I would know), but it's awfully unattractive and it's an abysmally ineffective strategy for staying employed when you work for yourself.
So what's a person to do? Ask your internal monitor to nudge you when you move away from instead of toward selling or self-promotion. Don't try to change anything yet, just notice. Jot down some of the flickering of thoughtlets that run through your mind at these moments.
"Just noticing" will allow you to experience how your current attitudes toward selling and self promotion keep you from being a clear and open channel for your best work. As you become more aware of how avoiding sales or promotion keeps you from authentic engagement with your best clients and customers, your reluctance to sell or self-promote will shift into curiosity about how to reach and support the people you serve.
About the Author:
Molly Gordon, MCC, is a leading figure in business coaching and an acknowledged specialist in small business marketing. Don't miss her article about writing elevator speech at authenticpromotion.com/self-promotion/elevator-speech.html Join 12,000 readers of her ezine and receive a free 31-page guide on effective self promotion: authenticpromotion.com/self-promotion/index.htm
Friday, April 27, 2007
3 SIMPLE STEPS TO MAKE A GREAT “FIRST IMPRESSION”
As a preface to Karen Phelps words I do want to say that I am pretty casual at my parties. The Apron itself shows that it "could" be a tad messy and it's a workshop that is fun for everyone and not a stiff presentation so I don't necessarily agree
How often have you heard the expression, “You never have a second chance to make a first impression”? How often have you judged a person based on your first impression of him or her?
It’s human nature to make our decisions about others based on how they look, speak, and act the first time we meet. At the first meeting your mind is busy creating a “mental picture” of that person. Oh, by the way, once we form an opinion about another person in our mind, it’s almost impossible to get our mind to switch over because we keep going back to the mental picture of the first meeting.
So, how do you make sure that you put your “best foot forward” in every situation? Here’s three simple steps that will help you create a “super lasting impression”.
1. Dress for Success. It’s easy with the casual lifestyle we live to attempt to dress down for every occasion. I’m going to suggest you do the opposite. When you are getting dresses for any occasion ask yourself this question. “How will I feel if I am the only person dressed like this?”
Example: If you show up in jeans and everyone else is wearing business casual, how comfortable will you be? If you are dressed casually and everyone else is in an “after five dress” will you be at your best? I have found over the years that when I am “underdressed” I feel uncomfortable, but if I’m overdressed I don’t! Why do I feel like that? Probably because I’m thinking about “what they think about me”. Let’s face it, most of us really do care about what others think, whether we admit it or not. If you were attending the Oscar’s would you rather be on Mr. Blackwell’s “Best Dressed” or “Worst Dressed List”? Ask yourself that question before you walk out the door.
When I did my parties I always wanted the guests to know WHO was putting on the presentation. I wanted to feel comfortable with the guests and that meant not being “uncomfortable” myself. In 22 years I never wore jeans to a presentation. I wore dress slacks and a blazer or in some cases a suit. Why? Because I knew that it was a possibility that a guest would be coming from work in a suit, and I would feel awkward if I was underdressed. I preferred to dress to avoid uncomfortable situations.
2. Smile. The best accessory you will ever add will cost you nothing! It’s your smile! When you smile at someone more often than not, he or she will smile back at you. Smiling is contagious! Smiling is comforting! Smiling is friendly! People are drawn to “smilers”. People respond favorably to you.
3. Be Sincerely Interested. Ask people about themselves. Become interested in the people you meet, sincerely interested. Ask questions that are personal, but not too personal. Keep your questions simple so as not to draw out long stories. Example: “How long have you lived in this area?” , “How long have you been with XYZ Company?” “What do you like best about your job?”
So remember the next time you know you’ll be meeting someone new; to “dress for success”, “smile” and “be sincerely interested” and you’ll make a great first impression everywhere you go!
How often have you heard the expression, “You never have a second chance to make a first impression”? How often have you judged a person based on your first impression of him or her?
It’s human nature to make our decisions about others based on how they look, speak, and act the first time we meet. At the first meeting your mind is busy creating a “mental picture” of that person. Oh, by the way, once we form an opinion about another person in our mind, it’s almost impossible to get our mind to switch over because we keep going back to the mental picture of the first meeting.
So, how do you make sure that you put your “best foot forward” in every situation? Here’s three simple steps that will help you create a “super lasting impression”.
1. Dress for Success. It’s easy with the casual lifestyle we live to attempt to dress down for every occasion. I’m going to suggest you do the opposite. When you are getting dresses for any occasion ask yourself this question. “How will I feel if I am the only person dressed like this?”
Example: If you show up in jeans and everyone else is wearing business casual, how comfortable will you be? If you are dressed casually and everyone else is in an “after five dress” will you be at your best? I have found over the years that when I am “underdressed” I feel uncomfortable, but if I’m overdressed I don’t! Why do I feel like that? Probably because I’m thinking about “what they think about me”. Let’s face it, most of us really do care about what others think, whether we admit it or not. If you were attending the Oscar’s would you rather be on Mr. Blackwell’s “Best Dressed” or “Worst Dressed List”? Ask yourself that question before you walk out the door.
When I did my parties I always wanted the guests to know WHO was putting on the presentation. I wanted to feel comfortable with the guests and that meant not being “uncomfortable” myself. In 22 years I never wore jeans to a presentation. I wore dress slacks and a blazer or in some cases a suit. Why? Because I knew that it was a possibility that a guest would be coming from work in a suit, and I would feel awkward if I was underdressed. I preferred to dress to avoid uncomfortable situations.
2. Smile. The best accessory you will ever add will cost you nothing! It’s your smile! When you smile at someone more often than not, he or she will smile back at you. Smiling is contagious! Smiling is comforting! Smiling is friendly! People are drawn to “smilers”. People respond favorably to you.
3. Be Sincerely Interested. Ask people about themselves. Become interested in the people you meet, sincerely interested. Ask questions that are personal, but not too personal. Keep your questions simple so as not to draw out long stories. Example: “How long have you lived in this area?” , “How long have you been with XYZ Company?” “What do you like best about your job?”
So remember the next time you know you’ll be meeting someone new; to “dress for success”, “smile” and “be sincerely interested” and you’ll make a great first impression everywhere you go!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
TSF on Selling Yourself in your Urban Botanic business
Yesterday I baked a double layer chocolate cake to bring to a luncheon. It was when I was trying to figure out how I was going to transport it that I realized in a moment of frenzy I'd sold my “cake taker” at our last garage sale. Now I'm acquainted with a gal who's been the consultant for a company that sells `cake takers' at a few multi-vendor events that I've done over the past few years but for the life of me - I can't recall her name or even the town she lives in.
Are YOU a memorable consultant? Have you `sold yourself' to your customers? Do your customers think of YOU when they want to purchase product from your company or do they boot up their computer and pick a random consultant off of the web?
Here are some things you can do to help your customers remember YOU:
Are YOU a memorable consultant? Have you `sold yourself' to your customers? Do your customers think of YOU when they want to purchase product from your company or do they boot up their computer and pick a random consultant off of the web?
Here are some things you can do to help your customers remember YOU:
- Make sure you leave your customers a refrigerator magnet.
- Get to know your customers personally - pay attention to and make a note of personal details they share about their lives (where they live, family details, etc;)
- Send birthday or anniversary cards
- Send Mother's or Father's day cards
- Send hand written thank you notes
- Be in touch at least four times a year regarding sales, specials and new product offerings.
- Follow up with them when “add-on” products or accessories for their original purchases become available.
- Be sure you have a web page or email address that is easy to remember
The key is keeping your name, phone number and any other contact information in front of your customers in a positive way so that they think of YOU FIRST.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Hive Member Spotlight - Avis Board - Colton, CA
I have been married to my husband for 6 years. We have a blended family. He brought 2 children to the marriage and I brought 2 children to the marriage. My 2 sons and his son all live with us fulltime and my step daughter lives with her mother fulltime. My boys are 14, 16 and 18. We live in Colton, California which is in Southern California…half way between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. My birthday is December 9th.
My job as a Special Education Administrator is very stressful and there are many days that I wish I could afford to go back to teaching. Although I am good at what I do, I believe I am a Teacher at heart and not an Administrator. So…I was looking for a business that would allow me to have fun doing something that made up the difference between a teacher salary and my administrative salary. I was also attracted by the fact that this is a young company that I would be able to get in on the ground floor and that it involved smells and estrogen. My life revolves around testosterone and I need to do something “girlie”.
I did discuss my desire to do this business with my husband and he is very supportive of me doing what I want to do. He understands my goal to get out of administration and would like me to be able to do that. My best friend is very supportive and is ready for me to come to her school to allow her office staff to make their own scented lotion for Secretary’s day. I have not discussed it with any one else but am confident that my friends and family will love this and support my business.
My strongest scent was “herby” followed by “woodsy”. I have not been to a party and do not have my kit yet, but in looking at the scents that fall in those two families, I think it will be right on.
Because an educator’s contract goes from July to June, by June 2008 I plan to be at a place with Urban Botanic to have a choice to go back to teaching. I am a business builder. I am a Christian with a great deal of faith that this is an answer to my prayers. I believe that God wants me to prosper. I am also creative and sociable.
My job as a Special Education Administrator is very stressful and there are many days that I wish I could afford to go back to teaching. Although I am good at what I do, I believe I am a Teacher at heart and not an Administrator. So…I was looking for a business that would allow me to have fun doing something that made up the difference between a teacher salary and my administrative salary. I was also attracted by the fact that this is a young company that I would be able to get in on the ground floor and that it involved smells and estrogen. My life revolves around testosterone and I need to do something “girlie”.
I did discuss my desire to do this business with my husband and he is very supportive of me doing what I want to do. He understands my goal to get out of administration and would like me to be able to do that. My best friend is very supportive and is ready for me to come to her school to allow her office staff to make their own scented lotion for Secretary’s day. I have not discussed it with any one else but am confident that my friends and family will love this and support my business.
My strongest scent was “herby” followed by “woodsy”. I have not been to a party and do not have my kit yet, but in looking at the scents that fall in those two families, I think it will be right on.
Because an educator’s contract goes from July to June, by June 2008 I plan to be at a place with Urban Botanic to have a choice to go back to teaching. I am a business builder. I am a Christian with a great deal of faith that this is an answer to my prayers. I believe that God wants me to prosper. I am also creative and sociable.
Shawna's Fun Questions:
What is the strangest date you've ever been on and why?
The strangest date that I ever went on was with this guy that picked me up wearing a velvet suit with an ascot around his neck…and I believe it was a shade of purple. He told me he had two front row tickets to the theater to see the play “Evita” and had reservations at an upscale restaurant for dinner. Funny thing is that the restaurant could not seem to find his reservation so seated us by the kitchen and the front row tickets ended up being in the nosebleed section…second to last row. Everything was bad about that night, but I would have to say that the worst part was looking at the ascot all night!
What is your greatest accomplishment in your life so far?
I believe that the greatest accomplishment in my life so far is my education. I am the only one in my family with a college education. I have my Masters Degree in Educational Administration. When I graduated from high school, I had no concept of college and had to figure it out on my own.
The strangest date that I ever went on was with this guy that picked me up wearing a velvet suit with an ascot around his neck…and I believe it was a shade of purple. He told me he had two front row tickets to the theater to see the play “Evita” and had reservations at an upscale restaurant for dinner. Funny thing is that the restaurant could not seem to find his reservation so seated us by the kitchen and the front row tickets ended up being in the nosebleed section…second to last row. Everything was bad about that night, but I would have to say that the worst part was looking at the ascot all night!
What is your greatest accomplishment in your life so far?
I believe that the greatest accomplishment in my life so far is my education. I am the only one in my family with a college education. I have my Masters Degree in Educational Administration. When I graduated from high school, I had no concept of college and had to figure it out on my own.
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