Gifts

Monday, January 7, 2008, by Leigh Anne

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

It’s my birthday today. I enjoyed a fun, yummy lunch with girlfriends and there were even gifts! I have been thinking about gifts a lot lately - not just because of the past holidays and my birthday but because of a movie we watched as a family during the break. If you have not seen “The Ultimate Gift” you need to! In fact I would highly recommend purchasing a copy for your family. I don’t buy many movies because there aren’t too many movies I want to watch more than once but I did buy this one!

It is a wonderful movie about ”when grandfather dies, trust fund baby Jason Stevens anticipates a big inheritance. Instead, his grandfather has devised a crash course on life with twelve tasks – or “gifts” – designed to challenge Jason in improbable ways, sending him on a journey of self-discovery and forcing him to determine what is most important in life: money or happiness.”

As I watched the movie and later thought about the 12 gifts that Jason received on his crash course I thought about how these gifts related to my homebased business.  I discovered that my homebased business has given me these 12 gifts also.

 The Gift of:

1.  Work -  What a gift it is to have a job that allows me to always keep my family as my first priority while still finding fulfillment, success and recognition through my work.

2.  Money - The income I have earned through my homebased business has provided many of the “extras” for our family - vacations, second home, lessons, shopping etc. and the last few years it has also provided the “basics” when my husband has experienced unemployment.  The money I earn through my business has been a true gift to our family.

3.  Friends- I can’t even begin to count the friends I have made over the last 17 years I have had my homebased business!  I have met so many wonderful woman (and a few men) that have impacted my life, inspired me, and motivated me.  Two of my dearest friends in life I met through my direct sales business. 

4.  Family -The biggest gift my business has given me is the ability I have had to be a stay at home mom!

5.  Problems -  Yes, there have been problems and there always will be.  The last 17 years have not all been smooth sailing.  There have been plenty of ups and downs, high sales, low sales, high commission checks, low commission checks but I know that with the blessings must come the trials.  I am grateful for those trials for they have made me a better and stronger person.

6.  Learning - The thingsI have learned from my homebased business are many.  I have learned how to sell (something I had NEVER done before nor thought I could or wanted to do!), recruit, speak to a group of 4,000 women, lead a team of 700,  deal with difficult people, etc.  I could go on and on….

7  Laughter - I have learned to laugh at myself - I have made plenty of mistakes along the way and I am grateful for those who laughed right alongside me as we have learned and grown together!

8.  Dreams - I have learned how to dream and  because of my homebased business I have seen  many of those dreams come true.  The purchase of our second home on the Oregon Coast was a dream I have had for many years - it was because of the income from my homebased business that we were able to purchase it.  I have many other dreams too that I look forward to the realization of thanks to my business!

9.  Giving -I have been both a giver and and a receiver.  I have been able to give of my time, my experience and my knowledge to help others with their business.  I have been able to “give” to my customers as I have helped them but I am sure I have received more than I have given through the many gifts and blessings that have come into my life as a result of my business.

10.  Gratitude - I am grateful on a daily basis for all that I have been given, the many gifts that my life has been blessed with.  Sometimes when things aren’t going exactly the way I want it easy to forget to be grateful.  One of my resolutions for this year is to be more grateful on a daily basis - to recognize the hand of the Lord in my life each day and the blessings he showers down on me.

11.  A Day - One of the biggest gifts or blessings of a homebased business is the freedom I have to choose how I will spend my day - each day is mine to choose.  I do not have a boss telling me what I have to do and when I have to do it - it is up to me. 

12  Love - How grateful I am for the love I have for my team members, fellow consultants and my customers.  My life has been so enriched by the people that my business has brought into it.  My life is fuller and richer because of them.

So go out and rent or buy “The Ultimate Gift” and take some time to review over the many gifts you have received. 

Popularity: 46% [?]

Categories: Direct Sales, Goals, Home Based Business, Motivation

Subscribe

Catch Up Day

Wednesday, December 12, 2007, by Leigh Anne

Have you ever felt like you just weren’t getting everything done?  Do you have too many projects that won’t fit into your weekly/daily schedule?  Too many loose ends - not enough time!  I feel that way quite often - especially with a homebased business when there are so many other distractions during your day.  Those “waiting to be done” piles/lists just keep getting higher and longer.  Those piles/lists can include things like getting that customer newsletter out, making needed phone calls, bookkeeping, bill paying and even things like sewing on a button, a pile of ironing and this time of year things like getting those Christmas cards out and finishing up your gift shopping etc.

Whenever I get feeling this way - a bit panicked by all the things I haven’t finished, I declare a Catch Up Day!  It is a great time management technique.  The Catch Up Day is basically a whole day (or if you have to - half a day) of “white space” on your calendar.  The need for a Catch Up Day happens to all of us - even the most disciplined and most organized.  When you are feeling that “panicked feeling” select a day from your upcoming week/month that you leave totally white - I actually draw a big X through the day I select on my calendar - and then try your hardest to schedule NOTHING for that day(except things that you need to get done).  I know, I know, this can be a challenge so that’s why if you have to -  a half a day is better than nothing!

Well, I was having that “panicked” feeling last week so I decided it was time for a Catch Up Day -so I had one yesterday!  To make the best use of your Catch Up Day spend some time the night before preparing.  Make a list of all the things you want to accomplish - even sewing on that button or filing those papers.  The next day you will be ready to go - now for those of you with small children at home this may require a babysitter but I promise you it will be worth it!  Find a friend and trade babysitting for each other’s Catch Up Days!

Once you designate your Catch Up Day DO NOT be tempted to allow other people to fill up that white space for you, only you are allowed to choose what you will do that day. 

I use my Catch Up Days for both personal and business things - doesn’t matter what it is - if it is something that has been bugging you, hanging around for ever, put it on the list!  Even going out to lunch with a friend you haven’t seen in months qualifies!  The important thing is you choose how to use that time - don’t allow others to fill in that white space for you.

I thought I’d share with you what I did on my Catch Up Day.  My least favorite holiday activities are sending out Christmas cards and stocking stuffers.  I always leave these two things to the last minute and it ends up causing me all kinds of stress!  So this year I decided I wasn’t going to do that - so I included them in my Catch Up Day list.

1. Purchased holiday paper and labels for Christmas cards and wrote family letter(the cards had actually been ordered and printed before Thanksgiving).  Began addressing envelopes (didn’t finish)

2.  Went to Target for stocking stuffers and all the fast food restaurants for gift cards for the stockings.  Made sure I had “equal” amounts for each child - very important!

3. Placed a product order and delivered product to two people.

4.  Bought a black “Marks a Lot” marker so Tessa could color her point shoes black for the holiday ballet.  I had to go to THREE stores to find a “Marks a Lot” - it couldn’t be a Sharpie, that would be too easy.  Every store had Sharpies!

5.  Returned overdue books to the library - oops!  I love supporting our libraries with my overdue fines.

6.  Called the oral surgeon to schedule a time for Tessa to have her wisdom teeth out -I have needed to do that for several months!

7.  Posted the photos from the school play on the website so other parents could see them (the play was a month ago!)

8.  Purchased my last two Christmas gifts. Yeah!

9.  Stood in line at the post office to mail off the last of the “long distance” gifts!

10.  Did some research for my trip to Alabama this weekend - what is there to do in Mobile, Alabama?  I discovered  - not much!  Jim’s company Christmas party is this weekend and they are flying me back for it.  At least I can now say I’ve been to Alabama.  Anyone from Alabama have some ideas for us???

So if life/business is feeling a little out of control and you have too many things on your to do list that aren’t getting done  - schedule a Catch Up Day.  You will be amazed how great you feel the next day!

Popularity: 52% [?]

Categories: Direct Sales, Family, Home Based Business, Team Talk, Time Management

Subscribe

Connections

Tuesday, December 4, 2007, by Leigh Anne

This post is a day late because yesterday, Monday, a typical “office day” for me was also a day off of school for the girls.  So I decided to take the day off  too and play with my girls.  We enjoyed a day together and took a field trip to the IKEA store that opened this summer here in Portland - it is like a Disneyland for the house!  We had fun and decided to re-decorate Cali’s room while we were there.  I love being a homebased mom and having the flexibility to take a day off whenever I want and the opportunity to connect with my girls!

This last week was a busy one.  Thursday and Friday were my annual holiday customer open house.  Despite the work that it takes, I look forward to it because it is an opportunity for me to connectwith my customers.  They come to my home, I serve them some of my famous hot apple cider (yes, I’ll share the recipe), they do some shopping and we have an opportunity to visit.  It is a chance for me to ask about their family and what they have been up to lately.  I love my homebased business and the opportunity it gives me to form relationships and connections with my customers, many of whom have become my friends. 

Some of my wonderful First Line Team Members

On Saturday I hosted my annual “First Line Holiday Breakfast”, an event I have done for about 12 years!  I love the opportunity to have my team members in my home, serve them a yummy breakfast (lots of good recipes to share) and have a chance to connect.  We do talk a little business (of course) but it is an opportunity to just visit and get caught up on each other’s lives - we had a great conversation this year about cell phone etiquette and text messaging!

Following my team breakfast that afternoon,  I hosted a holiday tea party for a group of my girlfriends - we call ourselves “The Beach Babes”. (I did ALOT of cooking on Saturday).  The Beach Babes have known each other for 17 years and our first trip together was to the beach - thus the name.  We enjoyed lots of yummy “tea food” (recipes to come) and lots of good conversation, connections and our annual book exchange.

THE BEACH BABES

As you can see I had fun connecting this past week!  One of the biggest advantages of direct sales, our number one weapon against so called “retail competition”, is our ability to connect.  Because of the nature of our business we have the opportunity to develop relationships with our customers - relationships that a retail store can never have.  It is the connections and relationships we form with our customers that create loyalty.  It (along with an awesome product)  is what keeps them coming back to us.

The connections and relationships we form with our team members are what create loyalty to our company and our teams.  It is what keeps team members going during rough times with their business, times when they may feel like quitting. 

In this age of technology - emails, text messaging, message machines, fax machines etc. those personal connections can become fewer and fewer.  One of my goals for the new year is to make more personal connections with my family, my customers, my team members and my friends!  Instead of sending off that email to a team member or customer- pick up the phone and call.  Even if you have to leave a message - the sound of your voice can make a difference.  Invite a girlfriend out to lunch (I’m usually available!) or take the day off and play with your kids!   Let’s connect!

 Hot Apple Cider

This cider is so good that both of my college boys have called home asking for the recipe.  When I went to visit them a month ago I took them each their own little “cider” kits - cinnamon sticks, allspice and cloves!

1 gallon apple cider

1 1/2 cups orange juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

6 cinnamon sicks

12 whole cloves

12 whole allspice

Mix together and bring to a boil.  Simmer at least 30 minutes.  The longer it simmers, the better it gets!

Popularity: 47% [?]

Categories: Direct Sales, Home Based Business, Recipes, Team Talk

Subscribe

Taking Time for You!

Monday, November 26, 2007, by Leigh Anne

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and enjoyed time with friends and family.  We loved having our two sweet college boys home – they are back at school and the house is empty of food but we loved every minute of it!

So – have you ever dreamed or fantasized about spending an entire day at home in your pajamas?  Lounging in bed, reading a good book, watching your favorite TV shows, taking care of no one but you?  Well, that dream came true for me over the holiday weekend – unfortunately it was accompanied by a horrible case of intestinal flu!  I did spend the day in bed, in my pajamas, watching a “What Not to Wear” Marathon and the food network but unfortunately it was not exactly what I had dreamed about!

Why is it that as woman/mothers it takes something like a case of intestinal flu to get us to slow down and take care of ourselves?  Why do we push aside our dreams, self-nurturing, hobbies and interests for everything and everyone else?

I think homebased moms are even guiltier of this because we never leave the office.  We are surrounded by our office, our work 24-7.  It is so easy to just go in and check that email one more time, make one more call, do one more thing.  The boundary or separation between work and home/personal life can sometimes be non-existent when you are a homebased mom.

For years I have had the following quote in my collection:

“Mixing personal time to do anything with raising a family is like putting oil and vinegar in a salad dressing jar.  You have a hard time keeping them together and it takes a lot of juggling and constant mix-ups to keep them well blended.”  Janene Wesley Boadsgaerd

I think we could add “running a homebased business” to that quote too.  Keeping the two blended and balanced is a lot of work and it is also a choice.

When you first begin a homebased business there are sacrifices that need to be made.  When I first started my direct sales business several of my interests, hobbies had to be put on the back burner for a period of time – but that does not mean FOREVER!

Several weeks ago I attended a Women’s Retreat in Napa, California.  As I sat in the retreat house with these women I was so impressed that this group of women – many of them homebased moms, others worked outside the home as lawyers, real estate agents, therapists, but all of them had made a commitment to themselves.  They had set aside their other priorities and obligations to devote an entire weekend to themselves – and it didn’t take a case of intestinal flu!

So ask yourself - What are you too busy to do – what have you put off doing because you’re too busy?  While I spent that time in bed this weekend, life went on around me, everyone survived!  When I returned from my weekend in Napa Valley, the house still stood, the family got fed and all was well and the other amazing thing was that this morning as I am feeling better, I actually enjoyed putting a load of laundry in and picking up a few of the messes that were made.  Having had that break from those jobs helped!

 I have learned that when you make the time and space for what you long to do, everything else shifts to accommodate it

Popularity: 36% [?]

Categories: Direct Sales, Family, Home Based Business

Subscribe

Blessings of being a homebased mom

Monday, November 19, 2007, by Leigh Anne

This past week I have spent a fair amount of my time scanning pictures – 250 pictures to be exact!   That’s a lot of pictures!  I decided to put together a surprise for my husband for his Christmas gift – a digital storybook of all the “professional” portraits of our family that we have had taken over the last 25 years. (thanks to team member Karen Herrema for the idea!)   I spent hours going through albums and boxes, trying to collect all the photos and then spent hours scanning them into the computer.   Fortunately sweet husband was out of town most of the week on business. 

I began with our engagement picture, a few of our wedding pictures,  pictures of our first sweet baby boy clear through to our most recent family portrait taken this summer.   It truly was a trip down memory lane.  As I took this trip, a sense of gratitude came over me.   Not only a gratitude for the wonderful, beautiful, brilliant family I have been blessed with (o.k. – so indulge me a bit here!) but also a sense of gratitude that as a homebased mom I have been able to be there for every twist and turn of their lives.   I have been there to observe, guide, direct, nurture and clean up the messes!  

Believe me there were days I wished I wasn’t there but I am grateful that I was, even for the chicken pox, the broken arms, the temper tantrums, the teenage tirades etc.   I am grateful that I was available to be the room mom, plan the class parties, be the Brownie and Cub Scout leader, go on the field trips, run the lunch to school when it was forgotten and able to pick up the sick child from school when they called (although I have been known to ask the school nurse – “how sick are they really??)  

I am nearing the tail end of having children at home (4 more years and trying not to count because every time I do I cry!).   The greatest joy and blessing of my life has been being able to be a homebased mom.   Because of my homebased business our life has been blessed, my children have had the blessing of having a mom at home when they needed her (and even when they didn’t need her) and our family has been financially blessed.   My business has provided the extras and the necessities, especially during the past year when my husband found himself unexpectedly unemployed – twice within one year!   There are so many other blessings that have come into my life as a result of my homebased business but those are for another day!   

So during this week of Thanksgiving I hope you will take the opportunity to “Count Your Many Blessings”- especially those blessings that come into your life as a result of being a homebased mom.  

So I couldn’t resist – I had to share with you two of the pictures I scanned in this week – they are two of my favorite.   A photo of my two sweet college boys when they were 3 and 5 and then a picture we had taken two years ago when they were 19 and 21 – Logan had just returned from his church mission to Argentina and Clark was leaving for his mission to Chile – aren’t they handsome.   I have these two pictures framed in my family room and they bring me such joy!!  In less than 36 hours (and who is counting!) sweet college boys will be home for the Thanksgiving break - yeah!!!

Popularity: 28% [?]

Categories: Family, Home Based Business, Team Talk

Subscribe

Regaining Momentum

Monday, November 12, 2007, by Leigh Anne

The last two weeks we have been talking about Momentum - the importance of it and how to maintain it.  This week let’s talk about how to regain momentum. 

Several years ago I was attending a Regional Convention with some members of my team in Seattle (3 hours north of Portland)  One of our Northwest “ice storms” was on its way - for those of you who have never had the pleasure of experiencing a Northwest “ice storm” - the entire surface of EVERYTHING becomes encased in a sheet of ice !  We knew the storm was coming so we decided it was time to head for home.

The storm hit as we drove south but we were doing o.k. - making slow but steady progress.  My knuckles were turning white from gripping the seat so tightly but we were making progress!  And then it happened - we were about an hour north of Portland slowly making our way up a hill when the truck in front of us came to a stop.  As a result, we too came to a stop.   We were at a complete stand still.  There we were, a car with four women, one of them very pregnant, in the dark of the night, stranded a mile from the nearest town and a dead cell phone!             

So what had happened?  Why couldn’t we get going again?  We had lost MOMENTUM - the force of movement.  Stranded on that ice covered hill we were unable to get going again.  Momentum was the only difference between our car and the ones passing us on the road. 

So maybe some of you feel your business is at a complete standstill or going slower than you’d like - how can you create the momentum you need to get going again.  You may feel, just like the four of us in the car, that you do not have the power within yourself to create the momentum you need.

You need an agent for change - for us, the agent for change came out of the middle of the dark night in the form of one of the girl’s husbands who felt inspired to leave Seattle early and return to Portland.  He found us in the pitch dark, stranded along the side of the road!

 Many times the momentum or agent for change that you need may come from someone else - an idea learned at a unit meeting, regional convention or upline.  Sometimes solutions to our problems can be as little as one small degree of change. 

Water boils at 212 degrees - at 211 degrees it is just hot water.  One degree - an increase of less than one half of one percent can make the difference between a pot of hot water and a boiling cauldron of power!  That one degree is momentum.

After 17 years in the business, I have learned that one of the “Critical Success Factors” of direct sales is scheduling.  That is usually where the breakdown happens - we neglect scheduling new events - like I mentioned last week we wake up to find ourselves with a case of “snowblindness” - no events on the calendar.  We have lost momentum and come to a complete standstill with our business.

Recently, I attended the NW Women’s show here in Portland.  A leader in my team had a booth at the show.  She had a great scheduling idea that I want to share with you today -using this idea she and her team member were able to schedule 44 home events!!  This idea may be the agent for change that you need in your business - the one thing you need to create momentum in your business again!

 Deal or No Deal - you may have heard of the TV game show or even watched it.  It is the one with all the girls in matching dresses with briefcases.  Well, in this version of Deal or No Deal  you offer your customers/show attendees the opportunity to take home some fun prizes.  The “deal” is they also have to be willing to schedule a home event with you if the “briefcase” or envelope they select says “schedule a home event”.  Some of the envelopes just say “Pick a prize from the basket” but some say “Pick a prize from the basket and schedule a home event tonight.”  Be sure and make the prizes appealing - discontinued product, limited edition product etc.  I would be sure the cost to you as the consultant is no more than $5 -6.00 maximum.  My team member used product that was worth less than a dollar and had great success! So give it a try - it may be just what you need to regain momentum in your business.

If you have a scheduling tip that has helped you regain momentum in your business or maintain momentum please share!  Just click on comments.  All those who leave comments will be entered into our monthly contest!  (More info on the contest tomorrow!)

Popularity: 46% [?]

Categories: Direct Sales, Home Based Business, Motivation, Team Talk

Subscribe

Maintaining Momentum

Monday, November 5, 2007, by Leigh Anne

Last week I shared with you the story of becoming “Stuck in the Mud”.  I compared this to our direct sales business and how we can get “stuck in the mud” and lose momentum.  Getting started again can take a lot of time, effort and energy.  It is easier to keep the momentum going and not get stuck! 

This week I want to talk about maintaining that momentum.   For many of us the fall selling season is our best and busiest time of the year.  It is important that we take advantage of this time and use the momentum we create during the fall to propel us into the next year.

Once something is in motion it is easier to keep it in motion. I have found that one of the biggest “momentum stoppers” for a direct sales business can be the upcoming holidays.  The months prior to the holidays (Sept. Oct. and November) are great and we can find ourselves so busy that we are not being “forward thinking” we are only “present thinking. 

 We need to take advantage of the busyness of our fall to help us create momentum for our next year.   I have seen it happen over and over- we wake up January 1^st, look at our calendar and are hit with “snow blindness” – a white calendar – we have nothing scheduled!  We find ourselves “stuck in the mud”.  We have lost the momentum and forward motion we created the previous fall – we are starting over again!

So how can we prevent “snow blindness” in our business?  You may have heard of the “snowball effect”.   Just like with a snowball, your small, consistent efforts with your business build one on top of each other, creating a bigger and bigger snowball (business).  The bigger that snowball gets the faster it moves and it takes on a life of it’s own as it speeds down the hill!  We can create that same type of “snowball effect” in our business.

We need to learn to take advantage of the momentum created during the busy fall season.  We need to use the fall to “Jumpstart January” so we wake up January 1^st with a full calendar and not a glaring white calendar!  So during this busy fall season be sure that you are being “forward thinking”. 

• Set your goals for January now – how many home events do you want to teach in January, what are your sales and recruiting goals for January?  
•  Report into your upline your goals so she can hold you accountable.
•  Set a goal to have those January events scheduled and on the calendar by a certain date this fall so you don’t wake up with “snowblindness” January 1^st.
• Have your January/February calendar available at all your fall home events.  Be sure and advertise your company’s January hostess incentives/promotions.
• Always work for the “sooner” date (before the holidays) but when a potential hostess just doesn’t feel she can do it before the end of the year ALWAYS offer and encourage a January date. 

 So don’t start off the New Year with “snowblindness”.   Use the momentum of your fall business to create the “snowball effect” in your business for the entire upcoming year.  You will continue to pick up speed as you move through the year, creating a bigger and bigger snowball (business!). 

Popularity: 37% [?]

Categories: Direct Sales, Home Based Business, Motivation, Team Talk

Subscribe

Stuck in the Mud - an a”mazing” experience!

Wednesday, October 31, 2007, by Leigh Anne

Monday we had a fun “family night” activity.  Jim, the girls and I went to the corn maze and Pumpkin Patch out on Sauvie Island.  The corn maze covers acres and acres – that’s a lot of corn.  As we got ready to go, I questioned whether we should take boots or not – it hasn’t rained here in Portland for a couple of weeks (surprise, surprise) so I didn’t really think we would need them but decided to take them anyway.  Well – was I ever wrong and was I ever glad!  The maze was muddy – in fact the mud was probably 4 inches deep!  I learned some valuable lessons on our visit to the corn maze. 

As we made our way through the corn maze we had an aerial photo of what the maze looked like but no specific directions or map.  We were on our own.  Let me tell you, a maze looks a lot different when you are in the middle of it than it does from up above.  This is like starting a home based business.  Sometimes things look great from the view above or as you watch others do it but once you get started and are in the middle of the maze (business) it can be a bit disorienting and different.  Sometimes you just don’t know where you are, which way to go, or what to do!  Have you ever felt that way?

Fortunately for us, while we were in the maze, we met a “Corn Cop”.  “Corn Cops” are guys that walk around the maze to help people who just can’t figure out where they are or how to get out!  We met a nice one who gave us some helpful hints on which way to go (and which paths to avoid), but first we had to ask – he didn’t just volunteer the information.  He wanted us to try and figure it out on our own first.  Do you have a “Corn Cop” in your business? – of course you do!  You probably have an upline or sideline, networking buddies and a corporate office – all there willing to help – all you have to do is ask for help!  When you are feeling lost, disoriented and not sure which way you need to go – JUST ASK!

Did I mention it was muddy!?  We discovered as we walked along that we did okay in the mud as long as we kept moving.  We had a problem when we stopped – our feet were stuck in the mud!  The mud was so thick that it took a lot of tugging, pulling and energy to get our feet out of the mud once they were stuck.  This can also happen in your business – and it’s called losing momentum.  When you stop and start your business instead of keeping up a steady pace you lose momentum   Momentum is driven by consistency.  When you lose momentum, starting your business again can be a lot like being stuck in the mud – it takes a lot more tugging, pulling and energy to get going than it does to keep going.

So what can you do when you find yourself “stuck in the mud?  As I mentioned before -  ask for help.  Help can come in the form of an idea from a team meeting, an upline, a pacing partner, a company publication, a conference call or fellow team member. That one idea can be all you need to get “unstuck” and get moving again.  Momentum is the force that drives you forward and there is nothing more important to a successful business than a steady, consistent pace.  Next week I’ll share some specific tips for creating momentum in your business.

Popularity: 38% [?]

Categories: Home Based Business, Motivation, Team Talk, Uncategorized

Subscribe

Direct Sales - Tricks or Tips of the Trade and first ever “ahomebasedmom” contest!

Monday, October 22, 2007, by Leigh Anne

It’s that time of year - Trick or Treaters will be arriving next week.  In preparation for that I thought I’d share some “Tricks or Tips” of direct sales that I have picked up recently.

One of the things I have learned since being in direct sales is that one of the best places to pick up new “Tricks or Tips”  for my business is at other direct sales companies events or home parties.  Sometimes as direct sellers we get so busy holding our own home events (this is a GOOD thing) that we don’t take advantage of going to the “parties” that we are invited to by our friends.   Recently I realized that it had been a while since I had attended another company’s home event.  It just so happened that that same week I received a couple of invites to various home parties (guess it was meant to be) and I received a call from one of my customers who is a consultant in another direct selling company asking me to host a party for her.  This is not something I do very often as I am usually too busy holding my own home events but I love her particular company and their product and wanted some of their new fall pieces without having to pay full price (isn’t this what most hostesses want?!) so I said yes.It is amazing, even though I have been doing direct sales for 17 years, I learn some new tip or trick each time I attend a home party of another company. The consultants whose home events I attended have different “experience’ levels in direct sales but all had something to teach me.

The “newbie” – this young gal had only been with her company a few months.   Her sister-in-law was the hostess and the consultant admitted to me that she really wasn’t sure she was going to continue with the company.  She was mainly interested in getting the products she wanted for herself at cost.  She did a great job though – she had been trained well by her upline and did the things she was trained to do.  I loved that she got her audience involved – gave them each an opportunity to get their hands on the products and try them out.  We each were able to make our own “Coldstone” ice cream – and guess what – I bought the ice cream scoop that evening.  Tip:  Getting your customers to touch the product is so important whether you are passing it around the room, having them use it or trying it on.   Another “trick of the trade” she used was to do a drawing.  To insure she got everyone’s contact information she had us each fill out a slip for a drawing for some “free product” – even if you aren’t interested in buying anything you aren’t going to pass up on the opportunity to win something free!  Everyone filled out the form. 

The second event I attended was for a jewelry company and this consultant was also fairly new – she has been doing it less than a year and has begun to build a team.  She too did a good job of getting people to touch the product and try it on – (not really too hard when you are dealing with women and jewelry!)  Tip:  In the middle of the table was a card – on the card she had listed the first names of her last ten hostesses and the amount of free product they had earned at their party in one column and in the second column she listed what her profit had been from the party – it caught my attention!  Several days after the event I received an email from her – thanking me for attending the party and letting me know approximately when my product should be arriving – good follow-up!

The third event was the one that I hosted at my home.  This was a clothing company.  As each of my friends came into the house I greeted them wearing one of this season’s outfits (I got to pick something out from the rack of clothes the hostess brought with her – fun!)  As each friend arrived, they too got to pick out an outfit from the rack and put it on and we then each modeled for each other throughout the presentation.  Now I can tell you I bought the outfit I had tried on and I know several others did too – Tip:   I realize that letting your customers try on the clothes only works for clothing companies but – you can get your customers involved with YOUR particular product - touching and using the product as soon as possible! Get them involved from the minute they walk in the door, put your hostess to work helping you demonstrate too! – they are going to buy what they have used and touched!

So next time you are invited to a home party event – see if you can’t fit it into your schedule – think of it is as field research, part of the job.  Take the opportunity to talk to the consultant and ask her questions – watch what she does, how she does it and learn from her.  Think about how you can incorporate the tips and tricks you learn into your business.

Another thing I learned at a home event I attended several months ago wasn’t from the consultant but rather from my friend who hosted the event.  It really has nothing to do with direct sales but is a fun decorating tip that I have been using so I thought I’d pass it on!

If you have an island in your kitchen, like I do, it becomes the center of your kitchen and when I entertain and have parties I use the island a lot to serve off of but part of the island isn’t useable as a serving space because of the stove top.  Well, my friend had bought a simple black tray from Pottery Barn which she placed over the top of her burners (of course this only works if the burners are turned off!!) She then turned the tray into a “display” piece – using candles, flowers etc. to decorate it – it could also be used as a place for additional food serving pieces – I loved the idea and decided to recreate it.  It is also fun to use during the holidays and create little holiday “vignettes” on the tray.  The other great thing is – it covers over your dirty stove top!  I am including a picture of the Halloween vignette I have been using this month at a dinner party I hosted as well as the high school cast party I had at my house Saturday night!

 NEW!!  Monthly Contest!  If you have a favorite “Tip or Trick” that you use in your home event or one you have learned from a home event you attended please share it with us by clicking on comments below.  Each person who shares a “Tip  or Trick” of the trade with us will be entered into a drawing.  The prize will be a copy of one of my favorite books that is FULL of  “Tips and Tricks” of the trade - Build it Big - 101 Insider Secrets from Top Direct Selling Experts.  To participate in the contest just click on comments below and share your top “Tip or Trick” with all of us.  Your name will entered in a drawing on Trick or Treat Day - October 31st and the book will be mailed to the winner!!  I look forward to reading your “Tips and Tricks”

Popularity: 35% [?]

Categories: Direct Sales, Home Based Business, Team Talk

Subscribe

Celebrate being a Homebased Mom!

Monday, October 15, 2007, by Leigh Anne

I love being a homebased mom.  I have been a homebased mom for 23 years since my first son Logan was born.  I have had a direct sales business for 17 years but had several other types of homebased businesses before that

One of the biggest “issues” I see with women having a homebased business is the guilt that some women feel.  They feel guilty because they are out doing a show or attending a meeting and not with their kids 24 – 7.  They allow their children to become an excuse NOT to do their business instead of a reason to DO it.  My children are the reason I have a homebased business – I do my business for my kids!

Being a homebased business mom has brought so many blessings and extras to our life – not all financial.  I decided it would be fun to ask my boys what their thoughts were on having grown up with a mom who worked from home.  I figured since they have been gone from home, (both have lived in foreign countries for two years) and been away at college that they might have a different perspective on what it was like to have a mom who worked from home. 

When I asked my boys what they saw as some of the “perks” to having a homebased mom they had some fun responses -

One of Logan’s responses was the following:

 “My mother has worked from home ever since I can remember.  When I was a little kid my front room used to be full of young women, (this was during my Children’s Sewing School days) who my mother taught to sew.  I loved it even though I was probably only six.  I got to go bug all the teenage girls and flirt with them.  I think that has helped me a lot with girls throughout my life (just kidding mom).Clark said “First off I think my siblings and I were better fed than any other family I know, my home was a great place to hang out with friends because there was always homemade cookies or something good to eat.   (I was probably preparing food for a team meeting or customer event)   Both boys mentioned the financial blessing my business is to our family but both also mentioned the benefits of having me at home.    Clark said, “The extra income that was brought in was a great blessing for our family, while at the same time Mom was always free to help us out or be there for us when we needed her.  She was always able to attend our activities, sporting events, and painfully suffer through several wrestling tournaments. (yes I did suffer!!) 

One of the best benefits of being a homebased mom is the flexibility it gave me in regards to my children.  Logan said, “Even though my mother has always worked I never remember her not being at any activity of mine.  My mother’s kids were her first priority,  I remember her many times leaving meetings early to come to my ball games or performances.  Even though she worked from home she was still more involved in my life then my friends mothers who didn’t even work  (I know there were a few games I missed but he doesn’t even remember that – the majority of time I was there and that is what he remembers!)

As I look at my “boys” – actually at the age of 21 and 23 they are really now “men” I can see the influences my homebased business has had on them.  My children have developed an “entrepreneurial spirit”.   When my boys were young they decided to earn some extra money one summer by building bird houses.  They built them (with a little help from dad) and then painted them (with a little help from mom) and then rented a booth space at a local farmer’s market and each Saturday they would sell their bird houses.  Instead of getting the “standard” high school job – working at McDonald’s etc. they have run their own business each summer – doing yard and landscaping work for others.  They made much more money than they ever would have working for minimum wage and had a lot more flexibility with their time. 

I believe my children have benefited and learned from the example of a mother who remained dedicated and committed to her business – even when times were hard, sales were down, classes weren’t there and recruits were few and far between.  They saw me work through those times and learn from it and they have become dedicated and committed individuals also.  They are resourceful, bright, successful and empowered to do what they want to do.

In honor of homebased moms and their kids, the DSWA (Direct Selling Women’s Alliance), of which I am a member, is sponsoring a “Party With Your Kids Week”. 

This campaign honors the fact that owning a home-based business is one of the most powerful ways to teach our children important life skills while bringing the family together. It’s a celebration of the freedom, independence and opportunities for personal growth that a direct selling business offers

  The DSWA has made a great Family Business Tool Kit available and it’s being offered f-r-e-e to anyone who wants it as a part of a campaign called Party With Your Kids Week happening October 20-27, 2007!The Direct Selling Women’s Alliance has put together an awesome collection of bonuses, some of which are listed below.

Popularity: 30% [?]

Categories: Family, Home Based Business, Team Talk

Subscribe