Direct Selling September 2008

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Karen Phelps, Direct Selling Expert teaches you to "raise the bar" for yourself and your team! To hire Karen for your next event e-mail: Karen@Karenphelps.com

Karen's Monthly Audio Message

Quote for the month: “You need to become duplicable in your business. Have simple systems that produce great results.”  Karen Phelps

In this issue: Create Simple Systems to Produce Great Results - Direct Selling Doctor -   Fantastic Fall Sales Teleseminar - The Secret to Direct Selling Success - Track Your Leads -  Share this Newsletter

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Create Simple Systems to Produce Great Results

Even though I didn't know it at the time, my direct selling career began when I was still in high school. My mom was a leader with Queen's Way to Fashion and I used to go to parties with her to model the clothes. Since I didn't have to model until about 15 minutes after the presentation began I always hung out with the guests and watched as my mom worked her magic. I didn't realize until many years later when I began my own direct selling business how fortunate I had been to have learned so much from one of the best in the industry.

When I take time to think back to the days (many moons ago) when I watched my mom do parties I understand how much I was influenced by her presentations. Mom was there to have fun and she made sure everyone else did too! She was also there to make money to help with the expenses that come with a family of nine. She had a reason for doing everything she did at her parties. She had systems in place to secure bookings, sales and recruits at every party. Because my mom was my sponsor and the person I wanted to emulate I began doing everything the same way she did!

Even though my early direct selling days left a lot to be desired and there were many times I was ready to call it quits I refused to give up. Oh yeah, we all have those days! I vividly remember going to the mailbox on many occasions hoping a check would be there so I could pay the bills which were due that week. I really didn't want to go back to a full time job and I've never been a quitter. I'm not sure if I was more concerned with letting myself or my mom (sponsor) down if I left the business. I shadowed mom and began to study what she did. Even though I was very shy (can you believe it?) the more parties I held the more confident I began to be. Once I began to implement the systems I had learned from my mom and other successful people in the business I began to realize success.

I earned my first award trip to Hawaii in 1981. (Can you believe there was a recession that year too? I had to sell $56,000 for the year with 6 qualified recruits. I ended up with $56,103 and had 17 qualified recruits.) Once I earned my first award trip I knew there was no turning back. I wanted to go places, I wanted to be the #1 District Leader and I wanted to earn at least $50,000 a year (which was a lot back then). I wasn't lucky! It wasn't easy! I was a success because I knew what I wanted and I refused to settle for less!

You are probably wondering why I am telling you all of this. I'm telling you this because I want you to understand, no matter how bad the economy is, no matter how little your sponsor teaches you, no matter how much you have to sell or how many recruits you to have to earn your company trip or promotion, no matter what obstacles you have to overcome "You Can Succeed if You Want To!" It's that simple. The only person who controls your success is you!

Here are a few simple tips to help you get the most from every party you hold.

1. Set a goal for your desired outcome. What do you hope to accomplish at each party? How many sales do you want from every party? How many bookings do you want from every party? How many recruit leads do you want from every party? Once you have set your goals it's time to make sure you can reach them at least 80% of the time.

2. Have a plan to learn the guests names. I wrote about this last month so I'm not going to go into it again. (click here to read August 2008 newsletter) You need to introduce yourself to the guests in attendance at the party. You could use the "meet and greet" (from It's a Party Out There" or a "name game." It doesn't matter what you do it only matters that you do it.

3. Have a plan to get bookings. You need to have many steps in place to get bookings. Many consultants erroneously think if they do the booking game (from It's a Party Out There) they don't need to ask each guest. I had at least 6 or 7 different techniques I would use at each party to increase my chances of getting at least 3 bookings every time. I explained the hostess program at least twice at every party, I asked yes questions, I demonstrated Hostess Specials, I planted booking seeds during the entire presentation and Yes, during the last 12 years in Direct Selling I played a booking game (even though I hated games)

3. Have simple techniques to increase your sponsoring leads. Do you have a 2 minute (or less) story you share at every party? Do you identify someone you want to sponsor from every party? What do you give to a potential recruit? Do you set up a time to call or better yet a time and place to have coffee within 48 hours? I recently remarked to a friend of mine how I would have hated to think about how many less recruits we would have had in our Region had we not all began to use the "Sponsoring Game." I mean if a 22 year old can recruit 7 people in her first 2 months in the business, become a leader and have an override check of over $700 her first month as a leader, don't you think you would want to share how she did it with others? Yes, I admit, I didn't play the Sponsoring Game right away but thanks to Tammy and her great success I soon realized I needed to hop aboard and begin to use something that was obviously working so well for her. Do you ask your current Hostess and new Hostesses if they would like to know more about the opportunity?

4. Coach your new Hostesses as soon as you book them. Don't wait until tomorrow to meet with her. Have enough Hostess Packs with you to give one to every booking at the party. (I carried 8 - 10 to every party) Don't have so much in your Hostess Packet that your Hostess will never look at it. Have a catalog, order forms, guest list, Hostess Brochure, and Sponsoring Brochure in your Hostess Pack. You can also add customer special flyers. You might want to mail a few important flyers separately to increase the chance of your Hostess actually reading them! Remind your Hostess about getting pre-party orders to increase her sales and help her set a goal for the party which will be exactly the same as your goal for her party.

5. Create a system for your parties and use the same system all the time. I know people like to argue with me a lot on this so here is why this is so important. As you sponsor people from your parties into your company you will have every new recruit attend one or two of your parties to observe what you do. If you do some things at one party and then other things at the next party your new consultant becomes confused as to what she needs to do at her future parties. When you have a system in place and you do the same things at every party it becomes very easy for you to use your parties as a means to train your new recruits. Your party should be so simple and systematic that your new recruit can observe you twice and duplicate everything you do at her first party.

6. Use props, posters, commentary books and displays. The more things you have to use during the party to help you get the message across the better chance you have of getting the results you expect. I used a "commentary book" at every party for 25 years. It wasn't because I didn't know what to say, it was because I wanted to demonstrate to every guest in attendance how easy it is to do the business. Try not to be too perfect in your presentation or you'll have guests giving you lots of compliments followed by their insistence they could never do what you do.

7. Enjoy yourself. The minute you leave for your party begin to get yourself in the mood to have fun. I listened to motivational and training CDs on the way to every party and loud music on the way home! Hey, we all have bad days but as soon as you walk in the Hostesses home your bad day is behind you. No one wants to hear your problems so don't share. When you use the Open Date Card and are booking only on days you want to hold parties you will be more likely to be "in the moment" with your hostess and guests and not worrying about what you are missing at home.

Simple systems provide great results. Everything you do at your parties should help move you closer to your goals. If you take time to get "your party" together and create a routine for your parties to include activities to increase sales, bookings and leads you will soon be on the fast track to success. "You Can Succeed if You Want To!" The only person who controls your success is you!

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This newsletter is copyrighted © September 2008 by Karen Phelps & Phelps Positive Performance  Inc. , www.Karenphelps.com
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