Archive for April, 2008

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The More, The Merrier…

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

In today’s busy world, we’re always looking for ways to work smarter instead of harder. When I was working my party plan business, I held a multiple host event called “Party Fest” on the 2nd Tuesday of every month and it increased my number of show held from six or eight to up to sixteen each month. During that event I would hold up to 10 shows in one night in one big room. It was always an awesome party, often times I got my team involved and I supported them as they held a few shows of their own at my event, and we always recruited like crazy.

Interested in starting your own “Party Fest” to maximze your return on your time this summer? Click here to read an entire description about how to get started!

Make it a great day!
Julie Weitz

Posted in Party Plan Expert, Julie Anne Jones | Comments

Show me the money

Sunday, April 27th, 2008

You know the incredible potential that is there for you in your business. You know of – and have met – several people who have achieved great things in their businesses and are living the dream.

You know it, feel it and believe it. Your other half doesn’t. Sound familiar?

Having been an active participant in my wife’s business since Day 1, I have been exposed to all the same energy & inspiration she has. I’m a believer.
 
A week ago, I traveled to Las Vegas to speak at the Direct Selling Women’s Alliance Education Celebration. Although I was not able to spend much time at the event, the energy & inspiration from this group of empowered women is phenomenal.

Unfortunately, many husbands do not accompany their wives to events such as this. The simple act of sitting in at events with their other half would expose them to the facts and would greatly assist the effort to convince them.

If you other half has yet to recognize the incredible potential of your business, that is okay.

The only thing that truly matters right now is what you believe. Stay focused on your success and maintain your momentum towards that which you desire.

Keep sharing the successes with your partner and leave the door open for him to join you.

As your checks grow and you earn more incentives, it won’t be too long before he will be a believer – and your biggest supporter.

It really doesn’t matter whether he believes in your business. He simply has to believe in you.

The truth is that it is more about your relationship than your business.

If your relationship is not quite where you want it to be, I have a new coaching program starting soon that will give you both the tools, insights and resources to shift into the relationship that you want.
Click here to learn more about Relationships Unlimited and the limited-time membership special.

Be successful – together

Mark Semple CCC

2007 International Coach of the Year

Posted in Spouse Support Expert, Mark Semple | Comments

An Innovative Direct Selling Tool For YOU!

Thursday, April 24th, 2008

Wow! I just signed myself up for a very cool innovative business tool that you will love!

You know how you spend hours and hours on the phone trying to reach your prospects and customers? And most of the time you reach an answering machine?  What if there was a service that dialed all those numbers for your and left your message - all for seven and a half cents per call?

 Guess what?  There is and it is called Post Call.  A client of mine told me about it and she uses it for reminder calls and for calling those luke-warm leads from lead boxes.  She is even experimenting with using it for special promotion calls that she follows up with using a handwritten postcard.  AND she is having great success in about a quarter of the time she used to spend on these tasks.

Kathie Davis of Post Calls specializes in the direct selling market and offers reps a 50% discount off the rates posted at the Post Call website.  Be sure to tell her I sent you because I told her how great you all are:)

Here is a note Kathie sent:
  
 With Postcalls, there are no setup fees, no monthly or yearly fees, the only thing you pay for are the calls. You purchase calls for your account and use them until you need more calls or run out.

You do not have to purchase each month, only when you need more calls. There is no extra fee for long distance calls. The rate that Kathie is giving directors and consultants is 7.5 cents a call for a 60-second call. The basic package is 500 calls for $37.50. You must go through Kathie for your first purchase to receive the discounted rate.

 You may also earn free calls in the future by referring other people to her.  For everyone you refer to Kathie who signs up, she will give you 50 free calls.

You can call Kathie at 1-888-229-5708 and she will help you put this time-saving, money-making tool to work right away!

Love & Success!
Sarah

Posted in Innovation Expert, Sarah Robinson | Comments

“Scarcity Message #2″: You can’t go out and play until your work is done”

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008

This is a message I heard all the time growing up!

Funny thing, I still hear it all the time from the people I coach and train - especially direct sellers!

While this message may not deal with money directly, it has a direct influence on the abundance or scarcity you experience in all areas of your life – especially as a direct seller.

If you’ve incorporated this message into your life “verbatim”, you probably work hard in your business - but rarely let yourself relax and have fun.  When you do, you probably feel guilty because “you should be working on your business” and you think of “all that you need to do”.  You might be perceived as a “workaholic” or, at the least, you limit the amount of fun you have because your work is never done.

But let’s get real.  As an adult AND as a direct seller, when is your work completely done?

The problem that results from accepting this message (even subconsciously) is this.  When work and business consumes our lives and we do not give ourselves the opportunity to have fun and recreate (i.e., “re-create” ourselves), we do not experience the abundance we say we want.  We experience burnout, deprivation and scarcity instead.

You might even expect your associates and team members to do the same thing - and think they’re “not dedicated enough” or “serious enough” if they don’t work as hard as you.  In subtle ways, you might even make them feel guilty if they’re not working as hard as you.

Given “The Law of Attraction” principle that “like attracts like”, keep in mind that your workaholism, scarcity, burnout and deprivation will likely attract more of the same.

After all, given how hard you work and how little fun you truly let yourself enjoy - would YOU (looking from the outside) want to join your business and be part of your team?

But accepting this message is not the only way it can influence you and impact your abundance.

Believe me, I know! I can be downright rebellious at times - especially with messages like this.

If you “rebel” against this message, you may be determined to have fun “no matter what” and, as a result, you do not do the work that is necessary for your business to grow and thrive - for you to experience the abundance you say you want.

If you are rebelling against this message, you may be living with the motto of “I’m not going to start to work until I’m done having fun”.  Of course, because having fun can be so addictive and you never have “enough fun”, a lot of necessary and important work will not get done, e.g., making phone calls, doing your bookkeeping, prospecting, work around your home, exercise, etc..

Just like avoiding fun can result in scarcity, so can avoiding work.  And, of course, since having fun sometimes costs money, you can often experience the added scarcity of debt when you rebel against this old (and inaccurate) message.

Again, I don’t know how or if this message is influencing you - consciously or subconsciously - in the ways I’ve described.  But look and see.

Because until you become aware of the influence this (and other “scarcity messages”) has on you, you can’t do anything to reclaim your power from it.

In truth, the “abundance message” includes BOTH. You need to work to grow your business and you need to relax, have fun and “play” in your life at the same time.

As always, I’d love to hear what you discover and/or other “messages” you realize you have - as well as any questions.  Simply send me a message in the “reply” box below and I’ll get back to you.

Now… go and have some FUN today!

Teresa

Posted in Abundance Expert, Teresa Romain | Comments

Income - Expenses = Profit. A recap of yesterday’s call:

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008

This week, I had the privilege of speaking for the Expert Call—thank you for attending!     You guys had a lot of great questions, and so I want to publish them here with the answers for a recap. 

 Can you reiterate the Three Game Rules you mentioned with a brief explanation of each?

1.       Prove Intent Rule:  you must prove an intent to make a profit with your business.  You cannot be in business just for deductions.  The purpose of business is to make a profit.  IRS asks, “Does the taxpayer carry out activities in a business like manner?”  The most practical way you “prove intent”  is in the management of your business finances – books and records.  (I explained THE easiest, slickest, online software that sets aside money from every bank deposit and slots it for profit so that your rear is covered.    www.spendonpurpose.com )

2.       Company Money Rule:  ALL income resulting from your business efforts belongs to your business, not your family.  Put all of your business income into a bank account that you use exclusively for business purposes.  No co-mingling business/personal finances.

3.       Prove it or Pay Rule:  Write on every receipt  what you were purchasing and what business purpose that expense necessitates.   (If you’re at a coffee shop having coffee with a potential business recruit write: “Interview LeAnne Smith”  and circle the date.)

 I’m confused how to pay myself now that I know the Company Money Rule, can you explain? 

Remember, Income – Expenses = Profit !  So, you pay yourself the profits of your business.  I recommend writing a check to yourself out of your business bank account.   Take that check and deposit it into your personal checking account.    NEVER do an online transfer between accounts.   Always write a check , or do a withdraw cash. 

 Does the Company Money Rule really apply to me if I’m not officially “incorporated” (S-Corp or C-Corp)?  Can you explain why? 

Yes!  It applies to you regardless of your business structure.  There are lots of different business types that IRS recognizes.   Regardless of whether you’re a Sole Proprietor (98% of Direct Sellers), and LLC, S-Corp, or C-Corp you are in business.    In a nutshell, these business formations essentially help define how you pay tax as a business owner (in addition to liability protection).    So, no matter what, the money of your business is business income and will be REPORTED  as business income.  

The biggest problem with being a Sole Proprietor is that there’s no official piece of paper that your state sends announcing, “You’re now recognized as a business entity!”    For a second I ask you to think outside legalities and technicalities, and look at the ethics of it.  When in doubt, let ethics be your guide! 

Ask yourself next time you’re in your favorite coffee shop, “Would I consider it ethical if the owner of this place took the money out of the cash register and put it in her handbag on her way to the mall?”  How is it any different when you get your commission check or income from sales?

 What was that online software you talked about?   Where do I find it?   

It’s called Prosperity.  You can find it at www.spendonpurpose.com   It’s the easiest  business finance application in the world!  It’s a totally different way of looking at money.   Prosperity uses the concept  of “the envelope system” so that your bank deposits not only hit a check register and document your books/records, but they  fill up your envelopes,  so you always know at a glance what your profit is!  It’s a completely new approach to finances… even if you’re not a numbers person, you’ll actually enjoy putting your deposit(s) and expenses in because it feels like a game to watch your profit envelope grow!  If you want help getting signed up for a 30 day trial of Prosperity, the sales office number is 509-456-6524 (pacific time zone)  You can watch Prosperity in action with the videos they provide on the Tour and Support Pages.

 This class was great!  I wish I would have had this kind of business-basics training earlier in my career. I’d like to have a call like this for my own Team!    When are you doing it again, or how do we set that up?  

My  company calls this a “Sales Unit Webinar.”   We require 15 people in attendance.  Your people can from all over the world can attend virtually.   When you set up a Sales Unit Webinar, my office will coordinate all the times/dates/details.     You are effectively the “host/hostess” and will distribute the webinar registration link to your Sales Unit.   You can get some help on this by emailing info@spendonpurpose.com

Posted in Profitability Expert, LeAnne Ozaine-Smith | Comments

It’s Your Call”

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008

I’ve recently had a few conversations with clients about making follow up calls. I know this can be a huge stumbling block for direct sellers because it’s so easy for our assumptions about the person we’re calling to run rampant. It seems like the minute you pick up the phone, thoughts like these start running through your head:

“They’re too busy, they don’t want to talk to me.”
“They’re going to think I’m being pushy or trying to talk them into something they don’t want to do.”
“This is a bad time for them and I don’t want to interrupt.”
“I’m too tired (busy, unprepared, you fill in the blank) to make calls right now. I’ll do it later.”

How do you get around these thoughts and pick up the phone? Find a way to craft questions that will engage your listener. Example - I had a conversation with a client yesterday who is running a newspaper ad for her direct sales business so many of the leads she’s calling are cold leads who have responded to her ad. She doesn’t even know if they’ve ever heard of her company or her product. So logically, she’s been asking them “have you ever heard of my product or been to a party?” That question isn’t working for her because it’s a closed question (requiring only a yes or no answer) and it’s about her. I coached her to ask a question regarding her general product (in her case jewelry) like “what’s your favorite piece of jewelry? Do you wear it all the time?” That question engages the person she’s talking to in a personal way and makes the conversation about the other person, not her. It’s not only more engaging for the person you’re calling, it takes the pressure off of you!

I also encouraged her to find her passion about what she loves about what she does and share that (instead of generally defining what she does in layman, boring terms). For example, “I get to party for a living! I love people and I get to take my jewelry to someone’s home, meet new people and we play in the jewelry. It’s a blast!”

Take a few minutes, think about how to change your language, script out some words so you’ll have them when you need them, and then pick up the phone and make the call!

Make it a great day.
Julie Weitz

Posted in Party Plan Expert, Julie Anne Jones | Comments

How Leaders Are Made

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

Leaders are Made. Leaders are not born. The same can be said about artists. Leaders may have the potential but what makes a great leader is practice.

Some say that leaders are born. There may be truth to this because some people have the authoritative and distinctive airs that are normal to those who eventually become leaders. These character traits allow them to stand out in a crowd. Now these are natural and not learned.

In order to lead, you must have these attributes:

1. Adventurous. You should be open to the idea of exploring and breaking new ground. Challenging the status quo, standing up for beliefs, risking rejection, rebelling against authority and innovation are only a few examples of this trait.

2. Influential. Has a logical argument, persistence, enthusiastic and can paint a picture clearly for everyone to see.

3. Constantly in search of improving your surroundings and always confident in conversing with people. Manages to get points across.

4. Has a drive that can dominate people and the desire to make one’s self different from the others in order to leave a mark.

5. Understands Delegation. To be a successful leader, you must understand the importance of delegation. You can lead if you are doing all the work!

You can become a leader by modifying your style a bit. You don’t have to totally change who you are. Take for example your persuasiveness. You will have a harder time being charismatic if you don’t have that innate trait. Work with what you have.

If you are strongly conservative or cautious of people accepting you, then you won’t see the big picture. You won’t be able to shift your passion for taking on risks because you are afraid of rejection.

A leader is made if he works on the skills mentioned above and practices them. He doesn’t have to rebel and challenge every status quo in order to get his point through. He just has to lead.

To Your Delegating Success!

Amber

Posted in Delegation Expert, Amber Miller | Comments

Core coaching: Avoiding Expectations

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

Have you ever expected something from your other half and then got irritated or upset with them when they did not deliver? Most of us have at some point in time.

Next question is: Did they know what your expectation was?

If they did, and they were in agreement, then there is some accountability. If they did not know anything about it, how could they possibly deliver?

Un-communicated expectations are both unrealistic and unfair for all parties involved and will only result in tension & frustration.

Given that your significant other is the most important person in your life, isn’t it more empowering to keep your expectations realistic and your focus on the things that are going right?

One word that is excluded from a Coach’s vocabulary is ‘should’.

As soon as you step into the ‘should’ space with a person, event, thing, your energy is now somewhere other than the present moment. Which robs you of the opportunity to be effective and productive now.

The most toxic words in the English language are ‘should be’ and ‘supposed to be’. Eliminate them from your vocabulary and you’ll see a difference.

Especially when you communicate with your other half.
Making the shifts in your relationship to move toward the space you want to be in can be arduous. Engaging your partner in the process as well can be a challenge.

If you want to learn some shifts to move your relationship toward where you want it to be, click here to learn about my new coaching program Relationships Unlimited and the limited-time membership special.

Be successful – together

Mark Semple CCC

2007 International Coach of the Year

Posted in Spouse Support Expert, Mark Semple | Comments

Finding Your Definition for Business (and Life) Success

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

As you know (if you read this week’s newsletter), I’ve just returned from spending the weekend with the fabulous Julia Cameron, author of the Artist’s Way.  I love her work - mainly because it helps me gain a fresh perspective on how I think - and more importantly - how I feel.

We used lots and lots of her innovative tools that help us get beyond what she calls our internal censor (you know that voice that dictates how we “should” do something or how we “should” think about something) and into our authentic voice.  I want to share a variation on one of those tools with you today.  One of my clients actually used it this week to gain clarity on her own, heartfelt definition of success.

You will need a piece of paper and a pen for this.

Number 1 - 10.  One each line, as fast as you can (without stopping to think about it) complete this statement:
“If I were successful, I would be ____________________”

Number 1 - 10 again.  One each line, as fast as you can, complete this statement:
“If I were successful, I would have __________________”

Last time - number 1- 10. One each line, as fast as you can, complete this statement:
“If I were successful, I would do ____________________”

Did anything interesting come up? Anything that actually belongs to someone else’s definition of success rather than your own?  Anything that really “feels” like it belongs to you?

Last thing - of the statements that you know are yours, are there small steps that you can take today to make those things a part of your life now?  Are you sure?!

Ponder this exercise - it is worth mining more than once as you journey on toward your successful destination!

Love & Success!
Sarah

Posted in Innovation Expert, Sarah Robinson | Comments

“Scarcity Message #1″: Money is hard to come by…

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008

Hi there!If our thoughts (conscious or subconscious) impact our actions and results, I think it’s time we start “digging in” to see what “scarcity messages” you have that are impacting you in your business and in all areas of your life.

So - how many times have you heard, thought or felt that “money is hard to come by” or something to that effect?

If so, have you stopped to recognize exactly HOW it might be influencing you and limiting your success and abundance - in your business and in your life?

Let me give you an idea of what I mean…

If you have this message and have incorporated it into your life “verbatim”, then the only way you know for making and having money is difficult, hard, and filled with struggle.

So - have you ever felt like your business is hard, that you should work harder, that it can’t be too easy?

If so, this message might be one reason why.

Have you ever “shut down” and refused to be open to possibilities to make or have money in ways that are easier, simpler or more efficient? Do you have a tendency to make things more complicated than they need be?  Or are you one of those skeptics who think that it can’t be easy?

Perhaps you’ve incorporated this message in another way.

Are you excessively frugal and “tight” with your money?  Do you have a difficult time spending any money for something you “don’t need” - that’s purely for your enjoyment?

In light of this message, that behavior would make sense - after all, if money is hard to come by, you wouldn’t want to waste it.  However, that behavior won’t necessarily result in success and abundance.

Of course, if none of these examples “resonate” with you, it could be because - unknowingly - you have been “rebelling” against the idea that “money is hard to come by.”

If so, you may experience the scarcity that comes from not even trying to have or make [more] money.  After all, if it’s hard to come by – why bother?  Who wants to do something that you know is going to be difficult and may not even be successful?

Maybe you got into your direct selling business because you thought it was going to be an “easy” way to make a lot of money.  Then, when you discovered you actually might have to WORK at your business, your interest quickly waned.

If you are rebelling against this message, you may be constantly looking for the “easy” ways to make money, e.g., gambling, lotteries, “get rich quick schemes”.  You may even be avoiding taking those necessary (but often difficult) money-producing actions in your business - you know, like making phone calls on a consistent basis, asking people for the sale or the booking, etc.

Because of your “rebelliousness” against any “hard work” that may be required for making money, you might spend a lot of money and/or time looking for ways to make your business EASY or, if that fails, then moving from one business to another to another - looking for the one that will be “easy”.

Do you want to know the ironic thing about all of this rebelliousness, my friend?

It’s the fact that all of your rebellion has, quite possibly, actually made money hard for you to come by!

You know, it’s that whole “what you resist, persists” idea…  :-(

Now - there’s no way I can know if this message is influencing you in any of the ways I’ve described or in other ways.  I just offer these examples to give you some ideas.  What matters is that you start to pay attention to your thoughts, actions and results - that you start to become aware.

Why?

Because until you become aware of the “scarcity messages” that are influencing you, you can’t do anything to change the way you think and the actions and results that follow.

So, start to pay attention. Is this message influencing you and your business?  If so, in what ways?

As always, I’d love to hear what you discover and/or other “messages” you realize you have - as well as any questions.  Simply reply below.

I’ll either address the questions or comments I receive or highlight another scarcity message that shows up A LOT for direct sellers in my next blog.

Until then, practice becoming AWARE of the thoughts and messages that are influencing you!

Enjoy your day!

Teresa

Posted in Abundance Expert, Teresa Romain | Comments

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