I need you...

My dear readers. I am sorry I have been gone for quite a while, you know how it can be over the holidays. I really haven't gotten much feedback in the past few weeks from my readers, and, honestly, I need the feedback to keep going. You see, it's hard to come up with new topics every day that have to do with businesses. There's a lot of information out there but, without your input, I don't know which direction to go. So until I figure out a good process for this blog, and I find out what you all want to read about, the post will be far between. So what are you struggling with in your business? What areas of direct sales do you need the most help in? Give me some direction, and I'll work hard to give you some answers!

Hostess Tracking

   
Good evening readers! How is everyone's week so far? Today I want to talk about a really important subject that's related to hostess coaching: hostess tracking.
    I spoke in an earlier post about layering your prospects and I have to say, that since that post, my number of prospects have been too great to "layer" in the traditional sense. I just haven't had the time to put every new person into a chart and track their process through my company. SO I have put my focus in to two different tracking sheets: hostess tracking and team member tracking. Today we will talk about hostess tracking.
    I just finished updating my new hostess tracking sheet and I'm excited to share the benefits with you. The idea of this tracking sheet is to easily be able to see where you are with your hostess coaching. Each column in the chart is for a different stage of hostess coaching. For example, one column can be for when the hostess gets her hostess packet from you, so in that column (in the row for that hostess' name) you will put the date the received their hostess packet from you. You can do this for their initial email, follow up calls, guest list, and more. By putting in an actual date, instead of just a check mark, you can keep track of where you are in the process.
    Another reason that tracking your hostesses can help you is because it lets you see your own numbers. You can easily go back and see who was a hostess, how well their party went, and how well you did with follow ups and coaching. A tracking sheet not only tracks the progress of the show, but how much work you put into the preparation of the show. You can see where there are holes in your coaching and make improvements as needed.
    So, now you can see how I've been tracking my hostess coaching. I would love to see some feedback or more ideas! :)

Climb Out of a Booking Rut!

  Hello Readers! I'm back and I'm excited to share some tips and ideas with you! Today's post is all about pulling yourself out of a booking rut. Maybe you've had a recent rash of cancellations, or maybe you're living in a new place, either way you MUST have bookings to keep your business humming. So, what are some ways to pull yourself out of a blank calendar?
   My favorite, and probably most effective way, to get at least one new booking is to do a party swap. Now, I know that I've touched on this before, but I cannot stress enough to you how effective it is! My friend Kathy Jo Henson approached me several months ago about doing a swap and it is STILL giving me bookings and new customers. We have even joined up for other events. It was like a shot of steroids to my business because we also bounce ideas off of each other like power partners. Find someone in your area that runs a small business that is in no way connected to yours. For example, Kathy sells wick-less candles and I sell jewelry; apples to roses, completely different! I held a party for her and she held one for me. Another benefit of doing this is that other business people are more likely to take the booking seriously, and make a real effort to get guests to their show. If you're new to an area and have not made friends yet, you could do an online show or make a promise to return the favor to that person once you've met some new people.
    Another way that I've talked about before is to do a booth. If you're living in the States there are always festivals, conferences, expos, and events that you can get involved in. Think about where your product could best fit: a wedding expo, home expo, craft fair, or even a baby expo. You can keep track of these online and you MUST jump on it when you can because these are very popular. These can require some investment for the booth so make sure you do your research first. Also, if you're military, consider pairing up with your local Spouses club to create the ideal event for your business. This can be fun and it's a great way to meet new people!
    What are some of the ways you pull yourself out of a rut?

Coming Soon...

Hi there Loyal Readers! I hope your Thanksgiving was as incredible as mine was. I am so blessed in so many ways, and it was fantastic to have my husband home this year. I just wanted to let you all know that I will be back on Monday with some amazing things to come, like: interviews with companies' top earners, ideas about implementing a referral program, booth success, and so much more! So stay tuned to this blog for your up and coming business ideas!! :)

What do YOU want?

   Hi readers! I had originally planned to talk about strengthening and implementing your business systems, but, instead, I decided to ask you what you would like to see on this blog. I want to know what kind of tips you want to see on here; do you need more networking tips? Do you need more booking ideas? What would you like to get out of this blog?
   I write this because I have a passion for direct sales and I truly believe in this business industry. I share my ideas, and the ideas of others, to help you, the reader, improve on your businesses. In order for me to provide quality content and posts for you, I need to know what you want to see. So please send me an email, or a comment and tell me what you want to know.

Holdiay Booking Blitzes

     Here's another idea for you to boost your holiday sales and bookings. Hold a holiday booking blitz! If you are not familiar with the booking blitz, please check out my blog post titled Booking Blitzes. Offer a new kind of show/party to your customers for the busy holiday season like a Holiday Coffee.
    A Holiday Coffee is a show that is more relaxed and the focus is great gift ideas you can offer customers. A hostess provides coffee and light refreshments and people relax as you show them the great deals and ideas you offer as holiday gifts. Some hostesses even prefer to set this up as an open house where they slot the show for a 2 to 3 hour time period and people just stop by as they can. This tactic works well when you are dealing with a group of busy people.
    Create your new holiday show ideas and then set aside your time to do a booking blitz to all of your customers and contacts that haven't had their holiday show yet. Remember to really buckle down during this blitz and try to create an environment with very little distractions. This can be a great way to get some holiday bookings and new customers!

Great Business Book!

    I have recently finished a great business book that I wanted to share today. It's called Endless Referrals by Bob Burg. It provides some really great networking ideas and strategies. I found it to be a really unique book with a system that seems relatively easy to master. I got a lot out if it and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to grow a small business or who is having trouble getting new customers! Check it out on Amazon!