Hello Everyone and Happy Tuesday!
This was not the blog that I had planned to write today, I had an experience a few nights ago that really inspired me to change my direction a bit (Warning: I am at home from school over the summer, so you never know what you are going to get).
Anyway, I had dinner plans out with friends. We went to this local fondue restaurant, which is an experience that I absolutely love (although how they can charge those prices for a place and you still have to cook your own food is beyond me!). So, if you have ever eaten at a fondue restaurant, you know that it can be a very long experience since you have to cook every single morsel of food yourself. If you haven't been to a fondue restaurant, let me give you some advice - only go with people that you really like because conversation is a must. As we sat there during our 5 hour dinner and a few glasses of wine, there was plenty of time for conversation. In fact, everyone at the table can just about share every live experience they have ever had over a 5 hour dinner. So, as always, the topic of the economy came up. WOW! I am sure that is a conversation that all of you have had with your friends, but it really is amazing to hear how much the economy - especially gas prices - have changed just about everything that we do. I knew I was cutting way back on everything, but didn't realize the magnitude to which people were altering their lives due to the elevated price of gas alone. One of my friends said that she was thinking of leaving her long time position with a company downtown so she could find something closer to her house. Another, a mother of 2, said she was so looking forward to the end of summer so she could stop driving her kids all over town for their summer sporting events. Everyone I know has already dumped their SUVs and high-end sports cars in lieu of more practical cars that are either hybrid or economy to save on gas. This dinner, 1 year ago, would have been filled with conversations of summer vacations, new cars, amazing purchases, remodeling plans, etc. But this year, no one is taking a vacation. The new car purchases are out of necessity rather than desire and everyone is holding back on spending at all costs - only the necessities!
Then, one of my friends said something that changed the entire direction of the conversation. He said, "WOW. this must be an incredible time for your business. I can't imagine that people aren't knocking your doors down looking for a way to make additional income. I have seen your ladies, and I know they must be making a killing right now selling and recruiting in this economy!" Of course it was then that I went and got a stack of bar napkins and a pen so I could jot down my thoughts so I could write this blog.
I hope we don't get stuck in the mindset that when the economy is weak, and prices are high that we are going to suffer a valley in our Heritage Makers income as well. We have so many things to offer women and men today - especially when the economy is weak.
Number 1 - we offer an amazing career opportunity for full time and part time jobs that can bring in as much supplemental income as a person desires. All too often I hear of people who are recruiting people so they can get the product at a discount. That is totally the wrong way of thinking about it. We need to be selling this career as a high potential for income rather than trying to recruit people to get a discount on their products. The opportunity to earn extra income from sharing and selling products that they believe in is one of the easiest ways make money – not to mention one of the most fun ways. I know so many people who are taking part-time jobs either at night or on the weekends just to afford the things that their full time job used to cover. People need to hear about "ATM - Anytime Money" positioning. We do have what people need right now. Don't be afraid to share it. It could be the smartest investment a person could ever make and one of the best things you could ever do to help someone. You have to admit, holding a couple of Celebrations is a lot more fun than getting a part time job as a weekend sales clerk at your local department store! And just think how little gas prices will matter when you reach the level to get your car allowance!
Number 2 - we have incredible products that transcend time and money – we offer people a way to preserve their heritage! I had a celebration last night and it was amazing – the women cried twice when I read “Connor Can” and the book my daughter made for me – THEY GET IT! They understand how important those words are in people’s lives. My host and the lady that she booked a party from were there and I hardly had to do any talking – they kept going on and on about how their dad, and their daughter felt when they opened the gift book that was made for them – I couldn’t have coached them better!
Number 3 – Another testimonial came from a person who has scrapbooked for years – she told the group that “This sure beats putting all that time, energy, and money into making those scrapbooks. Now I can sit down with no mess and no mistakes, and create books for all my family members. I will never scrapbook again.” Wow – how do you think this made the ladies feel who were seeing this for the first time feel?
Now is the time to talk to people about heritage. Now is the time to set up a little workshop in your home – even if you just have one computer and a scanner. Offer some bottled water and a little chocolate and invite people to come and work on their projects. I have been doing this consistently for a year and a half, and I cannot believe how many people are actually DOING their projects!
I also have a large number of people asking me to make their books for them. When we are at a celebration and they start saying that they love the idea, but where would they find the time, I just whip out my big Ziploc bag with a pad of post-it notes in it and my price sheet and tell them “Don’t worry – I will make your book for you. You gather your photos, put a post-it on the back with what you want to say, number them in the order you want them and give me a call. We will plan your book, I will scan, create it, and we will proof it together.” They are more than happy to pay for this service.
Again, all too often, I hear of people who are worried about asking for the sale with the economy the way that it is. Let me tell you, women are still
paying big bucks for the things they really care about with or without a weak economy. If we don't market ourselves as a retail channel and sell our products at their full retail price, we are not only cheating ourselves,
but we are diminishing the value of our brand (and when I say "brand" I mean YOU, INC. – in the consumer's eye's YOU are Heritage Makers). Economy or no economy, people still want to preserve their photos and stories! What makes it even better, is that they have the convenience of buying them from you – their personal consultant! No more running to the scrapbook store or photo processor, wasting gas. They can get them from you or order them online via their very own studio and have the convenience of home delivery and the expertise of their very own Consultant.
A good friend of mine who has been a long-time mentor in my professional life gave me some great advice. She said to me, "learn to own your power". What she meant by this was take control of the opportunity you have to market yourself and your talents, believe in what you have to offer and allow yourself to be successful. You have what people need - plain and simple. People WANT the best products at the best prices and they NEED to make supplemental income to off-set the crazy increases in today's cost of living. So, I would like to pass along those words of wisdom to all of you – OWN YOUR POWER. Believe in the opportunity that you have to offer. By sharing what you have with those around you, you can literally change their lives and improve their income. That's powerful!
(portions of this essay were inspired by other sources)
