The Difficulty of Simplicity

The Difficulty of Simplicity was the title of a homeschool article that came across my desk. I thought, "I guess direct sellers aren't the only ones with the problem of making things too difficult!"

I have developed and continue to maintain the belief that this business is a simple one to run...but consultants make it more difficult than what it needs to be.

What activities do you focus on?

When you boil it down, there are just 3 income producing activities that should consume your thoughts and time:
1. Continually developing a healthy lead list;
2. Consistently making phone calls to potential hostesses, potential customers, and potential recruits;
3. Working your weekly plan and not letting a blank calendar creep up on you.

It's difficult thinking there are only 3 things you need to focus on to be successful at this business....but it's true. This truth will help you to cast off the shackles of busyness that have been holding you down for a long time!

I go into depth about these on my CD series titled "Triple Business Basics." It's worth investing in this resource if you find yourself saying, "I'm going to lose my mind or business....and it may be both soon!"

Simply Yours!
Tonya

Please click here to check out the Triple Business Basics Resource and get ready to strip off those shackles! http://tonyagrimes.com/resources.html

Anticipate and Beat Them There

I was listening intently to my 5th grade son's basketball coach last week. He's a wonderful teacher, and even though I've played a lot of basketball in my time (with the brain still thinking I can do all the moves I did when I was 17!), I learned a lot in his 15-minute instructional time...things that have direct application to our business.

The coach was teaching these aspiring players how to play good defense. He said, "You need to anticipate the path the opposing player will take and then beat him to the spot where he will be going."

Apply this to your business...anticipate the direction technology will be taking and beat your competition to it! Possibly you've never thought about starting your own blog. Now's the time to anticipate what it could do for your business and go for it. On your business blog add value to your customers by teaching them something during each of your posts. If you own a jewelry business, post a piece about the versatility of a certain necklace, etc. If you own a home decorating business, post how a piece can be utilized during Christmas and how it can also be used in decorating for spring. If you own a scrapbooking business, teach people one idea on how to quickly organize their Christmas photos.

Teach your people and then ask a question to get them to respond with their own ideas.

You see, the very things I'm doing with my Dynamic Performance business, are things you can duplicate and apply to your own....and if you're willing to anticipate what might move your business forward now, you'll beat your competition to the finish line!

So...let's practice. Write a short comment that you can use as your first blog entry and post it as a comment on this blog.

What product will you feature?
Briefly explain how it can be used in different ways.

I challenge you to read each others' posts to make your own blog entries better and get additional ideas!

Success to you!
Tonya

"Helping Consultants Get Back to the Basics!"
http://www.TonyaGrimes.com

What are Your Goals for 2009?

Let's do a little dreaming after you read the post titled "What Does a Happy New Year Really Mean to You?"

I'd like to hear the things you want to accomplish for 2009. What big and small dreams do you have? How do you plan to get there...how many parties per month? recruiting interviews?

Let's work to inspire each other and hold one another accountable for a productive 2009!

Make it great!
Tonya

Dynamic Performance Institute, Inc.

Happy New Year!
It’s a term you’ve probably thrown around during the last couple of days!

If you were to paint a picture of what a “happy” new year means to you, what would your canvas look like?

Have you thought about 2009 and what you want to accomplish?

How much of the New Year will you waste before you get moving with your business?

Do you care?

Are you satisfied being mediocre?

Will you pile on excuse after excuse as to why you can’t take your business to the next level?

Over Christmas my son was given a book as a gift. Being addicted books, I picked it up to read a couple of pages. One page turned into one chapter…. and I just couldn’t put it down. You see, two 19-year old twin boys are challenging today’s teenagers to do hard things. Their goal is to lead a teenage rebellion against low expectations. It’s a noble goal….a worthwhile one….and long overdue!

So, how long have you been buying into your own low expectations with your business?

Are you ready for 2009 to be your best year yet….or will you buy into the low expectation that the economy is too bad to build your business right now?

I might challenge all of you to join what these twin authors call a “rebelution.” They want teenagers to rebel against the low expectations, which will result in a revolution….thus the word “rebelution.”

Will you join me in a business rebelution?

Joining means:
• not buying into low expectations;
• allowing yourself no excuses;
• pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone;
• stretching yourself to new heights of learning and growing; and
• just going for it…building your business no matter what it takes!

There are some steps you can take right now to make a difference and propel your business forward:
1. Write down your dreams – get out your dream clock (and if you don’t have one, please visit my website to order this wonderful tool). What is your big dream? What are your small dreams? Write them down. Get pictures. Get prices. Get motivated!

2. How many parties will you do this month? February? March? How many recruiting interviews will you do each week? Write it all down in your planner.

3. Build your lead list. Turn it into a healthy list that will set you free from the chains of calling on the same people over and over and over again (did I mention over again!). Write down ways you can build your lead list….really think about this and be creative. I used to do what no one else was willing to do….speak to groups for free to get my name and company in front of as many people as possible (and back then I was scared to death to speak in front of people!).

4. Get on the phone and call people to invite them to be your hostesses and offer them the opportunity to hear about your business opportunity. Just as people are saying now’s the time to buy stocks and invest in real estate….well, now’s the time to recruit people because they need money! It’s amazing how powerful of a business people can build when they need money!

Doing these four simple steps can get you on the road to higher levels of achievement and out of the low expectation gutter!

Expecting great things from you in 2009!
Tonya

© 2009, Dynamic Performance Institute, Inc. and Tonya Grimes. All rights reserved.

Part 2 - Attractive Emails to Send to Customers

Let’s focus on what should be included in your monthly emails.

When it comes to emailing your customers, here’s a list of rules:

1. Be consistent by sending something every month.

2. Make it short.

3. Teach your customers one thing or provide a resource for free.

4. When appropriate, let your email customers be the first to find out about new products.

5. Always give them an action step.

Okay….so let’s go through each of the above so you’ll know exactly what to do.

1. When you’re consistently sending emails you are proving to your customers that you’re reliable….you can be counted on…..you’re in this for the duration. That’s the message. People want that kind of security in knowing they can count on you. Plus, it gives them a chance to forward your information to people, which will increase other’s awareness of you.

2. You have two groups of people who will be reading your monthly emails: readers and skimmers. You’ll want to tailor your information to the skimmers because the readers will read every word because that’s just what they do! They’d read your stuff even if it were 20 pages long and then wonder why you didn’t write 10 more pages. However, if a skimmer opens your email and sees the little bar on the right has to extend way too far down the page before the end, you’ve lost them. Get to your point quickly. Most people are busy and they just won’t take the time for a long email.

3. Always teach something new or provide a resource for free. This is my favorite one because you will capture the hearts of your customers for life if you commit to this! Let me give you some examples that will get your creative juices flowing:

Food Companies: Send a recipe or a tip to make cooking easier.

Picture Companies: Give customers a decorating idea or a tip for organizing pictures quickly.

Entertaining Companies: Recipes and fun entertaining ideas.

Decorating Companies: Share seasonal decorating tips and trends. My favorite is when someone takes one product and shows 3 different ways it can be used in my home!

Educational Companies: Ideas for sharing time together with kids and simple/fun activities to do with them. Highlight one of your books and how you’ve used it with your own kids.

Beauty Companies: What’s the latest trend in makeup and colors? What happens if I don’t wash my skin daily? What happens if I mix and match skin care products….you get the idea!

Pet Care Companies: How can I better care for my pet? What’s the latest in research and trends for pet care? How can I make things easier when I travel with a pet? What hotel chains now accommodate pet owners?

Candle Companies: Unique decorating ideas for my candles. Is there research about the emotions that different scents will cause? What are your candles made from and why? Educate your people and cause them to think.

Clothing Companies: What are the seasonal trends and colors? Provide quick tips for packing clothing when going on vacation. How can I buy one shirt and make it work for 3 different outfits?

Jewelry Companies: What’s hot for the season? How do I know which piece of jewelry looks best for various occasions? What’s the best way to clean and take care of my jewelry?

Create a file folder and label it “ideas.” Each time you think of something you could include in your email newsletter, write it down and tuck it into your folder. It will make life so much easier for you when you sit down to write.

Another really great tool is to use your customers’ questions. When someone asks you a question (and it’s a good one), then write it down, along with your answer and put it in your newsletter. Your customers will love this!

4. When your company unveils some new products, include this information in your newsletter. Let your email customers have the privilege of being the first to find out about them. Again….you may want to highlight one new product and do your teaching around this item.

5. Present action steps. After you’ve signed your name, provide a P.S. and give them your actions steps.

Do you want them to visit your website?

Then say this:

P.S. Please visit my website at http://www.tonyagrimes.com/artman/publish/cat_index_8.shtml to read Part 1 of this newsletter. (This is for real for those of you who missed last month’s Part 1 newsletter on this subject!)

Do you want your customers to place an order for the new products?

Then type this:

P.S. You can be one of the first to entertain guests with this new place setting. Please visit my website: http://www.PutYourWebsiteAddressHere.com to get yours now.

These email newsletter tips will help you to create loyal and committed customers. It will help you to gain referrals which will increase your sales and recruiting. It’s such a win for everyone involved.

Have a GREAT and productive week!

Tonya, Owner
Dynamic Performance Institute, Inc.
"Helping Consultants Get Back to the Basics!"
http://www.TonyaGrimes.com

Copyright 2007. Dynamic Performance Institute, Inc.

Permission is granted to post this newsletter on your website and forward it as long as all contact information remains.

Controlling Your Customer List - Part 1

How long should I keep inactive customers on my mailing list?

Every month or every quarter I send out a mailing with no response.....should I bother sending anymore out?

Is anyone reading my literature or is it just a handy piece of paper to get a campfire going? Mmmm....love those S'mores!

When you look at your customer list do you think:

1. Organized....all under control. I'm happy with my system; or

2. Look at this mess! I think I'll just go to bed and sleep so I don't have to think about it.

While some of you (and a very small few) have your customer list and mailings under control, the majority of you just brushed your teeth and put on your pajamas to settle down for a long winter's nap......just so you don't need to clutter your brain with this customer list thing!

I'm going to teach you some simple strategies that will help you to develop a cost-effective system for keeping in touch with your customers.

Have everyone at your parties fill out this information:

Name

Address

Home Phone

Email

Best Time to Reach You

(I loved using index cards because I filed them for future reference)

Let's hang out here and talk about this information for a few minutes. What information on the above list will people be reluctant to give to you?

You answered correctly if you said email. It's interesting the information that people are reluctant to give to you is the most important thing you need to collect.

So, what's the big deal about needing email addresses...... and if it's so important, how do you go about getting it without begging, bribing, and throwing a fit?

When you put someone on your email list and you send out a monthly e-newsletter to keep in touch, it costs you nothing.......no money out of your pocket......cash stays in your bank account! That alone should cause you to want walk over hot coals barefooted to get email addresses. It's the most cost-effective way to stay in touch with your customers.

Email is also like germs when someone sneezes.....they get passed on real fast! I love email germs. It's called the forward button.......and each time someone forwards your newsletter, word of mouth spreads quickly about your business.

How long should you keep someone on your email list....even if they are inactive customers? Until they tell you to take them off or they die!

How long should you keep someone on your customer list if you send out literature through the mail? First of all, why are you still sending stuff through the mail? It costs a lot of money for very little return. It may have been the way to do effective business in the past, but times have changed. Taking advantage of technology will give you the edge over consultants who refuse to adapt to the new ways of doing business.

If you use email as your primary means of consistent communication, then you don't need to worry about sorting through your customers. Before email, I used to sift through my 2,000 customers each year, taking off those people who had not been active for a year.....meaning they didn't have a party, give me a referral, or purchase products in a year. It was time consuming, but was essential in keep mailing costs reasonable and me profitable.

Email has made the whole process of doing business so simple!

So, we're back to this......how do you get these people at the party to offer their email addresses? While you can't twist their arm, you can make it beneficial by offering specials for those who are willing to be put on your email list.

The announcement at your party would go something like this:

'Please fill out this card and don't forget to write down your email address because I offer specials only to those on my email list.'

Now you'll need to think of some specials to periodically offer your email people:

Purchase this new product (or a certain $ amount) and you'll receive ________ for free. (Something that is a high perceived value to your customers but doesn't cost you a lot.)

Refer one person this month and receive ______________.

Book a party for the end of the month and I'll raise your order level to the next level so you can get more free items.

These are just some thought starters to get your creative juices flowing!

I know what you're thinking......what if someone tells me they don't have an email address? Remember, the periodic specials are for people who give you their email address....period! I might add this comment to the person: 'Who do you know who has email and they could print the information out for you?' Point made....problem solved! They can do what they want with this newly presented information.

In Part 2, I'll share with you some details about what should be included in your email newsletters. In the meantime, be collecting as many email addresses as possible!

Success to you!

Tonya, Owner
Dynamic Performance Institute, Inc.
'Helping Consultants Get Back to the Basics!'
http://www.TonyaGrimes.com

© 2007 Dynamic Performance Institute, Inc
All rights reserved

Permission granted to add this to your website and blog, as long as Tonya's contact information is included.

Best Conversational Opener When Looking for Potential Recruits

What do you say when you're out and about and you'd like to promote your business?

Most consultants will introduce their company by launching into a talk about their products. This is okay if you're looking for just a small trickle of results. Let me make a suggestion.

The wording I'm going to share with you will instigate curiosity, which will cause your prospect to ask you questions....and that's exactly what you want!

Of course you'll strike up a conversation with someone.

You: "So, what do you do?"

Prospect: Responds and then adds...."What do you do?"

You: "I train women how to run businesses from their homes."

Prospect: "Really, what business?" (Do you see how curiosity prompted the question?)

You: "xyz company. We specialize in xyz." Have you ever thought about adding a stream of income to your family by working from home?"

Prospect: "Yeah"

You: "I have some information I'd like to share with you later. How can I get a hold of you?"

Prospect: Will tell you how she can be reached.

Your goal is to get her name, email, and phone number so you can follow up and invite her to listen to your business opportunity information.

This is such a fun way to do business when you arouse curiosity that prompts questions....because then the door is wide open for you to walk right through!


What has been an effective way for you to talk about your business?