Maximizing Success in Direct Sales: Lessons from a 5-Year Consultant

[pampered1224]

I have been a consultant now for 4 years. I am entering my 5th year. I have never had what you would call a steller year. First and foremost you must know that I work a full time job besides doing Pampered Chef and I average 45 to 50 hours a week. I found out something interesting though. I have mentioned this in the past but I will say it again, the only thing standing in your way of getting what you want out of this business, is you!
I myself found out that it is a very true statement. I set goals, I dreamed big but nothing ever seemed to happen the way I wanted it to go. Or so I thought. It happened exactly the way I planned it to happen because what I had really planned for was everyone to come to me asking to have parties and for all my hosts to know what to do to get great sales without help from me. Like that's really gonna work!!
Goals are great but you MUST do the leg work involved in getting there. Dreams are wonderful too but you MUST close your eyes after the dream and form a plan. Nothing will happen if you do nothing. Now I am not saying that a mircle occured or that I had a major epiphany but I did get an eye opening of sorts. I had shows planned for November. I had a goal in mind but wasn't really prepared or willing to do the leg work as far as host coaching went. But, I knew I wanted something. I did set aside time to make phone calls to past hosts and a few past customers and to my current hosts. (Leg work! It was like "Oh my gosh, I got off my butt, (so to speak as I was on the phone), and did something to insure my success!") I had a $1600.00 plus show and I had a few others for a total of $2258.00 in sales for November. Did I like that feeling. I actually planned something, phone calls and what not, and did the leg work, I made the phone calls, and I got exactly what I really wanted out of my business!!
I then decided that I was going to MAKE the December sales quota for the first level Spring/Summer samples. I made my calls and did what I needed to do. I ended up with a total of $1243.00 in sales. I made my quota not to mention a decent commision. What was really neat was that I was able to actually purchase the Christmas Gift I wanted to get for my other half. I was able to get an Apple I-Pod Mini! And I had money left over to take us out to a really nice, (bucco $$), dinner!!
All this time I was booking January shows too. I must confess here that one person did just come to me a drop a show in my lap but I had to work at the other three! I ended up having 4 shows booked. I made the $2500.00 quota to get what I wanted, the half off conference credit, the Italian Bracelet and the charm for January. And I will end up with a nice $627.00 commission check. Now, I have NOT gotten off the phone and I have not stopped talking up shows. I am taking it easy in February in order to clean my basement. I want to move my currently shared office down there so I can have my own space. So I can do more leg work and more planning!! I have 2 shows in February - I still want the February charm for the bracelet!!! I have 4 shows for March which was a bit of a trick as I have to work around the last weekend as it is Easter Sunday. But I got 4 shows. I want one more and am pretty sure I have it but not quite written in stone. (I have to keep telling myself not to drop the ball and call, call, call!) I also am booking April already. I also have a show booked in July with a host who had a show on a Saturday January 23rd. A day on which it snowed so much that I could not get out of the neighborhood I live in until 10:00 p.m. so I spent the night - about an hour - on the phone doing my consultantly duties over the air!!! She closed at $471.00!!
So my year is going well. I just have to keep up the leg work and the planning.
The ultimate goal here, to hit the $25,000.00 by October 31st to get the anniversary charm. And to prove I can do it and that I am the only thing holding back my business. Oh, on top of this I have two recruit propsects!!
So I may be a future director again!!
The business story here in a nut shell is very simple, make sure of what you want, and do something about getting there. It will only happen if you let it.
And just a side note: if you work for it too! Never, never, never expect anything but nothing if you do nothing. I can speak from experince, IT WON"T HAPPEN!!!!

 

[pampered1224]

Well it's February 7, 2005I now have three recruit prospects. This came about because I decided to post a want ad. Nothing fancy but I hit on the three major points of owning a Pampered Chef business, 1) flexiblility, 2) money, and 3) only having to answer to yourself. I have personally met with all three and now I am waiting. I have been waiting less than a month with all three so it is not time to throw in the towel. So I will remain waiting and remian there when they need answers until the end of this February. That's all. I also plan to ask one question at that point. That question will be something like this, "It has been some time since you approached me regarding our opportunity. I do understand that things come up but I need to know whether or not I should persue this further with you or maybe contact you in a few months or even at all." I hate being pushy but I also hate sitting there wondering if I should put more time into them. I already wasted one full year on someone who signed the contact a year after stating they were interested but then, when it came time for me to send in the form. I had no money. And I never heard from him again. New thing to learn, know when to give up and direct your energies else where.
I also have my March sheduled and am working on concrete bookings for April. I have 6 prospects there. I need to get on the phone and lock them in. My director always said consistancy. Doris always says consistancy. Everyone at conference teaching a class says consistancy. It is amazing how much cotton I had in my ears when that was being said. Keep doing it daily or at least more than nonce a week. (Yes I said NONCE - short for not once!) So I picked up my phone or I sent out e-mails or I spoke to people directly at least every other day. Funny too as I am not doing it to get bookings or recruits, that WILL just happen. I am doing it to practice doing it. If I book someone or get a recruit, great! But I need to work on it and it takes something like 13 days or weeks or if I do this correctly, 13 years or longer to create a habit. In our case, a habit should be something that is practiced as much as possible for as long as possible as long as it works. And if practicing works better than "doing it" does for you, then keep practicing. So, that's what I am going to do. I will keep practicing what I will say to people to get booking or recruits. I just hate doing "what I am supposed to do".
I'll keep you posted. And get out there and practice!

 

[pampered1224]

Well,I lost all three of my recruit leads. Get this, I actually lost one to a modeling career! And it was NOT one of the two ladies! Oh well, I guess I just have to keep practicing that one. However, I have been practicing my booking speach and it seems to be working quite well. I have 4 parties in March. I had 5 but I booked a show on the 26th of March without realizing that is the day before Easter. It did not work good for the host. But she moved to the 2nd of April rather than cancelling. I also have one more concrete party on the 9th of April. I also must say that the new host bonuses are working wonders! I had a March 1st show and have three bookings from that. Now I need to get them in stone.
Making calls tonight hopefully before NYPD Blue. Can't miss the final episode as I have been watching it since it first aired eons ago. That does not mean I don't do the leg work. If that were the case, I should just cut off the leg and give up. Won't do it. The new outside order forms are set for March, April and May. They all do a lot of "talking" for me. I like that. Let someone or something else do the "talking" for you. It helps take the load off of you.
I also mailed out 30 of the new product postcards today to past host form the very begining. I always forget them but I know now, I can't. It sure does not say much about you as a person either to ignore the "oldies but goodies".
Basically, I am practicing what I am preaching and it is working.

 

[pampered1224]

Finally seeing the payoff!This has been a great year so far. I have put into practice everything I was planning. I had over $2500.00 in sales in January, I had the two shows I planned to have in February, I have 4 in MArch, Three in April and 3 for May already that I was not even booking for! But the other day I got a surprise! I share a home and the expenses with someone. However, my name is NOT on that house. This odviously is not a good thing. So, I decided to ask one of my co-workers to run my credit report. (I work full time for a mortgage company.) Low and behold, this last 5 years has done something for me that I was not even aware of. I knew I had been paying off my personal bills with my Pamperd Chef money but what I did not think had happened, had! My credit report came back with all of $1100.00 in not so good things on it. This may not sound wonderful to you but considering that when "we" purchased the home I had over $16,000.00 in negative on my credit report, THIS IS DYNAMITE! I had hospital bills, school loans, doctors bills and several other things on my report. They are all but gone!!!!
The best thing that Pampered Chef taught me was how to handle money more efficiently. When you have to support your own business in that purchasing paperwork, product and the extras goes, you really need to know what you are doing. Well, I guess it carried over to my everyday life as well.
As far as my business goes, I have been out there doing exactly what I had planned to do. I have been asking, I have been doing the leg work. I have like I said 4 shows this March, (I ended up with 6 from the March 1 show and 4 have dates!) Three in April, going for one or two more and I have three shows for May. The other thing is I have three Fund Raisers in May as well!!! I have been carrying around the May Guest flyer and it has helped. So put into practice the things you want to use. And do that leg work. You'll get major results.

 

[AnaCash]

Hi there! First of all, congratulations on your 5th year with Pampered Chef and for having a successful year so far! It's great to hear that you have set goals and are actively working towards them. It's so true that in this business, the only thing standing in our way is ourselves. We have to put in the leg work and actively work towards our goals in order to see results. Your story is a great reminder of that.I love that you shared your specific goals and the steps you took to achieve them. It really shows that with determination and hard work, anything is possible. And it's great to hear that you have some potential recruits in the works. It's always exciting to see your team grow and flourish.I also appreciate your reminder to never expect anything if we do nothing. It's so important to put in the effort and work towards our goals, rather than just hoping for things to fall into our laps. Your story is a great inspiration for all consultants, new and experienced.Keep up the great work and I wish you continued success in reaching your ultimate goal of $25,000 by October 31st and potentially becoming a director again. You have proven that with determination and hard work, anything is possible. Thank you for sharing your story with us! Best of luck to you in the future.