I’ve been busy April 4, 2007

  Things have been a bit crazy around here for the last week or so. I finally had a fishbowl that paid off! I have added 15 new names to my PCP list, and yesterday I booked 2 facials and 3 classes for the next two weeks. I still have around 30 names to call, so I’m hoping to have a FULL book for the rest of the month. I have a friend that I am talking to today about possibly joining, and a former consultant that I am calling tomorrow because she said she was thinking about restarting her business. Things are definitely on a roll. I hope to be able to post more, but it doesn’t seem likely. I hope I am absolutely crazy busy for the next two months. I would really love nothing more than to be able to pick and choose exactly when I am working, but for the moment, I don’t have that luxury. I want and need to build this up as much as possible before my son gets out of school for the summer. I want to be able to truly enjoy the summer with my children for the first time ever, but if I don’t get this to where I want it to be by then, I will still be working like crazy. So, there’s my goal and my “why” for the moment.

I hope everyone is doing well. Believe me when I say, if I can do this, anyone can do this!

This May Shock Some Of Ya’ll March 21, 2007

(There I go again, showing my southern roots!)

After the past week, I have made a HUGE decision. Everything seems to be snowballing for me, and that is definitely a good thing! There are moments when it is a bit overwhelming, because as I have said before, I am really the type that is most comfortable taking the slow and steady route. This is all just so fun and exciting that I just can’t help but embrace the spirit of it all.

I have mentioned in passing that my director has decided to have a guest event on Friday. Since I don’t have another job,  I have been helping her with it A LOT! I absolutely love party planning, so this has been tons of fun for me, especially since it’s one of two big events I am planning for the week. (I know, it’s a lot for one person to take on, but I think just the fact that I have so much to do has given me more motivation than anything else could have.) Anyway, my director and I were discussing some of the details on Monday afternoon, when she made a suggestion that floored me. She said I needed to push to be a director. My immediate response was, “But I don’t even have 1 recruit yet.” She said she really just wanted me to think about it, because she felt like I would be a good leader. Well, not to sound full of myself or anything, but I’ve always enjoyed being in leadership positions and felt that I did well in them. I was captain of my high school softball team, editor of the yearbook, and SGA VP. I was also an assistant manager at one of the restaurants I worked at and the only certified trainer at another restaurant. I do have a love of helping other people to reach their own goals. I decided to think about it some more, and told her I would let her know before Friday.

Well, to sum up this long story….. after easily adding 7 more people to my guest list for Friday night (I now have a total of 10) in only 2 hours, I realized that this is something I could actually do. I have decided to set my sights on directorship! Wow! I told my director last night, and obviously she is excited. A part of me can’t believe that I have committed to something this big, but I really think I can do this.

For those of you who might be concerned about my unending excitement, I want to assure you that I will be doing this the right way. I am not a high pressure person. I would never push anyone to do anything they don’t want to do, or that is not good for them personally. I want team members who would truly get something from this. I want to help them be all the things they have dreamed they could be. I know this sounds cheesy, but it really is how I feel. I want to make sure that everyone I recruit, and even all of the people I simply share this with, come away with a positive view of the company and of me. I am determined not to ruin anyone’s perception of MK or me.

So, does anyone out there have any great words of wisdom? My director is great, and is also pretty low on the pressure scale, but it always helps to have some other input. Let me know what you all think!

Quote of the week 3/18/07 March 18, 2007

We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.

Frank Tibolt

How true!

Are you going to Career Conference? March 15, 2007

Hey everyone! I hope you are all having a great day! I was just wondering if anyone is going to CC this weekend. I am leaving in the morning and headed for Memphis! My NSD is going to be there, so I am super excited. My only worry is that I tend to get a bit nervous when I am around large groups of people. I already warned my director that she is going to see a different side of me for the first hour or so, at least until I get adjusted to the situation. It usually passes quickly, but that first hour or so will be rough. Hopefully I will be able to get some rest tonight. I’m still trying to figure out what I’m wearing! (I’ve been trying to figure that one out since before I even registered for CC!) Anyway, let me know if you are going, and if you have gone in the past, please tell me some of your experiences. If anyone is going to Memphis, look for me!

Is there a difference between being pushy and being persistent? March 13, 2007

Yes! There is a difference! Being persistent means being determined, unrelenting, and enduring through the tough times. Being pushy? Well, as we all know, means stepping beyond acceptable boundaries. So, how do we know where to draw the line? Is there a clearly defined way of knowing when we are going too far?

Unfortunately, there is no clear answer on this one. We cannot always know when we are pushing that fine line. Very few people, especially women, will come right out and tell you that you are driving them bonkers! We have to learn to interpret, and accept the subtle signs that our customer/potential customer simply is not interested. Is she avoiding eye contact with you when you cross paths at the grocery store? Has she not returned your calls? Does she turn and run the other direction if she sees you walking down the street? (Okay, maybe that last one isn’t so subtle, but I think you get my point.)

I think the bigger question here is what is it that we are doing to make them feel like this? What do we need to do to avoid this altogether? My personal opinion; make a conscious effort to make every encounter with every person we meet as pleasant for them as possible. Mary Kay said “Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying ‘Make me feel important.’” Notice, that sign does not say “Make me want to buy something.”

When I see people that I know, especially if they know that I am an IBC, I make sure that the conversation does not begin with MK. If the conversation graduates to that subject, it’s great. If it doesn’t, so what! I’ve just had a nice conversation with a friend. My sister told me when I started that she was not interested in anything MK. I respected that, and didn’t mention it at all to her. However, when she comes by my house, she always looks at the random things that may be lying around. She has purchased two things from me in the last week, and is thinking about a third. The cashier at the gas station had told me that she didn’t have time for a makeover. No big deal. Tonight, as soon as I walked in the door, she asked me how much the eye shadow was, because she had tried the original sample I had given her, and she loved it. I told her how much it was, and that she could get one for free if she would be a model for my portfolio. She’s coming over next week. Imagine that….I have two customers who were not intially interested, and without another word about it from me, they are now wanting more. Was I pushy? Of course not! Was I persistent? Yes, but not about MK. I was persistent in the context of being personable and respecting limits.

A thank you to my readers March 11, 2007

I just wanted to thank everyone that comes to my blog to read, and comment on the things that I have to say. It is so nice to have supportive people around me, even if it is “only” online. I have a great support system in my “real” life, but it is always nice to have an outside opinion on things. If you have read my blog, and have not commented, please do so! Everyone is welcome here, as long as they are civil.

I also want to thank the wonderful ladies who inspired me to start this blog. They are listed in my blogroll, and if you have not visited their sites, please do so. They are incredibly intelligent and insightful women. I thank them for all the hard work they put into their blogs so that those of us who are positive in pink have a safe place to speak our voices.

My observations after a wonderful day… March 10, 2007

We’ve all heard the complaints that there are too many MK consultants for anyone just starting this business to be able to build a reliable customer base. I just want to throw a few figures around to explain why I feel like this really shouldn’t be a problem. Of course, this is just my experience, so it could be different from others.

I live in a very small town. There are approximately 5,000 people living here. I know that there are at least 7 ACTIVE other consultants that live here. In two months I have built a customer list of just over 60. Yes, you read that correctly…..60 customers in two months. 42 of those customers actually live in this town. Now, let’s get a bit more detail.

There are about 500 students in the local school. That knocks the number of available customers down to around 4,500. If we presume that about 1/2 of those are male (let’s be honest, not many men are looking for MK consultants) then we are left with about 2,250 potential customers. Now, realizing that I have NO IDEA what percentage of those would be willing to order, let’s throw out a low percentage just for fun. Let’s say 15%. That leaves us with only 337 potential customers in this small town. Knowing that there are at least 8 active consultants in town (including myself), that averages out to only 42 customers per consultant. (I promise I didn’t pre-figure all of this!)

That means, that in only two months, I have gained all of the customers from this town that I am going to get. Somehow, I just don’t see how that is possible. As a matter of fact, I know that I haven’t even scratched the surface. I got 27 new names today. I set up a booth at the local car show, and it was great! I had a good time, and lots of people came over to see what I had going on. 24 of those names are not included in my customer count, because they have not yet purchased anything from me. I suppose it’s possible that none of them will ever order, but I would like to think that they probably wouldn’t have given me their name at all if they weren’t at least a little bit interested. Now, before anyone comes back with the “they only gave you their name to get you to leave them alone” comeback, I didn’t approach any of these women. They came over to me. I talked to them for a couple of minutes, and they went along. There was no sales pitch. No pressure. I was simply out there having a good time and trying to help out the MKACF. I was enjoying the live music, and chatting with family and friends as they came by. I wasn’t wrangling people in with promises of discounted products. What I did do, was have a good time. People came over because they saw something interesting at my booth. I don’t know if it was me, the information I had out, or something else entirely. What matters is that they came over, and they didn’t feel like they had just been assaulted by a “Kbot.” They saw that I am a friendly person, and that I enjoy what I do. Even if I have not earned any new customers from this (and I know that I have) I have at least met new people, who will probably remember me the next time they see me. And guess what, I’m not going to shove MK down their throat then either. That’s not what I am about.

To be honest, I do this because I love being around people. It’s what makes me tick. I love every minute that I spend working my business. Yes, it is work, but at least it’s work that I enjoy.

I know that this has been a bit scattered, but my brain is working overtime. I have a whole bunch of new people to contact tomorrow, and I’m very excited about it!

Quote of the week 3/4/07 March 4, 2007

You may be wondering why I chose this one. In the last week, I have felt like my business has been moving at a snail’s pace, and it has frustrated me. I want more, and I want it now. However, I am not willing to compromise myself for it. I will continue to work hard, even if it means moving slowly. No one said I have to make it to the top today. I would rather do it slowly, and correctly, than do it fast and wrong. Things will happen when they are supposed to, not necessarily when I want them to. Patience has not always been my strong point, but I am learning that it is a virtue that I want to possess.

I think this sums it all up…. February 27, 2007

Making the Most of Life

The path to wisdom and success

is not for kings alone; it is

open to you and me.

You may not succeed at first,

but the failure of you efforts may be

the needed preparation for your final triumph.

If there are a hundred steps in your

path to success

and you have not reached it in ninety-nine

of them,

do not conclude that the journey is a failure.

Press on and up…

the prizes are generally at the end

of an effort, not at its beginning…

and not to go on

is to miss them.

Be valiant…have faith in yourself

Success belongs to him

who dares to win it.

- George S Forest

 

Quote of the Week 2-25-07 February 25, 2007

“Those who discourage your dreams likely have abandoned their own.”

I think that we are all aware there are always going to be people that choose to negative about the choices others make. Just last night, I was told “I just think it’s going to be hard for you to do well at selling Mary Kay.” Now, if I was a negative person, I probably would have continued the conversation with all of the things that ARE hard about this. Luckily, I’m not that type of person.

No one said this would be easy, at least not to me. The best things in life are rarely easy. If all the good things were easy to accomplish, everyone would have them. Sometimes you have to actually WORK (gasp) to accomplish the things you want most out of life. My opinion, if you have to work for it, you appreciate it more when you have it.

I think just about anyone who is reading this is aware of the negativity that some feel for Mary Kay. Is it justified? In their minds it is, so who are we to bash them for how they feel? It works both ways. If we enjoy being in our “Pink Bubble” we don’t want them bursting it. If they are thankful their bubble was popped, good for them. We shouldn’t let it bring us down. Negativity can be contagious, if you CHOOSE to let it be. I choose to not let it get to me. I choose to turn a negative into a positive. I choose to dream big. These are my choices, no one else can make them for me. What do you choose?