How do I work a full time job and successfully work my Direct Sales Business?

IT STARTS WITH A PLAN

I am asked this question often and more often than not I am not asked this very important question.

When I meet with a business partner and their business is struggling, and I ask what might be the biggest issue they are facing, the answer is usually “I just don’t have enough time”.

Ask my friend Regan about my speech on time. She will howl with laughter and tell you not to get me started…

But the answer is simple; to have a successful Direct Sales Business it requires a well laid out plan. You must know what your action items are for each day and the strategy has to be laid out in a way that you will only need an hour each day to accomplish it.

Before or after work, find a comfortable spot at your workplace or even in your car. Believe it or not working in your car can be a perfect place to get things done, it’s quiet and offers you a place that is all yours while getting your action items completed for the day.

If you are working an 8-9 hour a day job and need to work your business during the day then here is the truth. We each need to take potty breaks. So my advice is to use them wisely. If you need to answer questions or post your daily pics or need to connect then by all means do it, post on the pot!

If you are unable to do this then get yourself an auto-posting program such as Pagemodo or Hootsuite. These programs can help you post daily. But if you need to reach out and connect with people this will require your personal time. So make a list and plan your strategy and carve out the hour each day you are going to do this. If you are hosting party’s remember most successful parties happen between 8-9pm and I get some of my best responses from people when I reach out to them at 10-11pm.

Each morning before you even get out of bed wake up an hour early and post your IG post, your Google + post, your first FB post of the day and so on. If you are prepared you will already have figured out what your posts are going to be the day before.

Know what personal message you are going to send to 10-15 people each day. Have a list of contacts laid out and a very fun and friendly message ready to send.

Scroll through your list of contacts and comment and like on pictures of people who are not in your news feed.

In short the strategy has to have a plan and then the plan has to be executed and then it has to be done everyday. Even on the weekends. You’re going to only achieve maximum exposure by daily and consistent working of your business, even if you only get to do it and hour or two a day.

Cheers,

Toni

1st Rule in Business Success~Fiscal Responsibility (not a Louis Vuitton)

Fiscal Responsibility is often easy to understand but hard to execute and implementing it into your life can be one of the hardest tasks you will ever have to accomplish.

What does this really mean, fiscal responsibility? And how can I become fiscally responsible?  

Fiscal responsibility at its core has a simple meaning: To be fiscally responsible, you need to live within your means today, tomorrow and in the future, and it is essential to creating a better, stronger and more prosperous financial future for the rest of your life.  The choices you make today will determine the kind of future you have years from now.  In short it means, you need to live within your financial earnings and to live within your earnings, you must spend less than you make.  In today’s society that is easier said than done.  With so many goods and services taunting us with their beautiful packaging it is hard to stay focused on our fiscal goals and don't even get me started on our need to stay neck-in-neck with the the women around us.  The saying, "we are in debt up to our earrings," is the just a drop in our Louis Vuitton bucket purse, the one we just couldn't live without.

Photo Courtesy of fashiongonerogue.com

So where do I start?

First you must take a look at your current credit debt, is it larger than you can pay off in a single month?  If so than you are already living beyond your financial earnings. Carrying large amounts of Credit Debt can make you feel trapped and often frightened about your future, carrying large amounts of debt can feel like a weight upon your shoulders that just never really goes away.  Removing credit debt can make you feel more alive and more in control of your future.  It is a sense of freedom very few people get to enjoy.

What can I do next?

Printable Expense Worksheet

You will need to sit down with pen and paper in hand and work out your current expenses on an income and expense worksheet, scary yes.   But this is a tool you will use to create a new approach to your spending habits.   Fill in every box on the expenses worksheet and if you have more expenses then by all means add those too.  Leave nothing out: This is where you have to be honest with yourself.  If it is a part of your monthly expense habits it needs to be on your sheet.  If you have quarterly or yearly expense then break those down by 12 months and add those to the sheet.

How can I stay on track?

Look at ways to limit your personal spending.  Cut down on those items in your life that just do not fit into the budget you have created.  Get rid of the wants in your life and focus on the needs.  Remove the clutter your home and make room for more time instead of more stuff.   Manage your personal expenses as if you had no idea how much money you were going to make in the next 30 days.   Find free and interesting entertainment ideas.  And by all means focus on the important essential items instead of those unnecessary items.

Living life in a more simple approach is never easy but with hard work and a commitment to your financial future the end result will give you peace of mind and a stronger financial foundation.

Be fiscally responsible and feel financially free.

Cheers,

Toni

Business Organization On-the-Go

Running a business is difficult enough but running a business while you are traveling requires careful planning and staying organized on-the-go can be relatively challenging. Technology gives us the flexibly to run our businesses from just about anywhere and selling our products has never been easier. But how do we stay organized with so much to do and where do we go to find the resources we need to stay connected and on track?

Here are a few tips to make running your small business on-the-go a little easier.

Invest in the right hardware and mobile devices that you will need to access your online business accounts. This essential element can pay off for you long after the initial investment, but only buy the hardware you need. In most cases a good smartphone may be all you need to stay well connected.

Download the right software apps to assist in your business needs.

You will need a good photo editing app like WordSwag, BeFunky or PicMonkey to create professional pics and collages.

You will need an online calendar to remind you of those essential meeting or conference calls you will be attending. I use Jorte Calendar and organizer but there are many many may online calendar apps to keep your calendar organized.

You will need an online file sharing app such as Dropbox, Evernote or Google Drive to access docs and or pictures.

You will need a payment processing app or device. I use SquareCard Reader but paypal has a new payment processing device called PaypalHere and intuit has a reader device called GoReader.

You may need an online auto posting app to post to all your social media while you are on-the-go. I use Pagemodo for my auto posting to my facebook business pages and even to my personal page when needed. I do not like to go more than one day without posting. Here is a short list of auto posting apps. Hootsuite, Tweetdeck and Buffer.

Office supplies are still needed even on-the-go, in fact they are even more essential. I never leave home without my three ring binder and my notebook with pockets for receipts and notes and business cards I collect. Pens in two colors as well as a small stapler and push pins. I never leave home without my push pins. How else do I hang-up my blitz card to a cork board. And never ever leave home without your business cards and a small stack of catalogs if you have them. I have kicked myself many times for never having enough of these items.

Set a schedule for yourself with regular office hours, then stick to your daily business routine and focus on your to-do list each day. Once you write it down you are seven times more likely to complete it then if you don't.

Staying organized is essential for your success and even more important when you are on-the-go. Becoming a mobile entrepreneur is easy. Staying a mobile entrepreneur requires attention to the details and a great ability to stay on top of all the required aspects.

Cheers,

Toni

10 Habits of the Uber Wealthy

Let's face it being wealthy and acting wealthy are not the same but following the habits of the wealthy could be the beginning of a bright future.
What habits do the wealthy do that separates them from the average person?

For many people who dream of riches wealth means fancy cars, fabulous clothing, expensive shopping trips and luxury travel.
But to the uber wealthy it is about the relentless pursuit of a future that is secure and stable. For them it means being ruthless in their goals with a laser focus on what they want and how they are going to make it happen.

Here are just 10 habits of the uber wealthy

1. The uber wealthy tend to be early risers. They usually wake up when most of us have just settled into our best REM sleep. As early risers they get the most from their mornings and utilize this time to build their daily to-do list. One study shows that 44% of the uber wealthy get up three hours before the mortal man.

2. The uber wealthy always have a to-do list, statistics show that most if not all uber wealthy people keep a to-do list and carry it around in a logbook with them with the intention of completing the tasks before the day is over. Now we know why the filo fax was created.

3. The uber wealthy have a strong tendency to focus on the future. Not just tomorrow but what will pay off in the long run with the thought process that what I do today will pay off in twenty to thirty years. Their ability to look far into the future and work toward that goal puts them in the in that 1% population, those who can focus for longer than a bat second.

4. The uber wealthy are self made and self employed. More than two thirds of those on the Forbes 400 list are self made. Let's face it getting to the top means you don't have time to climb over all those in the corporate world to get there. Creating your own business means you start at the top and work hard to stay at the top.

5. The uber wealthy network network network and then they network some more, spending up to five hours per day reaching out and shaking hands with people who can help them make things happen.

6. The uber wealthy have an uncanny ability to never forget a name or a face. This simple memory technique opens many doors and as we all know using a persons first name is music to their ears.

7. The uber wealthy have little time for romance novels but spend up to two hours per day reading goal based books or listening to audio books during their commuting time. Personal and professional development is high on the list of priorities. We all need a cheerleader in our ear.

8. The uber wealthy know that health and fitness are key to a strong mind. Most wealthy people eat less than 300 empty calories per day. Yes, that includes those high calorie cocktails we all love so much.

9. The uber wealthy get to the top on their own but they never do it alone. They find mentors and role models and spend time digging out the secrets to success. Having someone to bounce ideas off of gives the wealthy an edge we mere mortals never think about doing. We tend to keep our great ideas inside, they tend to talk and talk until the idea is rock solid.

10. The uber wealthy sock it away, saving for the future is not an option it is a way of life for the super rich. Where most of us put away 6% they tend to save an average of 19% of their income. Remember the uber wealthy are always looking into the future, way into the future.

Not everyone was meant to be in the uber wealthy world but if you are looking to have a more secure future following a few of these habits might just be the key to your future success.

Cheers,

Toni

How to Build your Direct Sales Business in 3 Easy Steps

Sponsoring can be such a challenge! It is tough to know what to say, who to reach out to and how to connect in the right way.

So how do we overcome the challenge and build real connections and lasting relationships?

Confidence leaves a lasting impression

Know Your Business

TIP: First rule is getting to know your business well enough to talk about it with confidence. As we move through our business lives we learn each day and knowing how to talk about what you do it key to building a team.

TRICK: Use your products, learn key ingredients and benefits of your products and then practice talking about your products. Learn the benefits of your business and the opportunity (how can it improve someone's life, how can it make a difference). What does your business mean to you? Share your story….

Build Relationships

TIP: The key to building relationships is leaving our comfort zone and connecting with people we know and people we don’t know. This is called networking in many sales businesses but I prefer to call it building relationships. To build a strong relationship we have to be comfortable with ourselves and be truthful in our approach. Try not to talk about your business in a first meeting or first message. Let the relationship develop. Practice the art of interviewing, or asking questions about topics your listener is interested in talking about. Let them share their passions with you. Then eventually you will get to share your passion with them.

TRICK: Reach out and touch someone today. I don’t mean physically I mean emotionally. Give a compliment, thank someone or ask someone a valid question that lets them share their knowledge. Learn what they are good at. People like to share their knowledge. Know that the questions you ask you really want to know the answer too. Do not ever ask a question if you really do not want to know the answer. Be genuine or nothing at all.

Example: Hi Jane, I love all of your Yoga pics, you look so strong and fit. I love Yoga but don’t know anything about Bikram. Should I learn the poses before I take a class or do you think I can go to a class as a beginner? I hate to make a fool of myself. Help needed from a newbie.

People love to share their knowledge…

Example: Susan I see you are at the Monaco Grand Prix….OMG I am so jealous and happy for you. I love racing! I cant wait to see all of your pics and chat about Monaco when you get back. (YES…. I really did send this)

Follow Up

TIP: Following up is the most important step of all and the one step we all forget to do or just don't want to do because it requires time and energy. And it isn’t the fun part of our job. But following up is the number one way to build relationships and to maintain a strong top of mind awareness, it is also the only way you are going to build your business. Having the ability to show that you care about someone as a friend will put you in a whole different category with any of your connections.

TRICK: Send Thank You Cards immediately after a sale or when a friend has helped out in a situation. Never forget a birthday. Just so you know my birthday is always the most important day of the year for me. You send me a birthday card or a direct message on my birthday I am your friend for life…

Use your skills of organization and remind yourself to follow up on any inquiries or connections that might lead to building your business.

No matter what business you are in building relationships is essential to your success. You are a business owner so make sure you act like one. Laziness as you can see is not on the list.

Cheers,

Toni

The Virtual Handshake

What does it mean and how do we achieve it with success?

 

I decided when I first became a work from home professional that I would take every opportunity to introduce myself and not miss any chance to meet someone new, I would make sure to personally engage with people even if I was doing it virtually.

In an age of information overload we tend to fall into the habit of those abbreviated words that become abbreviated messages which become absurdly quick answers to any question. We send and receive email that literally leaves out any sign of friendliness or genuine interaction. We have become a society of less than approachable conversations on all media and especially on social media. So here is how I created my version of the virtual handshake.

If you have become friends with someone new on any social media site it is time to reach out, introduce yourself and say hello. Take the time to get to know them by looking over their social media profiles and learn a thing or two about them. When you say hello genuinely greet them with a smile on your face, even if they can’t see it they can feel it and remember a quick compliment can go a long way to breaking any barrier.

By the way I do this exact same greeting in person so I am not straying from what I do out in the real world. It helps to break the ice and gets people to smile. SO my suggestion is to always be yourself, unless of course being yourself means you don’t say hi at all.  Be personable and fun be interested and interesting it can bring about a much friendlier conversation and frankly it makes for a much better handshake. The rule of thumb is to be genuine and yourself.

The Personal Handshake

At a recent cocktail party my husband and I attended I did not know a single soul in a room filled with professionals. But since I am a very social creature and tend to love conversation I never stand back in the corner and wait for others to come to me. I always pick out people in the room I truly want to get to know, I pay attention to the crowd and look for friendly faces and people who carry themselves with confidence. The more confident a person is in the room the more I want to meet them.

I will approach them after I have observed something about them and I prepare to introduce myself, I put out my hand for a shake and give a compliment or I ask a compelling question. Example: Hi my name is Toni Thomas, I saw you from across the room and I love those shoes, where did you find them if you don’t mind my asking?
I really did love her shoes and I really did want to know where she got them. Of course she smiled and was more than happy to talk about her great shoes and the great price she got them for. Never underestimate the power of the compliment.

The Virtual Handshake

So how is a virtual handshake different? I can honestly say the technique is the same but the approach takes a little more effort. In the world of social media we are constantly adding new people to our circle of relationships. In Facebook it is by adding friends, in LinkedIn it is by adding connections, with Instagram you have followers, and well you know how it works. Each one is a social media site but each one is very different in nature but I can assure you that a handshake is still a handshake if done correctly.

On social media it requires a little more time and effort. Let’s use Facebook as an example. On Facebook we have many friends, some we know, some we know real well and some we don’t know at all. If you are in the business of building relationships then a virtual handshake is very important to connecting with those unknown friends on your friend list and taking the time to do a virtual crowd look is much harder but can still be accomplished. Take the time go look at their profile. Scroll through and pick out something about them that you can relate to. Children, cats, dogs, motivational posts, inspirational posts, a hobby or one of the many things we see every day on other people’s timeline.

Once you have found a genuine topic to compliment or a compelling question to ask you are now prepared to make the virtual handshake. Example:  Hi my name is Toni Thomas, I noticed we are friends on Facebook and I love all the motivational post you make, thanks for sharing. I was wondering where you got that great scarf I saw you wearing in your post yesterday. I love it!!!!

Easy right?

Now how do we make a virtual handshake in an online event or party that you are hosting? This seems like an easy way to make a new friend and give a handshake. The attendees are in a virtual room that you have created, you have set the mood and they are watching (even if you don’t think they are) so never miss the opportunity to put out your virtual hand for a shake and give a compliment or ask a compelling question.

Take advantage of the occasion you created to make t heconnection.

The results will astonish you!

Cheers,

Toni

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