My 7 Secrets to Direct Sales Success

Inspiration+Motivation=Realization

 

 

1.    Each day I spend 30 minutes doing something related to my personal development. Personal empowerment brings about self-confidence. When we feel good it shows.     

      

         Walk, Bike, Hike, Run, Meditate, Swim, Stretch, Yoga:
         Simply move...

2.    I spend 10 to 15 minutes each working day with someone who inspires and guides me. Yes, I spend each day talking to that one person who can give me the motivation to stay focused.

 

We talk on the phone or in person…

 

3.    I found someone to be accountable too. I have a relationship with someone in my industry who keeps me on me on track. We discuss strategies and what my plans are for the day, the week and sometimes the month.

 

            I do the same for her…

 

4.    I joined many networking groups (online and in person). You may feel compelled to just join MLM or Direct Sales groups but spread your wings and join groups that interest you. Ask questions make new friends and eventually they will ask what you do and you can share your passion with them.

 

Find what truly interests you and gain the knowledge to share it fully….

 

5.    I plan each and every day, I know well in advance what my calendar will look like for the day and I design my strategy to accomplish each and every item on my plan.

 

3 to 4 strategies per day, try not to get overwhelmed, be persistent and consistent…

 

6.    I spend my scheduled working hours in my Direct Sales Business doing only revenue generating tasks. I do not let anyone or anything distract me from my goals during those hours.

Find your focus and stay the course…

7.    I take my work seriously but I never take myself seriously. I laugh all the time at myself and some of the crazy things I do or attempt to do. It really is amazing how much fun your business can be when you let yourself enjoy every minute of it.

 

Share your strategies with your team and have lots of fun with them. I inspire through laughter, my passion and the crazy stuff I do… Just have fun…

Cheers

 

Toni

 

Why is her business doing so well?

Why do some people seem so successful and others just don’t have the knack?  Why do some businesses fail in the first three years while others have been around for generations?  What makes us go back to one business time and time again, even if the location is inconvenient or there are other impediments?  
It is one simple element:  "It not about the service they provide it’s about the person who has provided the service"

I genuinely love my hair stylist she is funny and talented and always on the mark when it comes to my color.  She has humor, great stories and has more confidence in her talents than seems possible.  She is busy but never lets me see just how busy she is and her salon is one of the hottest places in DC.  She is damn good at her job but not just because she makes me look great but because she makes me feel great. When I arrive for my appointment I’m greeted by name by her receptionist, in a place so busy and large this always amazes me and yet the friendliness makes me feel calm and welcomed. 

This complete and genuine customer service is given to me throughout my visit in her salon.  The reality is I hate going to have my hair done it is a chore of such magnitude I can barely tolerate the thought of it and yet I continue to go back.  Why?  It is definitely not about the service they provide, I can get that anywhere, it is however all about the people who provide me the service.

So the next time you are wondering why your business just doesn’t seem to have the customers you think it should have or you can’t seem to figure out the secret to success. Take the lead from my stylist and her team.  Genuine customer service is still the name of the game.  You are the brand of your business so be the top brand.

Ten steps to great customer service:

• Be Genuine

• Be Truthful

• Be Assertive

• Be Professional

• Be Attentive

• Be Helpful

• Be Useful

• Be Fair

• Be Compassionate

• Be Friendly

To learn more about taking your business to the next level of success. Feel free to connect with me.

Cheers,

Toni

How to Enrich Your Personal Life

No Business Today...

Most articles I write are all about the enrichment of your business or the enrichment of your professional life. Yes, those articles have a purpose and they are meant to be informative. They do not however give you any guidance on how to overcome the stresses of everyday living and the pressure that comes with our professional daily lives.
Today I want to talk a little bit about your self enrichment and some of the steps you can take to care for your inner being. You know that person behind the successful you.

10 ideas to enrich your personal life:

• Make time for yourself (10 minutes) to meditate or reflect on your life.
• Live in the now, living in the moment helps to ground your thoughts and calm the mind.
• Find a movement that you can do everyday, any physical activity that fits into your lifestyle (walk, run, yoga, stretching, lifting, jumping, biking, boxing, hiking, swimming etc...)
• Have lunch, dinner or drinks with a good friend.
• Enjoy laughter with people in your life who make you laugh out loud.
• Be fun and playful, do things that make you smile, with your spouse, your children or even your pets. This will in turn enrich all of your lives
• Make love to your partner or just make time for pleasurable moments.
• Give thanks and gratitude to those around you who make your life easier. 
• Make time for the special people in your life.
• Say "I love you!" These three words will give you peace and fill someone else with joy.

Cheers,

Toni

10 Tips to Start a New Business

In today's fast changing technology based and social media environment it is good to remember the basic fundamentals of a new business start-up.

1. Determine the type of business entity in which you will conduct business. Major choices are sole proprietor, partnership, limited liability (LLC), corporation, or non-profit.
2. Apply for you Federal Tax ID number. Here is the IRS URL to give you guidance. http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98350,00.html
3. Open a separate business bank account and apply for a business credit card. This will reduce the time and money you spend on bookkeeping, as well as giving you a good view of cash and funds coming in and cash and funds going out. Never mix business with pleasure, best tip of the day.
4. Set up an accounting system that matches your business needs. There are many flavors to chose from so check out the most popular as well as free software available on open source. Your choice all depends on how complicated your cash flow is.
5. Set up all the forms you will need to track transactions. This would mean templates for invoicing and receipts. You also may want to set up a system or template for purchase orders, estimates and statements. All of these forms can be found on Quickbooks and other accounting software or online at open space form links.
6. Make sure you have all of your federal and state business license requirements and any permits you may need. Go to www.business.gov to find out more and check your local state licensing board for local licenses.
7. Secure business insurance to protect your financial investment.
8. Create a realistic budget based on a cash flow template. Here is a great one from the SBA,archive.sba.gov/idc/groups/public/.../sba.../form_finasst_cshflstmt.xlt
9. Make estimated tax deposits every quarter, especially if your business is a sole proprietor, partnership or S-corp. Regular tax planning will prevent surprises when its time to prepare the income tax returns.
10. 10. Manage your time wisely. Outsource the items you are unable to manage such as accounting, taxes, legal work, marketing, business plan, financial plan and any other business areas that you do not feel confident to tackle. 

You are the soul of your business and it is your job to put out the best product or service you can. So leave the rest of the small stuff to the pros who do this for a living.


Cheers!

Toni

The Law of Attraction

3-Way Calling is Key to Network Marketing Success

Do you have a prospect that wants to join your business or wants to know more about what you do? Then I suggest the best way to engage with your prospect is to implement a 3-way call.

3-way calls can create that personal connection and give you the sponsor credibility. Engaging with a team member or your own up-line helps build a landscape of possibilities to your prospective recruit. They will get a preview of your business and will have the opportunity to see the success that you have created for yourself as well as the success of your up-line expert.

Your prospective recruit also learns how you engage others into the business and knows you will help in this same style of recruitment when it comes time for you to be the up-line expert on a 3 way call.

Getting Started

Starting a 3-way call is easy; just introduce your up-line expert to your potential recruit and your potential recruit to your expert. Make sure you point out their current level of success in the company and how long they have been in the industry. Make sure you point out only the relevant pieces of information that make your expert the best source. You want to create value to your up-line expert and give value to your potential recruit. Explain why you are both on this call but don’t overdo it with needless information. Keep it simple and to the point.

Remember that your up-line expert is responsible for recognizing you as a leader, and a business partner, someone who works hard and is a great source of information and support. If your potential recruit is a friend, they may not know specific details about you in the business world, now they might feel more empowered to know you better. If they don’t know you your up-line expert has now given them a good reason to have met with you.

You have now gained new respect and are empowered to share your success.

Be genuine and honest. These are two simple traits that will set you apart from your competitors.

Let’s Make the Call

·         Before the call, email information about your prospect to up-line expert. Give a brief background of who they are, why they would be a good recruit and give a brief bio of the person if you know it.

·         Practice your 3 way call skills.

·         Make sure you call your prospective recruit before you call your up-line expert.

·         Make introductions and give key facts about them both.(know a little bit about both parties)

·         Let your up-line expert talk about the business and you can ask pointed questions to get the ball rolling. (Have you ever wanted to own your own business, what do you want to learn about first? The business opportunity or the product opportunity? What do you like about this particular direct sales company? Have you ever used our products before?

Your up-line expert will likely spend a few minutes building a personal rapport with your prospective recruit to find out where they live, what they do, what interests they have and what path has led them to you. Then they should share their story and journey into the business. Make sure at this point you share your story. It may be connected to your up-line expert.

Talk about your current team and all you do to assist each other build a successful business. Your team can be the best asset you have. Make sure you treat them with great reverence and show respect.

Make sure your calls last no longer than 20 minutes. If your potential recruit has questions make sure you listen and then tell them you would be happy to email them the materials so they have time to look over the details in their own time.

Create a strong foundation and then Duplicate-Duplicate-Duplicate

If you can duplicate something, you can achieve freedom. Successful network marketing is all about duplication.

Team Work is the Key to Building the Dream

To learn more about Network Marketing Skills join my newsletter circle

Cheers,

Toni

Girl Power: Celebrating the Heroic Women of 2013

The beauty of style in the workplace

How do you feel about beauty and style in the workplace?


What is your style?

As accomplished women emphasizing our intellectual abilities is always first on the list of priorities. We need to always be the true professional who is secure in our skills and abilities; this is how each of us got to where we are today, this will always be the key factor in where we go tomorrow and how we make our way in the career world. But let’s admit it how you dress matters. Yes, you heard me how you dress matters, how you wear your hair matters, the application of makeup or lack of it matters and how you present yourself matters.

After doing some research to get a feel for how other professionals feel about this topic. I came across a quote from David McKnight the founder of DAMstyle, an image consulting firm in New York. "Professional presentation is critical and we must be constantly aware of the unspoken messages and personal brand that we are communicating to our audience."

Mr. McKnight went on to say “the biggest fashion faux pas that professional women commit stems from not understanding how to dress for their body type. Imitating styles found in magazines or on celebrities is a risk. True professional style must be synchronized to your professional image goals and internal identity, rather than what you see on your favorite fashion blog. Once you define your image goals and embrace your unique identity, then it's time to curate a versatile wardrobe that is inclusive of items that communicate your desired messages to the world, appropriate for any situation or environment."
So how can women navigate the potential land mines of appearing attractive, polished and professional while still conveying a sense of competence and accomplishment?
Well we need create our own style that is professional, polished and stylish. We must keep our hair freshly cut and styled so we can can highlight our best professional features, our makeup needs to be kept to a minimum and looking fresh and above all else we must convey a sense of confidence. Don’t misunderstand my view on this. I just feel that we are women in the workplace and as such we need to be women looking professional not downplaying ourselves to fit into some mold others think we need to be in. That being said I never downplay myself what I do instead is dress in a style that is appropriate for each professional situation I’m about to enter. Frankly I bring my A game with me everywhere I go, that my friend is my best workplace style.
And remember the best accessory a woman can wear is her confidence.

Cheers,

Toni

How do I get the most from my Cosmetology and Skincare Education?

Enrolling in any Beauty School Program is the first step in pursuing a career as a Cosmetologist, Makeup Artist, Nail Technician or Esthetician. In order to make the most of your time spent in school, it is essential to work hard while there, learn as much as possible, listen to your teachers, ask a lot of questions and keep learning. Then practice what you've learned on friends, relatives, school clients, etc.

Here are a few tips from The Health & Style Institute to make it as easy and beneficial as possible.

Prioritize Your Time - When embarking on any pursuit of higher education, it’s essential to prioritize your time. Between your cosmetology courses and working in the salon, it can be difficult to devote time to a social life. While maintaining your mental health is important, carefully choose your evenings out. 

For example, you should consider staying home for the evening if you have an important exam the following day. 

If you begin to feel overwhelmed with your courses and workload, speak with your instructors. All of your instructors have successfully completed cosmetology school and will offer you their expert advice on succeeding in your courses. 

Review Your Notes – Cosmetology students don’t always have to sit in a classroom like other students, but that doesn’t mean that studying can be neglected. You can make sure you keep up with your studies by reviewing notes on a regular basis. Whether you take handwritten notes, type notes, or have a photographic memory, you should take some time to review the lesson you learned in your last class before you arrive for your next session. 

Spend Extra Time Studying Hard Topics – You may find yourself having more success with some cosmetology topics than with others. If so, it is important to spend more time studying or practicing those you find more difficult. Most students find strengths and weaknesses during their time in school. Take any available opportunity to spend more time studying and practicing the topics that you find hardest, and ask for additional guidance from your teachers and mentors. 

Follow State Board or International Protocols When Practicing – Once you have advanced in your education to labs and student salon activities, follow state board protocols in all your actions, such as sanitizing hands, putting used tools in your soiled container, using a gloves when required and always following the directions of your instructor. Implementing those protocols during practice will further embed the behaviors in your memory so they become as natural as breathing. You’ll have more than enough to remember when you’re taking your state board exam, so anything that becomes automatic in your actions prior to then, will be one less thing to remember.
Study with Friends - While some topics can easily be reviewed at home on your own, there are other areas in which you can benefit from having a study partner or study group. You can ask a few of your fellow cosmetology students if they would like to start a study group. Meet up once or twice a week to discuss the various lessons learned that week. This will allow you to get another point of view on certain techniques and catch up on lessons you may have missed or have difficulty with. 

Ask for Help - Teachers and administrators are there to help you; our Health and Style Institute staff wants you to succeed. Trying to power through the program on your own can leave you missing out on valuable knowledge. If there is something that you do not understand, ask for clarification. If at some point in your program you are experiencing transportation, child care, or other personal obstacles that may jeopardize your progress, communicate with the staff to work out a solution or to find out about student support services that may help you overcome your challenge. 

Take Care of Your Equipment - During any cosmetology program, you will be provided with equipment that helps you learn the skills you need to succeed in the beauty industry. Once you receive your equipment and products, which may include professional products, curling irons, 4-in-one machines, lab coats, manicure kits and textbooks, it is important to take care of it. The better care you take of your equipment, the more useful it will be toward your education and your state board exams. 

Stay Dedicated to your Learning - Throughout your education, it is important to continue to build onto your knowledge base. Practice your new skills. Look through hair, skin, nail and style magazines to stay on top of the latest trends and tips. Talk to your teachers about their careers, and ask for advice. There are an unlimited amount of resources available to you at your school; it is up to you to take advantage of them. 

Practice your people skills - The key to success in the beauty industry is repeat customers that's where good interpersonal communication comes in. If you truly care about people and you love what you do, that will shine through. But if your people skills are lacking, it'll be tough to secure repeat business, no matter how good your technical skills. Your school can work with you to improve in these areas as well. Succeeding in a beauty career requires working well with others and understanding their needs and desires, from the common to the quirky. 

Prepare for interviews and attend career development workshops - Unlike in other occupations, interviews for beauty and wellness jobs include a practical component. If you're a massage therapist, you'll be asked to give a massage. If you're a nail tech, you'll be required to do someone's nails. There's no bluffing your way through a job interview in the beauty industry you either have what it takes (and what a particular spa or salon is looking for), or you don't. Be prepared that if your interviewers offer feedback while you're doing your service, to incorporate their suggestions, which requires thinking on your feet. You’ll need to be able to show that you can tailor your services to the individual. 

Stay positive- Some days may seem overwhelming; some days may even seem a little boring. Keep focused on your goal, make the most of each day and each learning opportunity and before long, you’ll be looking back at your school days wondering where the time went.

So take the most from your post secondary education and use it to create your future.

Cheers!

Toni

HAVE YOU STARTED CREATING YOUR 2014 GOALS?

Every Year I sit down on Jan 1st and map out my coming year. Yes friends I sit down at my computer and create my goals. I do this in a somewhat orderly fashion and break out my goals into quarters.

2014 Goal Worksheet©

This year was particularly difficult because I currently have many irons in the fire, as they say! Yet as my husband would say "you always have a lot of irons in the fire, now if only we could get you to focus on just one, we would be very wealthy."
Well he is probably right but I just can't help myself. I enjoy living my life to the fullest and I love doing many things and my favorite of course is sharing knowledge with others. So today I'm going to share my goals as well as my goal worksheet.

In 2014 I have 3 specific areas of goals I have to map out.

1. Women in Gear

• What projects can I create that will have benefits to assist others this year?
• What marketing and outreach will I do to share my workshops with others?
• What steps will I take to spend more time creating a better blog?
• What tradeshows will I attend I reach out to a biggest audience?

2. Younique Products Direct Sales Presenter

• How will I share my company products this year?
• What steps will I take to deliver better customer service?
• How can I show more customers the benefits of becoming a presenter?
• What marketing avenues will I take to create a better business?

3. Instructor & Operations Coordinator Esthetic Institute

• How can I improve my teaching skills?
• How can I deliver a better product to the company I contract with?
• How can I manage my time better to give EI a the best of me?
• What can I do to assist the EI team to become the best Institute in the country?

Friends these are the type of
questions you ask yourself as you begin the process of creating your Goal Worksheet. It is about how you take yourself from where you are today to a step ahead tomorrow.
Goals are just the pathway into planning your best year yet.

Cheers!

Toni