Referral Sales instead of Direct Sales

Here’s the dilemma…

Direct Sales consists of selling a product or service person-to-person. This can be very attractive for companies as a great way to have a large army of salespeople in the field. However, for the individual “salesperson” you are limited because you are only 1 person with 24 hours in a day. Not to mention, many people do not like to work sales and most people do not like to be “sold to”.

What’s the solution? Referral Marketing!

In a Referral Sales system your customers, clients or referral partners have experienced your services and can attest to your business character. They give 3rd party testimonials promoting your product or service – which is much more powerful than a sales pitch! There may be only 1 of you…but you can have an endless amount of people out in the world promoting you, and you have now created your own army of “salespeople”. Great news is that the referral system works so well, you don’t need an army. A small number of trained individuals will keep you knee-deep in referrals. Key point: trained individuals!

The beauty of this system is that it takes you out of the “sales” mode. Your customers/clients come to you, already sold on your product and ready for your service – you just get to deliver. This is a joyful way to operate!

The best education I have received on this process is through the Referral Institute with Trey McAlister, Dawn Lyons & Mike Macedonio. This Wed., June 23rd we will have the rare treat of seeing Trey McAlister teach a class on Referral Marketing just for Direct Sales!  RSVP now – seating is limited!

You Don’t Want to Look TOO Good!

I’m going out on a limb here and I can feel the hairs rising on the back of the necks of my fabulous, fashion friends…but here it is: You don’t want to look TOO good!

Why do I say this? Because unless you are a model on set, looking perfect won’t work perfectly for you. Whether you want to attract your ideal client, ideal friend or ideal mate – you need to look approachable.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love looking good. However I prefer the “pulled together” look over the “flawless” look.

You’ve heard me say before that 11 assumptions are made about you within the first 3-5 seconds of being seen. When you look “pulled together” a natural assumption made is that you have it “pulled together” in your personal/professional life and you will do a good job. When you look “flawless” an assumption is often made that your personal/professional life is “perfect”. The idea that all is perfect can make you seem unapproachable, bring out jealousy or make it seem like because your life is perfect, you don’t need more business, more friends…etc. Victoria Beckham looks fabulous in the photos on the left, dare I say flawless? What about Jennifer Garner on the right? More approachable?

For many of us, not looking “perfect” is really, really easy! For others, you may need to scale back a bit. Still be the wonderful, pulled together you that you are – but note you don’t need labels head-to-toe or everything perfectly in its place.

The real reason I share this information is to give you peace-of-mind and encourage you to give yourself a break. Use fashion as a fun tool in life and business but don’t be a “slave to fashion.” Looking perfect just won’t work perfectly for you!

How to Look Pulled Together After Rolling Out of Bed

This one’s for the moms – especially after being up all night with a sick kid!

I started my business when my daughter was 4-years-old. I was a single, stay-at-home mom just using up my resources so I could devote myself to Bella. And that’s exactly what I did, up to the point of caring only about her needs and none of mine.

My daughter was having fun, looked great and was very well-tended to.  Meanwhile, I rolled out of bed in the t-shirt and sweats I slept in, tossed on my Elmo slippers, pulled my hair into a pony tail and jumped into cruise director mode providing meals, education, enrichment, & entertainment. My favorite sweatshirt was oversized, gray with stitching of the Warner Brothers characters and had a small hole in it.

As many moms have experienced, it is easy to lose your identity in this process because honestly, there is little else you care about other than your child. I did find my identity though…in a pair of earrings!

I was rescued through what we call “The Earring Conspiracy”. When I started my business I experienced the transformation of adding a pair of simple, silver hoops to my Elmo/Sweatsuit wardrobe. That small change necessitated some makeup and styled hair. That then led to a decent shirt. Once I had the shirt, might as well add pants and make it an outfit. Once I had the outfit, it was time to ditch the Elmo slippers and reunite with some proper shoes.

Earrings led to necklaces which led to bracelets which led to having and creating my own “look”. I looked better, felt better and dare I say it, felt confident and empowered with my “new” identity.

The best part is I never had to ditch my old identity – I’m still the cruise director mom with a “work-at-home” job. Now I just look the part.

If nothing else…sunglasses, silver hoop earrings and lipstick and you will looked “pulled together”!!

How Does the Savvy Woman use Jewelry as a Tool?

Many women like to wear jewelry. And some women really, really love jewelry! The savvy woman uses jewelry as a tool for business and personal use.

What makes her savvy is that she knows in business:

• Jewelry “finishes” your look & is what is noticed first by other women (& often men)
• Jewelry conveys a message and tells a story about who you are and what you want to accomplish
• Jewelry can be used to glimpse the personality style of someone else & that information allows you to communicate more effectively
• Jewelry is a great ice breaker and conversation starter – a way to then promote your own business
• Jewelry is a connector that can instantly break down barriers and create a bond between 2 woman in  any location (networking event, office, grocery store, restroom…etc)
• Jewelry can make or break a deal when used with knowledge, passion & purpose

The savvy woman also know that in her personal life:

• Jewelry can make you feel good, confident and pretty
• Jewelry can hide a multitude of other flaws (body, clothes)
• Jewelry can be fun and great to talk about with girlfriends
• Jewelry can be used as a “weapon” when it comes to the guys – LOL! Tell me who you want to attract and I can tell you what kind of jewelry will draw him in!
• Jewelry can be shared with mothers and daughters – like fathers/sons bonding over baseball cards

Jewelry is a language. Do you know what you are saying?

Quality Drive Time with a Disney Screenwriter

My daughter Bella has clearly been influenced by Disney movies.  I say this because I can hear it in her storytelling. When the two of us are in the car we will take turns telling the same story. Bella loves animals so I usually start with some lovely bunny poking his head out of a hole. I build the character, describe the scenery and then it is Bella’s turn to continue. Sure enough, during her turn, there is a wolf lurking nearby, ready to eat my lovely bunny. Just like a Disney movie, calm and then the storm. I’ve tried other animals and the outcome is the same. I’ve even tried to hijack the story when it was my turn again and say the wolf was a vegetarian and just wanted to be friends. It was useless, according to Bella, a hunter was around the corner…

Finally, I thought I had it. I would make the main character a large oak tree. I described its age, its branches and its beauty. When it was Bella’s turn her first words were:

“There was a big fire…”

You Should NOT Be Able to Stick Your ARM Through Your HOOP Earrings!

To Hoop or Not To Hoop? That is the question facing many professional women when they dress for the workplace. Can I wear hoops at work? Can I wear hoops at my age?

The answer is yes and yes!

Hoop earrings can be worn at any age and depending on the style, they can be professional in the workplace. A few basic  rules to consider:

1. Size Matters - Hoop earrings (or any earrings) should be proportionant to your face and overall size. Small earrings make small women look even smaller and big women look even bigger. If you have a long face and don’t want to exaggerate that, avoid the same pattern in your earrings. Instead, opt for circles, wider earrings or something with a horizontal shape. Round face? Go for the long earrings to create a vertical line.

2. Oval or Teardrop earrings - We have a special line of oval earrings that tend to be the most flattering to all face shapes. Plus, we have a small and large version in every type of metal. Think out of the box, not all hoop earrings have to be round.

3. Class - Your hoop earrings should not touch your shoulders. Most important, you should NOT be able to stick your arm through your hoops!!

Myth - You’ll look like a pirate. If you add an eyepatch, red bandana, hooked hand and peg leg…then maybe. Otherwise, don’t worry about it!

BEST news - Hoop earrings can give the impression that you are 10 years younger AND 10 pound thinner.

Want to look 30 pounds thinner? Opt for a Tiara

Find the Pain…Not!!

There’s a saying in sales that you have to “find the pain”. In other words, find out what the person is lacking, where they’re hurting, where they’re vulunerable…then make it hurt more! At that point, present them with the cure which is whatever you are selling.

Yuck…or “totally gross” as my 7-year-old would say.

I can’t stand that type of sales.

First, you are totally degrading the person you are dealing with by making them feel less than…

Second, you are degrading yourself by just being a monkey hocking goods…where’s your self-worth?

I love that in my business I create an environment where my client feels accepted for who she is and where she’s at… while in the midst of great change! It doesn’t sound like it would go together, but that is what makes it so wonderful.

Because I teach how to use jewelry as a tool to attract your ideal client, there is a purpose behind the wearing and selection of the jewelry. You don’t wear it because you are lacking or you aren’t enough…it is a tool to implement that can help your business grow. Women that aren’t use to doing this and that are “stretching” themselves are creating great change…and yet are still okay exactly where they are. Just love that!

When I work with women, we figure out ways to use “smoke and mirrors” to our favor. No one is label-conscious, any shape/size works and everyone is accepted for who they are. The next question is, “What do you want?’ Once answered, I teach them how to use the jewelry to attract it.

Alarm Bells are Ringing

I have been lucky that I can plan most of my work when my daughter is in school or visiting with her dad. When I do need a babysitter, it is usually right before my daughter’s bedtime. I like this because I get to make sure we have quality time together and if I have to miss out, it is usually on sleep time…no complaints there.

I’m also lucky to have a fabulous babysitter, Julia, that I love and adore. She will give Bella a bath, get her tucked in and never needs to call me when I’m running a fashion show or attending a networking event. So, you can imagine my alarm at a recent event when I noticed she texted me. Quickly all sorts of possible horrors crossed my mind as I prepared to bolt out of the room and get in the car to make a mad dash home.

I opened the text and this is what I found.

Whew! What a relief!

Women Have the Advantage!

It the world of referral marketing, it is building the relationship that is the key to success. For those in BNI, we monitor moving through the stages of that relationship. In the beginning, you really don’t know anything about the other person. You need to get to know one another, learn about each other and each business.

This takes time!

You invest a lot of upfront time with someone with the hope of building a fruitful relationship that leads to profitable referrals down the road. For some, it can be challenging to get past that first stage…how do you break down the barriers of 2 strangers meeting and then start to connect?

Jewelry…of course! Women will compliment each other’s jewelry and the barrier between them dissolves. They find a common ground to connect and move from there to discussing their business. Throw in a clothing swap with women trying on clothes and getting each other’s opinion as to what looks good or not…You now have created a “group shopping experience” with business women – knocking down barriers and connecting them in a much quicker and exciting way than 12 coffee dates of discussion could…which is why I say women have the advantage!

Clothing Swap with Style!!

Clothing Swap with Style!! Whoo-hoo!!

We did this last month and had so much fun! A group of women each bringing 5 clothing items in good quality they no longer want, nor need, and sometimes, it just doesn’t fit anymore. Couple that with food, fabulous jewelry and a supportive environment and you have a recipe for fun! For the BNI folks, there’s nothing like seeing each other in various stages of undress to propel you quickly through the “visibility” phase of the V-C-P process!!

We gave away FREE jewelry and a lot of free advice. Sometimes we argued over what looked good and what didn’t…the plan was that if two women wanted the same item we broke the tie with a vote for who the item looked best on – the winner would get to keep it.

We even raffled off a purse that looked like a dog, with furry wrist straps to match! Rebecca – I haven’t seen you wear that yet…I’m waiting

Diana Placiakiene with ispeakstyle.com will again be leading the Clothing Swap. I’m excited to see everyone (and get some new clothes!). I know many have said “yes” via email, but if you can RSVP on Facebook at Brandy Mychals – Jewelry for Your Target Market that helps me out with the planning. See you at the Swap!