Summer Survival Guide- Wow on down time- GREAT NUGGETS!!

Also do the 3 exercises in green very cool! Forward on to your teamsJ Print and read on down time- SO GOOD!

Stop Deceiving Yourself- Top Excuses

We can easily get into a rut and deceive ourselves.  We are not always willing to do things that are uncomfortable or new to us. That is when the paralyzing words “I can’t” just roll off our tongue.  The words really mean, I Certainly Am Not Trying. Stop deceiving yourself with the words “ I Can’t.”  Instead learn to think, how can I?  Any time you think that you are unable to do something for your business, ask yourself,  “Am I just giving myself an excuse not to do something I am uncomfortable doing.”?  Then think, “How can I do it?” 

Have you ever used one of the following as an excuse not to grow your business?

1.      I don’t want to be pushy.

I think it is an excuse for not wanting to hear someone say no.   Sharing is never pushy.  Sharing is offering and caring is being happy with whatever they say,

2.      I can’t find time to work on my business during the summer. 

     Sharing about your business can be done in 30 seconds or less.  Have you ever thought about the fact that sharing five times a day will mean only 2 1/2 minutes a day, I believe we find the time for the things we decide we need to do.

  

3.      I can’t talk to people I don’t know.

        Friends that you have now were once people that you did not know.   I believe we tell children all the time to make new friends when they first start school.  I know that we can do that too.  Is it really more about being uncomfortable?  Decide that you will enjoy meeting new people. Whether or not they are interested in your business or not, learn to be interested in people and not just what they can do for you.  Do not let your happiness or feelings be determined by their response to you?  Decide to be happy that you made the choice to share.

4.      I can’t attend trainings.  Ask yourself, “What do I need to do so that I can be sure I am at our next training?” Make a commitment to keep learning.  Make a plan to attend your next training.  It is something that is important to do for your success.  I want to remind you that we make time for things that have value.  Learning new ideas to grow your business is of tremendous benefit.

5.      I can’t recruit.

 Recruiting is all about giving people an opportunity.  Is it that you can’t or is it that you are not doing anything to recruit?  Are you always sharing the opportunity?  Make a decision that everyone will be invited to join you and you will see that you can recruit. “Just Ask!” If you don’t it is an automatic no.

6.      Nobody ever calls me back.

 Is it possible you are calling people over and over again who really have no interest.  I believe that when you are calling 25 -30 different people every week, there will be people calling you back.  Making 100 calls a month to different people will lead to lots of results.

7.      I am shy

       I use to be.  I was so concerned about what people would think of me. Someone pointed out that was pretty selfish.  I did not like hearing that.  That is when I taught myself to use words that were all about making people feel good so that I could learn to share something I knew could help others.

8.      I work full time

I know that working full time and building a business can be challenging at times.  Think about it as a challenge though and not a burden. Think positive thoughts.  Working on a business can give you lots of choices. Believe that you are so fortunate to have found an opportunity that can work alongside your family and other activities.

9.  I am not a sales person

      Become a caring person who is eager to share your company with everyone to find those who are interested.  Selling is something you do when someone you share with expresses an interest in what you are sharing.  They indicate they want to be in the position to make a decision about the opportunities you are offering.  I know if I said to you, “Tell me about your products”; I know you could do that.  Selling is not convincing.  There is big difference to me.  A good salesperson informs and allows the customer to make their decision.

Before You Go Out Prospecting Think About This

Do you have an “open” sign on the doors of your business or a “closed” sign?

Prospecting is one of the most important aspects to building a successful business. If you are not sharing your business with everyone, everywhere you go, then you essentially have a “closed” sign hanging on your door.  This chapter is going to talk about important factors to take in account before you go out prospecting so that you not only have an “open” sign, but so that you can build a large thriving database of customers. 

I have talked to many consultants and leaders who express that during the summer their business typically sees a decline.  They attribute this to many factors including more people vacationing and thus not wanting to host a class/show/party or their kids are home and they cannot work.

For those who are actively prospecting you will probably agree that the summer is one of THE best times to prospect.  Think about how many places you will be going this summer.  Whether it be the pool, barbeques, picnics, parks, vacations, company conventions, or sporting events, think about how many people you will encounter. 

EXERCISE ONE- I want you to write down a list of 10 places that you want or need to go to within the next two working weeks.  It can be anything from the pool to the grocery store.  Here is an example:

1.  Grocery Store

2.  Michael’s swim meet

3.  TGI Fridays to celebrate swim meet

4.  Church

5.  Movie Theater

6.  Gas Station

7.  Crofton Park

8.  Golden Spoon Yogurt

9.  Gym

10.  Concert

  As you go to these places make a point to talk to at least one person about your business.  In many of the places that you go to you can have the opportunity to talk to many people.  Make sure it is natural and that you let them know that you would like to follow up with them at a more appropriate time.  See if it is something that they would be interested in.  This is important because just as you are not going to these places JUST to prospect, these people did not come to these places to hear all about your business.   When I would prospect it would take me less than 30 seconds to generate shared interest, ask them if they had heard of my company, and if they would like for me to follow up at a more appropriate time.

FAYC- Forget About Yourself Completely

A very important thing to remember before you prospect is that this process is about them not you.  In order to be Heart at work you need to ask people if they are interested in learning more about your business.  If they say it is perfectly ok.  That is their choice.  It should not affect the way you feel about yourself or your business.  If you can truly internalize, live and breathe FAYC when it comes to prospecting you will never hesitate to share with anyone.  At my seminars I often give an example about bubble gum and an airplane that helps people truly put this into prospective.  Imagine you were on an airplane.   Your ears begin to pop and you reach into your purse and get out a pack of bubble gum.  You are sitting in the middle seat and ask the person to your left if they would like a piece.  That person says “no thank you”.  Do you then think to yourself “well that is it!"?  I am not offering anyone else gum ever again.  He said no to me and that was just too traumatizing!”  Or, do you simply turn to your right and offer gum to the next person?  I would like to think that most of us (if not all) would do the latter.  If you can have that same mentality with your business then you are ready to be very successful in this industry. 

EXERCISE TWO- Go to your local grocery store or convenient store and purchase your favorite pack of gum or breath mint.  Stick it in your purse as a constant reminder to share your business with everyone, everywhere you go and most importantly to remember that prospecting is sharing your business opportunities with people to give them the opportunity to say yes or no.

ABC’s of Prospecting- Where to go and What to Say

Are you ready to prospect?  I love to prospect because I get to meet so many new people.  Whether they say yes or no to me following up with them at a more appropriate time is not my focus.  I knew I represented an amazing company with phenomenal products and that feeling did not change based upon whether people said yes or no.  However, I got to meet my neighbors and people across the country that had I not owned my own business I would have missed out on talking to.  When I began my business I was extremely shy and froze when I talked to people.  As soon as I applied FAYC and committed to making at least 5 contacts a day, I became confident, happy and successful.  Lets talk about places you can prospect and what to say when you do. 

General Prospecting Language- Let’s say you are at a grocery store and in the check out line.  You can talk to the person in front of you by asking” Do you come here often?” They will reply yes or no.  Then you can say ”I usually like coming here at this time of the day because the lines are not as long, its one of the best parts about having my own business.  Have you ever heard of us?”  They will respond yes or no.  If they respond yes, then you should ask if they have a personal consultant.  If they say yes you should respect that and not try to steal the customer away.  If they respond no to being familiar with your company then simply say, “ well I know you are not here to hear about my business but I would love to follow up at a more appropriate time, is that something you might be interested in?”  If they say yes, ask if they would feel comfortable giving their name and number.  If they are not interested in you following up with them say "thank you so much for being honest with me,” and change the topic so that you end on a sincere note.  Ask them if they have children, or if they come to this location often.   Then, when you get to the cashier, tell them that you appreciate their customer service and that it is something you focus on in your business.  Ask them “are you familiar with Company XYZ?”   If you approach your prospecting with this sharing and caring tone you will never feel pushy again and the people you talk to will not feel as though you are a pushy sales person.  

ABC’s of Prospecting in the summer Part One (Additional prospecting language and Part Two will be in the second edition)

A- Airport- Talk to someone at the ticket counter, security line, the waiting area, food court, and magazine shop.

B- Ball Game- Talk to someone in line at the concession stand, to the cashier at the concession stand, someone sitting next to you, line to the bathroom,

C- Convenient Store- Talk to someone in the aisle, in line to checkout and the cashier

D- Doctors Office- Talk to someone in the waiting room, receptionist, and Doctor

F- Fourth of July- If you are celebrating this at a park you can talk to people sitting next to you and any food stand.

G- Gym- Talk to someone working out next to you, someone at the check-in counter and your personal trainer.

I- Ice cream store- Talk to someone waiting in and line and the cashier.  If they have a place to sit and eat outside make sure you talk to someone there as well.

J- Jet-ski- Talk to someone who rents it to you and someone else who is jet skiing.

L- Lunch at Restaurant- Talk to someone waiting for a table, a hostess, and your waiter.

M- Museum- Talk to people in the different exhibits, in any line, and at the museum restaurant.

You Heard a No, I Heard Next Opportunity- Things to Remember when You Hear the Word No

Now that you have been prospecting I am sure you have heard the word NO.  Do not be discouraged, remember FAYC.  Also remember that the word NO in our line of work means Next Opportunity.  You will go through hundreds of people are not going to be interested.  In order to get to the Yes’s we will have to go through the No’s.  If you are making 5 contacts a day 5 days a week, you will prospect with over 100 people a month, 1,200 people a year.  Out of those 1,200 if only 90% said NO, would you be happy with 120 people who say YES? 

Many people in all professions hear the word NO and do not let it prevent them from doing their job on a daily basis.  Doctors and Lawyers go to school for years knowing that they are not going to be able to save every life or win every case.  In their profession that is similar to their NO. 

You have to believe that there are people out there who would benefit from your products and services.  In fact, you are living proof that the products and services do work and can enhance someone’s life.  Just know that not everyone will take advantage of your services but that is ok. 

EXERCISE- I know this exercise is going to be a little silly but I want you to eternalize that NO is OK!  Take a sheet of paper out and write the word “NO” as big as you can.  Inside the “O” put a smiley face.  I told you this exercise was going to be a little silly but I want you to remember that NO face the next time someone says it to you.  Remember, a NO is not a personal attack to you, and it should not change your opinion of your company.  Most importantly, NO is OK because it means there are more opportunities out there to get the Yes’s.

Follow Up Phone Call- How to do a Phone Workout Routine Each Week

How many of you fear using the phone?  In this chapter we are going to get yourself in a great routine to do your follow up phone calls.  I want to introduce how to do a phone workout.  Pick a time when you and a teammate can make calls for 30 minutes straight.  Call your buddy and prepare with the “stretch”.  During the “stretch” you can practice your calls on each other.  Also, give words of inspiration.  Then, hang up and begin dialing as many contacts as possible using the full service call.  Then after the 30 minutes call your friend for a “cool down” period.  During this portion of the phone workout discuss your results.

If you have kids I suggest implementing Phone Time is Fun Time.  The purpose of Phone Time is Fun Time is to get your kids in the habit of behaving while you are making phone calls by giving them an activity to do.

Making the follow up calls is so important to your business.  Not only do you get to find out how you can help the person but also it is a great way to provide customer service to current customers.   

Leading By Example

 

I want to encourage each one of you to be the best coach ever.  Your job is to help the players on your team see that they can do more than they ever imagined. It is important to identify what winning looks like to each of your players in order to come up with their right game plan. 

Do you agree in order to win the game of success; you have to identify what winning will look like for each of your consultants?  Be careful not to end up coaching spectators. You know, the person who is sitting in the bleachers just waiting for the players to do what it takes so they can feel like a winner. I feel that it is so important for your consultants to be ready to play and not just think about playing.

After a coach helps their team member identify what winning will look and feel like then it is time to help your consultants turn “fear” into “fare.”   In doing so, you rearranged something far more significant than a few letters of the alphabet.  You help people to overcome negative fear of failure, and take positive action to enable them to fare well as they journey toward their goal.  You become very focused to help them achieve, so they will never self deceive

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Help your players to be  “heart at work” instead of merely remaining “hard at work.”   Help them to realize that you are heart at work, and no longer hard at work. This is when you stop being afraid to share an opportunity with someone to participate in the benefits of your business because you fear a negative reaction. 

Those of you who are familiar with me and my message already know that I feel very strongly that in order to grow we must force ourselves out of our comfort zone.  I believe that one of the reasons I get such positive feedback from those who has attended my seminars and workshops, or conference into my coaching calls, is because I never ask anyone to do something that I have not previously done myself.    As a leader put yourself in the position to be constantly growing and stepping out of your personal comfort zone.  It is hard to expect of others what you are not willing to expect of yourself.