Jan 5

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What do you immediately think of when people ask you about leadership? Most people think of either politics or the business world and the position that is either promoted or elected.  Did you know that this kind of positional power is NOT the same as leadership? Leadership is not something that can be given to you, it must be earned.In direct sales, it is vital to building your business.

John C. Maxwell says about the “Law of Influence”- ” If you don’t have influence, you will never be able to lead others. Leadership is not awarded, appointed or assigned. It comes from inflluene, and that can’t be mandated, only earned. Leadership is influence-nothing more, nothing less.”

In direct sales, churches, or other volunteer organizations the ability to lead others is move visible.  Without it, nothing happens. So if you want to grow your business or organization, the first and most obvious step is to grow your leadership.

You might think that there are born leaders. Of course that is true, babies are born every minute! Some will grow up to be great leaders, too.  What you might not know is that leadership is something that you can be intentional about growing. That will yield you a wonderful return on your investment because it will improve over time, causing exponential business success!

So how do you go about growing your leadership?  A good way is to find someone that you think shows influence and ask them to mentor you. Leadership can be caught as well as taught.  I have helped many women through my years in direct sales grow as leaders. In turn, they have helped others grow their leadership having a compound effect.

Another way is to read books on leadership, listen to materials on leadership and even attend events that are dedicated to educating you on this. I have been doing this for years. Remember school is never out for the pro.  If you have not already subscribed to this blog, it is a free resource that can assist you in your leadership growth. I regularly post on this topic and even have occasional FREE webinars on the subject.

Are you ready for taking your business or organization on the fast track this year? How you invest your time is as important as how you invest your money. Use it wisely.  Join me on my journey as I help you achieve excellence  in all that you do this year!

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SociBook
Jan 4

In Direct Sales, or any home business, it is easy to focus on the negative aspects. Today I am asking you to put on your “big girl panties” and start to take a personal responsibility for your efforts, not the outcome. Remember, it’s your life. How are you designing it? Are you an active participant in it, or just a reactor or victim?

These are all CHOICES that you make. I know that they aren’t always easy, I know that there are times when it is not fun. Motivation comes from within. You will never find it looking elsewhere! But whenever you get knocked down by life, just pick yourself up, and start again! You can do it! I know that someone believes in you, even if you don’t yet believe in yourself.

Find that person and learn from them. Take their wisdom and use it to your benefit. You will be glad that you did! God bless you with abundance from the good choices that you make today and every day!

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Jan 3

NancyBarry-Jansson Deciding to Embrace Change

by Nancy Barry-Jansson ( a special guest post for today!)

Previously, I wrote an article about the incredible power of decision, about how just deciding what you want can create the opportunities for that creation to appear in your life. Now, I’d like you to consider whether you’ve made, or are ready to make, the decision to change what isn’t working in your life.

To Decide or Not to Decide: Is That the Question?

A few months ago, during a coaching session, the client brought up three experiences that were upsetting her. To her, these experiences were unrelated, but they all frustrated her. As I listened, I could hear the common thread in what she was saying: All three of her experiences reflected that she felt unappreciated for her hard work, and in some cases, disrespected by people around her. When I brought this to her attention, she was surprised as she had not seen the commonality in her experience until that moment. I told her the good news is that she could decide to change right there, right that minute while we were talking. All she had to do was embrace the decision to change. She could begin by creating positive self-talk affirmations such as

  • I am respected and appreciated by everyone around me, and I respect and appreciate myself!
  • I allow others to respect me and show it in positive ways!
  • Everyone I interact with treats me with respect and appreciation!

‘Tis Easier to Change Than Remain Suffering

The gal I was coaching was ready to make a change. She had reached a point where she no longer wanted to experience those same frustrations, and she recognized a long-standing pattern in her life that needed to change if she was going to move forward. So, she embraced these new affirmations immediately, saying them with conviction and belief that she was already creating what she wanted. Within 24 hours, she reported noticing respectful and appreciative behavior all around her…particularly from the people she previously felt were not behaving that way! Her discovery? What she wanted was all around her as soon as she was open to seeing it. While she was convinced that others were disrespectful, that is how she perceived others’ behavior and that is what showed up for her. As soon as she changed her focus, what she perceived and experienced changed as well. When we talked afterward, she shared that making this shift in perception helped her to appreciate life so much more than before she had reached out for help during coaching. That comment made it clear to me that choosing to make positive changes is far more rewarding than staying in suffering. Our egos will convince us that change is not possible…it’s too difficult…it can’t be done…it’s better to stay where you are. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Changing is really easier than most people think, and it starts by making the decision to change.

Are You Ready for Change?

In the above example, if she had not been ready to change, she wouldn’t have been able to do the affirmations with feeling and would not have seen any changes. She may even have found excuses why she didn’t have time or energy to say the affirmations…or kept forgetting to say them. This is just resistance to change. Most people think change will be too painful, but the truth is NOT changing is more painful. How do you know you are ready for change? You can feel it. You know you are ready when you realize what you are experiencing is not working for you, when you are open to suggestions for shifting (like saying affirmations), when you can feel your life could be better and you are no longer willing to repeat the same mistakes. You can feel it inside yourself that it’s time…and, if you aren’t sure you can do it by yourself, you begin considering reaching out for help. Likewise, when you aren’t ready, you’ll find all kinds of excuses to not reach out for help. Suddenly, you’ll create tons of reasons that tell you, “now isn’t the right time”.

This is Your Life: There’s No Wrong Answer

Keep in mind that there is no wrong answer when it comes to your life. If you are choosing to stay where you are, that is because it is right for what you need to experience in this moment. As soon as you are ready to embrace change, trust that you will find the help you need and begin taking appropriate steps. In the meantime, love and accept yourself for who you are and how wonderful your life really is!

……………………………………………………………….. Nancy Barry-Jansson is SF Bay Area-based illustrator and the creator of AffirmingSpirit™ Affirmation Cards, which are available at AffirmingSpirit.com. Currently, Ms. Barry-Jansson is writing about the 2008 AffirmingSpriit Affirmation Study, where individuals were coached through the process of creating and using their own affirmations to create positive change. Nancy is on Twitter @affirmingspirit , which is where she first met Nancy Sutherland. © 2008 Barry-Jansson & Associates and AffirmingSpirit.com

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SociBook
Jan 2

As we begin a brand new year, I wanted to point out that success is not an accident, nor does luck have much to do with it.

Success doesn’t just happen in direct sales, or any other home business. There is no accident when it comes to success. Success comes to those who do something, take action, and make it happen.

No one has ever become successful by sitting at home waiting for success to knock on the door. All successful people I know understand that success won’t just find them; they have to go out and find it. Success is a choice that you make.

Success is in the action, and the more you do, the more success you will have. The wonderful thing about action is that action puts you in the direct path of success. The more action you take, the more opportunities you have to discover and leverage success.

Some say that successful people are simply lucky people. Luck comes to those who are out there making it happen. If successful people seem luckier than most, it’s because they know that to create luck you have to be out there doing something. I have found that the harder I work, the luckier I get!

The great news is that you don’t have to do a lot to create success. A few active and deliberate steps a day toward your goal will move you forward faster than you can imagine. The trick is to stay in action, be consistent and persistent and stay focused on moving forward.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes either. You have to step up to the plate and swing the bat. My father (who was a great sports fan) always told me,”Don’t just stand there, do something- even if it’s wrong!” We will always have a lesson with each setback.

What have you done to advance your goals lately?
What actions do you plan to take today toward your goals?

Perhaps these quotes may inspire you today:
“Luck is when opportunity meets action.”

Anonymous
“Conditions are never right. People who delay action until all factors are favorable do nothing.”

William Feather
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
Antoine de Saint
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. ”
Henry David Thoreau
“You can’t hit a home run unless you step up to the plate.
You can’t catch a fish unless you put your line in the water.
You can’t reach your goals if you don’t try.”
Kathy Seligman
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”
Jim Rohn
“The more action you take, the more progress you make.”

Anonymous
Are you ready to take MASSIVE ACTION in 2009?
I’d like to end this post today with a prayer that the late founder of my company always kept in her desk drawer. I would like to share it with you and hope that it means as much to you as it does to me.

O Lord, grant that each one who has to do with me today may be happier for it. Let it be given me each hour today what I shall say,
And grant me the wisdom of a loving heart
That I may say the thing rightly.
Help me to enter into the mind of everyone who talks with me,
And keep me alive to the feelings of each one present.
Give me a quick eye for little kindnesses
That I may be ready in doing them and
graciously receiving them.
Amen! In His Hands

May you find abundance, success and love this year!

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Jan 1

3148296014_f549b8c0e4_m 2008 Becomes 2009: Happy New Year!
2008 becomes 2009: Happy new year!

Photo courtesy of Flickr and by Optical illusion

As we begin another year, I am reflecting on what happened to me 23 years ago TODAY! I made the decision to start my home business in direct sales. I called my representative at the time, and she came over on New Years Day and explained how to get started. I am so glad that she did!

You can read more details of my story of how this all came about, but today I want to share a few lessons that I have learned along the way for you.

  1. Always have a goal, and don’t keep it a secret. You can’t hit a target that isn’t there, now can you? There is no such thing as a secret goal. The goal starts to gain power when you share it with others.
  2. You have to step up to the plate and swing that bat. I have had my share of strikeouts along the way, but paralysis by analysis is so much worse. You can learn from your mistakes, so don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
  3. We learn in the valleys. Although I have had huge victories along my journey, the times when I thought it was discouraging, even hopeless  is where discipline has to take over and you continue one step at a time!
  4. The Golden Rule really works, not the rule of gold. Always treat others the way that you would want to be treated. Be a giver. It always comes back to you in the most amazing and unexpected places, so be waiting for that!
  5. My measure of success is the number of lives that I have touched along the way, starting with my family. They grow up quickly, so I always used them as a reason rather than an excuse.  As I have moved forward in my reach of others, I consider it one of life’s greatest joys to empower or encourage someone who needs it.
  6. Never forget the power of persistence. You can learn everything else along the way, just never, ever quit!

May your journey be filled with abundance and shared with love and others. Happy New Year! Make it a great one!

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SociBook
Dec 30

I have always been told to treat my customers like they are “pure gold”. It takes so much more time and effort to attract a new customer than it ever does to maintain one.

How do you maintain good customer relations? (This is particularly valuable when you sell a consumable product that produces reorders)

  • When you spend time with a customer, listen to her, discover her wants, needs, and personal interests. (I try to record as much as I can right away because I don’t want to forget)
  • Start developing that relationship from the very beginning. Tell her what to expect from you in customer service. I personally still touch base monthly with all of my customers via phone and/or email.
  • When you find out that they are going through a rough time, send a card, or if appropriate a small gift, or even a meal.
  • I send out a birthday card to all of my customers offering to get together with me for some pampering and a special discount. (some have told me that is the only card they got!)
  • Celebrate their new babies, weddings, and other life changes by acknowledging it with an email , call or  card.
  • Let them know as often as you can how much you appreciate them. After all, you don’t OWN your customers. They make a choice to shop with you. Make sure that they know that!
  • Although offering a sale from time to time will attract customers, focusing on the relationship more than the discount will keep them. I don’t discount my products very often. So if they are “waiting” for a sale, they are sure to run out unless they stocked a huge quantity of products. ( in that case, why not recruit them?)
  • At the end of every year, I send out a thank you card to my customers rewarding their loyalty with a discount that is based on their loyalty to me. This  will not encourage taking other people’s customers, just showing mine how much I appreciate them. Click here to see the card that I use.

Once you start to understand the value of a customer and show them how much you care, you will begin to have second and even third generation customers and many more referrals than ever before because they will be eager to share you with their friends and coworkers!

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SociBook
Dec 29

As 2008, quickly comes to an end, many of us are evaluating our business and looking for lessons (or excuses) for the outcome. This is also a great time to start planning our new year and how to make it not only better, but reach an audacious goal!  There is a secret that many don’t consider in planning- it’s the power of accountability and tracking! It all comes down to repetition. Here is how it works.

  1. Tracking and repetition is the beginning of new thoughts and habits! To create a new habit or replace a negative thought with a new one, you have to repeat, repeat, repeat close together to get a new image! Repetition of tracking and accountability removes the doubt of where production and new growth will come from. You no longer question why you ‘don’t have results’ because either you  have results from increased tracking or you understand why you don’t have results once you are ready to write down what you did and there’s not much to write down. Repetition gives you Fair Averages, YOUR Averages
  2. Repetition brings to the conscience mind the reality of  today! Today matters more than what we think that we are going to do tomorrow! We are by nature procrastinators. We think we’re doing more, doing better, because we think about working more than we do the activity of work that counts. So, accountability brings us the reality of today,by tracking your efforts and results you can see the reality of today.
  3. Repetition allows us to create better habits. We all have ‘habits’. Are you on time or late? For me, the habit of being accountable with your time is the most important one to start with. Do you practice what you teach? The habit of remaining accountable, On Time and with the right activities creates the right habits. Once you own the skills and habits, you’ll be teaching to others, your new confidence becomes an undeniable magnet. These habits allow you to grow in Leadership on new levels with stability. Show me a leader who doesn’t own these habits, she may rise, but she’ll backslide because she won’t have taken full responsibility of basic habit of the accountability of being on time.
  4. Repetition contributes to your personal integrity. It promotes you as a leader. You will find that you begin to receive the accountability that you want and need from those you lead! Without this accountability from those you lead, you will hit a road block in moving them because they’ll miss results and you won’t have the ability to show them specifically what are good at and what they need to master and improve on. This leaves you without valuable and specific direction that fits into their understanding of what they should be doing to get results. Even though you’ve told them what to do, if they aren’t consistently evaluating themselves and their consistency in the form of accountability, they will not comprehend what they should be doing!
  5. You will begin to see an increase due to repetition! This leading by example will preserve the integrity of your business. When your business is not doing well, in most cases, if you allow yourself to track and evaluate, you will see that your activity is not where it should be. In most cases, repetition will cause the leader to focus on the income producing activities and adjust her schedule to put the prioritize them as the most important things to do! This brings increase

Start making a list of what habits that you are willing to change with your business. If you are already in a leadership position, by growing your leadership, your production of your team will be seen as well!

For more information on private and group coaching and to sign up for your FREE PRIVATE 15 minute strategy session with me, just fill out the form below!

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SociBook
Dec 28

When you have direct sales business, if you are serious about building a strong team, we need to do a check up from the neck up and back down again! Did you know that you do not make a great team, you find them ! As a team builder it is your job to provide an environment where they can see the abundance and grow personally and professionally on their way to the top! Don’t ever forget that your team is watching what YOU do! Are YOU professional at all times in YOUR business?

When we work from home, it is easy to become comfortable in our casual clothes all the time. Now is an excellent time to pick up some professional looking outfits and accessories while they are on “After Christmas” sale! When you are seeing clients, or potential clients, it may take a few extra minutes to prepare, but looking professional will make such a difference for you! It can increase sales, and even inspire others to emulate you! (This also includes the image that you portray when you are doing a video that is used for training!)

• How is your hair? Has anyone said lately, What a great cut! If not, go to the best stylist you can find and get it done! This is well worth the money spent.

• What is the look of your best business suit? Is it out date? Does it fit? You are making a statement … what is it? I’d rather have one suit that is ‘slammin,’ than a closet full that doesn’t make me feel like a million!

• Shoes and hose … Are they comfortable? Attractive? Good condition?

• Make Up … who is especially good with product in your area? Ask for advice or have a sister consultant do a makeover. Make sure you look your absolute best!!!

• Personal … have you had your teeth cleaned recently? What do your fingernails and toe nails look like? Having a regular manicure and pedicure should be in your budget as a business woman. How is your breath? Do you carry breath mints with you when you go to conventions or seminars?

• What does your ink pen look like? Brief case or folio? Purse?

• What are your business card being carried in? How accessible are they?

• Are your earrings outdated? Cheap? Too big? Other jewelry? Too much, too little? Go for classic! If you are not sure, less is better.

  • When using social media, your photo is most important. Use a recent photo, and remember to smile. People start to identify with you if you look friendly and approachable!

Take an honest look at yourself and ask the opinion of a ‘classy’ friend who will tell you the truth. Appearance is the first element a person has to judge whether she wants to do business with you. You will get a chance at ‘heart’
later, but first your look will sell or send! Take a close look at yourself and dress for success. Remember, you will never have a second chance to make a first impression!

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SociBook
Dec 27

The anticipation leading up to the holiday is not on580351711_1604863_2364 A Perfect Christmasnly with children, but adults (the young at heart) as well. This year I was so busy up until the day before Christmas eve. Then the reality of how close we were to the holiday set in for me. A flurry of activity around our house included last minute shopping, wrapping gifts, and a marathon cookie baking session! As we were rushing to get ready for the holiday, our excitement grew.

On Christmas eve morning, we quickly packed our car and headed out to our destination- my son, daughter-in-law and two grandchilden where we are spending the holiday season. The drive to our destination quickly changed from excitement, to anxiety. Although the temperature was 32 degrees and rain was predicted, it was icy for over half the journey, causing us to have to drive slower than normal and our anticipation changed to the temperature rising enough for the ice to turn to rain. When it did, it was heavy and consistent.

Even though our journey took twice as long as it usually does, all of that was quickly forgotten when we were greeted by my two beautiful granddaughters! From that point on, everything was perfect from my perspective. The rain finally stopped when we went to church for the Christmas eve service. Since our family had to travel in separate cars, we were already seated when my grandchildren arrived. When my youngest granddaughter Anne noticed me across the aisle and shouted “grandma”, it melted my heart!

After the service, eggnog and some light refreshments while the “assembly” process began. The children went to bed with excitement and anticipation of Santa, but mom and dad had hours of work before they could rest! Morning came all too quickly for me, but the beautiful smiles of my two little granddaughters telling me that it was Christmas morning was so cherished!

In those moments everything is perfect. The things that weren’t completed didn’t matter, none of the family had too much to drink, and everyone is happy. The moments of driving in less than perfect conditions are already forgotten, replaced by the new memories of the smiles of children is as close to perfection as possible in this lifetime. It was as though time stood still. The perfect Christmas really and truly still happens!

It was a lovely holiday - there will never be another like it - because children grow, and some family members are getting older and may be their last. For now, it is one to be stored in my memories forever!

I have just a little more time to enjoy with my family before the journey home to reality and everyday life continues. For me, I want to treasure the moments that I have and enjoy them. Isn’t that the way that holidays are meant to be? The magic of Christmas with children is one of the most incredible pleasures of this life!

I hope that all of you had lots of wonderful holiday experiences to store in your “memory bank” as well. Thanks for sharing your time with me here on my site!

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SociBook
Dec 23

Many of you will be traveling this holiday season, spending time with friends and family, and of course watching football. Here is a movie that I recommend watching. It shows you the power of believing. Another favorite that you can watch with the children,is The Polar Express. I believe that when you watch a movie, besides the entertainment value, there should be a message attached. I’d love to hear feedback on either of these movies from those of you who have already viewed them.

Facing_The_Giants_ByKK Do You Enjoy a Movie With a Message?

NEVER STOP DREAMING!!!

Believe from Polar Express:

What other movies with a message would you like to share?

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