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SCENTSY CELEBRATION TICKETS

To kick off our Five Year Anniversary celebration, Scentsy has a surprise our customers in the month of June!

Scentsy will be including Scentsy Celebration Tickets – product credit tickets in $50, $100 and $200 denominations – in random orders on every shipping day throughout the month of June. Online orders, direct-to-customer orders and party orders all have a chance to win a Scentsy Celebration Ticket.

The ticket will include instructions to call Consultant Support with the order number the ticket came with to redeem it for product credit. Normal shipping charges will apply.

We will give away:
• 200 green Scentsy Celebration Tickets, valued at $50 each in product credit
• 100 purple Scentsy Celebration Tickets, valued at $100 each in product credit
• 50 gold Scentsy Celebration Tickets, valued at $200 each in product credit

That’s a total product giveaway of $30,000 in the month of June, as a THANK YOU for sharing in our journey with us!

JUNE SCENT OF THE MONTH – COCONUT PALM
A unique blend of tropical coconut and musky patchouli with subtle green bottom notes, Coconut Palm will take you back to the beach on a hot summer afternoon.

Car Candle CC-CCP $2.70
Room Spray RS-CCP  $7.20
Scentsy Bar SB-CCP  $4.50
Scentsy Brick SK-CCP $18.00

JUNE WARMER OF THE MONTH – LIBERTY
Create your own Fourth of July fireworks with Liberty, Scentsy’s newest warmer. A star-spangled tribute to American folk art, Liberty’s tin star appliqués are surrounded by a field of star-shaped event holes that shine when the base is lit, highlighting the dimensional metal accents.

Liberty’s hand-painted base features a dark denim blue topcoat sponged over a lighter blue base coat. Its red-and-white striped lid with hand-painted “stitches” completes the American flag theme.

DSW-LBTY $27 each

Enjoy these fantastic offers today at http://www.Scentsy.com/LA

If you have not seen the movie, “Because of Winn-Dixie” I highly recommend that you rent it soon.  It’s a great family movie about a young girl who finds a dog when she visits Winn Dixie to do grocery shopping for her father, who is the pastor in the small town in which she lives. This movie deals with love, forgiveness, and the importance of friendship. Together, Opal and Winn Dixie befriend many lonely residents of the small Florida town, and find that their lives are enriched, in addition to improving the lives of the lonely people in this town. This movie involves examples of forgiveness, and concern for others. This is because both movies involve an animal helping a child become friends with many people in a small town.

Opal was tenacious when she wanted to keep the dog, Winn-Dixie. She faced much rejection and challenges, yet she refused to take No for an answer. Her father repeatedly said that she could not have a dog living in the trailer and the landlord also didn’t want the dog and said it had to go to the pound.  This little ten-year-old girl knew the meaning of the phrase, “No means no for now, not no forever.”  She believed in her quest so much that she wasn’t going to stop until she received the favorable response she was looking for.

Are you like Opal in your business?  Or after a few people tell you No, do you retreat and give up?  If you’re told no because xyz, do you look for a solution? Or do you withdraw and give up?

The neighborhood children thought Miss Grace Dump was a witch.  They were afraid to approach her.  Though Opal inadvertently landed on her property, she quickly realized Grace was not a witch and further took the time to get to know her.  They became good friends.  Otis was also an outcast with a troubled past.  That didn’t stop Opal from seeing the man he is today.  She listened to what he had to say and included him in aspects of her life.

What about you? Do you tend to prejudge people based on what you hear or are led to believe?  If you find yourself thinking, “Oh, she wouldn’t be interested in (candles, jewelry, hosting a party, signing up, etc.)” then perhaps you’re not giving the “Otis’ and Graces” in your life an opportunity to share in something wonderful.

When Winn-Dixie ran away, Opal and her father looked all over for him.  After a time, her father suggested that they stop looking.  Again, Opal refused to take no for an answer. She was not going to give up her dog.  Repeatedly, she proved that she was not a quitter.

When the going gets tough do you get going?  Or do you allow the challenges and rejection to defeat you?

Rent the movie, make some popcorn and reflect on your own business.  Because of Winn-Dixie is a feel-good movie that is sure to encourage.

Whatever you do, do not – repeat: do not take the summer off from your direct sales  business.  True things do tend to slow down a bit during summer months, but that is all the more reason to make sure you keep working your business.  Otherwise you will have a non-existent paycheck during those months and your fall sales will not be set up to succeed.

Below are some summer suggestions from experienced direct sellers to help get you through the lean months.

Shelly Hill with Tupperware – “Here is something I am doing in June. I am holding a Summer BBQ and Pool Party and having 3 other DS Consultants come over. All 4 of us are providing the food and refreshments and inviting our local customer base to the party. We are making it a family event. To get the parents here for our demo party…we are having some face painting, swimming and crafts for the kids and have lined up some “folks” to help with that aka keeping the kids busy while we do our mini product demos. Each of us gets 20 minutes to do a demo but our tables will be out for the entire 3 hours.”

Susan Graves with Mia Bella – “Think about all the parades and festivals in the summer. It’s a great time to get out and hand out business cards, pens/pencils with your contact information.”

Catherine James with Jordan Essentials – “One of the things that I’m doing is participating in a JE “Multi-Hostess” Jordan Essentials party, with several JE reps getting together to do a “Bingo” party.”

Cindy Phillips with Sweets ‘n Gifts – “The absolutely one thing you cannot do is to take the summer off to be with your kids. So many moms seem to do that then wonder why they have no business in the fall. Schedule some time at least weekly if not daily that you will spend on business.

Robin Nessel with Thirty One – “Summer is also a great time to showcase your products wherever you go. Ex: TW – how many cookouts, family gatherings, neighborhood picnics, etc will you be at this summer? Great way to showcase your products at the same time as you are out having a great time.  PC – same thing; health & beauty – a lot of products have natural sunscreens, skin protectors, etc; jewelry – great way to spruce up your shorts and tees; my company – great totes for beach, pool, kids camp, grocery store; keeping those cold/frozen items from melting on the way home, carrying them to/from the get-togethers.  You don’t have to have a lot of parties in the summer to showcase your products and book up your fall.”

Laurie Ayers with Scentsy – “Brainstorm with your team members, especially those who are on the brink of “panic and quit” mode. Think outside of the box and open new veins where people have never previously heard of you. If you’re strictly an online marketer, consider doing some offline advertising and vice versa.”

Hopefully the above suggestions have given you something to think about.  Direct sales is a business where you constantly need to plant seeds so that you will have a harvest later.

All the flowers of the future are in the seeds of today.

by Guest Blogger: Chris Carroll

For those of us in a Direct Sales type business, a natural way to grow your income and business is through building a team. A lot of companies preach that this is the Only way to make real money. That may be true, but only the people that are already successful in their business and are prepared will be successful at building a team.

Building a team is hard work. Yes, it may be joyful and fun, but it is work! You must work at it all of the time. Talking to people and being excited about your business is the best way to start, grow and maintain your team.

Some reps are successful at newspaper ads; some at planting seeds at parties; some at chatting with people, but any way that you handle the function of recruiting still means a maintenance of the team by continuing to recruit each day.

Talking and actually interviewing the prospect is an awesome way to find out their goals and dreams. Why do they want to join this business? What sparked their desire to join today? Have they used the product before? How are they going to sell the product and to whom? What are they going to use the extra money for? By having this type of information, you can tailor their training and follow up to their personal situation.

People come and go and that is a natural occurrence. Some find the business not to their liking. Some people’s expectations are large and they may not make money right away. Some just get tired and leave. Whatever the reason, it happens.

But as you add to your team, they will need your continued support and training. You must continually build your team with people and then build your team with knowledge.

Train your team to be just like you. Show them how to duplicate yourself. Are you great in sales? Share all of your tips with them. Are you awesome are growing your team? Show them what you do. Teach them what makes You awesome and they too will become that way. Show them how you explode your business and they will do it as well. Make yourself duplicatable and they too will show their team the same. Now you are growing!

The more you build your team with knowledge, the more you build your team’s moral and keep the excitement in place. If we could all stay as excited as we were when we first joined our company, think how awesome your team would be today. So spark their interest and get them excited again about the business. Use their goals and dreams!! Remind them o why they got into this business. Be excited when you talk to them. Let them know that you Love your job!

Never forget that people are in the business for a multitude of reasons. Some only want personal sales. Some want part time work to pay a few bills and very few are full timers. Watch how you spend your valuable time. 80% of your time should be spent on the top 20% of your producers. Don’t neglect any one, but realize that you want your time best spent where you are going to get a return. If someone is only in the business for personal sales, don’t spend days with them showing them how to recruit. The chances of that are slim. Instead, show them how to grow their customer base and save the other stuff for those that want the information on recruiting. Spend your time wisely.

Keep tabs on all of your reps, because things do change and some day they will be asking for your help with a different portion of the job. Use the information you gathered when you interviewed them to identify their goals and inspire them. As they grow their business, you too will be successful and efficient in your own business and your business will have come full circle.  You inspire them and they inspire you!

Congratulations! You are awesome and successful!

About the Author:  Copyright 2004 by Chris Carroll. Chris is a work at home mom that has been in sales for 20+ years. She has a BS in Business Management and is the host of http://www.DirectSalesTalk.com

Ethics and morality used to be used interchangeable in business.  I do not believe this can or should be the current practice.  Many businesses, including the DSA – Direct Sales Association have defined a Code of Ethics. Those business ethics basically say be forthcoming and not deceptive, don’t use false claims, etc.; pretty cut and dry stuff.

Yet when it comes to morality in business, some would argue that definition to be a bit subjective.  But is it?  Shouldn’t we all have a general sense of right and wrong?  Or is it a matter of what’s right to one independent sales consultant would be highly taboo to another?  If it’s not exactly illegal by company policies and procedures, does that mean anything goes in independent sales?

It’s a dog eat dog world. Desperate times call for desperate measures.  It’s a cut-throat economy out there.  True or False? First let’s take a look at what is meant by “cut-throat sales”.

According to one responder on Yahoo Answers: “If you work in a “cut throat sales” environment, it means that the reps are all either starving, lazy or greedy. They will “cut your throat” by stealing your customers/prospects the minute you turn your back.” The same responder continued, “If you have the stomach for it, you can make great money. If you have morals and ethics, you may get ulcers and stress – I did.”

Headlines of a Nov. 26, 2008 Newspaper read:  “The cut-throat Christmas: Stores in price-slash frenzy as battle for shoppers gets desperate.

Most of us would agree that Cut Throat Sales is much more than being keen and aggressive – it’s more about being desperate.   But does it work?

Some Direct Sales companies have a policy about territories.  It’s my understanding that Mary Kay Cosmetic independent consultants are required to ask potential customers if they already have a Mary Kay consultant.  If so, they must back off.  Other companies have a clause that reads something like:  No Territory Restrictions  – There are no exclusive territories granted to anyone.

Take this scenario for example:  A Direct Sales company consultant has a display set up in a local business to generate leads.  A consultant from the same company also happens to patronize this business; sees the display; and still tries to infiltrate the business and make those customers and employees her own customers.  Assuming there are no territory restrictions, is this practice acceptable or no?   What if the second consultant is from the same company but is on a different team?  Is that free enterprise or is that an immoral business practice?  Does your response change at all if both consultants are on the same team?

How do you feel about this second example:  A consultant attends an event and gives her direct sales products as a gift.  Other participants admire the item; yet the consultant who gave the gift merely responds, “I’m glad you like it.”  Then within the confines of this same conversation, another participant, who also happens to be a consultant with the same company, starts her own sales pitch in the middle of the event.  Morally wrong or all is fair in business?  Does it matter if both of these consultants are on the same team?

Here’s my feeling on both of these situations – take what you like and discard the rest:  They’re both wrong, no matter if the consultants are on the same team or not, but it makes it even more immoral if they happen to be on the same team.  In the first situation, if the second consultant didn’t think to request a display first, then she should move on to another business.  There are plenty of leads to go around without needing to be cut throat about it.

In the second scenario, I’m shocked and disgusted that someone would even under cut the first consultant who quietly gave the item as a gift.  The second consultant did nothing but create awkwardness and cause herself to look like a real buffoon.  The second consultant will self-destruct with that kind of desperate cut throat sales tactics.  It does not work and it’s just plain wrong.

Here’s the rub – anyone who doesn’t see these two above examples as immorality in business probably partakes in those kinds of activities. He or she likely sees cut throat sales as the only way to be successful.  My wager is that if there are temporary sales successes in this type of behavior, it’s short lived and the perpetrators will continually need to move on from company to company once bridges are burned and the self-implosion is finalized.

To those folks: I wish you well; you’re going to need it.  To those direct sales independent consultants who see something fundamentally wrong with this type of activity, try not to let the choices of others consume you and steal you of your joy.  Keep running your business with authenticity and integrity – you’ll soar among eagles!