Building the Ultimate Network

Hi. A couple of links:

  1. The book I reference in this video can be purchased from Amazon. My proceeds are all donated to charity. I have read the book and have gotten some great ideas from it. I reckon it can help you build your business, too.
  2. The networking group I reference is BNI. Investing in BNI has been great for my business, but remember, I had a pretty established business. You don’t have to join a network to take advantage of the tips in building your ultimate network. Over time youmight find groups that you believe are worth invbesting money and time in, but don’t feel like you have to.

Why Live on the Brink?

Don't go over the edge!

Last weekend in Australia, one of the major banks had a computer glitch and thousands of its customers were adversely affected. It made the news in a big way. Deposits were delayed. Payments were still due. Some people were put out in a bad way. One of the stories that seemed to resonate with the masses was about a 28 year old woman who had to borrow money to pay her rent on time because her pay wasn’t deposited on time.

All I could think about was how sad it is that she lives paycheck to paycheck.

Most party plan businesses have a negligible start up cost and can earn you good money right away. If you are in credit card debt, or if you ever wait to buy something or pay a bill until you (or your partner) get PAID, then start a party plan business and get into the black.

The bank would have to mess things up pretty badly to affect me. I’ve got a good nest egg and each week it gets bigger.

Don’t live on the brink. Be free!

How to Avoid Being a Facebook Spammer

Spamspam n. Unsolicited e-mail, often of a commercial nature, sent indiscriminately to multiple mailing lists, individuals, or newsgroups; junk e-mail.

My definition of spam is advertising to people without them asking for it or expecting it; it doesn’t have to be an email. To me junk mail in my post box is spam. Unfortunately, there is a lot of advertising from direct marketers on Facebook. Not everybody cares.

Yes, advertising your party plan business on Facebook to all your friends is spam.

“Anticipated, personal and relevant advertising always does better than unsolicited junk.” ~Seth Godin, What Every Good Marketer Knows

Now boasting over half a billion users, Facebook is an amazing phenomenon. And the users are active. According to the COO of Facebook, fully half of the users log in every day. Those are numbers that can’t be ignored. For my business, I knew had to be a part of it, but I wanted to do it right. I wanted Facebook to be a conduit to my friends and family, AND I wanted it to be a conduit to my clients. The people who buy my products. The people who let me into their homes.

So here it is: the right way to promote your party plan business on Facebook.

Create a Facebook account

You probably already have an account for you. It’s the one you set up when you started Facebook. It’s the one that your friends and family look at. It’s the one old classmates will find. It’s the one where you might write a status update like these:

  • Jeez my kids are cute. Here they are in their Halloween outfits (with images).
  • I went to a great class reunion last night. It was fantastic to catch up with everyone after (gasp) 30 years!
  • Yippee! It’s beer-thirty! TGIF!

Create a Facebook Page

This is a page where you would make status updates like this:

  • I’ve just gotten advance notice about our Christmas specials and I can’t wait to share them with you!
  • Last night my host got $400 in free products. Wow!
  • Hot tip: You can get more life out of your [insert product name here] if you do this: [insert tip here]!
  • Special Facebook Fan Offer: refer a new host to me before Christmas and get a $25 voucher for free products.

A Facebook Page can only be created by authorised users. Since you own your party plan business, you can authorise yourself to create a Facebook Page.

  1. Go to be bottom of any page on Facebook and click the Advertising link.
  2. Click on the link to Facebook Page in the “Deepen your relationships” section
  3. If you’re an intuitive type, just click the green “Create a Page” button and follow the instructions. If you’re a “measure twice, cut once” type, then read the Overview, Prepare, Step by Step, and Find new fans tabs first.
  4. Select Official Page for a Local Business (I suggest the Consumer Product or Professional Service categories, but you might have a better option)
  5. Name the Page. Important: Do NOT use the name of the company you work with. You are not authorised to use that name. This is the name of YOUR business. Facebook also won’t let you name it something completely generic. For example, you cannot be “Gift Wrapping,” but you can be “Jill the Gift Wrapping Specialist.”
  6. Click the Like Button at the top – this will make the link show up on your personal profile. (You might want to wait until you’ve set up the rest of the Page before you hit the Like button.)
  7. Add an image – I think this should be a picture of you. Don’t use copyrighted material from your company unless you are authorised to do so.
  8. Provide information as you see fit. Again, be aware of what you are allowed to say and what you aren’t.

Then you can use the links under your picture to add the page to your favourites and suggest the page to specific friends and family members. Don’t send that invitation to everybody all at once. Don’t use spam to get them to like your page. Use a personalised message. Tell them WHY you think they’d “Like” that page. What’s in it for them? The more tailored your invitation, the better. Take your time.

How to engage people on your Facebook Page

  1. Treat it like an information resource for your customers. Give away tips on how to get the most value from your products. Share information about specials and promotions. Give incentives (reasons) for people to spread the word about your Page to others. Make your page interesting.
  2. Use it to promote the business opportunity – but do so sparingly. You don’t want to alienate your fans by selling then the business everyday. Keep your focus on customer service, quality products, and important tips, and you’ll keep your audience engaged.
  3. This is your business. Make your posts appealing, easy, fun, and exciting.

How to promote your Facebook page

  1. Talk about your Facebook Page at your demonstrations. Let people know that by “liking” the page they will get instant access to specials and promotions, and exclusive tips, hints, and ideas for how to use their products.
  2. Promote your Facebook Page to your clients. I send an email to every new client with some important information about their order. I always include a link to my Facebook Page in that email and I encourage them to “Like” that Page. I let them know that by “liking” the page they will get instant access to specials and promotions, and exclusive tips, hints, and ideas for how to use their products.
  3. Encourage people who love your services to write on your Facebook Page. Testimonials are really powerful.
  4. Respond to people who write on your page. Thank them for their comment or question. Answer their question so others can see the response. Engage with them.

What not to do

  1. Don’t stalk your customers on Facebook. Let them link to your Facebook Page if they want to. Invite them, don’t force them.
  2. Don’t mix business with pleasure. If you become (real life) friends with your clients, and if you have interests in each others lives outside of your business, perhaps it will be appropriate for you to be their Facebook friend. But most of your clients are just that… clients.
  3. Don’t use copyrighted images or words on your Facebook Page. Make it all original material from you. People will respond better to your words.
  4. Don’t be unprofessional. Swearing, complaining, whining, begging, and lying are bad for business. Don’t talk about others. Share your opinion. Don’t steal other consultant’s clients.
  5. Don’t let Facebook replace the phone for customer problems. If you find a customer problem through a Facebook interaction, take charge of the problem and resolve it off of Facebook.
  6. Don’t expect your page to have hundreds or thousands of Active Users overnight. Promote your Page consistently and let the number of Active Users grow over time.
  7. Don’t do the paid advertising. Word of mouth growth is what you’re looking for here. Most party plan businesses will have pretty strict rules on internet advertising, so if you do decide to pay for ads, make sure that you are within the rules of your company.

I hope this article helps clear some of the spam out of your life. Keep it all anticipated, personal and relevant and you’ll have happy friends AND fans.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn…

One year later, after purging every social media account I had, I’ve re-entered the online world. The one year hiatus was self-imposed. I wrote all about it in an article titled Why I Quit FacebookSocial Media.

The reasons I quit are still completely valid.

The reasons I’m back are equally as valid. And this time, I have strategy.

I’ve created three separate entities. Wendy Lloyd Curley, the person, Wendy the Candle Lady, the sales person, and Wendy’s Candle Website, for consultant communication. By separating my three hats, I have enabled myself to drive three separate strategies.

The person – my strategy here is to enjoy Facebook. To be able to see pictures other people have uploaded, to share my photos, to share recipes, thoughts, jokes, dreams, and that kind of personal stuff. It’s all about me.

The sales person – my strategy here is to direct my clients to this part of Facebook. I am testing myself to see if I can truly use this medium to drive my business further. I will offer special hints and tips about my products. I will announce specials. I will create contests. I will build a relationship all about my business. These messages will be specific, targeted, relevant, and anticipated by my clients. They will want to subscribe. I will spend most of my strategic muscle on this part of my Facebook experience.

The consultant - as a leader and a consultant in my business, there is a lot of information (and conversation) that I like to share with other consultants and leaders. I think it is prudent to separate those areas from my personal messages.

My new Twitter and LinkedIn accounts are linked to my sales strategy.

In all instances, including my personal page, I will be professional. I will write in English. I will be positive (like I am when I answer the phone). I will lift spirits up.

The most important part….

And then I will log off – to hit the phones, to walk the dog, to go to a show, or to play the guitar. Because it’s the real world where the strategy will prove itself.

Don’t forget to log off – it’s a bright, beautiful world – get out there! WLC.

How to Control Your Calendar

To be a profitable party planner, you need to work. Party planning doesn’t just happen. It takes effort to make it happen. Most party planners are doing other things too. Being mothers. Working at other jobs. Keeping the household running. Being a chauffeur.  Going to meetings. Shopping. Cooking. Exercising. Eating. Sleeping. Relaxing. Lunching. Manicures. Pedicures. Waxing. The list goes on….

All of those things are important. They need to get done. And you want to build a party plan business.

So your calendar/schedule/diary is your best friend. Here’s my advice:

Plan the whole year first

Put in holidays/vacations, public holidays, school holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, regular events, big special events. Make sure to put the incentive trip into your calendar as soon as it is announced. It will start to make it more real when you put it into your diary.

Add your party plan business training opportunities next

I plan my meetings for the whole year and put them into my calendar from the start. My company provides all training dates for the year, too. These go into my diary at this stage.

Mark out days of the week that you cannot work away from home

Usually this has something to do with the hours you work for your other job, child care needs, and/or your partner’s work/play schedule.

Highlight days you want to have parties

These are not the only days you work at your party plan business, but they are the days you will offer to potential party hosts.

Determine how much time you need to dedicate to your non-party responsibilities

Even for part time party planners, I suggest a minimum of 5 hours per week or one hour per day. This is the time you will process orders, contact clients, prepare future hosts, and meet with potential recruits. Then book that time into your calendar. Giving yourself a specific time to do these things will really make a difference to the way you run your business.

Add the YOU time

Your personal activities (exercise, salon treatments, casual meetings with friends, shopping, cooking, etc.) can now be slotted into your remaining time. To be successful, you simply must prioritise the amount of time it takes to do your party plan business like it is a “real” job. Make yourself clock in and clock out. Be a harsh boss and value that time. No one else will do it for you.

To be successful, you simply must prioritise the amount of time it takes to do your party plan business like it is a “real” job.

Want to do party planning full time? Want to make a full time income? Then schedule 40 hours a week to grow and develop your business. The successful leaders in party planning businesses treat it like a “real” job because it is a real job.

It just happens to be my cup of tea to work when I want, how I want, and as hard as I want. That’s why I choose party plan. And managing my calendar like I’ve suggested is why I’m a profitable party planner.

If you have any more suggestions, add them here. We’d all love to hear from you.

Party Planners Outsource by Design

Hi. Last night I was driving home from a meeting and a friend texted me to say, “Turn on the ABC.” All the way home, I listened to this interview. It is 45 minutes long, and I think it’s worth the time to listen. This entire post was inspired by the interview (when you click on the link, it will open as an audio in a new window – then you can come back to this tab/window to read more).

As party planners, we are each our own small businesses. The best part is that we only really have to focus on four key areas: Marketing, Sales, Customer Service, and Finance. We get to outsource the rest to our company. Fantastic!

Work for yourself, but not by yourself.

Marketing (and we don’t have to do everything here – just this sort of stuff)
Getting the word out. Networking. Looking good. Smiling. Being organised. Putting our names and contact details on every piece of literature. Hosting home shows. Wearing our company logo. Telling people what we do with pride.

Sales (we don’t have to do everything here, either – yippee)
Going to parties. Listening to our clients. Discovering and unveiling their reason to buy. Taking orders. Getting payments. Processing orders.

Customer Service
As you listen to the interview (are you listening to it? take some time and do), pay particular attention to the discussions about customer service. Do you ask people if they are happy? If they liked what you did? If they have any recommendations for improvement? If they would buy again? If they would refer you? Even an informal survey as part of your client calls might give you some amazing insights. People like to give their opinions.

Finance
To be a profitable party planner, you cannot avoid the numbers. You must keep track of your income and your expenditures. You also need to keep track of the time you put into your business (serious time, not time chatting with clients on Facebook) so that you can see if the end result is lucrative. If your hourly wage low, you need to increase your profit (either increase your income and/or decrease your expenses), and/or become more efficient with your time. (I’ll write about this in another post soon.)

The rest of the work is done by your company.

Marketing (there is so much we don’t have to do)
Product Development – Selecting products. Developing. Designing. Packaging. Pricing. Creating catalogues, literature, and websites. And what about all of the promotions! I don’t know if you’ve thought about it, but it takes a lot of effort to develop promotions, to make them exciting for party planners and customers alike, and to implement them in the systems.

Sales (you though you did it all, but there is lots of sales stuff we get from the company)
Direct selling companies provide an incredible amount of training for party planners. We are not expected to know it all. Annual events – most party planning companies host an annual conference of some sort to celebrate sales efforts and to get us excited about what the company is doing. I would guess that the price we pay to attend these is nothing close to the cost to put them on. Incentive programs – if a plumber sets some goals for her business and hits those goals, does she give herself (and her partner) an all expenses paid trip overseas? Well, she should, but it takes a lot of effort to put together the targets, the measurements, and the trip.

Manufacturing et al
Vendor selection, logistics, import/export, warehousing, handling, shipping, labelling. OMG there is so much to do here, I can’t even tell you how grateful I am the I don’t have to do it (or even think about it).

Back office support
This includes consultant website maintenance, calculating and paying consultants, organising group public liability insurance, participating in direct selling associations, legal, finance, accounting, and all kinds of things that ensure that our companies stay profitable. You want them to make money, too. If they stay strong, we can keep selling with confidence.

I’ve owned my own business where I had to think about absolutely everything. I appreciate the fact that as a party planner, I get to focus on the areas I am good at, the areas I like, and the areas that enable me to make an unlimited income.

I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did.

Make it a great day!

The Easy Way to Make Money….

Everyone would love to find an easy way to make money. Lots of money. We dream of scratching a single lotto ticket and finding our mortgage paid off, our holidays paid for, and our savings account full.

I’ve written about how to increase your income. But if you’re looking for the easy way, the magic bullet, the fast track, I think you need to recalibrate your thinking. Unfortunately, I haven’t found an easy way to make money… even with party plan.

In Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell, the author researched successful people like the Beatles, Bill Gates, and Professional Canadian hockey players. He shows how being in the right place at the right time helps, but he also proves that , in the end, you need to put heaps of time into your work, play, business, craft, or hobbies, to make them successful. To make them incredibly successful, he espouses and then illustrates the theory that it takes about 10,000 hours of practice and effort.

So, let’s put my party plan business to the test. How much time have I put into the business? Here is a high level account:

Consulting: 5 years, 52 weeks, 2 shows per week, 3 hours per show+ 3 hours per week customer care = 2,340 hours
Leadership: 3 years, 52 weeks, 3 hours per week in consultant development = 468 hours
Personal development: 3 years, 10 days per year, 8 hours per day = 240 hours
Total = 3,048 hours

In the last year, I’ve increased my hours. Not in my parties, but in my personal development and recruiting efforts. This investment is paying off and I’m increasing the number of people on my team. By increasing the amount of time I work on the business, I’m getting results. I am making money. I’m enjoying the flexibility. I’m meeting new people all the time. I have a fantastic and dynamic team. I don’t have a boss. I don’t have employees. I have goals for increasing my income. Simple? Yes. Easy? Well… it requires persistence… time… more hours. Only 7,000 to go until I’m an expert!

It takes incredible will power to begin any business. ANY business. Not just party plan. And every business needs sales to succeed. So every business is working on ways to attract clients.

If you are just starting in party plan, your challenge is to work through the initial contact list you have and develop a robust referral base.

  • Whenever someone invites you to come to their home and to meet their friends, it is the most personal and powerful referral they can give. They aren’t just referring their friends with a phone call or by passing you their business cards… they are actually giving you a personal introduction at their home. WOW! Soak it up and thank them profusely.
  • Whenever someone buys from you, it is up to you to ensure that not only are they getting the great product, but that they are getting your great service. The nature of this business is that there are many distributors for your company out there; so they can call anyone to get the same products. There are also retail and web competitors out there, and you have to compete with them, too. So you have to make your contact with each client friendly, exciting, professional, and, ultimately, memorable. My strongest recommendation is that you not only serve them at the show, but that you give them customer service calls to broaden the customer care.
  • Whenever you meet someone, listen to them. Network well. Don’t make it all about you. Develop a relationship with them and then bring them into your world as it is appropriate. Perhaps they aren’t going to be a client. They might be a fleeting acquaintance.  They might become a friend. They might become a client. They might become a distributor. They might become your best referrer ever. Listen. Learn.

I regularly read articles and forum postings on the Flying Solo website. The last forum post I read is what inspired me to write this article for you (Flying Solo Without a Compass). This person has started a business and is struggling with the start up phase. Interesting…. that’s what I hear from most people who start party plan. Seems there is a pattern to this. Work through it… persist. It’s simple…. it’s just not easy.

And that’s why it’s worth it.

How to Get Your Mojo Back

Q: I’ve lost my motivation and I’m finding it hard to get my business going again. How do I get my mojo back?

A: Quick! Get involved with other people in your business who are motivated for you to succeed.

When you work for yourself, you have to do everything, right? Wrong! Not in party plan.

Party plan businesses are made up of people. How can you get your mojo back? Tap into the people who are motivated to help you succeed. You are in business for yourself, but you are not alone.

YOUR SPONSOR – The person who sponsored you into your business is motivated for you to succeed. Why? It could be any or all of these things: money (she will make money if you succeed), achievement (she will earn a reward from the company if you succeed), pride (she will be proud of you and your achievements), or reputation (she recommended that you become a party planner, so she wants you to actually achieve the level of success she said you could).

ACTION: Call your sponsor. Meet with her to discuss your business.

YOUR UPLINE – Your upline is motivated for you to succeed. All of the reasons above apply, and there is another: Once a party planner ascends into a leadership role, she is motivated to maintain and continuously develop a team. A team is a group of people who work toward a common goal. Your leader is measured by her own performance and the performance of the team, so it is in her interest to assist everyone in her lineage.

ACTION: Call your upline. Read her communications to you. Attend her meetings.

YOUR DOWNLINE – Your downline is motivated for you to succeed. Though not as obvious, because we think money is the  key motivator, people under us in our structure want us to succeed. They want to brag about the team they are on. They want to be proud to bring others into that team. They want to have a good role model above them to provide advice, training, and support. They will look for your name in the company literature. They will talk about you to their partner, their family, their, friends, and their clients. They are motivated by your success, so they are motivated for you to succeed.

ACTION: Call your downline. Ask what support they need. Go to one (or more) of their presentations. Host a meeting. Throw a party.

YOUR COMPANY – Your company is motivated for you to succeed. Money, achievement, pride, and reputation are also motivational factors for the company to help you succeed. Support from the head office of your party plan company comes in many forms: emails, websites, programs, literature, training sessions, conferences, incentive trips, promotions, and newsletters – to name a few.

ACTION: Review everything your company has provided to you and make a list of things to do.

So, don’t let the chairs be empty. Fill them up with the people who want you to succeed. Ask them for advice. Turn their advice into action. Share your results and keep moving. You’ll get your mojo back and then you’ll be able to share your mojo with someone else.

Image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How to Develop Confidence

Be confidentSuccessful party planners are confident people. If you are new to the party plan business, you need to figure out how to develop your confidence to a level that makes you successful too.

So what are the steps to developing confidence?

Know your product

First of all, you need to become very familiar with your products and your catalogue. Using your products will help you enormously, so open up those boxes or packets and get dirty! Read the catalogue from cover to cover. Pick out products that you want and write down why you want them. You don’t have to buy them all – just know what it is that inspires you to have them. Pick out products you don’t like and think hard about who would want them and why. Your taste is not everyone’s taste.

Know your offer

Most party plan businesses have benefits and special offers for people who host shows. You need to know these and offer them with confidence. If you are wishy-washy about the benefits, your potential hosts will be wary about your professionalism. Don’t say, “we can negotiate a good deal for you if you have a party.” Say, “I offer you a 10 percent discount on your order if we achieve $250 in sales.” Or, “Hosts with a $400 party are eligible for our great hostess specials.” Being specific about the benefits demonstrates confidence.

Plan and Visualise

Plan and visualise every step you will take to put on a presentation. What will you bring with you? How will you pack it? How will you get it into the host’s home? How will you unpack it? Where will you set up? How long will you speak? What will you say? Will you play games? Will you need pens? Will you hand out order forms or have the guests come to you to place their orders? (I’ll write another blog post about why you should take the orders yourself later.) Will you need change? How will you get future bookings? How will you treat people who do make a future booking? When will you take the host’s order? When will you pack up? How will you get out to your car? Will you need help? How will you submit the order? How will you communicate to the host that you have submitted the order? How will the host know what the status is of the order? How will  you know if your clients receive their order? How will you make sure they are happy?

Did that list seem like a lot? Well, at the beginning, it probably does seem a bit overwhelming. But the reality is, that every one of those questions needs to be answered before you go do your first show. You are starting a new business and you want to come to the party in control, unflustered, and prepared for each step of the party. That will only happen if you practice and visualise what is going to happen and then plan and prepare for each step. After doing 3-4 shows in a 2 week period, these things will start to happen naturally. You will know what to do. That list of questions will be answered, practiced, and repeated. You will be more confident.

Make it easy

At first I had the subtitle say “Make it look easy.” But that’s just not right. It’s not an act. Or it shouldn’t be. Make your job as easy as you can. Bring less, talk less, don’t duplicate things already done for you, get paid by your clients, work when you want to, and have fun. Don’t arrive flustered because you got lost – look up where you’re going and arrive early. Don’t leave four messages with the host asking for her order so you can submit the orders – get her order before the party or before you leave. Don’t chase people for money for two weeks after the party – make it a habit to collect money from them at the party. This is your business – make it easy – that shows confidence.

Don’t let one (or two, or three) bad shows get you down

If the host is disorganised, if the children are screaming, if the guests are talking, if the best friend is late, if no one shows up at all… don’t worry. Don’t panic. Don’t complain. Breathe. Wait. Perhaps change tactics. And smile. Sometimes your best clients will come from your worst shows – especially if you handle them with dignity, style, and confidence.

Practice speaking to small groups

Some people don’t even try party plan businesses because they believe that the cannot speak in front of people; it takes them out of their comfort zone. To me, that simply shows that they have a lack of confidence. In all truth, those people will benefit from running a party plan business in more than just their bank account. By developing speaking skills (which can only happen by doing it) they will become more confident people in every social situation.

On the other hand, some people think that they are great speakers, but that doesn’t mean that they are great communicators. Great communicators can tell a story AND listen to their audience to ensure that their message is heard. In the beginning of my party plan business, I talked too much and didn’t listen, so I had to learn this lesson. Now, I learn so much from the guests at each party because I incorporate them into my presentation. I listen to them. It has resulted in a wonderful breakthrough in my style. It makes me part of the audience. It makes them part of the presentation. It has made me more confident.

Confidence comes from putting yourself into difficult, out-of-the-comfort-zone, and sometimes intimidating situations and then coming through them with the experience to make the next time easier. And the next. And the next.

“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.”

~Peter T. Mcintyre

Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Procrastinate Now

ProcrastinateProcrastination. Email, FaceBook, Twitter….

Busy days. Email, FaceBook, Twitter….

Making an effort. Email, FaceBook, Twitter….

Creating and implementing new ideas. Shows, Phone, Meetings, Interviews….

What am I on about? Though I could try to say what I want to about these things, I can’t say it any better than Seth Godin has in this post. Please read it.

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/02/modern-procrastination.html

Go on… comment about how you have procrastinated this week. Reading this blog doesn’t count! :)

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