Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn…

August 11, 2010 Leave a comment

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.

Filed under Customer Service, Improving Productivity, Networking, Social Media Tagged with , , ,

The Easy Way to Make Money….

April 20, 2010 2 Comments

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.

Filed under Customer Service, Good Advice, Networking, Party Plan, Second Job Tagged with , , , ,

One Step at a Time

September 4, 2009 Leave a comment

All the flowers of all of the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.

~Chinese Proverb

Building a successful business does not happen overnight. It takes daily discipline and small steps.

Today, I invite you to plant some seeds. Simply make 10 phone calls in a row to people you’ve sold to in the last 30-90 days to ask them if they are 100% happy with what they bought. If they are not, fix it. If they are, thank them for being a customer and let them know you love to get referrals from happy customers. Then tell them to have a great day and say good-bye.

Hmmmm – you didn’t ask for anything. You didn’t upsell. You didn’t ask for a booking. You didn’t give them a rundown on the specials. No. You followed up just to make sure they were happy. What a breath of fresh air!

Wendy Lloyd Curley is an Expert in Profitable Party Planning
www.profitablepartyplan.com

Filed under Customer Service

We Need to Provide Better Customer Service

August 28, 2009 2 Comments

The reputation of Party Planning overall needs to be improved. I’ve just recorded a video to explain how and why. I’d love your feedback.

Make it a great day!

Filed under Customer Service, MLM, Party Plan

From the Guest’s Perspective….

August 21, 2009 2 Comments

Recall the last party plan event that you attended as a guest.

Before the party

Did you get a personal invitation from your host or were you brought by a friend? Was it by SMS, by phone, by email, or in person? Was she excited to invite you or casual or indifferent? Did she tell you why she wanted to host a party? Did she invite you to invite a friend who might also like the products on offer? Did she send you a reminder? Did you want to go? Were you excited or dreading it?

At the party

Was the party fun? Did it start on time? Was the demonstrator well-groomed, on time, in control, and knowledgeable about what she was selling. Did the host have fun? Did the guests have fun? Did you learn something? Did it drag on longer than you wanted it too? Was it organised? Were you surprised by anything? Did you buy more or less than you thought you would? Did you pay then or were you allowed to order and pay later? Did you enjoy yourself so much you decided to host a party yourself? Did you talk someone else into hosting a party so you could go? Did you get a receipt? Did you keep any literature? Did you win a prize? Did you leave happy?

After the party

Did you get your product quickly? Did you call your host to ask when the products were arriving? Did you worry about products that were missing? Did you have a complaint about what you ordered? Did you get an email from the demonstrator with information about how to buy more? Did you get a phone call from the demonstrator asking you if you were happy with your purchases? Would you recommend the products to other people who weren’t at the party? Would you pass on the phone number of the demonstrator? Are you 100% satisfied with the entire process?

By thinking about how you have been treated at parties, you can develop your own style and your own rules for how to run your business. Before the show it is important to work with the host, so that she is enthusiastic and informative when inviting her guests. At the show, it is important to guide the event, to listen to your host and your guests, and to be professional. It is also critical for you to set the customer expectations around what will happen once they leave the party. After the show, it is important to live up to those expectations, to inform your host and your new clients if those expectations will not be met, and to make sure your clients are all 100% satisfied.

Make a change

So, think about it, consider how your current procedures are working, and make changes if you need to. Be the best party planner that they’ve ever had and you will have a strong customer base, you’ll develop a full diary of parties, and you’ll meet lots of people who will want to do what you do.

Wendy Lloyd Curley is an expert at profitable party planning.
www.profitablepartyplan.com

Filed under Customer Perspective, Customer Service

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