Welcome Newbie's!

Thanks for joining the blog.  If you would like your site and name added to the "let's network" section of the blog please leave me a comment with your name and website.

For those of you who have asked to be added and are not already there...I apoligize, I lost your email.  If you would leave a comment with the info, I will be sure to add it :)

Real Me Monday!

If you stopped by my house right now you would notice that among the normal clutter are numerous laundry baskets.  UGH!  I hate laundry!

An action plan for today!

Hello Fellow Direct Sales Girls!

I want to challenge you today...and maybe you want to challenge your teams as well...

What could happen for your business if you wrote a note to each one of the people who were interested in hostessing with you at one point that said "I would love the opportunity to host a party with you" and enclosed a few sample words?

It's an interesting thought...and could potentially help someone on your team who doesn't have any parties on their books. 

I think the small effort needed could pay off big!

Guess who has two thumbs and is going to be an Aunt???

This girl!!!!!

How to choose your display items.

After a new catalog comes out, if you are like me you have a difficult time figuring out what display items to buy for your parties.  I mean...if I carried everything that I wanted to carry I would throw my back out and talk way too long!

I have a few rules that I live by when choosing display items for my parties...and they go a little something like this...

1. Is the piece already pictured in the catalog? If it is already shown in a full color photo, I won't use it.  I think that our photography is SO good that bringing something that is shown isn't necessary.  You might as well use the accessory that you love but put something different on it.

2. Do I love it? I firmly believe that you will talk about the things that you are drawn to with more passion than you would about something that you are not.  Case in point...I am not Italian, so having something that said "beinvienue" wouldn't be something that I would be passionate about...I mean quite frankly...I can't prounounce it much less spell it!

3. Will it fit in 1 container?  I only carry one tote.  For a few reasons...the first one and most important one...I am lazy!  The second one...I want everyone to see that what I carry isn't difficult so that if they wanted to sell UL they wouldn't think that they needed to carry multiple totes.  Truth be told...we can fit quite a bit of our product in one tote.

4. Does it work for a large group of people?  Holiday items are great.  Holiday items on one side of the punched mini or large tile with an everyday expression on the other side...even better!  You can sell that idea...even when its HOT outside!  Same idea with our awesome acrylic blocks. 

5. Would you give it as a gift?  I taylor at least two of my display items to be highlighted as gift items.  Maybe a set of monogrammed coasters for a lower price point and a personalized metal embossed board for a larger item.  They are great again, because your customer can see them in their own home AND can use them for gifts!  What bride wouldn't want a set of monogrammed coasters with a nice card.  They are more meaningful because the bride knows that the gift giver took the time to think of a font/color/etc.

Those are my rules.  As I think of what I want to bring to my parties this is the list that I am pretty sure will make it to the tote-

1. Coaster set with FALL(14258) mirrored in 9092 and 9002(I know that it is a one color expression.  I will show it with two colors and market it as something for them to buy for themselves and a friend if they want two colors)

2. Acrylic block with PEACE(14234) in 9092 on one side and A PERFECT TEN(17135) on the other with the LED insert.

3. White frameworks frame with seasonal AND general inserts.

4. Punched metal tile with childrens miracle network expression on one side and GET YOUR MERRY ON(18502) on the other.

5. Vintage Embossed Metal Board with CAREY/this family established 2000 in custom lettering.  (carey is in Trajan and the other lettering is in liorah)

6. Display board with color swatches labelled on one side and a sample of dry erase/chalkwall/decorative print on the other side. 

*This is my list as of this moment...I am kicking around the idea of doing a hook board.

**IF things that you are showing aren't selling, I highly suggest changing them out.  I change up my display pieces every other month because I get bored with them.  I think that adding things from the mini catalog will help your display stay fresh and exciting!

New Diggs!

A huge shout out and thank you to my friend and best blog designer Becki!  Thank you SO much!  I now have a design that I am thrilled to share with my friends and family!

Isn't it good?

Real Me Monday!

Let's keep it real!  The real me does my best work on a coffee table that is in dire need of being refinished while fixing the girls mp3 player and opening the milk jug.  I am not sure why I have two pens there...probably because I lost one of them while working and grabbed another but typically I would only use the blue pen :)  I can't wait to showcase my messy world on Mondays!

Thoughts from a few wild and crazy days!

I would be lying if I told you that it hasn't been difficult to keep everything that I have floating in my head organized.  I am trying.  :)

Last Tuesday we set out towards our annual Uppercase Living Convention in St.Louis.  It was great to be able to drive and spend time with some of my frontline. 

The details of the trip are great...trust me...the way our company has changed our businesses by incorporating hostess tools, online ordering linked to parties, new products, our new annual catalog and new incentive trip are not to be understated.  They are amazing! 

But as I sat working on some customer thank you notes last night, something more profound hit me...

How would focusing on going the extra mile with your customers change your business?

So...a little story about me...

I started UL and like I got shot out of a rocket had at least 6 parties on my calendar for the first 6 months.  After those 6 months, I had at least 9 parties on my books.  After being with UL for 1 1/2 years my goal was to have 12 parties on the bookes each month...and often I had more than 12. 

Nice story eh?

What happened along the road was that I lost the excitement of what it felt like to be NEW!!!  I don't remember my first customers anymore, and although I send thank you notes and try to be as available as possible for my customers...I feel like I have lost some of the splender that is being NEW!

Being at convention changes you.  Quite simply being around those who are new reminds me that I don't have to get so caught up in being busy that I lose that feeling.  If you didn't make it to convention this year, I highly encourage you to get there next year.  Get in your car, ride a bus, train or hop on a plane...because the lessons that you don't know you need will be the sweetest lessons yet.

ACTION PLAN - I have decided to go into my UL Express and find my best customers.  Thankfully in the customer search box, there is a section where you can type in a dollar amount and find the customers who have spent more than _______.  I encourage you to write a note to those customers and enclose a small gift.  Maybe a few of the small incentives that we bought at convention or a few of your sample words with a short note that says "thanks for being such a great customer".

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

WOW! Todays the day! I AM SO EXCITED!


Todays the day girls...I challenge you to write your yearly goals!

Here are a few things to think about or ponder upon...

Why are you selling UL? Where is your passion?  What do you want to use your UL profits for? (car payment, groceries, fun money?)  In what areas could you push yourself harder?  How many parties do you want to work per month? 

Once you have those answered you have a great basis to write your yearly/monthly/weekly goals!

With this new year comes our NEW TRIP INCENTIVE!!!!!  Remember that the small bites make the big goal seem much easier!  YOU CAN DO THIS!  The first step along the way of earning this trip is the 2500 points needed for the hooded sweatshirt.  You have until the end of August to earn those points and with the double point for the first 12 days of this month, this is a very attainable goal! 

Go get em' girls!  I am honored to be along for the ride!