Ideas Of The Month
Have you had days when you ask yourself, "Who should I call today? " or "I don't know who I can call"? l used to have them, but not anymore. I bought myself a little 3x5 inch spiral notebook, small enough to get into any pocket, and I carry it with me wherever I go. Now I never forget a name or struggle to remember one, because whenever a name pops into my head or I meet someone new, I immediately write it down in the notebook.
I flip the notebook over and use the pages for quick note reminders of all kinds of ideas I have for my business during the day but can't act on immediately. Then, every weekend, I sit down with the notes and decide who I'm going to call or which ideas I'm going to implement. I tear out any that I decide not to use, so my notebook remains clean and ready to work-- no rubbish stays in.
My result? No more "dead" moments in my day. Setting appointments became very easy and I have more presentation meetings. I'm using my "brain power" and spending my time doing and being in action instead of struggling to remember what I should be doing. Try it!
Thanks to Sunrider distributor Ilana (Semo) Ben-Tal, who wins a free one-year subscription for contributing this Idea of the Month. Got a great networking idea yourself? Jot it down and send it to the Editors at Upline or email editors@upline.com-- if we publish your idea, you'll win a free subscription (or renewal) too!
Was the summer a little slow for your business? Your prospects were all on vacation and maybe you had trouble reaching them. Your downline had the same woes and went on vacation, too. Many times we, as Network Marketers, use the excuse that a certain time of year is a "slow" period for building our businesses. When it's not summer, it's the soon-to-be-arriving holidays-- focus shifts away from business during this festive time and business can be correspondingly slow.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking "slow" times justify slowing down yourself. What would happen if our postal workers decided to stop delivering our mail because it was the holiday season or summer vacation? You don't find Microsoft discontinuing their business during slow times, or major department stores, or the airlines. If anything, they increase their efforts in order to keep their sales level during these times. You can do the same by asking the question: "How can I maximize my business during traditionally slow times?" Here are some tips to get your brainstorm started:
- Think of ways to capitalize on these slow times-- in advance. You can use the need for extra cash during vacations, for back-to-school or holidays as a motivator. If your company offers diet products, focus your marketing efforts on how people always want to lose weight for swimsuit season, how they make resolutions at New Years to lose 15 pounds.
- Offer special promotions during slow periods. Have a "Holiday Blowout Sale" or a "Summer Spectacular" where you give an extra something as a bonus with every order.
- Have a contest for your distributors with a big seasonal event as the prize-- a set of tickets to the Superbowl, a trip to New York to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a trip to Disney World. . . . Obviously, these are extravagant prizes, but the better the prize, the more your distributors will want to win it. (Work out a deal with a local travel agent to donate the trip in exchange for you advertising them with all your distributors and customers. Barter!)
- Jot a personal note in the holiday card that you're sending to your customers. Better yet, send them a holiday gift as a thank you for their business or make a donation to a charity in their name.
- Host a holiday luncheon or summer picnic for your customers and/or distributors. It needn't be an elaborate affair-- an informal get-together will do the trick. It's just a nice way to say "thank you" to them, and the camaraderie and good feeling will increase commitment.
This tip is part of the online email column by Kelly B. Kalcheim and Gina Rea, "Network Marketing Tip of the Day" (NMTOTD). To have tips like this one emailed to you each day, visit the NMTOTD website at: http://pw2.netcom.com/~bultpruf/ or email Kelly at bultpruf@ix.netcom.com. Copyright 1998 Kalcheim & Associates. All rights reserved.
When I go to a restaurant, at some time during the meal after I've built some rapport with the waiter or waitress I ask, "Are you familiar with IRS Form 2106?" In most cases the answer is "No, what's that?" or something along those lines.
Then I say, "It's the tax form used for deducting meal expenses, and as it stands right now, I cannot legally deduct a portion of this meal unless I at least demonstrate one of my products to someone while I'm here. Would you do me a favor by allowing me to demonstrate one of my products to you so that I can deduct a portion of this meal?" The answer is always yes, and by doing the demonstration, I not only am able to deduct a portion of the meal but in most cases it also leads the way to an appointment with the server who helped me out.
I have found that a good majority of waiters or waitresses who work the dinner hours also work during the day. The last waitress I met was a loan officer at a local bank by day and a waitress by night in order to make extra money. I am finding this to be the case in many instances and it's becoming a great way to find motivated prospects.
Thanks to Nikken distributor Bob Roman of Henderson, NV, who wins a free one-year subscription for contributing this Idea of the Month. Got a great networking idea yourself? Jot it down and send it to the Editors at Upline or email editors@upline.com-- if we publish your idea, you'll win a free subscription (or renewal) too!
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Reprinted with permission from Upline, Ideas of the Month - September 1999, 888-UPLINE-1, http://www.upline.com
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