You've heard me say (or seen me write) "Upgrades are necessary as success progresses". This past year has been one of incredible growth and transformation for me and my business(es) as well as for you and your business(es) - I've seen it! I'm excited to announce that my coaching business site is getting a face-lift and will be switching over to a blog format. It's nearly done; but I honestly couldn't wait to share it with you. So, you might be asking, what's gonna happen here with Ferf Chat? I'll most definitely still be posting Ferfisms, including info on my direct selling business. The primary change you'll be seeing here is that the business focused articles will now be posted on my coaching business site instead.
I'm embracing each change and LOVING it! I gotta say, once you open your heart and mind to possibilities and opportunities, doors open. One opportunity I'm currently celebrating is being selected for Linda Forsythe's Fabulous 5 for Mentor's Harbor Magazine - including a COVER STORY. Do it with me now - *happy dance* I'll keep everyone posted on that over at my coaching site. So, until my next post, I bid you adieu for now... leaving you with very chocolatey and caffeinated thoughts. ((HUGS))
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thank You Lord and A Smile
Count your blessings.
We know we should, and let's face it when we actually take the time to do so, it's rather simple to count our blessings. All too often people fall back onto counting their "blech-ings". :) Everything seems to point to "blech", nasty, no-good, horrible, terrible, could-it-get-any-worse, etc. EVERYTHING? Not ONE good thing came about today? When we step back and look at the big picture, we'll see countless blessings! At the risk of going all Pollyanna, you woke up today, you're breathing, you're reading this right now which means you've been educated enough to be able to read, you clearly have electricity and a computer with internet access (or you're in a facility that has those things in which case you can be thankful for the freedom of being there). Get the idea? Yah, I knew you would because we've heard the proverbial "I can be thankful I have a messy house because it means I have a roof over my head" and "I have a little extra chub which means I have food to eat".
"I had the blues because I had no shoes until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet." ~Ancient Persian
Saying
Count your blessings.
I've learned from my mother - oop warm fuzzy moment - to be thankful for even the teeniest, tiniest things. If the traffic light turned green at the most opportune time while driving somewhere, mom would softly say "Thank You, Lord" and then smile. Also while driving if what looked like a normally difficult intersection lends way to let her through easily - you got it - "Thank You, Lord" and a smile. If something uneasy happens, be it a quarrel or an injury, and all turned out well... yep - "Thank You, Lord" and a smile. Seems a bit "magoo", I know, but you now what? It works! The outlook of a person with an attitude of gratitude is incredibly powerful and contagious. Try it, even for just a day, and discover how many people you touch and influence. You just never know who will hear under your breath "Thank You, Lord". And that smile of yours? Absolutely contagious.
I'd love to hear your thoughts/experiences of smiling gratitude - please be sure to share some comments! :)
© 2010 Jennifer Stoll 'The Stand Up Coach' All Rights Reserved
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, NEWSLETTER OR WEBSITE?
That would rock, as long as the following blurb is included in its entirety: Entrepreneur Jennifer Stoll, The Stand Up Coach, is founder and editor of "Java Jive" a free ezine for professionals in the Direct Sales/Party Plan industry. An Author, Speaker and Success Coach, Jennifer provides principal based resources in a fun, humorous and caffeinated way. If you're sick of the same old selling, booking and recruiting tips and want to have more fun in your business by making it YOURS, then visit Jennifer at http://www.BeASuccessInProgress.com .
We know we should, and let's face it when we actually take the time to do so, it's rather simple to count our blessings. All too often people fall back onto counting their "blech-ings". :) Everything seems to point to "blech", nasty, no-good, horrible, terrible, could-it-get-any-worse, etc. EVERYTHING? Not ONE good thing came about today? When we step back and look at the big picture, we'll see countless blessings! At the risk of going all Pollyanna, you woke up today, you're breathing, you're reading this right now which means you've been educated enough to be able to read, you clearly have electricity and a computer with internet access (or you're in a facility that has those things in which case you can be thankful for the freedom of being there). Get the idea? Yah, I knew you would because we've heard the proverbial "I can be thankful I have a messy house because it means I have a roof over my head" and "I have a little extra chub which means I have food to eat".
"I had the blues because I had no shoes until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet." ~Ancient Persian
Saying
Count your blessings.
I've learned from my mother - oop warm fuzzy moment - to be thankful for even the teeniest, tiniest things. If the traffic light turned green at the most opportune time while driving somewhere, mom would softly say "Thank You, Lord" and then smile. Also while driving if what looked like a normally difficult intersection lends way to let her through easily - you got it - "Thank You, Lord" and a smile. If something uneasy happens, be it a quarrel or an injury, and all turned out well... yep - "Thank You, Lord" and a smile. Seems a bit "magoo", I know, but you now what? It works! The outlook of a person with an attitude of gratitude is incredibly powerful and contagious. Try it, even for just a day, and discover how many people you touch and influence. You just never know who will hear under your breath "Thank You, Lord". And that smile of yours? Absolutely contagious.
I'd love to hear your thoughts/experiences of smiling gratitude - please be sure to share some comments! :)
© 2010 Jennifer Stoll 'The Stand Up Coach' All Rights Reserved
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, NEWSLETTER OR WEBSITE?
That would rock, as long as the following blurb is included in its entirety: Entrepreneur Jennifer Stoll, The Stand Up Coach, is founder and editor of "Java Jive" a free ezine for professionals in the Direct Sales/Party Plan industry. An Author, Speaker and Success Coach, Jennifer provides principal based resources in a fun, humorous and caffeinated way. If you're sick of the same old selling, booking and recruiting tips and want to have more fun in your business by making it YOURS, then visit Jennifer at http://www.BeASuccessInProgress.com .
Saturday, December 4, 2010
The Grace of Change
Change is good. Change is necessary for growth and with each new growth comes an invitation for even more change. Some adapt beautifully while others grow dark with resentment. People change. Opinions change. Attitudes change. Circumstances change. Seasons change. It's all cyclical. Until we fully embrace the reality that change is necessary in all seasons of life, we cannot effectively move forward. In understanding the foundational truth that change is necessary, it is not the "how we change" that is as important as the "how we ARE in our change".
I am a fan of football. (GO PACKERS!) Now whether you closely follow football or not, you know the name Brett Favre. As an avid Packers fan I can tell you how incredibly fun it was to watch that good ol' country boy grow an amazing professional career, breaking record after record, all with pure passion. Game after game he'd smile such a smile that made fans everywhere proclaim "he's such a big kid". I can tell you an entire fan base choked up as he started the game following his father's passing. I can tell you how humbling it was to see articles and interviews in March of 2008 upon his announcement of retiring (this time seeming it would really be true and yes, I saved a copy of at least one article). It was a time of awe. Truly, a local sports 'hero' was finally hanging his helmet and doing so with a great sense of pride and accomplishment. In embracing the reality that Favre's retirement was finally official we Wisconsinites knew that in the future we'd be taking our kids to the Hall of Fame to let them basque in the glory of those good ol' days. *Sigh* "There, son, is a great quarterback. He was so incredibly talented and fun to watch."
Then, pardon me for putting it like this but, something crawled up Favre's behind over the summer that year because things drastically changed. Honestly we Packers fans had grown used to Brett's come-and-go retirement announcements but that Spring he made it all official. We fans embraced the news for what it was worth, talked about it for months and found ways to move forward knowing full well we'd gladly welcome the new face to come. After all, it's not the first nor the last time we'd ever see a new quarterback come in. But this "comeback" was far from Favre's usual. After his official announcement, the organization did what they had to do: move forward. Draft picks commenced, practices began and assignments were being made. At practically the eleventh hour, Brett Favre decided he'd like to come back to the game. The organization sure would have loved to have him back, but they'd already begun embracing change. It would be far from practical to suddenly turn everything around to the way things were at the time simply because one person (who retired) would have preferred it that way. Favre was welcome to come back BUT his playing conditions would have changed. He would have not been the starting quarterback. This Brett did not like. It was as though a wave of "don't you realize who I am" came over him and the drama began. That season he was starting quarterback for the NY Jets (keeping his precious starter stats). The following year he thought he could make a bigger and bolder statement by becoming a Minnesota Viking (Packers rival). Interview responses were mouthy and Favre's stature was incredibly different as he proclaimed something to the effect of "if you're a real Packers fan, you'll understand why I'm doing what I'm doing". Pompous as they come.
It was not the change itself that caused such controversy. This certainly wasn't the first time a beloved Packer had moved on to a different path. For chocolate's sake, Ryan Longwell (kicker) went over to the Vikings before Favre even thought to and all was well. It happens. The issue was not that Brett Favre left the Packers and brought on change. The issue was HOW Brett Favre WAS (and IS) in his change. Some say the Packers were mean to Favre while others (like yours truly) are proud that the franchise stuck to their guns, refusing to bend the rules for a seemingly now self-absorbed superstar. Was Favre embracing this new change or resenting it? The answer is in his actions. His middle name surely ain't Grace. :)
"Opportunity knocks at the strangest times, it's not the time that matters but how you answer the door." - Steve Gray
Football fan or not - a virtual penny for your thoughts?
(Note: although the publish date reflects a later date, this article was written prior to Favre's photo scandal which is why there is no reference made to said event.)
© 2010 Jennifer Stoll 'The Stand Up Coach' All Rights Reserved
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, NEWSLETTER OR WEBSITE?
That would rock, as long as the following blurb is included in its entirety: Entrepreneur Jennifer Stoll, The Stand Up Coach, is founder and editor of "Java Jive" a free ezine for professionals in the Direct Sales/Party Plan industry. An Author, Speaker and Success Coach, Jennifer provides principal based resources in a fun, humorous and caffeinated way. If you're sick of the same old selling, booking and recruiting tips and want to have more fun in your business by making it YOURS, then visit Jennifer at http://www.BeASuccessInProgress.com .
I am a fan of football. (GO PACKERS!) Now whether you closely follow football or not, you know the name Brett Favre. As an avid Packers fan I can tell you how incredibly fun it was to watch that good ol' country boy grow an amazing professional career, breaking record after record, all with pure passion. Game after game he'd smile such a smile that made fans everywhere proclaim "he's such a big kid". I can tell you an entire fan base choked up as he started the game following his father's passing. I can tell you how humbling it was to see articles and interviews in March of 2008 upon his announcement of retiring (this time seeming it would really be true and yes, I saved a copy of at least one article). It was a time of awe. Truly, a local sports 'hero' was finally hanging his helmet and doing so with a great sense of pride and accomplishment. In embracing the reality that Favre's retirement was finally official we Wisconsinites knew that in the future we'd be taking our kids to the Hall of Fame to let them basque in the glory of those good ol' days. *Sigh* "There, son, is a great quarterback. He was so incredibly talented and fun to watch."
Then, pardon me for putting it like this but, something crawled up Favre's behind over the summer that year because things drastically changed. Honestly we Packers fans had grown used to Brett's come-and-go retirement announcements but that Spring he made it all official. We fans embraced the news for what it was worth, talked about it for months and found ways to move forward knowing full well we'd gladly welcome the new face to come. After all, it's not the first nor the last time we'd ever see a new quarterback come in. But this "comeback" was far from Favre's usual. After his official announcement, the organization did what they had to do: move forward. Draft picks commenced, practices began and assignments were being made. At practically the eleventh hour, Brett Favre decided he'd like to come back to the game. The organization sure would have loved to have him back, but they'd already begun embracing change. It would be far from practical to suddenly turn everything around to the way things were at the time simply because one person (who retired) would have preferred it that way. Favre was welcome to come back BUT his playing conditions would have changed. He would have not been the starting quarterback. This Brett did not like. It was as though a wave of "don't you realize who I am" came over him and the drama began. That season he was starting quarterback for the NY Jets (keeping his precious starter stats). The following year he thought he could make a bigger and bolder statement by becoming a Minnesota Viking (Packers rival). Interview responses were mouthy and Favre's stature was incredibly different as he proclaimed something to the effect of "if you're a real Packers fan, you'll understand why I'm doing what I'm doing". Pompous as they come.
It was not the change itself that caused such controversy. This certainly wasn't the first time a beloved Packer had moved on to a different path. For chocolate's sake, Ryan Longwell (kicker) went over to the Vikings before Favre even thought to and all was well. It happens. The issue was not that Brett Favre left the Packers and brought on change. The issue was HOW Brett Favre WAS (and IS) in his change. Some say the Packers were mean to Favre while others (like yours truly) are proud that the franchise stuck to their guns, refusing to bend the rules for a seemingly now self-absorbed superstar. Was Favre embracing this new change or resenting it? The answer is in his actions. His middle name surely ain't Grace. :)
"Opportunity knocks at the strangest times, it's not the time that matters but how you answer the door." - Steve Gray
Football fan or not - a virtual penny for your thoughts?
(Note: although the publish date reflects a later date, this article was written prior to Favre's photo scandal which is why there is no reference made to said event.)
© 2010 Jennifer Stoll 'The Stand Up Coach' All Rights Reserved
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, NEWSLETTER OR WEBSITE?
That would rock, as long as the following blurb is included in its entirety: Entrepreneur Jennifer Stoll, The Stand Up Coach, is founder and editor of "Java Jive" a free ezine for professionals in the Direct Sales/Party Plan industry. An Author, Speaker and Success Coach, Jennifer provides principal based resources in a fun, humorous and caffeinated way. If you're sick of the same old selling, booking and recruiting tips and want to have more fun in your business by making it YOURS, then visit Jennifer at http://www.BeASuccessInProgress.com .
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The Ice Cream Truck Effect in Your Business
Summertime brings those all-too familiar sounds around here: children laughing, smaller children yelling "wait for me", motorcycles, lawn mowers, outdoor home improvements, boats and jetskis on the lake, and lest we forget the ever elusive "do your ears hang low, do they wobble to and fro" tune that overtakes your brain like a colony of ants on a fallen cheese puff. *Shakes Fist* Curse you Ice Cream Man!!! (At least change your tune once in a great while.) Aha! I smell a business application coming on. Yes indeed. Annoying as his tune may be, the ice cream guy rolling through our neighborhood sparked a few thoughts on similarities in building a direct sales business.
Yes, when thinking of an ice cream truck our immediate thought goes straight to that music. It doesn't even have to be a familiar tune for the kids in the neighborhood to know which direction to run with money in hand. It's classic conditioning (hey, that psychology course in college comes in handy now and again). I bet you can practically hear the music now, can't you? And because we've almost always associated that sound with an ice cream truck, every time you hear music that is even remotely close to that sound your mind gravitates to an image of an ice cream truck. Classic conditioning meets branding? Hmmm... mayhaps. Classic conditioning meets marketing? Now we're getting closer. The public has been conditioned to recognize the tinkling music and associate it with ice cream, yes, and that indeed falls under marketing, but let's look a little further. You see, it's not enough to have tinkling music playing from a vehicle to sell massive amounts of ice cream. It's incredibly helpful to know a few things before venturing out on a hope-filled journey chanting "Gee, I hope I get some sales today". Think about what the ice cream man needs to consider:
1) Identify Your Ideal Client/Customer
Obviously the first potential clientele that comes to mind for an ice cream business would be children. However, location can also mean a great deal. If an ice cream man lives in an area where children are virtually nowhere to be found, can his business still thrive? Well, consider this - are ice cream consumers only children? If this ice cream guy lives in a college community he may very well hit the jackpot too. In that case his marketing efforts will need to be adapted to his ideal customer and his musical truck may not be the best means for making a sale. He does, however, have other options available to him and with some unique creativity he can build a business that he loves because it has his name written all over it. Take some time to identify the type of person you prefer to work with. Why subject yourself to just anybody and everybody for the sake of a couple sporadic sales? Give your business the credit it truly deserves and work only with a client base that justifies your greatness. You work with rockin' awesome people, not just anybody and everybody. It is in fact acceptable (and wise) to turn away business that is not a fit.
2) Know Where Your Ideal Client Congregates
The ice cream guy in our neighborhood knows the hot spot right now is the beach. In the coming weeks he'll be wise to scope out the local festivals. GO TO the clients rather than hope they'll come to you. I remember early on in my Direct Sales business thinking sales, bookings and recruits would come to me if I was enthusiastic enough about the products and business opportunity and if I said the right, powerful words to "sell the sizzle". It didn't take me long to learn that adapting these concepts as my main business activity was actually running my business haphazardly at best. I often felt I was "barking up the wrong tree" so to speak and you know what? I was. It was frustrating and exhausting to work with people I'd otherwise never associate with socially. My business became much more enjoyable after I buckled down and stuck to my guns on who I work with. And you know what else? Because my business is more enjoyable I am able to better serve. Now that's a win-win!
3) Know What Your Ideal Client Prefers
Knowing our best sellers can indeed be helpful, but knowing the needs of our ideal customers will help to keep us ahead in offering top notch service. (I understand that "need" can be a relative term - especially when it comes to ice cream!) *grins* Let's give our customers some credit in understanding they can decide things for themselves. If we're being 'salesy' by telling them they "need" what we have to offer, they're outta there at mach 5 with their hair on fire. Building a relationship with our customers, and recognizing their purchase patterns, will better equip us for not only offering rockin' service, but for having enough supply AND knowing what they'll be interested in when new products are released. We can then say - IN TRUTH - "I thought of you right away as soon as I saw that new product! I just knew you'd like it!" Personalized service is a beautiful thing. The ice cream man who has become familiar with his regular customers and remembers their favorites ("Hi, Jimmy, want your usual?") will surely generate more business for himself - which leads me to point 4.
4) Recognize and Repeat What Creates Repeat Business
Great service is usually a given, especially in this day and age where customer service is virtually dead. We in the Direct Sales industry have the privilege of going above and beyond the call of traditional customer service by providing/suggesting necessities/complementary items clients hadn't thought of, up-selling to matching products that make their experience even better, building a rapport/relationship so customers can be confident in their purchasing decisions and so on. Does an ice cream man drive his musical truck through the neighborhood only once? Heck no! He knows to come back more than once because he understands the "out of sight out of mind" principle. He also understands he needs to make himself available to his customers. Does he hand out business cards and hope someone will call? Ummm, no. Making the rounds in the neighborhood is simply an ice cream man's friendly reminder of what he has to offer. Am I saying drive around neighborhoods playing music from your vehicle? Oh boy, no way! I'm talking about making sure our customers know they can come to us. It's not the customer's job to remember we're in business. ;)
5) Create Faithful Clients: Become THE Go-To Source, Their FIRST Consideration
Could clients go elsewhere? You bet. Give 'em reason to stick around AND recommend us/our services to people they know. BE YOURSELF. Nobody wants to work with someone who is fake or uncomfortable. Additionally, nobody wants to work with someone who doesn't keep their word or doesn't take action. Point 4 helps with creating faithful clients, but it goes a bit further than that. When we are genuine with our business it becomes a two-way street and people genuinely want to do business with us. Again, does an ice cream truck circle the neighborhood only once and consider it a job well done? Of course not. On particularly hot days he'll make his way around 2 or 3 times, won't he? He understands the client's need to cool off and wants to be the solution to that need because he knows he can provide. I don't care what you sell, consumable items or not, faithful customers CAN be made because they will be faithful to YOU, not necessarily just your products or service.
These are simply the first few things that came to mind when the ice cream truck rolled through our neighborhood recently. Does this application prove I've found the world's newest solution to building a HUGE direct sales organization? No, in fact you've no doubt heard these concepts before. However, have you ever thought about the correlation between what we do and what an ice cream man does? I tell you what, when we can associate business concepts with an everyday thing, something so simple as a special afternoon treat for the kiddos, our eyes are opened to great possibilities. So am I sharing tips on building a business, or the idea that we can be inspired dern near anywhere by dern near anything? *grins* Huzzah!
Now I'm in the mood for some ice cream, how about you? Did this spark any other thoughts about building your business? Do tell, leave a comment! (Oh, and here's a napkin for your ice cream... want some jimmies?) :)
© 2010 Jennifer Stoll 'The Stand Up Coach' All Rights Reserved
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, NEWSLETTER OR WEBSITE?
That would rock, as long as the following blurb is included in its entirety: Entrepreneur Jennifer Stoll, The Stand Up Coach, is founder and editor of "Java Jive" a free ezine for professionals in the Direct Sales/Party Plan industry. An Author, Speaker and Success Coach, Jennifer provides principal based resources in a fun, humorous and caffeinated way. If you're sick of the same old selling, booking and recruiting tips and want to have more fun in your business by making it YOURS, then visit Jennifer at http://www.BeASuccessInProgress.com .
Yes, when thinking of an ice cream truck our immediate thought goes straight to that music. It doesn't even have to be a familiar tune for the kids in the neighborhood to know which direction to run with money in hand. It's classic conditioning (hey, that psychology course in college comes in handy now and again). I bet you can practically hear the music now, can't you? And because we've almost always associated that sound with an ice cream truck, every time you hear music that is even remotely close to that sound your mind gravitates to an image of an ice cream truck. Classic conditioning meets branding? Hmmm... mayhaps. Classic conditioning meets marketing? Now we're getting closer. The public has been conditioned to recognize the tinkling music and associate it with ice cream, yes, and that indeed falls under marketing, but let's look a little further. You see, it's not enough to have tinkling music playing from a vehicle to sell massive amounts of ice cream. It's incredibly helpful to know a few things before venturing out on a hope-filled journey chanting "Gee, I hope I get some sales today". Think about what the ice cream man needs to consider:
1) Identify Your Ideal Client/Customer
Obviously the first potential clientele that comes to mind for an ice cream business would be children. However, location can also mean a great deal. If an ice cream man lives in an area where children are virtually nowhere to be found, can his business still thrive? Well, consider this - are ice cream consumers only children? If this ice cream guy lives in a college community he may very well hit the jackpot too. In that case his marketing efforts will need to be adapted to his ideal customer and his musical truck may not be the best means for making a sale. He does, however, have other options available to him and with some unique creativity he can build a business that he loves because it has his name written all over it. Take some time to identify the type of person you prefer to work with. Why subject yourself to just anybody and everybody for the sake of a couple sporadic sales? Give your business the credit it truly deserves and work only with a client base that justifies your greatness. You work with rockin' awesome people, not just anybody and everybody. It is in fact acceptable (and wise) to turn away business that is not a fit.
2) Know Where Your Ideal Client Congregates
The ice cream guy in our neighborhood knows the hot spot right now is the beach. In the coming weeks he'll be wise to scope out the local festivals. GO TO the clients rather than hope they'll come to you. I remember early on in my Direct Sales business thinking sales, bookings and recruits would come to me if I was enthusiastic enough about the products and business opportunity and if I said the right, powerful words to "sell the sizzle". It didn't take me long to learn that adapting these concepts as my main business activity was actually running my business haphazardly at best. I often felt I was "barking up the wrong tree" so to speak and you know what? I was. It was frustrating and exhausting to work with people I'd otherwise never associate with socially. My business became much more enjoyable after I buckled down and stuck to my guns on who I work with. And you know what else? Because my business is more enjoyable I am able to better serve. Now that's a win-win!
3) Know What Your Ideal Client Prefers
Knowing our best sellers can indeed be helpful, but knowing the needs of our ideal customers will help to keep us ahead in offering top notch service. (I understand that "need" can be a relative term - especially when it comes to ice cream!) *grins* Let's give our customers some credit in understanding they can decide things for themselves. If we're being 'salesy' by telling them they "need" what we have to offer, they're outta there at mach 5 with their hair on fire. Building a relationship with our customers, and recognizing their purchase patterns, will better equip us for not only offering rockin' service, but for having enough supply AND knowing what they'll be interested in when new products are released. We can then say - IN TRUTH - "I thought of you right away as soon as I saw that new product! I just knew you'd like it!" Personalized service is a beautiful thing. The ice cream man who has become familiar with his regular customers and remembers their favorites ("Hi, Jimmy, want your usual?") will surely generate more business for himself - which leads me to point 4.
4) Recognize and Repeat What Creates Repeat Business
Great service is usually a given, especially in this day and age where customer service is virtually dead. We in the Direct Sales industry have the privilege of going above and beyond the call of traditional customer service by providing/suggesting necessities/complementary items clients hadn't thought of, up-selling to matching products that make their experience even better, building a rapport/relationship so customers can be confident in their purchasing decisions and so on. Does an ice cream man drive his musical truck through the neighborhood only once? Heck no! He knows to come back more than once because he understands the "out of sight out of mind" principle. He also understands he needs to make himself available to his customers. Does he hand out business cards and hope someone will call? Ummm, no. Making the rounds in the neighborhood is simply an ice cream man's friendly reminder of what he has to offer. Am I saying drive around neighborhoods playing music from your vehicle? Oh boy, no way! I'm talking about making sure our customers know they can come to us. It's not the customer's job to remember we're in business. ;)
5) Create Faithful Clients: Become THE Go-To Source, Their FIRST Consideration
Could clients go elsewhere? You bet. Give 'em reason to stick around AND recommend us/our services to people they know. BE YOURSELF. Nobody wants to work with someone who is fake or uncomfortable. Additionally, nobody wants to work with someone who doesn't keep their word or doesn't take action. Point 4 helps with creating faithful clients, but it goes a bit further than that. When we are genuine with our business it becomes a two-way street and people genuinely want to do business with us. Again, does an ice cream truck circle the neighborhood only once and consider it a job well done? Of course not. On particularly hot days he'll make his way around 2 or 3 times, won't he? He understands the client's need to cool off and wants to be the solution to that need because he knows he can provide. I don't care what you sell, consumable items or not, faithful customers CAN be made because they will be faithful to YOU, not necessarily just your products or service.
These are simply the first few things that came to mind when the ice cream truck rolled through our neighborhood recently. Does this application prove I've found the world's newest solution to building a HUGE direct sales organization? No, in fact you've no doubt heard these concepts before. However, have you ever thought about the correlation between what we do and what an ice cream man does? I tell you what, when we can associate business concepts with an everyday thing, something so simple as a special afternoon treat for the kiddos, our eyes are opened to great possibilities. So am I sharing tips on building a business, or the idea that we can be inspired dern near anywhere by dern near anything? *grins* Huzzah!
Now I'm in the mood for some ice cream, how about you? Did this spark any other thoughts about building your business? Do tell, leave a comment! (Oh, and here's a napkin for your ice cream... want some jimmies?) :)
© 2010 Jennifer Stoll 'The Stand Up Coach' All Rights Reserved
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, NEWSLETTER OR WEBSITE?
That would rock, as long as the following blurb is included in its entirety: Entrepreneur Jennifer Stoll, The Stand Up Coach, is founder and editor of "Java Jive" a free ezine for professionals in the Direct Sales/Party Plan industry. An Author, Speaker and Success Coach, Jennifer provides principal based resources in a fun, humorous and caffeinated way. If you're sick of the same old selling, booking and recruiting tips and want to have more fun in your business by making it YOURS, then visit Jennifer at http://www.BeASuccessInProgress.com .
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)