Another day

I am looking into different marketing ideas including Twitter, Facebook and Blogging. I think I will begin creating a Newsletter, too, with monthly updates for my clients.

I have a show next week, and two shows the first week of November. Need a few more... hoping this marketing will work as well. Even if it did, I would not stop doing shows. I really do enjoy them! : )

UGH!

I just typed a whole blog entry and it was lost. UGH!
In a nutshell, I had a show last night that I think went really well. Mary is starting to panic because she helped me get the DM and I need to keep up $2000 a month but I am nowhere close to that this month. So it is starting to irritate her, I'm sure.

Although I want to sulk I want to succeed more, so it is off to do more calls!! : )

Cathy R's soiree

I didn't even mention Cathy's soiree! I got three preferred clients out of that one and hit a volume of over $1100! It was unbelievable! It was loud and crazy and lots and lots of fun! She really came through for me.... and it boosted my spirits unbelievably!!

things are looking up

things are beginning to look up. hooray! I made District Manager by the end of September (with the help of Mary) and October is looking okay. Not great... just okay. I even have two bookings in November, although I am hesitant to rely on them. Nov 4th and 5th.... Mary K and Mary H.
I am also working on about three or four more bookings. I think I will lose my DM status if I'm not up to snuff, and with December coming I might be out of luck!!
But I am forging ahead. I have much more confidence; it grows every day.
I'm getting out and meeting more people... joining the community and for the first time I am having a wonderful time joining in. It has been really uplifting - wonderful for me.
And I am enjoying myself immensely.
My social life is looking up and with that I am building more and more confidence with my job. It's been great!!

This is crazy.... just crazy.

I have had four get-togethers. First one - 3 out of 25 people showed. Second - rescheduled due to tornado; third - 6 out of 15 showed (but three were consultants who used their 35% discount leaving no income for me); fourth 0 (ZERO) out of 15 people showed up. Then, the last one(rescheduled one) had 3 out of 15 show up but only 2 people bought something.

I have asked everyone I can think of if they will have a few friends over and allow me to introduce Arbonne. Most have said no. A handful have said yes, but won't commit to a time. The rest have disappeared... won't take calls, won't come over, won't meet me out.

I had a good friend stop by this morning. She was telling me how she was on complete commission and hadn't worked in a while. She is $10,000 down from last year and she and her husband started remodeling their basement and kitchen. She is desperately looking for another job.

I said I know a job! She perked right up. I explained a little more about it... flexible hours.... great pay.... overrides..... bonuses... then I told her it was Arbonne. She looked confused for a minute and then scowled, "I mean a real job." I explained that Arbonne was a 30-year-old company and she said she knew it had been around for a while.

I told her I'd get her a compensation sheet and she could tuck it away for a rainy day, just in case she changed her mind. She said no, it would just get thrown away. I told her that I was having a show on Thursday, why didn't she stop by and have a drink with us? She said she "wasn't going anywhere that there were going to be Arbonne sharks." She abruptly stood up, gathered her things, dropped the sheet on the table and left.

I am still sort of shaken up.

Dream Team? Ha. I can't even put together a party let alone a team of some kind.

August Almost Over and Now What...?

Well, I have had four get-togethers. The first I invited 25 people and three people showed up; mom, Doris and Kristy.

The second was canceled due to a tornado that ripped through W'ville.

The third Melissa C invited 15 people and six people showed; but one was her mom and two were her sisters and, although they did buy stuff, her mom is signed on as a consultant, so she got 35% off. But I did get the volume. And the experience.

The fourth get-together I invited 15 people, one rsvp'd "no" and the rest didn't show up.

I talked my mom into becoming a preferred client, so I at least I have met that goal.

I am going to make this work. I am going to drive a white Mercedez.

I need to put together a dream team and fast.

I don't get it

It seems everyone except about four people are against my new business. People have been downright rude to me. Friends. Family. I don't get it? Everyone was excited and happy four years ago when Iwas doing candle stuff. Now nobody even wants to host a small get-together. Well, not "nobody". I do have a handful.

I am just amazed at how defiant so many of these people are. Good friends who bent over backwards for me before won't even allow me to practice in front of them. I don't get it.... I really, really don't.

So here's the scoop....

Talked to Mary yesterday. She invited me to a "staff/orientation meeting" at her "boss's" house. (Her boss is Alison Hamilton).

So, tomorrow night I go for an informative meeting. I don't know if this is for me or not. I did stop by and ask Eileen if she wanted to go, too.

I will do things differently this time, if I should decide to sell Arbonne. First, I will have a definite game plan. It will be organized and comprehensive. Second, I will follow through on all parts of the game plan. If I am going to do this, I am going to make this work. Period.

So far my game plan is as follows:

My goals are to have at least five (5) parties a month; have at least one (1) person sign on to have a party at each of the five parties per month; a non-abrasive approach to sales; use of the product for six (6) months before attempting to sell; going in to the parties with a comprehensive and achievable goal each night.

I'll fill you in on how tomorrow goes.

Getting a call regarding.... you got it! Arbonne

Mary wrote back to me this morning. She has promised to call today to answer all of my Arbonne questions. I just am not completely sure this is the right fit for me.... But I am happy to talk to her about it.

I think this might be better than the candles just because of Mary. She is very bubbly and cute and has a lot of enthusiasm. She probably has lots of good ideas as well....

Is there room enough for me in this company? We'll see.

Latest Idea.... Arbonne

Went to a spa party two nights ago. It was lovely... relaxing and fun. The gal selling the product (Arbonne) only spoke for about 20 minutes. The rest of the three hours was spent laughing and talking with great hor 'doeurvs and cocktails. We used her products to "get ready for bed".

Is this something I would like to try? I actually miss doing my candle stuff, but I don't want to do candles anymore. You can only sell so many candles to so many people for so long....

Skin care products have a larger market, I think.

I have been thinking about it... who can I ask to have a cocktail party? Where can I advertise? Where can I leave brochures? Can I leave information in doctor's offices?

I would rather not give parties... I like to go to them but I cannot stand asking people to have one. I hate putting any kind of pressure on people like that.....

And I think one of the girls from the adjacent subdivision sells (or used to sell) Arbonne, and I distinctly remember one lady saying don't ask her about it because she will never shut up.... Yikes. I don't want to be known like that.....

This weekend I head off to Virginia Beach. I will ask my cousin (dermotologist) what she thinks of the product. I may ask them to brainstorm about marketing ideas.....

I'm not going to tell my family, though.

I do have a goal. There is this house I would LOVE to go and see. I am not sure I would actually want to move in, but I think I would. It is beautiful, and has two fireplaces to die for. If I were bringing in extra income, we could actually afford the house.... I am still not sure it would be right for us, but it is something to work toward. And it is beautiful.

We'll see how this pans out. Wish me luck.

Summer - half way gone....

It is incredible to believe that my summer is half way gone. K laughed at the prospect of summers being less stressful than the rest of the year, and I fear his is right. What I thought would be a relaxing time was actually a memory of distant summers past. I am far more busy this time of year than any other.

Big Itty is in the Big H. Middle Itty and Little Middle Itty are in the big G at VBS. Big Middle Itty is at work. That leaves me with Little Itty.... a handful even alone. I do enjoy him, though, my baby N. He will be three on August 20th. How time flies!

we will be going to the big G Friday night through Sunday to pick up MI and LMI. BMI had invited friends to a party... said he was hosting a party at a friend's house... I find this strange. He was addament that he could not go to G with us... he was hosting this party and it would be weird. I began thinking.... what if he was hosting the party, all right, only it wasn't to take place at his friends like he said? What if he was hosting that party at OUR house while we were gone?... It would be easy enough to do.

So I checked his bedroom and what-do-you-know.... his window was unlocked. Rather unusual as we have never had them unlocked and open. Not those windows.... Hmmmm....
So I double-checked the doggie door, and I will change the garage code. Then I will lock all the windows and doors (including his) without telling him. I will also inform my neighbors that we will be gone this weekend, and to keep an eye out for comings and goings as there should be none.

K laughs and rolls his eyes. He thinks I am over-reacting. I keep quiet but secretly think he is a fool.