A Parent's Plea

A Parent’s Plea
Written By: Lillian Watson

August 25, 2014

                Books, backpacks, pencils, and notebooks in hand the kids of the Clarksville Montgomery County School System are back in class.  Though the temperatures may still be high it is clear to parents and kids across the county that school is back in session.  With this brings a new awareness.  Throughout the summer kids have been at play in the middle of the day, and less likely to be out on your morning commute.  Now, with school back in session please be aware that there are children who are walking to bus stops and/or school.  Many students in Clarksville do not have the luxury of having the bus stop in their own driveway.  This means that multiple students and their families are now walking to the joint location that has been set up by CMCSS.  By having a joint bus stop this places multiple families on the roads and/or sidewalks across Montgomery County.  Please take the time to drive safely.

                With your increased vigilance across the county of these future doctors/lawyers/military members/police officers/fire fighters/etc. please also be mindful of two other factors.  Be mindful of the speed limit where you are.  This means that if it is 20mph in your neighborhood do not go 25mph.  If you are late, it is better to be late for work because you drove safely than to be late for work or never show because you killed a child or someone else.  Slow down and save a life.  This also means that it is time to set your cell phone down.  Stop texting and driving.  Not only is it against the law, but when you are looking down you miss the bright yellow school bus in front of you.  You miss the children that are climbing aboard.  You miss the warnings from the mothers who are signaling for you to stop.  You miss your job or class or date because you are in the hospital or jail.  PAY ATTENTION and SLOW DOWN.

                As a mother of two children I implore you to slow down and pay attention.  Too many times I have seen children who should have had plenty of time to safely cross the street almost hit because someone speeds around a curve.  Too many times I have seen people slamming on their brakes at the last minute trying to stop because the bus is loading children.  Too many times I’ve seen teenagers on their way to high school texting and driving.  The same issue arises with adults on their way to work.  When you are the one at the bus stop with the kids you will not care if the person speeding is late for work.  You care only about the children at that bus stop.  It does not matter if they are your child or step child.  You care about each and every child’s safety.  As mothers and fathers of these kids we are asking that Montgomery County takes the times to put the cell phone down, leave a few minutes earlier if you are afraid of hitting school traffic, take the lead out of your shoe, slow down, and pay attention.  We are asking you to remember that you too were once a child.  We ask you to remember that these are sons/daughters/cousins/nieces/nephews/grandchildren.  These children are our future.  Please show you care.  SLOW DOWN, STOP TEXTING AND DRIVING, SAVE A LIFE!

Annoying Colleges

Annoying Colleges
Written By Lillian Watson
August 13, 2014


     In a past blog I wrote about trying to find what Masters program and what college/university to attend.  I did some research and I am really regretting that.  Since starting my research I have found that there are three particular universities who do not let you be. 

     The first one is Liberty University.  I really love their ideals of being a Christian organization.  That is admirable and was one of the reasons I checked it out.  They are now calling me more than Ashford University did before I joined.  Daily there are at least 3 phone calls.  The information sheet I filled out online mentioned that I was going for my masters program.  The admissions counselor told me that Liberty could not help me in pursuit of my Masters.  I thought that funny considering I was looking at their masters programs when I asked for information.  He suggested I go back and get a second Bachelors degree.  When I told him I really wanted a masters he hung up on me.  HORRIBLE service.

     The next university that does not stop is University of Cincinnati.  They are ranked in the top 3 Criminal Justice schools in the nation...or so they advertise.  Then when they get you looking deeper into them you find out that the top ranking is for their PhD. program.  All the fancy wording is for something that you do not even have the option to go for until you complete their masters program.  Then it gets really annoying.  I have gotten no less than 4 emails a day and a phone call from them.  Every day it is the same information.  SPAM.  I would have loved to look into an actual non profit college, but they are really over doing the recruiting.

     The final one on my leave me alone list is University of Phoenix.  Now, I know there are probably a lot of people out there who are going to hate me for this, but after the 7 emails in the first day and 3 each day after I have zero desire to continue to look into a masters program with them.  Add that to the fact that I found out Univ. of Ph and Ashford have the same quizzes word for word and I realized I am tired of for profit schools. 

     I understand that schools are calling/emailing because I requested the information.  I just find it annoying that they continue to shoot emails out one after another every day.  The phone calls and the hang ups are really not making me any happier with the schools.  The more research I have done the more I am leaning toward Nashville School of Law and getting my JD.  I have had zero annoyance from them, and I like the idea of holding a Doctorate. 

     Well, that is all.  I just needed to vent about annoying recruiting practices of colleges.  Have a great day!!!

Can I Let Him Guide Me?

Can I Let Him Guide Me?
Written By Lillian Watson
August 4, 2014

     I sit here today writing a paper in my general education capstone class.  I am supposed to be writing on a blog, a podcast, and a video that talks about a specific topic.  I get to evaluate them on their validity, if they are biased and applicability of information.  It is really hard to find a valid unbiased blog.  Those of us that write these do so because we want to convey information that we feel.  I know that I try to think well rounded, but it does not always happen.  I decided to step away from the assignment for a little bit to relax and not stress as much over a blog.  I started looking at graduate schools AGAIN.

     If you have talked to me in the past 3 weeks you know that graduate school is on my brain.  It has been for almost a year, but more so these past few weeks as I march on toward graduation.  I do know that I do want to get a graduate degree, but what it is in really hasn't been a "OMG YES" moment.  I have looked into Nashville School of Law.  It is a really affordable and local law school here in Tennessee.  My father knows lawyers that have attended there and enjoyed it.  It was my go to choice from day one.  I knew I wanted to be a lawyer.  That is until I took a psychology class.  Oh the joys of criminal psychology.  I loved the class more than I have ever loved any class prior.  It inspired me.  I read books on criminal psychology in my free time now.  The downfall to this though is that a Masters in Psychology is not really marketable.  Same as a masters in Criminal Justice.  I would need to go on to get a PhD in Psychology to even market myself.  I do not want to be a professional student at all (at the moment) because I do not have the money to go to another 6 or so years of schooling.  So, I go back to law.  It is then that I realize NSL is not ABA certified.  The graduates are able to take the bar in Tennessee alone.  While that might not seem like a big deal because I live in Tennessee it is something I look at.  I do not want to end up moving one day because my husband got an amazing job offer and not be able to use my JD.  So, I look into law schools in Nashville.  This is when my heart drops.  The cost of Belmont is a lot higher than I was really wanting to put out for graduate school considering I get $0 in grants for grad school.  Vanderbilt is expensive too, but they do give a lot of scholarships.  The cost still would be too high.  So, I start thinking outside of what I normally would go for and I research other schools.

      Graduating high school I had my dream college picked out.  I was going to go to Lipscomb University.  I did end up getting to go to my first choice on a full scholarship for a year.  I decided that it might not be too bad to look into LU again for a masters degree.  It was then that an idea that had been spinning around in my head and I pushed back came to the front again.  A masters in theology or divinity.  I really researched that.  OH I was excited at that thought.  It was not just LU I was looking into.  I knew that I could take that Divinity degree and become a Chaplain in the prison system.  I knew it would be a way to help others.  I knew it would impact me personally too.  Then reality sat in.  My family did not support it.  I take that back...my sister was my lone supporter.  I had not completely tossed this to the side until today.  Today I was thrown another curve ball.  The church that I left because I did not feel the support or even acknowledgment that I existed came back into play.  It made its way back into my life without me seeking it out.  It snuck in the back way....through a youth organization.  Now, I am questioning if this is a sign from God as a way of saying, "NOPE". 

     I have been asking the Lord for guidance on not only choosing a program, but a school too.  I have learned a lot from Ashford, but I feel like their desire to actually teach is lacking.  There are a lot of teachers who teach at multiple schools as their way of living.  I do not feel like the teachers really even care about their students.  I have had some great teachers, but I've had complete jerks too.  This is why I am really being cautious about my graduate school selection.  I do not want to end up feeling like a number.  Again, I learned a lot because I studied, but I want more.  Today it hit me though, am I really asking God for guidance, or am I saying the words without trusting him to follow through?  I know that Proverbs 3:5 is really reaching out to me today.  I feel like I might be reaching out to him, but not wanting to give complete control over.

     I am not a new Christian, but I have wandered since I accepted the Lord into my life.  Part of that wandering was anger.  Part of that was I felt abandoned.  Part was laziness on my part.  I feel that this is part of the reason that I am hesitant to give up control completely.  I do know that every time I have hit bottom and finally given up control over a situation he has been there for me.  I do know that as long as I lean on him I can overcome obstacles.  I also know that I am hard headed.  It is why I try not to judge other struggling Christians.  I am not without sin, so I will not be casting any stones right now.  I do want to give this completely over to Christ, but with it being such a big deal it is so hard to.  I want the guidance, but I am like a parent on the first day of school....I do not want to let someone else take care of something so important.  I just need to remember that when I finally let go is when my "baby" can grow.  Then and only then will I seen an answer.

     Has there ever been a time in your life that you knew that you needed to give control over to the Lord, but have been hesitant to do so?  What did you do in that case?

Couponing is NOT easy

Couponing is NOT easy
Written By Lillian Watson
July 31, 2014

      The phrase "OMG My hands HURT" has never rang more true than today.  Yesterday was our first time in a very long time to coupon.  We have used them here and there before, but never to the crazy extent we tried it yesterday.  It started out as a way to save some money on groceries, but went well beyond that yesterday.  I clipped over 200 coupons from the internet and our newspaper (oh and we get a version of SS and Red Plum here at the house in the mail).  My hand was killing me.  Then, I learned that you are supposed to get online and see the best sales at some of these couponing sites.  OMG I was comparing prices and coupons for over 5hrs yesterday.  It was CRAZY.  I have some real respect for those of you who do this all the time.  There are still coupons not cut and not filed because I gave up.  BUT, I did get the coupons matched up to the major sales that were listed. 

     We hit up Target, Walmart, and Publix last night.  We started with Publix because their sales were not supposed to switch until today, we were wrong.  Our Publix changed their prices yesterday morning.  So, we were a bit shocked and didn't get a few of the things on the list because they were no longer on sale.  Target was interesting, but I'm not sure I really like the way their sales were done, but hey we were learning.  At Target we got 2 Head and Shoulders with a coupon down to $8 and combined it with an Old Spice deodorant for a little less with another coupon.  That together gave us a $5 gift card at check out.  We used that on Dennis's body wash and deodorant combo pack with a coupon to only cost us a whopping $0.25.  So, not a horrible trip, but it was only a 50% savings on it all.  Not what some of you all are coming out with for like making money.  Walmart was our bigger savings.  Here we ended up getting razors for $0.13 (2 packs) and making money on other things.  We learned about Ibotta and Checkout 51.  They are apps that you download to your phone and after you are done shopping you can get rebates on some of your purchases.  We did this and got $1 back off of juice we spent $0.75 on, $2 back on a plug in we spent $0.38 on, and $1.00 on soap I spent $0.75 on.  So, that was enjoyable.  There were other purchases we got of things we needed and we had coupons for also.  We ended up saving an average of 50% everywhere we went with the coupons.  That was not the main part of the grocery shopping though.  This was just extras we saw on the couponing sites.  Tonight I will actually grocery shop.  LOL. 

     While it was fun, it is a lot of work.  Those of you who have the patience and knowledge of how to do this a lot and not pay but 10% of what the normal cost is I commend you.  You must have awesome patience!!!!  Also, feel free to leave comments sharing how you did it.  I'm all about learning this thing.  Well, I am going to get off of here and get ready for the yard sale I'm having this weekend.  Oh speaking of sales.... check out some of the items at http://lillianwatson.avonrepresentative.com on sale this campaign!!!!

Learn to Recognize

Learn to Recognize
Written By Lillian Watson
July 21, 2014

     Today I am finally completing my last leadership class before starting into my capstones.  OH my goodness I am exhausted and nervous all at the same time.  These past 6 weeks have taught me a lot though about leadership.  There are different aspects to being a leader than most people would actually think.  I noticed though that throughout the class many people brought up that they felt their leadership did not recognize their achievements.  It seemed odd to me that people who worked retail or in an office would expect that, but then the more we read into it the more it made sense.  I have no personal experience with a "job" that recognizes achievements, but I will give some insight on the direct sales aspect today.

     Not getting recognized for achievements can really SUCK.  Over recognizing someone and kissing their butt to a point that the rest of your team wants to vomit is just as bad.  You have to remember that every person who signs with you is reaching goals that the feel are important.  Sometimes allowing a "Give yourself a pat on the back" day where they can share their achievements is a really good idea.  I saw this in effect in a team meeting for another Direct Sales company that brought me in to speak recently.  I was shocked at how happy those ladies were, and when I spoke to one of them afterward they told me that it is part of the reason they love their upline.  Realizing that recognition should not just come when the person is the TOP in sales is a big deal.  Recognizing them when they hit their first $600 month or $1,200 month is a BIG DEAL for them.  This is especially true when they have seen it done for others. 

     A common complaint that I have heard from others in the Direct Sales business is that they are so tired of hearing only about the top sellers every email.  If the same person is reaching $5,000 a month sales every month that is great for them, but they are not the only person on your team.  Stop kissing their butt and realize that there are other women/men out there.  I am not saying do not recognize them for their hard work, but you also need to include other women too from time to time.  Did Sally just graduate college...AWESOME CELEBRATE...buy her an honor cord to wear at her graduation.  Did Suzie just recruit her first girl....SUPER...celebrate with her by recognizing her with a flower.  Did Tom just have his first $1,200 month....YEAH BABY...celebrate by giving him a certificate.  Motivate them to want to continue on.  If you had a team member who did something awesome at a party and you heard about it you should recognize them because someone went out of their way to tell you that.  They deserve the recognition.

      Motivation and recognition often times go hand in hand.  If you do not recognize that someone hit a small goal for themselves then they will loose the motivation.  Even if it is just a shout out on a team website/facebook page do it.  What will it hurt to announce that Mary had her first $400 party?  Keep the spark alive and let them know that even the small things are important.  We talk about how even the small orders we make money off of, but we never mention how even the smallest sales a consultant does brings us in money.  Do not blow off everyone each month because they are not your top in sales.  If they want to celebrate something with them then celebrate it. 

     That is it for today, but before I go DARCEY SHEPARD WAY TO GO!!!!  She had her first $1,200 month recently for Pure Romance, and she is very excited.  She was one of my girls when I sold Pure Romance, and she visited with me today.  I'm very happy for her and all she is achieving with Pure Romance.  Much LOVE to her!!!!

Letting Go SUCKS

Letting Go Sucks
Written By Lillian Watson
July 20, 2014

     Putting together a room can often times be quite easy.  Taking it apart to make it something else can be a lot harder, especially on the emotions.  Do we make it harder on ourselves, or is it something that just happens?

     Today I have been cleaning out the Pure Romance items from my office to make it an office/spare room.  This has been particularly hard on me because I did enjoy doing Pure Romance, and I think I held on for so long because subconsciously I wanted to go back for a while.  I know that I had debated on putting in an order in May just to stay active and keep my downline since I was a Director.  I knew ultimately that it would not benefit my team if I did that, and it was only prolonging the inevitable.  I was going to loose my downline eventually because I knew I did not want to place a $$$$ order to keep them every 6months.  Letting go of it all in such a final way is still hard.

     One of the hardest parts of today was when I cleaned out my FatMax of all the demo items I had, and I came across my recruiting items.  One of those was a photo album full of photos from World Conference.  That was almost a year ago, and time is coming up for it again.  I did enjoy most of WC last year, and the photos reminded me of what I was missing out on.  I'm not sure if I want to keep them or toss them at this point, but I do know that they make me miss some of my sisters.

     Throwing away old catalogs that I have had since I started took me back too.  That made me miss the thrill of starting the business and the knowledge that I had all the opportunities in the world.  Hitting the point I did with Pure Romance had me missing the easier days of when I was first starting.  I missed the fact that it was not super complicated.  I missed the drama being hidden from me because I was so new.  I missed the ability to feel excited at the prospect of going to training instead of knowing that if I didn't go I was going to hear about how I was not setting a good example.  I am not saying everything was bad at the end.  I enjoyed the money that came after I established my business, but I was gone a lot to make sure I felt like I was doing enough.  I felt like if I was not doing $2400 minimum I was letting myself, my team, and my upline down.  More so myself.

     Going further into the cleaning throwing away my business cards was hard.  That was really final.  I really do have NO use for them anymore.  These were in bags, my totes, binders, and other random locations because I would take them everywhere.  It made me miss being able to talk to women about the products and get excited when I helped someone.  I almost wondered if I did do the right thing for a while.  Then from the room next to me my son asked me when the Scout Baseball game was and it reminded me that I likely would have missed that and every friday night if I had kept going just to keep up with my numbers.  I left the business to spend more time with my kids, and it has been great doing so.

     Sometimes things have to change, and while it sucks saying goodbye to a good part of your life it is necessary to have other great things happen.  Spending more time with my kids has been a blessing that has come from stepping down.  I enjoy the fact I get to be the scout leader, the camp counselor, the school volunteer, and more.  I like the fact that I can spend time with my husband every night and go fishing with the family every weekend.  I like the fact that I DO NOT have to schedule my life around my business anymore.  I like being me.  I miss PR, but I like my family time more.

      Well, I better get off to finish cleaning this room up so we can get a new REALLY BIG desk, bed, and new lamp in here.  There is still tons to do, but thankfully the majority of the emotional things are done!!!!  NIGHT.

Time To Stand Out

Time To Stand Out

July 18, 2014

Written By Lillian Watson

     Yesterday I was browsing my newsfeed on Facebook and I noticed a question.  The question was, "What direct sales companies offer at least 35% commission and 20% off your own product? I am looking to sign up with them."  So, this peaked my interest to see how women responded and I clicked on it.  The responses were simple, "XYZ company has 40% commission." etc.  Then I saw the OP ask what the difference between 2 romance companies were, and what another company sold.  Ladies and gentlemen you can not just tell a potental recruit what your commission is and expect them to just sign.  EXPLAIN what your company sells, why you chose it, and what benefits it offers.  Give a testimony.  This is where it is time to stand out.  

     I responded to the woman that she needed to take the time to figure out if there was a company that she already used their products enough that she would be able to sell the product.  You can not just jump into selling Pure Romance for example and have never once used a lubricant.  Well, you can, but it will be really hard to explain why you think that lubricant would be great for another person.  You also can't sell Advocare if you have never used even Spark.  It is hard to tell about a company you have no experience with.  That is why as direct sales consultants it is important for us to make sure that the potential recruit knows what we offer.  It is why MESSAGING the woman would have been better.  It is also why knowing how to recruit will benefit you.  Many of the women I saw respond were not recruiting in a way that would have drawn my attention to them.

     One thing that you want to eliminate is the over abundance of recruiting posts.  If you post that "Scentsy starts at 20%, but you can easily move up to 25% after you reach xyz" you do not then 5seconds later post, "Oh and you can get xyz by recruiting your first person, and then reach abc by adding 3 more people."  First off that first post was fine as long as you also explained how you felt about Scentsy.  Example, "Hi Jane I'm Anna an independent consultant with Scentsy.  It seems as if you have already gotten a wonderful amount of responses, but I wanted to also share about Scentsy.  Scentsy is an absolutely wonderful company that has given me the opportunity to bring in extra income to support my family by selling warmers, amazingly yummy smelling bars, and household scented products.  I have been able to reduce XYZ bill, and I am working on ABC bill.  We offer new consultants a 20% commission with the ability to move up to 25% after selling $XXX.  If you would like to know more information on Scentsy or the Scentsy opportunity I would appreciate the opportunity to share it with you.  Do not feel pressured at all, but my email is Jane@ScentsyChick.com and I'm available to answer your emails usually within 24hrs."  See here you sound professional and not pushy.  You do not seem like you are a tiger ready to pounce at fresh blood.  You also are not telling her that to earn more she has to recruit right off the bat.  She may not be comfortable signing a person her first day out in your company.  So, limit the talk of her recruiting when you are talking.

     If you are meeting a person in person that is a potential recruit DRESS TO IMPRESS and buy them a drink (coffee/tea/soda).  Buying that will set a good impression, and it is a tax write off.  The reason I chose to continue to party with Pure Romance before signing is because I was impressed that they looked professional and not like trash.  Impression is a lot.  I admire that Posh consultants can wear jeans and a Posh shirt to party in.  I admire that about Scentsy too.  When it comes to recruiting though, you want to make a difference and show them that you are going to be a great person to work with.  This can be achieved with jeans, but wear a nice dress shirt pressed.  Look like you mean business.  I will not sign up with a person who is wearing jeans and a tank top.  I will not sign with someone wearing $1 flip flops (and I love flip flops).  I will not sign with someone wearing ratty sneakers.  I will sign with someone who shows enough dedication to her company that she dresses to impress.  

     Another idea for when you are meeting a person is to make sure you have a tablet or computer handy.  Many women will tell you not to do this as it seems pushy.  I liked having my tablet and/or laptop with me because I could easily pull up pictures of the fun I have with Pure Romance.  I often brought my iPad so that if a woman was ready to sign I could help her sign right there without having to print off paperwork.  It also allowed me to help her set up her website immediately, walk her through the training area, and get her trained on her online office.  I am not only tackling the recruiting, but I'm tackling the first day of training also.  Showing her how to do these helps set her up to go explore more when she heads home.  

     If you are not meeting with a new recruit in person please make sure that if you notice they sign with you you contact them with in 24hrs.  Just recently I signed with AVON and I have yet to actually get a CALL from my director.  I got an email (1), but that was almost a week after I signed.  I am not impressed at all.  One simple phone call can make them feel like they actually matter.  Welcome your new team members with open arms.  This is going to make a big difference in the way they see you.  

     Well, I am going to cut it off here.  This is again a lot of information for one post.  I will continue on with it at another time.  There is A LOT of information on how to recruit that I want to share, but we would be here for hours on end.  Next time we will cover Sponsorship Packets.  Remember to start by setting yourself apart from the others and not being a hungry tiger pouncing her food.  Have a great day.

Don't Be THAT Vendor

Don't Be THAT Vendor
July 16, 2014
Written By Lillian Watson

     The vendor event.  That ever so sought after spot that consultants from multiple companies apply and hope they get into to network.  Vendor events are a great way to reach out and network.  You have the opportunity to reach hundreds of people in one location at a time.  For those of you who do parties this is a great way to reach out and book.  For those of you who (like me at the moment with AVON) are doing more direct sales without the party this can be a great way to reach more customers one on one and create a client base.  Many women find these events to be a highly successful way of marketing, and others find them simply annoying.

     When you are considering a vendor event there are a few things that you want to look at.  First thing is are there going to actually be people show up.  I know that might seem like a stupid thing to think of, and you would think the answer would be "YEAH DUH".  Unfortunately it is not that simple.  I have made that mistake not 1x, but 2x.  When I worked Pure Romance I was really excited to do some vendor events.  I signed up for one that sounded like it was going to be the perfect event.  It was inside a hotel, there was already a lot of publicity going on for it, and there were a lot of women I knew who were signed up for it.  I was excited.  I got there early and was placed in a TINY room off to the side.  Nobody knew that anyone was even in this room.  There were 10 of us placed in a TINY room.  We networked inside of there, but the ladies who were shopping never actually came in.  It was a complete BUST.  The next one I did was at the same hotel, but put together by a different person.  This one promised me a front row spot.  I again took the leap and did the event.  TOTAL BUST.  The organizer failed to advertise for the event.  Not a single person came in.  So, when I say actually look into events and find out if people will be there I am being serious.  Tiny room below

     Another thing to look into is the location.  I have quickly learned that hotel vendor shows are not for me.  You also need to look at is your product going to do well at that show.  If you are a consultant of a company that sells romance products, and this is a kids event you might get some leads, but not as many as if you had done a women's health event.  The same would go for a children's toy company at a biker event.  You really need to know the crowd and decide if that crowd would work with your product.

     Next, look into the cost of the event.  This cost is considered an investment in your business and it is a tax write off.  Do you want to put money into an event where it will cost you $300 to set up, but you might not make that back?  If you think you can make that money back through parties, but it is still high then you might want to consider getting with one of your sister/brother consultants or your downline and consider splitting the cost of the booth.  This means that you have to share the leads that come through though.  The cost of the booth can be off putting, but consider it an investment.

     Now, on to the fun part....Setting up your booth space.  If you have the chance to request where you want your booth consider right where people walk in.  You are the first one they will see.  If you know that another company that sells a similar product is going to be there you want to be the first one they see so that you can set the stage.  So, if you sell Scentsy and you know Pink Zebra is going to be there (or vice versa) then see if you can get a booth closer to the front of the event.  You also want to make sure that if you are going to need electricity that you let the organizer know.  Some events charge more for this, but you can not sell some items without showing the customer how they work with electricity.  It will be worth it in the long run to pay that extra money.

     When you are setting up your booth space you want to make sure that it is attractive and not gaudy or trashy.  If your company's main color is pink that is great, but DO NOT make everything pink that is in your booth.  Trust me it will look like someone threw some Pepto into the air and it go over EVERYTHING.  I've been that booth!!!  Take a secondary color and off set the main color.  For example Avon is currently using Pink and Black.  A great way to look classy would be to grab a clean black table cloth and accent it with either a pink Avon mini table cloth, or add a nice hot pink satin table runner across your table.  This would go with signs too.  You want to make sure they know what you sell, but do not over do the signs.  Make sure that your signs look neat and professional.  DIY signs can be great, but not if they are on poster board.  Another way that you can make your booth look trashy is to not decorate it.  Do not overwhelm everyone with the products on the table.  Remember the KISS Method (keep it simple stupid).  Using real flowers on a table is a great way to set the scene, but they can get quite costly if you do events a lot.  Consider looking into fake flowers, but ones that are nice and not paper looking.  If they start to fade or fall apart, it is time to get new ones.  Also, add different levels to your table to utilizing risers.  These can be plastic risers you purchase at a store, or you can improvise with cute things from Hobby Lobby.  Even boxes from your company can work. 

BAD TABLE

      When I say do not make it gaudy or trashy I'm also including do not put something on your table that will make people go "IS SHE SERIOUS" or "OMG" in a bad way.  I was at an event where another consultant from another romance company had a table set up.  First it was not attractive at all.  I'm not just saying that because I was her competitor.  I'm saying that because all she had was her stock on the table with no table cloth, and then she had the OMG NO SHE DIDN'T factor.  Ladies, she put a toy baby in a baby carrier on the table and when asked she said, "Oh if you use my products it leads to this."  First off it was tacky to have the baby carrier on the table.  In the state it is against the law to have kids at the party, so it is NOT ok to have a fake baby on your table.  Second, she just lost business if someone was not in the mood to make babies.  You do not want to exclude customers.  Third, she stated that her products it leads to a baby.  While some people may end up with a baby, you can not say that because it is not proven factual.  She neglected to think about those who have fertility issues, and she neglected to think about her own products which can slow down the sperm.  There are some things that just really need to be thought out before you put them on a table.

A GOOD TABLE

     A lot of women go into the event to sell sell sell.  While that is great, remember you are there to EXPAND your client base.  Making 10 sales that day is great, but did you book any parties?  Parties are your opportunity to reach EVEN MORE customers.  Even for someone like myself who does not want to do parties, I want to get customer information from everyone so that I can call them and invite them to an Open House event, see if they have friends they would like to refer me to, etc.  Making sales is fine if your company allows it, but remember you are trying to expand your client base in the process.  A great way to do this, and to get their info is to have a drawing at your table.  A lot of companies have ballots that you can print off or purchase a head of time that will ask the customer for their Name Address, Email, Phone and if they would like to book a party, make a purchase, or maybe even look into the opportunity.  This is a great way to get info without feeling pushy.  Just ask everyone who comes over to fill out a ballot for a chance to win a free gift.  Give them a business card and/or a sample when they leave the table so that they have something to remember you by.  Catalogs are great to have on hand, but remember most women will throw things away as soon as they get home.  So, sales flyers might be a better option to consider.

     Appearance is EVERYTHING.  I love that a lot of companies allow their consultants to wear jeans and company shirts to network in.  I think that is FUN.  There is a line though that does not need to be crossed.  Ladies and Gents when you do an event you are representing your company and yourself.  Dress to impress.  If you want to wear jeans and your company is ok with that, wear PRESSED CLEAN jeans, nice shoes, and a company shirt.  Make sure that you look good.  Please make sure that you are covered in your midriff, tushy, and breast area.  Do not go to an event looking like a hooker.  Take a shower, do your hair, and if you sell makeup WEAR IT.  Sneakers might be the most comfortable thing you own, but consider a nice pair of loafers or something more business appropriate.  Flip Flops are not something I would wear to an event either.  While they are super comfy (and I live in these at home during the summer) they likely do not show you as being serious about your business.  The exception to this would be dress sandals or if you sell flip flops.  Also, if you sell jewelry, scarves, makeup, purses, etc....USE THEM.  Wear the jewelry or scarf.  Show them that you like your own product.  Do not wear Cookie Lee jewelry if you are selling Lia Sophia (or vice versa).   Below are some ideas for a more business casual look.

     Finally for today (I will do another post on this topic again later), DO NOT SIT.  I can  not tell you how annoying it is to walk up to a vendor booth and the person is sitting down the entire time I am there.  Get up and introduce yourself, show your product, and get to know the customer.  This is a great way to connect and set a great first impression.  Connect by complimenting or commenting on something you noticed (in a good way).  Make them feel special.  USE THEIR NAME.  Sitting down is so off putting I usually do not order from someone who has sat on their tush the entire time I was there.

     That is it for today.  I know that there is so much more I could share, but this is already long enough.  If you have questions feel free to ask.  Have comments SHARE them.  Have a great day.

What is Successful

What is Successful?
July 15, 2014
Lillian Watson

     Over the past week I have noticed a lot of women I know discuss how inspired they are to be successful in their Scentsy business after they returned from the "Scentsy Reunion".  A lot of them asked for advice from successful women in direct sales.  Having done Pure Romance for 3 years, making Director, and having a team of over 20 women prior to deciding to step down (I did not feel the passion anymore for it) I figured I could loan some advice.  I started with the basics of talking to 3 women a day everyday during the month will give you 2 parties a week and 1 recruit a month.  I also shared the get their information when you give them yours, and the know your 30 second commercial.  Most were appreciative of that.  Then I had the one that asked, "Yeah, but I want to be successful.  How do I do that?"

     This is a question that honestly only you can answer.  Women can guide you along the way with tips on how they succeeded in their business, but what may work for one of us may not work for you.  We also do not know what you view as successful.  To me I was successful with Pure Romance when I made my kit money plus some back when I first started.  Then over time my idea of successful changed.  I thought I would be successful when I paid for my first vacation out of PR profit.  DONE.  I kept my idea of successful changing because I wanted something to work forward to.  I viewed successful as achieving my goal(s) for that particular year.

     When I responded to this young lady with that response the response I got back in a private message was along the lines of, "I want to quit my full time job and become a (insert really high ranking Scentsy Person here), and pay for all our bills doing Scentsy."  I explained to her that while that is an AWESOME long term goal to work toward that she would be discouraged if she did not set smaller goals to reach along the way.  I am not saying that you can not want that, and that alone may be enough to drive someone.  When you are just new starting out, and you have not seen that much profit though, it is a hard goal to focus on.  Smaller goals that guide you to that goal is what needs to be focused on.

     If you need to sell $25,000 a year to make XYZ club then divide that 25,000 by 12.  That is around $2100 a month.  Now, break that $2100 into the average party sales.  If your average party is $300 then that would be 7 parties minimum that need to be held each month.  Always overbook parties too because you never know if one will cancel (and usually there is at least 1), and this way you will make up for any smaller parties that happen.

     Next thing you want to do now that you know what you need each month is figure out a way to achieve those parties and sales.  That means it is time to SELL YOURSELF.  In Clarksville there are TONS of Scentsy consultants.  Show me (don't tell me....show me) why I should buy from YOU.  Customer care is essential because your biggest form of advertisement will be WORD OF MOUTH.  That is the highest honor that a sales consultant can have.  One idea that I have used in the past is rewarding my hostess with free money to spend at any party that books off of hers.  I have also given free product to those who have shared my name with friends who booked the party OUTSIDE of a party.  I have sent THANK YOU cookies from www.Cheryls.com to my hostesses over $xyz in sales.  $5 for a cookie including shipping might seem like a lot for a cookie, but think about the way the hostess is going to think that was a really sweet thing to do.  The same can be done for Birthdays of past hostesses who went above and beyond.  There is a lot that you can do to show your customers you care and appreciate what they do.

     So, now you know what you need, you have your parties and awesome customer service ready, now what.......  Now, you wow your crowd.  DO NOT be that boring consultant who everyone forgets.  KNOW your product.  If you are selling Scentsy talk to them about their rooms, and show them a few products that might look good in their room.  Work with them to make it a memorable experience.  Also, UPSELL.  If Jane orders Paradise Punch for her bathroom because she has a set of boys who are smelly, suggest another equally strong scent along those lines.  Remind her that Scentsy sells BUNDLES.  If you have a customer who has a long wish list, but she can not get it all tonight.....BOOK A PARTY.  There are a lot of ways to work with your customers to make sure they are getting what they want, you are getting the sales you need, and everyone is happy.



     Now, you want to build your team.  First though, are YOU ready to handle the responsibility and demands of leadership?  This means that women are going to call you with questions at random times.  Are you ready to set your foot down, create office hours, and stick to them?  Are you ready to mentor someone to start their business?  Are you ready to put yourself out there and ASK if they want to join your team?  Are you excited to lead?  These are all questions that you need to consider when you are thinking of starting your own team.  You are not just signing someone and tossing them to the side.  You are signing someone who has put their faith in you to help them reach their goals.  Think about the help that you wanted when you first joined, and do that and more.  Remind them though that it is their business, and that you are there to guide them not run it for them (say that in a nice way).  If you are ready for this then, share your story at each party.  You never know who you are going to touch.  Tell them your why.

     Knowing your why is the most important thing out of everything.  Your why is not "Because I want to make a ton of money."  WHY do you want to make a ton of money?  Do you have bills you want to pay?  Do you have a child you need to care for?  Your why should be something that can be measurable.  This will also help you realize how important it is to reach those monthly goals.  If you need to make $400 a month to cover extra bills and you make 20% of your sales then you need to sell $2,000 a month to make that $400 a month.  Now that you know to cover your bills you HAVE to sell that $2,000 you have you WHY you are going to go out there and ROCK your parties.  Do not get upset if you do not reach it your first month.  Use that to drive you further.  YOU CAN DO IT.  Take that desire and drive to do it and MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Like I mentioned before being successful is different for everyone, but it is something a lot of people work toward.  Know what you want to achieve to be successful, break it down, and then make it happen.  Being successful in a Direct Sales business takes time and effort, but it can be done.  It is not a magical thing that happens over night.  You will have to work on getting there and maintaining it.  When it happens though, it is a magical feeling.  And remember...YOU ARE YOU ONLY....do not measure your success off someone else.  Make your own!!!!!

Anniversaries Do Not Have To Be The Societal Norm

Anniversaries
July 12, 2014

Yesterday Dennis and I celebrated 11 years of marriage.  I started searching on Pinterest for ideas of what to do for dinner.  I had hoped to make steaks for dinner, but they were still frozen.  I got to thinking (well, actually stressing) about what I could do to spoil my husband.  Over the past few years he has began to love my beer boiled chicken, so I decided to go outside of the normal "romantic" dinner and made the chicken.  He was happy with it, and that right there is what marriage is about...making each other happy.

We had set today aside to celebrate our anniversary together because we had expected to have childcare.  Things happened and that fell through for us.  To make up for it we rented the new 300 movie and let the kids choose where we went for dinner.  Doing that it helped remind me that when we said our vows 11 years ago we were starting our family.  Why do anniversaries have to be just the husband and wife when we are celebrating the establishment of a family?  So, for those of you who run into the problem of no childcare get the kids involved.  They can celebrate right along with you.  We did decide though that having time alone together is essential every now and then, so the tickets we purchased for our anniversary gift to each other to the Titans vs. Green Bay game is going to be our anniversary celebration.  Even if it is a month late we are still celebrating.

Over the years Dennis and I have done things that people considered odd for anniversaries.  We have been hiking, camping, fishing, among other outdoor activities.  When he was deployed before I would send him letters and a box of his favorite snacks.  He has sent flowers, and even had a few gifts sent to his mom's house so she could surprise me with it when I was feeling down about him being gone.  These are all things that are not the norm (minus the flowers), and things we have been told we are crazy for doing for anniversaries.

We need to remember that we are not all the same, and sometimes what we want to do might not be what everyone else wants us to do.  Who cares though?  They likely are not paying for it, so do not worry about it.  Anniversary celebrations are meant for you and your partner not everyone else.  Forget about what society thinks and do what you want.  What do you all do for your anniversary?

Why Are We Not Happy

Why Are We Not Happy?

Written by Lillian Watson

July 11, 2014

Yesterday I was browsing books at the local Books-A-Million, enjoying the nice quiet atmosphere there.  Being the mom of 2 boys and a Cub Scout Den leader quiet is not something I am used to, but when I get to experience it I do enjoy it.  I noticed while I was looking over the Psychiatry books trying to decide if I wanted the Psychopath Whisperer or not that there were a lot of women in the self help, inspiration, motivation (whatever you want to call it) area.  The men were browsing the sports/electronics/DIY area or the magazines.  It got me thinking, are we as women ever happy with ourselves?  Now, I know that there are women out there who might say that they love themselves just the way they are, but we all know that in the back of our brains there is something going, “Man I really do not like my____” or “I need to do something about _____.”  What leads us to this though?

A few years ago there was a video going around on social media sites that had women describe what they thought of themselves to a sketch artist, and then a complete stranger who had just met them would come in behind them and describe them to a sketch artist.  Usually what they thought of themselves was a lot more negative than what the stranger saw.  They were harder on themselves.  Some may claim it was staged, but even if it was it covered something that women today do to themselves.  We over analyze and are never happy.  I will be the first to admit that I do it too.  Hi, I’m Lillian and I’m an over analyzer who is hard on myself.

The part that really bothers me about all of this though, is that we are relying on others through these self help books to tell us how to make our lives better.  The ironic thing about it was that most of the books I saw women picking up were written by MEN.  They were picking up books on how to be a better woman written by a man.  What do men know about being women?  Why do we rely on men to tell us how to be women?  Is part of our problem that we rely on men to tell us how to be women?

I will be one of the first people to admit that sometimes it is nice to read that someone has gone through something similar to you.  I did that when I lost a pregnancy back in 2007.  I purchased a book that was written for a grieving mother.  Is that why we go to these “Personal Growth” books, to understand we are not alone? 

Growing up, most of us had that one friend we could trust and lean on.  Most of us had a group of friends we could talk to.  Now, it seems like as adults many of us do not keep anyone besides family close enough to talk to when we need them.  We might have 1 or 2 people, but not the group of friends that you really trusted when you were younger.  When I got on to Facebook I began to understand why.  Ladies we are hard on ourselves and we do not keep many friends close by because we are MEAN. 

I am not saying that men are not mean, but ladies we are down right mean to each other.  I can now see why women are relying on complete strangers to tell them how to be in a book.  Being a woman in today’s society should have been easier than it was for our mothers.  Instead it is harder because we are not only over critical of ourselves, but over critical of others.  Women used to stand and fight for one another, but today women sit and type criticizing every move other women make.  Women judge others because their breasts are too big/too small, a woman is too fat/too athletic, a woman has a homemade bag/name brand bag, etc.  NOTHING is ever just right.  If a woman goes out dressed up nice she is snobby.  If a woman goes out in sweats she is dirty.  If a woman goes out in Jeans and a tshirt she is lazy.  If a military wife carries a bag supporting her husband she is a dependa.  If she carries a Coach bag she is a dependa.  If she carries a knock off she is a wannabe.  If a plus size woman is at the gym working out she is made fun of because she is not skinny.  If that same woman doesn’t work out she is a fat slob.  If a girl is skinny she is a druggie, but if she puts on weight she is getting fat.  Ladies I know why men write the books, it is because women can not write a book about being a woman since women are over judgmental and nothing is ever good enough.

Many women out there will say, “Don’t put your pictures on Facebook if you do not want judgement.”  So, if we share pictures on Facebook with our “friends” we are setting ourselves up to be judged.  If we do not share pictures we are hiding something, or are not proud of ourselves.  Well, what about those who take pictures of others to shame them online?  They didn’t put their stuff on the internet.  Why are we now judging each other more than any other generation?

One theory I have is that we are judging others because we want to know that others are as flawed as we think WE are.  This goes back to the we do not want to be alone thing.  We want to make sure that we are not feeling like the only loser out there.  The more we criticize though the more judgmental we as a society become.  It then comes  back to bite us in the tush when something we wear/do/have is not “perfect” and we are caught being the newest loser publicly ostracized.  Eventually we all are.

With the over use of social media (and yes, I am very guilty of this) society now has access to what others are doing 24/7.  Instead of only being able to gossip over tea/coffee/lunch, we now have access to gossip and criticism 24/7.  When we are feeling down about ourselves we now have the option to jump on Facebook and publicly criticize someone else so that we feel a little better about ourselves.  What was created as a way to connect friends world wide has become a way to now criticize world wide.  Instead of uniting friends it is dividing us.  More people stay inside on the computer now.  We do not look up from our phones when we are out.  We stay disconnected because we are trying to stay “connected”.

So, do we really need more “Personal Growth” books written, or do we need to disconnect more?  I want to challenge more women to log off Facebook on your phone/iPad/computer/tablet more.  I myself am going to take this challenge because I am on too much.  I log on to chat with friends, but instead I’m drawn to games and stupid vent sites that pop up on my news feed.  I’m challenging myself to log off, and if I want to chat to actually call someone now (amazing concept I know).  I challenge women to log off for a day or two, spend more time with your family, read a book, play a BOARD GAME (you know those things we have in our closets in boxes that we NEVER play anymore because of the electronic versions), go camping, do a craft project, do something OFF of the internet.  Yes, that includes Pinterest.  I also challenge you to look deep inside of yourself and figure out what you do not like about yourself.  Then I want you to talk to your partner or close friend about it and come up with a plan to make you feel better about it.  We cannot stop judging others if we are unhappy with ourselves, but we need to stop judging others and become happy with who we are.  Stop relying on books/magazines/websites to tell you who you should be, and just become someone you want to be and are proud of.  Empower yourself.