The Cost Of Selling Instead Of Sharing

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Tracey's Avon Cafe under Direct Selling, Home Business, small busniness

As some of you may or may not know, I am a direct seller, Avon being my brand company. I’ve been at this on and off over the years with various degrees of success. However, during the past year or so, I’ve had to make some changes in my life and realized that my Avon business had to be taken more seriously. I had lost my full-time job, was working only part-time and then late last summer, I moved south to help my mom. Though my job was only part-time, it was a source of steady income and Avon helped out from time to time with miscellaneous expenses. But my move south entailed leaving my job, and having to find work in a new and different location. I managed find another part-time job but as you may have guessed, it’s not enough.

So this brings me to the imperative of having to jump-start my business. This past weekend, I endeavored to have an eparty and invite my current customers and my Facebook and Twitter friends. I was thinking that surely in this climate of social networking, my friends would come out and support me, right? Wrong. Only 1 or 2 responded to my invitation. So, what did I do wrong? Probably a myriad of things, but I think that the main thing was that I was not social enough in the past. What do I mean by that? Instead of telling the my friends on Facebook and Twitter the current sales that Avon is having or the great new product that is out, I should have been more communicative and more mindful of the needs of my Facebook and Twitter pals. Not sell, but talk, ask questions, share information. No surprise that no one answered my calls for help. I was a used car salesman instead of a trusted friend and business associate.

Consequently, I learned a very valuable and unfortunately perhaps a costly lesson. First, I forgot one of the most important rules and tips that Avon gives to its representatives. Don’t sell, share the opportunity. Further, Facebook , Twitter, etc is there for businesses to showcase their presence. Yes, there are there to help put your business front and center. But one must also remember that they are social networks. So go ahead. Share & share alike.

Sharing The Dream

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Tracey's Avon Cafe under Home Business

Today is Martin Luther King Day. It is also the second inaugural of President Barack Obama, America’s first African American President. We have indeed come a long way since Dr. King marched on Washington.

With the Civil Rights Movement that was passed in the 1960’s, there have been a lot of gains for minorities throughout the country. With the ending of segregation, the right to go to the school of your choosing, to eat at any restaurant, to shop at any store was hard fought but was won. These are rights that are taken for granted today. However, the work that Dr. King started is an ever and ongoing thing. We must never forget what was fought for, and why it was fought for, lest we fall victim to our past mistakes. We must all, together keep the message of equality and peace uppermost in our hearts and minds.

Yes, we have come a long way, but we still have a way to go to fulfill Dr. King’s dream. Let’s try to travel that road together.

Reset 2013

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Tracey's Avon Cafe under Direct Selling, Home Business, small busniness

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a great holiday season. I did as I got a chance to spend time with my family and friends. Also had time to reflect on the coming new year and what would be ahead for me. Last year, like everyone else I suppose, I had a number of resolutions and goals that I wanted to set and accomplish. Some goals were met, but not all. I would like to change that for this year. So that being said, I would like to share some inspirational blogs and articles that may help me and you to not only set goals but find ways to stick to them and make them happen.

So on that note, I would like to share a blog by Julie Anne Jones. Who is Julie Anne Jones? She is a direct sales corporate consultant and trainer, an ICF accredited life and business coach and the CEO of Julie Anne Jones Inc. She teaches personal development, coaching and mentoring skills, direct sales leadership, party presentation tools and how to get bookings, recruiting and host coaching.

I hope that you find this blog and the future blogs and articles useful. Please feel free to comment here and on Julie Anne Jones’ blog as well. If there is something that you would like to know more about, please let me know and I will endeavor to try to find it for you. Thanks so much and looking forward to sharing more with you going forward.

Mondays, Mindset, Motivation, and Manifestation

By Julie on January 15, 2013 No Comments

“If each Monday morning, you make a choice to move into the new work week with renewed commitment and passion, you can change all areas of your life. You can truly change your Mondays and change your life.” ~David Cottrell

For years, every Sunday evening, I’ve been making what I call a Master Manifestation list. It’s a list that allows me to pencil out what my quarterly projects are, what my current goals for the week are, and what I’ll do each of the following 5 work days (specific action steps) to move toward those goals. This one concept has completely changed the way I work and has increased my productivity beyond anything I ever dreamed possible. I get more done in the same amount of time I had before with much less stress. All because I step into each week with a clear sense of purpose.

I think it boils down to three fairly simple things for me. Mindset, motivation, and manifestation. Let me clarify.

Mindset – Every Monday, because I’ve taken the time on Sunday night to fill out my Master Manifestation List, I’m stepping into my week with a clear mindset. I’ve reminded myself of my purpose and my values (which are printed at the top of the template for my list). I’ve defined for myself the “theme” of my week (right down to changing the photo on my list to match that theme). So my mindset it clear. Without that, I drift through my week without a purpose.

Motivation – This is the second part of my planning for the week. It’s tied to my projects and goals. Every quarter when I do my quarterly planning, I define my five areas of focus. Those areas are written down on my list, and my weekly goals come from those areas. Renewing my commitment to what I’ve chosen to focus on every single week fuels my motivation to move into action.

Manifestation – This is where the rubber meets the road for me. It’s all of the things I do in order to make my goals a reality. I always say that action is the key to success. By writing down daily action steps for meeting my weekly goals on my Master Manifestation List, I nail down my commitment. That way, when something else “pops up” on Tuesday that’s not on my list, it’s much easier for me to say no to it, add it to my list of things to accomplish next week or next month, and continue to focus on the plan I’ve made to manifest the goals I’ve set for the week.

Really, who would have thought that something as simple as a modified, much improved “to do” list could make such a difference? It literally takes me less than 10 minutes each Sunday to complete it. That sort of blows me away!

Mindset, motivation, and manifestation. It’s really that simple! What do you think of this idea?

Julie Anne Jones is a success language consultant, a direct sales coach and trainer, and the CEO of Julie Anne Jones, Inc. She is known for her authentic and easy-to-use scripting and specializes in specific language and tools for success in direct sales. To learn more about Julie Anne and her products and services, and to read more blog posts, visit her at www.julieannejones.com.

Pretty In Pink

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Tracey's Avon Cafe under Direct Selling, Home Business, small busniness

It is well-known that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. And though October is coming to an end I would just like to thank and congratulate The Avon Foundation for it’s 20 years of work of awareness, research, education, screening and more. Here is Avon’s celebrity spokesperson and Global Ambassador giving a brief history of the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade:

I am honored to be an Avon Representative and proud to be able to do my small part by offering fundraising Pink Ribbon Products. 100% of the net profits from these products will be donated to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade.

“As part of the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, the Avon Foundation for Women provides funding to breast cancer programs operating in three areas: scientific research, safety net access-to-care programs for the medically underserved, and outreach programs focused on education and screening.” This quote was taken directly from the Avon Foundation website. If you would like to learn more about The Avon Foundation and the great work it does, please go to: http://www.avonfoundation.org/causes/breast-cancer-crusade.

Thank you so much for allowing me to share this important and life saving information with you.

Remembering September 11th

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Tracey's Avon Cafe under Home Business

Speak Out Against Domestic Violence

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Tracey's Avon Cafe under Direct Selling, Home Business, small busniness

If you had a choice of buying a latte or help to support the fight against Domestic Violence, what choice would you make?

One in three women worldwide will be a victim of domestic violence in her lifetime. At Avon, we are committed to empowering women. The Avon Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program has committed nearly $40 million, in over 50 countries, to organizations and programs focused on awareness, education, direct services and prevention programs to help end the cycle of domestic and gender violence. Here are just a few programs that are being implemented this year:

Reese Witherspoon with Avon Chairman & CEO Andrea Jung at the 2nd World Conference of Women’s Shelters

2012 brings a host of new Avon Foundation initiatives and programs that are speaking out on behalf of the domestic violence cause.

In honor of International Women’s Day 2012, Avon Foundation Honorary Chairman Reese Witherspoon helped launched the new Empowerment Circle of Support Necklace, with 100 percent of net profits donated to the Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program.
Reese also appeared with Avon Chairman & CEO Andrea Jung at the 2nd World Conference of Women’s Shelters, where they awarded four outstanding global non-profits with Avon Communications Awards to acknowledge the NGOs’ pioneering, successful domestic violence communications campaigns.
The Avon Foundation for Women announced the Ending Violence @ Home app challenge, a partnership with the Institute of Medicine. The challenge encourages domestic violence experts and technology enthusiasts to combine their talents to create mobile or online apps that will help prevent violence against women and children.
In order to provide an accurate count of the adults and children seeking services from domestic violence programs throughout the U.S. the Avon Foundation has funded the Domestic Violence Counts: the National Census of Domestic Violence Services, an annual census produced by the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV).

These are just a few of the latest developments. For more information, check out the new global Speak Out webpage: http://www.avonfoundation.org/globalspeakout/

The Empowerment products that the Avon Foundation offers helps to make these programs survive and thrive. Your $5.00 will go a long way. 100% of net profits will be donated to the Avon Foundation for programs dedicated to ending violence against women. The Domestic Violence Resource Guide FREE with purchase.

I hope that you will help to speak out against Domestic Violence. If you are interested in any of the Empowerment items, please feel free to contact me or go to http://www.youravon.com/traceyfisher.

Thank you for allowing me to share this with you and for your support.

Goals: The Journey Contiues

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Tracey's Avon Cafe under Direct Selling, Home Business, small busniness

It has been a while since my last post. I had talked about re-booting my direct sales business and one way to do that was to set some goals. I had attempted to do that in the past and elaborated about my varied and haphazard attempts on trying to reach them. When I left off, I had not made a decision as to what my target goal should be. Well I am happy to inform you that I have finally made a decision. Moreover, I made a plan of action and put the plan in motion. Go me!

My goal is to focus on building up my online Avon business. You would think that it would be easy, just send out my website address and wait for the orders to come pouring in. Wrong! Been there, done that, just don’t have the t-shirt. First thing I did was poll my customers and ask what they would be interested in. The answer was a customer rewards program. Okay, then what type of program? Discount off of each order, customer referral, free gift? There are a lot to choose from. After some research I decided on a points system where if a customer places an order from me via my online store for direct delivery, they would gain a certain amount of points. When they reached 100 points, they would get rewarded with a free gift. I also had to make the gift a worthwhile goal so I decided on a gift card. Wow! What a difference planning makes. I not only gained a lot of new online orders, but I also made a profit as well! Who knew? Okay, maybe a lot of people who plan this sort of thing knew, but it was a revelation to me.

So to sum up: I made a decision on a goal, made a plan to implement it, and then put that plan into action. Mission accomplished? Not by a long shot, but this does give me incentive to keep on track and not get lazy about my business.

Has anyone started on their goals? If so, I would love to hear about it. As I mentioned in my last post about this, it makes it lot easier knowing that there is someone out there taking the journey with me.

Till next time my Goal Warriors!