Song of My Heart Demonstrators

Coping with a group growth spurt

As I write this, many of us recently had a large number of new members join our group due to a great Starter Kit promotion.  Now that our initial exultation has worn off, we need to focus our thoughts on our own retention rates and making sure those new demonstrators get the most out of their exciting start. And we're possibly feeling slightly overwhelmed at the magnitude of the change that happened to our group-- practically overnight.

Here's some tips for making the adjustment go more smoothly. The first three are the most important, and in the order I would do them.

First things first: send all your new members a welcome card. The joy of stamping is most likely what drew them to Stampin' Up in the first place, and they will be so excited to receive a handmade card from you. I always include my business card and encourage them to contact me with questions. I wish them the best on their SU journey, whatever they choose to make of it, and encourage them to dream big. No matter how many downline you have and how "old hat" this routine has become, remember that for each of them, this is their own individual experience--so be enthusiastic, because they're excited out of their heads!

Secondly, congratulate the recruiters. Another card goes out to each of them, and recognition at your meeting. It's a good idea to personally speak with each one about the importance of being an available and enthusiastic upline, but especially coach those who have just gained their first downline. Encourage them to start a regular group get-together, if not an official meeting just yet. And help them foster their own sense of "group" by selecting a name and using that in their communications. Let them know that while you support all your levels, they are still responsible to train and support their new downlines just as if you were not around.

Third, make sure all your various address books, databases, Yahoo groups, Rolodex, cell phones and email lists are updated with the latest contact info for your entire downline. Make sure no one gets left out of your communications accidentally. Send out a welcome email to the group right away so they are in the loop about the next meeting and what all is going on.

Another good step to take would be to replenish your recruiting folders. Order new materials as needed now so that you are prepared for future waves (I don't know about you, but mine seem to come in bunches rather than singly). I recently had to up the amount of product I purchase for my prize basket to prevent running out of goodies to give away. It was an exciting moment! It takes money to make money, so don't begrudge or feel guilty about the investment in business materials and other things that this group growth spurt necessitates.

You should also review what you do for incentives and rewards for your downlines and see if it is still feasible with your new larger group. Set realistic policies now (and write them down), looking towards future growth. What would be affordable to do for a group of twenty might break the bank to do for forty.Your group members will understand if you need to make adjustments in the way you do things like your meeting locations or your borrowing policies.

Maybe this growth spurt you also need to look at setting some limits to protect your family time. You can be an involved and supportive upline and still maintain balance. Let your downline know what phone number you prefer them to use, and at what point in the evening you stop taking phone calls for the night. I encourage you to set one or two days a week where you will not conduct group business. For me, these days are Sundays and Wednesdays. My group just knows that unless it is utterly urgent, their best bet is to call 1800 STAMP UP on those days.

Plan ahead: look at the calendar and make sure you are proactive  about communicating about quarterly deadlines, minimums, pending month and more. Don't lose half your new members within the year because of  inertia. While you can't force anyone to stay active, you can do your best to encourage group ties and make sure they have the basic knowledge they need to keep  their demoships--in time for them to do something about it.

Lastly, take time to celebrate. When we first start getting recruits, each one just makes our whole week. We beam with delight at the thought of it. But as recruits become more commonplace, that euphoria doesn't last. You did a LOT of work during that recruit blitz, and sometimes as we gain a lot of downline and the shine wears off, we forget to take that important few seconds to pat yourself on the back. Each recruit represents another responsibility for you, yes--but also another layer of fun, another new friend, and more creativity, self-esteem and personal growth for your group. What a privilege it is to be their guide in the journey! You SHOULD feel great about that. Reward yourself with whatever floats your boat--chocolate, a new stamp set, some cash towards a special fund. Maybe better not do chocolate if you gained TOO many recruits at once! : )

I hope these thoughts have been helpful to you if you are in the same place I am right now. It is a unique and exciting challenge laid before us, and I know we can rise to the occasion. Feel free to pipe in with ideas you have about coping with unexpected growth in your group.

Dream--and celebrate--BIG, friend!

When your customers turn into your downline

Congratulations! You just lost your best customer. No, she didn't drop off your OEX list because she's upset--she dropped off because she's EXCITED--and now she's become a demo, too. And you are excited, too... sort of.

Well, actually, you're a little worried, to tell the truth. You know that your sales are going to suffer without the big orders from this customer. You might even find yourself worrying about minimums again, and it's been a long time since you did that. And now, you have competition from her to worry about as well. Her friends and family will naturally start ordering from her instead of you.

Ok, maybe more than a little worried... maybe a lot.

There's a big sign-up promo going on as I write this, and many of you have expressed this paradox of emotions. You know you're supposed to be excited, but actually, once the initial euphoria wore off, the experience has been a little deflating. I completely understand, because I've been there--and still I go there regularly. Surprised? I hate to break it to you, but this is one aspect of small-business-hood that, while it may get easier, never quite goes away altogether.

I'd like to share some lessons I've learned/am still learning about the process we undergo when a good customers turns into a downline. I wrote this article to deal specifically with the loss of additional customers when someone signs up and takes them with her, which you may find helpful. But for today's post, let's focus on the mix of emotions sometimes present with a recruit.

Many, many demos are afraid to recruit their best customer because they can't see past the roadblock of lost sales. I can't emphasize enough that you need to be focusing on what is best for your group, not yourself. Your group may consist of ten people or a hundred, or it might just be you. Quit thinking of yourself as a struggling individual and start thinking of yourself as a fledgling group. What is best for the group? Stagnation? Fear? Reservations? No! Growth, of course.  What's good for the group is good for you.

A major problem I've been seeing a lot of lately is that many demos (self-professedly business demos) are still thinking like a hobbyist. The hobbyist only sees how changes affect themselves. The business demo needs to think for her whole group. Stop dreaming small! Dream BIG!

This is a process, and one I remind myself of when I suppress that internal sigh, realizing that the process of continually procuring customers is never ending. Your customer base is in a constant state of flux, and you will never reach a state where you do not have to work at your business. That's why they call it "work"... because it takes work! We're blessed that it is FUN and REWARDING work, but we should never let ourselves become deceived into thinking that it is possible not to work at it and still receive the same rewards and benefits. An unknown author says, "All the so called secrets to success in the world will not work unless YOU do."

I've beat this dead horse a dozen times already, but I'll say it again: You MUST focus on the long term. Yes, I will fully admit that in the short term, there is sometimes little that is tangible to be gained from the initial acquiring of a recruit, and some harmful side effects seem to take center stage. But take the long view, and the potential for income and promotion, and more importantly (to me anyway), personal growth and friendship, are exponential.

Business maturity is reached when the demonstrator can put aside her own immediate desires and gratification for the long term good of her entire group. As with childhood and young adulthood, the process of maturing takes time, and involves learning the hard way sometimes. Don't let yourself be a demonstrator who is stuck at the toddler stage...move on, learn the lessons, gain the experience. The toddler stage is rewarding, yes, but we're all glad when our children move out of it!

I may not have convinced you to plunge ahead and ignore your inner reservations about your customer signing up. That's ok, but I hope you will be brave enough with your business to not allow yourself to be motivated by fear, and say no to the fantastic opportunity to be an upline. It is one of the best and most fun decisions I ever made. You'll have to make this leap of faith, on my word and the words of others more experienced. As with so many things in life, sometimes you will be making the step whether or not you are happy with it, so you might as well decide to be excited about it. Embrace uplining with enthusiasm, and resolutely take the long view, and your journey will become so much the richer for the friends who come alongside you.

Dream BIG, friend!

Lyssa

Product Challenges for your Downline Meetings

One of the aspects of my monthly Song of My Heart meetings that my downlines and adoptees enjoy is our Product Challenges. I will assign a certain embellishment, paper, or Big Shot die cut each month, and they must bring it back fully completed the next month. I sometimes award all them a little prize, and other times I put the names of everyone who completed the challenge into a drawing for a little larger prize.

This is a simple challenge that only takes a few minutes during a meeting, and takes very little time to prep, but acheives several desireable results with your group.

First, it gets them creating. We all know that if you only ever buy merchandise and never use it up, you will eventually become overwhelmed and quit. We have to create opportunities for people to use all the products they buy, and that includes our downlines. 

Secondly, a product challenge means you wind up with a wide variety of finished products, so each member's creativity is sparked not only by their own experience with the product, but with every one else's, too. Say you have ten downline members and gave each person a piece of lace to use one month. You will probably wind up with ten different ideas of how to use lace on your projects.

Third, a product challenge means you can get people out of their comfort zones (including yourself!) Many of my ladies would never have ordered the Waffle Paper, for example, if they did not see it in person, handle it, and use it successfully. Therefore, their customers are less likely to order it as well. It's a small investment to give everyone a Vintage Trinket, or a piece of DSP, or a die-cut Big Shot box, but it pays off down the road in multiple ways.

Lastly, a product challenge gives you the opportunity to reward members of your downline that might not ever earn any of the sales or recruiting awards every month. It can be disheartening when the same people win the prizes month after month, sometimes year after year. A product challenge will give you a chance to shake things up and send different people home with warm fuzzies each month.

So you can see there are many good reasons to start instituting a fun product challenge in your monthly meetings. When possible, I usually try to make the challenge revolve around a new mini or whatever is on special (and of course, whatever I have enough of on hand for my group). If you don't want to provide the item for them to use, just assign a technique (one that everyone should have the supplies for) or assign a color challenge (again, keeping it open-ended enough so that even newbies with a smaller stash can participate). Here are some generic ideas that you can do as a quick, inexpensive challenge:

• six inches of new ribbon or fiber
• die-cut item from the Big Shot (choose one that few of them have ordered)
• paper daisy or piece of Hodgepodge Hardware
• a piece of fabric, wood sheets, magnet sheets, cork, etc
• one to three specialty brads or other small embellishments
• 6x6 square of DSP
• a partial sheet of rub-ons or partial Simply Scrappin' kit
• a plain lunch sack or gift sack
• a particular punch shape (give them a couple so they can experiment)
• single stamped image on a rectangle of Very Vanilla or Whisper White
• a quarter sheet run through a particular embossing folder
• a Top Note shape cut from blackboard Decor Elements
• Chipboard pieces
• single unassembled card from one of the Simply Sent kits
• a Sweet Treat cup
• one of the laser-cut note cards and envelopes

Depending on the size of your downline, some of these may not be financially feasible, but most are inexpensive, and most require pretty much no planning ahead. So there's no reason not to try this at your next meeting, and every reason to give it a shot and watch the group benefit from this fun addition to your monthly get togethers.

Dream BIG!

When your new recruit wants your customers

Today I'd like to address a topic I see come up again and again in the various demonstrator forums and chat sites I visit. It's also a situation that has happened to me personally nearly every time I've signed a new downline in our small town. How do you handle it when you sign up a new recruit and she "steals" your customers?

This is probably the number one obstacle to recruiting and moving past the hobby demo stage. Fear of losing the customers you have worked hard to keep.

Fear is almost never a healthy motivation. Fear cripples your business and prevents you from achieving your full potential. Decide right now that you don't want to be motivated by fear. Les Brown once said, "Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are too busy living our fears."

So what can we do, when we find a "hot one," and start thinking about the potential impact on our businesses?

First of all, it's your responsibility to always be infusing fresh blood into your customer base. You should never be sitting on your laurels. Routine breeds complacency. Never take your customers for granted. Always be breaking into new groups, new social circles, trying new classes, finding new ways to advertise. If you have four customers and one of them signs up and takes her two friends with her, you're in big trouble. But if you have ten customers and five good leads in the hopper, and a full calendar of workshops and events planned, and your new recruit takes her two friends, you're in a much better place to recover from loss.

Maybe you're going through this scenario right now. Make a plan that next time this happens, you will be better prepared to bounce back because you will not let yourself get complacent and be satisfied to sit on the bench and watch your business walk by.

Secondly, keep in mind that there is no "stealing" involved. Unlike some direct sales companies, in Stampin' Up, we don't have "zones" or "regions" to which we have a right to all the leads and customers in the area. That's a wonderful thing for two reasons: first, it keeps us old-timers on our toes, remaining creative with our projects and constantly improving our customer service; and secondly, it makes it much easier for the new demos to break into the area and make themselves a niche. I really do believe there's a niche for everybody, no matter how many demos are in your town. But that's another article! 

Finally, when a new demo "takes" customers away from her upline, in many cases, it's a matter of logistics, friendship and family. There is no malice intended, and none should be taken. Maybe she sees those people every Sunday at church or during a weekly playgroup. It just makes social sense that they will become her customers. Sometimes the recruit was friends with those customers long before you knew them, in many cases, seeing them on social levels you never do.

She may also be related to a bunch of them, in which case it should be more obvious to you that you will lose those customers when she signs up. Forewarned is forearmed. If the potential of the loss of some of your customers does not blindside you, you will be in a much better mental place to deal with it when and if it happens.

Every once in a while you will have the misfortune to run across some who does literally attempt to "steal"customers in an underhanded, less than ethical manner. If it hasn't happened to you yet, it probably will sometime in your direct sales career. However, in my experience, it is an extremely rare situation. Most new recruits are simply so excited and enthusiastic that they have no concept of the mental turmoil you are going through. They haven't been in your shoes and they don't realize the impact they will have on your customer base.

Don't blame them for that. Don't squelch their enthusiasm. But be completely open about it right from the start. When I am counseling a potential recruit, I always let her know during our conversation, that I am fine with her taking over whatever group of customers I had gleaned from the social circle in which I met her (just treat them well, I tell her). I always tell her that I took customers, too, when I signed up, though completely unknowingly. Only after I had recruits myself did I realize what it must have been like for her.

By taking a few moments to be totally honest with my recruit, I've set the plan of our relationship on a whole different level. I've shown her I am committed to the big picture--the success of the team over my own personal sales--and I've let her know she can count on me to be happy for her even when it doesn't seem to be a good thing for me in the short run. She can blossom under that kind of generous uplining. ("Uplining..." Hmm... think I just created a new word!)

By releasing my new recruit to go ahead and go for those customers which I have already laid the groundwork, I am setting her up for success. The "long view" must always be in place when dealing with recruiting. If you only ever see the immediate implications of signing someone up, you will soon be too discouraged to venture beyond your own stamp room. You must be committed to the long term growth of your business in order to come through these situations with a positive outlook in place.

Does that come easily? No. It's a struggle every time, no matter how high my recruiting numbers rise. It's a continual process of consciously opening my hands and releasing my business to be free to expand where it is supposed to go. You have to make that choice of attitude. She's going to sign up, whether with you or with someone else. Are you going to sit there and groan, or are you going to get up and get to work?.

Sharing what we love and drawing others into this amazing, rewarding adventure should be exciting and fun, not fearful and depressing. But it will be what you mentally chose it make it. Will you make the choice to let go of your fear? Will you decide today to look at the big picture and the overall health and growth of your team? I hope you will not allow yourself to be limited to the short term. Your business can stretch and expand beyond your wildest dreams if you are willing to open your hands and let it fly.

Dream BIG!

Personality challenges

Every now and again, you'll collect a downline member along the way whom you just don't "get." For whatever reason, you always feel a little "off" when you're speaking with her, and you never seem to be quite on the same page. There's not usually any one thing you can point to--and yet you are definitely not connecting.

Sometimes, however, it is obvious that you and your downline's personalities are clashing. You've had a disagreement or a conversation got a little heated. Maybe it wasn't even stamping-related--goodness knows there are plenty of social topics to disagree on these days. One good thing about a scenario like that, where you have an obvious disconnect, is that you can put your finger on the problem fairly easily. In those cases, it's almost a relief to get the issue out in the open so that it can be dealt with. When you're just always "off," it's harder to pinpoint the issue (and therefore do something about it.)

I always counsel openness and transparency with my downline from our very first meeting before they've even put their pen to the IDA. I tell them I will be 100% honest with them and I expect that in return. And because this is me we're talking about, I also tell them that if I do offend them in any way, it is most likely to be entirely by unknowing accident and I hope they'll tell me right away so we can make it right.

If you've laid that groundwork for being open and communicating well with your downline, it will serve you well when an issue comes up. Because, somewhere down the line, it will come up--no matter how idyllic your relationships with your current downlines might be. We're only human, each with our own set of preferences and baggage and pet peeves and thought processes. So be prepared to manage conflict in your group when it arises.

Do your level best to identify when you are using avoidance as a strategy. Ignoring the situation will do nothing to help it. This is different from when you are fully aware of a situation but waiting to take action to see if it will die down by itself. In that case, waiting is your strategy. Simply not dealing with it either physically or mentally is avoidance. Ignoring conflict is not a trait of a good leader! 

Resist the urge to go overboard, too. Choose a time and place for the conversation where you are not likely to be interrupted. There's no need to schedule a group meeting when a one-on-one meeting at the coffee shop will take care of it. And there's no reason for an in-person meeting if a phone call is sufficient (depends on how badly the siutation has deteriorated). Don't make a bigger deal out of it than it needs to be. You'll pysch both her and yourself out, and start up the natural adrenaline response to conflict before you even open your mouth.

In most cases, a simple, "Hey Darla Downline, I've noticed that we seem to be on the wrong foot with each other and I don't like it. Can we chat about what's going on for a few minutes?" will do marvelously for opening the door. At this point, Darla Downline can either say, "you know, I've noticed that, too," or she will protest that things are fine. Here's where you point out what you see happening. When you get to the end of a short and sweet synopsis of what you're not happy about, say," that's what I'm perceiving. Is that how it looks from your end? Am I reading your signals wrong?"  

This gives Darla Downline a chance to present her side of things. It will also give you a chance to see her viewpoint. You may find, after both of you sharing your views, that you are coming into a better understanding with each other. Or, you may discover that the disconnect is greater than you thought, and actually she's very upset, or the problem has been going on longer than you imagined. 

Either way, you're three steps ahead of where you were before you approached her. You have made the decision to get to resolve the conflict between you, and you have tactfully opened the discussion. You've also both presented your view of the issue. So you're doing well. Now we want to move into the area of resolution.

If hearing each other's viewpoints has brought you to a place where the conflict resolves itself, wonderful. But if bringing it all out into the open has not solved anything, I would again counsel frankness. "Well, Darla Downline, I think we see what the problem is. I'm glad we talked about this because I want us to have a good relationship. The question is, what should we do now?" You're sending the message that you want to resolve the problem and you're willing to work with her on the solution.

If both of you are willing to continue this back-and-forth approach until you hit upon a resolution, you have a great thing going. You shouldn't feel bad if the situation doesn't fully resolve in one sitting. But if you continue to be open with your downline and encourage that openness on her own behalf, you don't need to fear the conflict any longer. You've sapped the monster of it's strength by bringing it out into the daylight to be discussed.

Whatever the reason you and your downline are having problems, don't give up. You are the senior partner in the relationship, and in my opinion, therefore responsible to extend the olive branch. It is up to her to decide to reach out and accept it, of course, but she should never be able to (truthfully) say that you refused to reconcile. Always leave the ball in her court. At downline meetings, encourage your team to bring you their concerns and promise them that same transparency from you.

Without going into identifiable specifics, you are welcome to share your thoughts and tips on conflict resolution here. If you need further guidance on this topic, I highly recommend the principles in the book Crucial Conversations. It was one of the best sessions I have ever attended at a Leadership conference.

Dream BIG, friend!

Fabulous meetings help retention rates

For anyone who has ever lost a downline, or feels disconnected to a downline member, retention rates can be a touchy subject. Your retention rate is defined as the percentage of downline members you recruited who have not dropped from your group. For example, if you have four downline and one drops, your retention rate is 75%. 3/4 of the people you signed up have stayed signed up.

It is important not to read too much into the numbers. After all, many people do not stick with a direct sales company for very long, for a wide variety of reasons, most of which you have no control over. However, it is vitally important to an efficient business to make sure you are retaining as many recruits as possible. It takes more work to find a new one than it does to maintain an old one. If you really want your business to grow, you need solid levels of loyal, long-term downline, upon which new layers of recruits can be added.

Retention rates can also be indicative of how good a job you are doing with training, and whether or not you are recruiting the right kinds of people in the first place. Obviously, the goal would be a very high retention rate. We are blessed to be working with a company that has one of the highest retention rates in the direct sales industry. Hanging on to recruits, however, is easier said than done.

I believe that a primary reason our downlines remain active is not really the projects or the business info they get from our meetings, but the FEELINGS that result from our papercrafting time together.

stress relief
adult conversation
being pampered or appreciated
having accomplishments recognized
get away from problems for a bit
being in the loop
giving and sharing
personal creativity.

Those feelings are what will keep them SU demos for years to come, keeping them motivated to work on their sales if for no other reason than that they can't bear to not be a part of this fun group. THAT is one thing we DO have control over! And we can always be looking for better ways to keep that feeling alive.

In a previous article, I discussed various ways to help motivate your downline to work together. I'd like to expand on the first point of that article-- playing group games.

Now, don't tune me out. I'm not talking the boring old baby shower games we all love to hate, or those annoying "hot potato" style games that interrupt the presenter constantly (what an unfortunate idea!). Here are some new game ideas, along with twists on some old ones, that will liven up any party. Always, always, have a great little gift, packaged just as cute as you can manage it, for the winner.

Guess the Stamp Set: Stamp one image from 20 different stamp sets on 20 index cards and number them 1-20. Write the name of the set it came from on the back of the card. Hold the cards up one by one and have the guests write down what they think is the correct set name. Reserve an extra card in case there is a tie, and the first person to call out the correct set name wins.

Categories Game: Make a list of 15 products referred to by their first name only (for instance, Christmas Jingle instead of Christmas Jingle Simply Scrappin' Kit). The players must write down what category they think that product falls into, such as stamp set, wheel, embellishment, scrappin' kit, DSP, etc. This is a good one to play at the beginning of a catalog season, when people aren't quite as familiar with all the new names.

Catalog Drill: Each player needs their own catalog, closed on their laps. Ahead of time, create a list of products spread randomly throughout the catalog. Read a product name and the players can open their books and try to find the item and page number first.

Memory Tray: ahead of time, load a shallow tray with all kinds of stamping products. Try to fit at least 15-20 products on the tray. Cover it with a dish towel. Set a timer for 30 seconds and remove the towel so players can see. Then cover it back up and have them write down as many objects as they can remember in two minutes. If you put a variety of new-in-the-package items on the tray, you can have the winner select their prize right off the tray.

Name the Color Family/Colors: there are two versions of this game. For the first, you hold up a color swatch and they must either name the color family it is from, or the color name itself. You can either have them call out the name, or write them down in order on paper and check answers at the end.

Color Family Game: Divide the group into two or more teams. Put punches or swatches of all our colors in a big bowl, one set for each team. First group to Get all four sets put together correctly wins.

So, my challenge to you--choose a game or fun activity and work it into your next meeting. They may groan at first, but they will soon get into the spirit of it and look forward to the creative games you have planned. Feel free to post games you have tried with success here for others to see. Use these fun tools and anything else you can think of to create the atmosphere that will in turn result in an increase of the kinds of feelings that result in great retention rates!

Dream BIG, friend!

This article first appeared at www.stampinaddicts.com in October 2009.

Your downline as a team

A recent From the Home Office message was short and sweet: Together, Everyone Achieves More. How true that is! Anyone who has participated in a fundraising effort or a boycott understands this principle--there is power in numbers. Yes, one person can make a difference--but ten people can make a bigger one.

Recently my husband and I took some steps to try to foster that sense of team-ship with the workers in our children's club. After thirteen-plus years of running it, there was a definite sense of burnout. We think we can do better working with these underprivileged kids if we have a clear mission statement, review our goals to make sure they reflect what we're trying to achieve, and work together as a team to accomplish those goals. As a result, I am more motivated and excited about this year than I have been in a long time. I no longer feel like I am in this alone.

Our workers are more involved, take more initiative, and feel more like they are part of a very worthy goal. It's a small shift in perspective, but a fundamental one. We're no longer individuals doing our own thing. We're a team, a greater whole.

Fostering the idea of team-ship is something every upline should try to do with her group. The benefits are myriad--not only will they pay off in purely physical senses like increased sales and recruits, but ideas will flow more freely, time will be given more generously, and friendships will be made more readily.

The issue of taking a group of disparate women, all different ages, all different social levels, all different intellectual and artistic abilities, and drawing them together to form a team is one that even big-time demos with mega-downlines will tell you is not an easy task. In fact, the work increases the more downline you collect. But it is very worthwhile.

Team building is one of the few ways to actively maintain your retention rate. You can't do much about the various reasons people might leave Stampin' Up, but you CAN build a network around recruits that makes it difficult to just melt away quietly.

Easier said than done, as usual, right? Here's a couple of tips, collected from various sources, on ways to foster team spirit in your group.

1. Play a game at your meetings. Break the ice. Get them laughing. Have them work in teams of two or three rather than every man for himself.
2. Send a card. It's crazy, but I send very few cards, although I literally make thousands of them a year. But you know how it makes my day when an upline sends me a card? It makes your DL's day, too. This year I am committed to sending my entire DL a card once a quarter. If that seems too much, at least send one to the members who don't regularly attend your meetings. If you always ever only send to the top sales or recruiting members, most of your group will never get a card from you.
3. Encourage personal sharing. My grandmother belongs to a club of ladies that have been meeting since their husbands were all away at WWII. At each meeting, they go around the circle and everyone gets five minutes to share what has been going on in their life since the last time they met. It keeps every one up to date, ensures that Chatty Kathies don't drone on and on, and makes sure everyone had at least a little time in the sun at every meeting. How much would you learn about your group if you did a "Take Two" at the start of a meeting each month?
4. Have food. Seriously. Have GREAT food. We have a silly saying in my church: "you can't fellowship without a fork." Sharing a meal together bonds us on a level we don't really understand. Make one of your meetings a potluck--not just snacks--and really sit down and eat together. Or, host a barbeque for the entire family--get those husbands together to commiserate about their crazy wives.
5. Brainstorm together. If someone brings up a situation, think it through with them out loud. As the more experienced demo, you can guide the discussion, but be open to the fact that others may have suggestions you might not have thought of.
6. Get involved. This is where team-ship shines the brightest. Once a quarter, instead of making two projects for them to take home, make one, and have the other be donated to a worthy cause. Or hold and event together with your downline--an all-day crop, a 4x4, or just an open house.

These are just a few small, duplicatible ideas. There are lots of other great team-building exercises out there on the internet and in the business section of your local library or bookstore. If you have activities that you have personally used with successful results, or heard of, please share them in this thread.

Your challenge this week: If you're not currently holding regular group meetings, put one on the calendar. If a "meeting" seems too scary right now, or you feel you don't have enough people--call it a stamp night, or make it a shoebox swap. The getting together is the single most important part of maintaining a great retention rate. If you do hold meetings, add in a game, plan a potluck, or choose a group cause.

Dream BIG, friend!

This article first appeared at www.stampinaddicts.com in September 2009

Helping your downline achieve goals

One of my greatest joys is watching my ladies succeed in Stampin' Up. SU has been such an awesome blessing for me and my family, that I love to "watch the light bulb come on" as a downline catches the vision of how it can take them places they never dreamed they could go. So many demos are content to stay at hobby status, happy with the many benefits and perks at that level, and convinced in their own minds that taking it further would require more effort than they want to expend.

While I am not denigrating hobbyist status, this is a business builders' inspirational blog, so for the sake of argument, let's say we want to encourage our downline to move beyond hobbyist into business, achieving milestones and goals along the way.

I was at a different home sales party one evening when the consultant, in her recruiting portion of the evening, asked us to think about what would motivate us to succeed in her line of business. Extra cash? Jewelry? Car payments? Recognition? Tropical vacations? All those things and more were available from her company. We could choose which ones we wanted to strive for.

While we don't have to pick one area to work towards, it is not a bad idea to solidify in your mind what is motivating you. John San Pietro calls it "finding your why," as I mentioned in a previous article. I found mine in the SU incentive trip. That is definitely what keeps me going when I come home at night after a bad workshop or hang up after dealing with a pushy customer. I could make more money elsewhere. Jewelry or pins don't do too much for me. But earning a free fantastic vacation that my family would never ever be able to afford otherwise is priceless to me. So that's my "why."

It is not, however, a single one of my downline's motivational "why." So if I am tailoring all my meetings and emails towards exhortations to the incentive trip, I am going to turn them off and fast. I need to find out what motivates them, and see how I can offer encouragement and incentives along the way to help them achieve their dreams. It's just like a business demo who can't solely offer projects that appeal to her, but must offer a good variety of styles and projects to appeal to the most customers possible. It would be fun to only focus on what we want to make and talk about, but it might not be what is best for our businesses.

So, how do we go about finding what motivates our downlines? One great way to do this is with a downline survey. Ask them to rank in order of importance to them some tangible and intangible perks of being a demo, such as Instant Income, incentive trip, recognition in Stampin' Success or Stampers Showcase, etc. Ask them for feedback on your typical meeting schedule, order of events, topics and projects. This works whether you have two downline or twenty. Be sure to leave space for written comments after each section, as their ideas may go in directions you never thought of when you composed the survey.

This is a great time to include a "written goals worksheet." Be sure to have them write their names on the survey. To ensure the maximum participation possible, you may want to offer an incentive to complete the form and return it by a certain date, such as a pack of dimensionals, a free pack of mini catalogs, or a coupon for a couple of dollars off a class or stamp camp.

Getting into your downlines' heads is vital to knowing what makes them tick and helping them stay active and achieving. When they, and you, get a sense of where they would like to be and how they would like to make Stampin' Up work for them, you will have a direction to focus your efforts. Together you will achieve far more with this sense of purpose. When you help them to envision, set, verbalize, work towards and achieve goals, not only is it rewarding for everyone involved, your own goals will be reached much more easily along the way.

This week, I'd like to you consider doing a downline survey. If nothing else, keep in mind the different motivations demonstrators can have and LISTEN during your conversations with downline to get a sense of what their "why" might be. Then take a look at your downline support efforts and see where you can tailor them to be more effective.

Dream BIG, my friend!

This article first appeared at www.stampinaddicts.com in July 2009.