Song of My Heart Demonstrators

Expecting business results from hobby effort

During my blogging presentation at Leadership 2013, I spoke about the factors that make a difference between having a hobby blog and having a business blog. I am pleased to say, based on feedback I received, that phrase seems to have struck a chord with many demonstrators. So let's chat about that today, and maybe you'll find some insight into your own motivation, too.

You cannot expect business results from hobby effort...in any area of your life.

Hobby effort will only get you so far. It will not carry you through the times when you are feeling lazy, or burned out, or unable to focus. It will not get you to the point where you are willing to part with money as an investment in your future business. Hobby effort will not win you awards or earn you incentive trips. Hobby-level effort will not make consistent blogging a priority. It will let customer service slide when it becomes inconvenient. It will push everything to the side when life gets busy and return only when things are slow.

Let's contrast that with business-minded effort. Business effort keeps going even when you are tired, reminds itself of the rewards while working through the burn-out, and forces itself to focus until the job is done. It is willing to invest time, money, and resources into a payoff that will be a long time coming. Business effort is what it takes to perform at levels where awards are won and trips are earned. It keeps plugging away at customer service, year after year after year.

Business effort groans at the thought of turning the computer back on because you haven't blogged yet today... but it turns it back on and blogs.

Now, I'm assuming if you are reading a "demonstrator motivation and inspiration blog" you are somewhat business-minded and will understand the spirit of what I am trying to express. There's nothing wrong with being a demonstrator as a hobby at all. If that is what you want or are able to do, right now, then that's perfectly acceptable. Our wonderfully flexible company allows demonstrators to participate on an enormous variety of levels, from purely making the minimums by yourself, all the way to selling a couple hundred grand a year, and everything in between.

The problem comes when those only willing to put in hobby-level efforts want or expect results that only come from the hard work and sacrificial making business a priority.

I'm known as such a business-minded demonstrator that sometimes on web forums I am unjustly accused of being anti-hobby demo. It's simply not true. I started as a minimums-only demonstrator myself, nearing eight years ago, with no expectations of building a business. My team is probably half or more dear, dear ladies who are in it totally for the fun and will quit when it ceases to be so for them. Enjoyng the benefits of being a demonstrator at any level the company allows is your right.

What I see happening, though, especially at the mid-level range of demonstrators who have enjoyed some successes and caught the vision of what is possible to acheive, is an unconscious, lingering expectation of business results from hobby effort. Many of us in the mid-range are still sporadically going about our tasks as if our business was a hobby--whimsical and random--and yet wondering why we don't acheive business success from these efforts.

What I'd like to leave you with as a challenge today is to look at ONE area of your business--say recruiting, or blogging, or bookings--and determine whether or not you are putting hobby-level effort into that area, or business-level effort. Only look at one area at a time, or it may prove overwhelming.

If you can honestly say you have put forth consistent, enthusiastic, sacrifical effort into achieving success in that area, then move on to look at another one. Chances are good that you'll find at least one aspect of your business where you have gone about things in a random, haphazard or half-hearted manner.

And once you've spotted an area where you are subconsciously expecting business-level results from hobby-level effort, you can work on fixing it. Knowing is half the battle--but the other half of the battle is hard work. Are you up for it? The results can be incredibly rewarding.

I hope you've gained a little motivational insight from this article or perhaps one of the others on this free motivational blog. I welcome comments, and as always, if you would like to suggest a topic for a future post, I would be happy to consider it. I cannot stress enough how much I want for the demonstrators of Stampin' Up to be super successful, personally fulfilled, wildly happy and creatively fabulous. You have the creatively fabulous part down pat. Let's work on the others!

Dream BIG!

Banishing the "if only's"

 Do any of these sound familar?

• If only my husband were more supportive. Then I could really get going with this business.
• If only I had a bigger house. Then I could have more classes and clubs.
• If only I didn't have that bill to pay. Then I could really invest some money into this.
• If only my kids weren't involved in so many sports. Then I'd have the time to hold shows.
• If only I'd taken some business courses at college. Then I could be successful at sales.
• If only I lived in a bigger town/a town with fewer demos. Then I'd have a chance at this.

As human beings, it is tempting to lay the blame for our own business faults and failures at someone else's feet. There are endless "if only's" waiting in the wings for those who choose to use them for an excuse as to why they cannot grow their businesses.

The problem is, while the circumstances of some of these "if only's" could indeed be true (for instance, business classes improving your sales tactics) they effectively place the ultimate success or failure of our businesses in other hands. You have given away your power over your own business when you give away your responsibility for it.

A person who is refusing to aknowledge personal responsibility for their business will look at circumstances or at others and ALWAYS find a reason for failure. I challenge you to be a person who refuses to make anyone or anything a scapegoat. Be a person who rises above their circumstances and maximizes their strengths rather than focusing on their weaknesses.

This is one instance where the difference between success and failure is completely in your head--and therefore in your hands. Will you choose your own attitude, or let it be chosen for you? That is the decision that you consciously or unconsciously make every single day.

I am often called upon to offer encouragement to those who have been 'doing everything right' and haven't tasted much success yet. Since I've been there myself, I'm able to tell them the truth. Their hard work, enthusiasm and effort WILL pay off eventually. Those who have not had success come easily to them treasure every victory all the more. You'll be a better demonstrator and a better salesperson because of your "lean" years, not inspite of them.

Next time you realize that the mental dialogue in your head just popped out an "if only," call a halt to the conversation. It is an unproductive way of thinking that is not going to help you succeed or allow you to be happy in the journey. "If only" is a trigger phrase that should alert you to be aware that you are attempting to divest yourself of responsibility for your business.

Never, Sometimes, Always

Since convention just this past week, I must have been asked twenty times to share what I did to earn Founder’s Circle. I always have to laugh a little when people ask me that, because I just want to say, “Do you have an hour?” There is no way to sum up in a nice neat sound byte what it takes to earn yourself one of those coveted Demonstrator of the Year awards. I usually just smile and give them the short answer—hard work!

Nothing I write here is earth-shaking; my secret, if I have one, is simply to never quit striving to be better.Here are a few more “nevers,” a bunch of “sometimes,” and then I’ll finish with some “always.”

Never quit; not when you are tired, not when you aren’t feeling well, not when no one but yourself would know. Never skimp on adhesive, or spoiling your hostess, or showing your gratitude.  Never air dirty laundry with customers. Never quit dreaming. Never stop advertising. Never allow yourself to give up after trying something only once. Never throw away scraps, or a chance to shut up and listen, or the last open night on your calendar. Never say no for someone. Never forget that food is an important part of fellowship. Never talk about your downline with another downline. Never rest on your laurels. Never subvert the contract you signed. Never give away the farm. Never miss an opportunity to stop banging your head against a wall and walk through the wide open door next to it.

Sometimes, take a break; even when things are exciting, people are asking for more, opportunities abound. Sometimes stop and take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Sometimes stamp for fun, for yourself, for someone who won’t appreciate it anyway. Sometimes dance when no one is looking. Sometimes send cards for no good reason other than to make someone smile. Sometimes magic happens. Sometimes surprise your group with a party. Sometimes shake things up. Sometimes ditch your agenda and just be a friend. Sometimes try something way out of your comfort zone. Sometimes toss in an extra project for free. Sometimes say no. Sometimes add a secret goal to the annual list you send your upline. Sometimes turn off the smart phone, forget about documenting the photographical evidence, clear the calendar. Sometimes freak out and then realize it will be ok.

Always smile; even when you are tired, irritated half to death, bored to tears or about to cry. Always advertise, advertise, advertise. Always cut more cardstock than you think you’ll need. Always eat before a show. Always demonstrate wearing a shirt color that makes you happy. Always stay positive. Always follow up. Always remember to behave with integrity. Always remember to cheer for every recruit like you did for your very first one. Always pretend you like their pet, the new color they painted their kitchen, their offspring that just ruined your stamp pad. Always err on the side of generosity. Always clean the upstairs bathroom, too, just in case. Always share the opportunity that someone shared with you. Always answer, always apologize, always admit it when you don’t know.  Always say no when sometime is robbing you of joy.  Always choose the brave thing. Always dream BIG.

I did NOT become a Demonstrator of the Year by...

...complaining loud and long on message boards about things I could not change;

...allowing the limitations of my small house to become the excuse for why I couldn't do more;

...or by recycling projects instead of looking for fresh and exciting things to keep my customers interested.

...buying from others instead of myself.

I did NOT become a Demonstrator of the Year by...

...refusing to get on board with promotions because I personally didn't care for the products on sale;

...or being afraid of the retirement list or the lifespan of the mini catalog and letting that hamper my purchasing decisions;

...only seeing the short term pain of losing a customer and not choosing to direct my focus on the long term gain of recruiting;

...or by not viewing convention and other company events as an invaluable, vital business experience worth every cent and more.

I did NOT become a Demonstrator of the Year by...

...not booking workshops three nights of the week because my favorite TV shows were on;

...jealously guarding my "territory" and not welcoming adopted downlines as sisters and friends;

...or by neglecting to express my gratitude to each and every customer for each and every order, not matter how small.

I did NOT become a Demonstrator of the Year by...

...being stingy with my supplies and treating my tools like showpieces that had to be kept pristine;

...saying no for my customers in advance, by not asking them to book a show or offering them the opportunity;

...using my business weaknesses as an excuse instead of playing up my business strengths;

...or by giving up, when the going got tough.

Dream BIG, friend!

Lyssa

Your best asset

The title of this article gives away what I'd like to discuss today, and that is the one thing we all have in common--ourselves. Every demo, whether hobby or business, rich or poor, young or old, has one asset in common. It is a priceless asset, and one that can never be taken away. And that is "You."

"You" is what will set you apart from all the other demonstrators around you. Your personality, your likes and dislikes, your style, your personal take on things, gives you a totally unique edge for your business.Your own creativity is something completely distinctive from anyone else's. The eye that you bring to your projects, your events, and your customer service is what is irreplaceable.

The good news is, it's all in your hands.

The bad news is, it's all in your hands.

Our own individualness is the bottom line for us all. We alone are the ones who will make or break our businesses, based on that hard to define, intangible "You."

That sense of "You" might need a little refining and exploring. Work on developing your personal style. Many of us kind of "fall" into a style on accident over the years, but it can also be developed consciously. Consider creating a "signature look" or a particular area of customers service that you want to be known for.You will gain from your self-awareness if nothing else, as well as promoting customer loyalty by distinguishing yourself from the crowd.

When you have more closely developed that sense of self, promote it! S. Madwed wrote, "If you want to be truly successful, invest in yourself to get the knowledge you need to find your unique factor. When you find it and focus on it and persevere, your success will blossom."

Other demos may have more physical resources available to them, such as bigger houses, or cleaning help, or a beautiful, professionally organized craft room. Maybe they have a more flexible job (or not outside job at all), or their kids are no longer small.The physical resource you covet could be something more intangible, like health, or boundless energy. It could be sheer time--they have it and you don't.

There's no denying some demos have an edge over others. It can be hard to tame "the green-eyed monster" when you see or hear of those things, especially if your small house has been grating on you lately, or you have had to miss a fun Stampin' Up function due to poor health or other obligations.

But you DO have "You"--and they don't, and never will. All the big houses and fancy designer blogs in the world can't buy that particular resource. All they have is themselves--their own "You"-- and a lot of extra window dressing. You might not have the window dressing, but you DO have the essential ingredient to make a success of your business, and that's "You."

The trick is not using the various advantages of other demonstrators as an excuse as to why you cannot make your business successful. Stop focusing on what you don't have, and focus on your assets.

And don't underestimate that one particular asset that is unique to your business and no one else's in the wide, wide world--"You."

Dream BIG, friend!

 

Controlling your customer service climate

This week I ran into two vivid examples of extremely poor customer service. It's kind of sad that we often don't think about customer service until we come across an obvious lack of it, because it really is crucial to the success of our businesses. It's also one of the main ways that you as a demonstrator can set yourself apart from the competition. Good customer service is something anyone can do, regardless of how long or short a time they have been a demo, or what their income or title is. There are many aspects of our businesses that we cannot change, but this is one area we have total control over.

The first example came via a downline member who needed to contact a representative of another stamping company to order a product that Stampin' Up does not carry. I was delighted that I could give her the name of a consultant that I knew personally. I consider it a contribution to the overall community of women in small business to be able to recommend a good consultant for any home party company I am asked about. When I know more than one, I am very picky who I recommend. They can't just sit back and accept sales. I appreciate consultants who work for their money!

However, you guessed it--the consultant never got back to her. Here was an order waiting to happen, and the consultant never bothered to reply. Now, before you ask, I do know for sure the contact info is current and I actually Facebooked the consultant to tell her I had recommended her. 

The consultant lost more than a single order when she decided, through her inaction, to not follow through. She also lost all future sales from that customer, as well as future recommendations from that customer. She also obviously lost all future recommendations from me, and anyone else I sent her way through the years. Do you see what happened? There's a cascading slide of repercussions from her decision.

Notice I said decision. Now, I'd bet good money that consultant did not read the email and subsequent Facebook posts and consciously sit there and think, "Huh. I think I'm going to ignore this order on purpose and see if I can lose a customer today." However, there must be a "climate of inaction," a habit of not following through, that unfortunately characterizes this consultant's business. There probably never was one single decision that led to the way this person does "business." It was a myriad of small decisions not to put the customer first, to put off until tomorrow what should have been done today, to be willing to settle for less than the best. There must be a tendency to let things slide, a desire not to be inconvenienced that outweighed the the motivation to run the business.

Regardless of whether she realized she was making the decision or not, the result was the same. The consultant (and possibly the company) lost the customer. And, if I need to spell it out--that's the ultimate in poor customer service.

Your company also loses when you drop the ball and don't follow up. Long before I signed up with Stampin' Up, I knew I did NOT want to be a part of a particular scrapbooking company, because I had heard that the consultants were high-pressure snobs. Now, of course not all the consultants from that company were pushy and had their noses in the air, but those mentions had tainted all future contact with that company to the point where I didn't even really want to attend one of their crops, much less become a customer, and even less become a consultant myself.

Obviously, there are times when we all drop the ball. I have let a lead slip through the cracks every now and again myself, usually through my phobia of the phone (I'm working on that). You can't beat yourself up over every business lead you did not maximize to its fullest potential. If you did that, you'd soon become so discouraged you would have to quit. However, this "climate of inaction" should not characterize your business.

You are in the customer service industry, whether you like it or not.You may as well decide that you are going to embrace that fact and strive to become known for excellent service to your customers. The key here is a conscious decision to commit to excellent customer service. It does not happen by itself. And it must be committed to--or you will fail in that area every time you "just don't feel like dealing with it right now."

The second example of poor customer service this week was an email from a quilt shop in response to a request I sent to them to please send me any info they had on a new line of fabric coming out, as I fell in love with a swatch for throw pillows for my new couch and would like to purchase locally.

In danger of swamping the servers by posting the entire response, here it is: "sorry can't help you Kathy"

Getting past the utter lack of punctuation, what a fantastic example of customer service we have here, huh? I guess the only better example of what NOT to do would have been not to get any response whatsoever. This store has made up their mind (consciously or unconsciously) that they will not make the effort to be helpful, will not take two minutes to explain, will not make suggestions.... and therefore will not be getting any business from me.

Action Item: Commit right now to having a business. The very word "business" implies that it will not always be fun and games. You will not always "feel" like providing the good customer service that will set you apart and keep your customers loyal year after year. If you take your business seriously, and run it consistently, honestly, and enthusiastically, you will automatically be providing good customer service.

But take it that next step by striving to provide "above and beyond" customer service. Go that extra mile, and watch your business grow as you stand head and shoulders above those who have not made the commitment to resist that climate of inaction. And if you realize you have let yourself get into a bad pattern of poor follow through, the good news is, you can control this climate change. The success or failure of your business depends on YOU.

Dream BIG!

Go out on a limb--that's where the fruit is

Every now and again we may realize that we've become a little complacent with our stamping businesses. Our club is full, we have a couple workshops, we make enough to get pretty much what we want ourselves out of the catalogs, and life is good. There's nothing wrong with that at all. It's a good place to be--as long as you don't stay there.

There is no such thing as a static business. Things are always changing, even if the changes are too subtle to see. One reason is, indeed, economic forces which we can't do a whole lot about. But the main reason is that we're all human beings. People grow, change hobbies, marry, go back to school, move, have babies, change jobs, get sick, take on care of elderly relatives, and any one of a thousand more forces in life that alter who they are and what they have time and energy to do. Your customers are not going to stay locked in this period in their lives forever, and neither are you.

So in business, if you're not moving forward, you're actually moving backwards. The deterioration may be so slow that we don't pick it up at first, but it is there. VERY simply stated, the second law of thermodynamics is that all things, if left to themselves, eventually decay. This principle applies to business complacency, too. Your business, without a continuous influx of "fresh blood," will grind to a halt somewhere down the road all by itself.

Tempting as it may be to sit back on your laurels some times, it simply cannot be done without some level of harm to your business. Now, I'm not talking about taking a vacation--by all means, take those precious and necessary times off and enjoy them with your family. What I'm talking about is a vacation from risk-taking.

We all take risks with our businesses, just by having one. The minute you decided to sign up, you were taking a risk that you might "fail." You mentally weighed the pros and cons (most likely subconsciously, as your conscious brain was too busy screaming "I want it all!!!") and came up with the answer that this was a risk worth taking. And the moment you decided you were going to hold that open house and see what happened, you took another risk. That limb was just too tempting, and you climbed out on it, even though if you fell, it might hurt and would definitely be embarrassing. When you decided to order business cards or that extra case of catalogs, or save up for convention, or ask your best friend to sign up, those were risks you chose to take.

Notice I said "decided" several times in the above paragraph. We never take a risk by accident. Everything we do in life is the result of a decision, either conscious or subconscious. And, making a risk-taking decision is RISKY! Surprise! As musician Tim McMahon humorously put it, "Risk-taking is inherently failure-prone. Otherwise, it would be called 'sure-thing-taking'."

Good stamping businesses are composed of small risks we took that paid off. Great stamping businesses are ones composed of larger risks, calculated first, and continuously taken. And "dream BIG" stamping business are always the result of even larger risks taken, even more of yourself put out there to succeed or fail in front of everyone.

When you take a vacation from taking those risks, small or large, your business will become stale and your attitude complacent. It's a hard place to pull out of, yet from what I see on the many chat boards and forums I visit, some of us have to try do it almost on a yearly basis. We are in a bad habit that must be broken. There will only be so many times we will have the mental fortitude to rev ourselves up again.

My challenge to you today is to identify areas of complacency that have crept in. Are you going after those recruits, those bookings, like you used to? Are you noticing a drop in attendance at events? Are your clubs full like they once were? Have you let some small aspect of your customer service slide lately? Do you know what your next title level is? Does it bother you when you don't have an event for a while?

Complacency can slip over into stamping itself, too. Have you tried any new events lately? Learned a new technique in a while? When is the last time you bought a stamp set that was out of your comfort zone? Have you quit sending cards like you used to?

If you're reading this, you're taking a risk. You put yourself in a position where you just might wind up motivated to go out on a limb and actively, purposefully work on an area of your business and see what happens. GOOD FOR YOU! Now, choose your limb--the aspect of your business you have identified as suffering from a measure of complacency-- and decide go out on it. After all, as Frank Scully put it, 'that's where the fruit is," right? 

Dream BIG, friend!

Wishing is not a business strategy

I recently read a demonstrator's response to a cruise-bound chat forum thread about how she "wished" she would make it, and I thought, "Honey, don't we all?" Everyone wishes they could take a free week-long trip for two to an exotic location--I wish it on a daily basis sometimes during the long winters! There were also other indicators in her post that this was just not going to happen.

If wishes were horses, however--even beggars would ride, right? That saying is as old as the hills, and yet still so true. "Wishing upon a star" sounds very poetic, but accomplishes nothing. I didn't want to burst this poster's bubble, so I didn't post what I really thought, which was this: "she doesn't have a prayer."

Until a person decides to ACT upon their wishes and desires, nothing whatsoever will happen (barring a miracle, outside intervention, or sheer coincidence). Anyone can dream up a fantastic building with turrets and towers--but only those who set time, money, supplies and hard work to the blueprint and make it happen will end up with a standing, functional building at the end. Anyone can imagine themselves whirling gracefully around a ballroom in a flowing dress and heels, on the arm of a handsome partner--but only those who endure the dancing lessons, go shopping for the dress and shoes, and get themselves to the party will see that desire granted.

In fiction writing, "wishes" are used as a plot device to take the hero/heroine through a situation they would never otherwise encounter. By magic unknown to us, these desires are granted and everything changes. This enables the novelist to write a much more interesting book, because he or she is no longer bound to ordinary happenings. In real life, no beautiful woman with wings, a crown and a sparkly dress (well, perhaps if she has been stamping) will be showing up to change our lives. Only YOU can make it happen.

Take responsibility for both the good and the bad side of owning your own business. No one but YOU is going to work your business. "If it is to be, it is up to me" has become a catch-phrase for me. YOU are responsible for the success or failure of your business. Yes, other factors do play a part--but stop making excuses for yourself and stop using wishes as a business strategy. There will always be excuses for not pursuing a dream. There will never be a perfect time. Your fairy godmother is not going to appear. If your business is not what you want it to be, then take steps to change it!

I wonder how long it will be before the wishful demo realizes there is no way she is going to make it. Our human capacity to delude ourselves is pretty astounding. But eventually the day-dream crashes down and we face a reality we aren't excited about. The wished-for cruise/promotion/big downline/sales boom never materializes.

What bothers me most is knowing that many of these demos will feel a sense of failure they do not deserve. If they were totally honest with themselves, they did not even try to put wings to their wishes. They never even got to the point of thinking about a first concrete step towards making a wish come true. They were defeated before they began. So those demos will quit, or settle for much less than they are truly capable of achieving, or lay the blame on one of the ever-present excuses we can all find.

My challenge to you is this--think of one area in your business where you are making "wishes--and consciously stop. If you find yourself wishing about this again, sternly tell yourself to quit doing it because it is going nowhere, is not helpful, and will result in you feeling like a failure if you continue to wish without acting. Give yourself a break!

By all means, revise the wish, chop it up into achievable chunks, or chuck it entirely if it is honestly just a daydream that you are either unwilling or unable to pursue at this time. Then, make a commitment this week to make a step (just one!) towards giving that wish some wings. There's nothing wrong with having a desire for a better, stronger business or some tangible rewards like trips and bonus checks--but realize that it is YOU who will have to be your own fairy godmother.

Go sprinkle some glitter on yourself and GET GOING!

Dream BIG, my friends!

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