Song of My Heart Demonstrators

ebb and flow: combatting stagnancy in your customer base

Why won't our teams recruit? There are many reasons, but I've found that the number one concern demonstrators share about recruiting is a fear of losing their best customers.

Many uplines attempt to train on the "long view," which is certainly legitimate. You DO have to take the long view when it comes to team building. It doesn't happen overnight, and the majority of the financial rewards take time to accrue. It takes a lot of faith to be excited about recruiting when your quarterly minimum hasn't been made yet.

Others train on "if you don't offer the opportunity, someone else will." You'll lose them eventually anyway, so recruit just to hang onto them, even if it hurts you. There's truth there, too, and a lot of fear and a lot of "grit your teeth and eat your veggies because they're good for you."

 

I've trained on both of those points, and they're legit. But I think there's a better way to begin from the very beginning.

What if we begin by looking at our customer pool not as a static object (to be guarded and defended at all costs!!) but as a temporary base camp for moving them into being part of the company.

It is a natural flow as they learn more about the company, the quality of their products, the trust the demos have in it, the company's mission statement and purpose, and how the company treats its employees.

There needs to be a constant inflow of incoming customers and a matching outflow as they become new recruits. Not just a slow leak of people who drift away or turn to other hobbies, but a steady movement that keeps us consistently working to provide inflow to match the outflow.

You know what happens to a pond that never receives fresh water, right? It becomes stagnant very quickly. The water level also drops steadily from evaporation and ground leakage, and since it never receives any fresh, it will be dried up within months.

Where we go wrong in clinging to our customers and feeling like we've been robbed if they become demos is disrupting the natural inflow and outflow. You're continually fighting nature--sounds like a peaceful and relaxing place to be, eh?

Are you disrupting the natural order of things by resisting recruiting from your customer base?

Could your team use a reminder that customers and hostesses are what THEY were before you turned THEM into demonstrators? That's a pretty eye-opening fact to have pointed out. You'd think it would be obvious, but we seem to magically forget the fact when we make the jump from customer/hostess to demonstrator.

What a far more joy-based experience recruiting can be, when we see it as a natural turn of events in our little ecosystem. Food for thought as you head into the end of the month.

Giving a gift vs. recruiting

Being a parent or working with children teaches you so many life lessons, doesn't it? I don't allow my children to get upset and frustrated when they fail at their first attempt trying something new. Of COURSE they "failed" at it--they've never done it before! No one is perfect at anything, the first time through.

Even the most incredible pianist can't sit down and play a new Chopin piece flawlessly--and you'd never expect them to. Even the pianist themselves would know it was going to take many more run-throughs before it was ready for a concert.

Recruiting is the same way. It comes with practice. Feeling normal about sharing the opportunity doesn't happen overnight! Having the self-confidence to know your friends won't think less of you or not allowing yourself to be stifled into silence wondering if you're coming on too thick--those things get easier with time and trial.

But being excited and generous enough to share the opportunity anyway--even though you are imperfect and scared and feeling pretty vulnerable and out there--oh, my friends, it's SUCH a GIFT to give someone.

Let the gift be enough to turn your focus off yourself and onto them. Is there anyone who wouldn't be enriched by a relationship with this amazing company? No.

Let's do an exercise, shall we? Write "I am so thankful (insert your upline's name) shared the opportunity with me" on a piece of paper and post it in your business area or stamp room.

And then think about that today. What would your life be like if X had not opened her/his mouth and told you about Stampin' Up?

Well for one thing, we never would have met, and I'd consider that a cryin' shame. : )

It's not about you: telling your story smart and short

 

Many direct sales demonstrators make the mistake of attempting to recruit by talking about themselves--their goals, their needs, their success.

 

We're told "share your story" over and over again. But what we never quite fully absorb is the simple truth that people aren't interested in OUR story--they're interested ultimately only in their own.

 

Your background and your reasons for joining, while similar to what others may experience, are unique to you. They're interested in your story only as long as it lines up with theirs. Once your path diverges from what they're thinking or feeling, a disconnect begins.

 

When someone shares their story, subconsciously, we make a list in our minds. Every statement the speaker makes goes in one of two categories. That lines up with what I've know; or I can't relate to that. This fits what I think; or I don't believe that's true. That happens to me, too; or that's not how I did/would have handled it.

 

We don't even know we're doing it, but at the end of the speech, how convinced we are that the person spoke the truth is a direct result of that subconscious categorizing. If there were too many checkmarks in the "can't relate" category, we're going to come away with a negative or disbelieving mindset about whatever it was they were saying.

 

I'm not going to tell you to make up a story. Your story is just that--yours. And it is a powerful thing. But there are different aspects of the story that you can play up and emphasize that will go over better with different groups. It's still the truth--it's just focusing in on the parts of the truth that are going to resonate with your customers, while still sharing the whole truth.

 

Emphasize the commonality of our human experiences as you share your story, tailored to your audience. When we tell our story only one way, it loses the power to become anyone else's story, because it can't transform into general feelings and emotions common to us all. 

 

Keep telling your story--but tell it smart, and tell it short.

 

Can you tell your story in three sentences or less? It takes practice not to ramble!

 

Talk about yourself, and you've got a minute or two before they're lost. Talk about them, and you've got their attention for as long as you are speaking.

my #1 recruiting tip: put the kit in context

Keep it simple when recruiting. Don't make it a huge deal. It's not as momentous a decision as we sometimes make it out to be. It's $99 and they get to pick it all out and keep it all no matter what.

Customers spend that much and more all the time. We shouldn't be treating the Starter Kit like it's some big investment or commitment.

When you joined, did you want to make an investment or commit to anything? Nope!

NOW in hindsight, we realize it changed our lives, but we have to keep remembering that most people don't even realize they want to change their lives. Using lots of "change your life" language for recruiting for a papercrafting company will only scare them off.

EVERY time your customer orders anywhere near $99, you should mention the Starter Kit. I guarantee you it will only take one or two times to catch their attention.

If you put the Starter Kit in the context of their regular ordering habits, they will suddenly look at it in a totally different way.

The problem with this approach is that you must want the RECRUIT more than you want the ORDER. The order is temporary, instant gratification. The recruit is what will build your business and pay off in the long term. Which do you want more?

The answer is the difference between the hobbyist and the business-builder.

Are you Duplicatible? Part Two: Recruiting and Sponsoring

Duplicatibility in Recruiting: could they do what you do? (Part Two of Two: click here to read Part One)

In Part One of this series, we discussed the definition of "duplicatible," and how duplicatibility applies to project choice in the workshop. In Part Two, we'll see how we can also apply to concept of being easily reproducible, to our business in the areas of recruiting and uplining. Again, we are working towards the goal thought of the customer: "Hey, I could do that!"

The same concepts of keeping it simple, making it look easy, and empowering others to stamp better also apply to the recruiting statements that we make. Set them at ease with subtlety and humor as you share your own story. Because they're all wondering why you're standing in front of them, whether they verbalize it or not. They can't imagine talking to even six friends seated around a kitchen table, let alone six strangers! So they're very curious about why you chose to do it.

Sometimes when introducing myself at the beginning of the evening, I’ll start off something like this: “My name’s Lyssa and I’ve been a demo now for eight years. Eight years—wow! I can hardly believe it’s been so long. It has flown by because it’s so fun. It still amazes me that they pay me to play with stamps, because anyone can do what I do. But I have to say, I never ever dreamed I would be standing here in front of people talking about Stampin’ Up. I am sooo not a salesperson! But I went to my first workshop and saw the demonstrator just walk us through the catalogs and then we stamped, and I thought, “hey, I could do that!" and now here I am having the time of my life.”

I go on to show off my apron pins and tell them it obviously worked out to be a big blessing for me and my family—but that anyone can have success on any level that fits into their lives, just by getting people together to stamp. The products sell themselves when people get them in their hands. They can play around part time or they can turn it into a career if they want--it's all good.

In other words, yes, I’ve made a career out of this, but you don’t have to invest the time in it that I have. Actually, ironically, the more successful you get in direct sales, the harder it is to seem duplicatible. You have to constantly reassure people that just because it’s taken over your life, does not mean it has to take over theirs!

They need to see how your company can FIT INTO their existing lives.

They don’t need to see how it has rearranged YOURS.

Verbal statements like my “hey, I could do that!” real-life experience (always be truthful!) answer a question customers did not even know they had. Subconsciously, every time we see a direct sales person, we are asking ourselves, what would it look like if that was MY life? How many times have you been talking about a career choice or a life event and heard someone say, “Oh, I could never do that!” They have already placed themselves experimentally in that situation, and rejected it. This is done automatically, whether they consciously realize it or not. What would this look like for me?

So what we want is to get potential recruits to

1. See themselves in our shoes;
2. See themselves being successful in our shoes, and
   
3. Realize they really want to try on our shoes!

And we're right back to that goal thought--"Hey, I could do that!"

Duplicatibility in Uplining/Sponsoring: another aspect of being reproducible

As an upline or sponsor, the concept of duplicatibility is just as important as being reproducible in your stamping and when recruiting.

There is no two ways around it--upline mentors differ in the resources of time, income, availability and willingness to perform their uplining tasks. While you may have the time and resources to throw huge team meetings and give lots of prizes, your downlines may not. So I would encourage you to stress the duplicatible part of being an upline during your next meeting--anyone can encourage and praise—anyone can answer questions and stay in regular contact—anyone can send cards and remember birthdays. Everyone can keep tabs on reports. Everyone can point out where to go for more info.

A healthy team is comprised on many leaders, not one insanely busy person perched at the top of a pyramid. What your team needs to learn to duplicate is the system--not the person. No one in the world will be able to bring your exact mix of talents and resources to the table. But if you are running your business in a simple, duplicatible manner, anyone can follow in your footsteps and enjoy success.

It’s not about the bells and whistles of a large demo team, although those things are fun. It’s about inspiring people to become motivated to be a better person through the opportunities for personal creativity and fulfillment that this company provides for us. We should strive to model consistency, enthusiasm, integrity, and balance for our team, with the goal of creating self-sufficient demonstrators who have initiative and are duplicatible themselves.

Ask yourself these questions when considering your uplining style:

1. Did I start as I mean to go on? Will I follow through with this program or incentive?
2. Can I do for 100 what I just did for 1?
   
3. Am I reinvesting a responsible amount in my downline growth? Many top demonstrators use a 10% rule of thumb when reinvesting in their team.
   

Some things will never be able to be duplicated. Your particular stamping talents, teaching skills, individual situations, the resources you have at your fingertips that maybe I don’t have at mine—those things are all going to vary widely from person to person. But the basics of demonstrating are the same for us all. Stamps+Paper+Ink+Relationships=Magic... over and over again.

It's not complicated, but when we add all sorts of things to that simple formula, we make ourselves unduplicatible in the eyes of our customers, potential recruits, and downline members.

Duplicatibility is beautifully and simply summed up in the Stampin' Up Statement of Heart. "To love what we do and share what we love; while we help others enjoy creativity and worthwhile accomplishments. In this, we make a difference." I hope you've enjoyed these thoughts on the topic of mindfully being reproducible in all aspects of your demonstratorship. As always, I welcome comments below. Do you have a story to share from personal experience about how you were or were not duplicatible in a particular instance?

Dream BIG, friend!

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Are you Duplicatible? Part One: Demonstrating

Duplicability is a fun word to say, but it’s also a very important concept in direct sales. Duplicatible means that someone can copy you or your methods easily. To put it in Star Wars terms, which are flying around my house these days, it's kind of like cloning. Or that replicator they had on the original Star Trek. That thing was amazing! Don't you sometimes wish you could put yourself in a replicator and pop out brand new, fired-up recruits and totally addicted customers? 

The dictionary definition of "duplicate" is: to create an exact copy of the original; to double or make two-fold; to repeat or perform the same action again. To be "duplicatible," therefore, is to be able to be copied easily. "Reproducibility" is a scientific term meaning the results of an experiment can be exactly duplicated by a second party.

I recently presented a session on duplicatibility at a regional conference in Madison, Wisconsin, and I'll be sharing my thoughts here on the topic of reproducibility in three main areas: Demoing, Recruiting, and Uplining. In this article, we'll cover duplicatibility in Demonstrating. Part Two can be found here.

Duplicatibility in demonstrating

When we think about duplicability in terms of stamping, we mean keeping our projects simple enough that customers learn something new, but can go home and recreate the projects on their own. We get very good at coming up with projects that customers can duplicate and are pleased with the results.

As the old saying goes, "Give a man a fish, and you've fed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you've fed him for a lifetime." There is a place for super-fancy, involved projects, but what keeps people coming back for more is those really practical tips, layouts, combos, that empower them to go home and feel like they can use what they just learned to be a better stamper.

One of my very favorite things to hear is “I am going to use this layout/combo/technique all the time!” It means that I have been duplicatible in my project planning and am helping them on the most practical level.

Fancy is fun: practical brings them back. Our goal thought for our customers should be for them to think "I could do that, too."

A second, related, aspect of duplicability in crafting that we often don’t think about is how we plan our projects in terms of the supplies needed. The average stamper will not have every item in the catalog, like we do.  Have you ever added up what a new stamper would have to purchase to make one of your cards? If it’s more than $50, you might want to reconsider! Take off a step, or use the same tool on all three projects at an event so they can see the versatility. Or after everyone has finished their card, show a stepped-up version you made, or demonstrate how much embossing would add to their project.

Teachers aren't hired to show off their knowledge; they are hired to pass it on. Sometimes I think our demonstrations can be a discouraging showcase of our astoundingly well-stocked stamp room, that actually turns people away thinking they could never amass all the tools to properly stamp.

Here are four questions to ask yourself when considering duplicatibility in project choice:

1. How much would it cost a brand-new stamper to make this card from scratch? If brand new stampers are not your audience, you can change that to "Did I use a mix of old and new products on this card so that they can use what they have with the addition of a new purchase?"
   
2. How many high-end tools did I use on this one card? If you did use a high-end tool, be sure to use it on at least one other project that evening, to demonstrate versatility.
   
3. Could I change out the embellishments for cheaper ones, or shorten or skip a step? Can I deduct a layer without making it any less cute?
   
4. Is this all going to fit in my car????

You laughed at my fourth point, but another trick of duplicatibility is not to pack too heavily. If the hostess has to help you bring in four loads from the car—that’s too much. I’ve often thought I wouldn’t want to be a kitchen consultant just from watching mine haul around her stoneware. You can really help push that goal thought of “I could do this, too!” by being organized, efficient, and planning ahead so that things run smoothly.

You know how much effort it is to throw a good workshop or event—but you should never communicate that effort to customers by being frazzled or overloaded (even if you are). Ever heard the phrase, “She makes it look so easy?” Music to my ears. Consultants for any direct sales company should strive to be packed as compact and efficient as we can. Leave the packhorse at home. And tell your husband that your "business advisor" told you you can purchase some cute Thirty-One totes to pack everything in!

I hope you've gained some insights from the first of the articles on the topic of being reproducible. I am looking forward to sharing my thoughts on applying the concept of duplicatibility to recruiting and as an upline modeling good business practices for your team. As always, I welcome feedback and discussion, so feel free to leave a comment below.

Dream BIG, friend!