Song of My Heart Demonstrators

Best overall interest of your business

Customers will make all sorts of crazy suggestions about how you do things and price things. They don't know your costs, your time, your rules, your company, your schedule, your family or your self.

It's ok to consider what someone suggests, but when you make the decisions it needs to be because you did the research, crunched the numbers, and didn't rush the self-examination aspect, and decided it was in the best overall interest of your business to proceed.

"Don't base your decisions on the advice of people who don't have to deal with the results."-- unknown

9 reasons to rethink private Facebook groups for customers

A recent trend among direct sellers is to create a private Facebook group for customers. Those who promote this strategy point to increasingly small views on Facebook business pages. That is true; however, in order to do business on Facebook you are required to have a Facebook business page no matter what.

There are also many reasons not to try to do both. I've compiled a list of concerns I have and why it's crucial not to keep adding things to our workload as demonstrators. The following are my opinion based on both personal experience with a group, ten years doing business on Facebook, and general social media practices and advice.

Please note two things:

IF a Facebook private group for customers is currently working for you, then you should listen to your gut. I do hope you'll read through the article, however, and make sure it really IS working for you and not against you in the long-term.

Also, remember we're discussing CUSTOMER groups here, not team groups or a private hostess club or some other sub-group of your main customer base. FB groups DO have a purpose. I just don't personally recommend them for your customer base at large.

 

1. Private is just that—something that cannot be seen. New customers won’t be able to find you in a group like they can on a business page. They can’t send you a message you will be certain to see. They won’t join something they don’t even know exists, or that they cannot see inside to know what it is like. People prefer to try before they buy, and you just removed the possibility of trying you out to see if you’re a good fit. Don't build walls!
2. Chatting should be done in public!!! How many of us learn something by reading thread responses or other people’s questions we were also wondering about. Camaraderie and enthusiasm that is contained to a private group will never be contagious. We want the fun to spread, not be boxed in. Your personality and brand is meant to be seen in your public responses so people can decide they like you. Chatting and relationship-building in public is free, priceless advertising.
3. Groups cannot do advertising or boosting. ONLY business pages can do that. Facebook’s magic for small businesses lies in the ability to advertise targetedly and very inexpensively. You just stole FB’s main super-power when you focus on a group rather than a biz page. Facebook still won’t show all your posts to your group members. That’s a myth. Facebook still manages what we see in our feeds no matter what we think we’ve selected to be notified about. Short of advertising, there is no concrete way to get posts in front of eyes.
4. You are investing a huge amount of time into something that you ultimately do not own. This time would be much better spent maintaining your biz page and building your blog and newsletter. If anything happens to Facebook, or their policies change again like they do every two months, you’re completely and 100% at their mercy. You should never ever rely on one platform, especially one that is FREE. Focus your time on what you OWN, or someday you may come to deeply regret it.
5. The more you ask of customer, the LESS LIKELY they are to do it. Don’t ever make them click twice when once will do.You don’t want to be directing customers to a Facebook group when where they need to go is your blog, which should be your home base on the web. Facebook hates links away from FB. It wants to keep you there (makes sense). So you’re in the position of sending people multiple places for information.
6. It’s just one more thing to manage. It may not seem like a big deal, but every time you add something you have to maintain and moderate, you are committing yourself long-term. Don’t set yourself up for failure if you’re already trying to juggle it all. Consistency is the NUMBER ONE problem demonstrators quote as to why they have trouble with managing social media. Some say they’ll just manage both. Realistically, you probably won’t. And you’ll be left wondering why neither thrive.
7. You should never EVER add people to groups without permission. I instantly unfollow anyone who does this because it’s SO annoying. So now you’re asking them to join multiple things again and trying to chase people down. Some will join, but most won’t. LESS is more. Your professional email list, with its double-opt-in, is the ONLY thing that should be exclusive. Separating people just makes for more work.
8. Private groups can’t be linked to Instagram. One of the best partnerships out there is the ability to run posts simultaneously on FB biz pages and Instagram. That is a powerhouse move every time you promote it on both. Again, that’s an ability of only business pages, not groups. This is likely to be true of ANY FUTURE PLATFORMS that partner with Facebook for business reasons. Why? because that's how Facebook makes their money. They are not a charity. This is reality for business owners. You get what you pay for, and if you don't pay for it, you are lucky you get ANYthing.
9. Groups can’t go viral!!!! Someday, if it has not already happened to you, one of your business page posts will unexpectedly garner a huge amount of interaction and engagement. That can never happen in a private group. We need to be putting our attention and resources into things that can spread, not stagnate.

Bottom line: have ALL the pros and cons in mind before you add anything to your workload. If you want to start one, set a probationary period, after which you will quit without guilt, if it’s not working for you.

I quietly deleted my VIP group after just two months when it was obvious I was working harder than ever and still not having interaction and increased sales. Not a soul noticed!!! That tells you how ineffective the customer group concept was for me. "Forced" social media interaction is, in my opinion, unsustainable.

Conversations that occur naturally, in the moment, without walls or hurdles, are the best feature of social media. Paid, targeted advertising is the second. And viral contagion potential is the third. Remember those three things and you can't go wrong when deciding what types of social media platforms are going to work best for YOU.

Somewhere online someone is marketing, and you are not

“Somewhere in the world someone is training when you are not.

When you race him, he will win.” – Tom Fleming

This sports-related quote struck me profoundly the other day, with obvious implications for business.

While I am goofing off, not prioritizing, making excuses, someone else is strategizing and staying focused.

__And they will get the customer. And I will not.

While I am whining about paying $5 for Facebook advertising or the $3 fee for unlimited linking services at TAMS, someone else is investing without complaining.

__And they will get the order. And I will not.

While I am online complaining about the company in a demo forum or pinning projects I'll never actually make, someone else is working on their brand and creating in their studio.

__And they will get the pins and engagement, and I will not.

While I am hemming and hawing over a decision, someone else will make it and move forward.

__And their business will experience growth. And mine will not.

Successful business people have a healthy, realistic but pressing sense of time. They realize and own the outcome of their decisions.If you make the decision to work haphazardly, you will get different results from someone who chooses to stay on task.

This seems obvious, but in the moment, day-to-day, we do not see the choices we are making, and we never think about the end result of the path we are on. You don't wander your way down one road and then successfully arrive at a totally different destination on the opposite side of the mountain. We somehow delude ourselves that hobby effort will yield business results.

Taking ownership of your day-to-day choices and being honest with yourself about the results you are trading in the moment is hard. But it's crucial. Be the one who is working the business while others are watching worthless television. Be the one who's in the studio whether she feels the mojo or not. Be the one who faithfully and consistently follows up while others work in spurts and starts.

Then you'll be the one who achieves the awards. And they will not.

 

It's a slow process, but quitting won't speed it up

What long-term goal or plan are you "working on" that you have really been tempted to quit? Maybe it's starting a blog, sending customer Christmas cards, learning to make videos, or saving up for OnStage.

It's a slow process, but quitting won't speed it up.

Here's a couple of tips for getting restarted:

1. Decide if it was really important enough to do in the first place. If it was an ill-fitting or unrealistic goal, you shot yourself in the foot before you even began. What was your motivation to start this project? Is it still a worthy goal even though it's months or even years later?

2. Figure out exactly where your roadblocks are. What is stopping you from working on this? Are you waiting on something or someone else to do their part? Do you need a specific tool or program? Do you need to make a change in your daily schedule? If you don't know WHY you stopped, you'll never be able to progress further.

3. Remind yourself of the rewards. You must have had an end goal in sight when you decided to work on this area. If there aren't rewards built in, like a bonus or earning a trip, then you need to self-reward. The prize should be proportionate to the size of the task. Big jobs deserve big rewards. There has to be a payoff that we believe in enough to get us through the "don't wannas" and around those roadblocks.

Dream BIG!

Seven things to do right after you sign up: best-kept secrets of the pros

Congratulations! You're a brand new direct sales consultant. It's exciting and also a little overwhelming, right? I bet you're wondering where to begin. I've got some tips for you that will get you off to a fantastic start. You'll be all ready to hit the ground running before your Starter Kit even arrives on your doorstep!

1. Pick your brand name! You'll need to follow your company's guidelines about use of their name and logo, but you also want to stand out from the crowd as much as possible. You're going to be marketing yourself just as much as your company's products! Shoot for short rather than long, professional but fun. It should be easy to type out and remember, so no misspelled words, numbers instead of letters, etc. You'll be working under this "brand" for many years to come, hopefully, so take a little time to make sure it's a good one. Then, register it with your company (if required). You'll want to nail down that name so no one else can use it.
2. Subscribe to your company's individual consultant webstore. I know there's a fee--it's worth it! This is how people shop and sign up online with you. This is how you'll direct them to individual, specific products they're interested in, instead of just a generic "please shop with me." This is what people will find when they search "your name/company name." The fee will easily take care of itself if YOU do the work of getting the site out there.
3. Start a Facebook business page. You have to have a business page in order to to business on Facebook, period. We're all glad you're excited about joining, but if you start using your personal page like it's a billboard, you're gonna chase off family and friends in short order. Business pages are free, easy to set up, and will allow you to schedule posts in advance and do some inexpensive, targeted advertising when you get your feet under you. Make sure it's a public page and not a group. Groups come later, but for now, a business page is crucial. Add a smiling photo of yourself, and stick a company stock photo in for a header, for now.
4. Print or order labels with your name, contact information and your individual webstore link. Your box of catalogs and business materials will be arriving any day, and you can't hand them out with no way for people to contact you or place orders. Make sure there are at least two different ways to contact you. if it makes you feel weird to put your actual address on the labels, don't do it.
5. Choose an account and one credit/debit card to use for your business. It's sooo much easier at tax time if all your transactions funnel through just one or two places. Even if you're not sure pursuing the business side of things is right for you, it's better to begin as you mean to go on. And if you know you're not great with money matters, a separate account will help you easily keep tabs on income and spending. We're so often our own best customers!
6. Join your team's Facebook group and mailing list. If your new upline or sponsor doesn't direct you there, ask them. It's crucial that you connect with other consultants, be able to ask questions and get ideas. You can also look for your company's official Facebook group or chat forums. These people are going to become dear friends, so start the party and introduce yourself. If there's a local gathering, attend if you possibly can--you'll get extra energized.
7. Start a question notebook. Seriously, you've got so many thoughts running through your mind right now, but I guarantee you when your upline calls to see how you're doing and asks if you have any questions, you'll draw a complete blank. Write them down or start an email draft and add to it as you think of things. Your upline will LOVE it, you'll get way more answers, and you'll both use your time efficiently.
8.  Yes, I know I said seven, but here's a bonus: schedule your launch party NOW. Don't wait. You're excited NOW. Don't give yourself time to rethink things or get cold feet. Arrange it for the first free weekend you have after your Starter Kit is scheduled to arrive. It's going to be a blast, but if you don't give yourself a firm deadline, chance are you'll think of some excuses not to do it. The truth is, no one EVER feels ready for their first event. There's going to be things you don't know yet, products you haven't tried, situations you can't forsee. But you and your customers will learn together. And if you need a quick cheerleading booster shot, call your upline.

There you go--the first seven (eight!) things I'd do if I were a brand new consultant. GOOD LUCK! We're rootin' for you. We all know what an amazing confidence-boosting blessing direct sales can be--and you're about to find out. This is so exciting! Dream BIG.

What's your creating to marketing ratio?

With a craft business, many people assume you do nothing but create all day long. Wouldn't that be nice? The truth is another matter entirely!

Serious craft bloggers realize that the most crucial business activities are not in the stamp room, but in the home office.

There is a balance between spending the necessary time doing what you love to do, and doing what must be done in order to be able to afford to continue doing what you love.

Business-minded demonstrators know that a blog post is only worth it's marketing. No matter how awesome your content is, if it is not advertised, promoted, pushed out there, it's virtually worthless within a week. It will garner results only based on who happened to see it before it slipped off the first page of your blog or who happens to stumble upon it months or even years later.

No one wants to think of their work as wasted, no matter what their industry. So what can we do to make sure each post gets out there, promptly, in front of the eyes of those we want to view it?

Savvy business people use a creating to marketing time ratio of at LEAST 1:1. In layman's terms, that means they spend at least the same amount of time marketing, sharing, promoting and advertising their project as the time it took them to create it.

Think back to the last project you created.

What did you do when it was finished?

How did you market it so it would bring in results?

How did you ensure that it would continue to be promoted/seen in the future?

How did you ensure that not just your existing customers, but also future customers, would see it?

What would you say your ratio of crafting to marketing was?

Highly-successful demonstrators use a ratio closer to 2:1. If your answer was anything less than 1:1, you can be certain you are leaving money on the table and hurting the long-term sustainability of your business.

Side note: many craft bloggers fall into the trap of thinking that blogging a project is the same thing as marketing it. While a blog post IS a marketing device, it's also a project in and of itself. And as a project, it also requires the same amount of marketing in order to be successful.

We bust our backsides to produce top-quality blog content--and then sit back and wait for people to come to us, instead of going to them.

It can be discouraging to think of all the many past hours spent creating cards and then creating blog content, hours which we see now were too often left un-maximized by lack of marketing after creation. However, let me encourage you with this saying: "Know better, do better." You have learned an important lesson today; let it inform your actions going forward.

Does this seem like a daunting task?

Can I share a secret that will help?

The secret is to find as much joy and creativity in the marketing part as you do in the crafting part.

Learn to delight in new-found social media skills instead of dreading them as an unavoidable chore. Take pleasure in a well-crafted turn of phrase and in staging a great photo. Draw strength from realizing you are spending your precious time in a smart manner that will pay off far into the future. Turn some of that God-given creativity into the business realm and enjoy learning new skills.

Much about direct sales has changed in the last ten years. This is one thing that has not, although the forms of marketing available to the common man have proliferated almost beyond imagination. The people you see at the top of the company are not necessarily the best stampers. But they are definitely those who have learned the lesson that advertising is EVERYTHING.

What could change in the next year, if you started today and worked towards a 1:1 ratio?

Where would you be if you started today and put all your energies towards a 2:1 ratio?

Let's find out, shall we?

don't say "I want to" unless you're willing to

Some tough talk today. That's ok. You don't come to my site or join my Facebook business group just for fluffy inspirational mojo and cute memes, right?

I hear empty promises all the time. "I want to do this." "I want to do that."

No you don't.

Not really.

How do I know? Because you're not actually going to even try.

No steps will be taken beyond speaking it aloud.

Zero progress will be made towards earning this thing you claim to want.

It was something you said in the moment, with no thought beforehand other than, "This feels like a good thing to say right now." And as soon as it was said, it was out of your head. I'll see you a year from now and nothing will have changed.

That "desire" wouldn't even dent a marshmallow.

You didn't go home and work on this outcome you allegedly want. You did nothing to fan the spark of this supposed goal.

You didn't write it down, or tack it to your vision board, or break down any steps to take. You never made any phone calls, or told your upline or an accountability partner, or penciled it into your planner. You didn't do any research, or Google any how-to's, or strategize your plan of attack.

Did you really want this thing? Nope. All you did was speak a wish disguised in the wording of a want.

I think our businesses would be very different if the next time we were tempted to say, "I want to promote to the next level," we actually stopped and examined how much we truly wanted that thing.

And took a moment and thought about what truly desiring something means. It ALWAYS means ACTION.

It always moves us from our parking space.

 So don't say it unless you mean it. Unless you're motviated to get in gear and actually go for it. Don't say you want to unless you're willing to. 

Otherwise all I hear are empty promises.

I'll see you next year. Where will you be?

 

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decisions, decisions

Struggling with a business decision? It's ok to take some time over it, but if you're not gaining any clarity, it might be time to sit down with a pen and paper. I recently had to do this exercise with every aspect of my business as I made changes for my health and balance the needs of my growing children. It was hard--but the insights I gained about what I want, the dead wood that was pruned off my schedule, and the streamlining of my business processes was absolutely priceless.

What are your options?
What can you rule out?
What lines up with your priorities?
What does that leave?

Three quick principles to consider when struggling with a choice:

1. Don't go over the same ground again and again. Make some decisions, no matter how small. Eliminate some of those options that are muddying the waters. Write down why you made those choices so that you don't revisit issues you DID decide already while you're trying to decide on the rest of it.
   
2. Give yourself a reasonable deadline to make the choice. Make a pro/con list. Pray about it and consult with your spouse or a trusted, business-minded friend. Then make the decision when the deadline arrives, knowing it might not be the perfect choice, but you made it with the best information you had at the time.
3. Remember--NOT making a decision IS making a decision. It's better to make it and have some measure of control than to keep putting it off until the choice is made for you. Successful business owners make quick--but not hasty--decisions. They don't dither about and dally until the options narrow themselves down or the opportunity dissipates on its own.

Can you think of times in the past where you let a decision linger until the outcome wasn't in your hands any longer? Was that a positive or negative for your business? Was that a positive boost or a negative drain on your self-confidence and leadership skills?

5 More Easy Blog Posts for when you haven't crafted in a while

We've all been there... that moment of realization that it's been days since we blogged, and likely to be more days until we have a chance to craft something to blog about.

Professional bloggers knows some secret post types that add value to your site without dumping poor or hasty content into cyberspace--and that won't leave customers dissatisfied with how often you're (not) posting.

See Part One of this article here, then read on for five more great ideas for blog posts when you have nothing new to blog about!

1. Gift Certificates: we don't think of these except at the holidays, but actually, people need gift cards all year long. Grab a couple of old gift card holder ideas (or compile a board on Pinterest) and create a post about the gift certificate options you offer. PS--Be SURE to include a graphic or photo with your post, or there's nothing to allow people to pin it. NEVER blog without at least one photo!
2. Newsletter Sign Up: When's the last time you did a specific blog post about signing up for your newsletter? it's not enough just to have the sign up box on the side or to occasionally mention they should join. You should be DRIVING customers to that priceless contact list! A newsletter self-identifies people who WANT your sales pitches--it is worthy of it's own blog post once a quarter! Embed the sign-up form right in the post to remove any obstacles or excuses for not joining.
3. Video Playlist: this is especially fun if you don't do video tutorials yourself. Create a YouTube playlist of the official Stampin' Up videos. YouTube shows all sorts of recommendations after a video ends, so having a playlist helps customers stick to the corporate videos and not stray into watching other companies' videos. Organize the playlists into helpful categories like "easy gift ideas" or "new techniques." Share the link in a post, embedding the first one right there in the blog to provide a visual.
4. Family News: if you are not in the habit of sharing much personally, it's time to loosen up! People want to do business with PEOPLE, not PRODUCTS. It's ok to post some family trip pics or your recent family photo shoot. Don't overdo it, but if it's been a bit since you posted anything personal, customers love to get to know you better. Often these are the most-commented-on posts of the whole year.
5. Unboxing: we've all seen the videos of demonstrators who ordered the entire catalog opening their boxes and talking their way through every product in the book. While that's not even close to possible for 99% of us, we can still take the VERY popular "unboxing" idea and use it in ways that suit our budget and style. I've done unboxing videos on bags of mailed-in swap cards. I've done them on our cardmaking kits. You can do one on every Paper Pumpkin. Use the word "unboxing" in your post title--it's a social media goldmine. I don't know why we're so fascinated watching people unpack things, but hey--if it gets viewers and readers, go for it! If you don't do video, then just take a picture of every step in the process of opening your chosen item. Write a short line or two about your thoughts as you went through each step, being sure to communicate your utter excitement.

There you go--together with Part One, that's ten blog posts you can pull together in a hurry when the stampin' mojo has flown the coop or you truly do not have time to sit down and get crafty. Exercise your creativity in a totally different way by creating a content-rich, useful blog post from nothing! Happy blogging!

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5 Easy Blog Posts for when you haven't crafted in a while

Savvy bloggers know how to keep fresh content flowing even when they've been too busy to stamp and have nothing new to post! Once you know these insider blogging tips, you'll spot them all over! 

Here's a compilation of five easy "desperation" blog posts, pulled together from a great conversation over on the Song of My Heart Business Demonstrators Facebook group (active Stampin' Up demonstrator? join us!)

1. Year in Review: December and the upcoming New Year is a great time to do a "retrospective" and look back on favorite projects from the past year. You can do a theme--most-pinned cards of 2016--or top tutorials of 2016--but the easiest is just to pick your personal favorite project from each month and compile them into one blog post. Provide links to the original projects so people can easily go back and look at the tips and products used if they see one they really like.
2. My Top Five: "Top Ten"-style lists (or Five, or Seven or whatever) posts are a great way to add value to your site without actually adding more projects. You're just sharing a list of items you love, in order, with a note or two about why you ranked the products in that order. People LOVE Top Ten lists! They can't help but read them all and compare your thoughts to theirs and how they might rank the items differently. It's fantastic interactive thought about OUR products. Use TAMS (www.thesearemystamps.com) to make a professional, custom-linked list with a nice header and space for comments next to each product.
3. Color Challenge: also available from TAMS (my absolute favorite demonstrator resource blog!) is a super-fast color combo generator. Use any photo (or no photo) to create a gorgeous, professional JPEG graphic with the color swatches. I make a bunch in one sitting and schedule them to go live in advance. That way I can be consistent with hardly any effort.
4. Paper Pumpkin: You can easily make at least one post a month using the adorable unboxing videos Stampin' Up produces. Add the links to your personalized Paper Pumpkin sign up, and the shopping links for the pre-paid subscriptions, and you've got a good, content-filled post that will regularly contribute to the blog but take very little time to create.
5. New to Stamping? Start Here: brand-new stampers are a hugely overlooked group. Demonstrator at all levels tend to ignore them and focus on projects that suit their own range of talents. Creating "on-boarding" posts designed to direct newbies to the basics should be a high priority. What tools do they need to begin? What easy techniques should they learn first? What do you suggest they get in the Starter Kit? Do you need to start a new blog category for SIMPLE cards? Stamps-Ink-Paper--do they know that's all they need to begin?

Love these ideas? There's more where that came from! Click here for Part Two. Keep calm and blog on! 

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