I Only Forgot Your Name Because I Didn’t Care What Your Name Was…
Okay, maybe it’s not the best motto or sales mantra…but it is an honest thought. I have missed a week, but in my defense I had finals and events to take care of. I meant to write but I just didn’t have inspiration once I finally got a moment of downtime. I am back though! And I am ready to talk to you about weeks 4 and 5 of my direct sales journey. Week 4 I had an event with a little traffic, but not too much. Most of the vendors were bored and we ended up spending more time talking to other vendors than actually talking to customers. I actually booked my first party with another vendor! Some vendors even left early because there was nothing for them to do. It was good though, but I realized something about myself. I am horrible with names in general, but worse if I don’t care. I can remember faces with the best of them… unless we are talking about the differences between Tom Selleck and Burt Reynolds. I just see some random mustachio white man. I have just never been a person that is good with names. I have to write it down and associate it with something in order to really remember it, and even then I’m iffy. I joke when I say that if I don’t remember your name it’s only because I don’t care what your name is, but the truth is that I make every effort to remember and still come up short.
I have to pose the question; is it really important for direct sales vendors to remember names of potential customers before they ever agree to make a purchase? I don’t think so. The law of numbers is basically this, for every 100 people you pitch your product to you may have 10 who buy your product. This really means that I should only be responsible for knowing 10 names. Those other 90 are really not that important. Maybe that is really harsh but it is true. It is my job to be a good sales person, but it is also my job to provide the best purchasing experience to those who are actually buying my product. Otherwise I would just be working for free.
This past Saturday I attended another event and managed to make a sale! It was a minor sale but a group of women threatened to book a party. I think that they will, and I am excited. I found many people that I spoke to were not familiar with Miche. Thankfully, I was there to spread the word. I think that I may actually score a bit of a customer base with this one. Yes, my sale was small…but still a sale. I happened to have one of the decorative charms for our Hope collection and a wonderful lady just had to have it. Even though it was just a small item, I am happy because it could lead to more sales. Either way I feel that this event was successful. This week I was also lucky enough to have my first online sale. A very special thank you to my brother-in-law, Matthew Holcomb. He scored himself a lovely “Mitch” purse this week. Actually, he is not going to carry it himself it is for his mother.
This coming weekend I do not have anything that I have scheduled, but I will be at my sister’s event at Holiday in the City. Or at least I think that is what it is….but of course I am bad with names. I also plan to enjoy the holiday and start back on my grind on Monday. We have a huge cyber event going on from December 3-10 where customers can save up to 60% off! Good time to buy! I hope that you all enjoy your time with your friends and families on this wonderful holiday. I shall be with you again next week! Keep reading, like my page, tell your friends, and visit my Miche website at JenHernandez.miche.com !
I Like Me…and So Should You: Self-Worth and Networking.
Week 3
This is my third post to this blog now that I have officially ended my second week in Direct Sales. I am still amazingly super excited. I had my first event which seemed to go pretty well, and I have gotten the opportunity to hand out my cards to quite a few people. I haven’t yet made my first sale…but it is coming, I can almost feel it. I have 3 more events lined up so far, and even a promise for a party booking or two. It seems that the only sales that I have been able to make so far are to myself. I have promoted my butt off for the past 2 weeks and it just never ends. I feel that the harder I try to promote myself and make sure that I am getting the word out, the more work I create for myself. In saying this I would just like to make it clear that once a specific goal is met I tend to create a new one. Then I simply feel like I am never finished, and I almost never allow myself to truly enjoy my success.
I guess I have figured out that my personal success is really up to me. Which brings me to my topic for this week. I want to discuss the fact that your image of yourself, and how you value yourself, is crucial to your success as a direct sales vendor. How can you expect that anyone else will want to purchase from you, or allow you into their homes if you are not likeable to them? I generally don’t ask people that I don’t like to come to my home so that they can sell me stuff. I’m not going to call up Donald Trump and ask him to come sell me anything…but I would allow him to pay me. People have to trust you in order to buy what you are selling. This doesn’t mean that you have to be their best friend, it only means that you have to be able to adapt to the way they interact in order to ensure that they are comfortable.
My sisters will tell you that I am an abrasive type of person and they most likely would never tell you that I am a ‘sales person’ by nature. I explained to my sister that I don’t have to like someone in order to like their money. If someone is going to spend that money anyway, or buy that purse anyway, then why should it not be me that is getting the benefit of that? This is nothing personal, it is simply business. This doesn’t mean that you should be less than genuine in your interactions with people. I certainly can be quite lovely as long as others are not overstepping their bounds with me. I do not accept someone being rude with me, and I wouldn’t want to be treated that way either. My super easy business rule is just this: DO NOT LET YOUR PERSONAL FEELINGS INTERFERE IN YOUR ABILITY TO MAKE A SALE. It is easy to judge others and say that you don’t like their type or that you would prefer not to do business with a certain type of person, but I have found that even the money of those that I don’t care for will spend the exact same way as money I get from a good friend. My business is not me personally, it is an extension of me. I have to be able to separate my feelings from that of my business and then I can be successful. Those in the car sales industry will tell you that you cannot judge a potential buyer. You don’t have to agree with a person who lets their children go without good shoes and wants to purchase a handbag from you…you just have to get past that and sell them the bag that they are looking for.
Unfortunately, when people think of sales they are not thinking it is synonymous with integrity. Of course you should be honest and conduct yourself in a dignified manner at all times, in other words you should Patrick Stewart that shizzle. I believe that Patrick Stewart is a dignified and quite trustworthy man, I like him a great deal….and he should sell things because I would believe him regardless. Anyway, even in social media you cannot make someone like you. It is pretty much their right to not like you if they so choose. You can just continue to give 100% in all that you do and hope that it turns out in your favor. I consider it a success if you can make one person per day aware of your direct sales business. It is a triumph to reach at least 10 more people per month than you would have reached without putting forth the effort.
This is my philosophy, I like me and so should you. I believe that it is important to feel that you are doing the right thing and others will follow along. Feel good about what you are selling and feel good about your presentation of that product. The sales and money will come but you have to be willing to put in the effort to make your business what you want it to be. I have another event on Saturday, and I will be able to talk to at least 10 more people. I will be able to carry my Miche bag of the week around everywhere I go, and people will ask about it. I can leave my business card with anyone that I come in contact with while I am farting around town. My business is in my control. And because I like me so much, you should as well at http://www.facebook.com/jensmichestore
You can also find me at my Miche store: JenHernandez.miche.com
I look forward to having all of you like me (hehe)! I will see you next week!
Direct Sales: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly- Week 2
Direct Sales: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Time Does Fly- Week 2
It has been a week since my last post about my experiences in direct sales, and I will say that it has not been boring. Truthfully, I could start a completely new blog about the woes of networking…not ‘Woahs’ like Keanu Reeves would have, but like woes in the down and dirty direct sales world. My first post got some great feedback which was surprisingly supportive. I noticed that it also got some feedback that was neither asked for or warranted. I posted within my Facebook groups so that others who are in direct sales business could share in the insights that I hope to bring with my blog. Some of the groups simply deleted my post and acted as though it had never existed. One guy decided that under my post he would make the comment “Pass” as though to insinuate that I really gave a crap if he read the post or not. Note: I did not write nor did I aim my post directly at you! Sure, I would appreciate the support and I welcome any feedback but rudeness is not necessary. I am assuming that this man probably is not very good at networking, but I decided to bite my tongue because he really isn’t important in the scheme of things. I’m not even certain of what he sells. Also, if you are in a business that requires a great deal of networking you really should use every opportunity to befriend and support anyone else that you can in their business goals. If you are networking properly, this does not take away from your possibilities and opportunities. If it does nothing else it could at least open new opportunities for you through some sort of direct sales karma.
Regardless, I have been a busy bee this week. I am now booked for 3 different direct sales events this month, I have ordered my business cards, and received my large order I placed with Miche so that I have some stock to show potential customers. I found all of this to be very exciting. I know, I have really geeked out on all of this. After I posted to my blog last week I made sure to set up my Facebook page for my business, which by the way you should ‘like’ on Facebook (www.facebook.com/jensmichestore). I also invited friends to like the page….some were compliant. I have noticed that even those people who are your good friends will not go to your page to press a button that says like in support of your endeavors. I guess that you have to take all of that with a grain of salt. Anyway, I was satisfied with the work that I had done. Then it just occurred to me that I should see if I can get Keanu Reeves to like my page…haha, it may be far-fetched but you never know. He probably knows ladies who would love to purchase a quality handbag that is fully customizable. Later in the week I had my sister over to help me go through my new Miche stock and get it ready to show at my events. My sister, Heather Holcomb, is really great at her business (Young Living Essential Oils) and she has been very helpful for me in networking and other aspects of my own business. So, of course I fully endorse and recommend her for all of your oil needs. As we put together all of the purses and changed out accessories I decided that she should be carrying one of my purses because she sees a great deal of people that I would never come in contact with…visibility alone is great advertising.
As a result of her visits also came my “Purse of the Week” idea. I took a picture of her purse and my purse that were now customized to my liking and posted one of them on Facebook as well. It is my hope to catch the eye of anyone that has ignored other posts. Still that is not the only thing that I have accomplished this week. I obtained one of those credit card sliders and signed up for services, but I haven’t decided if it was really going to be useful to me as of yet. I also designed my business cards and ordered them because I realized that I was kind of upset that I couldn’t leave a card with the tip at a restaurant like my sister had, and thus I could have just cost myself a sale or two. She has really good ideas. My upline has also been helpful because 2 out of the 3 bookings that I have gotten were because she sent them my way, and for that I am truly grateful. Also, anytime I have a silly question she happily answers it.
I really did not have a desire to do anything this week other than promote my business. I am simply waiting for someone to ask me where I got my purse so I can go into my shtick about Miche and why they should book a party. It hasn’t happened yet, but I refuse to be discouraged. If nothing else I have some real goals for the upcoming week. I have to prepare for my November 8th event (which you can find on my Facebook page) so that I am truly ready to represent my product. I need to be sure of prices, product availability, and scheduling for events. I am a bit nervous but I am certain that I can handle it. I also have to find ways to get more people involved in my Facebook page and my Miche page. I would like to have at least 2 parties booked by the end of the week. I will also be putting up a new purse of the week for this week and hopefully the ‘likes’ will double this time and I can get 2 of them. I have become strangely optimistic about 2 ‘likes’ on Facebook.
I did have an eventful week, not only in business but also my personal life. I had another birthday, I had some random woman come to my home and slam my door on me while spouting obscenities about wanting to beat me up, and I did a lot of homework for my school stuff. There is always so much other stuff to get into with daily living and your family that it is easy to focus on anything but promoting your business, but we have to make time for it if we want to be successful. I have another sister that is involved with Tupperware and she has to now pay more money for her kit because she did not meet a sales requirement within a certain timeframe. It is unfortunate, but I have found that she does not seem to be that invested in her business. That is okay, but just a regrettable use of money. I think we should develop a direct sales assessment for proper placement of representatives. I haven’t seen one but I can almost bet there is something similar on Buzzfeed, they have everything on there.
I am going to keep plugging along, and I will keep you updated about my progress. I hope that you will keep reading because I’m certain we will have much to talk about in the future weeks. I also hope that you will visit my pages and ‘like’ them as appropriate. We direct sales people need to stick together and share in the successes of each other…that is how we will survive. Also, if anyone runs into Keanu Reeves have him like my page too. See you soon!
http://www.facebook.com/jensmichestore
JenHernandez.miche.com
Planting the Seed- Week 1
Direct Sales: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
It takes a certain type of person to run a successful direct sales business. You have to be organized, self-motivated, outgoing, and you have to like people somewhat. Over the years, most of us will come in to contact with a direct sales opportunity or two; but how many of us will really take the plunge and dive deeply into the realm of direct sales? How many of us can be a success?
I decided to start this blog to discuss my personal experiences with direct sales opportunities both presently and in my past. I started selling when I was little, I was a Girl Scout. I feel that I have always been successful in my sales, but I know that at times I could have been better at it. I know that there are times where I was not confident in my ability to stand by a product I did not believe in. Personally, I cannot stand Girl Scout cookies…what can I say? I am a cookie purest. If it isn’t a chocolate chip cookie, I have no interest. Needless to say, I did not sell as many cookies as I could have because I had no desire to eat their cookies myself and refused to push a product that I considered to be a disgrace to the cookie world.
Later I did some retail jobs, and I was pretty good at them too because I had a paycheck. Sure, the base pay was really all I cared about; but sometimes I really felt like seeing what I could get people to buy. I am not passionate about men’s underwear past the fact that I believe that they are necessary. I do enjoy shoes, but not the gnarly shoes that you sell to old men. I guess that in order to explain this better I need to tell you what kind of person I am. I am the type of person that enjoys people, but only when I want to be around people. I am generally friendly, honest, and outgoing. I am not frilly, dressy, or overly girly. I am simply me. I like wearing yoga pants, comfortable sneakers, and a ponytail. I despise makeup, sure I wear it at times but I dislike conformity just enough to refuse to ‘look the part’.
I attended law school, and I have worked many years in a professional setting. I still never had that ‘something’ about me that wanted to call too much attention to myself. I was a theater and choir kid, and I have been on stage a great deal of my life but I still only desire having the spotlight when I have chosen to do so. I have sold Avon, but never felt like I had the Avon Calling (pun intended). I have considered Tupperware, but I felt that would require me to become much more domestic than I have the ability to do. I have even considered Young Living Oils so that I could be in a group with my sister, but I did not feel like I could really devote myself to that. I even thought of trying passion parties and the like because I could…but personally I don’t want to know that much about the intimacy habits of anyone else. So here I was…a salesperson without a product…like a cupcake with no icing, I was alone with my muffin top. That was until I found something I could feel good about selling.
Recently, I decided that I would like to sell Miche purses. I saw a demonstration from my up-line, Trisha Jacobs, and had to have a party. I mean really had to do it. Let me just say, I have never ever carried a purse because I do not have the stamina. I have always thought that if it didn’t fit into my pockets or bra, then I didn’t need to have it with me. There was something magical about these purses that simply called to me. Even when I had scheduled my party I had not yet decided if I wanted to sell them. I had horrible experiences with direct sales before, and I wasn’t sure if I still had the patience for networking that I may have had in my teens and twenties. So I had a party in my home, and decided that I really wanted to sell these products. I know women, I know what they buy, and I understand why these are useful.
I realize that it is hard to get started in this type of business because it really takes a great deal of work if you want to do well at it. I have been lucky because I have a great up-line and excellent support available to me on Facebook groups so I don’t feel lost. I think that it is definitely much different than it was when I attempted direct sales in the past. The internet has made things much easier. Surprisingly, I have been a representative for one week now and I love it. Sure I haven’t sold anything yet, and I haven’t had my first party yet but I am optimistic about my prospects. I have had quite a few people show interest in scheduling a party, and even more people that have expressed interest in buying from me. I have even booked my first direct sales event!
With this blog I intend to unmask the world of direct sales and provide some insight into the opportunities that are available to everyone. I will post weekly detailing my personal accounts of my business, past experiences, and I will also share stories from others who are involved in direct sales. It is my intent to share tips for success, and reasons for failures…while still providing some sort of entertainment for everyone. I hope that you will follow me on my journey with Miche, maybe we can all learn more along the way. See you next week!
Direct Sales: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 