Friday, June 27, 2008

Do You Make Money?

Bookkeeping is not my strength. In fact, I am really quite hopeless at it. One of my New years resolutions was to track my expenses and my income more rigorously. Here it is almost the end of June.... (Sigh!)

Last night I went onto the CBC to collect my income statements. Did you know that you can see your income statements on the CBC? Just look under Consultant Reports and then click on View Electronic Documents. Then click on the PROFITAU link and pdfs of your statements will magically appear. I had 5 pages of them! I've decided to do this every week from now on. I printed them, checked them for accuracy (they were), and then thought about calling some of the hosts from last year (I'll do that this weekend).

Whether you work this business as a hobby or start to build a real income stream out of it like I have, it is really good practice to know how much you are bringing in and how much it is costing you. You really should get into the habit of tracking your income and expenses. If you start now, you'll be ahead of the game. If you have a simple system and keep up with it, it won't take nearly as long.

Eliana has sent me an Excel spreadsheet that she fills out with her expenses over the course of the year. At tax time, she simply hands this over to her accountant and her taxes are done (she, of course, keeps her receipts). Want to see it? Email me and I'll send it to you. My email address is wendy [at] wlcenterprises [dot] com.

Happy bookkeeping! WLC.

P.S. Feel free to click on the image above and see what one of my income statements looks like. This is one week. It shows income from two standard shows, one starter show, and my Unit Leader Bonus. It also shows my Stash for Cash deductions. For some reason it was missing the $10 Bonus Voucher deductions for each show. They took them out in the next statement.

Spare Time?

I heard a good quote at the Unit Meeting.

“Your PartyLite business can be full time or part time, but it won’t do much if you only do it in your spare time.”

Set aside a few hours a week to develop your business and watch your business grow.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

June Unit Meeting

Hi. What a great turnout for the Sparkler/Rainbow Unit Meeting. Thanks to everyone who brought guests. All of the guests have scheduled Starter Shows, so we must be doing something right. A special thanks to Nicole for sharing her experience in the Fast Track to Leadership program. Though leadership may not be for everyone, I think we all were fascinated by the information Nicole shared.

July Challenge

Ange certainly put me in my place, didn't she? Like Marty McFly, I just can't say no to a challenge. So, for those of you who weren't at the meeting, here's the July Challenge.

  1. Bonus in July ($2800 in sales - easy - just hold 5-6 shows)
  2. Hold one Starter Show in July (easy - just offer it to every host - Ange and I are happy to help with your latte appointments)
  3. Help your new consultant to be qualified by the end of August ($2000 in sales - easy - just make sure your new starter attends New Consultant Training ASAP)
  4. Have 6 shows of your own booked in August

Everyone who achieves these things gets a black PartyLite duffel/roller bag, a PartyLite Zippo lighter, and a $50 PartyLite Gift Certificate. That's from Ange and me. From PartyLite you get a minimum of 20 Share and Succeed points, bonus, a great August, 1000 points towards next year's incentive trip, and more.

Go for it! The winners will be recognised and rewarded at our September Unit Meeting.

Summer/Holiday Catalogue Information

Joining the Everyday Catalogue on August 4 will be a second catalogue: our Summer/Holiday catalogue. You will be able to pre-order the new Summer/Holiday catalogue (SKU #820008205) from July 1 - July 31. Orders will be released and should arrive (depending on your postcode) as close to Monday August 4 that we can organise. The pre-order price for the Summer/Holiday catalogue is $20.00 (25 pack).

There is also a special pre-order price of $45.00 for two packs of catalogues (2 x 25) and the new Summer/Holiday fragrance stacker. The SKU# for this promotion is #82008205C. This special will only be available until August 1, 2008.

Inspirational Quotes

Several of you asked me to recap the inspirational quotes I shared at the end of the meeting. Here they are:

"Your dream is not big enough if it doesn't scare you."
~Matthias Schmelz --- Portugal
"When an egg breaks by a power outside, a life ends. When an
egg breaks by a power inside, a life begins. Great things always begin from the power inside!"
~Author Unknown
"Don't let your history interfere with your destiny."
~Steve Maraboli

Fundraisers

To close, the image at the top of this email was sent to me in honour of Jane McGrath. Over the years, I have done a few candle shows to raise money for breast cancer in the name of my good friend Lisa, who didn't win her fight either. I share it with you in memory of anyone you know that has been struck down by cancer.

Take a minute to think of your own friends and family everyday. Light a candle for them. Be grateful for good health and be generous to help those who aren't so lucky. If you feel like it, hold a candle party and raise some money to fight cancer. Its a great cause.

Make it a great month! Finish June strong and give our July Challenge a try. The worst you can do is build your business. :) WLC.

Monday, June 23, 2008

We are growing!

The Rainbows unit continues to grow and flourish. In the first half of 2008 we have had eleven new people start up their own PartyLite business. Congratulations to them and congratulations to us all. Introducing new people to PartyLite is a great thing to do. You take steps toward leadership. They take steps toward their goals.

Several Starter Shows are already scheduled for July. I suspect we'll have more than 20 people join our team between now and Christmas. That's not just me sponsoring people - its all of us. Every show host is a sponsorship opportunity. Every customer you meet is a sponsorship opportunity. The potential is everywhere.

Do you have a goal to get 2 leads from every show like I do? If you don't, just ask me how. It's easy.

Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours.
~Les Brown

Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on
something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down.
~Charles Kettering

PartyLite is Too Expensive

How often do you hear people say that? They flip through the catalogue and see some of the prices and look at you with kind eyes before saying, "Wow, there are some nice things in here, but it is a bit pricey."

You know from experience that they are wrong. That PartyLite is different. That our candles and accessories are better. That our guarantee is unrivaled. That your customer service is second to none.

You need to be ready to tell people about the differences. One of the blogs I read regularly had the following to say about the matter:

[There is] No such thing as price pressure - Your sales force and your customers may scream that you need to lower your price. It's not true. You need to increase your value. If people don't want to pay, it's because you're not delivering enough value for the money you're charging. You're not selling a commodity unless you want to.
So don't sell a commodity. Sell the benefits of PartyLite. Deliver those benefits. Be confident and sure that PartyLite has the best products and is the best value in home decorating, home fragrance, personal well being, home spa, relaxation, illumination, ambiance, and customer service.

Because it is true.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

PartyLite and Pandora

Dear Wendy,

Had a blow today – one of my shows has cancelled (I know this happens), but she cancelled because she has shown some catalogues around to friends and they think partylite is way too expensive and they won’t be buying. The hostess felt too, that items were too pricey, so decided to cancel. Quality items… but I was really surprised she did cancel – guess she did me a favour so that I can book in someone else!!! What do we say when people express that they think it is too expensive?


From, Wax Rocks

Dear Wax Rocks,

Just like Pandora charms, PartyLite candles cost a bit more than our competitors. Some candles are more dear, but a lot of the time, ours are more expensive. So how do great companies like Pandora and PartyLite stop people from looking at the price tag? They compete on value, quality, and service. That's what we offer!

What do I say? Well, depending on the mood and the situation I'll agree with her (that usually stops them in their tracks) and then pop a few of these little ditties into the conversation.
  • Shows are fun and informative – definitely worth having just to see what it’s all about

  • Platinum quality candles and accessories – you will be proud to have them in your home – not knick-knacks… interior decorating

  • 36 long lasting fragrances to choose from

  • Beautiful burn (they will notice the difference)

  • 90 day satisfaction guarantee

  • Successful shows across a wide variety of demographics

  • Platinum Customer Service – their own personal consultant for life… You!
I also use a FEEL, FELT, FOUND response. Something like this....
"I know exactly how you feel. I felt that way too when I first saw the catalogue. But you know what I've found? People love the parties because they learn so much about candles. They might only buy something small to get started, but I have found that they see the difference once they've been to a show. Why not get a group together and let me just give the presentation? No one has to buy. I have found that once they see the display, smell the fragrances, and learn a few tricks, you and I are likely to have a successful show."

If that doesn't work, I’d invite her to a future show and let her see what it’s all about. Tell her she doesn’t need to buy anything, but that you want her to see the show so she knows….

There are tonnes of examples of how to overcome objections in your Consultant Guide (I love that section). Have a look and practice them.

Make it a Great Day!

WLC.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Information For Sponsoring

Hi. I just wrote a couple of new articles on my client site, www.wlcenterprises.com. That is the site where I speak to my hosts, guests, and future recruits. I also sometimes write music reviews, tell people about websites I've helped develop, and get the word out about some of the bands I'm in. It's sort of a potpourri of all things Wendy.

Anyway, I think the last two posts will be of interest to you. Here are links:


Enjoy! WLC.