February 2009 Unit Meeting Recap

Hi. We had a wonderful Unit Meeting last night. I'm energised by the discussions and training we had. Here is a list of topics we covered. If you want any details, please call me.

• Introduced Rainbows Leadership Team - Wendy, Sandra, Shell, and Nicole


• Recognised Sandra on her Promotion to Team Leader


• Trained on PartyLite Professionalism


• Trained on and Discussed How to Get Bookings (Great training and great discussion!)


• Looked at three beautiful placemat displays (Wow!)


• Introduced the Rainbows Membership Cards (Lorelei has already filled 2 cards!)


• Recognition for Starter Shows, Bonus Achievers, Active Consultants, High Show Averages - the PartyLite Zippo lighter went first!


• The raffle! Iced Crystal Trio, Votive Sampler, Kindness Angel, and Linear Lites Pillar/Votive Holder - lucky (and generous) winners all around

Did you miss us? We missed you! Come next month! Here are the next three dates for your calendar:

• Wednesday - March 25 - Unit Meeting @ Five Dock
• Wednesday - April 8 - Business Development Training with Janelle @ Hills Lodge Boutique Hotel in Castle Hill. Here is a link to a map.
• Wednesday - April 29 - Unit Meeting

Do You Know What the CHFA Does?

From the Children's Hospital Foundations Australia website:

Funds raised nationally through Children’s Hospital Foundations Australia are divided equally between the five partners and directed into the areas of most need in each hospital.

Each of our hospital partners utilise donations to transform competent care into extraordinary care. The focus is on the provision of excellence in each hospital key area - whether that be through funding ground-breaking research projects leading to childhood disease cures, or by engaging the brightest medical science minds that Australia has to offer to constantly improve upon treatments, or by purchasing state-of-the-art equipment that provides faster, more thorough diagnoses for our sick children.

Read your Reflections and look at the CHFA website and be aware of what they do; your knowledge will make you look really smart and caring in front of your guests. That has to be a good thing. :) WLC.

Raising Money for Charities

With the Victorian Fires and the Queensland flooding, lots of you are asking me about fundraisers. PartyLite Australia’s official fundraising is done for the CHFA. Officially, PartyLite encourages us to do all we can to support that charity at our shows. Any additional fundraising is done and funded by the Consultants themselves.

I do heaps of fundraisers. You can do it a variety of ways (or combinations therein):

• Sell raffle tickets to guests and raffle off the hostess benefits. Donate the raffle ticket earnings to the charity. (No cost to you.)
• Donate cash to the value of the product credit earned. I keep the product credit for myself. (You can only use the GCs for product so are giving up your 40% discount.)
• Donate an item to a mystery raffle. (Cost of item.)
• Pre-purchase some raffle prizes with your own cash and then make up gift baskets to be raffled off. Take the product credit to pay yourself back for the expense. (Pre-pay for gifts but you get it back – you give up your 40% discount – also you are guessing at the dollar amount of the product credit)
• Offer to donate some of your commission to support the fundraiser (Suggest you make it a percentage of sales to encourage people to buy big).
• Offer a 10% cash donation for all outside orders brought to the show (decide if you be giving that from your commission and replacing it with product credit or just giving it from your commission)

Those are just a few ideas. Make sure to balance your giving with your income. Only give what you intend to give. Most often I give them the product credit in cash, take the product credit for myself, and give up my 40% discount when I use the GCs. I have lots of gift certificates from sponsoring people and I do use those for nice raffle prizes which I’m happy to donate.

FYI, I have decided to donate 10% of my profits in May to Susan G Komen for the Cure. Why May? Because I will be out of town all but 8 days and I want those 8 days to be filled with bookings. Why Susan? Because that cause is important to me. Why 10%, because I thought that would be a good number.

It’s all up to you. Be creative, but don’t give up everything. Make it worth your while. WLC.

P.S. You might have read on the CBC that PartyLite has made a substantial donation to the Red Cross on behalf of all Consultants. Yay!

WLC Q&A

Hello! I'm so happy that people are sending me questions. Why answer them in an email when I can share the answers here.... Here goes:

Q: How many products do you actually talk about?

A: I bring 10, but I talk about more – I use the catalogue to show off items I haven’t brought. Here's a link to a picture of what I'm bringing to a show this month.

Q: How long is your total presentation?

A: I always try to finish in less than an hour. I have a completely interactive style. I ask each person to introduce themselves, say how they know the host, and to tell me about the last time they burned a candle. I then provide some information that relates to their candle story. Then I ask them to read out their card and hand it to me. I cover the contents of the card and then go to the next person. When I get to the end, I’m done.

Q: What percentage of time do you allow for introduction - range - promoting Hostess Showings etc.

A: Here is a good summary of my show structure:

• 30 minutes to arrive, set-up and talk to the host before guests arrive
• 15 minutes to greet guests as they arrive
• 45 minutes for my “show” – I don’t stand, I sit with everyone
• Pass out door prize slips, pens, and scent pots, Extinguish candles, and set up ordering area
• 45 minutes to take orders and payments and chat with guests (I also take bookings and set up opportunity meetings)
• 15 minutes to pack up
• 15 minutes to get host order
• Leave with a smile on my face and a promise to email the host the order summary the next day so she knows what everyone gets when the boxes arrive (confirm delivery location for order).
• When I get home (or at most the next day) it takes me about 20-30 minutes to put in an order - I put in all of the guest information.

My way isn't the right way. My way is my way. Find what feels comfortable for you and provide platinum customer service and you can't go wrong. Everyone should go watch someone else do a show. If they are more seasoned than you, you will probably learn something. If they are new, you will probably learn something. Keep learning and stay fresh.

When the shows are fun, people want to come back or have a show themselves. So no matter what you do - keep it fun. Go get 'em! WLC.

Altruistic Sponsoring Seed Idea

Here's an idea I just posted to my client website. I thought it might be a good sponsoring seed that you could use too.

Candles and Charity

All the best! WLC.

Improve Your Business Over 100%

My thought for the day.... How long has it been since you had a look at the PartyLite Consultant Guide?

I bought and received the $30 printed version from the CBC this week. I do have other copies somewhere, but I've loaned them out over time and lost my own copy (please return mine if you have them so I can loan them to other people, too).

I also have the CD with the guide, but I love the printed version. Spending the $30 is a smart investment because I value having a book. Reading on paper is so much better for me than reading on a screen. I love to make notes.

Wendy's Idea: Reading the Guide From Start to Finish Will Improve Your Business Over 100%.

Why? Because it will give you inspiration, answers, ideas, challenges, processes, games, information, and opportunities to think about your business. As I put the printed Guide into the 3 ring binder and the dividers that come with it, I was reminded about the wealth of information inside. It's choc-o-block!

By the way, I think it will improve my personal business over 100% if I read it, too. So I'm doing just that... again.

As the Rainbows team grows, I will need to rely more and more on you consulting the Consultant Guide to answer your questions. Once you get it, I think you'll agree it is worth the time spent reading it and applying it to your business.

How to Sell the PartyLite Baby Elephant

Hi. First some housekeeping: the CHFA09 code has to be used when you place an order and you can use that code only on Show Orders as a Guest Purchase. You cannot use that code for Host credit, Gift certificates and Consultant orders.

Second, how to sell the Baby Elephant.

Having it there helps. I have done 5 shows. 2 with the tent card only (sold no Baby Elephants) and 3 with the Baby Elephant and the tent card (sold 2).

When I mentioned the Baby Elephant, this is how my wording has developed over the five shows.

This cute Baby Elephant tealight holder is our charity piece. For an additional $5 PartyLite will donate $3.50 to the Children's Hospital Foundation of Australia and he will be upgraded to include a dozen French Vanilla tealights. He is a beautiful piece, can be displayed alone or with his momma, and would make a fantastic gift to any collector.

If you don't want to purchase the Baby Elephant, you can still choose to donate to the Children's Hospital Foundation and I can easily add your donation to your order.

I'm sure this will keep changing as I see what works, but I do think it is nice to highlight the charity and the Baby Elephant. I like the word upgraded. Happy selling!

Make That Call!

Dear Wendy,

I need booking help - I'm in a rut with my phone calls. I'm trying to ring customers from last year, to check on candles but also secure a booking, arrgghh, this cold calling is really hard - how do you start off and how do you ask for the booking?

From,

Frustrated From Phones

Dear Frustrated,

Good on you for asking! One RMC point to YOU!

OK, the first thing you need to do is realise that you are NOT cold calling. You are not even warm calling. You are calling a valuable client who has purchased from you before and who likely wants to hear from you. Really.

Second, you need to reposition your thinking. They are not having a show for you. You are doing a show for them. You are giving them a great excuse to have a social night. You are giving them heaps of hostess credit. By calling them, you are offering them the advantage to be one of your most valued clients.

"I really enjoyed meeting you at Sarah's show. We didn't lock in a date for you on the night, but you did tell me you might book a party in the new year. Well, we have a new catalogue, an awesome February special for hosts, and I've got three dates left in February. I wanted you to get the first choice."

Third, you should combine your call with an invitation. The VIP Customer Appreciation night is a great excuse to call. Following up on a posted invitation is super because you've gotten their brains thinking about candles even before you call.

"Hi Jen, it's Wendy the candle lady, remember me? [No.] I met you last year at Karen's candle party. [Yes.] Is now a good time to talk? [No.] When should I call you back? [Yes.] Great, I'm calling for three quick reasons.

The first is to make sure you received my invitation to our upcoming VIP night. [No.] Verify address and give her the details. [Yes.] It's a great opportunity to see and smell the new 2009 range of products. Are you free that night?

[Yes.] Great, I'd love to see you there. I'll put you down on my RSVP list. Please come with a friend. If you want to make a night of it, you can come a bit early to have dinner and a drink before we start.

[No. Excuse.] I completely understand. Would you be interested in seeing the new catalogue anyway? [Yes.] I'll post it to you.

That brings me to the second reason I called. Are you attending a show in February?

[Yes.] Great, I can't wait to see you there. Will you be booking a party of your own at that show? [No. I don't have time for a party.] That's alright. I know how you feel. I felt the same way until I figured out that I could get so much for free by hosting a show that I found it was worth the effort to have a show.

[No.] Well, PartyLite has increased the normal hostess credits to 30% for the month of February. With a $400 show you would get $170 in free products. I thought of you and wanted to see if we could set up a date that works for both of us before we get too far into the month. [No, couldn't do it this month.] How does your March look? [Book party or ask if she wants you to contact her in the future to book a date.]

OK, the last reason for my call is that we have a great special in February for anyone who spends $30 or more. The 2009 votive sampler which is normally $52.95 is on sale for only $24.95. Or you can get the 16 sampler candles without the votive cup for only $14.95 - that's less that $1 per votive. If you need to stock up on some candles at a great price, you might want to take advantage of this offer and I can put it through for you (at your show/myself). How are you doing on stock of votives and tealights?

[Fine, I don't need anything.] OK, well, if you know anyone who would like to take advantage of that special, please give them my number.

[Yes.] Excellent, to qualify you need to spend $30, do you know what you want now, or do you want to wait until you get a copy of the new catalogue?"

This is not pushy. This is informative. This is following through on your promise to be her candle lady. You told everyone at the show that you wanted to be their candle lady, right? So be the proactive, smiling, happy candle lady on the phone. Ask everything you mean to ask, and take no for an answer. The more people you call the more no's you'll get.

I have learned to love NO.

If they are not going to a party soon and if they are not hosting one of their own, let them know that they don't have to. Let them know that you do a monthly order and ask them if they would like you to call them next month to see if they need any more candles. If they say yes, make a list of people you call every month. If they say no, call the next person.

One piece of advice, set up 30 minutes at a time to make the calls, make at least 5 calls, and stop on a high. In other words, keep going until you get a positive response. A booking, an order, a resolved problem, a referral. It always feels better to end on a good thing.

Summer Sizzle Challenge

On Christmas Eve, Eliana wrote to her leader team and gave us the following challenge.

"The summer heat is coming... Put on your shades, your hat and sun-block and enjoy the Sizzle in January.

How? You’re wondering... let’s have some FUN together and break our Region Record.

From January 1st to 30th, submit your Shows, encourage your Consultants to earn extra income by booking an extra show. If everyone booked one extra show in January I’m sure we will break the barometer. Our goal is to do 321 shows in January.

Can we do it? Yes we can. When we reach our target I will take a photo to be posted on Wendy’s Blog of me in swimmers, hat, sunnies and shades and a poster saying... We Did It!.. Yes the poster will not hide anything..."

As you can see by the picture, we did do it! We as a region did 342 shows which is a 38% increase from January 2008. The biggest news is that we were up on our sales by 56% from January 2008. Thanks for your challenge, Eliana. Thanks for your support. And thanks so very much for keeping our region fresh and exciting! We love you.

So, what's the next challenge...? We're up for it! WLC.

Rainbows Membership Cards

Lorelei just earned a point. She sent me a beautiful set of images of a Lavender display that she has done at home.

You can't necesarily just send me a picture and get a point. She did something out of the blue, creative, and worth sharing. I'm sure you will, too.

More importantly, she didn't expect to get a point. :)

Introducing Rainbows Membership Cards

I have created cute little Rainbows Membership Cards. Obviously, these are for Rainbows. If you're not a Rainbow, sorry, you can't have one. :(

You earn one point on your card for each of the following things:

• Attend a meeting for which you have RSVPed
• Bring a guest to a meeting or event (two points for each guest)
• Attend a training session
• Do a presentation at a meeting
• Bring a placemat display to a meeting
• Bonus
• Sponsor
• Contribute an article or story to this website (a good one, of course)

Every 10 points earned gets a prize and a new Rainbows Membership Card. Collect filled cards for a fantastic raffle at our Holiday Party in December. Points earning begins today. Go for it! WLC.

Wendy's February Kit

Hi. For years, Eliana has told us that she prepares a monthly kit. She says that it helps her to get bookings for the next month because people want to see the next set up.

I've decided to do this for 2009. Here is the kit I've prepared for February. 10 pieces with wax/oil.

1. Gold Mosaic Hurricane w/Gold Universal Tealight Tree ($149.95)
2. Scents of Ambiance Herbal Leaves ($34.95) w/ Herbal Mint Fragrance Oil ($39.95)
3. Iced Crystal Trio ($74.95)
4. Sabor Isleno Aroma Melts Warmer ($44.95)
5. Symmetry 3 in 1 Holder ($79.95) w/ Brown Accents ($19.95)
6. Essence of Lavendar Guest Soaps ($34.95) and Mini Barrel Jar ($16.95)
7. Linear Lites Votive Pair ($51.95)
8. City Lights Multi Tealight Centrepiece ($72.95) w/ Agave Nectar Woodgrain Pillar ($39.95)
9. Coconut Chocolate Mousse Just Desserts Blend 3-wick Jar ($44.95)
10. Thai Inspiration Pillar Sleeve, Medium ($ 49.95) w/ 12cm White Gardenia Truffle Pillar ($18.95)

Notice that I've included pillars, tealights, votives, aroma melts, reed diffusers, and personal products (the soaps). I can demonstrate everything and give them a good foundation in candle care. I can show them how everything works, and the high quality of our product line. I have the CHFA tent card on my desplay so that I am sure to mention the Baby Trumpeting Elephant and the special charity offer.

Planning Ahead

My March display will be different, but will likely include the Symmetry 3 in 1 and the Iced Crystal Trio. I will pay attention to the Hostess Specials for April when I select my March items.

What are you doing?

I'd love to have you send me a photo of your kit with a typed out list of what is in it. It's good research for your shows and good to help you get to know the new catalogue. If you do, I'll post it to this blog and share your creativity and organisation with others. Share! Send to: wendy [at] wlcenterprises [dot] com. See ya!