If you want to succeed in direct sales or network marketing you have to build a large network. There is no way around it. When people join Scentsy they start with a list of “100 friends and family”; however, this list (on its own), although it is a good start, is never big enough to meet your long term goals. Consultants who can’t grow their network (outside of their initial list of people they know) will struggle to achieve.
There is however a very, very simple way to grow a huge positive network, outside of the contacts that you have when you start your business. The larger your network, the larger your business will expand and grow. This blog post will show you how to do it in a very simple way.
Most people who are serious about this business are aware of the need to “expand their network”, but many people struggle with how to do it effectively.
Also, a common problem is that people look at networking as an “event” rather than a “habit”. They approach networking from a position of stops and starts, rather than as a continual behaviour that happens all the time. When you approach networking sporadically you miss out on the compounding returns that come when a habit drives long term action.
Networking doesn’t need to be complex. In fact, it can be very simple. If if you are willing to turn the method I’m going to lay out into a habit you’ll find it to be very effective as well. Here is a method that we’ve used successfully in our business and we know that it works. It is called – networking circles.
Other writers, including James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher in their book, The Power of No: Because One Word Can Bring Health, Abundance and Happiness, discuss takes on this idea. Also, there are no hard and fast rules to how it works. You can easily adapt this idea to your schedule (and willingness to network).
The framework is pretty simple:
What you will find, if you actually execute this strategy, is that, usually within a year to eighteen months, your personal and professional network will have grown substantially. You will have more positive relationships than you have ever had, and as a result opportunities will start to come into your life.
Why is this? A couple reasons. First, there is a compounding effect (read Darren Hardy’s great book, The Compound Effect on this subject) whenever you engage in small behaviours consistently over a long period of time. Next, without even realizing it you are creating a “relationship action plan” (as discussed by Keith Ferrazzi in his wonderful book Never Eat Alone).
You are also bringing the idea of relationship building both into your subconscious and conscious attention. Because you have built a conscious habit of hitting four circles you will be looking for opportunities to meet new people, and your subconscious will make you aware of networking opportunities that you normally would have glossed over because your weren’t focused on the subject. There is a huge dividend whenever something becomes a habit.
Also, have fun with it. Make it a game. Give yourself a reward if you hit more than four circles in a week. Challenge yourself. Add some additional unique circles (like “aspirational contacts” or “superstars”). You never know how your efforts to reach out to people (even above your current income or pay grade) can really pay off.
We are coming up on six years as Scentsy Independent Consultants. It has been an incredible ride, one that has seen our team grow to include consultants all over the world, and a business that we now own that has truly changed our life, our income, and our happiness.
Over this time we have had the privilege to work directly (in mentoring, training, speaking and coaching) with many thousands of consultants worldwide. We have realized that there are certain understandings (or beliefs) that determine whether a consultant will “last”, or whether they will quit before they experience the real “fruits” of a successful direct sales business.
Unfortunately, the reality is that many, many consultants (the majority in fact) don’t ever last with one direct sales company as long as we have lasted with Scentsy.
In fact – and these are real statistics – 100% of the people who joined our team in 2009 have since quit Scentsy, and 62% of the people who joined our team in 2010 have since quit Scentsy. In spite of this our business thrives, and continues to grow (both globally and in absolute numbers), and we are able to experience an incredible life because of it.
There are many reasons why consultants quit, and we want to share some to help any new Scentsy Independent Consultants so that they can experience the same blessings that we have felt with this company. Here are 5 tips that will absolutely change your business and allow you to “last”:
1. Motivation Will Wear Off, Habits Will Sustain You
Direct sales companies are great about “motivating you”. We have annual conventions with tons of great speakers and trainings. We have regional meetings, incentive trips, leadership trips, webinars, seminars. We have more training than you could even imagine. In spite of this, the majority of consultants won’t last 6 years.
Why is this? Primarily it is because habits are what really matter in this business. Motivation is only an ignition switch, nothing more. Motivation wears off. It is overrated. If you want to stick, if you want to last, if you want to beat the war of attrition and experience the fruits of a successful direct sales business you have to establish (as quickly as possible) powerful habits in working your business and allow those habits to carry you to success. If you constantly need a “re-charge” eventually you will get tired of the cycle. Habits are what count.
2. The Same Things That Work At The Beginning Will Always Work
We have the experience of coaching many consultants who find themselves in “plateaus” in their business, after having been in it for several years. In most cases, the consultant has who is in a lull in their business has moved away from doing the things that brought them initial success. When you start your direct sales business you often talk to everyone. You are challenged by your upline and you respond. That leads to results.
Many consultants fall into what I believe is a “productivity trap of leadership”. They have grown their team a little and they shift the majority of their time to training activities. We believe that this is a mistake if you do it too early. Meghann and I are at the highest rank of the company, we have the ability to focus entirely on leadership but yet we don’t. We constantly do the things that we did in 2009. As a result we are getting new customers weekly and also constantly finding new recruits. Our business therefore grows. If you want to last you have to do the things, for your entire experience, that you do as a brand new consultant.
Also – and this is a point that cannot be discounted – when you do the things that “new consultants do” you get to experience the emotions that a new consultant feels: excitement, engagement, momentum. You have to feel that often to last in this business. If you become solely a “trainer” or solely a “leader” you not only miss out on a steady stream of new customers and recruits, but you miss out on these positive emotions.
3. You Have To Understand And Conquer The Dip
Here is the application to direct sales:
When you first start out, you experience a relative level of success. When we are training our team we like to refer to this initial success as “the friends and family bump”.
You tell your friends and your family about your new business venture. Many of them will “test” out your products to see if they like them. Some of them will purchase again, but not all of them. So your customer base immediately starts to recede. Some of them may also want to get involved with the business venture themselves. However this initial bump doesn’t last.
Soon you find yourself heading into the “Dip”. This is where you have exhausted your initial network of contacts. You are still working your business, and still trying, but you are starting to see your results diminish.
The Dip is where many, many people quit. The dip usually happens at the 18-24 month point. Those who persist past the Dip, end up with a significant share of the results, and rewards over time.
Persisting past the Dip is hard because it requires you to get out of your comfort zone. It requires you to expand your personal network. It requires you to experiment with new strategies. Anytime you start experimenting you open yourself up to failure. So not only do you have to persist past the Dip, but you also have to get over your fear of going outside of your comfort zone, and you have to get over your fear of failure.
4. Dabbling Doesn’t Give You Enough Data To Make A Reasonable Judgment
There are many, many different ways to build your business, and the reality is that they all work. However, in order to get results from particular methods it is often necessary to stick with the method for a long time. You also have to learn how to do that method correctly. That involves failing a little at first until you can correct.
The problem is that many, many consultants will try one method and then make a judgment about whether that method works and then quit doing it. When in reality they are asking the wrong question – instead of asking whether a particular method works or not, they should really be asking whether or not they are willing to do what it take to MAKE that method work. All methods work if you do them correctly but you have to be willing to 1) learn how to do it correctly and then 2) stick with it until you are performing it correctly.
We’ve seen this so many times, in so many contexts, with so many consultants – online marketing, organic marketing, doing parties, doing fairs. I could go on. You can’t just do it one time and quit. You have to learn how to do it correctly, and then stick with it until you are actually doing it correctly.
5. The Story You Believe Will Ultimately Define Your Experience
As of March 10, 2015 The Scentsy Family is launching in New Zealand.
Join Scentsy In New Zealand on March 10th, 2015 By Clicking Here
Be part of one of the fastest growing direct sales opportunities in the world by becoming an Independent Scentsy Consultant in New Zealand
Click here to sign up, on March 10th, 2015 as a new New Zealand Scentsy Independent Consultant.
Scentsy began in 2004 in a 40-foot ocean container on a small sheep farm is now an international company headquartered in Meridian, Idaho with a network of over 200,000 passionate entrepreneurs.
The simplicity and value of its flagship product, scented, wickless candles heated in decorative ceramic warmers, provides a better alternative to burning wicked candles.
Scentsy Fragrance also offers the Scentsy Buddy, large and small versions of plush animals with a fragrant Scent Pak™ inside and Layers by Scentsy, a personalized fragrance experience that lets customers build a signature scent using 11 body and laundry care products.
Scentsy Family Consultants are now able to bring Scentsy Fragrance to New Zealand (Starting March 10th). This is a ground floor opportunity that is unique in a direct sales model.
New consultants in New Zealand have the incredible opportunity to be the first consultants to grow their business in these new direct sales hotbed as of March 10th, 2015.
In 2009 we had the opportunity to be one of the first consultants to open Scentsy Canada. This has been a life changing and truly amazing experience for us.
Here is our story: https://meghannclements.scentsy.ca/Scentsy/Bio
Don’t wast a minute. Join Scentsy in New Zealand On March 10th
This is our son Cohen. He is 8 years old and was born with a rare genetic disorder called Diploid Triploid Mosaicism that affects his physical and cognitive functioning. We are participating in a “Silly Elf” video contest where the prize is $1000 cash for the top 10 videos. If we are one of the top 10 videos we will donate all the $$$ to the Diploid Triploid Mosaicism Family Conference in April 2015 in Houston, Texas. This is a conference for families with the same genetic disorder as Cohen to come together to meet and bond and share. Most of us have never met a child like our DTM child and it is lonely as we blaze our own trails with no medical research or specialists. So this is a super special conference that families can come together. If you would like to support our cause all you have to do is click on the link below and vote. It requires nothing other than a couple seconds of your time (and you get to see Meg’s silly dancing and our dog JoJo who steals the show). You also have the option to vote again every 24 hours until the contest closes on December 21st.
You can watch the video here: http://bit.ly/1BA3e1m
Are you looking for a unique gift idea for your loved ones this holiday season?
Look no further than Scentsy’s Holiday Collection
A wide array of new Warmers, and Fragrances including the limited edition Nutcracker Warmer
Psychology of No Lesson 15 – In Order For This To Work We Have To Make A Habit
I bet there are several people who have watched at least a couple of these Psychology of No Videos and haven’t done anything. Or, if you did something it was only for a day or two, and then a period of time has gone by without you taking action. Why is that? It is because habits control us. We might be motivated by a book or a video, but if we don’t change our habits then we won’t change our behaviour.
Implementing this law is exactly like long distance running. You don’t go from having never ran before to doing a marathon on the same day. You have to build up your endurance. In the same way you have to build up your endurance to seeking out a “No”. You start by doing 1 a day, and not missing a day. Then move to 2. Then 3. Then 4 a day. Over time (30 days or so) you will have a “habit” of seeking a No. You will only see results once it has become a habit.
Psychology of No Lesson 14: Your Comfort Zone Is Your Jail. It is your dungeon
The phrase “comfort zone” is the world’s biggest misnomer, and the worst use of words ever. Your comfort zone is your jail. It is your dungeon. It is your death zone. If you stay in your comfort you will not grow your business. If you stay in your comfort zone your current level of income, the current size of your business, will be as big as it gets.
Is that what you want? Is the current size of your business all you want for yourself? If so then stay in your comfort zone. If not then you MUST get outside of it. That is the only way to grow. Comfort = death in this business
Psychology of No Lesson 12 – There Is No Shortcut Around The Law Of Averages
It doesn’t matter what country you live in. It doesn’t matter what your personally is like. It doesn’t matter who you talk to. Every consultant worldwide deals with certain mathematical realities in this business. Only 1 person out of a certain number you talk to will join (that number usually ranges between 10-20 over a long period of time). And only 1 front line out of a certain number will hit director (usually 10-15). So don’t try to outsmart or short cut it. Accept it. Embrace it. And then pay the cost.
There is always a cost. You cannot get the long term benefits in this company (or any direct sales company) without paying the cost. If you refuse to accept the cost then you eventually quit. But it doesn’t need to be this way. If we make peace with the cost, and accept it, then we can use this law to our advantage. We then turn emotionally resilient against any perceived “rejection”. It doesn’t phase us because we are just using the law of averages.
Scentsy Spring Sprint 2015 dates and locations have been announced. Registration opens Nov. 1, 2014. In 2015 Spring Sprint will be making 28 stops. Don’t miss this chance for top-notch training from field leaders near you!
Here are the dates and locations. Find the closest one near you. You won’t want to miss this.
Why Should You Consider Attending Spring Sprint?
Don’t miss out! Register on November 1, 2015 through the workstation and attend Scentsy Spring Sprint 2015 to take your business to the next level.
Here are some pictures various Spring Sprints in the past. We can’t wait to see you there in 2015!
We want to hear the word “yes” in our business right? Yes to host, yes to buy, yes to join. Well in order to hear “yes” we have to put ourselves in a position where we might hear the word “no”. Any time we put ourself in a position to hear the word “no” we are prospecting.
Unfortunately most consultants spend their time “marketing”, not “prospecting”. Marketing is all other business activities that aren’t prospecting. Any activity (like placing flyers and business cards around, online activities, planning, creating brochures, working on the website, and many more) where we will never hear the word ‘No” is marketing.
We need to do more “prospecting” and less “marketing”. In this business “prospecting” is what gets the largest results. Why do we spent time marketing? Because it is easier, and it isn’t scary like prospecting is.
If you care about getting real results, quickly, in your business, this is one of the most important lessons you could ever learn.
The Psychology of “No” Lesson 8 – This Is The Only Behaviour That Actually Matters:
How many genuine conversations are you attempting in a day, with a real human being, where you might actually here the word no?
This is all that really matters. All other behaviours – like randomly leaving flyers around, spam emailing, Facebook status posts, or anything else that is directed to no one in particular, but rather the world at large MAY result in something positive, but the chances are slim, and they 1000x less effective than confronting your fears and actually talking to another human (or at least attempting to talk to them).
Don’t hypnotize yourself into thinking that you are taking effective action. We give you this advice because we care AND we know exactly what works and what doesn’t.
Psychology of “No” Lesson 7 – We Are The Problem, And We Are The Solution
Have you ever said any of these things about your business:
No one wants to host a party?
No one wants to buy?
No one wants to join?
Do you realize what you are doing when you say this? You are disempowering yourself. You are saying that the “problem” exists outside of you. Well if the problem exists out of you then the “solution” also exists outside of you. So you have no control. Consultants who stay in this mindset eventually quit. I have seen it over and over. Don’t let it happen to you. You are the solution (but that also means that you have to accept that you might be the problem also). The problem is our unwillingness to step outside of our comfort zone on a consistent basis and approach a large number of people.
Do you want success? Then you need to stop focusing on it and only focus on what you will do today.
Don’t Worry About What You Want, Only Focus On What You Will Do Today. Everything that you want is a result. You only get results through action. Focusing on what you want often causes you to get impatient, and discouraged.
The psychology of “No” and the “law of large numbers” requires time, and emotional detachment to effectively use. So each day you have to only focus on what you will do that day, and nothing else.
The Psychology of “No” Lesson 5 – If You Use This Theory You Cannot Fail
Are you scared of failure? Well good news. You are absolutely, 100% guaranteed to succeed if you use this theory. If you constantly “Go for No” you cannot fail. You can only succeed. You only fail in this business when you STOP.
If you STOP prospecting
If you STOP going for No
If you STOP using the law of large numbers
Then you will fail
But if you NEVER STOP. Then you WILL NOT fail. You CANNOT fail, using this theory. It is impossible, and I challenge anyone to prove me wrong.
Ryan and Meghann Clements are Independent Consultants and SuperStar Directors with the Scentsy Family. They lead a global team of many thousands of consultants worldwide. Visit their website and read their story at http://globalfragrancebusiness.com
October Warmer of the Month – Grateful Harvest Scentsy Warmer
Celebrate the abundance of fall with Grateful Harvest, an enduring symbol of a rich and plentiful season. Hand-painted in earthy tan and gold with a jute “tie,” this porcelain warmer glows when lit. It is the perfect fall accent for any room!
The Psychology of “No” Lesson 4 – Hearing No Is Your Investment Cost
If you went and purchased a Franchise you would have to put up a large sum of money before you even could earn $1. If you had a restaurant you would have to put up your own money to build out the space before the first customer walked in the door. Guess what? As a Scentsy Independent Consultant you also have an investment cost. But it isn’t $. Your starter kit was a small cost, but you still have more costs to pay. But they aren’t measured in $$. They are measured in emotions, courage and actions.
Hearing “No” is the cost of investment for you to make real $$ in this business.
The Psychology of “No” Lesson 3 – Each Day You Are Either Applying Or You Are Avoiding This Concept.
If you are discouraged about the results you are getting in your business you have to look inward. You can’t blame anyone else. Each day we all have a choice. Either we are “applying” these principles (and actually risking no) or we are “avoiding” them and filling our day with avoidance activities. There is no middle ground.
What you want for your Scentsy business is up to you. There is no “correct” goal. But the more you apply, and the less you avoid, the more likely it is that you will get what you want.
The Psychology of “No” Lesson 2 – You are 100% Guaranteed Success in this Business If……..
You use the law of large numbers. For every [x] Nos, you get [1] Yes. Can you endure [x] Nos? Only you can answer that question, and only YOU can determine whether you will succeed in this business as a Scentsy Independent Consultant
The Psychology of “No” Lesson 1 – Receiving A No Is Not A Rejection of You Personally
The Scentsy Fall Winter 2014 Catalogue is now available. Browse our entire collection of artfully designed warmers, evocative fragrances, and easy-to-use products. Download your copy of our Fall/Winter Catalog today.
Click here to download the Catalogue, or click on the Catalogue image below:
The Catalogue features the newest Scentsy Warmers and Fragrances including the latest in the Layers Bath and Body Line.
Here are some pictures and promotions from the Catalogue:
New Fragrances
New “Falling For Layers Hand Care”
New Falling For Layers Laundry Care
New Charitable Cause Warmer
New Stella Unicorn Buddy
New Fun Warmers For The Fall Selling Season
New
New Scout The Dragon Scentsy Buddy
Scentsy Family Reunion is underway and the excitement and enthusiasm is amazing. We just finished the team parade and dance party and now we are doing product reveals for the upcoming Spring Summer catalogue.
Stay tuned for more live blogging.
Check back and refresh to learn more about what is happening in Scentsy down under.
The first ever Australian Shining Star nominees have been announced they are: Robin Mountford, Lila Harding and Ang Renwick
Rob Burton – Executive Vice President, Scentsy Family Store
8 Lessons For Personal Branding
1. You have a personal brand now
2. You must define your brand
3. Leverage who you are now
4. Be authentic
5. Buy into your brand
6. Create a memorable visual hook
7. Simplify
8. Put your customers to work building your brand
Heidi Thompson, President Scentsy
– contagious optimism and goodness
– be in the moment, chase a childlike wonder even as adults
– childlike wonder leads to optimism
– human consciousness can affect the physical world
– my message: connection, love and kindness
– love and kindness connect us to each other
Building Customer Relations to Generate Sales – Cassie Watene
– don’t forget to label your products
– let them experience the product
– stay in contact with your hosts (host coaching)
Balancing your life and your business – Faith Paki
– time management starts with effective behaviour and goals
– everything in life is a choice
– break up your goals monthly, weekly and even daily and your feel more successful
– failing to plan is planning to fail
– 5 Ps of planning success 1) preparation 2) persistence 3) priorities 4) perseverance 5) patience
Orville Thompson, Scentsy CEO
– how do we stay happy when life doesn’t deal you what you want?
– be “arrows out” not “arrows in”
– arrows in forces us to be dominated by fear and greed
– arrows out goes to the best that a situation has to offer
– the more you’ve been stretched, the more your can withstand
– you become who you are because of the trials you’ve had to go through
– you cannot feel happy when you feel entitled
– you cannot feel unhappiness when you feel grateful
We made it to the Gold Coast!! After a week and a half touring the the incredible country of Australia, we are now at Broadbeach Gold Coast for the Scentsy Family Reunion Australia 2014.
Our trip so far has been incredible. We spent a week in tropic Cairns, hanging out with team members, seeing the rainforest, the Great Barrier Reef and the sights and sounds of the tropical North Queensland. Then we spent several days on Bribie Island near Brisbane where we were able to spend more time with team members, and also experience much more great Australia culture, good people and food.
Now we’ll finish out our trip with inspiring talks and trainings at the first ever Scentsy Family Reunion Australia 2014. The Reunion is being held at Broadbeach in the beautiful Gold Coast region of Australia, right beside the famous “Surfer’s Paradise” beach, and we can tell you (having only been here a couple of hours) that it is beautiful here. The weather incredible. We can’t wait for the next couple days.
It is going to be amazing. It is already awesome to see the excitement of the consultants who are arriving. Over the next three days Scentsy consultants will be uplifted and inspired.
Stay tuned for great updates! Scentsy Family Reunion Australia 2014
Today is a packing day – washing clothes, buying last minute supplies and snacks, downloading games and movies on the various tablets to be distributed to our kids for the plane ride. On Saturday, our entire family (all 5 of us), and Meghann’s dad, are heading on a “family adventure” to Australia that is the result of our “family business”.
Our Scentsy business truly is a “family business”, and it has been that way since we started it in 2009. There have been thousands of hours that have been “spent together” while we built this family business together, and everyone has played a role. It hasn’t been just me and Meghann, our kids have been there every step of the way. Whether it was helping to organize orders, or just being patient while Mom and Dad travelled to meetings around North America, or their understanding of our “work from home” requirements (as well as their embracing of our flexibility).
So because they have been such an integral part of this family business, we want to share the adventures that the business brings into our life with them.
The Australia component of our business is our latest adventure. When Scentsy announced last summer that it was opening in Australia we got really excited. My grandma is from Australia and my Dad was born shortly after they moved to Canada. I also have relatives in Australia that I’ve never met before. Australia was also a place that just “felt right” to Meg and I – who knows why? We were just interested in the culture and the people.
So when the announcement happened we immediately became committed to the idea of building a business in Australia.
But how in the world were we going to do that from Canada?
Well – we’ve learned in our life that if there is a will then there HAS to be a way. So we got creative. We used our social media networks to advertise that Scentsy was opening in Australia and we asked people that we knew if they had friends there who would be interested in the business. We reached out to our “offline” networks as well and talked to as many people as we could about the Australia opportunity and continually asked people if they knew anyone in Australia who would be interested in building a business similar to the type of business that we had built in Canada.
We were relentless and it worked! Pretty soon we had several people who were interested in joining Scentsy as Independent Consultants on our team. We then spread the enthusiasm to our team and encouraged them to engage the same strategies that were working for us. They started to recruit people in Australia as well. We had a lot of momentum, and many people through our large Canadian network who had recruited other people in Australia.
So we decided to invest even further, and in the fall of 2013 Meghann went over to Australia and held opportunity meetings in many cities throughout the country.
This was an amazing success, and she met and connected with many genuine, wonderful and enthusiastic people who have since become Scentsy Independent Consultants and now have businesses that are ON FIRE with growth. We were able to meet many of these new consultants when they came over to St. Louis for our recent Scentsy Family Reunion 2014.
Now the “Australian Component” of our business includes almost 500 Independent Consultants in our group who we have incredible empowering relationships with. At this point we’ve probably had over 100 “late night or early morning” Skype or GoToMeeting visits with these team members (because of the time zone differences) but every minute has been worth it. They are some of the most genuine, believing, enthusiastic entrepreneurs we’ve ever met. It is a blessing to be associated with them.
So now we are going to see them on an Australian Family Business Adventure! Let me tell you where we are going!
We fly on Saturday to Los Angeles where we will catch the red eye to Sydney. From Sydney we will head north to Cairns. This the “vacation” portion of the trip (mixed in with a little business). We will see things like the Great Barrier Reef:
Green Island
Tablelands
We’re also going to have several team meetings and meet with our various team members and their families.
Then from Cairns we head to Brisbane where we will be staying at Bribie Island.
And we may check out the famous Steve Irwin Zoo as well!
From Brisbane we drive to the Gold Coast for Scentsy Family Reunion Australia 2014! It is going to be amazing. We can’t wait.
Stay tuned for more stories of our adventures from Australia, and if this perks your interest at all, you can also create these types of adventures for yourself.
Everything that we’ve done with our business, including the international expansion, can be duplicated if you are willing to work hard, be creative, and stick to a long term focus, Click here to learn more
