Tuesday, October 11, 2011

How to Create an Ocean of Referrals!

Today I was doing some online research to find a great article to share with you. After reading about 20 different articles, this one struck me as so pertinent to who we are as a company. We have a unique opportunity to create amazing relationships with our customers - who for many of us, have become our friends. We are in the business of celebrating relationships through our artwork. This as been one of the keys to my success over the past 20 years. I have kept my business thriving through personal referrals. The best new customers come from our existing customer base. By providing great customer service in the form of customer friendly artwork and organized workshops, I have been fortunate enough to have my customers bring their friends and in turn, those friends bring their friends. I started doing hands-on workshops as part of my hostess in-home presentations and was able to consistently get the bookings to stay busy. I have experienced an almost 100% turnover since I began my in-home workshops more than 12 years ago but they continue to thrive. One simple thing I do is I always have a bowl of chocolate! My chiropractor swears by his tub of red licorice to keep his patients happy.

CTMH has made doing customer workshops Faster-Simpler and Easier by providing the Workshops-on the Go and bulk products, wonderful resources for ideas on the website as well as consultants who generously share their creativity.

After you read this story about Dr. Lund, think about what you can do to treat your customer like a star and get those referrals rolling in!

How to Create an Ocean of Referrals!

By Mark Bowser - Motivational Business Speaker

How do you increase sales? Your loyal, happy customers are your best source of new customers. Best Selling Author Robert G. Allen said, “If you’ll treat your customer like a star, you’ll never have to spend another dime in advertising.” He could not be more right. So, how do you treat your customers as stars? Mark Victor Hansen, who is the co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books which has sold more than 100 million books and is the most successful book series in the history of the world, tells the story of a dentist who discovered how to treat his patients as stars.

Australian dentist Dr. Patti Lund is the highest paid dentist in the world. But, not so long ago, it wasn’t that way. Patti was very, very depressed. He was working like a dog, he had 4,000 patients and life wasn’t much fun. In fact, he didn’t even like a good deal of his patients. They got on his nerves. Patti took some time off and began reflecting on his life and his practice. He decided that life was too short to be living it this way. He decided that he wasn’t going to except any patient that came in the door. He knew he needed to like and respect his patients and they needed to like and respect him.

When Patti got back to work, he changed how business was done. First of all, he was going to treat his patients as friends. He began calling them by their first names and they began calling him Patti. No more this Dr. Lund stuff. He hired a Director of Wonderful whose entire job was to greet patients as they entered the practice and to make sure they had a wonderful experience. Four times a day, fresh, hot cinnamon rolls would be served for the patients who were waiting. If they liked them, they could even take them home. A $7,000 Cappuccino machine sat ready and willing to refresh the patients with a warm, relaxing drink.

Once a month, Patti hosted a party where all his patients (friends) could get together and network with each other. Business as usual? Oh no, business changed dramatically. Patti loves his patients and they love him too. He asks each of his patients to bring him three new patients a year who would love the same experience that they have at the dentist. Do you think his patients have a problem doing this for Patti? No, they want to help. In fact, they love him so much, you couldn’t tape their mouths shut. Patti now has a waiting list to get into his practice. Oh, and by the way, Patti only works 22 hours a week. You see, he owns the practice. The practice doesn’t own him.

You can have the same type of business as Patti Lund. How can you treat your customers as stars? It doesn’t have to be cinnamon rolls, a cappuccino machine, or a Director of Wonderful. That works for Patti. That may not work for you. What do you want? And more importantly, what does your customer want? Your best source of new customer comes from your happy, loyal customers.

SHOUT-OUTS:

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to our newly promoted leaders - Well done!

2nd Downline:

Noreen Petty - Sr Director

Susan Tomaino - Executive Director

Wendy Vogel-Vineis - Sr. Executive Director

3rd Downline:

Lynn Como - Sr. Director

Dr. Phil Wilhelm - Sr. Director

Christine David - Sr. Director

Briana Bostick - Sr. Director

Sherri Tozzi - Sr. Director

Team News:
4th Quarter Oregon Team Meeting will be Saturday, Oct 22nd in Salem, OR.  If you'd like to attend and didn't get the email, contact me asap and I'll send you the details.
4th Quarter Washington Team Meeting: NEW DATE****Saturday, November 19th.  Details will be emailed out later.

CREATIVE CORNER: I'd like to talk a bit about the importance of having great samples!  Having wondeful artwork to inspire your customers is the greatest sales tool, plus creating them is one of the funest parts of our jobs!  The stamps and accessories you feature in your demos and workshops may not appeal to everyone nor can you use them all!  The following 2 cards by Krista Hershberger and Karen Morris, helped me upsell our awesome new Glitz Glitter Gels.  I had several customers order all 4 colors based on these 2 cards!



QUOTE OF THE WEEK: 
 The  secret of your future lies hidden in your daily routine. 
                                                          -Mike Murdoch







Tuesday, October 4, 2011

20 Years 6 Months in the Making:

20 years 6 months in the making:
I spent my Friday night last week on pins and needles!  I have had a couple of major goals that have finally come to fruition.  As many of you know, I am a big believer in the power of goal setting.  It has been my goal for many years to be among the first Presidential Directors in CTMH.  Until the newest compensation plan changes, this has been a long-term goal.  I knew what I needed to do, had a plan, and have been working towards it.  With the announcement of the changes last January, the goal suddenly became a small step instead of a huge leap.  I changed my plan and with the help of a few key people: Adina Godin and Linda Sturdivant and her team, Brian Holman, who painted the picture for me and the Advanced Reports on the website, I finally made it!  Thank you to all of you who are part of our team.  I know that although, the title is mine, the credit belongs to all of you!

My second goal was to earn the Hawaii Cruise.  It has been a few years since this had been a part of my goals.  Hawaii is definitely a draw for me since I feel so at home there.  It is one of my happy places :o)  The time was right in my personal life that I could focus more on my personal sales as well as that of caring for you, my team.  It came down to the wire, since I had 1118 point left to earn on Friday evening, the last day.  I had a large workshop with 13 customers who helped get me to my goal.  I was madly entering the order and checking and rechecking my numbers.  Thank you to Sheena Searls who stayed up late with many of us to confirm our final numbers.  I made it with 30 minutes and 1 extra point to spare!  I'll be taking my 26 year old daughter, Rachel with me for a mom/daughter trip.

If there are any of my 1st downline or 2nd-4th downline Executive Managers and above, who would like help with your goal setting and action plans, I'd love to be of assistance.   Just contact me and we can see how I can best help you.

 SHOUT-OUTS:  Congratulations to all of the Hawaiian Cruise earners!  I'll be joining you all for a wonderful tropical vacation in paradise!  See you in March!

1st Downline: Christina Eisenhour, Adina Godin, Ginni Candelaria and Kathy Markloff
2nd Downline: Noreen Petty

3rd Downline: Lynn Como, Briana Bostick, Christine David, Dr. Phil Welhelm and Krista Hershberger
4th Downline: Helen Onulak

CONGRATULATIONS TO MY FIRST DOWNLINE WHO HAVE EARNED A NEW TITLE PROMOTION!

Presidential Director: My amazing upline, Karen Morris Leader of The Dream Team  Yipeeeeee !!!!
My sideline Michelle Brooks
How wonderful that 3 out of the 4 Presidentials are all on the same team.  This is truly a testament to the strength of our extended team.

Senior Directors:
Christina Eisenhour
Adina Godin
Ginni Candelaria
Linda Sturdivant

Additional promotion news to come

TEAM NEWS:  Back in May, I issued a personal challenge for my 1st Downline.
Create and submit 4 Studio J Layouts during each of the next 4 months June-September (total of 16 layouts). With a Studio J 12 month membership, you will have free shipping and page protectors along with the rest of the membership benefits. For each 8 people who complete the challenge, I will draw for 1 Studio J 5 pack. Drawing will take place and announced on my October 4th blog post:

Those who completed the challenge are:
Linda Caler and Carol Thompson

The winner of the drawing for the Studio J 5 pack is Carol Thompson!  Congratulations, Carol!  I'll be emailing you your 5-pack code.

CREATIVE CORNER:  These projects are all from Karen Morris' board swap and were created by Karen.


 
 






QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
"If you can dream it, you can do it!"
-Jon Heder as Jimmy MacElroy in Blades of Glory