Learn As Much As You Can

Wow! It has been a long time since my last post! I want to comment on the importance of training and finding good support with your home based business. Last month, my company - Inspiranza Designs, held their first ever National Conference. There were about 40 independent silver consultants in attendance. It was simply fantastic. I can't stress enough how important it is to do whatever it takes to attend your national conference or any home office sponsored events! Granted this was much smaller than the thousands I am used to seeing at a national conference, but I believe the rewards of attendance were as valuable, if not more! First of all, the home office brings in a very talented speaker and trainer. It is great to hear someone from the outside who can look in at your business and give you tips and techniques to make improvements. Also, a trainer of this caliber has the ability and knowledge to look at the industry at a whole and see the trends. It is always important to understand customer behavior. We may think we know our customers best, but in a changing economic climate it is always smart to listen to what the experts have to say.

Another perk to attending an event such as this is the ability to network with other consultants who value their business. Think about it, the consultants who gave up their time and some money to attend these meetings are truly serious about their business. Aren't those the type of individuals you want to associate with and learn from? You will have so many opportunities to mingle and chat with others and ask questions about what is working for them. I guarantee that there will be many 'light bulb' moments that go off over your head when you network with others who are working the same business as you and have big goals. If you want to be a winner, then act like one!

If cost is an issue. Start saving now! Put money aside from each show you hold and save it as your cash for conference account. It will be money well spent. We cannot assume that we have all the answers or know the right path to take. It is so easy to feel discouraged if a few things go wrong with your business. Attending a conference and connecting to others helps keep you motivated and gives you a network of support who completely understand your ups and downs They can applaud you when you are up and pull you up when you are down.

Finally, what do you do if you have to wait a whole year until the next conference (as is the case with Inspiranza!)? Well there are still plenty of ways to get and stay connected. Start holding your own sales meetings. Contact the other consultants in your area and ask them to join you for coffee at a local coffee shop once a month. Ask everyone to bring their best business tip from the previous month and one challenge they need help with. Share the tips and as a group brainstorm ways to address the challenges. DON'T sit there and wallow in the challenges - you actually need to say - 'okay, how can we fix that?' and then throw out ideas until a couple of them stick. Don't have local reps in your area? That's okay, join them in a web group. We are fortunate with Inspiranza to have a yahoogroup page so consultants can communicate back and forth. It is very easy to start your own. You can also go to freeconferencecall.com and get a conference call number. Ask your fellow reps to join you on a call once a month to discuss the things you would if you were to meet in person. The goal is to stay in contact, no matter how you do it. I promise you that it will keep you motivated and on track with your business!

Until next time, SHINE BRIGHT!

LeeAnne

Added Perks of Your Direct Sales Business!

One of the perks I have come to realize with my direct sales business is the amount of friendships I have gained. Working from home can be a solitary environment, but not when you are in direct sales party plan! There are so many avenues to reach out to the other women who are doing exactly the same thing as you. You may be living in completely different parts of the country with different circumstances but you have a tie that binds - your business. You have a connection with all the other consultants within your company! You belong to a huge family! With our company we have ongoing live training calls. Women from around the country call in so you get to 'meet' each other from time to time on the calls. It may be brief, but you begin to familiarize yourself with different names and voices. You look forward to hearing from the regulars on the calls as well as the anticipation of the new people with their excitement and enthusiasm. We also have a YahooGroup site as well. This has really taken on a life of its own recently as we continue to grow. It is wonderful to see women posting and asking and answering each others questions. The genuine support of each other is such a wonderful thing to see. A couple of months ago my 18 year old daughter created a Facebook account for me - wow - that has been amazing! I have been able to actually see the faces of many of our consultants! What I thought was for kids I am learning is a major networking resource for adults of ALL ages! If you haven't created a Facebook account - you are missing out! Not only can we now connect in a business sense, but it makes it even more personal if you can see pictures of each others family.

Creating this bond is essential to the success of anyone starting out in a home based business. It is so easy to feel alone and get discouraged at times. By joining the groups, participating in the discussions, it creates a network of support and friends. It eliminates all the distance and helps keep you motivated. You will create lasting friendships that surpass your business needs and bring value to your life in many ways. I know I speak from experience!

Shine BRIGHT!

LeeAnne