Dress for Success!

Okay, the topic I'm about to write about is probably one of the most contentious subjects in the direct sale world - how you should dress.  Very few of you have ever met me, but you should know that I am possibly the least fashion conscious person on the planet.  You should also know that I have more body issues than Time magazine.  However, I recognize that this is important, so you should probably give me 15-20 minutes of your time to read about it.
How you dress is what gives the first impression to your next client; there are no two ways around it.  It doesn't matter where you meet her.  It could be at a home show, a fair, or where you buy your groceries.  The fact of the matter is, if you don't look like someone she wants to work with, she'll probably ignore you and go on.  Before we get to what you should look like, I want to tell you a story.

When I started my first direct selling business in 2003 I was told that I was to only wear skirts when marketing my product (that product will remain nameless, but at least one person knows what I'm talking about).  I was told to go out and buy a suit in which I should do parties - a suit with a skirt - and if I were to vary from these edicts, I was not welcome at the meetings.
What you may not know is that 2003 was the year that my daughter was born.  The doctors forced me to go well over my due date and I gained a lot of weight in those extra four weeks.  Because I had a cesarean, I couldn't do very much in the way of exercise, and I was out of work.  I turned to direct sales because I could have a job that would let me rest and watch my daughter, and the first thing they told me was to go buy clothes that were going to cost me more than my start-up kit.
So, I broke that rule.  I bought a single pair of really nice slacks from a sale rack and some tops that could fit my new shape.  I found women wouldn't talk to me at meetings, and no one wanted to help me boost my business.  I stopped selling that product because of the attitude it had toward clothing.

I told you that story to explain why this is such a difficult topic.  I know that you're comfortable in your clothes and you don't want to buy any more.  I also know that, if you're not dressed well, you're probably not getting as many leads as you want when you're out and about town.  The third thing is, that most of us, honestly, began direct sales and thought "great, a job I can do in my pajamas."
Well, you can do your job in pajamas - when you don't leave the house.  Seriously, wear all the pajamas you want in your own home, but remember that every time you leave, you have the potential of a selling opportunity.  If you leave your house in a torn t-shirt, sweatpants, and bed head, what are you going to say to the cashier that says, "Omigod, I love your nails?"  Would you say, "Thanks, I sell these," and give her your thirty-second commercial or would you sheepishly thank her and walk out wishing you had looked better?
Every day that you leave your house, you are confronted by dozens of women you could market to.  This is to help you feel more confident about doing it.  As much as we all hate to admit it, everyone judges the book by the cover first.  You want your outward appearance to be that of someone they can talk to.

Okay, so, speech over.  I don't want you to run out and buy a new wardrobe.  I mean, if you were planning to do that already, more power to you, but more than anything I want you to be conscious of what you're presenting to the world.  Here are some basic tips for going out and meeting the world.

1. Wear clothes that fit you well.  That means that your blouses shouldn't be so tight you can see every thing, but they also shouldn't be so baggy that they're falling off.  Everything in your closet that doesn't fit well should be out of the running for everyday wear, anyway.
2. Don't wear clothes with holes in them.  Okay, so now they make designer jeans with purposely worn areas in them.  Though I don't like those, I'm not talking about them.  I'm talking about your favourite top that just developed a tiny hole in it.  If it has a hole, you're going to play with it which will draw attention to it.
3. Wash/brush your hair. I am not going to get into the argument about how often you have to wash your hair, but before you leave the house, look at yourself and be brutally honest.  If your hair is dirty, wash it.  If it's clean, do something with it, even if that something is just brushing it.
4. Put on some lipstick.  Again, not getting into the argument about how much makeup is necessary.  The bare minimum for your make up should be some lip gloss.  Some women say, "lipstick and mascara"."  That's fine.  Put on something that says, "I tried."
5. Do your nails!  You sell nail art.  How are you going to approach a stranger about nail art if you're not wearing any?  I don't care if it's lacquer or wraps or a combination of both.  Make your nails look great!

That's it.  Simple steps.  You can wear a pair of jeans and get new clients, just make sure they aren't those jeans you paint in.

Homework:  Go through your closet/dresser and organize them into clothes you go outside in and clothes you wear at home.  No due date. This is for you.

30-second commercials

Every single business and marketing course will talk about today's topic and how important it is.  Why?  Because you don't often have a lot of time to tell a new, potential customer everything about your customer and why she should be buying it. This tool is called the "30-second commercial" or "the elevator pitch."  It was so named because it was developed for businessmen who were being interviewed on the elevator.  If they didn't create a good enough impression of themselves by the time the elevator got to the boss's floor, they had to go back down.
Developing your own elevator pitch gives you the advantage of being calm and relaxed when you come into contact with your latest client. You will sound organized and professional to this client.
So, today, I'm going to go to several different business pages and combine all of their information here so that you can develop the best elevator speech you can.  Remember that this might be the only chance you get to connect with a new client, so work out your speech with these tips.
You want your speech to embody Jamberry as well as you as a consultant.  The delivery of your speech will help a lot with selling yourself.  This technique is going one step beyond, "Thanks, I sell these," or "I do them with my hair dryer!" when someone notices your nails.  This is a practiced, cohesive, and specific to your Jamberry business.
The best breakdown I've found of a 30 second commercial lines out all the things that your commercial/pitch should entail.  I highly recommend you write down each of these on a piece of paper and skip a couple of lines so that you can write down your ideas.

• Your name
• Your company
• Specialty - What do you do?
• Features and Benefits - Why is it better than other products like ours?
• A "hook" - why your customer should act

The key to your success here is to connect the ideas together in one cohesive statement, preferably no more than three sentences long. Here's what mine is:
Hi, my name is Jennifer, and I'm a consultant for Jamberry nails.  Jamberry shields are a non-toxic alternative to nail polish.  They don't chip, they don't crack, and they can't spill on your carpet!  Would you like a sample?

Now that you've created a commercial for yourself, stand in front of the mirror and practice.  Have your friends listen to it (you might get them to try Jams if you do).  Practice over and over until it's second nature - just another normal thing you'd say.

Homework:  Post your elevator pitch on the team page!  Due tomorrow.

Getting Referrals

Do you still feel like your leads are dry, even after making a new FRANKS list, spending 15 minutes a day on the phone, and booking new parties?  Are your parties starting to be made up of the same women, which is great, but you really need some new clients to make your business take off?  Well, start asking for referrals!  Referrals from your current clients or those who have at least tried Jamberry is a great way to grow your business.  There are a few ways to do this that you can implement right away!
I don't know if you've noticed, but the front of the Customer Care cards that I keep linking have a section on the front that says, "Enter me to win a FREE product by referring 3 friends!"  This is a great tool you should be using!  Find something you can afford to give away - like a free set of nail shields and have everyone who refers three friends to you entered to win.  You can even offer 2 entries for 6 referrals and so on.  Let's do the math on this:

You have 2 parties with 10 people at each one.  Half of those people refer 3 friends to you.
You now have 30 leads!  If only 10% of these people book a party for you, you've gotten 3 extra parties that now have 10 people!  That's three additional parties that you didn't have booked!  What if one of those 30 people becomes a recruit?

Another option you can use to get more referrals is the creation of a referral card.  Consider ordering a pack of free business cards from Vistaprint that have a referral offer.  For example:  Refer a friend and receive 10% off your next order.  It doesn't have to be that, but make it something that your client will actually want.  Maybe say that, if the friend orders at least a Buy 3 Get 1 Free offer or books a party your client gets a bonus.  Write your client's name on the back of 10 business cards and give them to her (or put them in her thank you package).  The next time one of her friends is griping about the price of the salon, she might just pull your name out of her purse!