Ask VS Tell

You all know how important recruiting is to your team growth and income. Yet it can feel so daunting at times!

It’s important to present your products/opportunity effectively, but that’s where people trip up.
Maybe you get nervous approaching total strangers – or worse, people who know you (sometimes family and friends can be the toughest). You want to say the right things, but you feel so awkward you become totally tongue-tied.

Or maybe you go into “presentation mode” – throwing company facts, stats and too many details at your prospects, driving them away instead of drawing them in. In both cases, you feel incredibly awkward because you know you’re not doing your biz opportunity justice.

It doesn’t have to be this way, and this simple shift will make recruiting A LOT easier (and people will respond better, too!).

My Best Tip For Recruiting: Ask vs. Tell

Sure, it’s tempting to “tell” prospects about the science behind your products or what’s interesting about your company. But “telling” or giving a “big presentation” doesn’t usually influence them.
There’s a better way to go about it: ASK

Becoming skilled at asking questions is THE #1 KEY to effective selling and sponsoring because…

• When you ask questions, you get to find out WITT (What’s important to Them). You’ll pick up important info about your prospects’ problems, needs and wants – and get invaluable insight regarding how you can help them with your products/biz opportunity.

• People love to talk about themselves, so when you spend more of your time asking (instead of being in full-blown presentation mode) recruiting feels so much easier and more comfortable!

• When you “present” your products/biz as a sales pitch, it is human nature for others to doubt if what you’re saying is really true. By asking questions, you make it easier for people to recognize how your products/biz can help them – letting them come to those conclusions on their own. It’s a more elegant way to (respectfully) influence them.

What questions should you ask? Well, it depends on the situation. 

When you meet someone for the first time, just be curious! Asking general questions makes it easy for people to interact with you.

To get into a conversation, try these strategies:

• Break the ice with compliments. Ask where they got that beautiful purse/shoes/necklace.

• Talk about the children. If they have little ones in tow, ask about them.

• Ask for advice. If you’re in a store, ask someone if they can recommend a particular product such as yogurt, baby food, exercise clothing, etc.

Your goal is not to sell or get an immediate business lead. Instead, you want to make a personal connection, perhaps get enough rapport or conversation going so that it feels natural to share business cards or personal contact info and stay in touch.

Ideally through your conversation, you’d also want to be listening for a problem or opportunity to serve this person (with your classes, products or even your biz opportunity).
Here’s how conversations can work for you:

• At the park, a mom you’ve just met mentions she’s been crazy busy with the kids, work, etc. This might be an opening for you to mention that through your business, you offer a spa party, skin care classes, makeover nights – and you’d be happy to do one for her and her friends.

• At a networking event, a new acquaintance says how stressful her job is, and how little time she’s getting with her family (or for herself). This could be the perfect opportunity to bring up how helpful your biz has been for people who want to create money, have more free time and so on. End by saying you’re happy to share more information if they ever want to talk about it.

See? Asking questions is a FUN way to get to know people while creating openings that make it easier and more natural for you to INVITE them to meet you for coffee or visit your website to check out your products/biz. 

And I promise the more you do it, it WILL become second nature.

Ready to test this out? Here are some simple ways to get started mastering the art of question asking:

• Each day this week, strike up a conversation with a stranger. This is not for business but to practice casually asking questions to improve your connecting skills.

• Create a list of questions to ask people. A list will give you more confidence when starting conversations. Remember, get them talking about themselves – look for natural openings that give you the opportunity to invite them to meet with you for coffee, share your products or business opportunity, etc.

Hope this helped you! Feel free to share this with your team members. If I can help with anything, please feel free to contact me at 612-562-8219. 

Believing in you~
Theresa Swendra

True Grit

The key predictor of success is not talent, title, wealth, or good looks. It is Grit: the ability to work hard for a long period of time toward a focused goal and keep moving forward in spite of challenges, obstacles and failures. 

Grit is passion and perseverance for long term goals. It's a marathon not a sprint. It's actually a marathon and a series of sprints combined with a boxing match. You are not just running but getting hit along the way. Grit keeps you moving forward through the sting of rejection, pain of failure and struggle with adversity. When life knocks you down you may want to stay down and give up but Grit won't let you quit. 

 

This begs the question, why does Grit keep you moving forward? How does it work? If Grit drives you what drives Grit? 

I believe True Grit starts with knowing what you truly want. When you know what you want and you can see it, you will work hard and persevere in order to achieve it. 

True Grit is also driven by clarity of mind, purpose, passion, optimism, faith, love, hope and quite honestly... stubbornness. Knowing your why, refusing to give up, ignoring the critics, believing in the possible, loving what you do and showing up day in and day out keeps you on the path towards your vision. 

I also believe that the desire to prove oneself is also a part of Grit. I know there's something inside of each of us that wants to feel worthy and be someone of value. This desire fuels us to succeed but can also be unhealthy and sabotage us if it doesn't give way to humility and a bigger purpose. 

Not everyone will share your vision and believe in your project. Always remember that the circumstances around you and the opinion of others don't create or define you. Life is never created from the outside in. You create your life from the inside out. The grit and spirit you possess on the inside will create the life you experience on the outside. 

If you have a vision, keep it alive. Remember your purpose. Show up every day and do the work. Stay the course and keep moving forward in spite of the rejection and obstacles you face. 

You'll be glad you did. True Grit leads to true success. 
 
Hope you enjoyed today's post. If I can help you with anything, please feel free to reach me directly at 612-562-8219. 

Believing in you~
Theresa Swendra

Negative VS Positive

Who do you surround yourself with? Negative people or positive people? It’s funny, when you see the choice, you know the obvious answer is to choose to surround yourself with positive people in your life.  But why do so many choose to stay around the negative influences?  Why do people choose to stay where they are?  Why do we choose not to take action?

Wanted to this video with you, it is one of the most powerful I have seen…. take a moment to watch if you have ever felt stuck in the pursuit of your dreams.

“You are the star of your life…. you get to decide whether or not it’s a smash or whether it’s a flop.”  You get to decide.

What is your choice...

Hope this video inspired you. If you need help with anything, please feel free to reach out to me directly at 612-562-8219.

Believing in you ~

Theresa Swendra

Staying Consistent During the Holiday Season

 

Can you believe it's November already! Wow! Where has the year gone?!! 

Can you believe we’re starting the holiday season of  Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years?

Did you know that this is the time of year that home business companies traditionally see a spike in sales and recruitment?  As people begin planning for next year, they begin to think of ways to increase their income, health, lifestyle, etc.  And that’s where we are able to help, right?

How many times have you heard that consistency is key when it comes to home business success?  I bet it’s more times than you can count!

It’s vitally important to consistently prospect, consistently share your presentation, consistently bring on new customers and consistently bring on new reps. But, don't let the distractions get in the way.

Today you’ll get five tips for staying focused and avoid distractions during the holiday season.

1.Prepare For The Distractions

You know that during the holiday season there will be tons of distractions, but if you prepare for them in advance, it will give you the opportunity to remain productive during those times.

For example, you know you’ll be running errands for last minute parties and get-togethers.  Have your list with you at all times and when you have 10 minutes in the car running errands, make it a point to make a few calls.  By having your list prepared, your phone full charged and an intention of making use of those “free” moments driving, you are able to remain productive.

Another way to use these 10-15 time slots is by listening to personal development audios while on the go.  There is a vast array of training, personal development and motivation waiting for you in the form of audios and podcasts.

Take advantage of 10 and 15 minute windows when they appear.  And more importantly, schedule them to appear.

2.Protect Your Energy Levels

With the onslaught of traveling, parties, late night shopping and just trying to keep up with it all, sometimes we allow our sleep habits to suffer.  Your body needs sleep and if you want to make certain you are able to run on full speed, you need to make sure you don’t cheat yourself out of the sleep you need.

Plus, if you are fully rested, you’ll enjoy the entire holiday experience much more!
Along those lines – are there parts of the Season that absolutely drains you and you don’t enjoy at all?   Maybe it’s time to re-address these “traditions” and why they are a part of your calendar to begin with.  Maybe it’s time to remove them if they are non-serving.

3.Give Your Time Management A Gift

During this time of year, you have to stay organized.  Write everything down, keep your calendar, prospect list and good attitude close by.  Intentionally block out personal time and work time so you can do the profit producing activities you know you must do.

If it’s written on your calendar you are much more likely to actually do it.  So give yourself a gift by planning and scheduling time to be productive.

As you prepare for the New Year, spend some time vision casting… not just for next year but also for your future.  Have a clearly crafted vision that excites you and keeps you focused on your purposes.

4.It’s a Party!

With the holidays come parties!  You’ll be around old friends, family and new friends too.  This is your time to network and discover new people who may be open to your products and your business opportunity.

Do not go to parties to pitch pitch pitch.  But go with the intention to start conversations, to listen and to see how you may authentically help people.  Have leading questions ready.  Start conversations.  Meet new people. Go prepared to ask for introductions of new people you want to meet.

Get their contact information.  Follow up.  Schedule coffee or invite them to your Christmas party or put them on your Christmas Card list.

Learn how to speak to people’s greatness and learn how to help people understand and achieve their goals and purposes.  When you can call out people’s greatness and help bring out the best them possible, you’re on your way to growing your team in a mighty big way.

5.Enjoy The Season!

Take advantage of everything that Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years brings!  Take part in the festivities and allow yourself a mental break.

I don’t know about you, but for me, most of my best creative moments and exciting ideas come when I’m not sitting at the computer nor in my work zone.  When you free your brain, it has a way of being super creative.  You’ve probably come up with a great idea or two while jogging or on the treadmill or in the shower, right?

In the home business industry, so much of what we offer is lifestyle and Joy.  Don’t forget to take the time to enjoy your family, friends, the excitement of the upcoming Holidays and yes, even the food!

The next two months will be busy, tiring and exciting for most people.  But they can also be rewarding, fulfilling and full of business growth too.  If you’re going to be exhausted after the next two months, you may as well be fulfilled and full of growth in the process, right?


I hope you enjoyed these tips. If I can help you with building your home business, please feel free to reach out to me at 612-562-8219 or connect with me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/theresaswendra

Remember you were created for greatness and I believe in each of you!

Theresa Swendra

Are you using Facebook?

Do you use Facebook for your business? If not, you should be and here is why:

1. Worldwide, there are over 1.44 billion monthly active Facebook users (MAUs) which is a 13 percent increase year over year. 
2. 4.5 billion likes generated daily as of May 2013 which is a 67 percent increase from August 2012 (Source: Facebook)
3. 936 million people log onto Facebook daily (DAU) for March 2015, which represents a 17% increase year over year (Source: Facebook as 4/22/15) 
4. There are 1.25 billion mobile active users (MAU) (Source: Facebook as of 4/22/15) an increase of 24 percent year-over-year.
5. In Europe, over 223 million people are on Facebook.(Source: Search Engine Journal) The Takeaway: This isn’t just a U.S. phenomenon – a worldwide market is available via Facebook.
6. Age 25 to 34, at 29.7% of users, is the most common age demographic. (Source:Emarketer 2012) What this means for you: This is the prime target demographic for many businesses’ marketing efforts, and you have the change to engage these key consumers on Facebook.
7. Five new profiles are created every second. (Source: ALLFacebook 2012) The Implication: Your potential audience on Facebook is growing exponentially.
8. Facebook users are 53% female and 47% male. (Source: Emarketer) The Takeaway: Since this isn’t a large statistical difference, you should be able to effectively reach both genders on Facebook.
9. Highest traffic occurs mid-week between 1 to 3 pm.  How this can help you: Since you have the potential to reach more consumers and drive higher traffic to your site during peak usage times, consider this statistic in determining when todo more frequent or important status updates, offers and other posts.
10. On Thursdays and Fridays, engagement is 18% higher.  The Implication: Again, use this information to determine when to post in order to optimize your social media marketing efforts.
11. There are 83 million fake profiles. (Source: CNN) The Takeaway: Nothing is perfect, so always remain thoughtful and strategic in your efforts. Also, fake or not, these are still potential consumers. There are various reasons for fake profiles, including professionals doing testing and research, and people who want to segment their Facebook use more than is possible with one account.
12. Photo uploads total 300 million per day. (Source: Gizmodo) The Implication: Again, this is an indication of engaged users; also, it is an indication that there are a lot of photos, as well as other information, competing for users’ attention, so target your efforts strategically.
13. Average time spent per Facebook visit is 20 minutes. (Source: Infodocket) What this means for you: You could have a short time period to make your impression, so use it wisely with relevant, interesting and unique posts and offers in order to get the most return on your efforts.
14. Every 60 seconds on Facebook: 510 comments are posted, 293,000 statuses are updated, and 136,000 photos are uploaded. (Source: The Social Skinny) The Implication: Again, there are a lot of engaged and active users, but also a huge amount of information competing for their attention, so quality and strategy on your part matter.
15. 4.75 billion pieces of content shared daily as of May 2013 which is a 94 percent increase from August 2012. (Source: Facebook)
16. 50% of 18-24 year-olds go on Facebook when they wake up. (Source: The Social Skinny) What this means for you: Facebook is important to these users, and potentially, if done correctly, so is the content you post on it.
17. One in five page views in the United States occurs on Facebook. (Source: Infodocket 2012) How this helps you: This is a huge market on the web; if you use social media marketing efforts on Facebook well, you could have huge returns to show for it.
18. 42% of marketers report that Facebook is critical or important to their business. (Source: State of Inbound Marketing 2012 The Takeaway: This is a crowded marketplace, but you can’t afford to sit it out, because odds are fairly high that your competition is there. The key is to use Facebook marketing correctly and make sure that your efforts stand out from the crowd.
19. 16 Million local business pages have been created as of May 2013 which is a 100 percent increase from 8 million in June 2012. (Source: Facebook)
20. 7.5 million promoted posts have been made from June 2012 to May 2013.

Here is a Facebook training to help you with working your business on Facebook:

Please feel free to share with your team. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach me directly at 612-562-8219.

Believing in you~
Theresa Swendra

Pursuit of Happyness

In today's post, I want to share 12 tips on reaching success in your home business. These tips were taken from the Pursuit of Happyness movie. Enjoy and feel free to share them with your team.  

1.: Get good at inviting not selling. Invite to live events,

webinars, face to face meetings and 3 ways calls. 

2.: "Home Business & Direct Sales Is Simple"

You have your training books, your training systems and 

your up - line list. Note - Will Smith said it was "simple"

he did not say it was EASY. " X amount of calls = X amount of

prospects. X amount of prospects = X amount of customers. X

amount of customers = X amount of money in YOUR pocket.

3.: It's a numbers game. Make sure you have your list.

Nothing will beat going through the most numbers. If you talk to some, 

you will get some. If you talk to a lot, you will get alot. It's that simple!

4.: Be productive. You can build your business part-time or full-time but you 

can't do it sometimes. Either way you need to be productive with your time 

whether it is one hour a day or 12 hours a day. 

5.: Sitting on Facebook chat unless building relationships in not productive.

Making phone calls is. Do in 6hrs what others are doing in 9 and win: 

Introduce an "Hour of Power" to your day everyday. How many calls 

can you do in one hour?

6.: Rejection will happen. People will say no. Just "Smile & Dial"

and go on to the next call. Some will, some won't so what, someone's 

waiting. NEXT!

7.: There it is - The BIG ONE - Concentrate on not only the numbers

but the Quality numbers. Go straight for your TOP 10. Go straight for the CEO, the 

big Entrepreneur and it will open a lot of doors for you and lead you to that ONE Big

Player that will ignite your business to the next level.

8: When would you quit? When would you not show up for work in your 

business. "Pursuit of Happyness" is based on a true story. What is your EXCUSE?

Show up for work every single day in your business NO MATTER WHAT. If you

think you can't, if you think things are bad, if you're not in the right mindset "JUST

WATCH THIS MOVIE FOR THE FIRST TIME OR OVER AGAIN" Get Over It

and then get to work. Half the battle is showing up.

9: Got a dream? You have to protect it. If people can't do something themselves,

they want to tell you that you can't do it. You want something, go get it. Period "Self 

explanatory!

10: Persistence wins every time.

11: It will be hard work. Remember it is 'SIMPLE" but not 'EASY" but it WILL BE

worth it.

12: Happyness: It will feel exactly like that when you reach for the TOP and never 

GIVE UP on your dreams. Keep going, keep reaching, never let someone tell you that

you can't do something because you will.  

Hope you enjoyed this and found value. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach me directly at 612-562-8219. 

Believing in you ~

Theresa Swendra

Never Stop!

Happy Wednesday!

I ran across this video and wanted to share it with you today. It's short and very inspirational.

It is a little outdated but the message is still the same. Never stop, never stop believing, you were meant to be successful!

Wishing you a productive and prosperous day. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach me directly at 612-562-8219.

Believing in you~

Theresa Swendra