Dear <$firstname$>, Before I went on the zip line, I had heard that I would experience swinging through the trees. So what I pictured was much more like Tarzan and Jane. Ha! In actuality, the zip line is more like swinging down a ravine. The good news is that you'll have PLENTY of time to review your life, if you fall toward the beginning of the zip line. I know, I know. So comforting. It wasn't until I heard the directions that I began to get a little antsy. Then, once I was waiting on the platform, I realized I was really scared. Once I was in the harness, I figured I had better work up some confidence. Then without me agreeing to it, the guide gave me a push and I was off, soaring across a ravine. At that moment I realized that I was experiencing one of my favorite themes - not waiting around for the courage to do something. If you ever get the opportunity to go zip lining, just remember that you probably will not have the courage to do it until you are halfway across a steep ravine. But by that time, you have all the courage you need. In today's article I will share some of the benefits you stand to gain by leaping out past what is normal and trying something a bit more adventurous!

3 Simple Secrets to Attracting MORE Prospects (Listen right now) You can never have too many prospects! The more prospects you have the more you improve your opportunity to sell your products, book shows, and recruit. However, building a successful direct sales business requires intriguing prospects quickly, leaving them hungry to know more, and knowing how to use the telephone effectively. This jam-packed-information AUDIO covers 3 simple ways to accomplish all of that. Listen right now at your convenience via live streaming or download.

Who Else Wants to Make Money With Catalog Parties? By Tammy Stanley Imagine calling one of your top recruits one day and saying to her, "So Sally, you sure have been doing a great job of selling. Would you mind sharing with me how you are averaging 12 parties a month?" Then Sally says to you, "I do not know if I should tell you. You may not like what you hear." You of course assure Sally that as long as she is not doing anything illegal, you definitely want to hear what she is up to that is generating so many parties. After a long pause, she admits to you that three out of every four shows have actually been catalog parties, and that her catalog parties average around $400. If she has been averaging 12 shows a month, and three out of every four have been catalog parties, and the average of those catalog parties are $400, Sally has been generating $3,600 a month from catalog shows. Now tell me, are you seriously going to tell her to stop what she is doing? Only if you desire to earn LESS money! Sales generated are sales generated. It does not matter if you generate those sales from a home party or a catalog party. It is not uncommon to hear that a "live" home party is superior to a catalog party, which is why your company may not promote catalog parties. I do not know for certain why your company may not promote catalog parties, but I can take a very educated guess. At the last DSA (Direct Selling Association) meeting I learned that customer only buys 1.3 times a year. What that statistic clearly communicates is that the consultants in the direct selling industry do not follow up with their customers. Now, imagine yourself in a corporate position with your company for just a minute. Knowing that your consultants hardly follow up with the customers they actually meet in person at a show, what are you going to think the chances are of them following up with people they have never met from a catalog party? AH! Hopefully now, you understand why your company probably does not promote the catalog party. However, if you think that anyone is opposed to you racking up sales and leads from catalog shows, think again. The key right now is to jump-start that brain of yours by asking, "How could I set up successful catalog parties?" Now if you are thinking, "Oh, catalog parties do not work for my product," hold on there. The question to ask is not why they do not work, but HOW could you set up a successful catalog party even with your product? While I was at the DSA meeting a couple of months ago, I read about some distributors for a particular candle company. Knowing that the thing customers wanted most was to smell the different scents, they asked their owner to have some very small samples made up. When he obliged them, they apparently ordered the samples in droves, and began putting together baskets that included all the different scents. They would then give a basket and a couple of catalogs to a "catalog hostess." One distributor found it so powerful that she found a way to have 17 shows going on at the same time! Now that probably sounds simple because all the samples could be put into one basket. Okay, but remember the distributors had to think of this first. They had to ask themselves, "How could we set up successful catalog parties?" Perhaps you have a much more diverse product line (immediately the home decor companies come to mind), so the idea of a small basket with samples seems far fetched. What you might want to do is look at the 3 -5 most commonly ordered products. Could you put those together and put them "on loan" for a catalog show. Back when I sold clothing, there were always a couple of garments in the line that were real "winners." Whenever the company I represented had a sleeveless Turtleneck in the fall, almost everyone of my Arizona customers would order it, and a good number would order it in several colors. I realize now that just giving a hostess that top in several sizes with a few catalogs would have been a great way to encourage hosting a catalog party. If the hostess collected 8 orders for just that one top, the sales would have been over $300, and she would get hers for free. Certainly $300 in sales is not earth shattering, but would you turn it down? What if you could have 4 such catalog shows a month? Suddenly we are talking about $1,200 in sales. Some direct sales consultants get recognition as being a star with $1,200 in monthly sales. I am sure that a good number of consultants would be happy campers if they had 12 people on their team, 8 of whom average $1,200 a month in sales. If you have a sales unit, I highly encourage you to take time at your next meeting to brain storm with your unit "How could you set up successful catalog parties." If you developed a system that were simple and effective, you might find that you too could have 17 catalog shows going on at the same time. Of course once you develop a way to have successful catalog shows, you have to remember that a truly successful show includes follow up. By following up with your customers, you discover how easy it is to get repeat sales and referrals. I have two wonderful resources for you in that area. Firstly, my tele-seminar "Maximizing Customer Retention and Sales" will show you how to have a blast while creating incredible customer loyalty - more than you dreamed possible. That is just one of the four tele-seminars in my Step-by-Step Prospecting and Booking System tele-seminar series. To learn more about this series, click here or visit: www.tammystanley.com/tele-workshops/tailored/gnrl.html The other resource that I have for you when it comes to following up with customers is my book and/or audio CDs, Carpe Phonum... How to Seize the Phone. If you find it difficult to work up the courage to call customers, investing a couple hours into reading my book or listening to my audio CDs is truly worth it. You can easily order it on www.amazon.com In order to be ultimately successful in direct sales, you must follow up with prospects and customers. Whether you meet people live at a home show or you get their contact information from a catalog party, the key to success is to follow up with everyone. Yes, even those guests that only buy $12.95! Those of you that have been reading The Sales Refinery Insights for a while know exactly why that is. For those of you that have not been reading it... AH! what you missed! But have heart, every once in a while I repeat myself! To learn more about my incredibly content-rich Step-by-Step program, click here to read all about it. If you want to arrange this series as a private tele-seminar exclusively for your sales unit or company, just give me a call at 480-775-4866, and I'll tell you how simple that is to arrange. WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE? WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Author, Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker Tammy Stanley publishes the propelling 'Sales Refinery Insights' weekly ezine for direct sales professionals. If you're ready to jump-start your direct sales business, make more money, and create more value, get your FREE tips now at www.tammystanley.com/ezine/ezine_offer_ds.htm

How To Get Prospects To Call You Back May 6, 5PM PST. I'll be sending the call-in number next week! As a subscriber to The Sales Refinery Insights, you are entitled to participate in this tele-seminar with the DSWA absolutely FREE. This is just one of the benefits to being a subscriber - anytime I give a tele-seminar with the DSWA, you get to participate free. Have you ever noticed how few prospects and customers return the messages you leave? Don't worry; you are not alone. One of the biggest frustrations for direct sales consultants is leaving messages that seldom get returned. Isn't time to learn how to increase the likelihood of prospects and customers returning your messages? Join me as I show just what is effective and what isn't, when it comes to calling and leaving messages for prospects and customers. You will learn: - The question most consultants ask at the beginning of a call that puts prospects in a state of resistance. - The fastest way to get customers to disregard your messages. - The key ingredient of a powerful message that generates a return call.

Tammy Stanley, founded and directs The Sales Refinery, a sales training company that assists sales professionals to generate more business and build long-lasting sales teams through powerful marketing, selling and leadership strategies.

Tammy has been coaching and training since 1994 and has a deep understanding of the challenges and needs of the independent sales consultant. While raising four children, Tammy built a multi-million dollar direct sales organization, reaching her company's Circle of Excellence 7 consecutive years in a row. She earned numerous sales and leadership awards, world travel, and promoted 11 offspring managers.

The Tammy Stanley Sales Refinery
Tempe, AZ 85283
Call Today: 480-775-4866
tammy@TammyStanley.com