Do You Have Enough Business? by Kay Green

Notes gleaned from Ilene Meckley's workshop

Can you say at the end of the day "I accomplished everything I wanted to today, both professionally and personally?" Why or why not?

In order to accomplish these things, you have to decide what it is you want to accomplish (a goal). Are you starting each day with a goal? If you do not then you are deciding not to accomplish what you want to accomplish. You have to decide WHAT and you have to CHOOSE to do the what.

What do you want to accomplish today? Will you? 5 contacts today before, between, or after your other chosen tasks of the day. One phone call, 2 sales clerks, 1 email, 1 mailed item?

The only reason you are not making a contact ( or 5 contacts a day) is because you have decided not too. What is keeping you from it?

5 contacts a day, equals 100 a month, 1200 a week. Of those 180 will probably buy or book a class, and 30-40 will join your company. Many of us want them to be the first 180 contacts of the 1200. But we must do all 1200 to find all 180. Asking is not pushy. It is how you respond to their choices that could be pushy. Respect their decision and move on.

When you really care about another person and you ask them - then you are happy whatever they choose. Their yes or no does not change your attitude about the next contact. You are out to help them, not you. If you care only about the yes response then their no response could change your attitude about the next contact. What is your attitude? Are you offering to help them or you?

Have you constantly left some one out by not asking them? Are you deciding for them before you ask?

The only legal way to make money is to WORK. It does not need to be hard work but you must work hard at it. Are you working or thinking about working? You do not get paid to think about working. You get paid for working.

Are you telling 100% of your customers about the business opportunity or are you keeping it a secret?

Do not say "I CAN"T do .........

Instead say "How can I.........

Do you decide WHEN to work your business today or WHETHER to work today?

The key to being your own successful boss is a WORK PLAN and being flexible with that plan, just not too flexible so that you end up flexing yourself right out of business.

Are you taking advantage of your daily routine to include prospecting (sharing and caring enough to take the time to tell others)?

Are you prepared with 5-10 biz cards and other info when you go out? Put them with your cash to give out when you pay.

Do you include in the conversation......."One thing I love to do is help others start their own home based business too."

How do you keep track of the customers/contacts every day? Do you keep a log to evaluate and follow up? Are you happy with what you see in your log? Do you follow up with a system?

How many sales appointments, classes, and recruiting appointments do you want to have every day?

I would start a notebook of ideas and write everything down. Now who is your niche market? Who would buy your products? Where do they hang out?

In my case it is parents so I wrote down organizations that cater to parents. We do Stranger Danger Classes and fundraisers so I opened the phone book and wrote down every organization and the name and number of the contact.

Also schools, private schools, preschools, day care centers, child care organizations, fraternal organizations, babies r us, scouts, moms clubs MOP's, Le Leche League, new moms groups at the hospital, neighborhood organizations, car dealerships, doctors, tutoring places, after school clubs, park districts who hold classes, community college for classes, and of course every person I knew (friends, family, businesses I do business with, services I use).

After you have a full list then every day you call 5-10 and do a customer service call, depending on what part of your business would benefit them: products to sell or give away, products for person use, fundraiser, class, etc.

Ilene talked a lot in her classes, book, and tapes about

Purpose, Passion, Plan

1. What is the purpose for your business? Do you know? Please figure it out for you. Is it money/income? for what? Is it the challenge of building a successful business? Is it to be with your kids? Is it to give the world safer kids? Why do you work your business? What keeps you working every day? Know your purpose.

2. Have a passion about your business, your products, your business opportunity. Share with others your passion. Sales and recruiting is really just Caring and Sharing with others. You have some thing (products or biz opp) that will bless others. Your job is to find them. Those who say no are not a detriment. They just do not need what you have to offer. Simply keep looking for those you can share with.

3. Make a plan. Without plan you will not accomplish what you want or need to that makes your business successful. Without a goal of 5-10 contacts a day how will you make them? Without a goal how will you know if you accomplish it?

At the end of each month if you were your boss would you give yourself a raise for a job done exceedingly well, or give your self a talking too for not working up to what is expected? How have you performed in your job? Do you treat it as a job or a hobby? Hobbies cost money. Businesses make money.

Thank you Ilene Meckley for inspiring me again. You can get her books and tapes at http://www.ilenemeckley.com