BeautiControl San Diego

When we think about building a team, by nature the first thing that we think of is getting a new Consultant to join.  As a result, we sometimes forget that keeping a Consultant in business is as important and bringing in new Consultants.  Total Consultant count is actually a more accurate measurement when managing your team. Because of the quality and efficacy of BeautiControl’s products, you will find Spa guests, clients and even Hostesses who want to join as a Consultant for the sole purpose of receiving a discount on their products.  Over the years, in fact, we have lost our focus on finding new Consultants who want to join this business because of it’s unparalleled opportunity to earn income while offering the flexibility and freedom of a business owner and have focused too heavily on selling “memberships” to clients to help them receive a discount on their products.  While some of them may eventually see the benefits of selling product and building a team, many of these Consultants place a few orders, then become inactive and are eventually dropped as a Consultant.  Very few of these Consultants who have been dropped ever choose to become a customer of the products or to Host a Spa after she has been dropped.  You will see that the turn-over rate of the “consumer Consultant” is far higher than those who are actively selling, building a team or even sharing the products with a few friends and family. Your focus as a Leader in this business should be to build a team of sellers and to build a personal client base.  These two key areas of focus will keep you in business and ensure your success today and in the future.  Trust me, the ones who are only looking for a discount will figure that out…you don’t have to use it as a proposition to get them to become a Consultant.  I have a motto that I use quite often, “when you play to the lowest denominator, you will achieve it every time”.  In other words, set low goals and you will always win. I know I have said this before, possibly multiple times throughout this series; however, it is worth repeating.  There is a huge difference between a Client and a Consultant: Client:   This is the person that you meet through a Spa or through personal contacts that looks to you as a retailer of products.  You are their “skin care and cosmetic store”.  You have the choice of how you market to your Clients.  Because you receive your Consultant Level Discount, as well as additional savings on products each month, you profit the most when you sell at full price, or when you use your discounted products as sales incentives and Host rewards.  Clients are YOURS.  You are BeautiControl to them, not us.  In fact, your clients will never hear from us unless you enroll them to receive the free BeautiBuzz e-newsletters each month or a Client Connection mailing. Consultant:   A Consultant is someone who has joined and fully understands that they have signed up with the expectation to sell and hold Spas.  Please, hear me gently here…notice that I said, “understand they have signed up with the expectation to sell and hold Spas”.  That doesn’t mean that you won’t have those who have no intention of selling and holding Spas; however, they are fully aware of what they have signed up for.  Remember, my job is to market to our Consultants as SELLERS and SPA HOLDERS, not clients.  When a Consultant brings someone into the business by “selling a case”, that new “Consumer Consultant” is going to be extremely turned off with weekly emails from BeautiControl talking to them as though they were a business owner, when in fact, they just thought they had purchased a membership from a discount club.  So, this person becomes frustrated with the business, he/she doesn’t order enough product to stay active and it receiving emails from BeautiControl talking about selling and emails from you talking about buying, because in reality you are still treating her like she is your client…which she is! Can you see what we are doing when we bring people into the business who have no intention of doing the business?  We are sending confusing, mixed messages to them that will turn them off as a Consultant.  As a result, you lose them as a Consultant, you lose what could have been a wonderful client and future Host and in some cases, you lose a friend.  They think they are one of your clients who gets a discount, so you are marketing to them as a client while BeautiControl thinks that they are a Consultant who intends to sell and hold Spas, so we market to them as a seller. With that being said, please read this part before you start sending me ugly emails, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having the “Consumer Consultant” on your team.  In fact, these Consultants will always be a large percentage of your team and account for the majority of your monthly totals here.  The point here is that over the years we have lost our recruiting verbiage and have relied on “selling the case” as a crutch for getting new Consultants with the HOPE that they will go to BeautiYou, and discover that they can hold Spas and make money in this business.  HOPE is not a strategy, my friends.  We need to change our words and recruit with confidence in our opportunity to make money and change lives. The key to managing your team dynamics comes from balancing the sellers and the “consumer Consultants” on your team.  Based on 30 years of data, our business (which is a direct reflection of our Consultant’s business) is most healthy when the % of sellers on your team is at least 30% of your total Consultant count and the % of “consumer Consultants” on your team is 70% or under.  The 70%/30% formula reflects a business that is healthy and has positive momentum. When the balance of “Consumer Consultants” becomes higher than 70%, you will likely find that you have a higher turn-over, you are having to work harder to bring new Consultants onto your team to maintain your team size and you are not making the commissions that you could.  Essentially, this means that you have to work much harder to maintain your earnings. As you manage your team dynamics, these are the key things that you should keep in mind each month: New Consultants:   These, obviously, are the new people that you bring into your business on a monthly basis.  There is a direct correlation between the number of Spas that you hold each month and the number of New Consultants that you add to your team.  Spas are intended to help you generate leads and find others who see you earning money and want to do the same (the basic principles of Party Plan Direct Selling).  If you find that you or your team are not finding enough new people to bring into the business, it is highly likely that is directly related to the numbers of Spas that are being held. Active Consultants:   These are the number of ordering Consultants that you have on your team each month.  This is the segment of your team where you need to spend the majority of your focus.  Recognition, motivation and Spa/sales challenges are very effective ways of keeping this segment of your team feeling valued and motivated to grow.  The more sellers you have on your team, the higher your percentage of active Consultants will be each month.  The MINIMUM percentage that you should have ordering each month is 50% of your team.  Once you start to see the mix of sellers and “buyers” shift to that healthy 70%/30% ratio, you will see that the rate of activity on your team increases as well. Potentially Inactive Consultants :  This is a very important area of focus.  The potentially inactive Consultant is the Consultant who has not placed a $100 retail order in a four-month period.  I will go to my grave saying that if a person does not use a minimum of $100 retail a month in products, then they are very barely a customer, much less a selling Consultant.   One TFF Extreme and one lipcolor every four months would be enough to maintain the active consultant level.  Ok, sorry, I went off on a tangent.  The point is this…when you see that a Consultant on your team has not ordered and is potentially going to become inactive, meet them where they are and talk to them like a client, which is exactly what they are.  You are the reason that they joined, so you will have the most influence in keeping them.  Schedule a one-on-one consultation with her and offer her an amazing client experience.  Find out what she is interested in and show her what products we have introduced that she may not have seen.  Remind her of all the reasons she joined your team…remember, she joined YOU…not BeautiControl.  We will communicate to this Consultant and remind her that she is going to become inactive; however, you are the one who has the best chance of keeping the Consultant on your team.  You recruited her…I didn’t, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to pay close and special attention to those who fall within this category each month.  You spend so much of your time opening the door to BeautiControl to new Consultants every year, but in the process, you may have also left the backdoor unlocked, allowing for your new Consultants to join, never become active and risk losing their active Consultant status.  Make sure your back door is shut and once you have then join your team, they never want to leave. Inactive Consultants:  The inactive Consultant category consists of Consultants who did not maintain their active Consultant status qualifications by ordering a minimum of $100 retail (remember, that is before the Consultant Level Discount) in a four-month period.  Once the Consultant falls into this category, they will remain here for 12 months and can reactivate at any time by placing a $150 retail order.  During this twelve-month period, BeautiControl will send them monthly emails informing them of new products and ordering opportunities and reminding them that they can regain their active Consultant status by placing a $150 minimum retail order.  Historically, we have the best opportunity to re-activate Consultants during months 1 and 2 of their inactive status because many Consultants didn’t realize that there were ordering requirements and they had lost their active Consultant status.  This is one of the reasons that informing the new Consultant of the ordering requirements when they join and communicating with them as a Potential Inactive are so important.  The most effective and productive way to manage your business as a Leader is to set key performance Indicators for yourself each month, like we talked about in the blog titled, “BeautiControl 104:  Understanding and Working the Success Formula” .  Managing your business by measuring business is the only way to set goals and successfully achieve them.  When managing the balance of your team dynamics, it is crucial that you have a handle on the makeup of your team: % of active sellers (a minimum of 30% is recommended) % of consumer consultants By actively managing these simple performance indicators, you can clearly develop a monthly plan of action as it relates to creating contact and activation strategies for your team.  By knowing where your team is most vulnerable, you can focus your efforts to minimize your risks.  Once you fully understand this, you will know who you need to target as a New Consultant, what to do to encourage more selling activities and how to segment your communication to most effectively speak to each of these very different audiences. A team is a collection of very different people who bring very different strengths to the table.  If you think of it in “sports terms”, in order to be successful, you need a strong and aggressive offense (sellers and active Consultants) and a strong defense (Clients and “consumer Consultants).  When you have the right talent on your team and the right strategy, it is easy to make you business a home run every month.

It’s no secret that the delicate skin around the eyes is the first to show the signs of aging, and is a concern for both men and women.  The reason that this is the first place to develop lines and wrinkles is because the skin around the eyes is thinner and more prone to dryness and environmental damage.  The area around the eyes does not secrete sebum, the skin’s natural moisture barrier.  As the skin becomes dehydrated, it becomes more prone to wrinkle development.  Because your eyes are so expressive, the skin is constantly subjected to creasing when you laugh, smile and squint in addition to stretching due to puffiness.  When the skin around the eyes is void of hydration, the constant creasing of the skin will result in fine lines that can later develop into deeper wrinkles if left un-treated.  In addition to lines and wrinkles, the skin around the eyes becomes thinner and more transparent as we age, resulting in more visible dark circles. Fortunately for all of us, there is no reason that we should fall victim to the signs of aging.  BeautiControl’s arsenal of age defying eye treatments offers everything that you and your clients need to keep the skin hydrated, preventing damage to the skin as well as repairing any signs of aging that have developed. First of all, everyone needs an eye cream…EVERYONE! This part is easy.  An effective eye cream should have the following properties: An effective moisture barrier to prevent loss of hydration A moisturizing complex to maintain the skin’s optimal moisture reserves Ingredients to boost the production of collagen and elastin, the skin’s natural building blocks High concentrations of multiple anti-oxidants to fight environmental aggressors and oxidation BC Spa Restructuring Eye Cream contains all of these components, along with an exclusive delivery system that allows each of the ingredients penetrate to the layers of the skin where they will be most effective.  Used daily, you have what you need to maintain the skin’s hydration, prevent future damage and stimulate the production of collagen and elastin.  This product is a MUST HAVE in your cosmetic wardrobe and an essential part of your AM and PM skin care regimen. In addition to your eye cream, there will also be times when you need to enhance your anti-aging eye care regimen.  BeautiControl’s targeted solutions offer everything you need, and more: Are you seeing loss of firmness around the eyes or eyelids? TFF Eye Firming Serum contains the same amazing peptide blend to give an immediate dose of high potency peptides to the skin for immediate results.  TFF Face Cream also contains dehydrated Hyaluronic Filling Spheres which penetrate below the skin’s surface, fill with the skin’s natural water, then hydrate to plump the lines and wrinkles…working from the inside – out. TFF Eye Firming Serum works from the outside-in, by delivering the key ingredients slowly to the skin to sustain the delivery and activity throughout the day.  In addition, the “second skin” locks in moisture which allows the Hyaluronic Filling Spheres found in the TFF Face Cream to become even more plump as they hydrate. This product delivers immediate skin-smoothing with additional long-term benefits that help restructure the skin… just like TFF Face Creme!  Plus, it is gentle enough that it can be applied to the area below the brow, lifting the lid and improving all-around eye texture and youthful appearance. Are you seeing more advanced lines and wrinkles and “crow’s feet”? Regeneration Overnight Retinol Recovery Eye Capsules are tiny capsules pack quite a punch, containing a potent strength of retinol, a Vitamin A derivative that penetrates to the lower layers of the epidermis to help stimulate the rate that new skin cells are produced.  Regeneration Overnight Eye Capsules work from the inside-out to help create a “sandwich” effect that dramatically repairs the appearance of damage. Now, this is important…while I like to see everyone use these eye capsules, this is a very aggressive product and every person will have to experiment with this treatment to determine the skin’s level of tolerance. Some people will be able to wear it every night, with no problems while others may experience some redness or initial dryness (common with retinol) after using this product for several consecutive days. If you start to feel your skin become tender, red or slightly irritated, stop using for a few days until your skin calms. You can resume the use of this product after you determine the frequency of use that is best for you. Also, this DOES NOT replace the use of an eye cream. This treatment is used WITH an eye cream, to add moisture and protect the skin. Use this product at night, after your Regeneration repair product and before your eye cream. Bothered by dark circles and puffiness under the eyes? Dark circles are the result of blood accumulating in the under eye area.  Below the delicate layer of skin under the eyes, lies a network of capillaries, which are tiny, thin blood vessels.  These capillaries weaken over time and begin to leak blood into the area under the eyes.  This pool of blood is very visible through the thin layer of skin below the eyes.  The appearance of dark circles can be reduced by providing the optimal environment for the skin to: Strengthen capillary walls, so they are less prone to leakage Produce collagen and elastin so the skin appears thicker and less translucent and is better able to support the capillaries in that area. BC Spa Solutions Under-Eye Dark Circle & Puffiness Solution contains a complex of actives that supports this type of solution for dark circles. Puffiness around the eyes can be caused by numerous factors.  Most of the time, it is due to an accumulation of fluids under the surface of the skin.  The body is not able to properly flush fluids from this area, so they accumulate to form “bags” under the eyes.  Caffeine, which is known to help balance water levels in the skin, helps reduce the appearance of puffiness.  This formula contains high levels of caffeine combined with a botanical complex to help target this area of concern. This formula is a lightweight serum packaged in a unique roller ball applicator for quick, easy use.  It does not contain moisturizers, so you will still need to use it with your eye creme. Looking for immediate results for dark circles, puffiness and dehydrated skin around the eyes? Platinum Regeneration Rejuvenating Eye Treatment Patches are amazing problem solvers that turn back the clock, as well as soothe, refresh and revitalize tired eyes. They deliver a powerful time-released dosage of advanced ingredients that plump lines and wrinkles…diminish dark circles…dramatically improve skin firmness…and deflate those under eye bags that happen due to heredity, allergies, late nights, etc.  Like drug patches, they deliver a concentrated dose of ingredients over a period of time. What I love about this new treatment is that you can spa yourself anytime whether or not you are relaxing. Most people think spa-ing yourself means taking 30 minutes in the tub with a face mask and eye pads. But honestly, how often do we do that? This is a spa treatment for real life. Of course you can always use them relaxing in the tub, but most of us will use them while life is happening…while you’re checking e-mail, chasing the kids around, making dinner, even driving to work! This is a spa on the go. You can spa and de-age at the same time! The results are unbelievable! I use them every morning when I am answering emails before leaving for work. I couldn’t live without them! I know you will agree, when it comes to skin care technology, no one can beat BeautiControl.  These products, along with our personalized skin care, color cosmetics and incredible body care treatments are everything you need to build an incredible business and give your clients the solutions that they are so desperately looking for. Have a great weekend.  See you back on Monday.

I am constantly reminded of a quote that my father often used, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.”  The same holds true for your brand.  Brands are built with consistency, integrity and loyal consumer…a consumer who understands and values the company’s mission, vision and competitive advantage. Building an iconic brand is not easy, but when it is done correctly, the company icon alone, without any words, will generate awareness and immediate recognition of what that brand will deliver. Take a look at these iconic brand images.  Can you name each of these brands by icon alone?  What do you expect from each of these brands?  What would you NOT expect from each of these brands?  Here’s are 2 examples: ·      McDonalds – I expect fast food, fast service and I know what my Big Mac is going to taste like whether I am in Taiwan or Tallahassee (and yes, I have had a Big Mac in both). I don’t expect a gourmet, sit-down meal or a luxury experience. ·      Mercedes – I expect quality and luxury.  I expect to pay more, but I also expect top-notch customer service, an espresso while I wait and to have my car washed when I bring my car in for service.  Brand Consistency Brands like McDonalds and Mercedes and many, many others have built their reputation by doing what they do best.  Consistency in actions, consistency on delivering on their “brand promise” and consistency in brand image create iconic brands. In case you are wondering what a “brand promise” is, a brand promise is the statement that you make to customers that identifies what they should expect for all interactions with your people, products, services and company. I hope many of you had the opportunity to complete the exercise that I threw out there in last Monday’s blog “Building your Brand”.  The exercise was designed to help you identify who you want to be as a brand.  Through this exercise, you will have a clear idea of what you want your brand to be and the image that you want to project to your clients, as well as the type of client that you want to attract. Just for grins, I wanted to share with you a version of this exercise that I did with my team earlier this year.  Our assignment was to identify brands that we admire that represent the qualities that we want from the BeautiControl Brand as well as identifying our target market.  This project helps us to develop a consistent brand image, deliver a brand promise and appeal to our target market. This image represents that brands that we admire.  Here are the qualities of these brands that best represent from the BeautiControl brand: ·      Luxury image (Chanel) ·      “White Glove” customer service (Mercedes) ·      Recognizable brand image (Tiffany) ·      Quality and Durability (BMW) ·      Consistent, duplicable customer experience (Starbucks) ·      Brand Recognition without being predictable (Louis Vuitton seasonal handbag) ·      A brand for all ethnicities ·      A brand known for skin care and glamour This image represents our target market: ·      A consumer that understands and appreciates the necessity of relaxation and personal pampering ·      A consumer that spans all ages and ethnicities ·      A consumer who is likely a working mom who is looking for high quality products and/or an opportunity to earn income while being able to spend more time with her family ·      A consumer who understands the importance of Spa quality skin care and anti-aging treatments ·      A consumer that “grows up” with BeautiControl and spans the generations, making BeautiControl a brand for life. ·      A consumer who wants to look her best and stay up to date with the latest trends in skin care treatments and beauty products. Knowing and understanding this helps us identify the direction that we use to develop our brand identity and protect our brand image.  This is the reason that we have created the “Brand Identity Guide” available to you on BeautiNet.  This guide will help to ensure that you have all of our approved brand colors, fonts, logos, etc to match the image that we are projecting as a company.  This is our “brand bible”, if you will, that guides everything that we do when creating literature and collateral materials to help you brand yourself and brand BeautiControl consistently. This is an example of the way that we create and maintain a consistent image using our Brand Guidelines.  The images, logos, fonts and materials are very clearly consistent and representative of who we want to be recognized as a brand as well as being designed for our target market. This is an example of what I found when I did an internet search for BeautiControl.  You can clearly see how different these images are.  If a person who did not know BeautiControl were to do a search, these are the things that they would find.  Who is this brand?  What do they stand for?  What can I expect from them?  Are they current and on-trend?  Do they say “prestige”, “luxury”, “quality”, “cosmeceutical skin care and anti-aging treatments”.  Don’t get me wrong…they are cute, clever and creative, but there is a pretty large disconnect. Take a look at the materials that you send out to your clients.  Are they representative of the brand image that you want to project? Be a Product of Your Product This one should go without saying, but unfortunately, it doesn’t.  DISCLAIMER :  I am extremely passionate about this, and some might call me a jerk (and that is one of the nicer names).  I believe in brand loyalty.  I have been known to have “purse dumps” at the office and if there are products that do not have BeautiControl on them, they will go in the garbage.  If my employees accept a paycheck with “BeautiControl” at the top of it, then BeautiControl will be on the items in their purse.  We were in a meeting, not long ago, and there was someone from another department who pulled out a Bobbie Brown lip gloss.  The Bobbie Brown lip gloss went into the trash can.  Look in your purse.  Look in your cosmetic drawer.  What products do you use every day that aren’t BeautiControl? I believe that everyone that I see could be a prospective BeautiControl customer or Consultant.  That is why I proudly have my BeautiControl window decal in my car.  That is why I put a little more effort than usual into my personal appearance when I run to the grocery store.  I am my brand.   I am a billboard for my brand and for BeautiControl and I take that very seriously.  What would it say if I pulled out a tube of Carmex or Chap Stick for lip balm?  What does it say to your prospective customers when you pull out a Clinique compact or a Loreal lip color?  It says you don’t believe enough in your brand to use it, so why would I want to buy it from you? Building a brand and protecting your brand integrity are not always easy, but necessary if you are going to be taken seriously as a business.  Next Monday, we will talk about one of the most important aspects of branding and that is building brand value.  While it has much to do with protecting the integrity of your brand, it deserves its own focus because this is one area of our business where I see we need the most focus.  Building brand value not only determines how your brand is going to be perceived by your consumer, but also how much money you will make in this business. I hope you all have a great week.  See you back here on Friday. Ciao.

I hope you all have had a great week and are ready for a wonderful holiday weekend. Each month my team works to create client fliers, set sheets, product profiles, client fliers, e-postcards and other literature items to help you market to your clients and service the guests at your Spa.  Many times, some of these items go un-noticed and I have found that so many of you spend your time creating things that are already available for you to use.  While we know you like to put your own personal spin on everything, there are some things that are available to use that will help you better market your business, especially in today's world of Facebook and Emails.  This month, my team has re-designed the New Product Profiles that are available on BeautiNet> Forms on File for each and every new product that we have in the line.  In 2009, we shortened these forms, but have found that we were lacking the beautiful imagery that really helps you market your products effectively. Each new product will feature an Ad Slick that you can use either to attach to an email, use to post on Facebook or print off and use as an order-drop.  Each of the new product profiles will feature a “hero” photo of the product that is featured on one side so you can use to display at your Spa and on the back of each Profile you will find the specific product and selling information that will help you market the product and give you tips and education. You will see an example in this blog of the beautiful Sexy Red Collection ad slick as well as an example of the Island Sunset Color Collection Ad Slick and the Island Sunset Eye Crayons.  Be sure to log on and download each of these items.  They make great tools for you to save for reference, use to train your Consultants and educate your clients. Make sure to use the tools that are available so you can spend more of your valuable time holding Spas and making money and less re-creating tools that may already exist for you. I hope you all have a great weekend.  Be sure to check back on Monday. Ciao.

The ultimate dream among men and women is to have flexibility and control.  This country was founded on these principles as people flocked from other countries in search of the American Dream.  One of the things that makes me most proud of my job is that we have the ability to give anyone the opportunity to live the ultimate American Dream.  We offer an opportunity to own a business, control their income and live life on their terms. I think that is one of the reasons it turns me inside-out when I hear people present the opportunity to join BeautiControl as a “membership” to get a discount on their products.  We are selling a life-changing dream…not a membership!  Costco sells memberships…BeautiControl changes lives. When I was 3, my father came home for lunch from his extremely modest paying job as a foreman for a petroleum plant.  He was 45 years old, had a daughter in college, 2 teen-age boys and a 3 year old.  He  told my mother he was tired of living someone else's dream and asked her if she would support his decision to quit his job and start his own business.  He came home that night, threw his hard-hat across the room and the next day WE started our own business.  My dad wanted so desperately to un-cuff his dreams and make a better life for his family, control his income and give his family the life that he felt we deserved.  My father will always be remembered not as a foreman at a petroleum plant where he spent 25 years of his life, but as one of the most successful and well-respected business owners in our community. So I guess you can say that I am a little passionate about this topic. You offer the opportunity to help people achieve their dreams by becoming an entrepreneur.  Do people think of you as a business owner and take you seriously when it comes to BeautiControl?  If the answer to that is either “No”, or “I don’t know”, then you have to ask yourself, “Do I take myself seriously in this business?”  “Do I want to, and expect to make money doing this business?” I have found that when I take myself seriously, others will do the same.  When I set expectations of myself and goals for myself, others will support me in those and help me achieve them.  When you set the Host’s expectation of a $500 Spa, then you are going to have a $500 Spa.  I have seen people in some of the most economically challenged and remote areas of this country have an average of $1500 Spas on a consistent basis.  Is it because they are better sellers?  No, not necessarily…they just have higher expectations of what they want to achieve in this business. When you start your BeautiControl business, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to start giving things away or passing along your discount in order to sell products.  You really aren’t selling the products when you do that…you are telling your client that you are not are not confident enough about the quality of the product to sell it at full price, creating a dimished brand value and establishing a dangerous expectation for future purchases.  You can never expect that client to pay full price for your products in the future and your business has no chance of being profitable.  Your career level discount as a Consultant with BeautiControl is yours…not your friend’s, not your family’s, etc.  The career level discount is intended to put money in your pocket, plain and simple.  I always say if my friends ask me for my discount, then it’s time for new friends. You have heard me say quite often that everything happens at the Spa.  Are you having Spas today?  What have your learned here that you can you incorporate into your Spa to help grow your sales?  When you have your Spas, Open House Events or selling situations, ask yourself the following questions: Do I have a compelling “commercial” that creates interest for my potential new Host or client and lets them know that I am in business to make money? Am I branding myself as a Business Owner? Do I present myself as a professional Spa Consultant?  If you looked at me, whether at the grocery store or at my Spa, would you know that I am in the skin care, Spa and image business?   Am I a product of my product?  (To honestly answer that question, open your purse, your shower or your vanity drawer.  If there are cosmetics, skin care or body care products that aren't BeautiControl, then you the answer is no…you are not a product of your product). Do I have a BeautiPage, utilize professionally produced e-postcards and/or e-newsletters? Do my emails, sales promotions, Spa invitations, Set Sheets have a professional, uniform image that reflects a prestige brand? Am I Coaching my Host to be my business partner to help me increase Spa sales to count toward her host credits? Am I creating a fun, up-sale, exclusive and prestige image at my Spa? Am I making sure that I have the products there for the guest to try, explaining the value of the products, the integrity of the company and the value of having me as their personal sales Consultant? Am I selling at full price, using the Host Opportunity to help show any guests who object to the price to show them how to get their products at a discount? Am I utilizing the power of “group selling” rather than one-on-one client sales to increase sales, increase booking and show my guests how they can make money by doing what I do? Am I expecting to win!  Do I have goals for my sales and a plan of how to make them happen?  (Only when you want more for yourself will you achieve it).  You have everything, and I do mean everything you need with BeautiControl to create a one-of-a-kind group selling event that rivals anyone in this industry.  We have the BEST product line, the BEST price-points and the BEST Profit potential in this industry.  When you know that and you believe that, you will start to see your business take flight.  Take control of your business and you will be amazed at the magic that you can create for yourself and for your guests.  I hope you all have a wonderful week!

There are no accidents in business.  While it is true that a person may stumble into a successful business just by doing what they love to do, it will become quickly apparent as their business grows, it is important to take control and manage your business rather than having it manage you.  This blog will help you maximize your sales potential by helping you look at your business a little differently than you may look at it from month to month. The sales formula is actually very simple, but once you begin to focus on it a little more intentionally, it is amazing what a difference it can make in your business, particularly if you are a Director or on your way to becoming a Director.  The sales formula is this: Activity x Productivity = Sales So…what does that mean: Activity = the number of ordering consultants that you have on your team each month. Productivity = the size of that order each month. Here is an example.  Let’s say for example that you want your monthly unit sales to be $15,000.  You have a team that has 50 Consultants.  Now, let’s say that the average order size from your Consultants each month is $300.  How many of your 50 Consultants do you need to place an order for you to hit your $15,000 unit sales goal?  You need all 50 to place a $300 order if you are going to reach your sales goal, right?  Well, as much as we would love for every Consultant on our teams to order each month, we know that just isn’t the reality, so we are left with a few options: Get more consultants Get more of your existing consultants ordering Or, increase the average order size of each order to compensate for the shortage in ordering Consultants.  (for instance, getting your average order size up to $375 vs. $300 would mean that you would only need 40 of your Consultants to place an order. Either one of these options will help you get you to your goal, but unless you are aware of where you are going, it’s not always so easy to take control and help pull the right triggers to get you there, right? I can tell you from experience, (and a lot of hair loss in the process), that it is much easier to get more people to purchase a little than it is to get fewer people to purchase more.  That’s why your Consultant count within your unit is so important.  Learning what your Consultant count needs to be within your unit to help you make your sales goals is crucial for guaranteeing and planning for your success.  Naturally, our instinct when it comes to increasing our ordering Consultants or our Consultant count is finding new Consultants to join our teams.  While that is an extremely important part of the process, having a solid team of ordering Consultants is just as important.  That’s where retention comes in.  I often wonder what would happen if we spent as much effort keeping the Consultants that we have as we do going out and finding new ones.  As a leader, you have the opportunity to diagnose and help control your sales each week by creating the sales formula that is right for you.  This will help you avoid that last minute rush every month and help you keep a finger on the pulse of your business. Here are some tips that may help: Recognizing and rewarding your Consultants for helping you reach your goals will go a long way in helping you build a successful business.  Recognize your top seller, person on your team with the most Spa bookings, the most new clients, top recruiter, etc. Contact is crucial.  Personal, sincere contact with each of your Consultants will help you build a stronger relationship with each of them…remember, this is a relationship business. Don’t let your Consultants become inactive.  When surveyed, most of the Consultants who are no longer with us said that they didn’t realize that they were dropped or that they never heard from the Consultant who recruited them.  Everyone joined for a reason, find that reason and help them keep that passion alive.  If they only joined because they wanted to get a discount, then make sure they know what the ordering specials are each month.  Remember, they are not as engaged as you are and probably don’t read the emails we send and may or may not look at the Achiever each month.  Build a strong client base.  This will not only help you guarantee that you have residual sales from month to month, but will also be a great pool of Beauticontrol users who may want to join as a new Consultant.  We know that the best new Consultants are those that are already in love with the products. Know how many Spas you need to have on your team each month to help everyone reach their goal.  For instance, I know when I look on the Spa Booking Calendar, that we will have a good month if we have 20,000 Spas booked on the calendar each month.  How many Spas do you need to shoot for each month?  Booking Spas online is the only way that you will be able to track the health of your Spa business, so be sure that your Consultants are using the Booking Calendar, even if they are having small selling situations, vs. conventional “Spas”. When you find a new Consultant to join your team, make sure that they know they are joining with an opportunity to sell and make money.  If they are just looking for a discount, then show them how they can actually save more money by either Hosting a Spa or by referring new business to you. Even if you are not yet a Director and don’t have Consultants on your team, these same principles apply to your business.  If you are a Consultant who wants to receive the 50% ordering opportunity, how many client orders to you need to help you achieve that.  If your average Spa sales are $500, then we know that you need to have one Spa and at least 20 of your clients placing a $25 order.  If you don’t have 20 clients on your client list, then you know that you need to have more Spas and get more people to take the Skin S.P.A. so they will be added to your client list, giving you more clients to contact and increasing your pool of prospective ordering clients each month.   Remember, you are offering a service…and nothing appeals to a client more than good, old fashioned customer service. You make think that you are all alone out there running your business; however, nothing could be further from the truth.  Each Tuesday Morning, at 11:00, we have what is called the KPI Review Meeting.  KPI stands for Key Performance Indicators and they are measured on a weekly basis.   Why do we manage your business on a weekly, rather than monthly basis?  This is a weekly business!  If you are not measuring your business and have weekly goals for yourself, chances are you are going to get to the end of the month and have no idea how to catch up. In these KPI Meetings, each one of the Senior Leadership Team is responsible for a very specific area of your business and for your weekly performance: Activity (Charla Gervers):  How many Consultants are Selling Productivity (Gary Jones):  How large is each order size Client Sales: (Gary Jones): Orders placed online from Clients Spa Count (Brian Dill and RVPs):  How many Spas you have on the booking calendar clearly tells us the future health of the business and helps us forecast new products. New skin s.p.a. / eBeauti profiles taken (Gary Jones):  This is an indicator of who is building Skin Care clients, which we know have a higher rate of retention. Sales (Charla Gervers and Brian Dill):  We track sales vs. last year and sales vs. plan. New Consultants (Tami Merica): Creating incentives that encourage our Consultants and Directors to find New Consultants to join their team. Potential Inactive Consultants (Tami Merica): This list is every Consultant who has not placed their $100 Retail order in the required 4 month period. Inactive Consultants (Tami Merica): These are the people who have not ordered their $100 Retail order in a 4 month period and have gone into their period of Inactivity.  During this 12 month period, the Inactive Consultant can regain active status by placing a $150 Retail order.  After 12 months as an Inactive Consultant, the Consultant will be deleted from our records and will have to join as a new Consultant if they want to come back into the business. To make it very simple, this is what we are responsible for: My Marketing and Product Development teams are responsible for making your clients want to order from you.  My job is to give you the products and the tools (like sensors and ebeauti) and marketing support materials to help you market your business to your clients. Charla, Brian and the Regional Vice Presidents are responsible for making sure that our Consultants and Directors are out there booking Spas, selling product and finding new Consultants…BOOK, SELL, RECRUIT Tami and the Promotions Team is responsible for maintaining total sales force count…meaning, creating incentives to get New Consultants and create communications plans and programs to keep them from leaving. To make if very clear, this is what we are NOT responsible for: We do not market to your clients.  We give you the tools to market your own business.  It is up to you to contact your clients, create offers and incentives that make your clients want to place an order with you. In a similar note, our job in Marketing is NOT to market to our Consultants as Clients.  Our job is NOT to make you want to buy products for yourself…you are not a customer…you are a Seller.  Our job is to market to you as a Seller, creating offers that give you more profit potential when you build your inventory. While we can communicate to the Potential Inactive and Inactive Consultants on your team each month, that is not our job.  That is your job.  As a Consultant, you are BeautiControl to those on your team…not us.  When you start looking at your total consultant count and keeping all your stores open, and not just bringing in new Consultants, you will find that you have more control of a much healthier business. Every month, we do what we can from a merchandising perspective to help you drive the same KPIs within your units.  For example, every month you will have: Activity Drivers:  New products or offers that inspire more people to place an order.  “Buy one get one free” (BOGO) offers is a great example of an activity drive.  Every person is purchasing a little more.  These offers typically appeal to the Consumer Consultant or those who are less active sellers. Productivity Drivers:  These are offers that reward for higher purchases.  For instance,  “order $350 and get a sneak peek of a new product”, or an offer like this …”the more you buy, the more you save.”  This rewards the seller for purchasing more and stocking some inventory.  Productivity offers appeal to the Sellers in the business or those who are stocking inventory. Booking Challenges:   To help your team understand the importance of booking their Spas on the ONLINE booking calendar. Recruiting Promotions:   Finding new Consultants should be something that happens naturally every month to maintain the health of your business.  In fact, you should be finding one new Consultant from every Spa; however, we do created Recruiting Promotions and Offers that give you an extra incentive to find new Consultants. Because every month in the years has different business characteristics, you will see that we develop plans and programs to help support the natural momentum of both seasonal characteristics and the necessary flow of the business to help you balance and grow.  Below are the specific KPIs that we use each month to develop offers, promotions and incentives: January:  This is a month that is focused on both activity and high contact.  Many Consultants have taken off for the Holidays, and January is the time to get back in the game.  From a consumer standpoint, both men and women have made resolutions for a healthier year.  This is the perfect time to introduce clients to a new skin care regimen that will help them maintain both the health and the youth of the skin.  January is typically a month where we introduce a high contact Blockbuster product as well as products that will help support Valentine's selling. February:   This is another month where activity is key.  Many of our Field leaders are waiting to see what we are going to launch at our Leadership Conference, so activity among the higher levels can be low.  In addition, the weather in most parts of the country is poor and Spa activity can be a bit sluggish.  Contact is key.  You will notice that we create offers that drive mass activity and contact at lower price-points to engage the masses. March/April:   These are months that are focussed on Recruiting.  Look for new products that support Spa Themes and/or support selling at the Spa.  These Spas will lead to new clients which lead to new Recruits.  These promotional months typically offer recruiting incentives such as trips or other high value items as an incentive to find New Consultants to join your team.  An important note for recruiting months such as March/April as well as August/September is that without Spas on the calendar it becomes increasingly difficult for a Consultant to find New Consultants.  It is imperative that each February and each July focus on loading the Spa pipeline so you have people to talk to about joining your team as a New Consultant. May:   May's focus is Activity.  Coming out of a 2 month recruiting promotion means that we have an influx of New Consultants who are entering the business.  Our goal is to create activity drivers that help these New Consultants become qualified.  Many of the new Consultants will be going to BeautiYou, so there may be special ordering incentives at BeautiYou to encourage ordering.  The first few months in the business are key to the success of the New Consultant, so we do everything we can to help them become active during the first few months as a Consultant.  May is the month where we have our Spring Super Saturday Meetings to kick off our Summer Selling season. June:   June is a Productivity month…meaning that the key focus is driving an average order size.  During a productivity month you will notice that the offers from Marketing are focused on building the order size. June is WHO month, which is accompanied by a sale.  This sale encourages larger average order size, thus increasing productivity. Increased productivity means you put more money in your pockets. July:   July, like February, is a unique month when it comes to Consultant and Director Activity.  Many Consultants are on Summer Vacation, while others are waiting to see what new products and offers will be introduced later in the month at Celebration.  Contact is key.  You will notice that we create offers that drive mass activity and contact at lower price-points to engage the masses. August/September:   August/September are focused on recruiting.  Look for new products that support Spa Themes and/or support selling at the Spa.  These Spas will lead to new clients which lead to new Recruits.  These promotional months typically offer recruiting incentives such as trips or other high value items as an incentive to find New Consultants to join your team.  An important note for recruiting months such as March/April as well as August/September is that without Spas on the calendar it becomes increasingly difficult for a Consultant to find New Consultants.  It is imperative that each February and each July focus on loading the Spa pipeline so you have people to talk to about joining your team as a New Consultant. October:   October's focus is Activity.  Coming out of a 2 month recruiting promotion means that we have an influx of New Consultants who are entering the business.  Our goal is to create activity drivers that help these New Consultants become qualified.  Many of the new Consultants will be going to BeautiYou, so there may be special ordering incentives at BeautiYou to encourage ordering.  October is also when we have our Holiday Super Saturday Meetings to launch the 3 month Holiday Selling Campaign. November :  November, like June, is a month that is focussed on Productivity.  Historically we have a “Thanksgiving Sale” which drives average order size and encourages our Conslutants to stock up on inventory items that can be purchased at a discounted price. December:   Like February and July, December is another month where activity levels are historically low; therefore, our intent is to create offers and incentives that engage the masses and keep our Consultants active.  Typically December merchandising will include new products that have mass appeal or lower price points to support last minute gifts or stocking stuffers. Now you can see how there is a very definite rythym to this business and a logic to the offers that we create to help support your business.  When you take the offers that we create for you, and add on your own Spa booking challenges, unit sales challenges or recruiting challenges, etc, you can see where this becomes a beautiful partnership to help each of you grow your personal business and help develop future leaders within your unit. At the risk of sounding blunt, THIS IS YOUR BUSINESS, not ours.  If we were running this business from Dallas, we would be a retail business and go directly to the customer, selling at full retail.  But we aren’t…that’s not our business model.  Once every Consultant and Director understands that they have total control of their business, it is amazing how your perspective can change.  Platinum National Executive Director, Evelyn Coleman once said something that has resonated with me for a long time, “The only things I need from BeautiControl are my products and my paycheck…the rest is up to me.” So as you plan your month, ask yourself these questions: What is your sales goal? What is your average order size each month? How many active, ordering Consultants do you need placing orders? How many clients to you need placing orders? How many Spa bookings do you need within your unit? What are you doing to increase your Consultant count:  either retaining the Consultants that you have or adding new Consultants to your team What are you doing do increase your client pool each month? When you begin each month with an intentional and achievable plan, you will find that more often than not, you will reach it.  Knowing and understanding your personal KPIs, whether you are a Director or a Consultant will help you build a strong business and make more money in the process. This is a simple business…I didn’t say it was easy, but it is very simple.  When you love what you do and what you can offer for others, there’s really nothing to it.  In fact, for thousands of BeautiControl Directors and Consultants, it is the most fun you can ever have earning a substantial income and having the flexibility you want and need in your lives.  While others go to their J.O.B. you get to go to your S.P.A.

Through this series, we have already covered a lot of ground: BeautiControl 101: Who is BeautiControl Beauticontrol 102: The BeautiControl Business Model BeautiControl 103.1: The Dynamics of Group Selling BeautiControl 103.2: Creating a Compelling Vision for Your Spa and Overcoming Objections BeautiControl 103.3: The Host is Your Business Partner BeautiControl 103.4: A Concise Duplicable Spa Flow BeautiControl 103.5: Selling in Sets You have probably noticed that the BeautiControl 103 series is dedicated specifically to things that happen at the Spa…and we aren't finished yet.  Today we will cover one of the most important topics, Creating Clients at the Spa and building a service oriented relationship with them to help perpetuate your business. As you have heard me say before, everyone who comes to the Spa, comes with the expectation to buy at least something.  How much they purchase is up to you.  There is no such thing as an unsuccessful Spa.  In every Spa you are going to either generate a new Hostess, a new Client a prospective new Consultant or at the very least, a warm lead.  Please, do me a favor, NEVER leave a Spa where sales were lower than expected and say to yourself, “This was a failure”.  No time that you spend sharing these products and your opportunity with other people can be considered a failed attempt.  You walked away with 4, 6 or maybe even 10 new people who know about your business and will be warm leads for you in the future.  Don't think of them as “NOs”…think of them as “NOT RIGHT NOWs”.  This change in your mindset will make all the difference in the world.  Don't give up…your best future client might just be one of those “NOT RIGHT NOWs”. On the flip side of that equation, there is something else that occurs far too often…I call it “The One Night Stand”.  The Consultant is at the Spa, 2 people sign up, 5 people buy an entire line of skin care, the Consultant leaves, counts her cash and rides off into the sunset…never to be heard from again.  You don't believe me?  When we surveyed previous clients, the #1 response of why they no longer used BeautiControl was because “their Consultant never contacted them again”.  There are two reasons I find this so sad, #1. We have a client who has a bad taste in their mouth about BeautiControl…not just the Consultant, but the brand in general. #2. We have a Consultant who is leaving money on the table. If you knew that there was someone standing outside your front door waiting to give you money would you open the door and welcome them in or close the drapes and hope they don't see you standing inside your house?  I'm afraid we have too many Consultants who are hiding under the kitchen table afraid that the woman outside the door with hand-ful of money might want to come in and give it to her. The Spa is the beginning of the relationship with a client…the first of many client/Consultant experiences that you will share together.  Clients will keep you in business.  There is an old rule in our business that if you have 30 clients on your client list, you will never go out of business.  And above all else, contact, contact, contact!  Your clients are counting on you to be their Consultant.  Don’t miss out on creating that relationship because you feel like you are being a “bother”.  Here’s a secret…your client EXPECTS you to follow up with them.  If you don’t, you are not “bothering” them…you are disappointing them. The Spa is just the beginning.  From the Spa, you have captured the attention and imagination of a group of people that can potentially become life-long clients.  When you are at the Spa, imagine each one of those people becoming a client.  Every time you hold a Spa, you get yourself in front of new opportunities for future business.  Even if they only order a wet/dry from you every month, with enough of these, you can build a very profitable residual business.  Some of our most successful Consultants and Directors are those who have a steady, long-term residual income through a healthy client base.  In today’s environment, you have the opportunity to save clients money with our products as well as save them time with your service.  You make your clients feel special when you contact them and provide a service.  The service that you offer sets you apart in today’s competitive environment.  People want to be able to rely on you to provide them with their skin care and color cosmetics. Just for grins, I did some silly math to show you how 30 Clients can keep you in business.  Here are my extremely conservative assumptions: 10 of my 30 Clients use the TFF Extreme ONLY.  We know that a bottle lasts 30 days, so they would spend $95 every month:  10 clients X $95 X 12 = $11,400 10 of my Clients are skin care users and purchase the entire set.  Because most people use far less product than I do, let's assume that they only replenish every 3 months (and if this is the case, then they aren't using enough product).  That would mean that they purchase $173 4 times in a year:  10 X $173 X 4 = $6,920 20 of my 30 Clients buy a foundation and mascara.  I am going to assume they are using Wet/Dry.  That would mean that they purchase $32, 12 times a year:  20 X $32 X 12 = $7,680 That means that these 30 Clients, who are really not ordering very much from me at all, are spending $26,000 a year with me.  Because I have the opportunity to earn 50% profit on these sales (more if I have taken advantage of the special merchandising offers that BeautiControl has given me to stock up and profit more), that means that I PROFIT over $1,000 a month from doing nothing more than servicing these 30 clients.  I don't have to tell you how much more there is to earn simply by helping your existing Clients add one more product to their order, not to mention the fact that you are continually Spa'ing and adding new Clients to your client list. Below is an Action Plan for building a client base after the Spa.  Each type of client that you have will respond differently to different offers.  BeautiControl provides a variety of tools that will help you establish, service and grow your client base. Action Plan for Building a Client Base First, make sure that EVERY guest at the Spa goes online and completes the Skin s.p.a. analysis ONLINE.  At the risk of being repetitive, I have to make this clear.  Make sure your client completes the ONLINE version of the Skin s.p.a., not the PAPER version of the Skin s.p.a.  Our skin care is formulated to be customized with the ONLINE Skin s.p.a. diagnostic tool.  If you have not completed and are using the regimen that was prescribed online, then chances are high that you are not using the correct regimen or recommending the correct regimen for your clients.   Not only will you ensure that your clients are using the right products, but their information will automatically populate in your client list, making it easier to manage your client's needs. Enroll your Potential Clients to receive our FREE monthly e-Newsletter, now known as BeautiBuzz. It’s fast, easy and free to enroll anybody! All you need is an email address for each person. Make sure to auto-enroll– this makes it very easy to add more clients each month.  We will send monthly emails to tell them about new products and promotions, as well as a follow-up email to remind them when the offer is about to end. Start your BeautiControl online business by becoming a BeautiPage member.  Get your own personal Web site address where clients can shop with you 24/7 or learn more about all of our products. After you set up your BeautiPage on BeautiNet, then your monthly e-Newsletter will link clients directly to your Web site to shop and learn more about featured products. Plus, you will receive a 40% commission on all online orders fulfilled by BeautiControl. After every spa   Leave EVERY spa with contact information from EVERY guest – no matter if they made a purchase or not. Within 48 hours after the spa make sure to enter contact information for each Potential Client and New Client into your online Client List at Client Connection. Enroll each Potential Client and New Client to receive the next issue of your BeautiBuzz e-Newsletter. Make an investment in your New Clients by mailing them the Beauti book through Client Connection. Beauti book mailings are available each month. You can add your own personal message or choose the standard message we have written for you. You can even choose to have them mailed with skin sensors for guests who have not yet been able to complete the skin s.p.a. diagnostic tool and receive their customized skin prescription. This gives you a great reason to follow-up with this New Client within the next month. Keeping reorder clients A personal phone call is always the best way to build a client relationship, but at Client Connection you can find many other tools to maintain contact with your clients and grow your reorder business. Client Connection tools: FREE e-Postcards – send whenever you want Email to Potential, New, Reliable, Occasional and Lost Clients as often as you want for whatever reason you decide is relevant. FREE Monthly BeautiBuzz e-Newsletter Make sure all clients (Potential, New, Reliable, Occasional and Lost Clients) who have an email address are enrolled to receive each issue. This maintains monthly contact. Monthly Beauti book Mailings Mail to New Clients each month. Here is my heart-felt advice for you…you don't need an intricate filing system to manage your clients.  Don't make this business harder than it is or than it needs to be.  This is a relationship business, plain and simple.  Print out your client list each and every month and call them.  That's right…dust off that phone, pick up the receiver and call each of your clients every month.  If they don't need to place an order, then check up on them and see how they are doing with their products.  You will be amazed at the response you get.  Just letting them know that you are there and that you care will make a world of difference in your business. Clients are you life-line in this business.  It costs more to get a client than it does to keep a client…getting them is the tough part, keeping them is easy.  A little TLC and doing what you do best…creating relationships…is what will attract and keep your clients for a lifetime.  I would love to hear some of your tips on building and growing your client base.  Please be sure to post your feedback on how you grow your client base either through personal incentives or by using Client Connection tools.  Also, we would love to hear your testimonials about what your clients mean to you. Be sure to check back on Friday for more.  Have a great week!

Ok…I am the first to admit that I am guilty of this. I get to the Spa with every intention of keeping it simple and within a 1 to 1.5 hour time frame out of respect for my Host, the guests and myself. Low and behold, someone will say…”I bought a foot cream product from BeautiControl a long time ago, can we see that?” Next thing I know, I have pulled out every product I have, telling everything I know and my 1 hour Spa has turned into a 3 hour nightmare. By the time we are done, the guests who would have purchased either need to get home or they are just so confused they don’t know what to buy. The Spa is not intended to be a venue where you show every one of your products and solve every one of the guest's problems.  Sometimes, as we get caught up in the selling situation we forget the very simple objectives of both the Spa and the Spa Now Case.  I am a stickler for “objectives”.  I personally believe that to run a successful business, everything you do needs to have a clear objective in order to build successful strategies.  Below are the key objectives of both the Spa and the Spa Now Case. The Objective of the Spa: The Spa is intended to be the first step in what will hopefully be a very long and fruitful client relationship.  It is where you find new clients, future Hosts and create a pool of individuals who see you running a rewarding and profitable business and may want to do the same The Objective of the Spa Now Case: The SOLE purpose of the case is to allow the Consultant, particularly the new Consultant to join and have everything they need to hold the core party (Spa) that the company trains to, by allowing the Consultant to personally demonstrate products on each of the Spa guests. Please hear me when I say this…there is both logic and strategy involved in the core Spa that we train our New Consultants and the contents of BeautiControl’s Spa Now demonstration case. The Core Spa that we train new Consultants at BeautiU uses all of the products that are included in the Spa Now demonstration case. Are you wondering why we recommend this Spa as your first Spa? Well, that is because the products that are demonstrated in that core Spa, the BC Spa Manicure, the BC Spa Facial, Lip Apeel, etc. will not only allow you to create a full 1 hour of treatments and pampering, but it is using our best selling products that build the most loyal re-order clients. In addition, the Skin s.p.a. diagnostic tool allows your clients to see you as a contemporary professional who is offering them a personalized prescription for their skin. You could build a business by selling these products alone. Add in the Instant Facelift products and Wet/Dry Foundation and you have everything you need to keep your clients coming back month after month. After your initial Spa with a Host, you have a menu of additional Spa themes and treatments that you can use to book additional Spas with your existing Host, or allow a guest at your Spa to host their own Spa. Your follow-up Spas could be Detox Spas, Pedicure Spas, Margarita Happy Hour Spas, Glam Spas, Instant Facelift Spas, etc. As you become more mature in the business and gain both experience and knowledge about your products, you will be tempted to increase the products that you bring and demonstrate at each Spa. I should caution you that when the Spa becomes more complicated, more lengthy and loses the core focus, it is no longer perceived by your guests as some that is duplicable. Your goal at each Spa is to gain new business and new Consultants. When they don’t feel that they can do what you do, then you minimize the opportunity to attract new Consultants.  One of our highly successful National Executive Directors, Saralyn Ostwinkle told me something years ago that I will never forget, and I hope it proves to be good advice for everyone who reads this.  Saralyn (remember she is a National Executive Director, so she is doing something right) has been in the business for probably close to 20 years.  Regardless of her title, she ALWAYS carries the Demonstration Case that the new Consultant will receive when they join.  She always wants each guest to see how the Spa is done with the contents that the company provides when they join as a new Consultant.  How smart is that?  Saralyn is coaching and modeling this business with every Spa that she does.  I think that is genius.  So we have clearly identified that the Spa Now Demonstration Case is intended to help you show and sell the products that have been proven to build a re-order business.  It clearly meets the Spa Now Case Objective and is consistent with the Party Plan business.  Now, I want to talk about what the Spa Now Demonstration Case IS NOT.  The Spa Now DEMONSTRATION case is meant to be a business tool for our Consultants to hold a successful Spa. It is not a “set” of products that should be featured for purchase. Next week, we will talk about Selling in Sets, one of the best ways to sell in the Party Plan business.  One thing that I feel strongly about is that the Spa Now Demonstration Case IS NOT one of your sets.  When you are closing your Spas, and you see that your clients are interested in purchasing product as a Client, make sure that you have a set for them that meets their needs and let them have the opportunity to purchase it at full retail price.  If you see that you have someone who is interested in doing what you do, but will want to purchase products to use for themselves, sell them products at full retail price, then talk to them about starting their own business for only $125.  Do not confuse the “selling situation” with a “recruiting situation”.  The products in the Spa Now Demonstration Case are intended for DEMONSTRATION, not personal use. I personally like to close my Spa, sell in sets, then tell everyone that I am “hiring” and looking for anyone who might want to make a great income working part or full-time doing what I do.  I let them know that they can start their own business for $125, which includes all the products that they need to do what we have done here tonight as well as a day of class-room training which will give you the ability to become a Certified Consultant.  Then simply ask if they know of anyone or if they are interested themselves. There are 2 questions that people ask me every month that drive me crazy: How much does the Case cost this month? What is the Retail Value of the Case? First, when you join, you are not “buying” a case, you are starting a business, so the question could be asked differently by saying, “What is the cost of joining BeautiControl and starting my own business?”  We are selling an opportunity, not a set of products.  Secondly, the “retail value” of the case is irrelevant as long as it provides all the products and/or samples to successfully hold the core Spa that the company trains to. We need to be careful about what “value” we are selling…the value of financial freedom, flexibility and control over your own time and income, I believe, far out-weighs the retail price of the products that come in the bag.  Never cheapen the value of your products or your opportunity by presenting them as a “deal”.  When things are seen as less valuable, they are more easily disposable.  You have products that work and an opportunity that changes life…don't limit either by selling them as a “deal”. Over the years, we have blurred the lines between set selling for personal consumption and recruiting new Consultants with the intention of helping them start a business.  This is not only counter-intuitive to our business model, but it will quickly cause your business to start running you, rather than giving you the control to run your business. I will go into more specifics about the balance of “buyers” vs. “sellers” (and by the way…we need both) and how to refine or define your recruiting verbiage as we go more deeply into this series…it is a topic that I believe is key to the success of this company. As you take the opportunity to evaluate your business and set your business plan for 2012, please ask yourself the following: Am I getting the sales at my Spa that I want? Am I getting as many re-bookings from my Spas as I would like? Am I getting the re-order clients from each Spa that I would like? Am I finding people who want to do what I do and join my team as a new Consultant? Do I feel comfortable doing Spas? Am I having fun doing Spas? If you answered NO to any of those questions, then it may be time to re-evaluate your Spa/selling situation: First, if you aren't having fun or feel comfortable doing Spas, then I can promise you that the answers to the remainder of the questions is going to be NO.  This business is supposed to be fun.  When you inject your personality and your passion into your Spa presentation, you will find that it makes all the difference in the world.  There will never be anyone's Spa that is exactly like yours. If you aren't getting the sales that you want, what can you do to learn more about the features and benefits of the products, be more passionate about the results or allow your clients to experience them on a more personal basis?  Sales lead to re-orders, so if you are showing products that build loyal clients, re-orders shouldn't be an issue.  If you aren't getting the re-orders that you are looking for, it may be time to look into your follow-up after the Spa.  Follow-up and Follow-through are key to building loyal clients for life. Perhaps you aren't getting the sales and re-order clients you need to sustain your business because you “recruited” all your guests rather than allowing them to become clients, by selling them “a set”, otherwise known as the Spa Now Case.  You hear us say “one recruit from each Spa”, meaning you should target at least one person in each Spa that may want to do what you do, again, this comes from follow-through after the Spa.  The best Consultants come from those who were good clients before joining as a Consultant.  Even if they only join to get the products at a discount, they are more loyal consumer Consultants after they have purchased the products for full price as a client and understand the value of the Consultant Level Discount. If you aren't getting the bookings that you want, perhaps you aren't creating a vision of what a follow-up Spa would look like.  Do you have a menu of services that you can offer your guests that feature additional treatments that you offer at your Spa? If you aren't find guest's who have any interest in doing what you do, are they seeing you make money?  Are they seeing you have fun?  Do they see a Spa presentation that was easy enough to make them say, “Hey…I can do that”?  If they are not seeing your business as a profitable, fun business opportunity, they will never see the value in joining to become a Consultant who is interested in selling and viewing this as a business opportunity.  While it is important for each guest to see you as the expert, that doesn't mean your Spa should be difficult to duplicate.  I think you will find with a more concise Spa flow you will retain your guest's attention and present a money making opportunity for each of your guests.  Not only will you find more bookings, make more sales and get more bookings, you will also find more people who have an interest in joining your team as a new Consultant. The most difficult Spa you will ever have will be your first…but trust me, it gets easier each time.  Find you passion, find your voice and let everyone fall in love with BeautiControl just like you have! I can already hear the emails coming in and the postings on message boards reading, “That's not how I joined”, “That's not how I do it”, etc.  Please hear me when I say, for WHATEVER reason you joined, we love having you as part of our family.  Whether you joined as a seller or just for the intent to buy, there is a place for you here at BeautiControl and we are thankful that you are here.  If you are, however, in the business with the intention of it being your business, it may be time to ask the tough questions and fine-tune the fundamental basics of your business that help you to work SMARTER, not HARDER.  Again, none of this is my opinion or my point of view…these are the core building blocks of a Party Plan Direct Sales Business and the defining principles of our business model.  My job here is not to state my opinion…it is to make your business more profitable and put BeautiControl on the lips of every woman. Have a great week.  Be sure to check back on Friday for a Special blog live from Leadership Conference here in Dallas! Ciao  

First, I have to say congratulations to all of our Consultants and Directors who joined us thsi past weekend at the Grand Velas on an exclusive tropical get-away, compliments of BeautiControl.  No matter how many of these trips that I go on, I am amazed every time by the presentations, the elegance and the opulence of a trip with BeautiControl.  It was so wonderful to spend quality time with the friends that I have made over the years.  There is nothing like the BeautiControl family to re-charge your battery.  It was so great to see all of you. This week's installation of the BeautiControl 101 series involves something that is one of themost important aspects of our business.  The Spa is the core of our business, and without it, we cannot survive.  To take it a step further, the Host is the lifeblood of our Spas and without them…we have nothing.  A motivated Host will ensure your success with every Spa. Many new Consultants fail before they even begin because they don’t think that they have what it takes to be a seller and they don’t want to be seen as “pushy”.  Don’t forget…you are not in this alone.  Your Hostess is your business partner.  The Spa is the HOST’s party, not yours.  As a BeautiControl Consultant and business owner, you both sell products, share the opportunity to open a business to those you meet and provide a unique and in-demand service.  As a Skin Care and Style Consultant, you teach people how pamper themselves, take care of their skin and look their best from head to toe.   This is a service that both men and women need and a service that companies desperately need in today’s world.  Not only are people experiencing more stress than ever before, but there is a renewed awareness about the importance of personal style and image.  Finding someone to be a Host for you is easy once you have clearly articulated the service that you are providing all who attend the Spa. The Host’s responsibility goes beyond simply opening his/her home and inviting friends.  The Host has to understand what they are receiving as a benefit of Hosting a Spa for you.  Your Host proposition has to be very compelling to encourage Spa bookings. Many companies offer Host programs that are set in stone.  Host a Spa and receive a bag, or a bowl or some very specific and tangible item.  In some cases, the company actually funds the Host program and ships directly to the Host following the Spa.  The companies who have a “company sponsored” Host program also have a lower discount structure and do not have any additional merchandising/discounting on the product line.  This is how they can pay for a fully funded Host program.  While the Consultant has less out of pocket expenses where their Host incentives are concerned, they also have less, “in pocket” profits due to fewer discounting opportunities. BeautiControl’s Host plan is somewhat different.  Our Host program is set up to offer a sales credit based on the orders that are taken at the Spa, the outside orders that are collected to count toward that Spa and from the number of future bookings that were made at the Spa.  When this become’s your Host or Spa guest’s only opportunity to receive a “discount” on the products, then your Host proposition becomes a far more compelling opportunity for you. One of my favorite objections to receive during a Spa is “I can’t afford to buy an entire set”, or something of that nature.  That is the perfect opportunity for me then to reverse the dialogue and present the Host opportunity as an option to receive a “discount” on their products.  When done effectively, it is not unusual to have a Host that uses Host rewards to completely pay for their skin care regimen every few months.  Some of the best Hosts you will ever have will be a Spa guest that doesn’t want to pay full retail for their products.  I have found it effective to have each guest keep a “wish list” during the Spa.  This helps them start to make a plan of how many people need to place an order and what the Spa sales totals should be in order to receive the Spa credits. Once your Host has a goal in mind, they will be an active partner to help ensure that the sales from the Spa are large enough to help them earn the Host rewards.  Hosts who have no interest in what they can earn as a Host, will not be an effective business partner.  Remember, this is not your Spa, this is your Host’s Spa. Your role is simply to pamper your Host’s guests, demonstrate your incredible products and create sets for them to choose from to help your Host achieve their sales goals.  The Host program is the discounting opportunity for your clients and can create a compelling opportunity to attract and reward your Host.  It is important for you to determine how you want to maximize the benefits of your Host program.  You have many options that you can choose from to customize your Host program to be most profitable to you.  One way of maintaining a high profit at each Spa is to stock up on the “products of the month” that we feature each month with additional Discounting opportunities.  These products are our best selling products and can help you create a compelling Booking/Host reward.  Understanding that the key to having a successful Spa is by having a motivated Host, do you: Utilize the Host program as your discounting opportunity? Coach your Host to set sales objectives and share them with each guest at the Spa? Coach your Host to collect outside orders from friends and family who will not be able to attend their Spa? Have a Hostess proposition that you feel is compelling and creates a motivated Host? Let me tell you from the perspective of both being in your seat as a Consultant and in the seat of the Spa guest…every person who attends your Spa comes with in expectation to make a purchase.  If they weren't willing to at least be “sold”, they wouldn't be there.  It is the responsibility of you to provide the incentives that entice your Host and your Host's responsibility to activate the purchase, up-sell and generate higher Spa sales. Remember…our Host program is structured to put you in the drivers seat as a business owner to help you Book more Spas and earn more profits.  If you don’t feel confident in your Host proposition, then it may be time to refresh or change it to be more compelling.  Your Host is the lifeblood of your business and will guarantee not only a successful Spa, but a faithful client and possible future new Consultant.  When a Host continues to see you succeed as a business owner, it won’t be long before they want to do what you do so they can experience the benefits of being a business owner for themselves. Thanks for checking in and be sure to come back on Friday where I will feature the highlights of NYC Fashion Week as well as the trends that you will want to share with all your clients. Have a great week. Ciao.

Thanks for all the great feedback to last week's blog where I outlined the specific differences in the business model of different Direct Sales companies and how BeautiControl is structured to ensure the success and profitability of the Consultants.  As we established last week, BeautiControl was established to be, and remains one of the key players in the Party Plan Direct Sales industry, sharing the market space with industry legends such as Tupperware, Mary Kay and Pampered Chef. BeautiControl 103 will actually include a series of blogs that focus on the strategies that will help you develop and maintain a profitable, duplicable party business.  Group Selling is, without a doubt, the most effective way to maximize profits, increase your future business and find new Consultants who want to join your team.  Between now and March 11th we will be breaking down the Party Plan business into specific topics, with the entire 'BeautiControl 101' series wrapping up by the end of March.  I feel it is important to take these in bit-size chunks which will allow everyone to absorb the content of each blog.  The topics will include the following basics of Party Plan selling: Creating a compelling commercial for your business and overcoming objections Making your Host your Business Partner at the Spa The importance of a concise, duplicable Spa flow Creating set-selling opportunities for your guests Creating future business Being seen as a professional business owner BeautiControl clearly is a Party Plan direct seller of premium skin care, anti-aging and beauty products.  Our method of product demonstration happens at our in-home party, called the Spa, where a sales Consultant demonstrates products in a group selling environment.  The Host invites guests to join the demonstration and receives Host credits based on the sales at the Spa either by the Spa guests or from orders that the Host gathers before or immediately after the Spa and for additional Spas that were booked at the event.  Since we have a product that has a great deal of impulse appeal, we recommend that our sales Consultants maintain a moderate amount of inventory so they can immediately fulfill on the orders that are placed at the Spa. Here are some things that I think it is important to remember.  In fact, this is something that I’m not sure everyone knows: The home office of BeautiControl is not a retailer of products.  We do not sell products to clients.  BeautiControl is a wholesaler who sells to independent sales Consultants, who in turn sell to their clients.  In addition, we create literature, products, tools and programs to help the Consultant sell to the clients and market their own business.  It is not the responsibility, or the role of the home office to communicate or sell to the clients and to keep them active; however, we do have programs through Client Connection that will allow you to automate your client contact. When a person joins as a Consultant, they will automatically receive what is called a “Career Level Discount” on every order.  Depending on the company, that discount structure may be based on Career Level or order size.  For instance, when a Consultant attains the level of VIP (having 3 Consultants on their team), they will automatically receive a 50% Career Level discount (50% profit) on every order.  If the Consultant has not yet achieved that level, the profit potential (discount) will be based on a sliding scale depending on order size. Unlike retailers or other Party Plan or Network Marketing companies, Beauticontrol also uses additional discounting opportunities on the retail price TO THE CONSULTANT to help encourage the Consultant to keep inventory on hand as well as give them the ability to “create offers” for his or her clients without compromising their profitability.  This is very rare in our industry and clearly makes us a more attractive opportunity for those who are looking to maximize profits by selling. In simple terms, BeautiControl gives each of our Consultants the ability to start a retail sales business and enjoy the profits that are part of the Career Level Discount.  Since we do not market to YOUR clients, BeautiControl, unlike other companies in our industry, create additional discounting opportunities for you to use to create offers for your clients…Gift with Purchase, Purchase with Purchase, Booking Gifts, Host Rewards, etc, without cutting into your profits.  We create the tools and the offers, but you are in control of the way that you market, promote and position your business.  To your clients, YOU are BeautiControl…not us here in Dallas. There are a variety of ways that you can sell your products:   You could sell through the internet, which can be profitable and easy, but not at all personal and tends not to create a client relationship. You could sell one-on-one through personal consultations.  While this is probably the most “comfortable”, particularly for the new Consultant, it is not the most profitable and it requires 5 times the work for the same amount of money.  The upside is that you can create very powerful and personal relationships with your clients. Or, of course, there is group selling. We all know the power of a group selling event (which in our case the Spa).  This is the core of the Party Plan direct sales model.  Everything happens at the Spa: Sales Clients Client leads Additional Bookings New Consultant Leads Without a doubt, the most successful way of selling is by selling through a Spa.  From the Spa you build the Clients that you can service through one-on-one Consultations, or through your BeautiPage.  A strong Client relationship will give you monthly residual income, will be a generator of leads for future business, will be a repeat Hostess and will be a potential new team member for you.  THE MOST SUCCESSFUL LONG-TERM CONSULTANTS COME FROM BEING A FAITHFUL CLIENT. Don’t get me wrong…I have walked in your shoes and I know that it is not always easy to book a Spa and get it to hold.  Much of that has to do with today’s environment, economy and consumer attitude, but some of it has to do with our approach, our confidence, our expectations and our attitude.  In business, I always like to keep myself honest and I ask on a daily basis, “Am I creating the kind of store that someone would want to shop in?”  “Would I walk into my store?”.  The ultimate goal of a Consultant in our business is to create a service oriented experience for your clients that represent the core values of the brand. The successful Spa Consultant typically has these elements as the core of their Spa: A compelling vision that overcomes any potential booking objections A Host who is your business partner and understands her role in the Spa A concise, duplicable Spa flow that pampers your guests and demonstrates your most demonstrable, re-orderable products. A set-selling opportunity for your guests to avoid confusion by limiting their choices Business that is perpetuated from the Spa by either creating Clients or creating additional Host opportunities Consultant that is seen as a professional business owner Were there any AHA's here or key take-aways that will help you position your business?  I would love to hear your thoughs. Have a great week and be sure to check back on Friday.  Next Monday, I will be in in NYC for the Fall 2012 Fashion Week, but I will continue our BeautiControl 103 series discussing how you can create a compelling commercial to advertise your business and overcome objections. XOXO!