Business Spotlight - Karen D'Agostino

Networking is a huge part of business.  What is networking?  Networking is building relationships with others who are in business for themselves, and possibly doing business with them yourself, then passing on their information to others that need their services (also called a referral).  The important thing is to build the relationship so you can feel confident in passing along their information so others can also benefit from their great services.  The lifeblood of business is all about networking!  This is why over the next few weeks, I'm going to be sharing some very special people and their businesses with you.  Get to know them and their business, build a relationship.  Both of you will benefit in the end.

First up is a wonderful lady I met online.  Her business touches my heart.  We used to homeschool and of course books are a big part of schooling.  Our children enjoyed Barefoot Books!  So without further ado - here's our business SPOTLIGHT of the month!

Karen D'Agostino is the mother of two rambunctious little boys. In March of 2010, she was looking for a way to stay home with her children while still helping her husband support their family. Karen had tried many other direct sales businesses, but none of them seemed to fit with her ideals. That's when a friend introduced her to the gorgeous, captivating illustrations in Barefoot Books. She fell in love immediately and knew this was the business that she and her family could feel good about and could work together. Now, Karen doesn't think of it as a direct selling business. She thinks of it more as an outlet to help her community. Through fundraising, community events, online sales, and home or catalog parties, Karen helps to spread literacy and get children excited about reading.

Barefoot Books began with two mothers who wanted their children to have books that would feed the imagination, while instilling a respect for the diversity and a love of the planet. Today, we are a world-wide community of writers, artists, storytellers, musicians, and others who are a committed to providing timeless stories and captivating art that can help children become happy, engaged members of a global society. We offer not only books printed on 100% recycled paper, but CDs, puzzles, puppets, activity cards, craft kits, stickers and games!
 

Karen is currently a Sales Leader and 2nd Level Team Leader with Barefoot Books who has a wonderful team below her that she helps motivate and guide as much or as little as they need to make their dreams of owning their own business a success. Working her own hours, she is able to work around her family's schedule, making it to all of their sporting events. And her children get just as excited as they are Christmas morning every time a new shipment of shiny, new books arrives.

For more information about the books, fundraising, or joining the Ambassador community, please visit www.wereadbarefoot.com or email Karen at gobarefoot@verizon.net You can also stay up to date on new items, sales, and enter giveaways on Karen's Facebook page www.facebook.com/wereadbarefoot Kick of your shoes and Go Barefoot!

 

Give Em The.......Pickle?

Good customer service - if you have a business it's what you strive for, right?   Or maybe not as much as you would like and even (shudder) not at all!  What is customer service?  So glad you asked!  Customer service is the life blood of your business - the way you make your customers feel, the following up, the going out of your way to make them happy.  Without it, businesses fail.

I'm sure you've been there.  You go happily into your favorite store and are excited about the purchase you are going to make, only to find the sales person on the other side of the counter lacking the same smile you do and actually looking like he or she doesn't even want to be there today, let alone wait on you!  Takes away from your happiness quite a bit.   So you joyfully ask for the product you have saved so long to purchase and she half-heartedly goes to 'find' it only to come back a minute later and tells you they don't have any....in not so many words.   Boy, talk about bursting your bubble.   Now your happy joyful self is getting a little perturbed as you point to the product in plain view.  Your helpful customer service rep cracks her gum, rolls her eyes, and basically throws it on the counter telling you the price.   
Or better yet....you go to the store to make a purchase and the person behind the counter doesn't even acknowledge your presence.  They keep on standing there staring into space, or chatting with the other employees about how stupid another sales person is, etc.   Did you really think you were born invisible?  Seems that way because after a few 'excuse me', and 'can someone help me please' they finally come over and 'help' you.
These are just a couple scenarios that urk me to no end!  And for me, I refuse to shop in that store again...ever! (unless of course the manager offers me a 500.00 shopping spree!!)   Honestly one of the main concerns with businesses is that they don't take the time to train their workers on how to really help the customer, be kind, go all out, and do whatever they can to make that customer happy because in the end, that one customer could know 250 people and that could have been 250 new customers!   

What if you are involved in direct sales?  YOU are basically the boss.  What is your routine for making your customers want to come back to you?  After all, there are tons of other reps doing the same business as you.  What makes you so special after all?   Your good customer service will go a long way in keeping and getting customers.  Referrals are extremely important and if a customer isn't happy, she will make sure she tells all her friends not to do business with you.

Building business requires believing the customer is always right...and that they deserve the pickle!  

Ill be teaching all about this pickle in our upcoming teleclass later on this month on September 21st!   More info to come! If you are serious about building your business, this is one class you wont want to miss!

Cute Customer Service

A cute way to show your customer you care!

What is customer service?  Well, it's the way we treat our customers, referrals and hostesses.  It's how we relate to them, how we make them feel.   Do we make them feel like they are very special, or do we just splatter our business all over them...you know, sell, sell, sell?  Customer service is built on relationships.   Getting to know your customers and hostesses will reap many benefits in years to come and build referrals.   Remember its all about them! As a business owner, its our job to see to it that we are able to solve the problem that the customer is having.  What are their needs and desires?

So, let say you have a party booked.  You already know the company has set rewards for her if she gets X amount in purchases or sales. But, does that make it personal?   One of the first things to do when you meet with your hostess to give her the party packet, is to sit down with her for a few minutes.  Help her make up her list.  Chat with her, get to  know her and what type of guests she will have.  Help her with a theme (have examples ready!).  Then hand her a little bag with something in it just for her for having the party.  Did you know that by doing this, party retentions are more than 60%?  As you know many hostesses back out for various reasons.  However, by meeting with her personally, and handing her a little gift at the time of your meeting, chances are very good that she will go out of her way to have that party.

What can you hand her?  I use cello bags with cute designs, tied with a matching curly ribbon.  Depending on what you are selling, you can put a couple of small samples inside, with a coupon for a discount on one of the items in the catalog, a piece of candy and some filler.   Does your candle company have small size candles? Does your body care company have sample packets?  So basically, pick a small sample that will fit in the bag, nothing that will break the bank, something specific to your company, and something she will appreciate, along with a coupon, maybe 25% off any item in the catalog or any item over a certain dollar amount, a pen, key chain or piece of candy, and some filler .  Make it cute and inviting.  

Now what about the person you meet when you are out and about.  Do you stand there and just talk about you while throwing a catalog in her face?  How about trying this.  See if you have the solution to her problem, or have something she might be interested in.  How fun for her to receive a little cello bag with your flyer or catalog, small sample - you know, those little sample scent thingies (or pen, key chain, etc), a piece of candy, or discount coupon and your business card handed to her instead of just that catalog!   I have been on the receiving end of this before and have felt the meeting to be very personal, plus it was so much fun opening my little gift!  Would I buy from her?  You betcha! And if I didn't I was sure to pass on her information to a friend. (networking at its finest!)

I have left these little gifts on the table at restaurants for the waitress, for the teller at the bank, for the hair dresser at the salon, etc.   I never spent more than a dollar or two for my little gift.

Customer service is the key to a successful business.   Not only will you have repeat business, but they are going to tell their friends about how nice you were, how you followed up, the cute little gift they got, and how special they were made to feel!   Or not?

By the way, I get all of my bags, ribbons, fillers, boxes and more at Cello In a Box!  Very inexpensive, great quality, excellent service!  

Wishing you  abundant success!

Dressing For Success

The other day I had the privilege of speaking to a wonderful business marketing guru.  I told her that I was invited to speak at a convention..granted it was only for 5 minutes along with other guests...but they decided there was no time for me and one other person because things were not progressing as planned. I had been prepared, got my mini talk all ready for the group and blammo!   Never had a chance.  Her question was, "How were you Dressed?"  Well I had on a skirt below the knee, matching blouse, cute shoes.   She dug a little deeper. What I found out was that even though I was dressed appropriately, it really wasn't shouting 'business professional' all over the place!   So then, what tells people that you are a professional?  How do you dress when you go out in the public eye?  These are things I needed to know!

First of all, I found out that when you are doing your errands, it's important even then to dress for success.  That means no sweats, no jeans and sneakers, no pajama bottoms and a junky ole shirt.  What it means is you can wear jeans on your errands, but dress' em up with nice shoes and a pretty shirt/blouse, maybe a scarf around the neck.   Put on your best face (I don't wear makeup, so I'm sure to have my hair done nicely - combed, barrettes, what have you.    If you are working at an expo or speaking somewhere, dress in business casual unless it's a dress up affair.  Business casual can be Khaki pants, nice shirt, blazer, nicer shoes (not sneakers), light makeup (look your natural best!).  Or some may choose a business suit with skirt or pants and blazer works well too.   

Then, what about your attitude?  Did you know that how you feel about yourself on the inside shows all over your face?  Hold your head high, believe in yourself, and SMILE!  After all, you are in business, you want to give your prospective customers the right influence.  You are successful. First impressions can make or break future decisions.  And be yourself!   Show  your customers you care...after all its all about them, right?  Be attentive, be a good listener and see what their needs are. (more on these subjects later!)

Anyhow, after all was said and done, I really thought about my little outfit and honestly, I looked 'cute' but not professional.   I'm learning so much every day about how to be professional.  And I'm working to dress appropriately when I am out and about or doing lectures.

Spring Cleaning

Ahhhh spring time!  A time of new beginnings AND spring cleaning!   I don't know about you, but I get that urge once I can start opening up windows and letting the fresh air in.   We know the rest of the house, windows, floors, etc. get some attention, but do you actually take a look at your business area as one that needs a sprucing up as well? By the way, this isn't my desk area, but truthfully, there have been times it was close to this!

Most of us make our New Year's Resolutions, and then get everything set up with our business.   Then time goes on, and things get a little disheveled and disorganized.   You know how it is, you know you had that memo about calling someone about your business or products, but you just can't find it under all the clutter!

One thing that has helped me tremendously are those little desktop organizers.  One nice thing about desk organizers is that they are small enough to fit on a desktop but have nice little cubbies to put different items in.  Maybe you might have one for payments, one for catalogs, one for certain forms, etc.  Label them so they are easy to figure out what is in there.   One thing I love is to make it cute and a happy place to be. For example, my pen container is flowery, and I have a couple of flower pens in there to brighten things up.  Maybe a family picture.  Or a special motto hanging on the wall in front of you as a motivator.  I have a tropical picture my uncle painted hanging on the wall in front of my face. This not only reminds me of him, but also helps me remember the reason I am working - to be able to travel to wonderful tropical locations and some day to live on or near a beach. 

The biggest thing is to clean off the desk and dust it and the electronics around it.   Add ink where needed in printers, add paper in printers and copiers..Basically, freshen up!  Don't ignore that keyboard!  It can collect a lot of dust (and food!).  Keep papers organized in filing cabinets, file folders, etc.  

An organized desk/office makes life easier, makes it less stressful of an environment and helps you do your job more efficiently, which then flows through to your attitude with  your customers.   After all, great customer service is key to any business.   Being happy and unstressed in your work station will help you be the best you can be!

Presenting A Professional Image Online

In this business, if you want to succeed, you need to present a professional image to your potential customers. You have to stand out amongst your competition! How do you do this?

Get yourself a website! - It doesn't have to be a big fancy online shopping cart (though what a good way to increase your sales potential!) but you should at least have a nice, simple, user-friendly website, complete with pictures, and your operating hours and contact information. However, the BIGGEST mistake made by new business owners: Setting up a website on a FREE hosting site. Homestead, Geocities, Webs.com, Bravenet, etc. DON'T DO IT! Unless you ENJOY shooting yourself in the foot. You can get a professionally hosted website for about $5 a month, maybe LESS depending on who you get it through. You can also get a domain for less than $10 a year through most any domain registration company (such as GoDaddy who is reliable and easy to work with!).

Use quality images on your website! - Another mistake people make is to use free clip-art for to decorate their websites. NOT a good idea. These images are low quality, poorly made, and will make your site look like a teenager's personal homepage. For very little money you can have some very nice quality graphics made up to use on your website, or purchase a pre-made website layout from many different places!

DON'T Hide Your Contact Information! - This is huge! So many people make a nice website, yet, when people visit their site, they can't find the hours of operation, contact information, address or any other important information. You may think you're exposing yourself for all kinds of weirdness if you post your personal information on your website like that, but really now... freaky people will track down whoever they want, it's what they do... but those not-so-freaky (or maybe they are) people who might want to do business with you, well, they probably aren't going to put in a lot of effort to find you, and if someone else is easier to find, then that's where their business is going to go.

Post PICTURES! - Potential customers want to see what you've got to offer! Post pictures of the outside of your business (so they know what to look for, or may recognize you if they've driven by!), as well as the inside (so they can get an idea of the "feel" and if they are interested in stopping by to see more!). You should also post some pictures of actual items you have, or have had, in stock. Give your website visitors a taste of what you have to offer!

What's on your "must do" list for presenting a professional image online?

Email Marketing Tips For Your Small Business

Email marketing is probably one of your best methods of advertising. You'll want to use a program that has a double opt-in process (customers must verify their email address by clicking a link they are sent) to help ensure your customers feel that their privacy is secure with you. I like to use Constant Contact, it is an inexpensive service that has a lot of really useful features. I really like it. Here are a few tips to make sure your emails are actually read:

• Catchy subject lines - You don't want to seem boring, or sound like spam, so make sure that your subject lines catch your readers attention!
• Don't send your emails when all the other spammers are sending theirs! So many people get bombarded with spam mail on top of other emails on Monday mornings... It's probably the busiest day out there for email providers. Choose a mid week day, Wednesday or Thursday to send your emails, Mid-morning or afternoon is a good time of day, after people have had a chance to clear out their overnight emails and have settled into their day.
• Keep the boring stuff towards the bottom! Most email clients (outlook, windows mail, etc) have a preview pane, so when you're clicking through your list of emails, hitting delete, delete, delete, you see just the top of each email in the preview. If your emails are boring at the top, your readers are simply going to keep hitting delete... however, if you have something recognizable and eye catching, they will click past your email so they can go back to read it!
• Put YOUR name in the "from" line in your emails - Customers and clients want to receive emails from people they know, not from big corporations or some random faceless person. Keep that personal approach!

What are some ways that YOU keep your email marketing fresh? Would love to hear some ideas!