What’s keeping you?

Today, I posted this as my status on my Facebook news feed:

Something I am looking forward to
Photo By P.Lynne (c) 2014

” I feel a little disappointed but not down right now. OK, besides just reading my sidebar to see that Leonard Nemoy died, but more personally my sales. Not sure what to do about that, and trying almost everything within guidelines of the company. My question to my FB friends (not necessary my customers) is what is holding you back from trying something at least once in your life? It does not have be related to Longaberger, just anything. Is it being afraid of the outcome? Financial? Or just used to the same old habit and not willing to try something? I am at a loss here, and feel like I am spinning my wheels. Please help me out with this question. As for my sales, I have one more day to make at least $350. I cannot always be my best customer.”

Back story to all of this:  I started my independent consulting career in 2001, one month exactly after 9/11.  Before then, I was trying to find an internship for my marketing degree at Franklin University, because it was time for me to graduate.  After having successful interviews, with some wanting me to start the Monday after most of my interviews, they fell through, either because they ran out of money to pay me (or not having enough in the budget to not pay me), bad business deals, or going in a different direction, I never got a chance to work these internships.  I was getting frustrated, and I had heard that you could make your own internship by just owning your own business. (By the way, I found out that it has to be an actual business hiring you and the school taking credit for that hiring-go figure)  Anyway, I wanted to try direct selling, so I started researching and narrowed it down to two companies:  Pampered Chef and Longaberger.   I met with the Pampered Chef consultant, who was nice, but for some reason, I did not like the idea that I had to cook something at every party.   Not in my budget.   

Then I met Scott, a consultant from Longaberger, and since I already liked the products, I signed up to sell for them. In case you are wondering what Longaberger makes and sells is baskets, pottery (dinner and cookware), and wrought iron products. FYI:  Sell products that you love and do not sell just anything.

At first, I was just in it, because of the products and I have created my own internship, but the more I got into the company, the more I loved selling, and because I was not really motivated to actually selling, I made mediocre sales.  Around year 5, it really hit me that I need to make the most of my new found business.

I want to stop here for a moment, because I am feeling like you think I am writing a sales pitch of some sort.  Not at all, I thought I must admit that if you want to just my team, you can, but this is not a sales pitch post at all.  It is a motivation pitch letter to ask you a couple of questions.

We all have routines and habits.  We all have certain products and brands we like, and we never want to be disloyal to those products at all.  I get that, and I am not trying to take you out of your habit at all.  What I want to know is are you willing to try something new?  If it could be anything, what would it be?  Now that you have that in your head, are you doing that new thing now?  If not, ask yourself why.  Going back to my Facebook status, what is keep you from trying that new thing?  Is it money?  Is it the old question, “What will my family and friends think if I try it”? Are you afraid of the outcome?  

Getting back to my sales for this month, which ends tomorrow at midnight, then I start again, I have advertised within my guidelines.  I am not a pushy salesperson, because Longaberger (as well as the rest of the internet community) consider it spamming.   I have an online party open to receive orders, and I have a Facebook business page that I regularly post to that anyone can see.  Perhaps it is Facebook’s Algorithm that prevents some people to see these ads, or perhaps I am blocked in some areas.  I am not sure.  Or people like the ad, but none of it translate to sales on my website, and that is what I do not get with Facebook.  They want you like a person, but penalizes you if you have extraordinary interaction with them.  As a salesperson, I hate this.

OK, rant over, sorry about that.  The bottom line of all of this is like that Nike campaign, “Just do it”.  Now I am not saying to all if a sudden just spend the money you do not have, but if you don’t have it now, make plans to make it happen.  Invest in yourself.  If your goal is to decorate your whole house, research into the cost, see what is doable now, and write into plan your timeline and do it.  If you want to climb the highest mountain in Europe, research, and see what you can do to make it happen, and do it.  There are ways to get things done, like open a saving account, do a Kickstarter campaign, asking friends and family for support.  Just make it happen.

As for me, I need to get my butt in gear, if I am going to make my sales to at least $350, $500, if I want the incentive of the month.  By the way, the website is www.longaberger.com/patricialogan in case you are interested in checking it out.