Attracting New Business
- August 16th, 2008
- View Comments (13)
This is a sort of continuation of my earlier post on the Scavenger Hunt. In that post I mentioned it was not for me. It was too “Mary Kay Commando” for my taste. The feeling it gave me was uncomfortable. I felt like I was attacking people rather than attracting. There really wasn’t anything attractive about it. Again, don’t get me wrong, if you are a lover of this method of generating leads, go for it. If not, read on. 
It is my opinion that in direct sales we still must attract new business. Yes, our methods are limited and there are rules we must follow that are in place from our parent companies; however, there are plenty of ways to market ourselves and even advertise that will not end in our contracts being terminated. In Mary Kay, we have some very visible ways to tell people what we do without having to bowl them over at the supermarket. For one, we have a pin that we can wear. Mine has a nice enhancer around it with several rhinestones. All I had to do to get this enhancer was attend 13 meetings in a row. 
That’s it. Thirteen consecutive weekly events and I got this pin enhancer. People see my pin because it’s sparkly. Recently, a customer saw it and said, “you must be pretty good you have a pretty decoration on your pin.” 
I told her I’m currently building my team and have been putting more time into my business.
Another thing we have is the On-the-Go Tote. The Look Book fits perfectly in the window. 
The Perfect Opportunity brochure also fits nicely as well as hostess brochures. If you are like me and don’t like approaching strangers for the sole purpose of selling them, this can work for you. I have had people ask me for books when they see my bag. I’ve also had plenty of people recognize my pin. I carry my On-the-Go Tote to work with me. Lately, I haven’t seen many knew faces around campus. School starts soon so perhaps I will be meeting more people. Last week I was talking to a girl that is joining my team soon and I was giving her the current Look Book. There was a guy standing near us and he complimented my bag and then asked if I was the model on the cover of the Look! 
I was amused (and flattered 
). But I digress! If you don’t want run around with the On-the-Go Tote there are other things you can do. The point is to be visible! A friend of mine put the Beauty that Counts bags into a Miracle Set bag along with Apple Berry lipsticks. It’s a visual. People ask about it. She tells them about how MK is donating full profits from sales to women and children charities; and she is trying to sell 100 of the lipsticks by the deadline for the charity program. Many consultants put together small baggies with a card, candy, and samples inside to pass out to people. These could also go into the Miracle Set bag or the On-the-Go Tote. My NSD puts lip glosses in the On-the Go Tote window. She also suggested putting the clear plastic caps on the lipstick to display those in that window as well. There are so many ideas! Be careful not to get overwhelmed. Pick one and run with that for awhile (I’d give yourself a month to see if it works) and if the leads start to dry up it is time to move on to the next plan.
Here is something that is apparently not so obvious. We are allowed to advertise. There is a plethora of approved ads that can be submitted to local papers for publishing. I am going to give this a try. We want to find the people who want the product we have. There are more effective ways to find them than chatting up perfect strangers.
Here I should mention that I don’t think we should never talk to new people. There are just better methods than others. If I want to talk to someone new, I don’t run up to a harried mother at the supermarket and tell her she needs a facial. Quite frankly, that’s annoying! Earlier this month we had some training on approaching new people. The lesson was NOT cold booking total strangers. The lesson was talking to people we see regularly who may not know that we are in Mary Kay and how to talk to them about our business. Now, this approach, I can usually do. There are some times when I have trouble, but I’m working on it.
Talk to your hairdresser, your bank teller that you see regularly; you know, the people you interact with regularly. I do this from time to time. It takes a lot for me to do it, though. The easiest place for me to hand out my card to new people is at work. I see women at work all the time and many that I work with use Mary Kay. If they have a consultant I leave them be. If not, they are now my customers. There was no attacking either. I carry my tote and wear my pin every day. When I meet a new coworker I tell them Mary Kay is my other job. It’s just part of what I do. Then, I give them my card. Some have placed orders with me and others have not. It’s pretty simple. The ones who do place orders I take care of well. Retention is a huge key factor.
Finally, there is one more way to get new leads without chasing people down. This one is huge. I never realized it until recently. What better source of new business than your current customer base? This last method is getting referrals! I have been doing this recently. If your customers like you, they will help you! I promise! Just ask your customers if they know anyone who might like the products or need a consultant, or might want to hold a class. They will tell you. Currently, I have three customers getting me some referral lists put together. I’m excited about this.
If anyone has more less abrasive methods they use for finding new business leads, please share!
Stumble It!
Tags: Advertising, Customer Service, Direct Sales, Leads, Marketing, MLM, Networking
Shades of Pink
Sherrie
Colleen
Stumble It!
I don’t like the tote. If you came up to me to the grocery store while my kids were spinning off the planet, I’d hit you with a head of lettuce! If I’m at the store and I chat with you, hand me your card! ; )
You’re doing great. Getting referrals from friends is a great idea! Didn’t Mary Kay say leaving a facial with out referrals was like leaving money on the table? ; )
Yea, I’m not a harried mother and I hate it when people bother me when I’m minding my own business. Why would I go do that to someone else? Not very Golden Rule.
I agree though, if someone talks to me first, like the lady at work (kicking self HARD), I will hand out my card. Must get braver about that!
I have used the tote as a purse and had people in line at the store ask me for books. I embrace the tote.
And yes, you are correct. Mary Kay did say leaving a class without bookings and referrals is like leaving money on the table.
Shades…Sister you are producing some good articles. I have been thinking of running an ad in a little magazine that is in most peds offices. So I am thinking that I will run one there. I did go and look at the adds. I am also thinking of running one in our local paper. I live in a town of about 5500 and it might work.
About approaching people I don’t. I know that I don’t like those guys that when I walk through the mall they want to put lotion on me. Please just let me walk through the mall. I am a mom of twins and when they are with it I don’t like to be approached. I to don’t think that it is a “Golden Rule”, I think that we need to respect people.
I will let you know when I place the adds and I will tell how they go. Thank you for all that you do on your blog. Well, Have a Good Evening.
Thanks, Bren!
I agree with the “leave me to shop in peace” idea. I have six kids and four daycare kids. If I get a chance to shop alone, it’s like a mini-vacation! Seriously, if I’m standing in front of the freezer section with the door open and my eyes closed, I’m really NOT crazy. I’m pretending I’m on an Alaskan cruise in January!
Now if I’m standing in line I will most likely strike up a conversation with the people around me. That’s a great time to slip in “BTW I’m a MK Lady and I’d love to give you my card”. If only I didn’t freeze up at that point.
I have a Portfolio Book. I took it to DS’s karate class a few weeks ago. The women went nuts over it. I handed out cards right and left. Did I ask for them to fill out and give back the other portion. No. Once again, I froze up. I was just proud to be handing out my card!
My portfolio is a regular 3″ wide binder. I’m thinking of getting something smaller that fits into my purse. That way I can pull it out when I’m in a store or doctor’s office. Carrying the big one around is a PITA.
I used to use the On The Go Tote. It didn’t generate much interest at the places I go. I went back to a regular purse. I’ve been trying to wear my MK pin more. I also have a neat Unit pin that I like to wear. I don’t get many comments on them yet. Maybe it’s the places I go.
Kim
I need to use the portfolio. I keep mine in this little photo book the company had a year or two ago. It was actually a recruiting notebook, but I took out all the recruiting info and use it as the portfolio. It’s small. It looks like a purse, but it’s a little photo album. Does anyone else remember this? It might even still be available on Section 2. I’ll check in a minute!
Pink Lady, I don’t take the tote to the mall or department stores anymore. I used to get looks from the people there because they are just waiting for solicitation to take place. I don’t solicit in malls at all. I know some people who got in trouble doing it. I do wear my pin every day.
I take my tote to the grocery store sometimes. I only carry it regularly to work because I often get asked for samples and books there.
OK, I just checked Section 2 and that little portfolio is still available. It’s the Team Building Notebook. It’s on Section 2 under “Team-Building/Educational Materials > Team-Building Materials”.
Wah, I can’t get into the site! Oh well. I picked up a little photo album at K-mart today. It was 99 cents and had a nice picture and cute saying on the front.
I do have a couple of pictures to print out and put in. They aren’t the new Mineral Colors, but they’ll make my book look like it has SOMETHING in it.
Great ideas as usual Shades… I also recommend wearing your pin everywhere! I have a special one that I received as a gift from one of my adoptive directors years ago that is multi-colored. I much prefer to wear it over my director pin most of the time (except when I am in my suit, of course). I find that it is less “out there” than the director pin~~and being smaller, more my style
I also will sometimes carry a hand-made basket (I had a customer who made baskets at one time and she gave me one just for this purpose) that I put “goodie bags” in. Now,my goodie bags aren’t all that exciting.. right now I am using the color cards the company has with my business card. I carry the basket and get questions all the time.. Each person who asks a question about what I have, gets handed a goodie
Works well especially around gift giving times.
This is such a great topic. I have no problem talking to women, and in fact I love approaching them. Heck, I still wish to this day that Mary Kay had walked into my life long before it did. Seriously, I was a woman who needed what it had to offer, both the products and the opportunity. A team member of mine (and former neighbor) has often said the same thing. Neither of us can believe that we were never approached while out and about. Goes to show how women are missed and in need of MK.
One thing I focus on is approaching working women. They are absolutely everywhere I go, and talkative at that. Even somewhat of a captive audience because they are working. I pay attention to whether they are wearing color or not, and address my comments accordingly about skin care and color. Works well, and I enjoy making contacts this way.
Thanks, Pink Biz! I, too, was never approached by a MK lady. I talk to women who are at work as well. I just don’t have the fortitude you seem to have. I’m working on that!
SCM, I’m going to put together a basket of goodies and see where it gets me. It seems many people do this and have good results.
I read this once. Put 10 surveys, 10 business cards, pen, candy or gum, eye/cheek samples optional, in a single baggie with decorative ribbon or bow. Ask one of your customers or a working woman to gain the names and thoroughly completed/legible surveys of 10 other women. Set a date and time to pick up the surveys. Give a PCP gift or decorative baggie full of samples for their time and effort. Be creative with this. Working smart, not hard. I adopted this practice way back when and it a great way to get women excited about a gift they’ll receive. New leads will come your way. Make it fun for each lady willing to run with this! Remember she will see a little of what our business is all about.
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