by John Wesley

Self confidence is the difference between feeling unstoppable and feeling scared out of your wits. Your perception of yourself has an enormous impact on how others perceive you. Perception is reality - and there are a number of things you can consciously do to build self confidence. Use these strategies and you can get the mental edge you need to reach your potential.

1. Dress Sharp
Although clothes don’t make the woman, they certainly affect the way she feels about herself. No one is more conscious of your physical appearance than you are. When you don’t look good, it changes the way you carry yourself and interact with other people.

2. Walk Faster
One of the easiest ways to tell how a person feels about herself is to examine her walk. Is it slow? tired? painful? Or is it energetic and purposeful? People with confidence walk quickly. They have places to go, people to see, and important work to do.

3. Good Posture
Similarly, the way a person carries herself tells a story. People with slumped shoulders and lethargic movements display a lack of self confidence. By practicing good posture, you’ll automatically feel more confident. Stand up straight, keep your head up, and make eye contact. You’ll make a positive impression on others and instantly feel more alert and empowered.

4. Personal Commercial
One of the best ways to build confidence is listening to a motivational speech. Unfortunately, opportunities to listen to a great speaker are few and far between. You can fill this need by creating a personal commercial. Write a 30-60 second speech that highlights your strengths and goals. Then recite it in front of the mirror aloud (or inside your head if you prefer) whenever you need a confidence boost.

5. Gratitude
When you focus too much on what you want, the mind creates reasons why you can’t have it. This leads you to dwell on your weaknesses. The best way to avoid this is consciously focusing on gratitude. Set aside time each day to mentally list everything you have to be grateful for. You’ll be amazed how much you have going for you and motivated to take that next step towards success.

6. Compliment other people
When we think negatively about ourselves, we often project that feeling on to others in the form of insults and gossip. To break this cycle of negativity, get in the habit of praising other people. Refuse to engage in backstabbing gossip and make an effort to compliment those around you. In the process, you’ll become well liked and build self confidence. By looking for the best in others, you indirectly bring out the best in yourself.

7. Work out
Along the same lines as personal appearance, physical fitness has a huge effect on self confidence. If you’re out of shape, you’ll feel insecure, unattractive, and less energetic. By working out, you improve your physcial appearance, energize yourself, and accomplish something positive. Having the discipline to work out not only makes you feel better, it creates positive momentum that you can build on the rest of the day.

8. Focus on contribution
Too often we focus too much on ourselves and not enough on the needs of other people. If you stop thinking about yourself and concentrate on the contribution you’re making to the rest of the world, you won’t worry as much about your own flaws. This will increase self confidence and allow you to contribute with maximum efficiency. The more you contribute to the world the more you’ll be rewarded with personal success and recognition.

If you don’t feel as confident as you should, contact me for a free coaching session. I can help with your self image and confidence workingwith you to feel your best inside and out!

Dawn Jones
Coaching for Today’s Woman

- Ann Vertel, MA, CPBA

Introduction
Most potential consultants want a better life and work they can love, but they often have objections to starting. These objections, while usually perceived, seem very real to the potential consultant. They may be scared, slow, or not clear in their focus. You can help them make a life-changing decision. Remember, the average consultant will stop at the first “no,” the successful one will keep asking questions.

1. Objection: “I don’t have time.”
Possible responses:
“What would you do if your work gave you MORE free time?”
“Perfect! The best consultants were always way too busy to start!”
“Then let me show you how to get ahead of your busy schedule.”

2. Objection: “I can’t afford it.”
Possible responses:
“We all have the money we need for what we really want. What do you want that financial independence will bring you?”
“Perfect! Let’s first start working on getting you a financial reserve!”
“No problem. Let me show you how you can make twice your investment in the first 30 days!”
“What would have to happen for you to afford it?”
“Let’s look at the difference between what it costs and what it’s worth.”

3. Objection: “I’ve already got a job.”
Possible responses:
“What is your job not giving you that this opportunity will?”
“Do you have a financial goal or problem that would benefit from immediate extra income?
“Wonderful! That will provide a terrific cushion until you become financially independent.”

The key is to listen to the objection and use it to ask another targeted question that will address every one of her concerns.

(By Jane Deuber)

It is a well-known fact that managers who focus on the number of shows being held by their team have higher monthly sales. By learning early in the month how many shows are already on the books, you will discover how you can support your team members to achieve more success.

For example, a team with lots of shows scheduled will need guidance on hostess coaching and reducing postponements. On the other hand, a team with fewer shows may need a short-term booking challenge or ideas on how to schedule shows.

Here are just a few ideas for coaching your team:

1. Be informed. Prior to the first of the month, ask each team member to share how many shows they have booked. Give lots of appreciation and praise and offer guidance on how to book additional shows.

2. Offer a booking challenge. Challenge each Consultant to ask for a booking from five people every day for one week and watch her schedule fill. Because this challenge depends on the “honor system” keep your reward small but give it with lots of praise.

3. Reward results. Offer a “Consistency Award” to anyone on your team who holds one show a week for two consecutive months. These are potential stars.

4. Get the bigger picture! Record your team’s shows on one big show calendar! This helps you project group sales and provide support to help ensure their success.

5. Know your team show average. Helping your team members increase their show average is just as important as helping them book more shows. Since hostess coaching has the greatest impact on sales, ask Consultants to complete a Hostess Coaching Checklist for every show.

6. Emphasize sponsoring. Take advantage of the fabulous recruiting opportunities at shows by challenging your team to discuss the opportunity during their presentation and then offer it to every guest while writing up their order. Make sponsoring a natural part of your team’s shows and you will soon see results!

7. Lead by example. This is perhaps the most important tip we can offer because your team will follow your lead when it comes to holding shows and sponsoring. Be sure you are setting a good example by consistently holding shows of your own!

Jane Deuber is the Co-Founder of the DSWA (the only association dedicated to the needs of the independent party plan and network marketing professionals). Discover what makes the DSWA so unique! Jane is also the Founder/President of Profit Partners - Innovative Business Consulting. Visit her site to see all that she has to offer you and your business!

I received this message from Bill Shaw today…..

October 8, 2008

It’s Time for the Good News!

What a difference eight weeks can make. On August 1, just days after purchasing the company from Reader’s Digest we announced the DigitalDirect^TM concept and proclaimed we now have the only party-plan business model built to work in this economy. We took decisive action weeks ago to meet the challenges you would face if the economy worsened, unlike our competitors who continue to offer up the same tired initiatives to their struggling Consultants, and you have responded with unprecedented success.

If I told you in late July that Georgia Irby, from the great Northwest would have personally sponsored 18 people in just over two months, would you have believed me? You might have thought Daria Gentile would get off to a big start, but 15 new recruits in the New York area? That’s crazy! How about Linda McCormick, Kim Brunssen and Diane Hastings sponsoring 22 in Texas even with a hurricane as a challenge?

When I think about the leaders who have stepped forward to prove what’s possible with our new company, I’m reminded of something Albert Schweitzer said: “Do something wonderful. People might imitate it. Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.” When you have leaders like Karen Green sponsoring 11, it’s easy to see how Betty Ann Martinho sponsored eight. When Fran Samper sponsors eight, we understand how Michelle Vukovich can sponsor nine, and Gerri-Ann Ruggieri can share the opportunity with seven. When you’re on to something really special, it becomes almost contagious within your team and across the country. Wendi Grewe from Michigan sponsored six and Tracey Lentfer from Kansas sponsored seven. I don’t have to tell Sharon Postmus the good news; she’s already recruited seven excited women. Robyn Stubbendick, Tina Thuro, and Jill Abram each welcomed six families to our business. There are so many people sponsoring three, four and five new Consultants it’s impossible to mention all the names. But one stands out…Steven Teets, who sponsored four new people, and proved again that this is a business for both men and women. Thanks Steven from all the men, like me, that believe entertaining in our homes is a universal concept, and our company is a universal opportunity.

Success in our industry requires three components:

1) A high value proposition for the Consultant,

2) An effective personal development program that builds leadership, and,

3) A strong promotional strategy.

Our average party sales have increased 5.6% over the same period last year and continue to grow. Our consultants are earning the highest income per hour in the party plan industry. And with the introduction of the new food line in January, our value proposition couldn’t be better. Since August 1 our recruiting ratio, the metric we use to measure our success sponsoring at a party, is up an astounding 65%. Slightly more than half of the group of new Consultants that joined this August became qualified by September 30, up 25% from the group sponsored in August 2007. Our personal development initiatives are yielding great success. We can see the new suite of incentives is working because so many people are motivated to share the opportunity and so many people are enthusiastic about joining our company. The final piece of the puzzle is in place this month with more aggressive host and customer specials to drive party bookings and our Consultants’ incomes.

Last month I asked each of you to share the good news about our business and you responded. In a time when we are inundated with negative news, people are especially drawn to stories of success, hope and opportunity. I’m not just talking about the few that are building amazing incomes for their family’s future; but the many that will have a wonderful Christmas because they earned an extra $1,000 or more just having fun. And maybe along the way they discovered a reason to stay and build a strong financial foundation for their family.

The great UCLA basketball coach John Wooden said, “You can’t have a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” I can’t think of a better way to experience a perfect day than by sharing this opportunity with our fellow Americans as they search for assurance and stability. You can become a beacon of light in someone’s life. God bless you and thank you for sharing our good news.

Bill

Danielle Hannigan is an Independent Consultant with Taste of Home Entertaining

Looking Ahead to November with Taste of Home Entertaining:
It’s customer appreciation month and we’re celebrating with additional promotions to increase your bookings.

• Announcing!  November “Thanks”giving Host and Customer Offer
• November Monthly Specials
  

Danielle Hannigan is an Independent Charter Senior Consultant with Taste of Home Entertaining, the first direct sales company to focus on Entertaining as a Lifestyle.

Taste of Home Entertaining is a two-year-old home-party plan that features exclusive, high-quality products for cooking, decorating and entertaining, and I am so excited to share our fabulous news! We now offer two amazing new incentive programs — a new Fuel Incentive Program and a new Smart Start Program!

Fuel Incentive Program — Earn FREE Gas!

Consultants can now earn $75 toward free gas every month! All it takes is submitting just $1,500 in retail sales each month. (That’s less than three average parties for us!) Wouldn’t everyone love to earn free gas money for doing just two or three parties a month?!

New Smart Start Program – Earn FREE Products, an iPhone or Blackberry, a Laptop, an All-in-one Printer & a PC!

Our new Smart Start Program is designed for the 21st Century! This is the digital age, and now new Consultants can earn an entire digital home office for free in their first few months in business! Qualifications are based on sales and sponsoring, and you can earn one or more when you start partying and sharing the business with others right away. No one else offers anything like it, and I still can’t even believe it myself!

In addition to these new incentives, Taste of Home Entertaining offers a generous compensation plan, two free trips a year, a LuxYOUrious Car Program (a black Lexus, Toyota or now, any black hybrid), and more! We are looking for Consultants nationwide, and if you have a friend in the military or government who has an APO address, they can join as well!

If you know someone who has passed on your opportunity, but who might like to hear more about Taste of Home Entertaining, please share my information with them.

The spring catalog promises to be an exciting collection of new products and magazines. Taste of Home Entertaining will also launch a new line of food products called, a la carte that will be easy to prepare, mix and serve. We’ll offer dips, beverages, desserts and baked goods. Now all consultants, hosts and customers can not only entertain with our gorgeous and functional products, but they’ll also be able to serve up tasty treats and savory selections prepared quickly and easily at home.