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I’m a “soft salesperson”. I don’t like to be too pushy, suggestive or aggressive in my selling style. I don’t believe those tactics help you to have higher sales, but they absolutely can turn people off and may in fact even prevent sales from happening in the first place!

That said, I still try to stress to our rep force that you want yourself (and your LikeWear business) to be top of mind to your contacts and customers - but not in their face. You want to be thought of - certainly while you are having a house party or are participating in a local vendor event - but also when someone needs a gift or is ready to do some seasonal shopping for their children. A very effective - and subtle - way to continually stay top of mind and promote your business is to “advertise” in an email signature.

All of our independent sales reps have their own web sites/stores so I suggest creating a signature for emails that includes a live link to their store address (this also goes for communication coming from mobile devices like Blackberry, iPhone, etc.).

I think many of our reps are surprised by how many people click on their links just out of curiosity. Think about how many emails you send out in a week, in a day, in an hour! Even if your email communication is not business related, with every note sent, you can brand your business and provide an easy and subtle opportunity to convert someone into a customer.

Happy belated Mother’s Day to all of you!  Hope the day was a good one filled with lots of gifts, family and foot rubs!  My morning has been a busy one spent recovering from the 22 family members we entertained at our house yesterday - hence the delayed sending of this Monday Morning Message.
 
We’ve had a few new reps join us last week, so I wanted to briefly reiterate the purpose of my Monday Morning Message.  I speak to 5 -10 of our independent sales reps each day.  Inevitably during these conversations (and emails) various questions are asked and important topics covered - table set up techniques, sales tax rules, hostess benefits, boutique store sales tactics and strategies, vendor event sales and website ordering, just to name a few.  Over the past week or so, each time I hung up the phone from one of these conversations (or completed an email exchange) I thought how much everyone could benefit from what had been discussed.  So with that in mind, a few weeks ago I started a Monday Morning Message.  Each Monday morning I plan to offer a brief tip, suggestion or helpful comment that will hopefully help you to organize, promote and advance your business.
 
That said, as most of you know, I’m a “soft salesperson”.  I don’t like to be too pushy, suggestive or aggressive in my selling style.  I don’t believe those tactics help you to have higher sales, but they absolutely can turn people off and may in fact even prevent sales from happening in the first place!  
 
You want yourself (and your LikeWear business) to be top of mind to your contacts and customers - but not in their face.  You want to be thought of - certainly while you are having a house party or are participating in a local vendor event - but also when someone needs a gift or is ready to do some seasonal shopping for their children.  A very effective - and subtle - way to continually stay top of mind and promote your business is to “advertise” in an email signature.
 
I suggest creating a signature for your emails that includes a live link to your store address.  You can use one similar or exactly (feel free to copy) to the version shown below or simply grab the “want to shop line” at the bottom.  You can also add a signature to communication coming from your mobile devices (i.e., Blackberry, iPhone, etc.).  Let me know (or I should say, let Ken know) if you need help creating it. 
 
 
Your Name
LikeWear®
wear what you like
 
999-555-1212
 
 
· Want to shop for fun clothes that kids like?  Please visit my store at http://firstnamelastname.likewear.com ·
 
 
I think you’ll be surprised, how many people will click on the link just out of curiosity.  Think about how many emails you send out in a week - or in a day!  Even if your email communication does not involve LikeWear, with every note sent, you are branding your business and providing an easy and subtle opportunity to convert someone into a customer.

This is an ongoing series that could really be an entire blog in and of itself as there are so many insightful, moment-making and just flat out hysterical things that come out of my children’s mouths.

I’m a busy woman trying to do it all. Admittedly, certain chores fall off my priority list now and again. Like cutting my children’s nails. Unfortunately, with my schedule of late, it’s not until there is a major injury - bordering on an inadvertent disembowelment during a tickling episode – before I realize how long I’ve let things go in the kids’ mani/pedi department. Last night, after noticing that both of my daughters could be stand-ins for Johnny Depp in a remake of Edward Scissorhands (no hand props necessary), I knew that it was time to break out the clippers.

“Who’s going first?” I asked, expecting the usual reaction I receive to questions posed after 8pm when all plug-in distractions are going full force in the living room (i.e., TV at full volume, 2 laptops, a Game Boy and my son’s cell phone that keeps announcing new texts every 30 seconds with the “I’m A Gummy Bear” song). I guess the fingernail situation was worse than usual because Lily immediately jumped up from the couch and ran over to me screaming, “I’ll go first. I should go before Sammi because my nails are HEROCIOUS!!!” I paused for half a second…did she just say herocious? What exactly was that word a combination of? Hideous and ferocious? Horrible and atrocious? Horrific and horrendous? Heinous and vicious?

I’ve been known to make up words now and again myself when I can’t quite put my brain on the one that gets it right. Apparently, Lily inherited that skill. Sometimes inventing vocabulary is necessary when there are just no known words to describe what you are looking at. Ya know, like Lily’s fingernails. She was right…totally herocious!

Spring to me is driving season. Between my 3 children, any given week consists of no less than 9 sports practices, 3 official games, 2 after school programs, 2 days of Hebrew School, a couple of playdates and one 7:30am band practice. I don’t know if I’m coming or going once mid-March hits because I’m always coming and going! Yes I have some carpools organized, but even so, I’m always driving someone somewhere. I’ve often said, to run an efficient household I don’t really need babysitters, homework tutors or even a house cleaner (okay, maybe I do need the house cleaner!) – what I really could use is a chauffer for my kids!!! Obviously, there are others out there that agree with me:

“A suburban mother’s role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car for ever after.” ~ Peter De Vries