Are You Naked Yet?

Okay, now that I've captured your interest....

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am a bit shy when it comes to getting my business out there. I'm not the kind of person who approaches everyone I see, and I'm definitely not one to talk about the business opportunity at the drop of a hat.

So, when I do finally summon the courage to offer the opportunity to a friend or a stranger, it is a HUGE deal for me. I am putting myself out there in the most vulnerable way possible. I might as well be naked, in the middle of my old high school gymnasium, holding a sign that says "PLEASE SAY NO AND THEN LAUGH AT ME FOR ASKING!"

And once it's out there, in the universe, I've offered the opportunity, planted a seed, and started that line of communication; to get no response back, dead silence, or the dreaded "NO" in return, can be frustrating. Let's be honest, it's the WORST!

But I'm here to tell you there are BLESSINGS in the NO, there is treasure in the silence, and there is WISDOM in the chase.

THE NO:
When somebody says the dreaded N-O, or "it's not for me," or "I'm not interested," this is not a time to be discouraged, this is a time to REJOICE! You just put yourself out there in the most uncomfortable way possible, and you SURVIVED!!!! Just think of what else you can accomplish!

SILENCE:
::crickets crickets: "Hello? Is anybody there?" You start to wonder if they've even seen your message, because most people would have responded by now, right??? Not necessarily. Treasure this silence! This is time for you BOTH to be reflecting on the question at hand! The fact that she didn't say NO right away indicates she either hasn't seen the message yet (and we all know God's timing is perfect), or she has seen it, but before she answers, she wants to research a bit first or, she wants to let you down easy and is looking for the right words, STILL better than the harsh-sounding NO.

THE CHASE:
What do we learn from the chase? With every interaction, we learn where we went wrong, where we excelled, and we see our own growth as a presenter and a person! I think the chase is the most exciting part of it! That period of time when you are communicating with someone and you just KNOW they are entertaining the idea and you can't WAIT to see if they decide to take this leap of faith with you, and ultimately have their lives CHANGED forever!

So, the next time you're thinking about taking all your clothes off, throwing on that sign and running out into the middle of the crowd, ask yourself this question.... WHAT AM I WAITING FOR???

When Your Friend Signs Up With Another DS Biz, Even Though Yours is Clearly the Right Choice

Ever had this situation happen?

You have this friend. This friend would be PERFECT for your Direct Sales business. You want this friend to be on your team so badly, you can barely contain yourself. But you DO contain yourself. You casually mention the business opportunity. OR you spaz out in a frenzy of "JOIN ME JOIN ME JOIN ME" attacks all over her Facebook wall. Either way, you offer the opportunity and you get the dreaded "No thank you," or "Not right now."

Okay, fine, you get it. This business isn't for everyone, even though you totally know they would be perfect! No harm, no foul. Then one month later, two months later, a year later.... The unthinkable happens.... Your friend signs up with ANOTHER DS company...

"WHAT??? How can this be? Is she crazy? AM I CRAZY???"

You are devastated. You start wondering what you did wrong to scare her off. You rack your brain, trying to come up with a reason as to why she would seemingly have no interest in direct sales and then go and sign up with another company after you so generously offered her the chance of a lifetime! You begin to question everything.

"Why THAT company? Why not MY company? What am I missing? What is the meaning of life? Why am I here?? And where in the world IS Carmen Sandiego???"

You start to develop all kinds of opinions.

"That other company's product is not as good as ours. It's not consumable! Their comp plan stinks! My friend would be WAY better off signing up with me! I should talk to her.... I should help her see the light! It is my duty as a friend!!!"

STOP RIGHT THERE!!!

Listen to me and hear me well. We have ALL been there. We all have "that" friend. And trust me when I tell you that the best way to handle this type of situation is to BE SUPPORTIVE of your friend's exciting new business venture.

Offer advice on team building, the ups and downs of direct selling, ask her why SHE loves the product so much and the company. Find out about HER needs and why she gravitated to this particular company over others. But don't judge her, scorn her, guilt her, or be mad at her for choosing for herself what SHE wants to do with her life.

Let's be a true support to all of our sisters, not just our DS-sisters! And if you truly do envision impending doom for your friend if when she signs up with a company you personally feel is rubbish, here are a few things you can do as a support to her:

1. Ask her about her new business and try to support her choice as best you can.

2. Be a customer, even if it's just a one time purchase you throw in the attic, never to be seen again. Remember how you felt when you first launched your business. How exciting it was when a friend made that first purchase!

3. Be there to offer advice when she needs it. How did you become successful with your business? Share your knowledge! Share your uplifting stories, your downfalls, your lessons learned.

4. If you like the product, ask her if she would be interested in doing a party swap with you! Spread the word to your friends about her product while spreading the word to her friends about yours!

5. Always show her, without throwing it in her face, that no matter what happens, you will always be here for her, and if she should ever find herself looking for a new business to invest in, in the future, you will be there for her!

I hope this helps. And trust me, this is as much for me, as this just happened, yet again, and I am happy for my friend. Sad for me, HAPPY FOR HER! We are all unique, let's celebrate it in the most uplifting way possible!