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©2008 Julie Anne Jones www.outwardimage.com
Powerful
Language To
Explode Your
Direct Sales
Business
12 “Scripts” Tell You Exactly What to Say To Get the Booking, Sales, and Sponsoring Results You’ve Always Dreamed
of!
Julie Anne Jones Success Language Expert & CEO, Julie Anne Jones, Inc.
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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Powerful Language To
Explode Your Direct
Sales Business
12 “Scripts” Tell You Exactly What to Say To Get the Booking,
Sales, and Sponsoring Results You’ve Always Dreamed of!
By
Julie Anne Jones
Success Language Expert
CEO, Outward Image Coaching and Training
(410) 838-7305
Copyright 2009 Julie Anne Jones, Inc. All rights reserved for entire book. Reproduction or translation of any part of this work by any means without permission from the publisher is unlawful. You do not have resell rights
to this book.
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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Table of Contents
Chapter Title Page #
1 Why the Words You Choose Matter 5
2 Creating A Powerful Connection 7
At Your Parties
3 Your Booking Commercial 11
4 Your Opportunity Commercial 14
5 Language for Closing Your Party 17
6 The Language of Offering Instead 21
of Asking
7 Language for the Recruiting Interview 23
8 Language for Host Coaching 26
9 Leadership Language for Coaching 29
Your Team
Conclusion 32
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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About the Author
Julie Anne Jones is a certified coach and trainer and the CEO of Julie Anne Jones, LLC. Julie Anne combines her training in leadership,
her natural communication skills, her coaching training, her experience as a direct sales
professional, and her dynamic, sometimes outrageous personality into a very direct, entertaining and fun training experience.
As a former Direct Sales professional, Julie
Anne worked a party plan business for several years, consistently holding three parties per
week and winning national awards yearly. She also worked within a multi level marketing structure building a National team through
internet networking. For the past 6 years, she has focused entirely on coaching and training other leaders within the direct sales industry. Since Julie Anne’s coaching clientele predominantly consists of direct sales professionals, she is very
comfortable communicating with leaders and works to forge a relationship with her training partners which brings about the best results for those in attendance
at her trainings. It was the contact with the women in her community that drew Julie Anne to
direct sales, and that connection between women that still keeps her excited about direct sales. Her passion in training lies in sharing tools and concepts that
will support those who are willing to work in finding maximum success in their own direct sales businesses.
Julie Anne prides herself on her ability to incorporate solid training concepts around personal development, coaching skills, direct sales leadership, party
presentation and host coaching into a very unique style.
With her degree in theatre, her passion for performing shines through when she’s training. At any given moment she may use gentle sarcasm to make a point or
burst into song to get her audience’s attention! Outside the realm of Direct Sales training, Julie Anne also offers inspirational training on goal setting and personal fulfillment.
Julie Anne offers:
Individual and Group Direct Sales Coaching & Mentoring
Tele-training In-person Workshops & Sales Trainings A Wide Array of Support Products
(check them out at www.julieannejones.com/store.htm )
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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1 Why The Words You Choose Matter
�������� Have you ever thought about how your language reflects upon
you?
�������� When you’re speaking to potential hosts and representatives, are
you conscious of what you’re saying and how you’re saying it?
�������� Does your language convey a “how can I support you” message or
a “what’s in it for me?” message.
Knowing the answers to these questions and making changes in how you communicate can change your business…and your life.
As a coach, I know that your language reveals your intention. In other words, the words you choose say a lot about you and what you want.
And most of us, unconsciously, choose words that don’t support what we
want. Let me give you an example; suppose you want to invite one of
your guests to host an event/party/show for you. You might ask the question “Would you like to book a party with me?” Now, ask yourself,
“Who is that question about?” It’s about you, right? You haven’t given that
potential host any indication that her needs or desires are important to
you at all. So without realizing it, the words you’ve chosen have essentially guaranteed she’ll say “no” because there’s nothing in it for her.
As a direct seller, your most important job is building relationships. You do
that through conversation. The best way to build a strong, positive
relationship with another person is through supportive communication
(which means they feel important and heard).
The goal of this e-book is to support you in assessing your language
choices, understanding where you can change, and then implementing
new habits that create value for you and, more importantly, make the
person to whom you are speaking feel valued by you. I’ll do that by giving
you specific scripts with the words to say to begin with. In some cases, I’ll
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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give you several examples so you get the general idea of the message
you’ll want to convey.
The key to successfully integrating this new, powerful language into your vocabulary is PRACTICE. I recommend that you practice reading the
scripts OUT LOUD in the beginning, so you get comfortable actually saying
the words. This might feel silly at first, but just be willing to be un-comfortable and do it anyhow.
Once you’re comfortable with my words, you’ll be ready to use your own,
and the transition will be easy because you’ll already have the habits and
the basic message from my scripts ingrained in your unconscious.
Are you ready to get started? Great! Let’s go!
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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2 Creating a Powerful Connection At Your Parties
�������� How are you connecting with your guests as they arrive prior to your
presentation?
�������� How are your listening skills? Do you make it about listening to them
or sharing about yourself?
�������� When you share your “story” or your introduction, are you keeping it
relatable and resisting the temptation to leverage your audience?
Whether you call them parties, workshops, shows, or events, your
presentations are the lifeblood of your business. We are, after all, in the
“party plan” profession. I’ll be honest with you, no matter what your home
office calls your presentations, I’d recommend you at least think of them
and promote them to potential hosts and guests as parties (because that’s what they are, ideally). That’s how I’ll refer to them for the rest of this
book.
The truth is, the more fun your guests are having at your parties, the more
likely they’ll be to want to book one of their own. And the more relaxed
and comfortable your guests are with you, the more fun they’ll have.
It’s All About The Connection So, what language are you using as your guests arrive in order to connect with them and begin to build that all-important relationship to which I
referred earlier? If you’re like most direct sellers, you’ve been taught to
open the casual conversation with a question. So far so good. Now, what question do you typically ask? Maybe, “Have you ever been to an ABC Company party before?” or “What’s your favorite ABC Company product?” Again, I want you to ask yourself, “Who are those questions about?” You, your company and your products, right?
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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Here’s a bombshell for you; the guests at your parties don’t come there
just for your products. Think about it. Can’t they get your products either
from a catalog order and/or from your website? Of course! So why are
they there, that night, at that party? To have fun! To connect with the host and their friends! NOT to focus entirely on your products.
So why not make your question about them? That way, they feel valued by you and if you become a good listener, you learn some valuable
information about them that might support you at the end of the evening
in getting them to book an event or look at your opportunity. In the
following script, I’ll share the best question I’ve ever found for instant
connection, and offer you some tools for using their answer as a
launching pad for an even deeper connection.
Script #1 – Connecting With Your Guests
Before Your Presentation
“So, Alice, how do you know the host?”
(No matter what her answer is, it will lead you to another question. Here
are some examples)
Alice: “Oh, we work together.” You: “Really, what do you do for a living?” Alice: “Our kids go to school together.” You: “Really, how many kids do you have?” Alice: “I don’t know the host, I came with Karen.” You: “Really, how do you know Karen?”
Get the idea? Now, you have the opportunity to engage Alice in
conversation around something that matters to her (her work, her kids, etc.) and to ask her more questions about that like:
“Really, how long have you worked there? What do you love most about being a ?” “You have two boys? What are they involved in? How old are they?” “How long have you known Karen? How did you two meet?”
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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IMPORTANT TIP: Make sure you LISTEN CAREFULLY to her answer instead of
waiting to fill her in on your job, kids, etc. The more you can make this
conversation about her and not you, the more success you’ll have. I tell my clients to literally get amnesia about their own lives at this point and
make it their job to learn as much as they can about the guests.
REMEMBER one of my favorite quotes: Being listened to is so close to being loved, most people can’t tell the difference! So learn to be a great listener!
Tell Them Your Story Without Trying to Leverage Them
So often, my clients come to me frustrated because they feel as though
they aren’t connecting to their guests as they begin their presentations. I
know in lots of cases that’s because those guests are expecting to be
leveraged because they’re sitting at a home party. Isn’t it fair to assume
that at least a percentage (probably a larger percentage than we’d
care to admit) of the guests at every presentation you do have had a bad experience at a home party in the past? Sure it is. So they’re a little
jaded and expecting you to be “pushy” and try to get them to do
something they’re not convinced they want to do yet (especially at the beginning of your presentation).
Don’t invite them to consider your opportunity or think about booking a
party with you yet. Give them time to relax and feel a little more
comfortable with you before you do that. Now, that doesn’t mean you
can’t drop booking, sales and recruiting seeds as you tell them your story
(just remember I said seeds, not full grown trees!). The idea with this script is
to keep it as authentic and relatable as possible (even if some of the
details aren’t super positive – remember, the more relatable, the more
they’ll identify with you).
In the following script, you’ll want to insert your own details, based on the
facts of your personal story. The main idea is to share with them your first experience with your company and how you ended up standing in front
of them tonight. I’ve given you an example of what mine sounded like.
Look for the seeds I’m dropping and also for that “relatable” aspect that
draws the listener in and makes them feel like they’re just like me. Also,
notice that I stop my story short of telling them all the wonderful things that
have happened to me since I joined the company. Those details are part
of your opportunity commercial, which we’ll cover later in this book.
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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Script #2 – Your Story “So, now that I know a little more about you, let me tell you a little about myself. I’ve lived here in Walla Walla for about 10 years, I’m married and my husband and I have two children, Samuel and Elijah. About four years ago, I was invited to an ABC Company party. I have to be honest with you, I really didn’t want to go, but my sister-in-law was hosting the party and I knew if I didn’t go, my mother in law would make my life miserable, so I reluctantly showed up. I was purposely a little late and I sat in the back for an early “escape.” Well, I have to tell you, I was amazed at how much I love the products! They were beautiful and the consultant was showing us all kinds of great ideas and things I’d never thought of to do with these products. Plus, they had an amazing guarantee. By the end of the evening, I was laughing and having a ball – and I had a ton of items on my wish list! My sister-in-law got about $300.00 worth of free and ½ priced items, and when the consultant asked me if she could come spoil me and my friends with a party of my own, to my amazement, I found myself saying “yes!” I had a great party and my friends all loved the products. I got over $350.00 worth of products but noticed I still had a pretty long wish list. That’s when the consultant told me about their starter kit and invited me to become a consultant. Again, to my amazement, I signed up. Well, long story short, my first party was a disaster! I was so nervous I can’t even remember what I said, but my presentation lasted about 5 minutes, I swear. I must have done something right, though, because at the end of the evening, I’d made over $110.00 in my pocket and I booked two parties that night. That was just about four years ago and I’ve been going strong ever since. Now, let’s get started!”
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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3 Your Booking Commercial
�������� Do you have specific times during your presentation when you
share the benefits of booking a party with you?
�������� When you talk about bookings, do you share all the reasons
someone might want to book or do you just focus on the free
products and host benefits they’ll earn?
�������� Are you showing them instead of telling them about all the free and
reduced product they’ll receive?
There are two kinds of bookings in our industry: bookings from parties
(which I define as easy), and creative bookings (which are a heck of a lot
more work). What you’re up to is learning how to continuously duplicate
your parties from your parties and that means getting bookings at your
parties.
Now, I’m sure all of you drop “booking seeds” through out your parties,
and I want to encourage you to do that. Seeds are great, and I used
them too. What I found once I started training new consultants, however,
was that seeds were very challenging for them to remember to use. They
had a lot of other things on their mind when they were first getting started.
I needed a simple, fast way to help them get bookings.
That’s where the booking commercial comes in. It’s a specific time during
your presentation (or during the evening if you don’t do a formal presentation) where you can say, “Let’s talk about what you get when you book a party with me.”
Your booking commercial should answer the question, “Why would I want to book a party with you?” Come up with some specific reasons (besides
free product) and then weave them into a simple, short, and sweet
commercial. Here are a few questions to help you get started:
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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• What are the benefits of hosting a party with you?
• What special benefits exist for the host?
• What objections do you hear over and over again that you want to
overcome? • What will you say...specifically? (Script it out!)
• How will you enhance your commercial visually? (Host stacking,
product grouping, etc.)
In the below script, notice the objections that I’ve overcome right up
front, and how I’ve weaved in the concept of theme parties (an idea that
can move someone from a “maybe” to a “yes”).
Script #3 – Your Booking Commercial “Ladies, how many of you have said in the past month ‘I need to call so-and-so,’ or ‘We need to get together, It has been so long since we’ve connected!’ What if you could connect with all those people you’ve said that to over the past month all at one time! If you tell me you’re busy, I’m going to tell you we’re absolutely booking a party because you need a break! That’s what a party with ABC Company is for – a chance for you to have a fun night out with your friends! How many of you are having fun tonight? Here’s my promise – whether we do a Mexican Monday, a Chocoholic Tuesday, a Wine and Cheese Wednesday, an Italian Thursday or a Saturday morning Brunch, I’m committed to partnering with you to make this a great experience for you and your friends. It doesn’t matter if you have 3 or 15 people at your party, I’m going to work with you to make sure you all say, ‘that’s the most fun I’ve ever had at one of these home parties’. And I’ll do all the work for you – I’ll even send your invitations for you! Now let me show you what you get when you become one of my hosts.”
Before we move on to the next chapter, let me ask you a question:
If you walked into a party tonight and asked your host “If you have a $500.00 party, how much free product will you earn?” do you think she’d
have any idea? Probably not, because she really doesn’t care. She’s
excited about getting free product, but her main focus is on her party.
Notice where the focus was in the above script. It’s not important to give
your guests a long list of how much product they’ll earn. Keep the benefits
general.
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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Also notice at the end of the script I said “let me SHOW you” not “let me TELL you” what you get when you become one of my hosts. Most people
are visual learners and you talk a lot during your presentation. Whenever you can, I would encourage you to show your guests instead of telling
them whatever you’re explaining. Just show her about how much an
average host can expect to earn by either using host stacking or pointing out which products represent about the amount of free product an
average host earns on your display or in the catalog.
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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4 Your Opportunity Commercial
�������� Do you have specific times during your presentation when you
share your passion about why you love what you do?
�������� Do you share from your heart?
�������� Are you showing them, visually, why you “love your job?”
I think often, when you think in terms of building your own team and
bringing recruits into your organization, you think about what that will
mean for you. While that’s an important piece of the puzzle, the concepts
I’m going to share with you here focus more on the needs of the person
you’re hoping to recruit. What’s important to them, what could change
for them if they started their business, and how you can support them.
It’s my opinion that when you come from a space of support and you
focus on the needs of the other person, your authenticity shines through and the results are more positive and definitely more gratifying.
So, I wonder how many of you can honestly say that sharing your
opportunity is your favorite part of your party. If you’re like most people I
work with, probably not many of you. What if I could teach you a way to
make this your favorite part of your party?
I believe that if people understand your passion for sharing your
opportunity, why it’s so important to you, they will be more open to
hearing what you have to share. The first thing you’ll need to ask yourself is, “What brings me passion about sharing my opportunity with others?” If
you’re like most people, it has to do with the difference this business has
made in your life and the lives of those on your team.
Below is an example of how I shared my passion for what I did at my
parties.
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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Script #4 – Your Opportunity Commercial “Ladies, I want to take a minute and share with you why I love my job. I love this part because I’m passionate about letting other women know how this company has changed my life. I’ve also seen this business change lives within my own team. I have no way of knowing how many of you couldn’t sleep last night because you were worried about how you were going to pay your bills, or how many of you cried on your way to work this morning after dropping your child off at daycare (like I used to), or how many of you are facing sending your kids to college or retiring and wondering what you’re going to do with the ‘rest of your life.’ My intention in sharing is to help you see a way out. I know this business was an answered prayer for me. Now I know that you probably didn’t come here tonight looking for a job. This might not be something you can even see yourself doing, and that’s alright. The thing is, you might know someone for whom this would be an answered prayer and you could become an angel in their lives, so I’d like to invite you to listen from that perspective.”
Before I go on with this script, I want to ask you, how are you feeling about
me as a consultant if you’re a guest and you’ve just heard that
introduction? Hopefully, you’re feeling like I’m sincere and that what I’m up to is sharing, that my goal is not to recruit you. I even said “This might not be for you.” That puts your guests at ease and they are much more
likely to listen to the rest of your opportunity commercial. I often got referrals at the end of many of my shows because of this language.
So once you’ve shared from the heart, you’re ready to step into showing
them what you love about your job. One of the easiest ways to do this is
to use props or other visual aides to signify each item you’re talking about.
Choose 4-5 “reasons” why you love your job and then design a fun,
compelling way to show your audience that reason. I actually used a bag
(you may have heard it referred to as the “why” bag) with props in it. And
here’s the script around how I shared that. “I use this bag of reminders because there’s so much I love about my job that I’m afraid I’ll forget something! (using a fun or attractive bag, pull each prop out as you talk). The first thing in my bag is a picture of my children. I’m able to be home with them and they’re not in daycare, which is very important to me. What’s next…oh, I love this part! This is a
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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little toy airplane. It represents all the trips to conventions and free travel trips I’ve taken with my company. I love to travel and it’s really fun when someone else is paying the bill! This next item is my CPA’s business card. I’ll tell you, I had no idea what owning my own business would do for our taxes! My husband was thrilled and surprised the first year we filed our taxes after I started my business. Finally, I have $100.00 in cash (yes, I used real $20.00 bills). Hold out your hand, Sue. Count with me ladies…20, 40, 60, 80, 100 dollars! That’s about how much I make each night I do a party. And I almost feel guilty because I have as much fun as you do! If you know of anyone who could use a little more fun or money in their lives, I’d love to visit with them. Corner me after the party and I’ll visit with you about connecting with them. If you’re interested in learning more, be sure you track me down because I have a gift for you to take home.”
This is just an example of how you might make this part of your
commercial visual. You might use a scrapbook or find a way to weave in
your own products to make this fun for you. The key is to feel comfortable with whatever you choose.
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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5 Language for Closing Your Party
�������� Are you intentional about stepping into the shopping portion of your
party?
�������� Do you clearly share with your guests your expectations and
commitments to them during this portion of your party?
�������� Are you honoring the guests who show up for your host the night of
the party by closing the party that night so they get their products
back in a timely fashion?
How you set up and then connect with your guests prior to and during the
shopping portion of your party will directly influence not only your sales at
your party, but also your bookings and recruiting results. Making your host
feel special and keeping her energy on your party (to keep her from
inadvertently sabotaging your results) is the first step to a successful
experience.
Consider outlining the monthly specials for your guests and using
language which directly communicates your intention prior to handing
out their catalogs and beginning to take orders.
Script #5 – Stepping Into the Shopping
Experience
“We’re just about ready to wrap things up, ladies. I’d like to have you all join me in acknowledging our host once again for such a fun evening. It’s been so much fun getting to know Sharon better as we’ve worked together to plan her party. Right now, I’m going to give her permission to step out of the hostess role and into the “queen of the party” mode. From now on, she’s the queen. She gets to put her feet up, relax and pick out her free shopping. We’ll be closing her party tonight, so she’s got to
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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decide what she wants to choose as her free and ½ price items. So from here on out, if you want a cup of coffee or need anything, it’s self-serve. In a moment I’m going to be coming around and helping each of you fill out your orders. This is the chance to complete your wish list and your guest care card because I’ll be doing a special drawing using these! Our specials this month are…I’ll be sure you get the most product at the best possible savings. I’d love to have a chance to visit with each of you and get your feedback on the evening. If you know you need to leave right away, let me know and I’ll come to you first. Thanks so much for helping to make this such a fun evening. I’m looking forward to connecting with each and every one of you!”
Closing Your Party The Night of Your Party
I know for many direct sellers, the concept of closing the party before you
pack up and leave that evening is not popular. It’s not how you’ve ever
done it, and you think (I believe falsely) that you and the host both benefit
by holding the party open.
Before you decide to skip this portion, I’d like to encourage you to embrace the mentality I challenge my live audiences to embrace,
“Change is good.” I’d like to share the benefits of closing your party the
night of your party. Do me a favor. Just stay open and hear me out to see if this might support you in increasing your results and decreasing your
stress level.
First of all, when you hold your party open, who are you holding it open
for? The guests who didn’t bother to show up for the host that night. If you
think about it, that’s like saying to the guests who did make that effort, “We really appreciate you showing up tonight to support Mary, and we know it was an effort for you to get here, but you’re not as important to us as those people who didn’t bother to show up, so you can just WAIT for your stuff!” Ouch! Did you wince? I hope so, because if you’re really
honest with yourself, that’s the exact message you’re sending the guests
in attendance at your parties when you hold them open for those who
didn’t come.
I think that and that alone should be reason enough for you to change
your practice. Just in case it isn’t, I have a few other reasons why this will
benefit you (not the least of which is the fact that you’ll see your sales
average increase by as much as $500.00 per party almost instantly). Do I
have your attention? Great. Read on!
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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The Top 5 Reasons to Close Your Party the Night of Your Party
1. You honor the guests who show up that night (we already covered
this one).
2. You don’t end up letting orders “walk” out the door, never to be
placed. How often do you hear back from someone who tells you they need to “check with my husband” or “think about it”? Not very
often. Most of the time, they leave with one of your catalogs (which
you have to pay for) and you never hear from them again. If you’re
closing that night, they have to place their order with the option to
cancel it if they change their mind (which 99.999% of the time they don’t!)
3. Your guests get their products back quickly, which increases their
opinion of your parent company and of you. This is a great thing
when you’re following up for bookings or recruiting.
4. Your host order will often be the largest order of the night (above and beyond her free and reduced items). Plus, when you walk out
the door that night, YOU’RE DONE! You don’t have to spend any
time chasing the host down, hoping she’ll close the party.
Also, given that the main reason you’re holding the party open now
is for her to get outside orders and increase her sales, I want you to
honestly think about how often that actually happens. I found it was
more common for the host to come back with no outside orders or,
at the most, a few small orders. It was rare that the added time and stress of holding the show opened truly paid off for either of us. And
once I started teaching my hosts how to get outside orders up front
(keep reading, there’s a script for that coming up), my sales
average per party soared!
Plus, the truth is, unless you close that night, you really have no way
of knowing when the party will close. And when you close that
night, your host orders will often be your largest orders of the night
because they’re in a party mood, they’re excited and they “want it
all.” I would instruct my hosts to go through the catalog several
times in the week prior to her party and I’d give her wish lists to fill
out. I’d tell her to write down every single thing she wanted so she
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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would be prepared to “go shopping” at the end of the evening of
her party.
Often times she was so invested in the things she wanted by the night of her party, she’d order many or all of those things she didn’t
get at a discount or for free! If you wait even one day, the thrill has worn off, reality has set in, (maybe her husband said “No you’re not!” or the power bill showed up in the mail) and she’ll often only
opt for the free items. You’re leaving money on the table by
allowing her this time!
5. Your host comes to the table with an average of $150.00 to $200.00 in outside orders before you even unpack your products! In many
cases, I had a qualifying party before I even started that night
because of the outside orders. Wouldn’t you love that!
Script #6 – Teaching Your Host to Get
Outside Orders Here’s the key to this step. You MUST set the host up at the host
coaching to get outside orders. Teach her how using the following script:
“Karen, you booked off of Nancy’s party, right? So let’s say Nancy had called you to confirm that you were coming to her party and you had been busy that night and had to tell her you couldn’t make it. If Nancy had said, ‘Karen, if I bring the catalog by or get you to my website, would you place an order for me?’ would you have ordered? (she’ll always say yes). That’s all you have to do with those who can’t make it to your party. It’s easy. Your goal is at least five outside orders, o.k.?”
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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6 The Language of Offering Instead of Asking
�������� Are you asking people to do something (book a party, learn more
about your opportunity) for you or offering to do something for
them?
�������� Are you asking open ended questions (those that create “space”
and possibility for the person you’re asking) or closed ended
questions (those that require only a yes or no answer from them)?
�������� Are you clear about what’s in it for them before you offer something
to a potential host or recruit lead?
How many of you have ever asked the question, “Would you like to book a party with me?” Every one of you, I’m sure. You’ve probably even been
taught to use that question. You’re taught to ask everyone. As I shared at
the beginning of this book, that question is about you, not your potential
host! Remember, you’re all about getting out of yourself and making it
about them.
What if you stopped asking and started offering? Can you imagine the
shift if you went from asking for something (which is about you) to offering
something? Having something offered to you makes you feel special. It makes you feel that the person offering cares about you. It’s impossible to convince someone you care about her with the question “Would you like to book a party with me.”
On the next page are a few short scripts to give you some language in
specific situations. Notice how they all start with acknowledgement of the
person to whom I’m speaking and how they are completely centered
around what I can do for them. That’s important, because we as women
aren’t acknowledged very often. I also found a way that I could support
them or be of service to them based on something I knew about them.
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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Script #7 – Booking Language for Offering
Instead of Asking
“Sue, you were so much fun tonight! I cannot wait to come and spoil you and your friends with a party. I have no doubt you must have fun friends because you are a blast! When can we do a party?” “Renee, I want you as one of my June hosts! I cannot believe how much you added to the party tonight! You are fun! Let’s look at our schedules and see when we can get together. Which week works best for you?” “Marilyn, I couldn’t stop thinking about our conversation earlier tonight and how completely busy you said you’ve been. I think you need a break, and I’d be absolutely honored if you would let me be the one to set it up for you. Let’s figure out when we can find a time to get you and your friends together. What does your calendar look like next month?” “Karen, look at your wish list! You love my products. I do not want you to have to pay for all of these. Tell you what, let’s set up a party so you can get a ton of these for free. Should we look at April or May?”
Script #8 – Sponsoring Language for Offering
Instead of Asking
“Sue, it was great talking with you earlier tonight. I so appreciated your honesty about your daycare situation and I could really relate. I couldn’t stop thinking about your situation and I’d love to buy you a cup of coffee and share with you what I love about what I do. How does next week look?” “Renee, Mary and I were talking before her party tonight and she told me she thought you would be great at what I do. I have to tell you, after your participation during the party, I have to agree. I swear, you know more about my product than I do! I’d love to get together and share with you what I love about my job.” “Marilyn, you are one of the most outgoing people I’ve ever had at a party. I loved your fun participation tonight. I think you would be great at what I do. I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about doing anything like this, but I’d love to sit down and just share with you how this business has changed my life. When can we get together”
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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7 Language for the Recruiting Interview
�������� Are you doing a “flip chart” interview that meets your agenda, or
discovering what your recruit lead needs and answering their
needs?
�������� Do you know how to discover your recruit lead’s “true why?”
�������� Are your recruit leads leaving the interview with a powerful, open
ended question to consider?
The recruiting interview, after your presentation, is what feeds the growth
and success in your direct sales business. Too many times, we’re taught to
give as much information as possible to a potential recruit instead of
learning what they need and offering them solutions. The key to a
successful recruiting interview is simple; how do you discover someone’s
true why and then show them how to make it happen?
Here’s what you’ll want to be up to during your recruiting interview:
• First, build rapport by connecting with them on an authentic, real
level. When you’re open, honest, and truly authentic, they will
respond in kind. It’s when you begin to get into “recruiter’ mode
(which is about you, not them) that you can come across as
“pushy.”
• Second, ask and listen. The true secret to successful sponsoring lies
in discovering your prospect’s “why” and then sharing how your
business can turn their “why” into their reality. Their WHY will be
revealed to you in two steps:
o Be curious. Create an environment in which they will share with you by asking them open ended questions and by truly
listening to them from your heart. Give them the space to
really move into what’s missing now that your opportunity will
solve, and let them share with you their feelings about that.
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o Ask them questions that allow them to recruit themselves.
Some samples:
� “What do you love most about your life right now?” � “What motivated you to meet with me today?” � “What are the three most important things to you in your
life right now”? If I could wave a magic wand and make something in your life different right now, what would that be?”
� “How would changing that impact your life?”
Once you’ve given them plenty of space and are pretty sure you know
their why, be sure you clarify it. The biggest mistake most people make in
a recruiting interview is assuming that they know the other person’s why,
and then recruiting to the wrong why. You can clarify her why by
repeating back to her what you’ve heard her share. Below is a short
sample script that will support you in accomplishing this goal.
Script #9 – Discovering Your Prospect’s
True “Why” “So what I’m hearing you say, Susan, is that you would really love to be able to put your kids in private school/ you would like to have something that will really bring excitement back into your life that’s just for you/ you would like to have a way to really contribute to your family’s goals/ you would like to be able to quit your job and come home to raise your kids. Is that right?”
It’s your job to offer this as an option, so if you haven’t hit her why on the
head, she can correct you. By hearing you repeat back to her what you
heard, you’re actually helping her hear it out loud and clarify it for herself.
Once you’re clear that you’ve got her why nailed down, share with her
the top two or three things about your business that actually speak to that why. This might be an “aha” moment for you. It means that you will be
tailoring the recruiting interview to the person’s why, not regurgitating a
litany of information about your company. If she wants personal fulfillment
from this business, you probably don’t want to lead off by talking about
how much money she can earn. If she’s looking to reduce her debt, you
won’t want to share all the personal growth and fun and friendship
options she’ll be experiencing.
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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Script #10 – The Pillow Test Question
Once you’ve shared this, offer the opportunity. A great way to do that is
to ask her: “On a scale of 1-10, 1 being you would never consider doing this and 10 being you’re ready to start right now, where would you say you are? What would make it a 10 for you?”
If she doesn’t say yes, ask her to take the “pillow test.” I got this idea from my good friend and business mentor Jane Deuber, owner of Profit Partners (http://www.yourprofitpartners.com). It’s a great idea for any kind of
invitation (booking a show, etc).
“If tomorrow morning you wake up and are still thinking about this, or it crosses your mind at all prior to my calling you, you’ve passed the pillow test, which means it’s likely something you would enjoy.”
Tell her you’ll call her at noon the next day (if it’s convenient) and be sure
she’s expecting your call.
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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8 Language for the Host Coaching
�������� Do you set your new host up with intentional language as soon as
she books her party?
�������� Do you make it your business principle to share your opportunity at
every host coaching, or do you pre-judge and sometimes not
share? Do your hosts leave the host coaching thinking about joining
your company?
�������� Do you invite your host to think about who they might know who
would be great at what you do and encourage them to invite that
person to the party?
Let’s look at where the relationship with your new host begins; at the party from which she books her party. She’s experienced you as a representative for the
current host, and you goal before she leaves is to have her commit to you as your host and to be sure she’s clear about what you’ll expect from your partnership with her and what you’ll provide for her.
I learned very quickly that my success or failure with a host depended greatly on
how I set that host up the night they booked their party with me. If you’re clear with the host about your commitment to them and what they’ll need to do in
order to have a successful party, you’ll find your parties holding on their original dates with hosts who are on board and enthusiastic about creating a successful evening for you.
You want to communicate three requirements:
1. Set a show date within 30 days from that night if at all possible
2. Assign the task of completing the guest list and offer an incentive to
get it done.
3. Schedule a date within one week (either over the phone or in person)
to pick up the list and postage and plan the party.
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Your language around these three steps is very important. The language is what creates the partnership that will get you the results you want. The more
confident and enthusiastic you are, the more she’ll take these requirements seriously.
Script #11 – Setting Up Your New Host
“Linda, I want to thank you for scheduling a party for me and (tonight’s host) Barb. I’m so excited to have YOU as one of my upcoming hosts. Our goal is a fun night out with your friends. I want to be clear about how you receive all the host’s gifts and bonuses I talked about earlier and how Barb receives credit for your booking. All it’s going to take is three easy steps. First, set your show date within 30 days of today. In a moment I’ll show you the dates I have available. Second, I’m sending you home with a blank guest list. I have a great invitation to send to all your guests. I’ve included 30 blank mailing labels and all I need is a list of at least 25 names and addresses with a first class postage stamp for each within one week. If you don’t have time to go to the post office, you can just pay me for the postage and I’ll take care of that for you, too. Begin by calling all your guests to invite them to a fun, relaxed Friends’ Night Out party. Ask them for their addresses so we can mail them an invitation with a ticket for a special drawing. If you’d like to invite more than the required 25, great! Third, we’ll set up a time you and I can connect within this next week for a cup of coffee or a soda. (if it’s not possible to meet in person, set up a phone time with her). At that time, I’ll collect your list and together we’ll plan a fun experience with your friends.” (If she’s doing her coaching over the phone, offer her a self addressed stamped envelope and ask her to get you her labels by that time).
And isn’t it true that in order for her to get “all the goodies,” she has to have a
successful show, and in order to have a successful show, she has to work with you to create it? Of course! This language just sets her up for success by ensuring
that she’s completing the guest list in a timely fashion and you’re getting the
invitations mailed out for her.
What we know is invitations increase attendance. You want the list back. And you don’t want to pay for postage. Be creative here. And, again, the language supports you. Just matter-of-factly say, “I’ll just need to get your list and a first
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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class stamp for each name – or if you’re too busy, you can write me a check and I’ll go to the post office for you!”
During the last 5-10 minutes of your host coaching appointment, (whether
you’re doing that in person or over the phone), make it your business
principle to share your opportunity. Never pre-judge a host. Assume
everyone is either interested in your opportunity or knows someone who may be interested.
Keep the focus of this sharing on you. Many of my clients worry about coming off as “pushy” and they don’t want to make their host feel
uncomfortable so they never share their opportunity. If you begin by
letting her know that you have a passion for your business (see chapter 4)
and that you want to share it because she may know someone for whom
this is an answered prayer, you take the focus of your desire to recruit off
of her.
Use your personal story (see chapter 2, script #2) which shares with her
how you got started, what you love about your job, all the benefits of your
job. Use the following script at the end of your appointment so that she leaves thinking about what might be possible.
Here’s a short script for what you might say: “So, Debbie, I want you to think about whether or not you could ever see yourself enjoying what I do. I don’t want you to tell me right now. What I’d like you to do is think about it between now and your party. If you decide you want to give this a try, you can let me know the night of your party and we’ll turn that into your kickoff party. You’ll get all the bookings and you’ll be on your way.”
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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9 Leadership Language for Coaching Your Team
�������� Are you empowering your team to take responsibility for their own
businesses by coaching them instead of cheerleading them?
�������� Do you solve your consultant’s problems for them, or ask them
powerful questions that support them in finding their own answers?
�������� Do you set clear boundaries with your consultants and expect them
to respect them?
Let’s end by talking about your role as a leader and working with your
team. When you coach someone using powerful questions instead of
telling them what to do and solving their problems for them, they’re
much more committed to the action because it’s their idea. They
“show up for themselves” in a way you could never show up for them.
Basically, the outline for coaching someone is:
• “What do you WANT?”
• “Why is it IMPORTANT to you?”
• “What are you willing to do to get it?”
• “What might get in your way?”
Notice that these are all questions, not statements. The more you can
stay curious when you coach, the more you empower the person
you’re coaching. This turns you from a manager/problem
solver/cheerleader into a partner.
Here is a list of powerful questions you might find useful as you step into
becoming a coach for your team:
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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Powerful Questions for Coaching
1. What do you really want?
2. What can you control in this situation?
3. How can I help right now?
4. If I could wave a magic wand and make this perfect, how would it
look?
5. If you had a choice what would you do?
6. What are you pretending not to know? 7. If you went on a confusion diet, what would you learn?
8. Just suppose you did know, what might the answer be?
9. What gets in your way in this area? 10. What is your biggest fear about that?
11. What is currently motivating you?
12. To whom can you delegate that?
13. How could you simplify that?
14. Where do you want to be in 1 year? 5 years?
15. How are you wasting your time?
16. What are you tolerating? 17. What’s holding you back the most?
18. What is your business vision?
19. What goal are you ready to achieve? 20. How much do you want to be earning?
21. What does your ideal life look like?
22. What skill do you most want to learn?
23. What gifts aren’t being fully developed?
24. What is your strategy to achieve that?
25. What is possible for you financially?
26. What is your most important project?
27. How much freedom is that costing you?
Intruding
If you have someone on your team who is constantly complaining
about their situation but not willing to take any responsibility for their
results or step into solution with you, you’ll need to learn to intrude.
Intruding is a coaching tool that basically allows you to politely
interrupt someone and help them see that they’re stuck and spinning
in their “story” instead of looking at solutions. You MUST set up this tool
with the person you’re coaching ahead of time by saying something like, “My job is to keep us on track during your calls and if I notice that
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you’re giving me too many details or spinning in your story, I’ll interrupt you so I can get us back on track. Is that o.k. with you?”
To a person, everyone I’ve ever posed this question to has agreed to this with no reservations (I believe because they never really think you’ll
need to use it on them). Below is the intruding language that’s worked
best for me and several of my clients who are coaching their teams.
Script #12 – Intruding During Coaching
“Karen, I’m going to stop you. I know you’re frustrated and I just want to let you know that I understand that and I understand why. I wish I could support you, but I can’t change your situation. We have about 15 minutes left and you have two choices for the use of the rest of our time. We can either focus on the problem and I need you to know I can’t support you with solution if we stay with the problem, or you can choose to step into the solution, into what you can control in this situation. I can definitely support you there. So how would you like to spend the rest of our call?”
©2009 Julie Anne Jones www.julieannejones.com
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Conclusion I’ve been told again and again that people love my language, the words
that I share in my trainings. My clients, coaches and friends have been
asking for this book for years. I never took the time to write it because I always thought having these scripts on the audio programs was enough. It
wasn’t until I took my own advice and remembered that most people are
visual learners that I finally felt compelled to sit down and put this in
writing. I’m amazed at the amount of scripting I’ve developed and thrilled
to have been able to share it with you.
I know that your words are powerful, and that the more you begin to
incorporate the language in this book into your everyday business, the
greater the results you’ll receive.
Just a note, if you are one of those minority auditory learners (like me), or
you would just like to be able to hear the words as well as read them, you
can order all of the audio training programs from which these scripts were taken on our website at www.outwardimage.com/store.htm.
If you have any questions or would like any support around this or any of
our material, please contact my business manager Nancy Golya at
410-838-7305 or [email protected].
We’d also love to hear about how this book has changed your business. Please feel free to send Nancy a testimonial in writing at the above e-mail
address, or call our testimonial line and record one (then be sure to let
Nancy know so we can go listen to it) at (214) 615-6505 ext 9721.
To your continued success!
Julie Anne Jones
CEO, Julie Anne Jones