Being Brave: Hitting the Wall

There are so many people who have asked me really great questions this week at Leadership Retreat, that I thought it would be a great idea to share some of those questions and answers here for everyone to benefit from. Sound good?

We'll start one at a time. Tonight....Hitting the wall.

I would be lying if I told you this business were easy. There is nothing easy about direct sales. If you want to have any kind of future in direct sales, you have to know that there will be many walls that you hit.

The first one usually comes after you've sold to all your friends and family and everyone you know has hosted a party.

And there it is.....BANG!

A big huge wall.

No windows, no doors, no visible way around it.

Everyone hits that wall. To overcome it, you have to decide to take your business one step further. You have to make the decision to go from being a hobbyist, to being a small business owner.

When you realize that you are a business owner, you start to understand that to really function like a business owner, you're going to have to run a business. Up to this point, it's all been fun.

Now you have to actually work if you want to make this a success.

You begin to understand that it doesn't matter who you know. What matters is who they know. Your friends and family can and should become an unending line of referrals. Then your new customers should become an unending line of referrals. And so on and so on.

But realistically, it doesn't always work that way. You have to start to think like a small business owner.

This is one of my favorite sayings.

This is the Key

As the owner of a shop, you would have to take this key each day and insert it in a lock in the front door in order for your business to grow.

As the owner of a Scentsy business, it is no different.

Each day you need to open your shop with a key.

Each day you must work in that shop and let customers know you are open for business.

What happens with your business is up to you.

No one else has a key to your shop!

Only you can open the door and step inside.

If you do this each day, your business will grow.

Scentsy hours are flexible, not optional.

It's up to you what hours you are open.

THIS IS THE KEY.

The truth is, you have to work. You have to step outside your comfort zone. You have to set goals and strive to reach them each month over and over again.

So what does it mean to think like a small business owner?

It means you have to find ways to generate business. You have to find ways to get new customers.

Usually that means you're going to have to step outside your comfort zone. You're going to have to network.

Use the things that you already enjoy doing or places you already enjoy being to broaden your horizons in your business. Talk to people in line at the grocery store or at the bank; strike up conversation when you usually wouldn't; wear your business out in the form of a t-shirt or a name tag; market yourself.

Talk to other moms while your kids are at the playground or in the play place at the mall. Make sure your attitude about what you do is positive.

Use the person you are to become better at your business. You don't have to change who you are to have a successful small business, you just have to capitalize on it.

And you can't think that you're bothering people. You have to know that even when you're selling to people, you are a blessing to them.

Ad you hit wall after wall in your business, know that there is always a way around it, under it, or over it. Keep people around you who can re-motivate you and remind you why you wanted to do this in the first place. And set monthly goals so you always have something to work towards.

And keep in mind that sometimes the wall you think you're standing in front of is only in your head. Sometimes you may just need a new perspective or attitude about your business.

You just need to be brave enough to get over the wall. It's possible. And you can do it over and over again. I promise. Happy wall climbing!