Staying intouch

Hello Balanced Buddies!! I don't want to loose all our readers from boredom but I have a super busy weekend and then getting ready for Seminar so the next week or so the posts may be a little sparse. I will do my best to come up with something interesting and of course after I get back from Seminar you will have some fun stuff to read. I would love your input.. Either privately email me or post a comment here - what are some topics/subject, etc... that you would like to see?

For anyone newer to MK or looking at MK - I do stronger recommended building a strong customer base and then build your team. Mary Kay always said book, sell, book, recruit.... she didn't say, book recruit, recruit, recruit... if you are in MK to make "full time money" you will have to be working with both aspects but the sales should come first. 50% of a sale will put more money in your pocket than 4,9, or 13% of the order from a team member, especially if they are only joining for personal use. Once you have a client, make sure you take good care of them..
Last night while I was busy doing several things at one time none MK, I received two calls - one I was able to take the other one went to voice mail.... 2 reorders from clients.... total was almost $300 retail....I don't care who you are or how long you have been in MK, that there is still exciting!! (I am talking about a 10 minute time frame). So an important part of this business is always cherish your clients.

Seriously, I truly enjoy my clients and I know they appreciate me.. the other night one of my clients wanted to stop by and check out the new colors. When she arrived... she said I have a little something for you.... while on a trip she a found a quaint little gift shop and said when she saw this she just had to buy it for me. In a beautiful little gift bag, I unwrapped the cutest pin (elegant) with a little lipstick, nail polish, mirror, and heart on it.. very nicely done.. and then a little laminated card... she said to me, I think they wrote it for you... .... . can I even begin to explain how great that made me feel? as Mary Kay always said, no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care..... so remember, always try to treat others as you would like to be treated..

The Card said... A MARY KAY CONSULTANT
...God bless my Mary Kay Consultant who does more than give a facial.
She dotes upon her clients and makes them feel special, goes the extra mile in pleasing customers, Appreciates the business they happily refer. She always
hands out samples and has a smile to share.. Loves to book home parties in her
leather calendar..
She's a consultant for your beauty, an angel in disguise, she's an Mary Kay
Consultant, A Bumble Bee that has learned to fly.... Mary Kay.....

Have an Awesome Weekend Everyone!!

MK Wisdom

Was doing some reading and found this wonderful piece.. If everyone followed the ideals listed... well as you read them, you will understand... ('nuff said) Enoy and some of the statements are SOOOOO True...

Wisdom from Mary Kay
In 1989 Mary Kay shared this New Year's forecast that is still as timely today as it was then.

*Business will continue to go where invited and return where appreciated.
*Reputations will continue to be made by many acts and lost by only one.
*People will continue doing business with those who give good service.
*Go-givers will continue to be the best go-getters.
*That extra mile will have no traffic jam.
*Performance will continue to outsell promises.
*Enthusiasm will be as contagious as ever.
*Know-how will surpass guess-how.
*Trust, not tricks, will keep customers loyal.
*Quality will continue to be a precious possession.
*Determination to do each part of your job better than you have done it in the past will make you a better Director or Consultant.

Customer Service

What Miranda said is so true, weather changes can bring about skin changes, make sure you check with your clients to see if their skin care is working for them or if you need to make adjustments. If you don''t help educate your clients on the seasonal changes and either changing a piece or supplementing a product, they may feel Mary Kay just isn't working for them any more and look for something else.

A classic example is someone that is combo/oily in the summer and uses both 3/1 c/o and moisturizer c/o may start feeling dry as the weather turns, simply changing the 3/1 cleanser to the n/d and leaving the moisturizer the same could be just enough to have their skin feeling balanced again. Not enough, then they could go to both n/d products for the winter. If they would prefer not to change supplementing the oil free hydrating gel could be just the fix.

If someone is already dry they may want to add the intense moisture cream for the colder weather to keep them from feeling dry. It is up to us to gain this education on our products and then it is our responsibility to make sure we keep our clients happy and their skin looking and feeling great. Not taking care of your clients will cause them to go else where.

As for the "papers" Miranda was talking about Mary Kay has a great product for absorbing oil without hampering your make up. They are called Beauty Blotters - thay will lift the oil off your skin and leave your makeup perfectly in place.
Take care of your clients and they will stay your clients. Read about your products in the product guide and MKintouch. Knowing your products ensures you can suggest what will work best for your clients.

When in doubt and can't find a good answer in your guide or from your director? The medical relations department at MK is awesome and will give you suggestions and information that will aid you in keep your client happy. Learning about our products is our responsibility, the products do not sell themselves, we must market them but if we don't know what we are marketing, it makes it hard to sell. Knowing your products and their benefits will make the difference in how well you sell the products.

Customer Service

Well this story isn't about Mary Kay, it is about Customer Service but I think it really shows what going above and beyond with our service will bring - (ps,if you need some entertainment, you have to read the pt post from yesterday - they had a MK visitor, it is quite amusing!)

Ducks Quack,Eagles Soar
received from Randy Skagen and Todd Montgomery from Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa

No one can make you serve customers well. That's because great service is a choice.

Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab Driver that proved this point.
He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey .

He handed me a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement?'
Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said:
Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.

This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed That the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean! As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.'
I said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.'Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.'
Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.' Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'

As they were pulling away, Wally handed me another laminated card. 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'
And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.

'Tell me, Wally,' Harvey asked the driver, "Have you always served customers like this?'

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror, "No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of
my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.
He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck, be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.''

'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'

'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.

'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an Eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'

Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.

Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.

Customer Delivery Service

Our wonderful Miranda has requested: Consultants and directors: Please post your opinions/experiences/feedback on the new Customer Delivery Service for star consultants thing. On first glance, it looks like it might cost more than it earns you, but I'm somewhat out of the loop and want to know what you think (not just what PT thinks; as they aren't using it).

My $.02 for what it is worth. It isn't a service you would want to use every time you were shipping an order. Logic tells me if I am shipping one lipstick to an individual, I can do it much cheaper myself. However.... I have many clients in other states that when they order, they order large amounts. With the postal rates, the $8.75 for the Look Book, Samples, Professional Packaging, and having it done for you without having to take a trip to the post office (which in my case is a 20 mile round trip) - is very well worth it.

Could I live without this service? Obviously the answer is yes because I have, will I utilize it, yes, in cases where it is feasible. Will I use it for every order I ship? - NO

Will I charge my clients the $8.75? No, I have never charged for shipping before, and I believe if we start charging for shipping, there would be no reason for a client to just look for a local consultant so they wouldn't have to pay for the shipping. I value my clients and the ones I do ship to are well worth the little expense of the postage.

Customer Service

In this day and age it is so important to retain your clients. The best way to keep your clients is to provide great customer service. From my first meeting after the first purchase, I always mail a "thank you" postcard. I can't tell you the comments I have received from pleasantly surprised people. They always say that usually you get a thank you once at the time of purchase and that receiving the postcard was a very pleasant surprise. It also begins to build a bond.

Another important point is to know your products and what they do. Be willing to share your knowledge. Suggest products that will benefit your clients. Do not over sell. I believe we gain alot of respect when we tell our clients that it is a product that perhaps they don't really need. If there is a product you are not crazy about be honest. Your will gain trust and respect from your clients.

Know your clients. I love it when I get a call and my client says to me, "I love all the new lip glosses, you don't you pick the one you think would be best for me.

Always deliver promptly. I deliver within 24 - 48 hours. If I can't personally deliver, I will mail it along with a self stamped addressed envelope. I don't want anyone to wait.

Get to know your clients - their husband's name, kids' names, pets' names and have a pleasant conversation. You will find that your clients become your friends.

These are just a few suggestions, please feel free to add. Remember - if you take the time to make the initial sales, make it an investment and build a life long customer. You won't regret it.

A Little Thing

Sometimes it is just the little things that mean so much. I have had a client since 1994, who happens to like the cream blush that we no longer carry (I ordered extra because I know she likes it to have on hand). I received this letter from her today with her payment for the last order I delivered to her. I just had to share it because this is one of the biggest perks of this business. I hope you enjoy the note as much as I did.

Dear mk4me, I want to thank you for all the trouble. I am 78 nyears old and live by myself. I have purchased MK since 1976, that is a long time. They were trying to sell me on Avon and I told them no way. You have been such a great representative for me and MK. I can depend on you. Remember you did the makeup for my granddaughter's wedding and her bridal party. She now has a little girl and is going to have another baby in July, we are hoping it is a boy this time. She has a beautiful home now. I want to thank you for the Christmas CD and card.
Hugs and Kisses,

It just meant so much to me that I wanted to share it. Never think doing the little things for your clients don't make a difference.