This week, our featured Shop Consultant is successful UnFranchise® Owner Debbie Gauthier! Last Thursday we asked our Facebook audience what questions they would like to ask her about building a successful business. Interested in seeing if she answered your question? Read on!
Market America: You’re a distributor who is exceptionally active on social media and have integrated your business identity almost seamlessly into your personal social media identity. Do you have any tips for distributors who want to do this, too?
Debbie Gauthier: It’s so important to learn how to utilize social media properly! Your friends and followers will get sick of looking at your page if all you do is sell, sell, sell. Learn how to mix things up to keep it interesting. Post positive quotes, congratulate new business owners, or talk about entrepreneurialism and success. This will create curiosity amongst your friends and people in your warm market. Do not repeatedly post product shares. You have to space those out. Testimonials and stories will interest people more.
MA: What type of accountability program do you use with your team?
DG: I really like using momentum sheets. 10-3-2 and 3-1-2 because you can track a team member’s everyday activity as well as their progress with prospects that I have met at HBP’s or a 1 to 1 etc. It also helps to ensure every day that they are continuing to add names to their names list so they never run out of possibilities. Also, we have a team Facebook page where we post our positive results and congratulate each other, the team page usually works as a great tool in creating healthy competition with the organization and gets everyone working together.
MA: “As a stay at home mom of two children under 2 years old, I haven’t been getting out much lately. How do I build my business without being socially active outside of my home?” Do you have any suggestions for stay-at-home-moms who are trying to build their business while simultaneously raising young children?
DG: My best advice that I can give is to really start utilizing social media more. Make sure you are actively posting every day and joining groups where you may have common interests with other members. Prospects are everywhere! Focus on building relationships and getting to know people. Find out how you can help them, rather than looking for the “next recruit”. When you make it about them, the business can often become their idea not yours.
MA: How do you get people to go to your HBP’s?
DG: It really is a team effort. It’s about cross pollinating and really allowing others to participate. Planning a Call Workshop a week ahead is usually a big producer for large numbers at an HBP. When we schedule a Call Workshop, people bring at least 20 names and numbers. We use call scripts for new distributors so that the team knows exactly what to say. You always shoot for high numbers because, as we all know, people cancel last minute. To avoid that, you want to over invite.
MA: What is the biggest mistake that UnFranchise owners make when using social media to build their business, and how can they avoid it?
DG: The biggest mistake you can make is trying to sell, sell, SELL! DON’T do it! People need to see YOU! Make sure you are posting testimonials rather than just blasting product shares. Avoid this by changing up your content and keep it interesting.
MA: What is one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started the business?
DG: I wish I knew just how many “no’s” I was going to get. Even people on my team have an illusion that I don’t get no’s. Of course I do! I know now that you have to have tough skin. I get plenty of no’s but I don’t let it bother me anymore. You have to develop a “harder shell” let things roll off you. It is totally a mindset and developing the right can make all the difference.
We would like to thank Debbie Gauthier for taking the time to speak with us and revealing some of her best business-building tips! To submit a question, keep a close eye on the Market America Facebook page. This Thursday at 12 PM EDT we’ll give you an opportunity to submit questions for next week’s Shop Consultant. Then, read the ma® Blog on Wednesday to see if your question has been answered!
Now it’s your turn: which one of Debbie’s tips do you think will be the most helpful to your UnFranchise® Business and why? Comment your answer below!