This week, our featured Shop Consultant is successful Gen-Y UnFranchise® Owner Cheyn Crangle! Last Tuesday we asked our Facebook audience what questions they would like to ask him about building a successful business. Interested in seeing if he answered your question? Read on!
Market America: What does a week look like for you? Do you have a certain schedule that you follow to keep you on track?
Cheyn Crangle: My weeks are always different but my mornings are always the same. I now get up at 8 am every day and I am happy to say that I own my mornings. I was just thinking yesterday how I haven’t had a job in almost a year; sometimes I still can’t believe it. I religiously spend 30-60 minutes reading a book on business, leadership, sales or network marketing every morning. I spend an hour at the gym listening to audios and you can find me in homes across Wisconsin at night doing Home Business Presentations and Wellness Parties 2-4 nights a week.
MA: How do you explain in 30 seconds or less what you do to someone you just met? What are the key points you make an effort to hit every time?
CC: I never, ever, EVER talk about the business in front of new people. I have become a professional business card collector. I befriend the person through small talk, ask lots of questions, and then tell them “I would love to have your card or name and info. I like to keep a good network of friends. Do you have a card?” I never bring up my business. Later that night I’ll add them on Facebook or LinkedIn (if you don’t have Facebook, just do it) and let my posts on my Facebook wall do the talking. If they are of high quality, I’ll call them two days later to sit down and evaluate our business model. I love Facebook because actions speak louder than words. When someone sees success the right person will ask you information on what you are doing. When they start to recruit you it’s over.
MA: What is your most important tool for recruiting?
CC: Facebook. It’s the only way I recruit. I’ve recently started using Twitter but I really wanted to stake my claim on Facebook. Over the last year, every single personal sponsorship started with an appointment arranged through Facebook messaging. Every one of them was curious what I was doing from the posts I was putting on my wall and wanted to learn more.
When using social media as a recruitment tool, one thing every person needs to decide is this: am I going to use Facebook (or any social media outlet) for personal use or business use? Once I decided I was going to use mine for business I cleaned it up and went to work. Since then I have worked diligently to create a following and culture on my page.
MA: Is there one approach that you use with most prospects? If so, which have you had the most success with?
CC: I use a direct approach. We are in the business of expanding distribution; be straight forward with your goal for the meeting and people will respect you and listen.
MA: What’s the best piece of advice you were given when you started your UnFranchise® Business?
CC: Be humble and take action. Thank you, Jim Winkler!
MA: Do you have any tips on how to get people to your portal who may never have heard of Market America or SHOP.com?
CC: The best way to get someone on your portal is to do an overview of the business with them. Two things happen: 1.You can always get them to register on the site after the meeting, plus you can actually show them face-to-face how to use the site, and 2. Chances are likely that if you did this four times a month you would personally sponsor one new business owner. We don’t have time to waste spending two hours showing someone just the site. Always incorporate our business model and be proud of it.
MA: What are your top 3 business building tips?
CC: First, never over promise. Second, be blunt. And third, don’t be weird or rude to your friends when it comes to your business or the success you have achieved.
MA: What is your favorite product to sell and why?
CC: My favorite product to sell is the business opportunity. I consider it a product and technically the Fast Start Kit is a package. So, I sell our opportunity and products through the Fast Start Kit. Besides that, hands down is the Daily Essentials Kit. We are putting on average two customers a week on AutoShip with this Kit over the past three months. Powerful stuff.
MA: What is the #1 tip you would share with someone starting their own UnFranchise® Business?
CC: Take Massive Action. Follow the Getting Started Guide as closely as possible. Develop your attitude by reading 10 pages a day from a good book and listen to an audio. I know this sounds generic but people really don’t get how important that is. I will always remember this when I was training with Jim Winkler on the Moving Up Seminar last November: I had the opportunity to stay at the Ridinger’s guest-house and woke up early to go for a run. I went downstairs and Jim was reading a book on business. It really hit me at that point, all successful people continue to learn and develop their mindset. Obviously, it worked out okay for Jim…!
MA: What’s a common challenge that you’ve encountered as an entrepreneur and how do you overcome it?
CC: I call it “discipline your disappointment”. If you can teach someone to overcome rejection and obstacles while developing strong leadership traits, they will become a hopeless success. Also, this isn’t typically a one-year plan, it’s a two to three year plan. Think long term.
MA: What’s the most exciting business move you’ve made in the last year?
I’d have to say last June. So many people always told me that the summer is one of the hardest times to build business. I really made it a goal last spring to make a big impact during the summer months and prove everyone wrong and that you can build this business any time of year. From June to July I moved three pin levels in four weeks from Executive Coordinator to Professional Coordinator.
MA: If you could expand your business to any country on earth, which would you choose? Why?
CC: Sweden. We have some business partners from that country with great connections. But, before you get excited to build overseas I have to ask – have you built in your own backyard yet?
MA: What has been your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?
CC: When I got out of the military I wasn’t financially stable and had my back against the wall. For nine months I fought through, many times I sacrificed a negative bank account so I could attend events and make it happen. I truly had great people support me through those times and I would be crazy not to mention their names: Jim Winkler, Merlyn & Lee Kruse and Betsy Kara, thank you for supporting me and always having my back. This is an emotional ride and everyone needs to realize that all successful UnFranchise owners have faced countless struggles along their road to success. It’s part of our journey.
MA: Do you have any new year’s resolutions for 2013?
CC: Bring pride and credibility to our industry and name. Help four business partners reach Professional Coordinator and hit Executive Supervising Coordinator by November 1, 2013. Be a better friend, mentor and example to others. Wake up every day and take Massive Action!
**If you missed Cheyn’s thoughts on attending World Conference, read them here.
We would like to thank Cheyn Crangle for taking the time to speak with us and revealing some of his best business-building tips! To submit a question, keep a close eye on the Market America Facebook page. Every Tuesday at 12 pm we’ll give you an opportunity to submit questions for that week’s Shop Consultant. Then, read the ma Blog on Mondays to see if your question has been answered!
Now it’s your turn: which one of Cheyn’s tips do you think will be the most helpful to your UnFranchise® Business and why? Comment your answer below!