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Many businesses are rapidly failing, some due to today’s economy and others due to lack of effort. Unless owners act upon all money making opportunities, leaving no business untouched, they will probably be out of business in less than three years. Starting a business is a huge commitment, both mentally and financially, so you want to make sure that you’re doing everything in your power to succeed.

Wasted Business
Wasted business is unfinished business―your unfinished business. Millions of dollars in sales are left behind each year because of unfinished business. In order to maximize your income you must maximize your efforts. This doesn’t mean work harder; it means work smarter and finish all of your, in hand, business.

Catalog Shows
Many consultants say that catalog shows are just gravy, but this attitude leads to more wasted business. Your catalog hostess hands you a bunch of orders, she picks out her free stuff and goes on her way. Do you just place the order and file the forms away, or do you call each person to personally thank them for their order? All orders, regardless of whether it was done at a show or via a catalog lead to sales and to show hosting opportunities. At the very least, anyone who’s placed an order with you deserves a personal thank you.

Hostess coaching
If you’re not properly hostess coaching you are not taking your business seriously. Hostess coaching is not a nasty word; it’s a must with any direct sales business. If you don’t tell your hostess to get outside orders then her sales will be lower, which means she gets less free stuff, which means she becomes less satisfied with the experience. This will affect her decision to host a party in the future. Outside orders protect each show against low attendance and/or low sales.

Hostesses must over invite because only a third of any guest list will show. This means, if the hostess invites ten people then only four are going to show. Most people think eighty percent or better will show, so they think inviting ten people is good enough, but it’s not. They don’t know that statistically only a third will show; you must tell them. Low attendance, obviously, affects both of you.

Guest Lists
If you’re sending out your hostesses invitations then you have a list of people who didn’t show. Give the no shows a call. Make casual conversation like “Sorry we missed you”. Let the no shows know that it’s not too late to surprise Jane Doe with a party credit or an order.

Then there are the guest lists that you received prior to a party canceling; all those people are potential customers and hostesses. With this option you could tell them you’re doing a “surprise” catalog show for the canceling hostess and that you’ll be surprising her with a free shopping spree. From there you try to get a surprise booking, too.

Customer Service Calls
Customer service calls are a great example of unfinished business. Shortly after your hostesses receive the products, you should call everyone who placed an ordered to find out if they received everything, if they’re happy with their purchase, and if they want to earn more purchases, for free.

People do change their minds, so even if you asked at check out time, ask again. It’s ok if the answer is still no because your primary goal here is to provide exceptional customer service so that each person is impressed enough to recommend you to someone else. Far too often hostesses have a bad experience with an inexperienced consultant; this makes you stand out in the crowd.

A bonus to this approach is those who placed an outside order; this will be your first contact with them. If you are not calling your outside order customers, then you are definitely leaving business behind; they at least deserve a thank you.

Check Out
If you don’t talk to everyone at check out time, then you are not taking full advantage of your opportunities. You have people right in front of you, ordering from you and you say nothing; you can’t waste this opportunity to talk to people. These people are writing you a check; they’re already in the mood and giving you their full attention. For those of you who hate making cold calls this is your chance to fill your calendar without the cold calling. All of the guests expect you to ask them to host a party and if you don’t, they might leave feeling less than. If you ask some people and not the others you leave some people wondering why you don’t want to party with them.

Important Facts
Are you writing down important facts about each guest on their order form? Maybe a guest says she could do a party in the spring after her daughter has her baby. Did you mark your calendar to call her in the spring to schedule? Did you actually call her in the spring? Did you write down that her daughter was having a baby? The more personal the conversation, the more impressed your potential hostesses will be; again setting you apart from the rest.