Best Direct Sales Rep Award
Posted by sharon - 12/02/10 at 02:02 pmFor all new Mums, one of the biggest challenges in life is trying to generate income to help with living costs, whilst also having to care for children. Regular nine to five employment is often too rigid to fit around the needs of families, but there are other solutions. One option is setting up a direct sales company – usually under the banner of a larger firm. In the past few years, this has been an attractive option for Mums, providing a good income whilst offering a level of flexibility that fits well with family commitments. As a result of the growth in businesses run by Mums, 2009 saw the launch of the ‘Mumpreneur’ Awards which were held in Birmingham on the 3rd October. The awards ranged from Inspirational Mum Award to Best Green Business.
One of the winners was Jane Barker (pictured above on the left) a Partylite consultant from Solihull. Jane was shocked, but delighted, to find that she had been nominated by one of her team for the Best Direct Sales Rep Award. Jane went along to the awards not knowing what to expect, but was flattered to have been nominated. Sharon (pictured below) who had nominated Jane together with other colleagues – went along with her to give her some moral support, and, as it turned out, celebrate her success with her. Jane says that the Mumpreneur Awards were a great experience, allowing her and her team members to meet other mums in business and hear their experiences.
Jane never intended to become a direct seller: like many of us, she attended direct sales parties and enjoyed them, but had never thought of taking on another job. However, after hosting a number of parties, she was eventually persuaded by a Partylite consultant that party plan was a great way to earn some extra income and have fun in the process. Concerned that she didn’t have the confidence to go it alone, Jane teamed up with a friend to begin with. Nine months later she realised that she loved the job and wanted to go it alone. That was three years ago, and she now has a team of twenty called ‘Baker’s Burners’. Jane says that helping and training them is one of her favourite parts of the job, as she is able to help someone achieve their goals. Jane’s team also get’s involved with fundraising like this fundraising day in Solihull, Mell Square (below). They raised an amazing £365 that day for Macmillan.
Jane chose Partylite rather than another party plan company because she loved the product and felt that with them she would get the training and support she needed. Jane believes that the success she has experienced is due to the passion that she has for the product – something that shines through when she is doing parties. Although Partylite do not have sales targets, they do offer some attractive incentives. Jane herself has qualified for two 5-star holidays and is now working hard to qualify for a Hong Kong trip next year.
Prior to starting with Partylite, Jane was a Legal Secretary before becoming the office manager for an IT company. Jane still works two days a week as an office manager, but was able to reduce her hours because of the success she and her team have achieved. Jane feels that this is a great combination, as it gives her three days a week to focus on Partylite, managing her team and organising her own parties. In retrospect, Jane wishes she had known about Partylite much sooner, as the flexibility of being a party planner would have fitted in well when her children were younger and she was looking after them at home.
Like many party planners, Jane enjoys the fact that her job allows her to meet new people, rather than sitting behind a desk all day. The training that Jane has received as made a huge difference to her self-confidence and the more parties that she does, the more confident she becomes. The fact that she is now able to stand up and do presentations is something Jane would not have thought possible 4 years ago, but is now part of her everyday routine.
Jane’s day is very well organised. She gets up early to get as much done as she can so that she is able to do what she chooses for the remainder of the day, whether that be meeting up with friends or having some ‘me time’. As a Legal Secretary previously Jane is used to meeting deadlines and prioritising her work – skills that she has transferred to her party plan work.
Jane’s advice to potential party planners is to look at each company closely to see what they are offering. For example, what support is provided, what the company offers the hosts (as this will affect how many parties you are able to book) and what the start-up costs are. Most importantly, Jane believes that you should opt for a product you believe in, as this will make it easier for you demonstrate the passion and enthusiasm needed to make sales.
In order to promote her direct sales business, Jane ensures that everyone knows what she does and the hostess offers available to them if they host a party. Jane also asks guests to complete a questionnaire for feedback and collects email addresses. This allows her to send out a monthly newsletter to customers detailing the latest offers.
Despite the credit crunch, Jane’s business is going from strength to strength and she is always looking for new team members. Contact Jane by email janethecandlelady@googlemail.com
Article by Bridgette Barrett
