The Whole You

Today’s thought that can trip us up in this business is:

I don’t have enough time. 

Or perhaps a variation like “I’m too busy.” You will often hear “we all have the same amount of hours in the day.” Well, my lifestyle blog today was about admitting we make choices about our time. I want to share it here, because this applies so much to those of us with this doTERRA side-hustle, with some of us growing it to become our main hustle. (doTERRA being my main gig is such an amazing feeling! But it takes some serious personal work to get there, and keep it growing. Here is some of the work I’ve been doing…) Cross posting lifestyle  and business is not my norm, FYI! 😉

I was recently working with a coach for my business/personal development, and one exercise he gave us was to notice what we choose. The exercise was a powerful reminder:

We have way more power than we  ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶k̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶d̶o̶  admit.

Immediately, as I got ready to say “I have to run” at the end of that meeting, I realized “I’m choosing to go now… because I want to keep my promise to be somewhere else at a certain time.” So I changed my language: I’m going to go now. And it felt weird, and good at the same time.

What if we took ownership of our choices? How many times a day do we claim to “have to” but really choose to do something?

As the coach mentioned, even taking care of our kids is TECHNICALLY optional. All choices have consequences, but we do, in fact, CHOOSE. And it’s sort of a freeing feeling to  ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶  realize, I have more power over my time, and my day than I ̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶I̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶  admit.

I keep striking through “thought”, and changing it to admit, because I think that believing we have no power over much of our time, frees us from responsibility for the way we spend our time. I want to remind myself, that even believing we have no choice, is a choice.

I don’t really want to admit I chose to burn myself out. Who does?!

But the reality is, in an attempt to feel valuable, important, meet others’ needs (“later” always seemed soon enough for my own), make people happy, or even get people to like me, I chose it.

I have mentioned StrengthsFinder before.  In my top 11 strengths,  10 of them feel sort of forward moving to me, they have a drive to them. I kept seeing this image in my head, and finally had to make a graphic for it.

I may be wired this way, but I still get to choose. And being aware that I am, in fact, choosing, creates a pause if I choose to take it, and consider why am I making this choice.

What if, even for one day, we all acknowledged the myriad choices we make. We choose to oversleep, to be late, to eat the crappy food instead of the healthy food (probably due to choosing not to plan/prep for the right food), we choose to take time to pray and meditate, or we choose to rush off into the day choosing to believe we don’t have time. We choose to worry instead. We choose to be tired, by staying up too late, and leaning on things like caffeine.

Wait a minute… I choose to be tired?! Yup. Sometimes, I do.

There are things I don’t  have control over. Health issues, life stressors.  We can’t control the choices others make.

But there are so many more things I DO have control over. Especially all those things pertaining to Spring, and how she responds to those out-of-control things, and what she does with the time that has been given to her.

 

Today I’d like to chat about another idea that came from our leader group:

“I don’t know enough people to do this business.”

I absolutely believe that social circles can come in a variety of sizes! Some people are home with littles and don’t get out much, others are just quieter and keep more to themselves. Others are naturally very social and collect piles of friends wherever they go!

But let me let you in on a little secret.

You don’t build a business from your friends list. 

Let’s think about this in terms of a brick-and-mortar business. If you were to open a clothing store, or a restaurant, would you expect to sell clothes or food only to people that you know? “Of course not!” you laugh. Then why do you think you are going to build a doTERRA business out of only people you already know?

You might reply “but there is a store front, and people will see it and come to it.” How? You’ll have to do marketing, figure out who you are trying to reach, and find those people.

Here is an even better analogy. My parents have been in the restaurant business for over 30 years. They have a store front, and eventually they had their regular customers, and they have a reputation that draws people to them. We can have all of that without the expense of the store front! But, let’s look at where their supplies come from for our analogy. Coffee, specifically.

There is a salesman that comes to their restaurant, and sells them the coffee they need. It’s a coffee-shop, so they sell a LOT of coffee. Different salesmen have courted their business, offering different incentives to get them to try THEIR brand of coffee. And Ultimately, my parents have had a long-standing relationship with one company, because they like the product, and they like the service they get.

The coffee salesman doesn’t expect only the people he knows to buy his coffee. He has to go find the people who need what he has, and develop a relationship with them. This is perhaps a little more like what we do.

We have the world’s most amazing essential oils and company. We have something people truly NEED. (Ok for many people coffee is a need, too which is why I chose that!) Our job is to find the people who need what we have.

There are many ways to find people. The first question to very honestly ask yourself is, am I willing to go where the people are?

I couldn’t resist.

It doesn’t have to feel easy for you to go find people. You don’t have to be an extrovert. You don’t have to have lots of free time. You just have to be willing.

I have some seriously introverted builders in my team. I have builders home with 4-6 kids on my team. People who homeschool. People who work full time. None of these things has been an excuse for them to not build. Because they were determined to find the people who needed what they had.

Who do you naturally connect with? Who is your natural “market?” Where are those people? Go to where they are.

Here are some ideas I have seen work for people who are making a concerted effort to “go where the people are.” (Think about places you’ll build relationships; we’re not looking to make a sale; we’re looking to collect friends!)

Book clubs

Play groups

Gym

Mall/Store

I’ll let you in on another little secret. I always despised network marketing. I had a bad taste in my mouth from people using their church directory to pitch their latest and greatest “opportunity” to me. But you know what is so amazing about this job? We really don’t have to pitch anything. We share. We see a need and we offer a solution. The focus is on the product. And sometimes that solution is an oil, sometimes it is a fun and flexible job that builds a residual income. That’s why I am in this business.

I struggled with the label of “Network Marketer” until I watched some of Eric Worre’s training. He talks a lot about how successful people are in the People Business. They just collect people. Who knows what that connection may be for?! They may have something YOU need. It may be Providence. It may be they need what you have. In doTERRA, we are simply in the People Business.

It doesn’t matter how many people you currently know; you are about to collect a whole lot more!

What else would you say to someone who believes they don’t have a big enough social network to do this business?

I recently asked some fellow builders about other thoughts that can be lodged in our minds, and influence our business. Today’s thought comes from their suggestions.

“No one wants to come to a class.”

This is a pretty loaded comment. By that I mean, there can be sooooo many things behind it. Usually if this comes up in conversation I ask more questions to get to those layers. Do they mean that literally zero people ever attend their classes? Do they mean they seem to not have as many people interested in classes as “other people” do? Do people say they want to come but then cancel? A variety of these scenarios have been behind the statement with different people.

We have seen the statistics about the number of people in the US who are open to learning about essential oils. So we know they are out there! Some people are further away from “how do I sign up for this lifestyle” than others. But there are plenty of prospective customers just waiting for someone to offer them a sample.

(slides from Leadership Retreat)

So if we feel like we are not finding those people, we need to look at both ourselves, and the people we are inviting!

Here are some of the questions I might follow up with on that initial conversation:

Are the people you are inviting, people who have experienced oils previously because you shared samples with them?

***Remember the scenario about the multiple touches a person needs to get from “I have no idea what you are talking about” to “I am so ready to jump into this wellness lifestyle.” People often enroll at or after a class. That means a class is more like step 7 for people. If you are inviting people who are at step one to a class….. you may be inviting too early. (Some people move more quickly through the steps than others! You have to know your contact!)

Are you comparing yourself to other builders?

***Some people come into this business having been on a wellness journey for years. And their friends have already come to see them as someone who has learned a lot about natural health options. When they begin to share doTERRA, their friends may be knocking on their door asking them to try their oils. This was my case. My health issues made me a serious student of natural health. Some of my friends had already kind of followed me through some of those steps as I walked my own wellness lifestyle. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else as you start out this business. Or ever! You are building your own network, and you are on  your own journey. And you are inviting other people onto that journey with you. Give yourself, and you r contacts, space for your own path, and enjoy the process!

Do you have a consistent class offered at least monthly?

***Sometimes there is truly an issue of logistics for people making it to a class. If you are only offering random classes, then when someone IS ready to attend a class you end up having to say something like “oh great! I’ll let you know when my next class is!” Or if you offer a class and it doesn’t work for someone, they are waiting for you to schedule the next one. I try to always have one night the same each month (I have used my home, and coffee shops for this). Then I always have a planned class to invite people to. When someone says “I’d love to, but I have _____ that day” you can always offer the next one. This helps prevent contacts who are truly busy from falling through the cracks.

Are you projecting any of your own doubts or issues when you speak with people?

***This is a harder one for people to ask themselves. But if we have any of these thoughts (in this series or not covered yet!) echoing around in our heads, it WILL influence our tone, our choice of words, our energy etc. If you feel stuck in any one of these thoughts, consider if any other thought/mindset is possibly seeping into your interactions with people.

Are you living the lifestyle?

***I was surprised the first time I heard a mentor ask someone this question. Aren’t we all in this business because we fell in love with the oils and products?! But sometimes, we get so comfortable, we can sort of stall out in our own wellness journey. I actually like to occasionally do a little “wellness consult” (as we used to call them) for MYSELF. I will rate how I am doing in the various areas in our health pyramid, and see where I need to focus some attention. If we are not experiencing more wellness and our excitement for the lifestyle is not showing, what is going to attract people to it? 

 

Do you have any other suggestions for someone who feels like “no one wants to come to a class?”

If you are here because you just completed the 4 week Business Basics training, congratulations! You have covered a lot of ground, have had your first classes, and should be just about ready to teach classes on your own! So you may be wondering “What’s next?”

When I was first starting out in doTERRA, I did not have an upline to train me. I signed up through a friend who lived on the other side of the country, and the next few people above her weren’t really doing the business either at the time. So I set myself to research, and learn anything I could online. I was then joined by my first two builders, and we continued on our own, trying out a TON of different things, trying to find what worked best.

There are all kinds of materials, programs, videos, and workbooks available online designed to help people build a successful doTERRA business. I have tried a few of them, and there were things I liked (and didn’t like) about each one.  I learned the most from the Edge Success program, and the Share Success programs especially, and while I don’t follow any one program specifically, I took away things from both that I continue to use in how I operate my business and how I train others.

The fact is, there are a variety approaches to the business, but success really boils down to a small number of action steps, that get repeated over and over, and that you teach to others. Some training systems call these “rain making” activities. Others call them “success habits.” But they are truly all that will cause your business to grow and duplicate.

I like Edge Success’s concept of the Six Daily Questions:

1. Who will I share the oils with today?

2. Who has attended a class that I will follow-up with?

3. Who has enrolled that I will help better understand the Loyalty Rewards Program?

4. Who is using the product that I will talk to about the business?

5. Who is building the business that I will support?

6. What will I read, watch or listen to that will help me grow as a leader?

I have a little spreadsheet that I use to chart my completion of these steps periodically. Anytime I feel like my business isn’t growing the way that I wish, (or someone says that they feel stuck in their business), I go back to these Daily Success Habits. It includes income earning activities, and personal development activities. I was once in a challenge led by my amazing upline, and we used a tracking sheet, and I was hooked! Below is my modification of it that I use for myself.

INCOME EARNING ACTIVITIES
Setup an existing WA/WC on LRP
Teach a class / Work a booth (host a class initially)
Teach a class for a new builder
Hold a one on one
Have a first-time conversation with a new prospect
Have a follow up conversation with a prospect
Hand out a sample to a new prospect
Mail out samples to people out of the area
Enroll a new member
Do a Membership overview with a new WA/customer
Do a Business overview with a team member
Leaders: 15 min Mentor call with one of your builders
Builders: 15 min with your mentor
Personal Development Activities
Watch a video at doTERRA University on Back Office
10 minutes of reading a self-development book
Talk to your accountability partners
Watch a training video posted in the Diamond Calling group

Tracking these activities for a week or more really gives me a clear idea of where things are at, and what area I might have been missing that needs to ramp up in order to keep growing. It is easy to start spending more time on the personal development side, and not even realize it, until you track how you spend your time! And while personal development is key to becoming a better and successful leader, it doesn’t directly earn you any income. This list helps me see if I am keeping things in balance.

Do you have a system you use to track your business activities?

Sharing a Lifestyle vs Selling Oils

Today is my 2^nd post in the “It’s the Thought That Counts” series. I want to talk a little bit more about the thought: “I don’t want to be salesy.”

I know that most people begin sharing DoTERRA because they want other people to experience what they did when they tried the oils. Their goal is to help people. Getting paid for it sometimes feel like a bonus at first! But we do need to be aware that our fear of being salesy may prevent of us from helping people find what they are looking for. So let’s not be afraid to learn about sales, and ourselves, so we can help the most people possible!

As I got started in this business I did a lot of reading, online and in books, watched a lot of training videos, and tried to learn from successful people in doTERRA and in other businesses. And a lot of what I read was about the psychology of sales… what steps do people go through to make a purchase, what makes them decide to buy a product etc. I won’t share that all here; google away and enjoy!

But the most common thread I read in sales psychology, is that while people learn about your product with their logical mind, they make the choice to purchase from the emotion center of the brain. They don’t buy a product; they buy how they hope to feel when they use the product.

People are looking for a change, and we are offering them that change. People are looking for education, and we share our knowledge, and continue to learn alongside them. People are looking for support, and we show up for them. People are looking for community, and we welcome them in.

People are looking for options, and we have what they need.

Truly, we are not selling a product, we are “selling” a lifestyle. We are sharing our own stories, and inviting people to join us on the wellness journey.

If you are interested in linking arms with people of similar goals and passions, in helping and encouraging one another to make healthy choices, and sharing the knowledge you learn, then you are not being salesy. You are showing up to serve.

The sales will follow.

Lessons Learned

The longer I work in this business, (a little over 3 years and counting as I type this), I realize more and more that so many of the “blocks” we experience truly originate in our own minds and personalities. Today I am kicking off a series called “It’s the Thought That Counts.” I like to write about different topics that seem to come up over and over again in conversation. One of the latest topics is “I don’t want people to feel like I’m desperate for them to buy oils.”

When I first started this business, that was my thought when I went to teach a class. Initially, these classes were taught for people nearly BEGGING me to come teach a class. I really got dragged into the business by the interest of my friends. And I would teach a class and mumble through the content about buying them, and people would say “well can we buy some?” And I’d say “yes! These are amazing you will love them!” And they’d say “well, can I buy them through you? I want you to benefit.”

Whoa. Hold the phone. My friends wanted me to benefit. They wanted what I had shared with them, and wanted me to benefit because I shared with them. Lesson Number One:  Give your friends more credit.

I once taught a class in a town with around 800 people in it. Pretty low in come area. I was sure most people would feel they could not afford the oils, let alone enrollment kits. My friend had 7 people come, and 5 of them enrolled with a kit. Lesson Number Two: Don’t assume you know what people can afford.

As I began to really do the business on purpose, I began teaching classes for people I didn’t know. I was now not so much worried about “benefiting” from the class, but more worried about what these strangers would think of me. If they would feel I was salesy, and only there to make a buck. I am sure I said things like “there is no pressure to buy anything,” or “I’m sure you all need time to think about everything we’ve talked about.” I have heard similar things from my builders (they imitate what WE do, right?!) like “leave your money at home! This is all just about education.”

Wait, what?! If they don’t end up with oils in their homes, how did I help them? If they run to Walmart to buy cheap oils and try to use them like my oils, how did I help them? Lesson Number Three: I am only really helping them, if I help they actually end up with the oils in their homes.

On their own time table? According to their own needs? Yes!

Now I sometimes say something in a class similar to Neil Anderson’s scripts in his Be the Starfish book: “Everyone at my classes fits into one of 3 categories. 1) you are skeptical but curious, and  you’re here to get a sneak peek at what all this oils-buzz is about. 2) you are into natural health and you know you need these oils in your home, but you need a little help deciding how to get started in a way that is best for you. 3) you know these oils are what you’ve been looking for, and you’re ready to jump in and get started with the doTERRA lifestyle! Whichever category you fit into, you’re going to have a fun time tonight, and everyone is going to go home smelling good!”

Have you ever noticed a thought that got stuck in your head, that was influencing how you built your business? Share it in the comments, so we can all encourage each other in grow!

I wanted to share some thoughts with you all on this concept of “growing organically” in your business vs “pushing”. This is something I have heard pretty often in doTERRA, these two phrases, and I’ve been pondering what that means, and how these phrases might be influencing how we approach our businesses.

I think sometimes people hear the phrase “push” regarding the business, and associate that with being PUSHY. But these are definitely NOT the same thing. I’ve heard a lot of people say “I’m not pushing the business; I’m just letting it grow organically.”

What does that mean exactly? I think what people THINK they mean, is that they are not being PUSHY. They are not chasing people down trying to get them to try the oils. But sometimes when people say “I am not pushing the business, ” what I really is I see people ACTING like “growing organically” means something more like Wishful Thinking. They are waiting for someone around them to say “hey, I want to know more about your oils!” That isn’t really growing organically. That is hoping for a lucky break!

To grow organically, involves prepping the soil, planting seeds, tending the seeds, weeding the garden, harvesting etc. It is all still done ON PURPOSE.

You get to choose the size of the garden… how big a garden do you want? How many seeds will you plant? How much time do you have for cultivating it? You can choose to have a smaller garden, or to expand it very slowly over time. But it’s still all going to be on purpose.

Sometimes I will talk about “pushing” in my business for a block of time. This doesn’t mean I am chasing people down, calling people I haven’t spoken to in ages asking if they want some oils! This means I have increased my pace/time being spent on the business. I am teaching more classes than usual, I am doing special events, I am mentoring more people than usual. It’s a decision to work harder for a period of time, in order to help create a burst of growth in my business. I am more attentive to “who around me needs oils?”, to the people that cross my path. I create more opportunities for conversations about oils. I stretch myself more outside my comfort zone in offering to meet that need sometimes. But it’s still not pushy. It’s what I normally do, only MORE. I am expanding my garden. I am enlarging the field, planting more seeds, and investing more time than normal in the tending of it.

You get to choose the size of your garden. Just remember the business only grows by CHOICE. Don’t let “growing organically” become an excuse to not do the business on purpose, on whatever scale is perfect for YOU at this time. Don’t trick yourself into “wishful thinking” with that label.

How big a harvest do you want? How long do you want to take to get there?

Happy Gardening!

Do you ever run in to this misunderstanding? Push vs Pushy? Have some encouragement to share with others? Join the conversation in the comments!

There are so. many. details.  to this business. And then each year there is a change or two, or more, as doTERRA grows and adjusts to that growth. It is a TON for a wellness advocate to keep in his/her head!

So today’s blog post is a landing page for frequently asked questions, things we all need to go back to and reference from time to time, or to share with a new builder.

How do I set up Direct Deposit?

To have your check deposited directly into your account (and therefore pay a lower processing fee), you need to submit the following form to doTERRA via email or fax. (dataentry@doterra.com) ( (801) 785-1492)

http://media.doterra.com/us/en/forms/direct-deposit-authorization.pdf

How do I add my spouse to my account? 

Often a spouse will begin to catch the excitement of building a doTERRA business, and decide to join us! To share the recognition for rank and income, you need to complete a new Wellness Advocate form, with both names on it, and an account information change form, and submit it via email to: dataentry@doterra.com.

http://media.doterra.com/us/en/forms/wellness-advocate-agreement.pdf

http://media.doterra.com/us/en/forms/account-information-change-form.pdf

When do I get my Points for my LRP orders?

Any points earned in Loyalty Rewards orders, will be credited on  the 15th of the following month (or the closest business day if weekends/holidays coincide). I.E. all points earned in January are put into your account on February 15th (when payroll runs)

When do our paychecks process?

We have two different types of paychecks that process. I will explain them each separately here:

FAST START CHECKS:  Fast start checks process WEEKLY. The pay period runs Sunday to Saturday, and the checks print/deposit the following week. (Fast Start bonuses are the enrollment bonuses earned when you enroll someone new with a Wholesale Customer, or Wellness Advocate account.

I.E. If you enroll someone on a Tuesday, that check (paying you 20% on the PV of their order) would process the following week. Anything that new person orders in their first 60 days, will earn you further Fast Start Bonuses of 20% on those orders as well.

UNILEVEL/POWER OF 3/RANK BONUS CHECKS:  The regular monthly commissions (a.k.a. UNILEVEL earnings) process on the 15th of the FOLLOWING MONTH, as well as all rank bonuses.

I.E. Any regular/unilevel commissions from the month of January between 1/1 and 1/31, power of 3 bonus from January, and rank bonus from January, would ALL be paid in one check on FEBRUARY 15th.

How Do I Use My LRP Points?

If you would like to use your LRP points for FREE product, here is a short video on how to it! Please note it says in the video there is a $3 fee for every 100 points you use. DoTERRA changed this policy recently. There is a $3 fee for any single order using points. I.E. if you use 150 points, you will NOT be charged a second fee for $3 because it went over 100. (We LOVE this change!) 

How do I change the SPONSOR of someone I enrolled?

DoTERRA gives us 14 days to move someone off of our front line when we enroll a new Wholesale Customer or Wellness Advocate. The video below will walk you through the steps.

NOTE: When you enroll someone you CAN enroll them directly into the spot you want them to end up in, but entering in YOURSELF as the enroller, and then putting in the name of the desired SPONSOR in as well. I like to do this, because if something comes up and I want to change my mind, I still have that 14 days to move them elsewhere. By always having my Power of 3 sheet filled out, and tracking my rank goals, I know where I need someone to be. Ask your mentor any questions about placements!

Other Helpful Training Videos

DoTERRA has a number great training videos on using your back office etc. You can check them out below:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi5k1voN8KZtWFYhxafnbbw

 

If you have any other questions that frequently come up, let us know and we’ll add them to this list! 

 

Spring