The Truth about Retailers, as I see it

Do you like beating your head against the wall?

Because if you don't, going after retailers to offer the ONE Group product line isn't for you.

When I first joined ONE Group, I was so excited about the possibility of selling to retailers. The "Why" of this is something for Sigmund Freud to dissect. Perhaps I thought it would make me less of an "Avon Lady" and more of a "Donald Trump" if I wasn't just going around selling organic products to individuals. I don't know really where I was coming from - all I know is that where I found myself after a few tried and failed attempts was not a happy place.

The funny thing is that my professional background is in sales... Business to Business sales in fact. I have sat at the negotiation table with the decision makers of Fortune 500 companies and landed multi-million dollar accounts. I thought that pursuing a few local retail store owners would be a walk in the park...

Boy, was I wrong!

Just last week one of you presented me with a story of rejection by a retailer. This retailer said that unless they could get the 40% off on products, they weren't interested - because they were looking at their bottom line.

What I found most striking about this objection is the irony within it. If a retailer is looking at their bottom line profits - wouldn't it make more sense to leverage their income by offering their customers the best products on the market? Wouldn't it leverage their income to have others out there selling products for them?

The following questions came to my mind...

1. How many products does their store sell when the doors are closed?


2. How far can they actually reach a customer demographic? Maybe 10-20 miles?

This retailer probably has hopes of making profits - but does this retailer have goals of being a multi-million dollar chain of stores? No, probably not. And that is okay because not everyone has a million dollar mentality. What I have found is that most small retailers don't have their "financial gauges" set to go above a certain level of income.

Another thing about retail stores is that they hate MLM companies and would rather be set aflame than be associated with a network marketing company. I have no clue why this is, nor where these people get their information, but personally I feel it is based on ignorance.

Another one of you called me this week and said that her retailer said that he refused to be associated with MLM because it put him in direct competition with the representatives. This is also another bit of irony that I can't help but ask questions to:

1. If he is in competition with the reps, are not the reps also in competition with him?


2. If another store offering the same products as he offered opened up across the street from him - would he close his doors in fear of the competition?


3. How many other stores that sell his same products are in his region or online? Probably quite a few - yet he still opened a store to compete. Why then is he afraid of MLM competition?


4. If he is afraid of MLM competition - why? Does he see how powerful it is?? And if so - why wouldn't he position himself in such a place of power?

There are some pretty high up reps in ONE Group and even some newbies that think retail is going to sink the company. They claim that it is making the market for reps impossible to succeed. I must question this... if the retailers are sinking the reps, why then are the retailers so afraid of us? 2+2 is just not adding up to 4 here.

I am beginning to see that in order to be successful with retailers, we must apply the same principles that we apply to prospective customers and representatives. We must QUALIFY them first. But before we do - we must assess our 80/20 Rule. How much work will it take to make that retailer happy vs. how much money we will make off that retailer. If we are applying 80% of our efforts into retail for a 20% ROI, is that really where we want to be? BUT... if the retailer is self-sufficient and doesn't need a lot of work and you invest 20% of your time to make 80% of your GV, then perhaps it is worthy of a second look.

I don't see retail as direct competition. Personally, I believe there are different types of shoppers in the world. There are those that love to shop online, there are those that love to shop in stores and there are those that prefer direct contact with a personal representative. Those three very seldom cross over. But when they do - it is something that benefits everyone.

For example, if a customer runs out of miessence deodorant, they are faced with having to order it and wait up to a week. They cannot do this. Most folks won't go a week without their deodorant - well, hopefully. :-) So this customer is faced with having to go to their local health store or organic market and do what? Buy another brand. Why? Because it is convenient. What could happen as a result? We could lose this customer forever to the convenience factor.

In my mind, I would LOVE to be able to tell my customer that they can run into their local health market and buy the miessence. For me - it is about making the customer happy.

This is where the dilemma of retail comes into play. If a retailer isn't thinking in terms of what will make his customers most happy - he will see us as competition. Equally, if a representative is seeing retail as the competition... what does that say?

But what if this retailer had the opportunity to capitalize off the competition? What I mean is, if this retailer were to join as a Representative, he could build the competition himself. That way, all competition's sales would lead back to him. To me - this is a no brainer.

We must go back to the mentality factor of retail and in looking at the typical small retail store, they are indeed Mom & Pop shops. Do mom and pop have a burning desire to make money?

Let me tell you that I grew up in a family of retailers. My family owned a small chain of retail stores back in the 70's - early 90's. Big discount chains put us out of business eventually. But even before the plethora of discount stores took over, I can tell you this ------ my family's goals were not to make millions. The typical small retailer is thinking in terms of simply keeping the doors open and turning ANY profit that they can just to stay alive.

My father had already made his wealth before opening the stores. In fact, he opened the stores as part of his early retirement. It gave his wife something to do, and gave him money to play Skins on the golf course everyday. That was it... there was no goal of making millions. It was simply an elaborate retirement account.

This leads us back to qualifying. You must qualify retailers the same way that you qualify anyone else in the business. Don't walk in trying to SELL them something. Walk in and try to find out if they are someone worth doing business with. Do they meet the demographics? Do they have a nice shop that you would be PROUD to see the products in? Proud to say, "One of my retailers is..." How much hand holding does this shop need? Is it worth your time?

If they qualify - then you make your presentation.

And then possibly comes the rejection. But don't take it too hard!! The funny thing is that if you sat at a table with the CEO of a multi-million dollar company and gave the same presentation - you would probably have better success. Why? Because the CEO of a multi-million dollar company isn't just trying to keep the electricity on - he's trying to own the electric company.

Let's Succeed Together!

Important News and Updates

Customer Service Update
Due to an influx of orders over the last week there might be a slight delay in your order being dispatched from the warehouse. We also advise that because of this there may be a delay in response from the Customer Service team to emails that have been sent to Head Office but they are working hard to have a response to you all as soon as possible. Again we thank you for your patience and support. The ONE Group Team.

Website Issues
If you have any pay-per-click ads running and pointing directly to your OG site, it would be in your best interest to pause them for awhile. The site is experiencing intermittent issues. ONE Group is working around the clock to make sure this problem is resolved.

MiSpa Packets in Back Office
If you haven't had a chance to review the new MiSpa packets, please do so. I know you will be pleasantly surprised at the professional appeal, the layout and the comprehensive step by step instructions. There will be a call Wednesday night to launch the program. However, you will not be able to ask questions directly. Due to the anticipated high participation on this call, it is advised that you first review all the new literature on the MiSpa Party and then email questions in advance to shelley at onegrp.com.

$3,000 for Holiday Shopping?
Typically summer is a slow time for party plan companies - but it doesn't have to be that way! Follow the guidelines in the MiSpa literature to start your bookings TODAY for fall! Wouldn't it be nice to have a couple parties in Sept - November and have a nice holiday bonus? With the new MiSpa Party Plan - you CAN!

Groupie Call Tuesday Night
Just a reminder that there will be a Groupie Call Tuesday night at 8:00 pm EST. This will be a highly informative call that recaps the ONE Group Australian Conference and the new products and programs. Please mark your calendars!

Fourth of July
Don't forget to send an email or card to wish your customers a Happy 4th! Be sure to mention the new products!

Let's Succeed Together!

Grab Your Microscope to Watch this Fight!

Kapow! Bam! Slam!

"Ding" the bell rings and the two sweaty fighters take their seats in the corner. The crowd sits on the edge of their seats with their microscopes watching these two bacteria battle it out.

So - what is up with spraying bacteria all over your house? Sounds a little stupid actually. Why would someone want to subject their food surfaces to bacteria when most anal Americans are running around with their little bleach wipes trying to kill everything in site?

It seems it isn't a new concept and is already being used in many hospitals across the world. Why? Because the scientific and medical communities went ballistic with bleach, antibiotics, and sanitizers that killed off all the bugs - only to find they created a whole new weapon to battle... SUPERBUGS.

And these little buggers just won't die.

"The calculation involves 35.2 million people hospitalized in the U.S. in 2005, the latest year for which information is available. Applying the prevalence rates in the new study, the data suggest that 1.2 million hospital patients are afflicted with MRSA each year and that an additional 423,000 patients are colonized with the superbug." Chicago Tribune.

See the full article here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-mrsa25jun25,1,1355761.story?coll=chi-news-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

We have an AMAZING opportunity to be at the forefront of this new technology with the our Probiotic cleaner. Take advantage of this leverage and learn all that you can about this topic. This is a chance for you to position yourself - and find others who want to position themselves - in the forefront of the industry with this product line!

For information on hospitals using probiotics see this link: http://www.cleanlink.com/pdf/casestudieswhitepapers/ChrisalSA061107.pdf

Nano, Nano - Shazzbott?

Okay - I am certainly dating myself with the "Mork and Mindy" reference there.

But on the subject of nanoparticles... many of you have been about the new miessence Reflect Outdoor Balm's content of zinc oxide and this is what I have discovered:

Reflect Outdoor Balm Ingredients
Organic olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, zinc oxide*, capric triglyceride (coconut), organic butyrospermum parkii (shea) fruit butter, organic unrefined cera alba (beeswax), avena sativa (oat) kernel flour, polygonoum multiflorum root extract, d-alpha tocopherol (natural vitamin e), organic copernicia prunifera (carnauba) wax, aroma (essential oils), rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract,dunaliella salina algae extract.

*Our zinc oxide is 3-8 microns in size (nanoparticles are defined as less than 100 nanometers; a nanometer is 1/1000 of a micron).

The Seven Truths of Network Marketing

A wise man once defined success as: A refined study of the obvious.

How true. Most of what we need to know, say, and do to achieve mastery in Network Marketing could be easily taught?and understood?by a 12 year-old. Why then are we making this business so difficult?

Let's agree to start teaching The Seven Truths of Network Marketing to those who actually want to create their own destiny, and leave the rest of the world alone. After all, we're involved in a great industry, with terrific people, offering unprecedented opportunity.

And we should be proud to speak the truth . . .

1) Network Marketing is a business.
Networking is a unique form of enterprise, and you've got to understand the game you're laying. Therefore, mentally consume every page of your distributor manual the day it arrives.

Listen to your training tapes again, and again, and again. Like a song on the radio, you learn the lyrics by hearing the music one more time.

2) Freedom by the numbers.
Understand the numbers, and your compensation plan. Start by involving three or five people, whatever number of legs and leaders your plan dictates. By your fifth year, the commissions paid on your invested efforts could well equal a mid six-figure annual income. After that, the sky's the limit.

3) Attend every live event.
The weekly presentation is part of the process. You need to be in attendance every week?to see the presentation again.

Remember the music? You need the association, and the environment to showcase your company for your prospects. True, not everyone attending every meeting earns $10,000
a month. However, everyone earning $10,000 a month attends every meeting. Now that's a refined study of the obvious.

4) Work only one company.
Leaders understand this truth, because no man or woman can serve two masters.

5) Have a compelling written "Why?"
Success in Network Marketing is 20% how to, and 80% why to . . .

The best part is, if your reasons are strong enough, you'll learn everything you need to know along your journey.

6) Invest in yourself first.
Some people are still trying to earn a year 2002 wage, using a 1982 education. It can't be done. If you want to earn more, you've got to learn more. Therefore, read all the books, attend all the classes, and learn everything you possibly can.

7) Decide in writing you'll be here a year from now.
Long-term written goals possess the power to pull you right to the top of your company. Put your dreams for your future on paper, and begin building your life of magnificence.

The great Winston Churchill once said, "The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is."

The Seven Truths.

This post is from Art Jonak's series and was written by Micheal Clouse - his book is awesome for those of you looking for a great resource to build your business. "The Fifth Principle"
Visit: http://www.MLMPlayers.com/v to purchase for only $17!

Let's Succeed Together!

The Toughest Job

By: Brian Tracy

There Are No Buffers
Selling is one of the toughest jobs in the world. There are no buffers between you and the reality of daily difficulties, delays and disappointments. You often ride an emotional roller-coaster, up and down, that never seems to stop. You are all alone.

You Must Motivate Yourself
Like a front line soldier, you must get yourself up every day and go out to where the bullets of rejection fly. You must continually deal with the possibility that all your sales efforts could turn out to be in vain through no fault of your own. And you must keep on going in spite of this because your profession of selling requires it.

Face the Facts of Selling
Selling is hard. It always has and it always will be. Even for the best and most experienced salespeople, it is a continual effort. You can make it easier by developing your skills in the critical areas of prospecting, presenting and closing sales, but you can never make selling an easy profession. However, once you accept that selling is a hard way to make a living, it somehow becomes a little easier. When you stop expecting it to be something other than it is, much of the stress of selling goes out of it. As William James said, "The first step in dealing with any difficulty is to be willing to have it so."

Open Unlimited Opportunities
Selling is also a wonderful profession. It offers opportunities for the average person that are unimaginable in most countries. Your potential earnings are beyond what 95 percent of the world's population could ever hope for or expect. Because selling is difficult, your activities are valuable and important and they have to pay you very well for carrying them out. As you move to the top of your field, you can earn more than a person with ten or twelve years of university education. You can eventually become financially independent. Fully five percent of self-made millionaires in America are salespeople who do their jobs extremely well.

Make a Wonderful Living
As a salesperson, the reason that you can make a wonderful living for yourself and your family, achieve your goals and fulfill all of your aspirations, is because making the sale is difficult, and often, extremely difficult. And the longer the sales cycle, or the larger the dollar amount involved, the more that companies have to pay salespeople to do the work. When you are selling complicated or expensive products in a highly competitive market, and you do it well, you can become one of the highest paid people in your field, if not the world.

Be the Best at What You Do
You should get up every morning and give a silent prayer of thanks that selling is so difficult. If it was easy, the field would be flooded by amateurs and the amount you could earn would be greatly reduced. But because it is hellishly hard, by becoming very good at it, your future can be unlimited!

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, dedicate yourself to getting better and better at selling. The better you get at selling and closing, the easier and more enjoyable it is.

Second, be grateful that selling is a tough job. It keeps the weaklings and the mediocre out of the field and enables you to be even more successful.


*If you haven't already subscribed to Brian Tracy's emails, you should do so today! Also, check out his books - they are invaluable sources of knowledge on sales techniques! http://www.briantracy.com/

Let's Succeed Together!

ALERT:USDA IGNORES PUBLIC REJECTION OF PROPOSAL TO ALLOW 38 NON-ORGANIC INGREDIENTS & TOXIC FISH OIL IN FOODS LABELED AS "USDA ORGANIC"

Basically ignoring more than ten thousand emails and letters from consumers and farmers opposing the latest industry-sponsored attack on organic standards, the USDA has approved a proposal allowing 38 new non-organic ingredients to be allowed in products bearing the "USDA Organic" seal. But the agency says this may just be interim approval, and has offered to extend the public comment period another 60 days (the original public comment period was only 7 days).

The USDA's controversial proposal will result in the following:

Anheuser Busch will be allowed to sell its "Organic Wild Hops Beer" without using any organic hops at all.

Sausages, brats, and breakfast links labeled as "USDA Organic" will be allowed to contain intestines from factory farmed animals raised on chemically grown feed, synthetic hormones, slaughterhouse waste, and antibiotics.

Products labeled as "USDA Organic" and containing fish oil may contain toxins such as PCBs and mercury.

Learn more and take action: http://alerts.organicconsumers.org/trk/click?ref=zqtbkk3um_1-b8x3147x342178&

Body absorbs 5lb of make-up chemicals a year

by Paul Stokes

telegraph.co.uk

Women who use make-up on a daily basis are absorbing almost 5lb of chemicals a year into their bodies, it is claimed.

Many use more than 20 different beauty products a day striving to look their best while nine out of 10 apply make-up which is past its use by date.

Dependence on cosmetics and toiletries means that a cocktail of 4lb 6oz of chemicals a year is absorbed into the body through the skin.

Some synthetic compounds involved have been linked to side effects ranging from skin irritation to premature ageing and cancer.

Richard Bence, a biochemist who has spent three years researching conventional products, said: "We really need to start questioning the products we are putting on our skin and not just assume that the chemicals in them are safe.

"We have no idea what these chemicals do when they are mixed together, the effect could be much greater than the sum of the individual parts." Mr Bence, an advocate of organic beauty products, believes that absorbing chemicals through the skin in more dangerous than swallowing them.

He said: "If lipstick gets into your mouth it is broken down by the enzymes in saliva and in the stomach. But chemicals get straight into your bloodstream, there is no protection."
Warnings over using out-of-date lipstick and mascara have also been issued by the Royal College of Optometrists which believes such items are a "hothouse" for harmful bacteria.

Clio Turton, of the Soil Association, said: "Many women are using over 20 different products a day, bombarding themselves with hundreds of different chemicals. They should be asking themselves 'is that eyelash conditioner really essential?' "

Among chemicals under scrutiny are parabens (para-hydroxybenzoic acids) which are preservatives used in products including soap, shampoo, deodorant and baby lotion. Traces of parabens have been found in breast tumour samples, although its link to the development of the cancer is disputed.

Sodium lauryl sulphate, used to help create lather in soaps, shampoo, shaving foam, toothpaste and bubble bath, can cause skin irritation.

The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association said there was no reason for worry because the products were covered by European Union rules requiring them to be safe.

A spokesman said: "The cocktail effect is an urban myth. We do know how different chemicals react individually and can predict how they interact with each other and this is taken into account when the safety of products is assessed."

Learn to Earn

* If a surgeon decides to quit operating, the money stops.
* If a dishwasher decides not to wash dishes, the money stops.
* If an attorney decides to stop suing people, the money stops.
* If an IRS agent decides to stop auditing people, the money stops.

In almost every profession, when the person stops working, the
money stops.

But not network marketing!

In network marketing, it’s different. In the beginning, you do a
lot of groundwork and foundation building, and you don’t make
a lot of money. If you were being paid hourly, you could complain
that you were underpaid or getting less than minimum wage.

However, most network marketing leaders look at this building
period as a learning period. It?s like going to school. But, instead
of paying tuition, you can earn some money while you learn.

Once you complete the groundwork and foundation, the money
formula changes drastically. Now, you are getting paid bonuses
every month, even if you don’t work hard or when you take a
vacation.

So, in the beginning you do a lot of work that you don’t get paid
for, but in the end you get a lot of pay for when you don’t work.

On a sad note, there are some individuals who get into network
marketing and build a foundation. But because they didn’t feel
they earned enough money during this learning and building stage
of their career, they quit. Yes, they quit just before they go into
the collecting stage of their careers. I guess the rewards go to
people with persistence and vision.

This is from Art Jonak's email series, which if you haven't already subscribed, you should. This is a great example of understanding that the first few years are a learning curve. Unless you have come to ONE Group with ten years of experience in network marketing, this is the case for all of us - including me.

You know, many of you joined with me in the first few months of that I joined. I didn't know what I was doing. Even today, there are times when I feel like I am going in the wrong direction and must alter course. But I learn more each day through trial and error and by reading Art Jonak's information, Big Al's information, Kim Klaver's information, Tim Sale's information - and many others who have made millions in the industry and are sharing what they learned to find success.

Reading and learning are wonderful investments of your time. If you aren't sure where to take your business and find yourself each day saying, "Tomorrow," then instead of postponing doing something - learn about it TODAY!

Let's succeed together!

Team Weekly Update

Dear Team,

! REMINDER: Business Protection Orders must be placed by the 21st
Just a reminder that ONE Group will be processing Business Protection orders on the 21st this month. To avoid the price increase and to ensure that your Business Protection order is not processed, please place your orders ASAP! For a list of the price increases see the order sheets in the Member’s Area.

WHY we are with ONE Group: You Tube Video (Thanks Cheryl!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g8cmWZOX8Q

Home Parties are all the Rage: Entrepreneur.com
http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneursstartupsmagazine/2007/may/177884.html

Consumer’s use of Pharmaceuticals & Personal Care Polluting Water: News Target
http://www.newstarget.com/021898.html

Ten Reasons You Should Never Get a Job: (Thanks Kimberly!)
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/07/10-reasons-you-should-never-get-a-job


Let’s Succeed Together!

Stop Wasting Your Breath!

Here is how it goes...

"O'mygosh, these products are AMAZING!

• Did you know that they don't have ANY harmful synthetic chemicals in them?


• Did you know that they are made fresh with FOOD grade ingredients?


• Did you know that the company is ethical and mission oriented and even plants trees to offset carbon emissions?


• Did you know that the founders are genuine people who care about us?


• Oh, and did you know that the products are actually CERTIFIED ORGANIC by several third parties to guarantee authenticity?


• Did you know that you can eat the products?


• Did you know that shipping is a flat rate of only $4.95 anywhere in the world and FREE over a hundred dollars?


• Did you know that Narelle, the founder, was just eight years ago a stay home mother with a dream for safer skin care?


• Did you know that our products are cruelty free?


• Did you know that by purchasing our products you are making the world a greener place by supporting sustainable agricutlure?


• Did you know that ONE Group is partially funded by GRANTS for organic agriculture?


• Did you know that we are the FIRST and to date ONLY company with such an extensive range of ...."

Prospect is thinking, "Did I leave that laundry in the washing machine this morning?"

Yes, I know all those things we say are exciting... TO US. And perhaps even one, if not all of those statements above are things that led US to buy the products or to represent the company. But for the average person, that stuff is just that... stuff.

What do you think is the missing element in the above statements?

If you said, "There is nothing in it for the customer," than you are correct!

In all those wonderful TO US statements, where were you providing a VALUE to the THEM?

Nowhere.

Truth is most people don't give a flying kite about ANY of that stuff.

Now, you may be thinking, "Our target market cares!"

Maybe so. Maybe they WILL care about those things AFTER the VALUE of what the products will do for THEM is demonstrated.

Repeat after me...

Selling is about LISTENING... NOT about SPEAKING.

Selling is about ASKING... NOT about TELLING.

I can't tell you how many times I hear, "I just don't have the gift of gab," or "I am not a born salesman," or "I don't like selling..."

Truthfully folks, NO ONE likes selling. I could probably count on my hands the number of people in this world who actually like selling. Even the word "selling" makes the skin crawl. Images of the used car salesman in the mismatched leisure suit come to mind. Telemarketers come to mind. That salesperson who sold you down the river comes to mind.

Truth is - selling has a bad rap. And with good reason... NO ONE LIKES BEING SOLD.

However... PEOPLE LOVE TO BUY.


Fact: YOU ARE IN SALES

Truth is, if you haven't already figured it out, network marketing is all about sales. You are a salesperson my friend. Sorry to break the news.

There are a few choices you can make when this realization kicks in:

1. Run like the dickens and don't look back


2. Delude yourself into believing you are a missionary


3. Embrace the idea and learn to become a great salesperson

So, assuming that you haven't run away, let's look at the two remaining options.

The Missionary Principle:

"I am not selling products. I am educating people to make informed decisions about the products they use on their skin, while providing products of unrivaled purity for those who decide organic is the choice for them."

Wow, yes - sounds intriguing doesn't it? (GAG!) This is what I personally used to say.

The bottom line is; I was simply deluding myself and others. The whole sentence is just a fancy way of saying, "I sell organic products."

Was it a false statement? No, not really. We are out here educating others to make informed decisions - but with what intent?

To sell our products, right?

Why? Because we are in sales.

I hear my little missionaries out there saying, "No, that isn't true. I REALLY DO CARE about what other people use on their skin and I am simply educating them."

The first part of that is great! Yes, we DO care. If we didn't, most of us wouldn't be with the company. It is that genuine passion and conviction that allows others to gravitate to us and passion is a key element to success in any endeavor.

However, if you honestly don't care about selling the products to these people, then you must ask yourself why you are in the business. If educating is your passion, you could simply begin doing seminars.

Of course, because you are not into selling - you would have to do these seminars for FREE. Because if you begin doing seminars for profit - guess what?

Yup - you are in sales again.

Embracing the Concept of Being in Sales

Every person on this planet is in sales.

Don't believe me?

We sell our spouses on the idea of putting the cap back on the toothpaste. We sell our children on the idea of picking up their toys. We sell our friends on the idea of coming to a barbecue. We sell our bosses on the idea of giving us a raise. Children sell their parents on the idea of allowing them to spend the night with a friend, or go to the mall, or for money - and lots of it! :-)

Why should you be ashamed of being in sales when you are in fact representing such an ethical company with such an amazing line of products that REALLY do make a difference in people and planet?

You shouldn't.

The truth is - you should be PROUD of this!

When Sales is Sales

There are people out there looking for you and will say, "Where have you been all my life?!" And then there are people out there who would rather spend $1.50 on a bottle of Suave from Wal-Mart and not care one way or the other about the environmental impacts, or the health implications of their purchase.

Sales gets a bad rap from those out there trying to force these consumers into atone for their actions. Can you educate them? Well, do they want to be educated in the first place? That is the question you must ask.

My little missionaries are saying, "Well, it is my JOB to educate them!" And I am here to tell you that, "NO - it isn't."

How many millions of dollars have been spent on "educational" messages on the risks of smoking - or eating greasy fried foods - or not exercising? How many people do you think heard them? Well yes, millions upon millions. How many people took action?

A handful.

People don't always want to know these things. People don't always care about these things, and people want to make their own decisions, come to their own conclusions, and take actions only when they are good and ready to do so.

So - where is your time better spent... educating someone who doesn't want to know or wants to know but doesn't care, or finding those people out there who are looking for YOU who care and want to know what you have?

How to Tell the Difference

Remember how I said that selling is asking - not telling? This is called "qualifying a prospect." The reason you want to qualify a prospect is because your time is valuable and so is theirs. By qualifying them, you will discover this and save you both time and frustration.

You could be blunt and say, "I sell organic personal care products. Would you like to hear about them?" And ironically, many of you freak out at this idea - yet have no difficulty telling product benefits to people who don't want to know. Which of the two is the harder sale?

But truth is we don't want to ask yes or no questions. We want to qualify our prospects, and do to so, we need the most information possible about them. Thus, we should ask an open-ended question that tells us everything we need to know, such as: "What do you think about the new trend of people going organic with their food and products?"

This answer will tell you what they think, why they think it, and probably what they are basing their decision on. This opens the door to walk away or to continue. This will tell you how informed they are - or misinformed. This also opens up the chance for you to further qualify by asking more questions relating to their answer.

Who knows - they may say, "I have been hearing some things but am not really sure what it is all about." You say, "Would you like to know more?" Remember - don't jump in spewing your spewage! Ask more questions!

I Qualified them - Now What?

Remember - ASK, don't TELL.

You are still gathering information at every stage. Don't spew here either. Remember, you must create VALUE, and the single best way to create value for a prospect is to let the prospect create the value for you.

But you want to tailor this to their objections - because typically you will find that they will tell you a value - followed by an objection. For example, let's say that they mentitoned that they want to use organic products because they know it is so much better for them and they have a family history of cancer, but it isn't in their budget to do so.

What I say is this, "Going organic is not an all or nothing step, but any step you take is a step in the right direction. Giving up just one of your traditional personal care products - such as your deodorant, which is laced with aluminum and parabens (hormone disruptors that are being found in the breast tissues of cancer patients) can make a significant impact on reducing your body's chemical burden. Would this be a good place for you to start?"

99% of the time they respond with, "Yes, I can do that!"

So you see, though in the beginning of this post, we were asking questions - they were not true questions. Asking, "Did you know that our company is carbon neutral?" provides little or no value to the average person.

Asking, "What do you think of companies that offset their carbon emissions by going carbon neutral" is better. Asking, "Did you know that our products are certified organic to international food grade standards," is not nearly as effective as, "What do you think about people going organic with their food and products today?"

Let's Succeed Together!

June is Home Safety Month

What an excellent reason to get in touch with your customers with an email!

If you visit the Home Safety Council's website, you will be able to find hazards all over your home - including the bathroom. It actually lists cosmetics and personal care products as highly TOXIC and recommends that they be stored out of reach from children.

Hmmm - what could we recommend for them to use that doesn't have to be locked up? :-)

http://www.homesafetycouncil.org/safety_guide/sg_bathroom_w002.aspx

Let's Succeed Together!

Probiotic Treatment May Limit Eczema in Infants

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Oral supplementation with the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri to the mother during pregnancy and to the infant after birth may help reduce the development of eczema and allergy associated with immunoglobulin E, a key protein involved in the allergic response, according to Swedish researchers. Read on...

Staying with the News
It is important that we stay on top of breaking news in the industry. Just yesterday I received my Book Club mail with the front cover promotiong a book called, "The Probiotic Revolution, the definitive guide to safe natural health solutions using probiotic and prebioitic foods and supplements." Naturally I ordered this book. It can also be found on Amazon.com if you are interested.

You can use Google to keep you in the loop by scheduling "Alerts" to come right into your email when such topics are discussesd on the internet in blogs, websites, news, etc. I do this not only for probiotics but phthalates, miessence, my own name... etc.

Also, be sure to take full advantage of the "testimonials" section on the ONE Group site.

Let's Succeed Together!

PV Must be Made by June 21st!

Dear Representatives,

Please be advised that Business Protection orders for June will be at current prices. To enable this to happen, Business Protection orders will be generated at 2 pm Australian Time on June 22, 2007. (Which is Friday, 22 June 2007 at 3:00:00 AM UK London time - BST, and Thursday, 21 June 2007 at 7:00:00 PM USA Los Angeles time - PDT)

Credit cards will not be charged until June 25 as normal with dispatch to follow shortly thereafter.

Please make any changes you require to your Business Protection order via the members area on the website or place any orders to override your Business Protection order (online or by facsimile), prior to 12 noon June 22, 2007 (Australian Eastern Standard Time.) (Which is Friday, 22 June 2007 at 1:00:00 AM UK London time - BST, and Thursday, 21 June 2007 at 5:00:00 PM USA Los Angeles time - PDT)

We thank you for your cooperation and look forward to processing everyone's Business Protection orders quickly and efficiently.

Kind regards,
The ONE Group Team

“I don’t want to build a downline, I just want to sell products”

I hear this from many of you quite frequently, and I thought that I would address this as a team for those of you who are thinking along these lines.

First of all, let’s take a look at your mission to sell the products. You are out there educating and demonstrating and sharing the mission of organic living. Wonderful! That is what you want to do to grow the business and extend the mission. But how many people are you reaching each day? A few? A couple? Less than that? What about on the days that you aren’t out there educating and demonstrating? How many products do you sell on those days? None, right?

Okay, now let’s imagine that you position yourself with others that share your passion for educating, demonstrating and sharing the mission with our products. How many people are you reaching now? Many more, right? And… you are making money from those sales also.

We can all take the platform that we are in this for the “mission” of organic education and living – but we must look beyond ourselves as the only ones who can accomplish this. There are many others out there who can help you and influence the world beyond your own circle. Building a downline is simply a way of extending yourself. That is the beauty of network marketing.

Look at Alf and Narelle. We are an extension of their visions and dreams. We are pursuing their dreams of making a difference and capturing a booming market with products of unrivaled purity. You too can achieve this through finding like-minded people to join your team.

Do you think that Alf and Narelle could reach the world with their message without us? No, of course not. At least not effectively. You see, they could have run advertisements on television or radio or in print about the products – but could they educate and demonstrate? No. That is our job. That is our joy.

If you truly want to make a difference in the planet and those who inhabit it, you must continue to expand your network.

Let’s succeed together!

Promotional Verbiage

Dear Team,

If you are fumbling around trying to find something "catchy" to say on a blog, a postcard, letter, email, etc... here is something I came up with. Feel free to use as is, or modify to reflect your personal style.

The secret to radiant, younger looking, healthy skin, cannot be found in a bottle full of chemicals that are synthesized in some laboratory and end up sitting upon store shelves for years at a time.

The secret to beautiful skin is found only in nature; within living plants, fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries, trees, herbs, and flowers that are grown and harvested without the use of toxic chemicals.

Makes sense, doesn’t it?

It is a medically recognized fact that our bodies absorb significant amounts of what we put onto our skin.

With Certified Organic food rapidly becoming the nutrition of choice of the health conscious among us, why would you accept any less for your skin?

Organics: It’s not a departure… it’s a return.

For the Record: Past Email Topics for Review

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Monday, June 11th
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Looking for an AFFORDABLE way to Get New Business?
On my home page of www.onewithearth.com you will find several downloadable brochures from SafeCosmetics.org. I encourage you to use these as tools to grow your business. You can print them out and post them locally with YOUR contact information from the bottom that says, “for safe toxic-free products” and hang your business cards or tear offs with your name and phone number.

The HARD ROAD vs. EASY STREET
What would you rather do, chase leads or be chased BY them?

You can take the hard road and chase cold leads, or the warm market with people who don’t understand the importance of organic living already – but let me forewarn you, taking this road is NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART! You must be ready to face rejection, disbelief and closed ears and minds.

Or you can take the easy road and begin to make yourself known to those that are looking for you, looking for organics, not knowing you are there to help them. You can follow my suggestion above for flyers, you can do Alf’s newspaper strategy, or you can find your own method.

The secret is not HOW you do it – but IF you do it.

Let’s succeed together!

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Sunday, June 10th
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Corporate Office Closed Monday
Just a reminder that the ONE Group office will be closed tomorrow, June 11th, in observance of the Queen’s Birthday.

Customer Login: Password Not Necessary
Preferred Customers no longer have to remember their passwords. They may use their surname. This is a great opportunity to email your customers to stay in touch! Announce that there have been several site improvements to make THEIR shopping experience more user friendly. Let them know that you are available if they cannot login or have questions. It may also be a good idea to let them know what a surname is… LOL! :-)

GROUPIE CALL: There’s NO such thing as a Stupid Question!
We will be having our bi-monthly Groupie call this week on Wednesday evening. All ONE Group Representatives WELCOME! Bring any questions or ideas to the call or simply call in to listen! Purpose of the call is to socialize with other ONE Group representatives and brainstorm ideas to grow your businesses.
Wednesday: 9:00 EST, 6:00 PST
Dial: (641) 297-7200 Pin: 628483#

Google 101 – Some Cool Features!
Google is an amazing search engine with lots of bells and whistles. But did you know that it is also a calculator? Yup, simply type into the search box something to add (+), subtract (-), multiply (*), divide (/), etc. Ex: 10+10. Also it does measurements, liquid, solid, inches; simply type is your query, such as: pints in a quart or inches in a yard, etc.

You probably already knew that Google acts as a dictionary, but if you didn’t, just type DEFINE before any word.

Also you can type in "LINK:www.website.com" and you will find how many sites are linking to that site. Looking for sites with related content? Simply type "RELATED:www.website.com" and you will find all the sites with similar content.

The best thing I found is a site that archives old websites. Simply visit www.archive.org and you can browse what sites looked like years ago and compare with what they look like today. I was able to see my old jewelry sites – a bit of sad nostalgia. :-(

Make this week an AMAZING one!

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Saturday, June 9th
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NO LIST CONTEST: TWO REPRESENTATIVES ARE ON FIRE!
Just a reminder that you can STILL get in on the exciting action and contest to win $100 cash AND recognition for our NO Contest! Here is this week’s contestant’s progress.

Stephana: Pleasantly reports that she keeps getting YESES! She sets aside an hour each day to make calls. Thus far, she has no NO’s to report, but sees that as a wonderful thing! And it is!

Kimberly: While working her warm market, received 5 NO’s this past week, but has two prospects who would like samples and one who may host a Home Party!

POLL – WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE SAID?
3 of Kimberly’s NO’s were people who said they loved the skin care regime that they currently used – and one of them had beautiful, flawless skin in her 60’s.

What do you or would you say when faced with this objection?
(replies to be published in next update!)

Let’s Succeed Together!

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Friday, June 8th
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New Price Increase is GREAT NEWS – contrary to what you may think!
Before you go emailing me, your upline, their upline, all the execs, support, the founders, and the United Nations, please stop and soak in the concept of a price increase and what ONE Group specifically said regarding this.

“To ensure we remain competitive, we have limited our price increase on certain individual products to be in line with genuine competitors” As you know, ONE Group products are quite competitive with other brands. Additionally, other companies that are our competitors are making huge profits because their ingredients are synthesized in a laboratory – the cost to create certified food grade products is significantly higher and ONE Group’s margin for profit is in some cases 300% lower.

”The Bonus Value (BV) and Personal Volume (PV) will also increase for each product.” What this means is that you will not have to pay MORE to get your monthly points! This also means that you will be making more money on BV and the PV from your customers!

“Additionally, to minimize any negative impact on Representatives, we have not raised the performance criteria to achieve ranks.” Great news! We still have the same amount of Group Volume to achieve, but with less sales to do so. With the BV increasing along with the prices, not only will we make more money on each product sold, but our points will be higher in the PV and they didn’t raise the bar on our points to achieve the next level in the comp plan!

Understanding the Difference between Genuine Obstacles and Perceived Obstacles
Many of you may perceive an increase in price as an obstacle to selling the products, and I would like to give you some food for thought… Personally, I don’t perceive the products as too expensive. In fact, for the quality of the products with the guarantee of purity – they are an exceptional value. I rarely am given an objection of price because I don’t perceive it as a valid objection.

Also, I used this example once today and I am going to use it again. Let’s say you go to the bakery for a loaf of bread. On the rack are two types of bread. One is a day old and is selling for $1.00 and the other is fresh bread, hot out of the oven for $2.50. Which one would you choose?

My guess is that you chose the one that was $1.00 because it was basically the same bread and you could save $1.50 – perhaps enabling you to buy TWO loaves.

Now consider this… what if the baker was standing there by the rack educating consumers on the two types of bread. You then learned that the day old bread has lost significant nutrients and you would be basically eating empty calories. Also, she explained that in order for them to sell that day old bread, they had to add an artificial preservative, that consequently is being reviewed by science as a potential carcinogen. Are you still going to buy the day old bread to save money?

Our role within ONE Group is to Educate and Demonstrate the products. If we Educate the consumer as to why the products cost more, and demonstrate the benefits for using them – your price objections will cease.

Let me leave you with one final thought… If ONE Group gave you the option of selling lower priced products that were NOT certified organic or NOT organic at all – would this be something you would like to see them do?

Let’s Succeed Together!

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Thursday, June 7th
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Get involved in the most exciting team contest this year! Great prizes, company recognition, better exposure and healthy, competitive fun!

“NO LIST” CONTEST HEATS UP!
Make $100 just for being rejected
Okay, I am pleased to say that interest is beginning to peak out there for the contest. So here are the guidelines with tips on how to get going. Just a reminder: Your mission is NOT to actually get a NO – you will earn a lot more than $100 for Yeses. I know that is a “duh” reminder – but just to be sure, I thought I would put it out there.

Make a list of 100 “No’s” on a sheet of paper
Whoever fills the sheet first – or whoever has the most NO’s by July 5th WINS $100!
Oh, you will also be featured on my Team Website
And submitted to ONE Group’s newsletter for the month
And another “secret” prize to be announced at the completion of the contest!
NO’s must be legitimate. You must either present them with products or opportunity and be rejected. You can’t ask them if they will give you a million dollars.
List the date you tried, the date they said NO, their name and phone number
Submit your NO’s Daily to me – Each day I will announce the leader in an email so you know where you stand!

Warm Market NO’s:
Ask your warm market first. Friends, family, neighbors, and associates. If they say NO, mark it down and say, “Do you know of anyone that MAY be interested?” This begins to build your NO LIST as well as your contact list.

“Hi Mr. Bob, my sister mentioned that you might be someone interested in making more money. If I could show you a proven way to earn extra income by working just a few hours a week from home, would you be interested in learning more?”

“Hi Julie, my neighbor, Joe Schmo, said that you were someone who knows the importance of living an organic life. If you could find products that were guaranteed for purity and freshness, had a no risk guarantee with purchase, were certified to food grade, and would significantly reduce the amount of toxic chemicals that you are exposed to each day, would you be interested in learning more?”

Oh No! They said “YES” Now what??
Poor you! I am sorry to tell you that you are now on your way to losing the $100 bonus and gaining a successful business.

“…. Great! Well first of all, I can’t make any promises that we’ll be able to work together or that this is the right opportunity for your situation. To save us both some time, I would like to ask you a few questions, and then I can answer all of your questions. Do you have a few minutes right now?”

Oh No, they said Yes, again!
Ask some questions! It is at this point that you are trying to feel out the prospect to see if this is someone that you would like to work with. Ask about their current employment situation, why they would like to make more money, how much time they can invest to a business….” Don’t be held to a script. Be friendly and genuinely interested. Listen carefully to their words. What are they really saying? What are their hot buttons? Are they motivated by money, time, helping others, etc.

For more on this… call me. We can go through this together in “role playing” to get you comfortable.

Let’s Succeed Together!

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Tuesday, June 5th
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New ONE Group Website Update:
For those of you who were unable to make the conference call this evening hosted by David Hobley, from ONE Group’s IT Dept., there were quite a few issues addressed that you may encounter. For more information on this, login to your Member’s Area and view the “Member News” tab or the latest FAQ’s. Keep in mind that not ALL of the components have been added and there is much more to come! Hang in there – it WILL get better!

Conference Call Tonight: Compensation Plan
Day: Wednesday, June 6th
Time: 9:00 Eastern Daylight, 6:00 Pacific Daylight
Number: 1 308-377-8200 Pin: 1014878 #
Summary: Still confused by the comp plan? Are you new and want to try to learn the basics of how you earn money? This call is for YOU! Join Ron Tracy tonight for an overview of the bonus structure.

Ronit’s Helpful Tips for ONE Group Representatives
For great tips on building your ONE Group business, please visit www.optionsforhealth.net/training . (Ronit is our direct Upline Managing Executive)

Let’s Succeed Together!

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Tuesday, June 5th
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Dear ONE Group Representatives in CABN,

I just wanted to bring something to light about posting on CABN. There are many of us that have been with CABN for years, some months, some only days… but we are all able to share in the ideas and learn from the group, as well as network appropriately.

The concern I have is watching everyone jump in to promote the products. I truly feel that we are going to start looking bad as a company. As ONE Group continues to experience such massive growth, more and more ONE Group representatives are going to come to the forefront of CABN – and it is going to be monotonous to say the least.

In the best interest of ONE Group, I feel that we should ALL discontinue promoting ONE Group products on CABN – even for those of us who are paid listing members with Co-Op America and have been screened and processed. This is not to say that you cannot actively interact with discussions in the group (and use a catchy signature), but promoting products should cease.

There are tons of other sources online for us to use. Besides, getting involved in CABN debates and discussions relating to other green topics will help forge personal and professional friendships with other members – where THEN you can open up to promote ONE Group when the opportunity allows.

Let’s Succeed Together!

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Sunday, June 3rd
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What do you fear?
We all fear something. Some people fear rejection, others fear not knowing the answer to a question. Some people fear failure, and believe it or not - more people than you would think, actually fear success.

Confront your fear.
It is important to your business (and life) that you recognize your fears and then swiftly address them. That old saying holds much weight, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.” Fear can immobilize you and keep you from taking the next step – or the first step. Until you identify and confront your fears, you will continue standing in the same place in life indefinitely.

Power from Fear.
I have a Russian friend who says, “Feeling pain is the surest way to know that we are still alive.” Remember the first time you braved a rollercoaster? You walked away feeling so accomplished. Even if you threw up and vowed that you would never do it again – you did it!

Taking the Plunge.
About two and a half years ago, when my online business was failing and I needed to pull myself out of a rut and put myself back into a place of feeling personal power, I went skydiving. Wow – talk about a rush! Falling from 15,000 feet at about 120 mph towards the earth, really put things back in perspective for me. I knew that if I could do that, I could do anything!

A few months later I joined ONE Group and decided to try an online business with the power of a company behind me, instead of giving up entirely on my dream of being self-employed. (Skydiving isn’t my recommendation for everyone. Heck, make a few cold calls – the fear is pretty comparable - and with no chance of death by being compacted into the soil! :-)

Quotes on Fear.

• The only time you are actually growing is when you are uncomfortable
• If you are willing to do what is easy in life – life will be hard, if you are willing to do what is hard in life – life will be easy.
• It is not necessary to get rid of fear in order to succeed.
• Every master was once a disaster.
  

Let’s Succeed Together!