December Don't and December Do...

December is nearly here and it’s time for you to shine in your business. So, what will you do? Here is a checklist that can help navigate you toward success and avoid common holiday rush pitfalls.


Do Not’s

• DO NOT wait until Wednesday, December 15 to follow-up with customers who said they wanted to order! You will frustrate your customers and yourself. 
• DO NOT assume your customers, friends and family will call you if they need something. Take charge of your business and make the call. 
• DO NOT let sales go by because your customers, friends and family are uninformed…

Do they know you have an online store that ships gifts to anywhere in the U.S.?


Do they know you have 100’s of great gift ideas – many under $50?


Do they know you can save them money this holiday season with a fabulous Hostess Program?


Do’s

• On or before December 1, send an email, newsletter or post card to your customers, friends and family reminding them you CAN support their holiday gift needs. Remember, Christmas guarantee delivery date for shows and online orders is Wednesday, December 15. 
• Place a phone call to your customers who typically order in December for special gifts (i.e. secret Santa gift exchanges, teachers, pastors, friends, mailman, etc.) 
• Schedule a fun, quick "stop and shop” event that allows your customers, friends and family to stop by and order their holiday gifts with you personally. Have a few Longaberger food items or other great products on-hand for guests to cash and carry. 
• Plan to join us Tuesday, November 30 for our Tuesday Trainings session that will focus on Open Houses from A – Z.  Be sure to be at your computer at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the webinar to ensure the link is downloaded and you are registered before we begin promptly at 8 p.m. ET. 
• Carry a product and flyers with you everywhere you go! Listen for cues and make your move to share Longaberger!

For example:
I need the perfect gift for…
I am looking for a really unique gift…
I wish I could call someone and tell them what gifts I want…
I am tired of looking through stores and malls…
My holiday budget is limited, so I am looking for great gifts at a great value…


According to research, December 15 is one of the busiest online shopping days. Do make sure you get your share of the sales by ensuring your customers AND their friends know they can shop online with you!


With two days left in November and 15 great shopping days in December, you can be a Holiday Hero! Your extra touch will lead to great business, which results in money in your pocket!

Jingle In December

The holiday season is upon us, which provides plenty of fun ways to incorporate that fun into your business. Just as December is usually the big month of the year for retailers, so it can be for your Direct Sales business. Use the following tips from Beth Jones-Schall to provide fun and keep your business jingling during December!

• Holiday diva parties - Pick 2-3 friends or customers who you know love to decorate their homes for Christmas - those holiday divas - and invite them to host a party so everyone can come to enjoy all her creative talents, and enjoy Christmas shopping with you at the same time. 
• Holiday Hero Night - Invite the husbands of your hostesses, customers, family, friends, co-workers, neighbors to your home for a men's shopping night. Contact your customers to get their wish lists and their hubby's contact info. Maybe even ask your hubby to be the host and have it on a Monday Night to enjoy the football game while they shop. Offer free gift wrapping, and serve "guy food"! 
• Gift certficates - If your company doesn't provide them, design your own so guests can decide their price point. Be sure to clarify how to redeem and expiration date. Make great stocking stuffers. 
• Cookie exchange parties - Suggest your hostesses theme their December parties to do a Christmas Cookie Exchange party where guests bring 2 dozen of their favorite cookies (even from the bakery is fine!)and everyone swaps at the party. Then they do their shopping with you! Great to boost parties and attendance! 
• Suggest gift sets - Help your customers do their shopping by suggesting gift sets of various price ranges. Have a list of suggestions at your parties and to email to your customers. Make it easy for them to shop with you! 
• Host a December Opportuni-Tea - Invite your recruit leads to your home to enjoy Christmas cheer, a fun holiday tea and learn about your career opportunity. Encourage them to join now FREE and get started with holiday sales and so they can tell all those they will see at Christmas to get their January Calendars filled!
• Cards and coupons - Send Christmas cards to your faithful 2010 hostesses along with a coupon from you to use when they see you at a January 2011 party.

Here is my December schedule: 

• Wednesday, December 1, the wonderful Wednesday online special!  
• Thursday, December 2, I am headed to Bushland for a Ladies Night out at the middle school. 
• Saturday, December 4 brings our annual Wrap It Up Party!  Please come and bring a friend, family or customer to my house at 9AM!

Now, will you share a comment with your December sales plans?

December Gift Giving

December Excitement!

My favorite is the Monogrammed Basket Set.

This is our gift to our daughter and to our daughter-in-law!

Inside will be notecards.

I love to support my business with gift purchases!

What are some Longaberger gifts that you are giving?

Please leave a comment to share with us.



More Secrets to Success

Be your own customer!  Shop with yourself.  Purchase gifts from your own business. 

Recent email correspondence, "Cenci, another great online sale day? or a show? or what?  Inquiring minds want to know and need your success secret and encouragement!  Please share."

"Hate to say it, but just me!  :) or :( ?  LOL   I got several of those little  Gift Basket sets!  We give money for Christmas to  kids, nieces and his parents, and then gift certs to sisters.  Nine right there.  Also, got one for myself, my mom and then just got four extra since these little gems come in very handy for the last minute "oops, I forgot someones".  So, since grandchildren toys are ordered and shipped, and I have hit the Wednesday sales for my friends and service people gifts - my Christmas shopping is done done!" 

These are a few of my favorite things

• WI Expandable Trivet
• Large Picnic Basket
• Large Recipe Basket
• Sort & Store Fabric Bins
• Measuring Cup
• Butter Dish
• Utensil Caddy
• White Chocolate Amaretto Mix
• Fall Wreath

I will be sending this list to my customers and encourage you to put together your list and email it to your customers.  Your favorite things are what you usually sell the most because you love them and talking about how you use them comes so easy. 
These items are retiring in January.  :(  
But, don't fret, my pet.  Product is always retired to make room for new!  I can hardly wait to see the new Spring WL, but I definitely will be promoting the retiring products first!   

Success Secrets from our Team!

Cenci, "My secret this past Wednesday was family. I bought one of the baskets, but that was the only basket I sold. Everyone else got the insulated liners. The Market Basket is all of our go-to basket, and we like to keep an insulated cooler in our cars for various things. Then I also got 5 for gifts this Christmas for friends who have a Market Basket - $24 kept me round my $25 limit. :) This just happened to be one of those Wednesdays where there was something that was a great "add-on". I do hope they put that insulated liner in the regular line.



I truly do not always have sales on Wednesdays. They seem to go in spurts. The trick is to just get it out there to them. You will be surprised who will call you or send in an order! Sometimes it is people who have never bought from me before. And I need to keep posting the specials on Facebook. I have had two Wednesday sales from fb friends who have never bought from me before. All it takes to do that is a few minutes of my time. The company has done all the prep work for us!"

Leslie, "I had a home show last night!! This is one of the first times I have been really relaxed! Rachel had a total of 5 guests plus her made 6 with one outside order. Still have 4 guests that want to HOPEFULLY place an order. So much to look at when it is Holiday time! Right now it is at $100.00 with only 2 orders so far. Will close the show Sat. and hopefully submit by Monday."

Andrea, "Just wanted to give you a quick update on my sales for November. As you might have seen, due to an adjustment, my sales started off -$44. However, today I sold 3 coolers for the med. mkt. bsk. for a net of $46. Also, have a show for a minimum of $177 I will submit at month's end.



The fundraiser is going ok. Most people are just ordering a few food items each. It has to be submitted nlt Dec. 1 to guarantee holiday shipping." 

Have you seen the January Flyer?????

Baskets.. Pottery.. Wrought Iron & Wall Art - OH MY!  

CHECK IT OUT- 

• Save up to 30% on select Baskets and Wrought Iron!  (I found a piece that I don't have and really want it at this sale price) 
• Save up to 40% on all American Home Pottery (never before on sale like this) and select Woven Traditions Pottery! 
• Save up to 40% on select Wall Art! 
• A sweet Sweetheart Basket
• Beautiful Collector's Club 2011 Member Basket 
• The January only Sister's Get Away For The Day Tote, introducing the three new Sisters fabrics not officially launching until February! You will be so pretty carrying this new fabric! 

Go there now - http://www.mylongaberger/ - news and information - January 2011!  While you are online and for your convenience, order your January Flyers on mailexpress by 11/20!
And, please leave a comment about your favorite sale product! 

Longaberger comes to Dallas!

Don't you wish that Longaberger would come to your city?  We all do!  How far would you drive for a good Longaberger fix?  I found a great fix in Dallas.  I always enjoy seeing old Longaberger friends and making new ones.  Nothing can stand in the way of Longaberger love!  Tina Smythe, Rachel Mackey and Judy Jasper came from the Big Basket to share a little Longaberger joy!  Elizaeth McCormick (2010 Spirit of Longaberger award) and her team put together the beautiful displays. 

 Signature Baskets.
 GIft Giving

 Fundraising

Design a Basket

 Let it snow... Let it snow... Let it snow..

Ho... Ho... Ho...

TLC Comfort Food 

 The most wonderful time of the year

I'll have one of everything!

 I played with the displays a little.
Is this adorable?


Make a Basket

My guests...
Steve Richardson
Debbie Richardson

Mickey Richardson

Do you see the common thread?

Debbie received a special gift (she's holding the bag).

Mickey won a door prize

(his favorite TLC food, Southwest Seasoning).

Steve and Debbie took home special thank you gifts from their consultant (that would be me).

Thank you for taking a look at Longaberger in Dallas!

Vendor Booth

Would you like to participate

in a bazaar or craft show?

The one I just did was a holiday bazaar for

America Supports You Texas

(a support group for our military).

This alone made me happy.

Here are a few things to think about:

• a corner booth is more inviting
• place your product in the back, inviting attendees to come in and visit 
• be sure that the area is well lit
• have WL and Flyers to hand out
• offer mints or hard candy in a basket
• offer a give-a-way to secure customer information
• take along your computer, if possible to take orders
• dress a step above your normal
• display flyers (NFL, Collegiate, American Valor, Fundraising)
• display with all the imagination you can muster (hard for me)

Here are a few pictures that may be helpful.

I am sorry that I did not get an overall shot.

The two long tables were L shaped.

The little table stood alone at the outside corner.