Episode 24 Transcript

Welcome to the other 99% podcast. I’m your host Lisa Duck, a coffee loving direct sales enthusiast who’s obsessed with a good digital system. Come join me for a realistic look into the world of direct sales. We’ll explore inspiring perspectives, learn about unique business tips, and celebrate success stories that often go untold. Because on the other 99%, every seller matters. Hey everyone, it is me Lisa and welcome back to another episode of the other 99%. I am so pumped to have our guest with us today. I just want to introduce you to, if you haven’t already met her online, Ms. Rachel Perry. And Rachel, I’m so excited that you’re here and just wanted you to share a little bit about who you are and all that jazz with our guests, our listeners, I should say.

Well, girl, I am so happy that you invited me to be a part of this because you might not know this, but-Like you were one of my first students after I, like after the tag team sort of ended. And so you were in my membership, I believe, right? You were in my membership. And I just remember like, you were just one of my people from the very beginning. So when I saw that you were doing this podcast, I was like a proud mama. I’m so excited and so proud of you for like stepping into your power and just who you are. And this-You have so much to bring to this audience. So for everyone listening, just know like Lisa is it. And I’m so happy to be here and I’m just so excited. So if you don’t know who I am, I am Rachel and I teach direct sellers how to have successful businesses. I’m a business coach. I teach them how to have, you know, consistent three to five K months without relying on parties, which is kind of crazy because if you followed me a while ago, I was part of the tag team and we taught people how to party on Facebook. But things have changed. Things have changed. And Facebook parties, online parties, they just don’t work the way they used to. So that’s kind of my passion. That’s what I’m all about these days. And I’m so excited to be here.

Awesome. Yeah. I remember joining your, yours was the first membership that I actually joined. It was, at that time where I said, you know what? I can’t keep relying on my company to train me everything because it’s like they have great training, they have great resources, but it wasn’t what I was looking for. So I mean, you’re, you’re basically how I stepped out of my, my comfort zone, jumping into these like trainers from other direct sales trainers. So I appreciate that. And I remember the calls and, and all that stuff. But, and I met so many wonderful people through the membership, which is awesome because it allowed me not only to build my knowledge, but to build my network. And I think that’s one of the true values of these memberships, right?

That is such, I’m so glad you said that because I just had like this aha moment. So many of my students and not even just my students, like direct sellers in general are like, how do I grow? How do I get new customers? How do I get new people? if parties aren’t working the way they used to, how am I supposed to do this? And I think one of those things is networking, right? It’s connecting with people. And sometimes it happens in, like when you step out of your comfort zone to join something for you to help you in your business, and then your case, not that all these people became your customers, but…You did build a bigger network and some people probably did become customers and that’s how it works. That’s awesome. I love that you said that. Well, and not even just the direct seller that I’m networking with, but I build the know, like and trust factor with them and then they just start sharing me with their network. And it’s like just snowballs from there. Right. I mean, I own my like, I mean, I don’t have a huge like the US is a huge, huge network market to get into. But I wouldn’t even be anywhere near in the amount of homes in the US that I am in right now with my Epicure business if it wasn’t for the networking that I have through like communities like yours through the modern direct seller and all that those things. It’s like you need to build your network to get out there and to grow your business for sure. Yep, for sure. Yeah. Oh my gosh.

So one thing I know, I mean, you’re a wealth of knowledge when it comes to direct sales. And I’ve been in it for a long, long, long time. It feels like, well, it’s so funny because anytime people say something’s like, yeah, man, it’s been 18 years for me. And it’s like, it’s, it’s crazy. It’s crazy, you know, and it’s going to be 14 years with Epicure. So it’s not like I went from company to company, no, I know. It’s like sticking with it for the long term, but it’s. Like the amount of information that we have in our heads is crazy, right? And I love, you know, your three to five K months without partying. So can you share some insights with the listeners, some little tips and tricks that you can sort of suggest to help them get out there? Yeah, it’s what I love to talk about.

So absolutely. But it has been 18 years for me. My son turned 18 yesterday and I was like, first of all, how am I old enough to have an 18 year old? You know, I think the same thing. Yeah, I’m like, but what? Like I literally gave birth to him yesterday, I feel like. So that was a whole range of emotions. But I started indirect sales when he was like a month or two old. And kind of for the same reason that so many of us do is so that I could stay home. I was a teacher before, and I just didn’t want to go back to teaching. I didn’t want to leave him. And so I started my direct sales business and I too was really only with one company for my time in direct sales until we started the tag team. Um, recently I joined another one. I kind of wanted to throw my, like, get, you know, get back into the, into the direct sales world. I mean, I was in the direct sales world, but I wanted to experience it. Like I wanted to get boots on the ground and really experience it again. Um, but for anyone who has tried to run two businesses, At the same time, it’s very difficult. So I had to be like, okay, this is kind of like one of those things where I have dipping my toes back into a company again. But my biggest focus is helping you guys, helping direct sellers find wealth and to build a sustainable business. So, but yeah, here’s where my kind of push. I hear so often. Parties are the lifeline of our business or you know, you have to have parties in order to be successful in direct sales. And I disagree with that. I am not anti-party at all. I think parties are awesome. If you’re having success with parties, I think it’s incredible. And I say to my students all the time, like just keep going because they are a really great way of getting in front of more people. They’re a great way to get higher sales because when people can see, touch, feel, smell, whatever, try on your product, you’re going to have better sales. I think there was a shift, I know there was a shift probably around like what, 2013, 2014, when we started doing more Facebook parties and online parties and that became this great way to do our business. Well, we didn’t have to leave our house and we didn’t, we could do it online. We could do it in our pajamas and we could still make good money and it was amazing and it was awesome. And then things shifted. Like after COVID, things just started changing. And now Online parties just aren’t, people aren’t seeing the success that they were in the past. And that’s just because this is how the world works, right? Like you and I have been in this industry long enough to see that there have been so many changes in the 18 years. Like when I first started, Facebook wasn’t even a thing or had just started, like that wasn’t even a thing. And it was all in person. And that’s just what, what, what we did. Right. And so things evolve. And I think it’s so important for us to evolve as well and recognize that there are. There isn’t just one way anymore. We have so many tools at our fingertips that we can utilize in our business. So that being said, if you have been feeling frustrated because parties aren’t working the way that you used they used to, I want to encourage you. And tell you there are better, well, there are other ways. I’m not gonna say there are better ways, but there are other ways as well to bring in that money, to have those consistent 5K months. The thing is, something to remember is like, if you’re not gonna be doing parties, you still have to work hard, right? Like it’s not just kind of one of those things where you sit back, relax and like it just happens. You still have to work your business. But what’s so important, I think, is to remember that you can build the business that you want. You can build the business that you want period end of story. Like I want you to think about how much do you want to work in your business? What, what’s a dream business for you? Like how, how would it feel? How would it look? You know, where, where are you working? How many hours a day are you spending? So many people that I talk to feel like they’re glued to their phones. They have this sense of like urgency all the time because they’re afraid that they’re not gonna make their sales goal this month or their team isn’t going to bring in enough sales and their team is kind of ghosting them and all the things. And there’s this sense of like panic and urgency and it doesn’t have to be that way. So when I am looking at what I teach inside my three to five K program, um, it’s about adding tools to your toolbox.

So I use this example all the time, but my husband’s like, He’s a Mr. Fix It. He just loves to fix things. And so he has a massive toolbox, which is hilarious because I grew up with a dad who used a wooden stick to like fix the dishwasher because the dishwasher would fall out. And so he came up with this great idea to stick a wooden spoon, sorry, wooden spoon in the side so that it wouldn’t fall out. Okay. Or duct tape. Duct tape was a tool that we used. That was about the extent of my dad’s toolbox was a wooden spoon and duct tape. So my husband having this massive toolbox is a whole, it’s a whole new world and it’s amazing. However, if he just had wrenches in his toolbox, which are great, like you need wrenches sometimes, right? I don’t know enough. So if you are a fix it, Mrs. Fix It, Mr. Fix It, whatever, just, no, I’m not, okay? But if my husband only had wrenches in his toolbox, he’d be able to fix some things, but not everything, right? And so he’d be able to do a really great job if the tool needed a wrench or if the job needed a wrench, but not so great if it needed a screwdriver and nails and all the things or screws, whatever. It’s the same in your business. Like what are the tools that you’re using? If parties and social media or just social media are your only tools, you’re missing out on a whole heck of a lot of other things that you can be doing.

So I’m big on teaching you how to have your business working for you in the background as well. right? So that you can go to the pool, you can go to the beach with your kids, you can whatever it is, you don’t have to be glued to your phone 24 seven. So the first thing though, that I’m going to tell you that you need to really dial in is who your like top 1% is, who is your ideal customer? And that’s something I think so many people glaze over. They’re like, oh yeah. I mean, really anyone can benefit from my product or yeah, my product is for my ideal customer is like a mom. Okay, but we have to get even more specific because when you are able to get really specific and understand your ideal customer inside and out, you’re able to speak to that person as if they are the only person in the world and they feel so seen and so heard. And that will resonate with them. Whatever content you put out there is really going to resonate so much. So know who your ideal customer is. And I tell my students all the time, sometimes you have to keep, you have to keep revisiting it. Right? Like I, it took me a long time to really understand who my ideal customer was in, in the coaching business, but also in my direct sales business. And that’s because we get to know our ideal customer, right? Like you aren’t instantly best friends with someone. I mean, maybe sometimes, but you know what I mean? Like you don’t instantly know each other inside and out. You have to get to know each other and that’s how it is for your ideal customer. So some, something that I teach is to go and do market research, always be asking questions, always find out even more information about your ideal customer, because then you’re going to be able to serve them on a much deeper level. And that is what it’s about. Because once you know what they struggle with, right? Like let’s say let’s, because you sell Epicure, like, I would imagine your ideal customer is someone who maybe doesn’t like to or cooks but needs.

So for me, yeah, it would be somebody who doesn’t really love to cook but wants to cook healthy meals, right? They don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen because they just don’t like it. They have to be like me, right? They just don’t like it. They may be approaching an age where they have older kids. So it’s like meals that have to be able to be reheated, you know, so. I totally get it. And this is what I try to train people as well, you know, especially my team. You have to speak to somebody specifically because on social media, you need something that’s going to stop the scroll. And when you’re you’re scrolling and say, my ideal customer is Jane, and Jane sees my post and there’s she’s like, Oh, my God, Lisa knows exactly, exactly what I’m talking about. But then Sam is scrolling the feed to my post still relates to Sam. Sam can still get information from it. So I’m still selling to Sam, even though she’s not my ideal customer. So it definitely, I, cause I know a lot of people say, well, I don’t want to niche down because I’m, I’m going to start pushing people away, but it’s it. In fact, when you do that, it brings more people in.

Yep. So, so well-spoken Lisa like that. That’s exactly it. Like you want to stop that scroll you want. And think about it, like, I was thinking about this today. One of the tools that I teach is email marketing. And I think email marketing is, it’s the number one, honestly, marketing tool. But a lot of people are like, oh, it’s too much, or oh, I hate email or whatever. But you know, when you add such value to your emails, people are going to want to open them. And I was thinking about that today as I was looking in my inbox, there’s one person who sends the emails about, about something business related that I’m very interested in. I save all of her emails because they’re filled with so much valuable content. I’ve even emailed her to be like, this is such a good email. I’m sure she’s like, thanks. But it is so true that when you have, when you know who your ideal person is that I call them that your top 1% when you have that person in mind and you send an email or you post on social media or you share a new VIP group or whatever it is, or you send a text message. It is so powerful because it’s going to resonate with people and they’re going to open your email. And then when it comes time to sell something or when you are sharing a special or whatever it is, they’re going to want to open it and they’re more likely to purchase. So that would probably be the next thing. It’s like to start really looking into email marketing because that is a very, very, very powerful tool, just like text marketing is. But I also want you to start thinking about who are you speaking to and what are their struggles? So in Lisa’s case, it’s going to be someone who just really doesn’t like to cook. So if she’s sharing something and she’s talking about it and she’s like, OK, I have the best idea for someone if you hate to cook, but you need to because you understand your kids need to eat. Why? I don’t know. But every, you know, side note every night, every, without fail, my husband and I are like, shoot dinner. What do you, do you, it’s as if it’s a surprise after 18 years of feeding children. And I’m like every, every night I’m like, Oh shoot dinner. Anyway, I think when you send out, when you start posting or sending an email out or text messaging, you need, you want to start a conversation, right? You want someone to go, Oh my gosh, yes. That’s me 100% yes. And if you’ve nailed down that top 1%, the person you are speaking to, you’re gonna have more conversations because people are going to respond to you. And that is where it’s at. It’s having those conversations, those real authentic conversations where people are feeling so seen because of what you’re sharing. They’re automatically gonna wanna start having a conversation with you.

And I teach a whole thing about how to have conversations and all the things in my program, really what it is, it’s starting a conversation. It’s asking them to respond to what you’re posting. And when you’ve nailed the content, when you’ve nailed what their struggles are and what their problems are, it’s gonna be so much easier. Yeah, yeah. I totally agree because there’s no one post that can create your success, but it’s the conversations that those posts bring into your life. Take them to the DMs, to the PMs, whatever it is. But yeah, just…I had somebody ask me, it’s like, what do you, what do you post on social media to have sales? And I’m like, I don’t, I talk to people. I’m like, just because I’m sitting behind a computer screen or typing away, it doesn’t mean that I’m not having an authentic conversation with someone. It’s not all about the spammy sales posts. I hate seeing those spammy sales posts, but that’s, They want to feel seen.

I was, I, so I’m in my later forties. Okay. And I didn’t know this, but as you age, your skin changes, which is super fun because you know, there are many other things that change too. And I remember being like, why is my skin like, like I’d wake up in the morning. I’m like, why is my skin so dry? Like it’s like sandpaper. And, um, I was just like, Oh, I need to drink more. Right. I need to have more water. That’s my problem. I’m not, I’m not healthy enough, whatever. And then I was scrolling Instagram one day as one does, and I came across this woman who was actually, she teaches people over, I guess, 45, like skincare and makeup and stuff. And she was talking about how your skin changes as you age and how it’s not because you’re not drinking enough water, it’s like you’re not getting the right, using the right skincare, blah, blah, blah. But my point is, I felt so seen by this person because she was speaking. to a struggle that I didn’t even actually really know that I had, like I would wake up in the morning and be like, why is my skin like sandpaper? But then I would forget about it for the rest of the day. And it wasn’t until I realized like on her thing that, oh, I do, that’s my problem, right? And that’s an example of knowing the struggles of your ideal customer inside and out, you know them before they do almost. And so you’re able to really nail them. So. Yeah, exactly. Drawing out their problems, their concerns, and you know. like you said before, making them seen. And that’s the one thing it’s like, once people are seen, it’s like, they’ll naturally gravitate to you because they know that you, you’re there for them. You’re not there just for the sale, you’re there for them. So I you know, I think too, along those lines, it’s like, you being real is so important. And we hear that word, the word authentic all the time, I feel like it’s such a buzzword. But it’s true. Like if you can be real, and you can share the reality of your life that’s not perfect. We don’t need to be perfect. In fact, please don’t try to be perfect. Show us the real, right? Because that makes us so much more relatable. How often do you scroll through social and you’re thinking, wow, like their life is perfect. They seem to have everything together. Must be nice. Their kids are all smiling in a picture. My, you know, things, whatever it is, or they got all these awards and my kids got none. Right. We, we, we think about that’s how we look at social sometimes. Or we think, gosh, I wish I looked like her, whatever. But how awesome is it when someone shares the real, right? Where they go, this is the picture, but this is the reality behind it. Or I’m really struggling right now. I don’t know what to cook for dinner. And frankly, why do they have to eat?

Right. That’s so real and relatable versus here’s my perfect day. Like here’s my perfect house. Here are my perfect children. That’s not real, right? That looks pretty, but it’s not real. So be real because that is so much more relatable. Don’t be afraid of being you. Yeah. It’s so funny because there there’s some posts out there that I think they’re so curated that they’re just speaking to other consultants or ambassadors of the company. And that’s where people see all those likes and all those comments. And it’s like, you actually look at this, like they’re all ambassadors. Like, so you’re not actually speaking to customers, like get out there and speak to customers, right. And being like being real is what’s going to bring in those customers. So I love that.

Now I know that you, you were basically the one who introduced me to email marketing and you know, the, the importance of the email marketing. And I know that you have some horses and apps or not apps, but freebies and stuff like that. So do you have anything that we could drop in the show notes for our listeners to grab? I do. I have so much, but I’m just going to give you one thing because that’s easier. If you go to rachelaparry.com forward slash no parties, I have my party’s optional profit plan for direct sellers and in there. There are, there will be links to other freebies, to my email course and all the things. But yes, that is going to give you kind of how to actually build a three to five K a month business without having to rely on parties. Awesome. And where can people find you, Rachel on social? Come and find me at Rachel A. Perry. I…love it when you come and chat with me, please come and chat with me in the in the DMs. I just love getting to know you guys. And I also have a podcast called the direct sellers podcast. Yeah, listen to it every week. That name. I’m like, that’s just so easy to remember. So definitely come and listen to that too. Awesome. Yes, I’ll make sure I link everything in the show notes. Now, I didn’t prep you for this, but I’m sure that you’ll you’ll do great. But I usually ask our guests to give a quote or a piece of advice that they think that every direct seller needs to hear. Okay, a quote. Well, I’m not good at memorizing quotes, so I’m not gonna give you a quote, but I think, okay, I will say this. I do think every direct seller needs to hear this. You are enough. You are worthy. You are enough. It doesn’t matter how much you make. It doesn’t matter how many people on your team. It doesn’t matter how many parties you have. It doesn’t matter if you reach your sales goal this month or not. You are enough. Like you are worthy for who you are now. So I think in this industry, it’s so easy to base our self-worth on our rank or how much sales we’re bringing in or all of that. And that has nothing to do with your worth, okay? And it’s especially hard when you lose your rank, right? Which happens all the time. You’re your title. You get a title and then you don’t make it for the next month or the next three months and then you lose it and it’s a whole thing that affects us mentally. But I’m going to encourage you to kind of try and detach yourself from that because you’re enough with the title and without a title. You’re enough making $200 a month making $3,000 a month. Like it doesn’t matter. None of that matters. That’s all external. But recognizing that who you are today, just because you exist, is that you’re worthy and you are enough. So just remind yourself of that, because I do think that’s something that so many direct sellers struggle with. I love that. And I think I can’t remember the exact quote, but I have a t-shirt that you sent me. I think it says something like, know your worth, or something like that. Yes, know your worth. Yes. So I love that. Well, because the membership used to be called wealth and worth builders, because we were building your wealth, but also recognizing that you are worthy of whatever it is just life. Yeah. So yeah, that’s my big, my big thing. I love that.

Well, I wanted to thank you so much for joining us and I really appreciate you being a guest on the podcast. And I know there’s gonna be a lot of stuff that people are taking away And just wanted to say goodbye to everybody and thanks so much for joining me and we will see you guys on the next episode of The Other 99%. Take care. Bye.