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3/7/99

There are very few people in this world that can inspire and motivate us with there words from afar, especially when you have never meet them.  Then when you do meet them, there words become embedded in your mind as they reach into the deepest parts of your sole.  I have known a few of them on the AOL board. One of them has inspired me so much that when live is tough, I just sit back and take a CaNDLeDREAM!

It didn't surprise me one bit when I first started reading the early post on the board, what her first post was!  Her words were simple, few and as always, reaching out to encourage some one.  The first time the name CNDLDREAM is posted on the "NEW BOARD" is on Sunday, Oct 26 1997 at 10:51pm.  The post is a reply to a prayer request and it says "I will keep her in my prayers "!  So few words, yet what comforting words they are.

Many of Gina's post are words of encouragement to others as the board is peppered with them.  Other post are of the finest quality information you will find.  These are 3 of my favorites.

Sponsoring ethics, Mon, Jun 29, 1998 8:22 AM

    For any new consultants, this is an important topic.  This is something that should be trained on a unit and regional level but I thought since I was preparing to talk about it at my next unit meeting, I'd share it here too!

     

    Because [company] is not a territorial company, anyone can sponsor anyone else from anywhere!!!   This is a wonderful thing when we have friends or family several states away.  Remember that you can sponsor someone no matter where in the U.S.  If you do sponsor long distance, you (or your leader if you are not yet a leader), can call the Home Office with that new sponsors' town, state and zip code and get the name of the [company] leader closest to that new consultant.  I have sponsored long distance and I have found that EVERY leader I've spoken to in different states is more than willing to "adopt" my new consultant into her unit and/or regional workshops so that person has local support and I do the same. The ultimate responsibility of the one on one training though does lie on the sponsoring consultant so a lot of telephone contact is necessary - you can't expect the local leader to be responsible for that new consultants' success because that is your job as her upline!

    Also, whether long distance or local, when sponsoring someone REMEMBER to ask them first if anyone else has already offered them the [company] income opportunity.  If someone has already provided them with information about the opportunity, you should refer that potential sponsor BACK to that original contact.  This is [company]'s ethics.

    I hope this helps someone!

Sponsoring Info, Thu, Jul 9, 1998 8:44 AM

    Thank you for sharing your information!!!  I think it is wonderful that you are loving what you do and doing it so well!!!  The key thing I get from your success in sponsoring is ATTITUDE!!!  That's all it takes -- a positive attitude and LOTS OF SHOWS!!!!    My personal goal is to sponsor 2 per month and I feel that is very realistic given my schedule. . . . If I am doing 10 shows per month, I am hostess coaching to get at least 10 guests at each show, that means I MEET 100 people EVERY month!!!!!   Out of 100 people, I KNOW there are at least 2 who will benefit from the opportunity with [company] -- it is my job to find those 2 people!!!  For anyone struggling with sponsoring -- FIRST build your own personal business to a point where you are holding 10 shows per month and then just go out there with a SMILE and a great attitude and like magic --- you will sponsor!!!!   GOOD LUCK!

     

Tale of Two Hostesses, Sun, Nov 23, 1997 11:07 PM

    As promised in the "Hostess Coaching" workshop this evening, here is the "Tale of Two Hostesses" poem.
    I include a copy of this in my Hostess Packet!!!

     

    A Tale of 2 Hostesses

    Congrats!  You have booked a [company] show!
    You're getting FREE candles, you couldn't say no!
    Here's a tale of 2 hostesses, as you can see,
    so, listen and pick which one you'll be . . . .

    First there was Mary -- so proper was she,
    her invitations were written in caligraphy!
    "I'll just invite 10, I don't want too many,
    I'm sure they'll all come, so there will be plenty."

    She forgot to remind them to bring a friend,
    "I'm not sure how many more can fit in my den!"
    Her beautiful catalog sat at home on the table.
    "Outside orders?  Oh, I wasn't able."

    She set a buffet fit for a king,
    but forgot to give her guests a reminder ring.
    The night of her show, her home looked just great,
    so we lit the candles and proceeded to wait.

    Only one guest arrived, the candles to see,
    "Why?" Mary pondered, "does this happen to me?"
    Then there was Patty -- so excited was she!
    Already smelling the free candles from me!

    We mailed 40 invitations and then she called
    even more people than her house could hold!
    People wanted to know what she was talking about,
    so she would stop and pull her [company] catalog out.

    She bragged on [company] and the great scents you see,
    outside orders were no problem . . . no siree!
    She called them all and said "Bring a friend!"
    And don't forget about the prize you might win.

    She didn't have time to set a buffet.
    She stopped at the bakery - her show was that day!
    That sat on the sofa, they sat on the floor,
    they sat in the chairs, they stood in the door!

    The house wasn't perfect, but they had fun anyway!
    They had a good time buying candles that day.
    The numbers were added, a FREE shopping spree she won!
    "Wow she exclaimed, that was really fun!"

    The moral of the story won't leave you to brood;
    concentrate on your guests, not your home or the food!

Other posts from Gina have a personal touch to them and you start to feel a part of her world when you read them.

Phew!!!, Thu, Dec 4, 1997 11:13 PM

    I hear you!!!!  I am exhausted from my holiday season -- a good kind of exhausted though!  I feel I have deserved my time off in December!  Although I will not be doing shows, I still have a million [company] things to do to get ready for 1998!!!  I am looking forward to some free time though with my hubby and kids too -- maybe I'll even bake Christmas cookies!!! LOL

     

    Here's to all of our hard work this year and a great 1998 -- I hope everyone enjoys the fruits of their labor this holiday season!
    Thank you [company] -- I already paid November and December's mortgage!

PLYMOUTH, Mon, Jul 13, 1998 10:34 PM

    I GOT THE CALL TODAY!!!!!!!!!    I nearly fell off my chair!  I was #22 with Leader sales of $8,484.  I am still sooooooooo excited I just can't believe it!!!!!!!!    Good luck to everyone else who was hoping for the call -- who else is going??

     

June Monthly Recognition Awards!,  Wed, Jul 1, 1998 5:32 PM

    WOW - thank you for the recognition and all the kind words!!!  I actually prepared a big elaborate reply this morning and just before I clicked "send" my daughter picked up the telepone and booted me off AOL (UGH).  I'll try to remember what I typed . . .

     

    First, I wanted to say that my shows in June were in NY, NJ & CT and the show averages in these states are naturally higher to begin with so I definitely have that factor in my favor!

    The BIGGEST reason for my high sales is HOSTESS COACHING!!!!!!!   I keep in very close contact with my hostesses in the form of postcards, letters, challenges and phone calls.  I make the most of EVERY show on my calendar and I have a fairly low cancellation rate because of that!  I tell every hostess to over-invite -- 30 to 50 names on their lists, to invite guests verbally and then mail me the guest list as I will mail out "reminder" cards (not "invitations"), I encourage them to tell guests to bring a friend or two, I ask them to follow up with anyone who did not RSVP after the reminder cards went out, etc.  The sales I obtain are more from the number of guests versus the amount each guest spends!!!   My average attendance at shows this year is 11 people.

    Also, I am not pushy about getting my bookings.  I have a very strong calendar so I am never in "panic" mode.  I tell guests that I love what I do and that I love doing shows for anyone who is excited about having one!  It takes the pressure off -- I stress the reasons for THEM to have a show and when it's all about THEM, not ME, it's eaiser.  I am confident in our company and our awesome hostess program and I feel I have a great service to offer a potential hostess.  I tell them that I am happy to report that I've been able to give away thousands of dollars worth of free product every year thanks to our wonderful hostess program!  As Zig Ziglar says "you can have everything you want in life if you are just willing to help enough people."

    Lastly, carry high ticket items or items you can sell in multiples or as part of a grouping.  The least expensive product I am carrying this summer is the Lotus Lantern BUT I am usually selling them in pairs!  Also, always remember to encourage the purchase of our candles and maybe more than just 1 dozen so they don't have to pay additional shipping and handling for their next dozen!  Always talk up gifts for the particular time of year too!

    My high show of over $1,600 was for a hostess in Scarsdale, NY.  She was very excited to book her show and she did everything I hostess coached her to do!  She invited 50 people and had 35 show up!  She had a pre-arranged booking (I actually ended up with a total of 5 bookings from her show and no . . . she didn't want to make it a starter show unfortunately).  She was so geniunely excited about her show that her enthusiasm rubbed off on everyone she invited and her show was a HUGE success!  She has already told me she will have another one soon!

    Thank you all again for the great recognition!!!  I am so hoping to earn the trip to Plymouth but you never know what kind of sales will be submitted company-wide with an incentive like this one so I'm not getting my hopes up (if you'd like to keep your fingers and toes crossed for me though, I'd appreciate it! LOL).  I'll post if I do earn the trip.  Congrats to everyone who had a great June and good luck to all for an even better July!!!!

These are just a small sample of the years of kindness, info, and person that Gina has filled our lives with.  What a remarkable lady she is! I remember meeting her at conference last year.  Gina had been so inspiring to me that I took her a small thank you gift in hopes that I would see her.

First night we found each other and I knew that she was every bit as kind as I thought she would be. I keep a folder on my desk top called  "CNDLDREAM" and in it I put all the letters and post that I find by Gina. I know that I can turn to her post to comfort me in bad times and lift me up when I'm sad.  I read as many as I can than lay back in hopes to escape reality,  if only for a while; and have a CANDLE DREAM!

Gina's positive letters and kind words reach out to me as if she was here in person to take me by the hand and say " Hank, it will be OK!" and help me deal with life on the tough road I travel.  KEEPERS OF THE LIGHT are so blessed to have her as are all of us on the board.

I'm so happy to hear the good news that our Beloved Gina Pille is now a GROUP LEADER.  I couldn't be happier for her, however;  this also meens that she is one step closer to SRVP!  On that day, the joy will mix with sadness as she moves out of KEEPERS OF THE LIGHT, leaving behind a void that no one else can fill.  We then will have to move on in life remembering our days with her and our CANDLE DREAMS!

WAY TO GO GINA,  Hank

This page last updated July 06, 2005