“Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” ~ Oscar Wilde
I was coaching one of my clients last week and she reminded me of a story I want to share with you. She asked me how she should answer potential representatives who saw her dynamic personality during her shows and felt intimidated by it. She said her parties were fun and crazy and that her personality was a little outrageous. I could definitely relate to that.
When I was a direct sales leader, I took team members and new recruits with me to my home parties whenever possible. I’ll never forget one night when one of my top consultants accompanied me to a party. I’m sure it won’t surprise you to know that I’m no shrinking violet and my party presentation reflected my personality. I was pretty funny and a little crazy and I always had a great time during my presentation. This night was no exception.
As we drove home that night, my consultant seemed too quiet. I asked her if everything was okay and she looked at me and said, “I’m doing this wrong.” Now, remember, she was one of my top producers, with consistently high sales, recruiting, and booking numbers. I wasn’t sure I wanted her to change a thing, so I asked her, “What makes you say that?” She answered, “Because I don’t do my parties at all like you do. I just walk in, spread the product out on the table, sit down with a beverage, and chat with the guests. I do my commercials but it’s much more laid back.”
This consultant was fairly quiet and somewhat shy, so that didn’t surprise me. And I immediately encouraged her to keep doing exactly what she’s been doing. For her to try to do my party in my way would be a disaster. Did I want her to incorporate the duplicatable tools I was using (like my introduction, commercials, and closing)? Absolutely. But she had to do that while still being herself. To try to be anything (or anyone) else wouldn’t work for her.
That’s the point I always made with the guests at my home parties who told me they could never do what I did because they weren’t like me. I’d look at them and say, “I agree. There’s only one of me and that’s a blessing! I think the earth might spin off it’s axis if there were another crazy me out there, don’t you! So no, you couldn’t do this like me, but when you start your business, I’ll help you find a way for your party presentation to reflect your personality, just like my presentation reflects mine.”
So, if you tend to be a more reserved person, find a way to do a laid back party. It can still be interactive, fun, and duplicatable without feeling like you’re being pushy or using any “gimmicks” to get your point across. No matter what, trust yourself and your intuition and be yourself. You’re amazing and I guarantee, the more “you” you put into your presentation, the more people will love and connect with you.
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Julie Anne Jones is a sought after keynote speaker, online trainer, and corporate business consultant. She’s an accredited life and business coach with over fifteen years of experience speaking on stages across the United States and Canada. Known as “the systems specialist,” Julie Anne can break down any concept into simple, step-by-step, action-oriented training. She is known for her authentic and easy-to-use scripting and specializes in specific language and communication tools for business success. To learn more about Julie Anne and her products and services, and to read more blog posts, visit her at www.julieannejones.com.
