You may have been reading about how we were #1 for personal sales in The Summit Group for January – April 2012.  You may also know that we’re having a really good month.  You may think we’re some superstars that do stuff that nobody else can do.  Well, that would be wrong.  Completely wrong.  You can do what we’re doing.  I have proof.

Although our results are not typical for a Watkins Associate, we have proven that other people can copy our results by doing what we’re doing.  We have a new associate that is already over $1200 this month.  He signed up at the very end of April and has $1200 volume this month, doing what we’re doing.  He and his wife are just blown away that it is so easy.  While I can’t just post how we’re selling Watkins, you may have figured it out or you may already know how we do it.  If not, we would be willing to tell you *exactly* what we’re doing.  It will sound a bit complex, but you will find out how simple it really is and be blown away, truly.

Now we don’t go door to door or bug our friends excessively, we just do this one simple thing.  Some people probably wouldn’t even call this selling, but a customer is placing an order with you so I won’t go that far.

Still, it’s easy.  And there’s so much opportunity… I mean there are many places available, and with Watkins’ large product line, many items you can offer.  Some sell better than others, but that’s ok.  You’ll still sell Watkins Products, and you’ll sell more than you think you will.

I don’t know if I’m over-hyping this… there is some risk.  Any business has some risk.  You need to manage your money well especially.  Buying too much of the wrong items might be a problem.  But hey, this is what we’re here for.  To help you with your initial decisions.  Then you can do whatever makes the most sense for you.

We do have many associates who do not do what we do, and we’ve let everyone know what we’re doing.  Perhaps this isn’t right for everyone, or perhaps nobody believes me… But we have some very good associates who sell their own way and that’s ok.  One sells at farmers’ markets.  One promotes a free site online for new associates.  One sells to family and friends.  Many associates sell using parties.  So there are many options, just none quite as easy as what we do.

Let us know if you would like more information….

Many people that want to start a business haven’t done so before, and they just don’t know where to start. In this post, I will help with some external info on the basics of starting and running a business.

Here are some articles on starting a business:

• Checklist for Starting a Business – IRS
• Starting a Business & Startup Funding – Entrepreneur
• Follow These 10 Steps to Starting a Business – SBA
• Advice on Starting a Business – Inc

Now once you’ve gone through the process of setting up your business, you will need a product.  Of course we believe that Watkins Products offer an exceptional opportunity to grow a good business, but you may not be so sure.  So here are some articles on selecting a product or product line:

• Find A Product Or Service To Sell Online – FeedYourHungryMind.com
• Finding a niche product to sell – OnlineSellingCoach.com
• 11 Ways To Find Products To Sell On eBay – Entrepreneur University

Once you find a product or product line to sell, you have to develop a marketing strategy and or sell your products and services.  Note that an active marketing strategy may not include selling the product to the consumer, but finding other people to sell the product.  The latter is called selling the business opportunity, in my opinion.  In Watkins we have many people who sell the products to consumers and others that just sponsor other associates for profit.  Here is some information on marketing and sales:

• Marketing – Wikipedia
• Marketing Strategies and Ideas for Your Business – Entrepreneur
• The Official Ziglar Sales Blog – Zig Ziglar

About the only other things involved in running a business are customer service and accounting.  There are good books on both if you need additional information.

So are you ready to start your own business?

Watkins Products are super-high-quality gourmet, home care, personal care, and health-related products.  Watkins Vanilla, Black Pepper, and Cinnamon won gold medals for quality in the 1920′s and many people swear by Watkins Petro-Carbo Salve, Hand Cream, Menthol Lavender Drops, and Menthol Camphor Ointment.  Ask your Mom, Grandma, or Great-Grandma for more information!  Since 1868.

We were #1 for personal sales in January through April this year… 4 months. For May, our group volume is going to double and our personal volume will probably be at least 50% higher. We have a bang up new associate who is selling online and another who is doing farmer’s markets and selling quite a bit. But also, we have found new ways to sell more product and we expect to grow through the summer.

Summer time is usually slow so we are very surprised to be continually growing. We are also going to be more profitable for May than April and hopefully we can carry that through the summer also.

Watkins Products are super high-quality gourmet, home care, personal care, and health-related products that customers are really catching on to! There is much room for growth… Watkins is a very small part of the market so we would like to see a Watkins product in every household. What that is going to take is more associates reaching out to more people. The products don’t sell themselves, we sell them.

I know that it seems like we’re just trying to increase our volume or something, but it is important to the success of your business to use Watkins Products. Why? Well, if you are asking your customers or your associates to use Watkins and you aren’t, what are they going to think? Personally, I always feel bad when somebody asks me about a particular product and I have to say I don’t use it personally. Of course, I’m a guy so I don’t use lotions – there I get a pass. But why am I using another cinnamon, or another black pepper, if Watkins is so good?

Using the products will not guarantee your success, but not using the products will guarantee your failure. We are that confident that it is that important. Really.

Personally, we stock every single sku that Watkins sells, that we can get our hands on. We even have the plush socks and the caring cards (if you know what they are). You really don’t have to go to this extent… but you really should buy Watkins from your own store before you buy another brand from the grocery store. And, better yet, have each item you can use bought before you need it rather than when you need it. If you do this, you won’t feel that urgency to buy it now from the store because you’ll already have it.

Again, I know how this sounds. I have been in your shoes. But think about it this way: Buy only what you would buy anyway, then you’re not spending extra money… in fact you’ll probably be saving money. Just shift your buying from the Super Walmart, Super Target, Jewel, Albertsons, Vons, Schnooks, or other local store to your own store. They can live without the little bit of business you’re shifting and you’ll get great products at a discount.

As you may already realize, some people criticize multi-level marketing programs.  Why?  Because they or somebody they know joined one and quit because it was too difficult.  I can tell you, that’s the only way to fail.  So then you talk about wanting to join Watkins or another company and they all have bad things to say about it.  Then you try the products and really like them, still they criticize.  Then you sponsor 5 more people, the same people are still critical.  Then you quit your job because you’re making enough money with your business, what happens?  The same people are saying it’s a mistake.

People criticize your choices.  It could be for many reasons, here are a few:

1. You are changing

   It is threatening to them that their friends or family members change and they criticize to keep you from changing, and eventually meeting new people, making new friends, or just growing away from them.

2. They are concerned about you

   Perhaps they worry you are going to waste your money or that you’re being brain washed.  Some MLM companies or teams operate as cults and I believe you want to stay away.  But growing into a better person is ok.  Are you being brain washed into doing destructive things or are you heading into a better direction?

3. They are jealous

   Perhaps your friends or family members are jealous of your success and want to bring you back down to their level.  Perhaps they don’t even know this is how they feel.

4. They just don’t believe you can do it

   The you from yesterday may not be capable of accomplishing what you are setting out to do, but the you you’re growing into can.  Still, everyone remembers the you of the past and don’t think he or she can be successful.

So yes, people will criticize.  Let them.  Then show them they were wrong.

Note that the criticism really does go away at some point once you establish yourself as a business person, selling what you’re selling.  It might take a year or more but eventually people accept the new you.

How can you ever say that you have a business opportunity with no selling involved?  Let’s try this one: You subscribe to Directv.  You can introduce Directv to a friend and he gets $100 for joining and you get $100.  So introduce 10 friends a month to Directv and you’ll make $1000 per month.  Did you sell anything?

Technically you did.  You sold Directv service to your friends, letting them know that they can get $100 for subscribing.  Maybe you also told them you got $100, maybe not.  But it didn’t really feel much like selling did it?  You’re giving them a great deal, they can take it or leave it, no big deal.

What you’re not doing is cold calling people, continually pushing stuff they don’t want, or knocking on doors.  All those bad images you get when you think about selling.  You’re also not bugging your friends over and over to join a company that they don’t want to join.  You’re asking once, and you are letting them know the benefit if they do.

Sponsoring people can be done in a nice, laid back format similar to asking your friend if he’d like to subscribe to Directv to get $100.  You offer a program to get a discount on high-quality household products… ok bite my tongue, they’ll think you’re selling Amway…  perhaps just be a little more focused and say they can get 25% off high quality kitchen items like vanilla, black pepper, and cinnamon for joining.  And it only costs $39.95 to join.  Let them know they’ll love the products and it’s possible that their parents or grandparents also used the products.  Many people, in fact, drive miles to buy them.

So what is being sold so far?  You are making an offer for your friend to join a program or club to receive a discount on great products.  I guess you’re selling the membership by being honest and telling them the features and benefits of joining.  If they say no that’s fine, just ask for other people who might be interested.  Actually you would probably ask for people who like to cook, for instance.  Then repeat the process.

At this point nothing has been sold, at least nothing that will make you money.  Watkins Products still must be purchased for you to make money.  Now you want to promote the idea of buying the products with the people you’ve signed up, but no heavy pressure or anything.  Some will buy, some won’t.  It’s ok either way.

I don’t know if I make this sound easy or not, but while it’s work, it is pretty straight forward.  Can you get rich selling household products?  Let me ask you a question, can you get rich selling computers?  Can you get rich selling ice cream?  Can you get rich selling beer?  The answer to all: If you sell enough.  And generally, you don’t do it alone.  You need a team, people to help.  And for some of the people who are now discount customers, it just might be them.

I would call this a sales business, yes.  But no selling ice to Eskimos or distasteful selling.  Just promoting your business, your products, and your opportunity.  And of course the discount.

We talked last time about signing up with Watkins just for the discount.  Ok.  Let’s say you don’t really want to do direct sales but you want to build a business.  Just offer Watkins as an opportunity to get the 25% discount on great products.  Sort of like joining Costco or Sam’s.  Your customer joins for $39.95 and they get the 25% discount.  Their products arrive fresh to their door via UPS and they just make sure to buy once per month or more.  It’s not necessary to buy more than $100 retail (although they can), which adds up to be about $75 plus shipping per month, rather than buying inferior products at the grocery store.

How does it make you money to introduce others to the Watkins discount?  Let’s say that 10 people join, each buying $100 retail per month.  That’s $1000.  You buy your $100 retail per month and that’s $1100.  That earns you about 8% of $1100 or $88 per month, every month, for having 10 people join.  Keep working at it and you can build up quite an ongoing income.

While I don’t want to tell you this is easy, selling the discount for people to join is probably the path of least resistance for getting new associates.  Then some will buy month after month, some will do nothing, and some will realize they can do the same thing as you are.  That’s where things really get interesting.  Your discount customer group can grow without you doing much of anything!  Then your income really grows.  You’ll do the same thing you’ve always been doing, just showing people how they can save money with Watkins, but now people you don’t know are joining your group.

Don’t let the idea of sponsoring new associates frustrate you.  If you are trying to get people to sell the product, you will get sales people.  If you are trying to get business people, only business people will be interested… but… if you are just trying to get discount customers, everyone who knows and loves the products will want in.  Make sense?

Let me know if you have any questions…

Why in the world would you want to join Watkins as an Associate, if you aren’t interested in running a home-based business?

1. You get a 25% discount.  When you buy from Watkins Incorporated as an Associate, you get a 25% discount from dollar one.  Even if you only buy $100 per month, that is $300 per year in savings over the suggested retail price.

2. Your product arrives fresh.  While we do everything possible to sell the freshest product, Watkins ships it to us, we store it, then ship it to our customers.  We watch the best if used by dates and such… but the only way to get the freshest Watkins Products is to purchase them from the factory.  You can also purchase from Watkins Incorporated as a customer using our id, #085682, but you don’t get the 25% discount unless you are a Watkins Associate.

3. Watkins Products are worth buying at full retail price.  If you compare prices to the supermarket, you aren’t getting the full picture.  Watkins Products are the highest possible quality, well worth the asking price, and they come with an unconditional 100% money-back guarantee.

4. Watkins collects sales taxes for you.  There is no need to worry about filing with state agencies because as long as you are just buying for yourself, Watkins takes care of the taxes.

5. Paperwork is not needed.  You only need to fill out your International Agreement or sign up online, then just visit watkinsonline.com to order.

6. Watkins ships UPS ground in most cases.  Expect your products to arrive in good shape… if not, Watkins will take care of you.

7. It only costs $39.95 plus applicable taxes to become a Watkins Associate.  (remember when I said you would save around $300 per year?)  Unlike other programs, most Watkins Associates renew their memberships every year because they just love the products!

8. Did I mention that Watkins Products are worth buying, and come with a 100% unconditional money-back guarantee?  Contact us if you are unhappy for any reason.

9. Maybe you do really want to start a business?  Ok, just thought I’d throw this in there.  If Watkins Products are so good, you can make at least 25%, and you have a 100% unconditional money-back guarantee for your purchases and your customers’ purchases, why wouldn’t you want to make this your business?

10. We do not pressure.  We are here to support you and your goals, whatever they may be… not to pressure you to do things that make no sense for you.  You want to just buy for yourself, that’s ok with us.

Remember that if you sign up during the month of April, you qualify for a free $50 Watkins gift certificate…

I wanted to give you a partial list of services we offer to Watkins Associates that join within our group:

• Quick emergency inventory at Watkins prices.
• We stock 230+ different items, most with significant quantity.  We are continuing to add.
• We usually stock business supplies.  We can also print printable flyers in either black and white or color.  We do not typically produce custom flyers but we will add your information when applicable.
• We have samples: Currently we have lotions but are looking to expand
  
• We know or can find out specific details about products.  We know, for instance, the product to treat toe nail fungus.
• We can print, email, or provide information about product stock-outs or discontinuations.  We may also be able to find (or have) discontinued items or backordered items.  Most of this info is on the internet but it can be difficult to find.
• We can provide advice:
  
  • We understand the brand awareness program
  • We understand when you need to provide documentation to Watkins, for instance when setting up a booth at the fair or selling items in a store.
  • We sell personally, locally, online, and in online marketplaces.  You can get quick orders by listing items.
  • We take credit cards, paypal, and invoice customers
  • We have a top-notch shipping “staff” (Brian & Chris).  We know the best and least expensive ways to ship.
  • We have a top-notch customer service organization
  • We sponsor via Summit Group co-op, our own magazine classified ads (Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Inc), Google Adwords, personal contact, and the Manager Lead program.
  • We have been network marketing “professionals” since 1992.  Mail order about 1989.  We were full-time with another company in the 1990’s
  • We understand computers, internet, Quickbooks, payroll, corporate procedures, sole proprietorship (schedule C).  Brian currently consults for a large distribution company. Please note that we are not tax professionals but may be able to give some basic advice.
    
• Chris is now full-time with the business and can take your calls daily.  For some issues, she may have to refer you to Brian.  (me)
• We offer “sign up” listings and can email you leads from our website.  You must be able to work with leads (i.e. have the right materials to mail)

Please let us know if there’s any other way we can help.

Ok, I am looking for ideas.  I want to guarantee our business opportunity but I simply cannot give back more than a person puts in.  Watkins guarantees all of their products, they will refund you what you purchased at any time in any condition, period.  100% unconditional money-back guarantee.  We honor and accept this guarantee for all of our customers and associates.  Watkins also guarantees the $39.95 starter kit for 30 days.  We not only honor that, but we extend that indefinitely.  So you join and all of your spending with Watkins Incorporated is guaranteed.

So if I guarantee to refund you all the product you buy and your $39.95 starter kit, at any time, what are you risking by becoming a Watkins Associate?  I can tell you that I am pretty certain you can be successful, but not that you will be successful.  So join, put some effort into your business, and if you don’t like the results, I will buy back all of your product used and unused, and refund your $39.95 starter kit.  Who else offers this?!?!?

So tell me, how can my guarantee be any better?  Really, asking for more ideas…