Before I go into some of the class information that I learned, I wanted to share another wonderful sample that showcases Sale-a-Bration! Lookie at this adorable card. I love all of the bright colors used here, and how
Celebrate is colored in (you could use Stampin' Write Markers, or if you don't have those, a blender pen and ink pads would work well too). If you place a $50 order, you can choose the
Outlined Occasions Stamp set as your FREE item, a set of 6 stamps. Click
HERE to place your order!
While Leadership is a ton of fun, and we get spoiled with great food, prizes, and swaps, it is also loaded with
training to help us grow our business. Leadership has been a great motivator for me to go out and try to make a few friends, and to get a workshop or two onto my calendar. Moving always causes my business to just about come to a stand-still, and I have been stuck in my shell longer than usual this particular move, so now it's time to get myself out there!
One of the classes I attended was called
Why Women Buy.... Carrie Cudney did a great job of showcasing some of the key points of why women may choose to buy from a demonstrator, instead of a chain retailer. The main thing is RELATIONSHIPS. We women need each other....I remember when I had 4 very young children, (ages 5, 3, 1, and newborn), we made a major move to Memphis. I actively sought out ways to build relationships. I joined 2 MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) groups,
which is probably against the rules, and a Bible Study so that I was guaranteed to be out of my house, and with other women at least 7 times a month!
I look back on that time, and can smile, because even though it was challenging, I made some wonderful friendships that have lasted through 3 more moves...in fact, last year I was able to have a mini-reunion with Jennifer, a mom in Memphis with 4 kids the same ages as mine, because she was willing to come to Nashville for a night so we could visit while I was at Leadership! Jennifer still orders from me at times, even though I've encouraged her to find another demonstrator near to her. I think it is because she hasn't had as close a relationship with the demonstrators she has come in contact with .
The next point Carrie pointed out, was that we tend to look for that "perfect solution" or that "terrific time saver." I do that in more than my crafting; I do that in my daily chores....cooking, cleaning, laundry, and more. That's why we love our Big Shot, and the Punches, and Stampin' Up!'s coordinating colors, stamp sets, and accessories. By taking out the guesswork (will this red ribbon match my red paper?), Stampin' Up! has made this part easy for us, by offering lots of coordinating products.
If you are a customer of mine, you might want to skip all this and go to the stamping samples, but if you are a demonstrator that didn't attend Leadership, or that couldn't take
Why Women Buy, then I hope you find Carrie Cudney's points, and my examples helpful. Be yourself, be encouraging, and be available to your customers, and they will be supportive of you as well.
Let's finish this off with one more example showcasing Sale-a-Bration products! One of my roommates received this card as a swap, and the creator of this card mentioned that this is a great way to use up your scraps! I do not know the name of this technique, but I'll revisit this one sometime, and give you the details...but you could probably try your hand at playing with your scraps to create this look yourself...you can do it!!! This card features the Hearts Collection Framelits, and Sale-a-Bration DSP. Have a blessed day, bec
I am happy to be back posting to my blog. My wonderful Grandma Rhoda passed away last week, Wednesday evening. She was a wonderful woman, who taught me how to pinch a penny, among other things... I will miss her dearly, but we jokingly said she lives on in me, every time I wash out a plastic baggie, re-use aluminum foil, or put an extra layer on instead of turning up the heat. My husband affectionately calls me Rhoda at least twice a month, and I hope that continues until someday my grandkids ask who Rhoda is.
I love an elaborate card as much as the next gal, but there's just something about the CAS (Clean and Simple) ones that always get my attention. I love the little extra details....the punching around the oval, and the fussycutting for the bird. But this is still clean and crisp.
Today I was visited by my new downline, Donna....WELCOME to LAMBITIOUS! and she brought Teaghan, her 3 month old grand-daughter with her. Teaghan had an adorable outfit on, but won't she look so cute this summer in a onsie accented with our beautiful stamps and fabrics? So cute.... A little Wonder Under, and we'll be on our way!
I love that the Sale-a-Bration stamp sets and papers are exclusive, because people are motivated to get them before they are all gone, but man, I'd love to be able to use this paper for ever and ever! This has to be one of my all-time favorites! 
