Jewelry Bars for the Holidays

The holidays are a great time to host Jewelry Bars.

How can you maximize on the Holidays as a designer? Here are a few ideas.


Offer your own BLACK FRIDAY special. You must do this in a private FB group or in person- so you can not post publicly about your special.  
         Shop at YOUR discount  or
         Black Friday party is open to 10 guests who spend $100. At the end of the weekend, all 10 guests will get to split the Hostess rewards and one lucky guest wins the Hostess exclusive.
        

Host a party for woman- get their wish list and their Husband's email and cell phone number. Then contact him

Host a party for Men. Have sets ready to go  in different price ranges for him to purchase at your party. Or if you don't have inventory, help him create looks that you can purchase on online for him and invoice him using Pay Pal.

Have a HOLIDAY themed JB with another direct sales rep- Pampered Chef or Scentsy etc. 

Have an OPEN HOUSE party at your house. Do this in early November. Decorate for Christmas. Have Christmas treats etc And Christmas specials. Invite past customers, hostesses, neighbors, friends from church etc. Make it a FUN Holiday gathering

Put together specific looks and post 12 days of Christmas specials on your VIP Origami Owl group. Or you can post on your regular FB and tell interested customers to message you.

Start decorating your JB displays NOW with Christmas tree. Add lockets to the trees, or take out boxes for decorations. Search the O2 Academy for fun pictures and social media imagines from last year. I love to find cute lockets on Pinterest too. 

Being Social and Selling

Found my Hacky Sack from High School today! Time to get it on!-  Donavon Roberson

In this day and age, being active on Social Media is key to having a successful business. Let's think for a moment...when was the last time you reached for a phone book to look up a number? Or did you simply ask Siri or do a quick search on Google? The internet is where it's at.

 I will admit, I love technology but I am not a fan of change. It took me many years to accept the fact that this wasn't 1994 anymore- when someone calls and leaves you a message, they are expecting you to return it asap instead of assuming you have an old fashioned message machine that you can only press play at in your kitchen.  Nope! Now a days, customers, friends, family, even the dentist, expect you to be ready to answer that call, text or email, 24/7. You need to know- customers will assume you have an OPEN SIGN up, 24/7.

 I LOVE this quote.  Isn't Origami Owl all about telling stories?  So this is a perfect fit- If Social Media is all about telling stories, and Origami Owl is all about telling stories, it just makes sense that we engage in this manner.

So... how do we tell stories? How do we engage? And how do we make money using social media?

ENGAGE THEM IN SOMETHING THEY LOVE. TELL STORIES!  Here are some tips I've learned from classes, seminars and books I've studied.
Post at least three times a day on Social Media. -
1. Something personal- My kids did this. I can't wait for Rick to come home from work because...  Just made the best apple pie. etc.
2. Origami Owl related-
3. Something personal-

RULES- Keep it clean. You are what you post. So if you are posting negative, or crud things, that becomes a part of your Branding and personality online.  Do you want to be seen as the person who is always complaining? Or do you want to be remembered for being positive, uplifting and full of life?

Okay, so let's say these are your three postings for the day.
8:34 am:  I love eating breakfast with my kids.
11:32am. I'm so excited for my Origami Owl jewelry party tonight.
4:59pm: Outback steak house! YUMMM

Those are fine statuses. But here is how to make it better.

8:34 am:  I love eating breakfast with my kids I'm eating peach cobbler. Yes i'm fully aware that's NOT breakfast but haha I love it. What about you? What's on your plate this morning?
Notice some things I did there? I threw in a picture of my food WITH some O2 in the pic. Not an obvious set up. But just a honest pic- My breakfast, my table clothe, some school work and a catalog.  I also ASKED A QUESTION which encourages my followers to comment back. When they do, I need to at least LIKE their comments, but even better-- engage with them.
Mary- I'm having oatmeal. I'd rather eat peach cobbler
Me- Well, cobbler has some oatmeal in it so it's kind of the same thing, right?
Mary- haha, mine is plain though. Going off sugar this week. HELP ME!

ENGAGEMENT BACK AND FORTH

11:32am. I'm so excited for my Origami Owl jewelry party tonight. Thanks @jamiesmith for hosting it. I can't wait to play with jewelry and meet your friends.

The status becomes more engaging when I tag my hostess.  Using the @ and their name will add the tag on FB or Instagram and Twitter. This will also alert their friends that they are tagged in a status.  I recently heard " People like to see their own name" and it's true! People like to be acknowledged.

4:59pm: Outback steak house! YUMMM Anyone else just want to scarf down that entire loaf of black bread and not share? LOL
Again, I asked a question which will encourage comments


Okay Angie. Those are fine and dandy, but how are those statuses gonna get me a paycheck?

Consistency. By consistently doing these types of statuses, you will build up an audience. You will become REAL to these FB friends. Slowly but surely they will start to notice your jewelry. And eventually something will strike their fancy.

**Where can it go wrong? 
If you ONLY post Origami Owl pictures or ONLY POST the shopping link, then you become one of those door to door sales men.  You didn't ask them to come to your door. They are bugging you during dinner and showing you stuff you didn't ask for. They won't take no for an answer.  And on social media- the way to get those obnoxious salesmen to go away is to unfriend or hide them. You do not want your friends to HIDE you on social media.  ( think about when you go to a department store. How do you feel when the sales lady really wants to get to know you- when she engages with you, goes the second mile with picking the right shape for your body, or a great new fragrance. When the sales lady takes an interest in YOU, you become "friends" and you are more likely to spend more money with a "Friend" then with a stranger. Transfer this to social media- do you just toss up a pic of a locket- or do you talk about it with your friends. "I really love this locket because it has my favorite colors in it. Anyone else love purple?" )

If you post a variety of YOUR LIFE mixed with O2, your friends will take notice slowly.
DO POST pics of Jewelry
DO NOT POST just a picture of jewelry without some type of status with it.

**Where can it go right? Last week, I posted a picture of my "arm party" and asked "what do you like the most?" One friend who hasn't ever commented on jewelry pictures before, commented. The first time in the year and a half I have been a designer. She commented. We went back and forth.Then private messaged. Then she placed a $100 order and then a day later another $40 order.

Now do you remember that picture at the top of this blog? It's a picture  of Donavon's foot, with a hacky sack. He mentions that he found it from High School. Time to start playing again. BUT DID YOU NOTICE THE O2 IN THIS PIC? There it is, on his foot. He doesn't mention it. Just posted about the hacky sack.  But guess what...I took this picture, a long with a picture of my husband wearing a bracelet and another picture of Donavon wearing a locket. I posted the three pictures with a status like "Hey Guys! What do you think  of these looks?" and that evening, I sold some O2 to some male friends who had never seemed interested before.

By consistently posting on social media, engaging with your audience and avoiding being the Door to Door salesmen, you CAN turn your social media postings into profit.

5 Steps to Successful Jewelry Bars

 Does a football team go to the biggest game of the year without doing special practices before hand?  Does a soloist at a dance competition just show up? No!  They practice. They rehearse. They put in some time before the big event.

Success at a Jewelry Bar is the same way. I have been known to go into the bathroom at my hostess's house and look in the mirror and say "YOU CAN DO THIS" . Yes! Sometimes Jewelry bars can be scary, but they don't need to be, if you are prepared. So let's get prepared.

 1. KNOW YOUR SET UP AND YOUR PRODUCTS.  Whether you are a brand new designer or you have a large inventory, you need to practice setting up your display. How do YOU want your table to look?  O2 has suggested we stick to the colors of Teal, Pink, Yellow, White, Burlap and Black for our displays. You don't need to spend a lot to have a beautiful display. Add in some free flowers or something seasonal (like this pumpkin). Keep your display simple, not cluttered. And most importantly, make your display USER FRIENDLY. After all, we WANT our guests to PLAY with our products. Get familiar with the TOM (Take out Menu). Know the differences between lockets, faces, charms etc. Guests aren't expecting you to have it memorized but it is helpful if you are familiar with it.

2. KNOW YOUR PAYMENTS.  How are YOU going to accept payments? There are lots of different ways to accept payments. I personally have a PayPal swiper. It fits on my phone and can swipe all credit cards. The money then goes directly to my pay pal account and I can use my PayPal credit card to spend it. Another way I like to accept payments at Jewelry Bars is by setting up my lap top. I have my Jewelry Bar shopping link up on the screen. When a customer is ready to order, I simply add their items to the cart (OR I ASK MY HOSTESS TO DO THIS) and the customer can enter their credit card directly to the O2 website. Other ways; cash, check (made out to you), Square swiper, Payanywhere Swiper.

Next, have a CHECK OUT location at your Jewelry Bar.  Put a small Jewelry display there- earrings or a core bracelet. Something that can be "added" to the purchase. Think about your favorite store. Is there stuff for sale at the cash register? YES!  Have you ever bought something just because its right there at the register? YES! So plan your Jewelry Bar the same way.

Have a sign at your Jewelry Bar check out- IF I DON'T ASK YOU TO HOST A PARTY, YOU GET YOUR SHIPPING FOR FREE, IF YOU HOST A PARTY, YOU GET FREE JEWELRY.  This holds you accountable to ask every customer because if you forget and they call you on the carpet for it, then YOU have to pay for their shipping!

Practice writing up an order. Practice placing an order online. Practice running a credit card.  PRACTICE MAKES AWESOME!

"

 3. GET EVERYONE INVOLVED! Everyone has a story. YOU as the designer are responsible for getting everyone at the party talking about their story. How do you do this? Here are a few ideas...

• Have your jewelry bar at a table where guests will naturally come to sit down at. Instead of having a formal display with rows of chairs for the guests.
• Mingle and encourage your hostess to mingle. Introduce yourself to every guest. I like to say "Let me show you my locket"  -- side note, always wear a locket that is easy to explain...don't wear charms that you can't buy anymore. I like to include a Mom charm, a butterfly "to remind myself to be okay with change", an ice skate "because I figure skate" and a suitcase charm- 'because I love to travel and seek out new adventures.
• When guests arrive, ask them to pick up a picture from a table (or floor)- pictures are print outs you have made of things that represent charms- Anchor, Photo of  mom with a baby, Sail Boat, Ballet shoes, Soccer ball, Piano etc.  Ask the guests to find a picture that they connect with or feel represents them. Then later you can show them that there is a charm for everyone!
• Encourage kids to make lockets- BUT stay close by...I have seen lockets get dropped on cement and shatter, as well as kids not screwing the face down so the locket opens and all the charms fall out.

4. PAY ATTENTION. Listen to conversations and look for clues. Does someone have a college student? Offer the watch. Someone getting married soon? Inscriptions would be perfect- Inscribe the Wedding date or a simple "Rick Loves Angie". Find ways to up sale- sale a pave slider along with a leather wrap to give a second look.  Know the monthly specials (Current September 2015- spend $85 get a free chain and two faces-- knowing this can help you help guests get a good value). KNOW WHAT'S OUT  OF STOCK. This info is updated every few days in the back office.

5. BE YOU!  I know this is a simple concept but it's so true.  Often we think "I'm not a salemen" or "I don't want to be pushy". Just be YOU. Remember WHY you fell in love with the jewelry and chances are good that someone else will fall in the love for that same reason. Be yourself.  Be friendly, Happy, Smiley. YOU are unique gifts and talents that no one else has. Channel those. Use them. Be smart, clean, sharp. And always SHINE.

Watch these three videos...SO MUCH GREAT INFO HERE!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2XuCuHkwi4


 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MLYYEyDH30

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfhAd4ndJfg

Your first Jewelry Bar-- 101 the basics!

How exciting is it to own your own business?
I'm so proud of you. I know it can be scary, but trust me, this is a beautiful adventure you are starting on.

Chrissy Weems said "Without Love, it's just Jewelry"

I know how scary it can be to put yourself out there and do your very first Jewelry Bar, so I hope this  blog post gives you some good steps and advice to follow.

1. Log into the back office of Origami Owl and start your very own Jewelry Bar.

Here is a video I made. Warning. It's totally GHETTO! But it gives you the gist what you do! :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz9ajRI6Qso

2. Create a FB event page. I like to this for my Jewelry Bars because I can invite friends to it, and it allows people to shop online, even if they don't live in my area. :)   To create a party:

Click on EVENTS on the left side  of FB
Click on CREATE at the top
Then you can upload pictures, dates, shopping links etc.

I will do another blog post with tips for what to say on an Online party. But at least with this start, you can put the shopping link there, the address and time of the party and start inviting friends. WARNING! Do  not do a mass invite. Invite about 20 friends. Then message them each privately. "Hi ___. I'm having a launch party for my Origami Owl business and I would love for you to come. I just sent you a FB event invitation. Check it out".  This gives them the heads up to expect the invitation. Make your guests feel special. :)

3.  Talk about your business. Post about it at  least once a day. Things like : I'm so excited, I just got an Origami Owl package in the mail!  Look at my newest locket!  What charm is your favorite? I love working from home. 

PUT YOUR PASSION OUT THERE!  Let other's know you LOVE this jewelry. People will become interested in it, when they see how much you love it.

4. INVITE!   Now it's up to you, how do you want to invite people to your Jewelry Bar?  Postcard invites? Email? FB only? Text? Call? Do what works best for you.  But you want to make sure you get your invites out in plenty of time. I heard someone say, a month in advance. I personally think 2 weeks is best, but again, it's up to you. :) There is also a great thing called RED STAMP. Check it!  

https://www.redstamp.com/browse/collections/origami-owl5. Incentives!  I love to offer incentives to my customers/friends/guests. I do thing like "BUY 4 CHARMS GET ONE FREE" or "Spend $110 get a Free Core Bracelet"  You don't have to do this. But I have found, people love getting something for free.  We, as designers, buy charms at 50% so $2.50 per charm is pretty affordable.  When I was just starting out, I would give away charms from my starter Kit.  This really pulled people in to the party and got them excited.

6. THE DAY OF YOUR JB!! Eeeeeeeee. Are you excited? Today is the big day! BREATHE!

       First, you don't have to spend a lot of money to make your Jewelry display look good. A lot of designers have had fantastic parties using just a plain white table cloth, and a few white plates. Lay the jewelry out. Let your guests open up lockets, pick up charms and create. Encourage everyone to tell stories with jewelry. There are lots of pictures on our team page of examples of cute Jewelry displays.  You can also find examples on google and pinterest.

     Second, I like take my lap top. I set it up as a "CHECK OUT" station. I have it opened to the jewelry bar shopping link, so when guests come to me with their orders I can quickly enter it in, add their credit card info and shipping and then it will go directly to them. Nice and Easy!

     Third, during my first few Jewelry Bars, I do not let people do a MAKE AND TAKE, or shop from my inventory. It's too confusing at first. I just place all the orders online. That's why having a Check out station is nice.

7. Knowledge!  Get to know the Take out Menu (TOM) and the website. Do some mock jewelry bar experiences before your big day.  Have you explored the shopping website?  Try placing an order. You can bail on it before entering the credit card info. But this way, you know where to find different items.

     QUICK TIP! Inscription plates.  To place an order for a custom plate, you need to Add the item to your cart. Then go to the cart. Then click on EDIT, next to the item. This is the spot where you can play with different templates etc. When you get the plate as you want it, save it. Don't worry! If you need to go back in and change it, you can still edit the plate. :)

8. HAVE FUN!  You will have a successful party if you are confident and having fun. All these People like you. They will like your party. You don't have to know everything to be successful. SMILE. TAKE A DEEP BREATH. AND!!! Remember why YOU love Origami Owl. If you share this from your heart, everything else will fall into place.

Do I get nervous? Of course I do!  But don't freak out. :) Be yourself.

9. Get your next party booked!!!
This is seriously one of the most important things you will do at your party. How do I get future parties?  Here is an idea that would be great at your very first jewelry bar.
Place envelopes on the table. BOOK AND LOOK.  Inside each envelope is a discount or a free item. "Free Shipping" "Free core bracelet" "Five free charms" "Half price on a locket" "Free Face" etc  Something you will offer or give to someone who hosts a party. You explain to your guests... if they host a party, they can pick an envelope.  Everyone LOVES freebies! You can give them their gift when you come to their house for their Jewelry Bar. (use your hostess rewards from this party to buy the gift for theirs)


I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!

Welcome to Team Adventurous Owls!

 

Hello Friend!  I am so excited for you to start this journey with Origami Owl. I call it a journey because that's what it is. Not only do you now have YOUR OWN BUSINESS but you are taking a leap into a fun new adventure. So CONGRATULATIONS! Pat yourself on the back. Brian Tracy starts all his audio motivational tapes off like this- and I agree. Too many people are too scared to try to start their own business. So I applaud you!
 

Our Mission is to be a Force for Good; to Love, Inspire, & Motivate people to reach their Dreams & Empower them to make a difference in the lives of others.

Let me first give you some new vocab that everyone at Origami Owl uses

VOCAB!
O2- Origami Owl
The Nest- the company headquarters.  This can be the actual building (I went on a tour of the nest!) or it can be the people there (I got an email from the nest)
JB- Jewelry Bar. We don't do parties or presentations. We do JEWELRY BARS. :) 
Designer- That's YOU!  We aren't salesmen or sales ladies.  We are Designers! We help people design lockets that tell their stories
Mentor- That is the person you signed up under. (Probably me if you are reading this)
PV- Personal Volume.  Personal volume is the product that you purchase from Origami Owl at Wholesale and resell at Retail. example: $199 in PV equals approx $260-280 in retail sales
Soar to Success-  This is such a FUN program and I encourage everyone to give it a shot. This program gives you PV goals for your first three months. You will find a flier all about it in your kit. Lots of fabulous prizes to win based on your success. And you get extra prizes if you sponsor your own designer.
Designer ID- when you sign up, you get a designer ID number. This is how O2 knows which designer is who. Congrats! You have a number!!
Back Office- This is the website. You will use your designer ID to log in. This is where you can order business supplies, create new Jewelry Bars, and so much more!  I recommend you give yourself an hour or so to just explore. Click links, explore. There is so much. BUT if you feel confused and get lost, don't hesitate to ask for help. There is a lot of info. Don't feel overwhelmed. HAVE FUN!
TOMS- Take out Menus. We don't have catalogs. We have Take out Menus! 

Alrighty, I think that covers the vocab lesson. :)

YOUR KIT!!!!
I want to encourage you to invite some of your closest friends over to help you OPEN YOUR KIT. This can be so fun. Take pics. Make it into a fun afternoon or evening. Wine. Hot chocolate. Party Music. Cupcakes....whatever tickles your fancy. Your friends will enjoy exploring your kit with you, so invite some over. :) Who knows, one might decide to sign up right there on the spot!

Your Origami Owl starter kit will usually ship within 3 business days and will arrive via Fed Ex within 3 business days after shipping.

Check out this video that gives you a peak as to what you will find in your kit. The password is oonewkit    I love this video!!!

BUSINESS CARD!  You will want to order some business cards. Origami Owl has made this easy for you with these fun, fashionable and affordable cards that have already been approved by The Nest.  Click here

COMMISSIONS!
Are you ready to make some money? Commissions are posted in the back office under the commissions tab. Our pay period is from Monday-Sunday and is paid out the following Friday.

Building a team?
You will earn your team override on the 10th of each month for the previous month's team sales.

PAYQUICKER!
You will get an email with info about PAY QUICKER.  Make sure you fill out everything and don't just throw that away. This is how you get paid! Soon in the mail, you will get an ADORABLE Origami Owl Blue Visa card!!  All commissions will be loaded onto this card and it can be used just like a debit card. Or if you wish to have money deposited into your checking account, you can choose to do that at no cost to you!

Tracking Your Order

Need to see if your order has shipped or when it will arrive?

1. Log in to your back office
2. Click the "orders" tab at the top
3. Click "all orders"
4. Choose the order you are inquiring about
5. It will either say posted (it's being picked and packed) or shipped
6. If it shows shipped, click "track" to track your package

FACEBOOK!
I love FB and I highly recommend making a FB fan page for your new business. Origami Owl has guidelines for creating your title for that page. Please be sure to use the format below.

Origami Owl - Your Name, Independent Designer  or

Origami Owl - Your Name, Independent Designer, Designer Number
TRAINING VIDEOS and OTHER LINKS
Do you know someone who wants to sign up? I hope this link will help you with MENTORING 101!
  http://thesuperangie.blogspot.com/2014/10/super-angiementoring-101.html

I have made some fun videos that might just help you along this journey. Check them out here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/SuperAngieMiske/videos