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                    In a Nutshell
   Information and Tips for your Image Consulting Business

 2/04/04                                          Issue #22
 Linda Gerloff, Editor, linda@blueflute.com 
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     By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of
                   "In a NutShell".
 You are receiving this newsletter because you have
 subscribed to either the monthly Automated Inventory
 Updates or this newsletter.
 Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this newsletter.
 
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   IN THIS ISSUE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    =>  Inventory Updates for February
    =>  Blue Flute News 
    =>  Feature Article
         The Hard Work of Selling
    =>  In My Business, How Do I -       
         Build my client base with booths?
    =>  NutShell Tips –
         -Are some of your invoices missing?
         -Missing Skin Care on the Inventory Listing
         -Convince your client to join your team 
    =>  Game –
         Share the Opportunity Game
    =>  Consultant Success Story       
    =>  Recognition Corner
    
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 Inventory Updates for February
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Your inventory updates for February are ready. If you have
 subscribed to this service, you can get your updates here:
  http://www.blueflute.com/btyupdt1.htm

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 Blue Flute News
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Leadership Special –The NutShell Combo will be available
 for a reduced price the week after Leadership! For $124.99,
 consultants will get everything they need to be up and
 running with an organized business. And payment plans are
 available.

 Whether or not you go to Leadership, let your consultants
 know about the Leadership Special.

 If you are going to Leadership, please make it your personal
 goal to introduce NutShell to a unit that doesn’t know about
 it. There are entire teams of sister consultants who don’t
 even know that there is a customized software program
 available to simplify their business! Don’t assume those
 around you are already using it. Ask! Spread the word!

 Flyers – You can print Leadership flyers to take with you.
 Also available are flyers for New Consultants, as well
 as general NutShell brochures. Please feel free to
 download and print flyers from here:
 www.blueflute.com/Flyers.htm.

 NutShell ‘class’ at Leadership – I am looking forward to
 greeting those who will be at Leadership. Because the
 scheduling is somewhat unpredictable, I will be
 providing you with one-on-one (or ‘one-on-several’)
 question/answer sessions, rather than a formal NutShell
 class. Please schedule a little ‘NutShell time’ in your
 weekend! Your guests are welcome, too. I will have a couple
 of laptops available for demos and Q&A.
 
 My available hours will be:
 Thursday 2PM – 10PM
 Friday  10AM -  6PM

 You will find me in Susan Craig’s guest room at
 the Wyndham Anatole. Please call the front desk and
 ask them to ring the room. We’ll let you know where
 we are.
 
 Thank you to Susan for her generosity in sharing her
 room!

 
 Software Upgrade – Don’t forget to download your software
 upgrade. You will like it! If you didn’t download the
 upgrade last month, go ahead and download it now. If you
 don’t remember if you did or not, you can do it again.

 If you just started with NutShell in January or February
 you already have the most current version and don’t need
 to download the upgrade.

 Otherwise, download the upgrade here:
 www.blueflute.com/upgrade260.html.

 The first upgrade released after you sign up with NutShell
 is free. After that, the upgrades are $20 per year. If you
 purchased the upgrade last month, but haven’t downloaded it
 yet, please download it at your convenience:
 www.blueflute.com/upgrade260.html.

 

 Be sure to do a backup before you download the upgrade.

 Find out more - If you are not familiar with NutShell, you
 can find out more here:   
  http://www.blueflute.com/btynut.htmm
 Download NutShell here:
  http://www.blueflute.com/ordrform2.htm

 Information Request – My daughter, Sara and I are very
 excited because we will be participating in a
 Hungary-America student exchange program this year! We
 will host a Hungarian teenager for several weeks this
 spring. Then, in June, Sara will go to
 Germany-Hungary-Austria – for a month! Yes, I will miss
 her unbelievably! (*wiping a tear off the keyboard*)

 We are looking for companies that would be interested in
 sponsoring Sara. If you are involved in any way with a
 company that has German/Hungarian or Teen interests and
 might consider sponsoring Sara (in any amount), please
 let me know. (The sponsorship is tax deductible.) Sara
 has a letter prepared that she will send. Any
 suggestions from you will be greatly
 appreciated! mailto:Sponsor@BlueFlute.com

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 Current ‘In a NutShell’ Newsletter and Archives
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 To read this month’s newsletter in it’s entirety, go to
 this page: http://www.blueflute.com/Newsletters.htm
 
 Did you miss a prior ‘In a NutShell’ newsletter, or would
 you like to review one of the articles? You can view it
 here: http://www.blueflute.com/Newsletters.htm 

 Top Articles:
 Do you have a question that has stumped you? Some common
 questions are discussed in the following issues of the
 ‘In a NutShell’ newsletter:

 Backing up/Questions about CD’s: May 2003
 Handling Gift Certificates:      October 2003
 Selling items out of a set:      June 2003
 Ending the tax year:             December 2003
 Gift Baskets:                    February 2003

 To find the above issues, go to
 www.blueflute.com/Newsletters.htm and select the issue
 you want.

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 Feature Article –
  The Hard Work of Selling
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 by Brian Tracy
 

 Selling is hard work. It is one of the most difficult jobs
 in our economy. As a salesperson, you face continual
 rejection, potential failure, persistent disappointment,
 setbacks, obstacles and difficulties not experienced by
 most people. Selling is not easy and it has never been
 easy. It never will be easy. It will always be varying
 degrees of difficult, from hard to very hard, to very,
 very hard. And to be successful in selling you must be
 tough, as well.

 Your Attitude Makes the Difference

 ----------------------------------
 In selling, your attitude is probably eighty percent of your
 success. Your attitude is the outward expression of
 everything that you are, and everything that you have
 become over the course of your lifetime. Your attitude has
 the greatest single impact on the people that you deal
 with. The development of a positive mental attitude is the
 indispensable requirement for great success in your field. 

 Learn To Bounce Back
 --------------------
 Psychologists have defined the "hardy personality" as the
 type of personality that is most suited to the rigors of
 the modern business world. The hardy personality, the
 personality you need to develop, is resilient, optimistic,
 tough, strong, and capable of bouncing back continually
 from temporary disappointments and defeats. 

 Respond Constructively To Stress
 --------------------------------
 A positive mental attitude is a constructive response to
 stress. It is a solution-oriented, objective approach to
 difficulties that you face every single day. A positive
 mental attitude is expressed as a general optimism toward
 life and the inevitable challenges of earning a living. A
 positive mental attitude is the most outwardly identifiable
 quality of a winning human being, and it is the
 characteristic most closely identified with success in
 selling of all kinds. 

 Practice Mental Fitness Every Day
 ---------------------------------
 To become and remain physically fit, you must engage
 continuously in physical exercise. To become mentally fit,
 to develop the kind of attitude that leads on to success
 and happiness, you must engage in continuous mental
 exercise. It is a never ending process. Just as you do not
 achieve physical fitness and then discontinue physical
 exercise, you can not achieve mental fitness without
 working on it regularly, every day, like breathing in
 and breathing out.

 Action Exercises
 ----------------
 Here are two things you can do immediately to put these
 ideas into action:
 First, decide in advance that, from now on, you are going
 to respond in a positive and constructive way to each and
 every stress situation in your life. Be tough!

 Second, practice mental fitness every day by forcing
 yourself to remain cheerful and optimistic in the face of
 difficulties and disappointments.

 Remember, you can do it if you decide to!


 About Brian Tracy
 Brian Tracy is a leading authority on personal and business
 success. As Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International,
 he is the best-selling author of 17 books and over 300 audio
 and video learning programs. Join Brian's Free Email
 Newsletters.  http://www.briantracy.com/subscribe.asp

         *-----------Quote of the Month-------------*
         "If you think optimists aren’t always in touch
          with reality, you’re right. Pessimists are
          more often right, but optimists accomplish
          more, and live longer, healthier and happier
          lives.
            -Susan Dunn
         *------------------------------------------*
 

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 In my business, how do I –
    Build my client base with booths?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Booths at community fairs and bridal shows are a great way
 to build your business – especially if you are new in town
 or don’t have enough contacts to keep your calendar full.
 Having a booth will give you the opportunity to meet many
 women and get the word out about your services.

 Tips for a successful booth:
 1. Make your booth appealing. Keep boxes, paperwork, etc.
    out of sight. Use a tablecloth and simple decorations to
    create a sense of elegance and professionalism.

 2. Have pictures of you and your clients at a Spa Escape.
    Include pictures that will pique prospects’ interest or
    make them say ‘I want to do that!’, ‘That looks like
    fun’ or ‘That looks soooo relaxing’. The pictures could
    be displayed on a display board or in a photo album.
 
 3. Have a drawing. (You already know this.) This will give
    you a reason to collect prospects’ name and contact info.
    On the entry form, list your services and ask them to
    indicate which they are interested in. The winner of the
    drawing could win, not only a Spa Escape, but also a
    product that you are overstocked on. Or maybe a
    ‘dollars off’ coupon. We all like to win, so present
    something that is fun to win.

 4. Have a Candy Bowl! Make the bowl fairly large, so your
    prospect has to reach in deep. This already makes her
    more committed to you. Don’t fill the bowl too full,
    so that it looks like there isn’t much left. It will
    make her want to reach in before it is all gone. And
    it’ll make it look like everyone is interested in your
    services! We are all attracted to ‘popular’ things.

 5. Use everything BeautiControl has taught you to make
    yourself and your assistants look great! People are
    attracted to pleasant-looking, well-groomed professionals.

 6. Build brand recognition – in other words, make the
    BeautiControl name noticeable. Recruit one this month
    and you will get a Spa Smock with BeautiControl logo.
    Use name tags and a banner. Put together a collage from
    your (old) catalogs and Acheivers. If you don’t have a
    banner or nametag, your director can help you get one,
    or earn one!

 7. Be sure to get out from behind your booth. Go in front
    and mix and mingle!

 8. Have some help. When you get tired, take a break and have
    someone else man your booth. Keep your booth energy
    attractive and approachable.

 9. Present products that capture attention quickly. For
    example, the Warming Trend Masque and Show of Hands are
    unique and memorable.

 10. Display a few products, but not so many that viewers
    will be overwhelmed. Use boxes covered with decorative
    cloth to create several display heights. A moderate
    amount of ‘white space’ around clusters of products will
    draw interest and curiosity.

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 NutShell Tip - Are some of your invoices missing?
              – Starting over with your Inventory
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Are some of your invoices missing? – As you work to wrap up
 your 2003 entries in NutShell, it may seem that some (or many)
 of your invoices are missing in the Income and Expense Log.
 If this is happening to you, here is why: Invoices are logged
 in the Income and Expense Log when they are paid and closed.
 You can mark an invoice ‘Paid’ and then close it, or you can
 mark it paid after it is closed, on the History screen. Either
 way, invoices are logged in the Income and Expense log once
 they have been both paid and closed.

 It is important to remember that your invoices are put into
 the Income and Expense Log according to the Payment Date.
 When you mark an invoice as paid, by default, the payment
 date will be the current date. So, if you sit down at your
 computer in February, to catch up on your December paperwork,
 keep this in mind. An invoice can have a December 2003 invoice
 date and when you mark it ‘Paid’, the payment date will be
 the current date – February 2004. So, the invoice will show
 up in the Income and Expense Log as 2004 sales.

 If this has happened to you, it is easy to fix. For your
 invoices that are showing up in 2004, but should be logged
 in 2003, do the following:

 1. Go to the History screen and bring up the client whose
    invoice you want to fix.
 2. Click on the invoice and then click the Pay Invoice
    button.
 3. You will see a little window with information about the
    invoice you are working on. You can change the invoice
    date and/or the payment date. If your payment date is
    showing 2004, change it back to the correct date
    in 2003.

    This change will also change the entry in the
    Income and Expense Log. After you have corrected the
    payment date of all the invoices that are showing up
    in 2004, reprint your Income and Expense by Class
    report, for your taxes.

  Hint: The Payment for Invoice window (the window that
    appeared when you clicked Pay Invoice) can stay open
    while you move from client to client. This will make
    your work go a little faster.

  Hint 2: If you still have some 2003 invoice open, when
    you mark them paid, adjust the Payment Date before you
    close the invoice. Then you won’t have to go back and
    correct it later.

  Hint 3: If you have downloaded the latest NutShell
    upgrade (www.blueflute.com/upgrade260.html),
    you can simply enter the payment date. NutShell will fill
    in the ‘Paid in Full’ amount for you!

 Missing Skin Care on the Inventory Listing – Have you run
 into this problem? When you print your inventory listing
 for end-of-year 2003, you may not be able to find
 discontinued products, like the old Skin Care.

 When you click the Print button in the Inventory screen,
 the first option you will see is ‘Section’ and ‘Retail A’
 will be filled in. ‘Retail A’ means everything that is
 currently listed on the BeautiControl order form,
 including While Supplies Last. Anything not listed on the
 order form (like the old skin care) will be in
‘Discontinued Retail A’. So, if you want to see your true
 inventory  value, run your report for Section ‘All’.

 Convince your client to join your team -  
 Tip by Deb Schroeder, Unit VIP from Lincoln, NE
 Deb likes for her client to look over her shoulder while
 she enters the client’s invoice into NutShell. The
 Total Cost, displayed in the lower right corner of the
 screen, shows the client how much money she would save
 if she became a consultant.
 Great idea, Deb!

 
    *------------------A Good Laugh--------------------*
    More from Phil Humbert's newsletter:

    A group of 4 to 8 year-olds were recently asked:
    "What does love mean?"   The answers they got were
    broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined...

 

    Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then
    he wears it everyday.

    --  Noelle, age 7

 

    My Mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see
    anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.

    --  Clare, age 6

 

    Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and
    still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.

    --  Chris, age 7

 

    Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you
    left him alone all day.

    --  Mary Ann, age 4

 

    I know my older sister loves me because she gives me
    all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.

    --  Lauren, age 4
   
    *-------------------------------------------------*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   Consultant Success Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Debbie Harrel

 I am so proud of Debbie Harrell! She was my
 2003 Top Recruiter and Top in Sales!

 Debbie is a hard-working, positive go getter and she's
 going for DIQ beginning in February. Debbie's enthusiasm
 for our wonderful business helps to kick start every unit
 meeting or BeautiControl gathering we have. I admire her
 determination and I know she can do it. Keep up the great
 work Deb, we believe in you!
 -- Brenda Fogerty, Director, Louisville, KY

 Flora Brown
 Flora Brown received her mustang, December!
 I am so proud of her!
 -- Debra Tucker, Sr Director, Montgomery, AL

 Patricia Cusworth

 I have a new DIQ, Patricia Cusworth, Keywest, FL.  She made
 her first month "January"!!!!!  Go for it Patricia!          
 -- Debra Tucker, Sr Director, Montgomery, AL

 _________________________________
 I want you to know I NEED you to help me with this part of
 the newsletter. It can be motivating to those of us who are
 working hard, but sometimes get discouraged.

  Who are you proud of? (It can be yourself!) Sing their
 praises and inspire others:
 mailto:SuccessStory@blueflute.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   Game – Share the Opportunity Game
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 This game sets up a situation where you can Share the
 Opportunity in a relaxed way with no pressure on you! The
 guests are actively involved, which will keep their
 attention focused on you. And they get to win!

 You will need:
 - 10-15 double-sided tickets
 - A small basket or decorative container
 - Coupon for dollars off a product purchase and/or
   other Small Gift (from your overstock or While Supplies Last)

 Have your guests ask you questions about your business. Each
 time a question is asked, give a ticket to the person who
 asked the question. Put the other half of the ticket in the
 basket. When the tickets are gone, draw a ticket from the
 basket. The guest holding the matching ticket is the winner.
 She will receive the small gift and/or coupon.

 Some of the questions you may get include:
  How many hours do you work?
  What does it cost to join?
  How much do you make?
 
 -------------------
 Do you play a game that is a big hit? We would love to
 hear about it: mailto: Games@BlueFlute.com    

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   Recognition Corner
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Congratulations to the following NutShell users who have
 worked hard and achieved success in advancing their careers!
 
 ~ New Executive Director ~
  Denise Newsome   (when Denise signed up with Nutshell, just
                    under two years ago, she was a Unit VIP!)

 ~ Mustang Director ~
  Norma Holland
 
 ~ New DIQ ~
  Diana Baker
  Sheila Banks
  Julia Beach
  Rebecca Bevill
  Vicki Callaway
  Barbara Gordon
  Kathleen Hudson
  Dawn Kuster
  Jeanette Lewis
  Barbara Lindner
  Tressa Malone
  Suzy Schiavone
  Claudette Sealy
  Alanna Stachniak
  Tina Stock
 
 ~ New Unit Manager ~
  Sandra Knellinger
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   Copyright Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  
 Please pass this e-zine along to your friends. Just click
 the Forward button on your email screen to send this
 newsletter to other consultants who would enjoy reading
 it! However, please keep it intact and forward it in its
 entirety.
 
 Copyright 2004 Blue Flute Software Creations, Inc.

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 A note about referrals and your email address – Being an
 avid hater of email spam as much as you are, I have
 never (and will never) give, sell or rent your email
 address to anybody who could possibly spam you! However,
 I will give your email address to consultants who list
 your name as their referral. I will give her address to
 you, as well. This is so that you and she can be ‘NutShell
 partners’! If you would rather not have your email address
 given to your referrals, please let me know:
  mailto:privacy@blueflute.com             
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Linda Gerloff
 Blue Flute Software Creations
 Linda@BlueFlute.com 
 P.O. Box 77882
 Fort Worth, TX 76177
 817-439-1081