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                    In a Nutshell
   Information and Tips for your Image Consulting Business

 10/06/04                                          Issue #30
 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
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    =>  Inventory Updates for October
    =>  Blue Flute News   
    =>  Feature
          Skin Care Regimen sheet for your Clients
    =>  In my Business, how do I…
          Increase Sales and Eliminate Party Cancellations
    =>  NutShell Tip
          Tips for taking an order over the phone
    =>  Game
          Sad, Solemn Occasion        
    =>  Consultant Success Story      
    =>  Recognition Corner
    
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 Inventory Updates for October
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 Your inventory updates for October are ready. The updates will
 bring your NutShell inventory list in synch with the
 current BeautiControl order form. If you purchased the
 NutShell Combo, Career Builder Packager or have subscribed
 to the update service, you can get your updates here:
  http://www.blueflute.com/btyupdt1.htm

 If you would like to sign up for one of these options, they
 are available here: www.blueflute.com/orderpage.htm.

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 Blue Flute News
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 NutShell Special – Due to the popularity of the ‘Take a
 Deep Breath’, I have arranged for it to be available
 again this month as a gift for your consultants who sign
 up for NutShell.
 
 Using this CD takes pressure off consultants as they do
 their spas. It combines words and music which has
 been shown to be especially effective in relaxing clients.
 Consultants can focus their attention on pampering the
 hostess and guests while the CD takes them into a deep,
 relaxed state.

 One of our directors pointed out that the CD is great to
 have on hand for those times when your voice is scratchy,
 since you want your guests to hear a smooth, soft voice.

 The ‘Take a Deep Breath’ CD was created especially for
 BeautiControl consultants by a BeautiControl consultant!
 If you would like to learn more about this CD, please
 click here: http://www.imagen-consulting.com/products.cfm

 Personal growth and development – I have discovered a
 man and his company whose work I greatly admire. His
 mission is to ‘Educate and inspire people to live in their
 Higher Self based in Courage, Purpose and Joy, versus
 Fear, Need and Obligation’. This man is truly interested
 in helping us break through our barriers and become more
 than we ever dreamed we could be. (I know it sounds
 like hype, but it is hard to talk about a wonderful thing
 these days without sounding like hype.) I will be sending
 you an email in the next few days with more information,
 so please watch for it. 

 NutShell Flyers – Do you a know a consultant who is ready
 to get her business organized? Are you ready to earn some
 free inventory updates? Please download August Special and
 New Consultant Flyers here:
 www.blueflute.com/Flyers.htm
 Please feel free to hand them out liberally!
 
 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
 
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 Current ‘In a NutShell’ Newsletter and Archives
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
 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 


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 Feature
   Skin Care Regimen sheet for your Clients
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 Cheryl Ashworth, Senior Director in Virginia, has been very
 active in finding ways to make consultants’ lives easier.
 One of her more recent contributions is the Skin Care Regimen
 information sheets that you can give to your clients. Cheryl
 kindly agreed to share the regimen sheets with the
 NutShell community.

 This is what Cheryl says:
 “I have been needing to update my SkinCare Regimen sheets I
 give to clients since Platinum Line Renewal was introduced,
 so I decided to send it to Gary Jones and get his input on
 the handouts....he helped me with a few explanations of the
 products and the finalized copy is attached.  Gary wanted
 a finalized copy for his records too and said this was a
 great tool.

 

 I print them on colorful cardstock and cut them in half to
 give to clients as they buy skincare. This puts all the
 skincare products in front of them everyday as they use
 their products and will remind them of items they do not
 purchase. 

 

 Hope this helps all.

 

 Blessings,
 Cheryl”

 The Skin Care Regimen sheet is a great tool for your clients
 because it will help them feel more confident about the
 “when and where” of each step of their skin care routine.
 An added benefit is that every day, they will see the names
 of the products they didn’t buy. When you mention these
 products to your clients after they have used the Regimen
 sheets, the products will already be familiar and most likely
 their curiosity will already have been aroused. Thus, the
 Regimen sheets are both Educational and Promotional!

 You can download Cheryl’s Skin Care Regimen sheet here:
 Informative sheet: www.blueflute.com/SkinCareRegimen.pdf

 I took the same information and re-arranged it to be more
 instructional. Both formats will be helpful to your clients,
 depending on their needs.
 Instructional sheet: www.blueflute.com/SkinCareRegimen-Mini.pdf

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 In my Business, how do I…
   Increase Sales and Eliminate Party Cancellations
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 How do you handle guest invitations for your parties? It
 makes sense to coach your hostess to send out invitations
 and have her follow up with each guest prior to the party.

 But, how often does the hostess really do this, and how well
 does she do it? If you are having more cancellations or low
 turn-out parties than you want, you hostesses probably don’t
 understand the importance of guest invitations and followup.

 Since the party is a fundamental part of your business, you
 have a large investment in having ‘good’ parties. Good
 parties make such a difference to the success of your
 business, it is a good idea to handle the invitations
 yourself. A little extra work will turn into a substantial
 increase in the success of your business.

 Here is what you can do and say:
 1. Give your hostess guest list forms to fill out:
    www.blueflute.com/GuestList.pdf
 2. Ask her to write down the names, addresses and phone
    numbers of those she would like to invite to the spa.
    Be sure to give her a target date for finishing the
    list and calling the guests. Three days is plenty of time.
 3. Once you get the list, send out invitations.
 4. The night before the spa, call the guests, reminding
    them of the spa. This is your chance to create excitement.
    (‘Sell’ the guest on the spa and how much fun it will be.)
 5. By following these steps, your spa will be much more
    likely to hold and will have better attendance, too!
    Better attendance means More! More sales, more bookings,
    more recruiting opportunities and more reorders. 

 Sample verbage:
 Once the hostess has decided to have the spa, tell her:
 “We're going to partner together so you have the BEST Spa
  Party ever! Your guests are going to be calling you the
  next day to thank you for inviting them! 
 
  You have just 2 jobs:
  First, fill out the guest list forms and return them to me
  by <3 business days>. Second, call everyone on your list
  to personally invite them and get them excited about your
  spa. 

  I'll do everything else. I'll address the invitations,
  stuff the envelopes, and mail them. I'll call everyone
  the night before to remind them and I'll make sure
  everyone has an absolutely FABULOUS time at your party!

  I'll do the reminder phone calls for you, which will save
  you a TON of time. I can call everyone in 10 minutes, but
  it would take you a lot longer because everyone will want
  to chat with you!

  Either include a stamp for each address or a check for the
  total amount, whichever is easier for you!  And, if you
  COMPLETELY fill out the guest list, you'll get an extra

  gift of your choice, valued at $15 - $20 AT your Spa
  Party!

  How does that sound?  ...  Great!”

 Your reminder phone calls to the guests will go like this:
  “Hi Susie, this is Linda, The Spa Queen, calling!  I'm
   looking forward to meeting you tomorrow night at Mary's
   Spa Party!  I'm just calling to remind you to come early
   for an EXTRA spa treatment that you won't want to miss.
   See you tomorrow!”

 You will love walking into your parties already "knowing"
 the guests because you chatted with many of them the night
 before!

 And you’ll love KNOWING how many guests were invited and
 how many are REALLY going to be there.  No more of this
 "I think I should have about 10-15 guests there"!

         *-----------Quote of the Month-------------*
          "Maintaining a complicated life is a great
           way to avoid changing it."

               --  Elaine St. James
         *------------------------------------------*

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 NutShell Tip –
   Tips for taking an order over the phone
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 When talking on the phone with a client, NutShell will
 help you hold the client in the palm of your hand!

 1. Check the Notes on the Client/Colleague screen to remind
    yourself of the topics you covered the last time you
    talked with her.
 2. Add a new note including information about this
    conversation to help you the next time you speak with her.
 3. If she is placing an order, enter the invoice right into
    NutShell as you talk to her.
 4. To fully service your client, click the History button on
    the Open Invoice screen. You will see the products she has
    used in the past. You won’t have to try to figure out
    which products she needs.
 5. Suggest add-on sales based on product she has used before.
    For example, if she hasn’t purchased a mascara in the last
    2 months, it is time for her to order more!
 6. Give your client her ‘total due’ before you hang up and
    even email her invoice to her right away!
        

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   Game – Sad, Solemn Occasion
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 This is a keep-from-laughing circle game. It is hilarious!
 For 3 or more players, this game is great for breaking the
 ice and getting everyone ready to relax.

 

 Have all your guests stand in a circle with their hands at
 their sides or behind their back. Start by saying to your
 hostess:
 
  "This is a sad, solemn occasion, isn't it, Jane?"

 indicating the name of your hostess. Next, the entire group
 will bend forward at the waist say, "MMmm-hmmm" then stand
 up straight.

 The chosen player, in this case Jane, must say,

  "Yes, it is a sad, solemn occasion, isn't it, Mary?"

 The group responds again, Mary replies, and passes the
 phrase to the next chosen person.

 The catch is, no one must smile, laugh, or make any other
 sound during the game. (Doesn’t it make you laugh, just
 imagining it?) If anyone laughs, they are out. If a guest
 goes "out" when they are the chosen player, play passes to
 the person to the left.

 

 This game is over when the last person is standing.
 Everyone else will be rolling on the floor, laughing.

 

 It is a good idea to have a small prize for the winner.


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   Recognition Corner
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 Congratulations to the following NutShell users who have
 worked hard and achieved success in advancing their careers!

 ~ National Executive Director ~

  Beverly Murphy

 ~ New Executive Director ~
  Lindy Trost
  Shelly Ward

 ~ New Senior Director ~
  Angela Brown
  Susan Craig
  Susan Smith
  Teresa Sprouse

 ~ New Director ~
  Sheri Baggett
  Linda Bennett
  Kimberly Cerimele
  Lisa Meadows
  Carmen Meurer
  Judy Vanderploeg
  Patricia Woodward

 ~ New DIQ ~
  Rachael Allen
  Sharon Autrey
  Cyndi Blau
  Shannon Cimeno
  Linda Foreman
  Kim Harbin
  Sharon Haynes
  Ruth Ann James
  Nichoel Johnston
  Tracy Kruse
  Valerie Laws
  Terri Martin
  Trisha Martin
  Laura McLand
  Laura Morlando
  Donna Oehlert
  Tammy Otten
  Diane Parker-Maples
  Jennifer Penner
  Brenda Podgorny
  Jackie Ross
  Jeanie Russo
  Janet Stallmann
  Diana Stein
  Linda Swilley
  Jeannie Thomas
 
 ~ New Unit Manager ~
  Elizabeth Ehnat
  Margaret Heiar
  Nichoel Johnston
  Jeanne Thomas 
 
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 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
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 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