Why is it important to you that you receive good service? If you expect good customer service where you go, should your customers expect good service from you? Of course they should! Especially in today's economy, customer service is the only way to ensure loyalty with your customer base. I would much rather stay or use a company or service that treats me well than go to some cheap place that has lousy service.

I recently sent my husband to a video game store to buy our son a pre-owned video game. We used to have great service from this store in the past, but lately, it's been seriously lacking. He comes home with the game, only to find out that it's not working. We look at the previously owned game to see multiple scratches. I looked online and found the same game for $2.16 more, but brand new and ordered it from the department store for same day pickup. Tomorrow, I will be taking the pre-owned game back and informing them that we will no longer be shopping at their store. That was the final straw. I am willing to pay a little bit more for something that works well and from a store that provides great customer service, as are most people

So, how do I provide great customer service? The key is follow up. When you sell your product to the customer, follow up with them to make sure it is working well with them. If it's not, suggest alternatives that may work better. A general rule of thumb is 2-2-2. 2 Days, 2 Weeks, and 2 months. 2 days to make sure they are using the product. 2 weeks to make sure it's working well for them, and 2 months to see if they like it, see results, and are ready to reorder. And during those follow ups, suggest products that may work well with what they just bought from you. Don't be afraid to make that phone call, believe me, the customer will appreciate you so much more and will be willing to continue shopping from you and referring their friends to you. By providing that follow-up service, you are ensuring that you are the first person they think of when someone asks them what they recommend or when they have run out. Remember, 2-2-2, 2 days, 2 weeks, and 2 months. You'll be glad you did!

Well, 2012 is here, actually, we're about 3 weeks into it now.  What a fabulous year this is going to be!  So we're not going to make any resolutions this year, we are going to have a REVOLUTION.  To start that revolution off, we're going to leave the excuses behind.  No more excuses!  I can hear it now, "I can't hold skin care classes, I have to recruit and send out newsletters, and welcome packages, and postcards, and ecards"  NO MORE EXCUSES!  DELEGATE!  "I can't go to bed at a reasonable hour, I have to stay up and work on that newsletter or stamp and label those postcards"  NO MORE EXCUSES!  DELEGATE!  "I can't spend time with my family, I have to stay in my office and put together those welcome packets for my new unit members and get them ready to mail out!" "I have to work on my website and get the latest information on there!  Oh no, it crashed and I have to start over! NO MORE EXCUSES!!!  DELEGATE!

It's simple.  Determine what your priorities are, whether it be building your customer base, or spending time with your family.  Set an example for your unit members and your family.  DELEGATE!  You don't have to do everything yourself.  Look at the most successful directors in the business.  How are they doing it?  Are they spending 8+ hours in the office doing menial paperwork?  Or do they  have an assistant/Virtual Assistant doing that work for them?  Are they holding skin care classes and building their customer base and recruiting new members from that customer base?

Sit back, take a deep breath, and stop making excuses as to why you are not as successful as you are meant to be.  Whether you measure that success in having alot of unit members, a large customer base, time to spend with your family, or any other way, the time for your success is NOW!  So stop making excuses and DO IT!

Change is a fact of life and inevitable.  Keeping up with the constant changes in the company along with our favorite social media platforms can be challenging to say the least.  You can spend hours learning the newest information to pass along to your consultants, or you can let someone else take that burden off your shoulders.  There is so much information that is scattered all over the Internet and the Mary Kay website, wouldn't it be so much better to have it all in one spot so that you and your consultants know exactly where to go to get the latest?
MKS Design Services has just uploaded the latest Star Consultant information to our website, ready to be installed on your website.  Your consultants AND you can learn about the latest quarter prizes, the latest new product information, plus more.  We provide links to documents and tracking sheets that can be printed and placed on your bulletin board for inspiration and motivation to work smarter to reach their goals.
With the New Year approaching, we all have our New Year's resolutions that we make, and sometimes we keep them, sometimes we don't.  What do you say we make this the best year ever?  Together, with you in the lead and MKS Design Services in the background, you can lead your team to the top!  From Cadillac unit, to the stage at Seminar, 2012 has so much to offer.  Let's take that trip together!

This is the question most small business owners ask themselves, especially those that have difficulty relinquishing control.  However, it is essential to the success of your business to be able to relinquish that control and learn to delegate responsibilities to others.
Picture this, you have worked hard, held classes, sold product, interviewed and recruited team members, and you've reached your goal of becoming a director.  Now, reality sets in and you have ecards and/or mailings to do monthly, birthdays and anniversaries to remember, a newsletter to create and distribute, and a website to maintain to recognize those team/unit members who are also working hard and reaching their goals.  So, where's the time to continue holding those classes, selling product, interviewing, and recruiting new team members.  This is vital to the continued success of your business and your unit.  Leaders need to lead by example, and many of your unit members, especially new ones, will not hold skin care classes and recruit if they see that you are not doing so.
This is when it's most vital to learn to delegate anything that is not absolutely necessary to do yourself.  By either hiring an assistant or using a virtual assistant company, many of these tasks can be done very well and can contribute to the success of your business.  If you look at the most successful director's websites, you will realize that they have delegated that responsibility, therefore continuing the success of their unit.  My suggestion is to find someone in a higher leadership position, such as your Senior Director or National Sales Director, and follow her example. See where she delegates her tasks and how she runs her business.  Pick her brain and find out what makes her so successful.  Then, create a plan for yourself to ensure that you are continually successful and on your way to the top!

Delegating is essential to any leadership position and to any successful business. The problem with most business owners is they are either not willing to or don't know how to delegate.
You can start by deciding which responsibilities you want to delegate to others.  Anything that is menial, you dislike, etc.. you should delegate to others.  You should also delegate anything that takes away from your core business or most important things.  If your business is suffering because you are spending too much time in the office and not enough booking appointments and holding classes, then it's time to delegate those office responsibilities.
Make a list of those things that you could shift to others, such as creating your newsletter, mailings, general office work.  You can either hire an assistant, which will require training them, or you can hire a virtual assistant company to do those tasks for you.  That allows you the freedom to get out and hold those appointments that are vital to the growth and success of your business.  It's time to decide which is more important to your success, keeping control of the office tasks or growing your business.  Once you make the decision as to what's the most important, it will be easier to delegate those necessary tasks to others.

I can see it now, work a full time job, kids, family, and with the holidays, there's party planning, parties to go to, shopping to do, wrapping gifts, etc.  SO much to do, SO little time!
Holiday's are the busiest season and the most profitable for most retail businesses and it can be for you too.  Many retail businesses make more during the holidays than they do throughout the year.  That can be the case for you too, but where's the time?  The time can be found in delegation.  You don't have to do everything yourself, there are friends and family who are more than happy to help.  Recruit your spouse and kids to help keep the house clean.  Even very small kids can help fold laundry and pick up things.  Delegate your office work by hiring an assistant or a virtual assistant company to work on your mailings, website, and newsletters (plus much more!).  Make a schedule and stick to it, scheduling time for facials and classes.  If you schedule a class and it cancels, or doesn't hold at the last minute, utilize that time to book more classes.  You should double book and if both classes hold, delegate one of the classes to a sister consultant or even better, a team member.
Time management is essential to keep your sanity during the holidays and the rewards can be so high, with even higher sales and more money coming in!  You can make sales goals, becoming Queen of Sales in your unit, and even Star Consultant.  It all starts by sitting down, creating your schedule, then delegating those responsibilities.  You can do it.  I KNOW you can do it!

  Our MKS Pizzazz program is a tool for you and your unit.  It provides the latest information, in flash, of promotions that Mary Kay is running.  Our New Products flash is currently available at http://mksdesignss.com/mks-pizzazz/ and our Star Consultant and Way to Grow flashes will be available soon.
These items, placed on your website, will give you and your consultants the latest info without having to hunt for it or click on multiple links.  These will include links to pdfs with information and/or tracking to reach your goals. You can either choose to utilize our website service in which these flash items will be at no cost to you, or if you prefer to maintain your site yourself or have another virutal assistant, then you can rent them to use on your website.  We will provide the codes that you would need to use for the maximum benefit.  Visit our site at www.mksdesignss.com to sign up for this program.  Check it out and give your website a little PIZZAZZ!

Let's talk some more about networking.  First, decide what your goals are in participating in networking meetings or events.  That will help you decide what type of groups that will help you get what you are looking for.  Some networking groups are based more on learning, others are based more on making contacts.  Visit as many groups as possible to determine where you would fit best.  Notice the tone of the group.  Does everyone there support each other?  What about the leadership, do they appear competent?  Keep in mind that networking is about being genuine, building trust and relationships, and seeing how you can help others.  Once you've found a good fit with your needs, hold volunteer positions in the organization you've chosen.  This is a great way to stay visible as well as giving back.
Remember networking is NOT about getting a job or sale.  Networking is about building relationships.  By building that relationship with the other person, it makes it easier to build your business. It can also foster some really great friendships.
So what do you do with all those cards you got at that networking event last night?  Start by taking out that stack and head online to your facebook or other social networking site.  See if any of the people from your stack have an account.  If so, connect with them and write them a brief note inviting them to be your friend.  By doing this, your new contact will have the opportunity to get to know you a little bit by reading your profile.  It is important to keep in contact with that person by posting relevant information and deepening that connection.  Write each person an email or postcard, personalizing it with a reminder about what you talked about at the event.  This is a great way to follow up with those you have connected with, therefore keeping the connection alive and eliminating those cold calls!
You are welcome to post any comments below and let us know how you network and any tips you have that have worked for you.

Ever go to an event with the intention of networking and came home with a whole bunch of cards?  The intent is you will follow up and schedule appointments with those contacts.  You are excited, thinking "Look how great I did, I got 25 cards!!". Or you go out every day and collect 5 names per day on your contact cards.  Then you put them in front of your computer with the intent that you will follow up with those cards tomorrow.  Then tomorrow comes, and you get busy, the phone rings, you are filling orders, the kids are clamoring for your attention, etc.  Basically, life and business gets in the way.  Two days later, you realize that you didn't get to follow up, so you make a note that says "I met these people at this event" and put it back down.  Two weeks later, you remember and "uh-oh, they probably won't remember me now".  So you shove them in the drawer with the 100 other cards you forgot to follow up with.  A year goes by and you clean out the drawer with the 150 cards and think, "I can't call them now, I'm too embarrassed".  So you toss them.
So how do you get past that? The key to successful networking is follow up.  Awhile back, I heard one director who kept postcards in her car, and when she made a contact with a potential client, she would immediately fill out that postcard and mail it the same day.  I think that's a fabulous idea, turning that contact into a connection.  That person you are going to follow up with will remember who you are because you cared enough to send them a postcard.
Let's get past making contacts and start making connections with those potential customers. Let's say you attend a local Chamber of Commerce event.  Instead of focusing on meeting as many people as you can, focus on meeting and connecting with just a few. By connecting with just a few people and getting to know them at these events, they would be more receptive to what you have to offer.  You are starting to build that relationship and trust that is essential to building your business.  When you've built that trust, you'll be able to anticipate that potential referral list that is sure to come once you have that relationship. 
The best way to get those connections is to get out there and be known.  Joining groups that you are interested in, such as Mom's groups, craft groups, etc.., as well as other business networking groups. The local Chamber of Commerce, BNI, local meetup groups are excellent ways to get out there and be known.  Posting blogs or articles on those local meetup website forums is another way you can get your name out.  Wouldn't it be great to meet someone and have them say, "Oh yes, I've heard of you!  Tell me more!" 
Stay tuned for what comes next: What to do once you have that connection!

What is self image?  Well, that's easy!  It's the mental image you have of yourself.  It's how YOU perceive yourself.  And the image you have of yourself often reflects on the outside in how you choose to project yourself to the world.
Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts is one of my fav all time movies. One of the quotes in the movies hits home for alot of us.  "When you hear enough bad things about yourself, you start to believe it".  Isn't that true about who we surround ourselves with?  One of the things my mom always said to me was "You would be so pretty if you would lose some weight".  I know she didn't mean it THAT way, that she was just trying to motivate me to lose weight. It didn't help that my brothers always teased me and called me names.  But as a teenager, it really reflected in my own self image and how I felt about myself.  It reflected in who I chose in my first husband, someone who was constantly demeaning me.  It took years and a wonderful husband who is constantly telling me how beautiful I am for me to change my self image.
One of my other favorite shows is also "What Not To Wear".  I love this show because I constantly hear Stacy and Clinton telling the person who's clothes they are trashing that "you are beautiful, you are wonderful".  Then I hear Ted and Carmindy telling them the same thing, you are beautiful, let's highlight your best features, You have beautiful eyes, you have great skin, etc…  This is how we should approach everyone in our lives.  Our words can tear down the delicate self image that someone has of themselves or we can build them up.  Let's focus on the beauty in others and TELL them!
Now, for our own self image.  A lot of times our self image reflects in the way we take care of ourselves.  Many times, we go out without makeup on, wearing our worst clothing, or ill fitting clothing.  It tells the world that we just don't care about ourselves.  When you dress up, wear clothing that fits well, and put on makeup, how do you feel?  Better, right?  Let's make a deal now that we will take good care of ourselves every day, for if we feel great, we can take care of those around us much better, our families, our friends, co-workers. Look in the mirror every day and tell yourself, "I am beautiful".  If you say it to yourself enough, you will begin to believe it!
This will finish up my articles regarding a Professional Image.  There are several items on image in our Pink University site, which you can find here.  Pink University is our training site for our MKS Design Services clients.