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If
you can't read this, select
here.
 Dear
Friends and Colleagues,
HAPPY
NEW YEAR!
For
most of you, a new catalog year has begun. It's an
exciting time, but also a dangerous one. The spending
decisions you make this month can haunt you for the rest of the
year, so be careful! Don't be afraid to buy, but only
buy what you need... not what you want! Or, follow the
advice in the Q&A section and sell what you want!
I
hope you all had a great holiday. Baby John saw his first
fireworks and was absolutely fascinated by them. And Liz
and I continue to be absolutely fascinated by him.
Lots
to share, so let's get to it!
Warmest
regards,
John
John
Sanpietro
Certified
Personal
& Professional Development Coach
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62%
Qualify for Cruise!
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 I'm
happy to report that 62% of my Group and 1-on-1
Coaching clients qualified for Cruise this year!
For
those of you who aren't sure if coaching works, consider
that the company average is less than 5%!
Congratulations
to all of my clients, and use the following links if
you'd like to learn more about Group
Coaching and 1-on-1
Coaching.
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She's
A Poet, And We Didn't Even Know It!
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One
of my 1-on-1
Coaching clients, Anne Brown, sent me this poem
shortly after the new SU catalog came out on July
1st. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a big
stickler for only buying what you can sell:
'Twas
the 4th of July, I was ready to buy.
My
list was made out, fingers ready to fly.
Keying
in all the numbers, there were pages galore,
From
the new Fall Collection, I needed much more!
But
something inside made me wait just a minute,
All
I could hear was his voice and he really didn't,
Seem all that pleased as he looked down my list,
Only
one question came out... "do you NEED all of
this?"
"To
work your events for the next month or two,
Will
there be any profit, what have I always told you?
Don't
go berserk when you buy in July,
Keep
some of your budget to spend by and by."
So
I took out my pen, made my list over again,
Kept
my eyes on my business, instead of my Wish List.
And
as I hit my last key, looking over my order,
Finally,
a business owner, instead of a stamp hoarder!
Excellent
poem, Anne! Thanks! And congratulations on
keeping your spending in check, as well!
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Are
You Raising Your Prices?
You
Should Be!
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If
you're charging the same price for the same class you
were doing before the new catalog came out, and the same
number of people attend, guess what!? You're
making less profit!
That's
because, with the increase in product prices in the new
catalog, your costs have gone up. If your expenses
go up, but your class fee remains the same, that means
you're absorbing the cost increase and making less
money.
Now
is the time to raise your fees and pass the price
increase on to your customers. If they ask why
you're charging more, explain that prices have gone up
and show them the catalog to prove it!
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Why
Give the Catalog Away for Free?
Here's
Why!
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Since
my article on giving the catalog away for free appeared
on SUDSOL, I've heard from a lot of stamping business
owners. Many agreed with me. Some agreed,
but said they still couldn't bring themselves to do
it.
But
here's the thing...
Everyone
I've heard from who has tried it exactly the way I
describe in the article, has had great results!
One
demo wrote that she's doubled her sales because
of it. Another wrote that she's done $1000 in
sales just following up by phone!
Bottom
line... if you do it right, it works!
For
those of you who haven't seen the article, follow
this link.
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Unprofitable
Idea of the Month -
100
No's (revised version)
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I've
always loved the "100 No's" Challenge.
In its original form, you call 100 people and get each
of them to say 'no' to you once. It's a great way
to become more comfortable with 'no,' speak with more of
your customers than you're probably speaking with now,
and (because some of them will say 'yes') generate more
business.
Lately,
though, I've been seeing a revised 100 No's Challenge
that can be a real problem for your customers. In
the revised version, you call 25 customers and get each
of them to say 'no' to you four times! You do this
by asking a laundry list of questions before you finally
let them off the phone.
This
is an excruciating call for your customers AND probably
for you, as well. It also puts you in touch with
far fewer customers and leads to less business.
Also,
the real challenge will be getting them to take your
call next time!
Stick
with 100 X 1. Forget 25 X 4.
If
you have an Unprofitable Idea you'd like to see
featured, send
me an e-mail.
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Now
Booking 2008 Live Presentations!
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 "John
is the BEST business speaker in our profession!"
- Glenda Travelstead
"This
was a make-or-break weekend for me. I was going to
come and see you and decide whether to stick with it or
drop out. After seeing you, I've decided to stick
with it!"
- KD, Ontario, Canada
We are now
booking dates for the 2008 (and the first half is
starting to fill up).
All
SIMB presentations are designed to inform, motivate and
inspire your downline or group to define their goals and
build their business.
Unlike
many other speakers, however, SIMB presentations are designed
exclusively for stamping professionals - not the
entire direct sales industry. John understands the
unique challenges stamping business owners face,
and is able to address them specifically.
We
also understand the financial difficulties stamping
business owners face and have priced these presentations
accordingly.
John
will share concrete steps everyone can take to make
their business a success - whether they just want a
self-supporting hobby, or a full-fledged stamping
business!
If
you would like more information about booking John for an appearance in
front of your group, send
us an e-mail, or select
here for more information.
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Sample
of the Month
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Submitted
by:
Mari
Clarry
Stamp
Sets: Perennial Favorites, It's Your Birthday
C/S:
Pixie Pink, Pink Passion, White
Inks
& Markers: Pink Passion, VersaMark
Accessories:
1/16", 1/8", 1-1/4" and 1 3/8"
Circle Punches, White Grosgrain Ribbon, Silver Brad and
Cord
Congratulations
to Mari, who wins a $10 SIMB Gift Certificate! As
part of our efforts to continually improve, I'm happy to
announce the NEW & IMPROVED SAMPLES SECTION.
Utilizing blog technology, the new samples section
features a search function which allows you to look up
samples by a particular stamp set or theme. You
can also click on each sample for an even larger
version. In total, WE
NOW HAVE OVER 500 SAMPLES and are adding more and more
every day. Use
this link to view the new
Samples Section. We
are now looking for
Summer
and
Fall
samples!
If
you would like to submit a sample to be considered for
Sample of the Month and the Samples Section, just send
me a scan via e-mail, or mail your sample to: John
Sanpietro, Stamping Is My Business!, 36 Fir Street, Jay,
NY 12941. Please
include your name, e-mail address, phone number and all
materials used to make your sample.
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Book of the Month
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 Little
Green Book of Getting Your Way - How to Speak, Write,
Present, Persuade, Influence and Sell Your Point of View
by
Jeffrey
Gitomer
I
like Jeff Gitomer's books because they're easy to read
and they break down the topic into smaller,
easy-to-understand elements. This book is no
different.
Gitomer
breaks down the art of persuasion into the different
areas where you can manage and influence it, and then
puts it all together at the end.
If
you've enjoyed the other "Little" books, this
will make a great addition to your collection.
Select
here for more information from Amazon.com.
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Stamping
Business Q&A
If
I'm Have A Stamping Business, But I Still Stamp As A
Hobby, Can I Buy For Both?
Yes
and no.
Lots
of stamping business owners tell me they make purchases
to use in their business AND other purchases "for
themselves."
This
is just financial trickery. What you buy is what
you buy. Whether you're buying it for your
"business" or for "yourself," it's
all coming off of your bottom line.
So,
can you still do buy for the hobby even though you're
doing this as a business?
Absolutely!
Just sell what you want!
Figure
out what it is you would like to purchase for your
personal use and sell those products to your
customers in workshops, classes and on the phone.
Since those were the things that got you most excited,
it stands to reason your increased enthusiasm will help
sell more of them anyway.
If
you follow this rule, you'll always have the product YOU
want, AND still run a profitable business!
(If
there's a question you'd like answered, or a topic you'd
like me to cover, feel free
to
send
me an e-mail)
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Testimonials... |
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Because
I stopped coaching with you, I left $4000 on the table last year!
That's why I'm coming back!
-
MD, Illinois
I
dropped my coaching and ended up not making Cruise. You have to
stick with John or your business will go down the tubes.
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KS, Illinois
I greatly appreciate your positive responses to my
insecure attempts at pushing outside my comfort zones. You are what
keeps me thinking I can turn this into a business & not just an
expensive hobby!
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AE, Pennsylvania
I've
been reading your book
and have not been able to put it down. Thank you so much, John...
this is the type of direction I need.
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SC, Colorado
I'm sure that I'm not alone in being
appreciative of your determination to be thorough. Your insight
and experience are so valuable to those of us who desire to see true
business growth!
-
BG, Texas
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Quick
Links...
Order
the Electronic Version of "Stamping Is My Business!"
Order
the Printed Version of "Stamping Is My
Business!"
Order
one of the SIMB Training CDs
Join the Stamping Business
Coaching Group
Find out how to book John to speak live to YOUR group
Learn
more about the SIMB Referral Program Sign
up for 1-on-1 Coaching
Sign
up for an @StampingIsMyBusiness.com e-mail address
Order
the "Stamping Is My Business!" Tote Bag Stamping
Is My Business! Homepage
E-mail
Me
Past Newsletters
June,
2007
May,
2007
April,
2007
March,
2007 February,
2007 January,
2007
December,
2006
November,
2006
October,
2006
September,
2006 August,
2006
July,
2006
June,
2006
May,
2006
NEWSLETTER
ARCHIVE
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Companies I Use
People
always ask me what companies I use to run my home-based
business. The links below are all companies I work with
and recommend:
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