Weekly Highlights

Whew!!! This fall-selling season has been exciting and exhausting! I am SO EXCITED for our team...you gals are awesome! The fall is such a fun time to sell children's books. But, beware...January can be a "slump" for many consultants. They have an amazing fall with their business and then disappear over the holidays only to reappear around Easter. Don't let this happen to you! Keep up the momentum that got you to this point. Start now filling your January & February calendars. January and February are great times to do book fairs for preschools and elementary schools. And, January is a GREAT time for home parties because the home office usually offers double free books that month...although, I can't make any promises. :) Just be on guard and don't let the strides you made with your business diminish in the new year!

Here are some highlights from the past couple of weeks...

• Jessica Wood (Leighton, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Camilla Austin (Savannah, TN)!

• Katie Meyerpeter (Chelsea, AL) also joined our team...welcome Katie!

• Melinda Thompson (Batesville, MS) will be joining us at our training weekend at Lake Martin in February!

I hope all of you have a wonderful time with your families the next couple of weeks!
Merry Christmas!

Congratulations to Jessica Wood!!!

Our team has a new Supervisor! Jessica Wood joined Usborne last December as a way to have a source of income but also be home with her adorable son, Jackson. She sacrificed 3 days away from her sweet son to come to convention this past summer because she knew the impact it would have on her business. Although we had talked many times on the phone, convention was our first time to meet in person. She was so brave to come to convention even though she didn't really "know" anyone else there. She had an amazing week and set the goal to promote to Supervisor this fall. This is a picture of her signing her name on the Usborne Achievers team wall as a way to show that she planned to return to convention next year as a Supervisor.

One thing I have learned about Jessica is that she is an extremely hard worker...when she sets her mind to do something, she is not going to give up! Jessica is the perfect example of what you can do with this business if you just decide you are going to do it and persevere! I am SO PROUD of her and all that she has accomplished this year! Congratulations, Jessica...you are going to be an AMAZING Supervisor!

Weekly Highlights

This has been one of the most exciting fall selling seasons for our team! I am so excited about the growth that is happening in our team right now! DON'T FORGET...if you have an IMN eNewsletter subscription they are being sent out on Wednesday, November 23rd! So, be sure to have added ALL your customer emails by the 22nd. The eNewsletter will include info on the Black Friday Sale, and you don't want any of your customers to miss out on that! If you do not have an IMN subscription, be sure to email ALL your customers about the Black Friday Sale which begins at12 AM on Friday, November 25 and goes until Monday night at midnight. This sale is going to be HUGE!!!

Here are a couple of highlights from this week...

• Felicia Self (Winfield, AL) had her kick-off party, her first preschool book fair, AND earned Success Kit 1!

• Brandy Forsyth (Weaver, AL) is going to be joining us at the Lake Training in February!
  

• Julianne Carney (Collierville, TN) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Melinda Thompson (Batesville, MS)!

• Julianne's team also had some very successful booth events this past weekend. Here is a really cool story that Julianne share on Facebook about an experience at one of her booths...

Sweet moment at Holiday Mart yesterday...one of my customers was a young mom who was so excited to find the Twas the Night Before Christmas recordable book bc her husband was going to be deployed before Christmas and he could record himself for his son to hear on Christmas. After we both teared up I thanked her for their sacrifice and gave it to her as a gift. Thankful.

On that note, I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. We have SO MUCH to be thankful for! One of the blessings I am thankful for is YOU!!!

Weekly Highlights & Reminders

Gals...we are rockin' this fall!!!! I am SO PROUD of you guys! There are so many exciting things going on with our team right now. Before I share a few, I wanted to remind you of some important things...

• Because of Thanksgiving, the deadline for faxing in consigned inventory orders is Monday, November 21!!! So, be sure to get all your inventory faxed in by the end of that day.

• We are having a HUGE Black Friday Sale from 12:00 AM on Friday, November 25 until midnight on Monday, November 28!!! At ALL your events between now and then be collecting email addresses from everyone so you can email them to let them know about the sale. You can go ahead and post the website for the sale on Facebook: http://www.myubam.com/ecommerce/BlackFriday.asp?sid=YOURCONSULTANTID#. I have had a lot of web sales during this weekend in the past...start spreading the word to your customers NOW!!!

• Don't forget to talk with your hubbies about our team Lake Training the weekend of February 3-5. It is going to be AWESOME and totally worth the sacrifice to get there! If you are planning to come, email me asap and get your $20 check in the mail.

Now, without further adieu...a few highlights from this week...

• Jessica Wood (Leighton, AL) had her first elementary book fair this week and it was a HUGE success!

• Krista Landenwich (Bay Minette, AL) earned Success Kit 1! Way to go Krista!

• Julianne Carney (Collierville, TN) has been planning an author visit with Jane Hampton Cook, author of What Does the President Look Like?, for the 5 elementary schools in Collierville in February! Julianne has already secured 2 corporate sponsors for the event, including the Marriott Courtyard...they are going to provide FREE accommodations for Jane Hampton Cook!

• Kimmer Plunk (Germantown, TN) earned Success Kit 1, had 4 school library appointments, scheduled a Reach for the Stars for the Spring, AND has 5 booths and 2 home parties in the next 3 weeks...WOW!

• Tara Maple (Opelika, AL) has booked 4 book fairs for the week after Thanksgiving!
  

• Kimmer, Felicia Self (Winfield, AL), Martha-Ryburn Stainton (Jackson, MS), and Molly Smith (Helena, AL) are all coming to the Lake Training in February...who is going to join them? :)
  

Team LAKE TRAINING 2012!!!!

The Supervisors on our team are having a training weekend just for our consultants February 3-5! This will be a FANTASTIC weekend of training, motivation, encouragement, and FUN! You do not want to miss this weekend! But, space is going to be very limited...so check your calendars asap and let me know if you can attend. Read all the details below...

What? A FULL training weekend geared towards consultants. Topics covered will include: knowing your “why”, setting goals, promoting to Supervisor, preschool book fairs, home parties, school & library sales, earning trips, and much MORE!!!

When? Around 4 on Friday, February 3 – noon on Sunday, February 5

Where? Beautiful Lake Martin in Alexander City, Alabama…about 1 ½ hours south of Birmingham

Why? This training is to help YOU learn how to take your business to the next level. Our goal is for you to leave motivated, excited, and with a wealth of knowledge & new ideas! This weekend will be just a taste of the amazing training that we receive every summer at National Convention in Tulsa. J

Cost? Just $20 to pay for meals for the weekend…this includes dinner Friday night, all 3 meals on Saturday, and brunch on Sunday.

How to sign up? Check your calendars & email me asap to let me know whether or not you are planning to attend. Then, put a check for $20 made out to Kelly Akers in the mail. Mail it to me at:

2529 Oneal Circle
Hoover, AL 35226

Once I receive your check, you are officially signed up! Please do this as soon as you can…before all the spots fill up! We are very excited about this! You are going to get GREAT training for a GREAT price!!!

(Long overdue) Weekly Highlights

I am so so so sorry for the spotty weekly highlights this fall! I have just been SO BUSY! Every fall is busy, but this has by far been the busiest! There are SO MANY awesome things going on with our team right now...there is no way I can name them all, but here are a few...

• Julianne Carney (Collierville, TN) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Martha Ryburn Stainton (Jackson, MS).

• Jessica Wood (Leighton, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Felicia Self (Winfield, AL).

• Jessica also has her first elementary school book fair this week!

• Kimmer Plunk (Germantown, TN) had 7 school library appointments in ONE week!!!

• Beckie Field (Weaver, AL) and I had Kane Miller author/illustrator, Michelle Nelson-Schmidt, come visit 2 of each of our listed schools last week!

• Brandy Forsyth (Weaver, AL) earned Success Kit 1!

• My Central Group was #7 in net sales for the month of October...WAY TO GO gals!!!
  

Remember, we have about a month and a half of Christmas shopping left. Take advantage of this awesome time of year for sales! Also, remember that there are A LOT of people out there who could really use an extra stream of income...offer the business opportunity to EVERYONE you come in contact with at your events this fall. You never know how this business could be a blessing in another person's life unless you ask! :)

Cards for a Cause

Are you talking to your friends & customers about our new fundraising option, Cards for a Cause (CFAC)? This is a FANTASTIC fundraising option that is simple and allows organizations to keep 43% in cash of the total sales. There are 2 30-card greeting card boxed sets that are available: a kid's boxed set and an all-occasion boxed set. The boxed sets are $30, which comes to only $1 a card...such a deal compared to the $4 you will spend on a card in stores. And, these cards are WAY cuter than any cards you see in stores. The fundraiser is so simple because there are only 2 options to choose from. Any organizations can participate in this new fundaraiser...schools, preschools, sports teams, scout troops, youth groups, Relay for Life teams...any groups that are trying to raise money! We now have a website that we can direct our customers to for CFAC info: http://www.cardsforacausefundraisers.com/yourconsultantID. You can find all the info you need to download to take on a CFAC appointment on the CIA portion on your consultant site. Click on the round CIA button on the right side of your consultant site and scroll down to the Cards for a Cause section. Spread the word!!!! Organizations are always looking for new & exciting fundraising options!

Weekly Highlights

I am so sorry for the lack of weekly highlights last week. We had some family stuff going on, so things have been a little crazy. It was NOT for lack of highlights, because let me tell you...there are A LOT of exciting things going on with our team right now! You gals have hit the ground running this fall...it is so exciting! There are so many fun things to share, that I am probably going to leave something out...forgive me if I do!

• Beckie Field (Weaver, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Brandy Forsyth (Weaver, AL)!

• Brandy has already had her kick-off party & already has several events on her October calendar!
  

• Julianne Carney (Collierville, TN), Kimmer Plunk (Germantown, TN), and Audrey Fuller (Memphis, TN) had a very successful booth at Hope Square Market in Memphis last week!

• Kimmer had her kick-off party this past week and got 2 bookings!
  

• Holly Armitage (Drummonds, TN) also had her kick-off party this past week!

• Krista Landenwich (Bay Minette, AL) had her first library appointment today...she walked away with a library order AND a personal order from the librarian!
  

• Ashley Roberts (Northport, AL) entered her first home party today. She has 2 more parties to close out tomorrow & another home party next week!

You gals are doing awesome! The fall season is the BEST time of year for sales...continue to make the most of it!

Weekly Highlights

I had the privilege this week of delivering 6 boxes of brand new, library-bound books to Alberta Elementary...one of the Tuscaloosa schools that was destroyed by the April 27th tornado. Bluff Park Elementary had their annual Usborne Book Fair the week after the tornado, so their librarian graciously decided to donate their free books from the book fair to a school affected by the tornado. I have also had a few events since then where I have been able to donate the free books earned as well. The result was 6 boxes of books! I absolutely LOVE that I have a job that allows me to impact my community & help others!!! That was not only my highlight of the week, but one of the highlights of my Usborne career thus far. :)

Here are some more fun highlights...

• Beckie Field (Weaver, AL), Heather Mills (Anniston, AL), & Molly Smith (Helena, AL) attended the School & Library training at my house this past Sunday. We covered A LOT of info and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know these ladies!

• Tara Maple (Opelika, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Krista Landenwich (Bay Minette, AL)!
  

Where are you in respect to the September Sales Challenge? Remember EVERY consultant that has at least $500 in net sales receives an Usborne logo item from the home office!

Weekly Highlights

Whew! This week has been exhausting! I had an elementary book fair all week for a Christian school I have never worked with before. Last year the librarian did EVERYTHING for the book fair herself, which is hard considering she is part-time. The book fair had a little over $2200 in sales last year. This year she decided to try Usborne...I did ALL the work for her & with 20 less kids in the school than last year, the book fair did over $3050 (and that number could increase because the eFair doesn't end until midnight tonight)! Needless to say, the librarian was ecstatic...which makes me SO happy!!! I LOVE my job!!!! :)

Here are some highlights from this week...

• Jessica Wood (Leighton, AL) and Michelle Swinney (Hamilton, AL) did a book fair at Northwest-Shoals Community College this week to raise books for the schools destroyed in the April 27 tornadoes in Phil Campbell and Hackleburg...the book fair had sales of over $1400, which means that each school is getting $350 in brand new, library-bound books!!! We are so blessed to have a business that allows us to help our communities!!!

• Sarah Walaschek (Huntsville, AL) is moving back to her hometown in Pennsylvania! She is excited to take a piece of our Usborne team to PA...what a great reminder that this job can move with you! :)

• Amy Snead (Weaver, AL) has her kick-off party tomorrow!
  

The fall is upon us...let's keep filling our calendars & take advantage of this wonderful season! :)

Weekly Highlights & Reminders

There are so many exciting things going on in our company right now! Here are some reminders of the great things available to us...

• Join every consultant in the goal to have $500 net sales for the month of September & earn an Usborne logo item!
• Promote to Supervisor between October 1 & February 1 and earn a peacoat!
• Promoting UP to Supervisor & promoting OUT Supervisor training calls are available now...here is the training call schedule!
• School & Library training chats are Wednesdays at 1:00 central time for educational consultants!
• Join us at my house this Sunday, September 18 at 3:00 for a School & Library training...let me know if you are planning to attend!

Here are some highlights from this week...

• We had a new consultant join our team...welcome April Brown (Hoover, AL)!

• Heather Mills (Anniston, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Holly Armitage (Drummonds, TN)!

• Julianne Carney (Collierville, TN) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Kimmer Plunk (Germantown, TN)!

• Jessica Wood (Leighton, AL) has 3 book fairs in the next 3 weeks!

• Lynn Garner (Somerville, AL) turned in her first book fair!
  

Want a Peacoat?

If you have been thinking about setting the goal to promote to Supervisor, NOW is the time to do it! The home office announced last week that all consultants who promote to Supervisor between October 1, 2011 and February 1, 2012 will receive a brand new peacoat in the color of their choice! AND, the promoting consultant's Supervisor receives a peacoat as well! SO AWESOME!!! Not only that, but the home office has made some amazing tools available to help you reach this goal. To access these tools, login to your consultant site and click the round CIA button on the top right side of the page. Download a Promotion Action Plan to help you plan how you can reach your promotion date goal...a Why Promote? sheet to help you think through why you should set the goal to promote...and be sure to download the Training Schedule sheet that outlines a training call schedule (with the first calls beginning tomorrow!). Some of the top Supervisors in our company will be doing training calls starting tomorrow through September 17 to help you know how to promote UP to Supervisor and how to promote OUT Supervisors!

If you are not a Supervisor, set the goal today! Promotions happen on the first of each month. Look at your calendar & set your promotion date goal today...and SHARE it with your Sponsor & your Supervisor! The fall selling season is the perfect time to promote...and our company has set up some amazing tools & incentives to help you do it! Setting the goal is the first step...YOU CAN DO IT!!!! :)

Weekly Highlights

This has been such an exciting week for our team! I have honestly lost count of the "I just had to call and tell you..." phone calls I have gotten this week! So many of you have conquered your fears of the phone, have been persistent, and you now have MUCH to show for it! That is the key to success in this business...just getting out there, being persistent, and not quitting! I am so proud & excited for you!!! Here are some of the amazing highlights from this week...

• Lorna Fields (Trussville, AL) and I worked the Birmingham Babypalooza event this weekend...and Lorna proved to be a booth PRO!!!

• Lorna booked her first home party and had her first library appointment this week...and walked away with an order! And, she had a new consultant join her team...welcome Molly Smith (Helena, AL)!
  

• Julianne Carney (Collierville, TN) had an awesome library appointment that resulted in an order, scheduled a booth for November, AND had a new consultant join her team...welcome Audrey Fuller (Memphis, TN)!

• Beckie Field (Weaver, AL) also had an awesome library appointment with a big order and scheduled a home party!

• Jennifer Thorne (Westover, AL) scheduled her first library appointment and booked a Christmas event!

• LeAnne Haynes (Birmingham, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Jennifer Scott (Moody, AL)!

• Jessica Wood (Leighton, AL) scheduled an elementary book fair for the spring!

• We had another new consultant join our team...welcome Carmen Coleman (Tuscaloosa, AL)!
  

That's Not My Elephant!

I have been waiting for this title for a LONG time!!! I am so excited about the newest edition to our "That's Not My..." series! And, for all the Bama fans out there, it is just in time for football season! :) I have made a flyer you can take with you to your home parties, book fairs, & booths. You could put it in an acrylic frame for display. Download the flyer here. With the college football season kicking off this Saturday, it's the perfect time to get the word out about this new title! And, don't forget we have That's Not My Tiger for all the Auburn babies out there. I made a flyer for it last year...click on Product Knowledge at the top of the page and scroll down the posts to find the flyer for that title. Roll Tide! :)

Weekly Highlights & Reminders

This past Saturday four of the newest consultants on our team made the trip to Atlanta for the Southeast Regional Training. From everything I've heard they had a TON of fun and left inspired and motivated to grow their businesses! Here is what Jennifer Thorne had to say about the training:

Regional training was an amazing experience! Not only did I meet other fabulous Usborne consultants, but I learned how to strategically build my business one customer and one event at a time. Regionals made me even more excited about National Conference....and this time I'm going as a Supervisor!

Jennifer, Beckie, Heather, & Lorna...I am so excited that you made this investment in your businesses! Regional training is just a small taste of what convention is like...I hope you will all be joining us at convention this year! :)

A couple of reminders for Educational Consultants...

• Remember to go to the School & Library training chats on Wednesdays at 1:00. These chats are FABULOUS training opportunities! You can get the info about how to join the chats by sending an email to howtochat@myubah.com. If you are unable to attend a chat, Patti McClimans is posting the chat logs on the Usborne Achievers page on Facebook.

• I am hosting a School & Library training at my house in Hoover on Sunday, September 18 at 3:00. We will talk about what to say when you call a librarian, Literacy for a Lifetime orders, & teacher work room set-ups. We will also do a mock librarian appointment. I would love for you to join us for this training! Email me at akers72900@yahoo.com if you plan to attend.

Here are some highlights from this week...

• Beckie Fields (Weaver, AL) booked 3 school appointments in one day, won the free books on Monday night chat, and had her kick-off party last night...it was Mystery Hostess! Beckie also had a new consultant join her team today...welcome Amy Snead (Weaver, AL)!
  

• Julianne Carney (Collierville, TN) booked 2 appointments with new librarians today!

• Brittany Brewton (Florence, AL) booked an elementary book fair for the Spring!

• Heather Mills (Anniston, AL) has her kick-off party tomorrow!

Birmingham Area School & Library training!

Mark your calendars for Sunday, September 18 at 3:00! I will be hosting a school & library training at my house for consultants on our team in the Birmingham area (or further if you are willing to drive ;)). Topics we will cover include: what to say on the phone to schedule an appointment with a librarian, Literacy for a Lifetime, & teacher workroom set-ups. We will also have a mock library appointment so you can see first-hand how to conduct an appointment with a school or public librarian. This training is specifically for Educational Consultants (EC's) or consultants who are interested in becoming an EC. Remember, you MUST be an EC to work with libraries & schools that have a Kindergarten and above. I'm looking forward to this training...I think it will be very beneficial for those in the SL market!

Please email me & let me know if you are planning to attend the training.

Weekly Highlights

School has finally started!!! It is nice to be back in a routine. If you are an educational consultant, NOW is a great time to begin contacting librarians for an appointment. It is also a great time to schedule teacher workroom book fairs. Teachers usually get their classroom money October 1, so I like to set up in the teacher workroom for the teachers in October or November. They will also love the opportunity to Christmas shop for their own kids! REMEMBER...training chats for educational consultants (& those who are interested in becoming one) are on Wednesdays at 1:00 Central time. Read the previous post for all the details on how to be in the chat & the topics that will be discussed. If you are new to the educational services market, you DO NOT want to miss out on this great training!!!

Here are some highlights from this week...

• Jessica Wood (Leighton, AL) scheduled 4 book fairs in ONE day this week!!!

• Beckie Field (Weaver, AL), Jennifer Thorne (Westover, AL), Heather Mills (Anniston, AL), and Lorna Fields (Trussville, AL) are on their way RIGHT NOW to the Atlanta Regional training!!! And, they are all in their incentive period...what a great way to start their business!
  

Educational Consultant Training Chats start tomorrow!

If you are an educational consultant or are interested in becoming one, be sure to join the educational consultant training chats that start tomorrow (August 17) at 1:00 Central! Being an educational consultant enables you to work with schools & libraries. Only educational consultants can service schools with a Kindergarten & above and libraries. For instructions on how to join the chat, send an email to howtochat@myubah.com. Here is the training chat schedule:

August 17th - School & Library 101

August 24th - What to Say on Phone Calls

August 31st - Appointments

Sept 7th - Professionalism

Sept 14th - Fortune is in the Follow-up

Sept 21st - Terminology

School has started back & now is the time to begin contacting school librarians! Don't miss this great opportunity for training!

Weekly Highlights

School is almost here...which means fall is just around the corner! Are you ready? Now is a great time to start looking at your fall calendars. Many preschools enjoy doing fall book fairs because they know their parents will Christmas shop. This is a great time to contact them to book a fall book fair! Also, a healthy home party schedule in August, will lead to a healthy home party schedule in September, etc. So, make sure you are working this month so you can meet future fall hostesses. :)

Here are some highlights from this week...

• Beckie Field (Weaver, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Heather Mills (Anniston, AL)!

• Jennifer Thorne (Westover, AL), Tara Maple (Opelika, AL), and others had great success & met lots of teachers at office supply store Teacher Appreciation Days!

• It was announced this week that Advance Leadership Retreat (ALR) will be held this year in Orlando, FL!!! This is a training weekend just for Supervisors that is usually in Tulsa every January, but this year will be in Orlando. What an incentive to promote to Supervisor this fall!!!!
  

New Consultants...Tips for Getting Your Business Off to a Great Start!

We have SO MANY new consultants on our team right now...it's very exciting! Getting your business off to a great start is so important. I have had many consultants tell me, "I wish I had taken advantage of my incentive period" or "I wish I had done more during my incentive period." The home office has so many great incentives in place for your first 12 weeks through the Write Your Own Success Story Program. I don't want any of you to miss out! So, I thought I would post a few tips to help you get your business off to a great (and fast) start.

Host your own first home party & get it on the calendar ASAP!
Seriously...schedule it for next week! :) There are several reasons why this can help your business:

1. You get to introduce your new Usborne business and these amazing books to all your friends & family at one time.
2. You get to practice your first home party on the people who love you most.
3. It gives your friends the chance to book their home parties...they will want the chance to host a party during your incentive period so that they will get DOUBLE FREE BOOKS! :)
4. My favorite reason...You are the consultant, so you make the commission. But, you are also the HOSTESS, so you get the double free hostess books!!! This is a GREAT way to increase the amount of books you have to show at parties & other events!

Here is a great sheet that gives you some tips for planning your Kick-off or Business Launch party: Business Launch Home Show sheet.

Make a booking notebook.
A booking notebook is a resource of ideas, names, referrals, etc. of people to contact to purchase books, have home shows, or join you. Just get a one-subject spiral-bound notebook and brainstorm contacts. Here is a sheet that outlines how to make a booking notebook: Booking Notebook.

Try to schedule at least 6 home parties for your incentive period.
You will never get another chance to offer your friends double free books with JUST $250 in home party sales!!! You could really help your friends & their families get tons of free books! Get on the phone and tell them about this amazing deal asap! :)

Once you start having parties for your friends, you will very quickly get outside of your "circle." The important thing is to start getting events on your calendar! As you meet people at these home parties, it can also lead to other things...preschool book fairs, school library appointments, booths, & new consultants to join your team! You just never know who you are going to meet and what it may lead to!

New consultants...we are all cheering for you! Let us know how we can help!