New Alison’s Pantry Representatives now view these helpful updated training videos when they start their AP business. Even experienced Reps can sometimes use a review, so we’ve added links to the videos here for your future reference.
Introduction to your new Alison’s Pantry Business
Oh, No!! Order deadline is approaching and you don’t have very many orders from customers yet! What can you do to encourage customers to get those orders to you before the order closes? Do your reminders! Reminders are critical to achieving great orders each month. There are many different ways to do reminders that other sales reps use with great success. Here is the process that I use each month to remind my customers that order deadline is approaching and to get their order in on time. Whether you use one or more of these or other ways to do reminders, the goal is to make contact with every customer AND get a reply back from them that they do or do not have an order this time.
I send email reminders at the following times during the 2-3 weeks before order deadline:
Keeping Track of Reminders – It is very important to keep track of who you have contacted, how you contacted them, and if they placed an order or not so you are only continuing to remind those that have not responded. There are several ways to do that but here is what I do:
I go into Portals, click on the Reports link, click on Customer List, and print the list. The first page will show the Customers With Orders. Obviously, we won’t need to contact them. 🙂 The next one or more pages will be the customers with No Orders. When I do a reminder, I will make a note on the right side of each customers name – e for email, t for text message, p for phone call, and a ? if they indicate they have an order but have not given it to me yet so I know to check back with them to get it before the order closes. Once I get a response back from the customer, I put Yes or No to the left of their name. I also update any missing or incorrect information if I can. Here is what my list looks like:
As you can see, I didn’t get a response back from every customer last month and didn’t get very many phone calls made but that is my goal each month so I don’t have a customer contact me after the order closes wanting to place an order. That is the last thing I want to happen!
I hope this blog on doing Order Deadline Reminders was helpful to you and gave you some ideas on how to better contact your customers and get their orders in on time! Good luck!!
Becky Price, RSM
This is a continuation of the previous post about organizing your computer …
Organize your Email Inbox
When you receive an email that you need to keep from your RSM or AP support, you will want to move it out of your main email inbox to a sub file in your email account. Set one up for your customers, and AP, then you can sort the emails and not get them lost in all of the other items that clutter your inbox. They also are archived in the sub files instead of shuffled in the main file.
When you receive an email from your RSM or Support that you want to keep, you will want to download it to the AP sub file that corresponds; you will want to designate it to where it should go at download. Then when you need to retrieve it, you can locate it quick and easy.
Keeping Track of your Mileage
I also keep a log of my mileage for taxes, anytime you travel for your business, such as customer deliveries, if you travel to the warehouse, or to meet the truck for your order, banking transactions made in person at the bank, travel to the post office for mailings can also be deducted. You must keep accurate mileage records of these trips. I have attached a form that I designed and have made in to a booklet form that I carry in my vehicle. I use a new one each year.
Postage that you purchase to send AP related items
Any postage or mailings, that you use for your AP business can be deducted on your income tax, this includes PO box rental fees. Keep your receipts for all of the purchases you make that are business related, printer cartridges, paper for printing, checks for your account, general office supplies etc. For tax related questions, consult your accountant, they can give you further information regarding what you can deduct.
Another great idea is to use your email to notify your customers of pick up day. With our quicker delivery cycle we don’t have enough time to send out postcards like we used to so this is the way I have chosen to do it; it is quicker and easier for some, and more cost effective. You can download a sales order after you input the order and then attach it in an email back to the customer. If your customer does not use email, but you can text, you can text them a confirmation, take a picture of your computer screen with the sales order on it and attach the picture to the text. You can send a picture of the sales order in your email or Facebook as an attachment. I use a snipping tool for a screen shot saver. It allows you to save a picture of your screen, so I enter portals and snip a pic of the sales order individual and send it in an email to remind them of pick up.
See example below
Hi Customer,
I received your #1 January AP order.
It will be ready for pick up on Thursday Jan 7th from 2-9pm.
Please see the attached invoice and let me know if you need any changes before Monday Jan 4th. Thank you for your support! Stacee
Hopefully these ideas will help you to organize and streamline your AP business, making it more efficient, profitable and rewarding.
Stacee
Are you ready for the New Year? It’s here whether you are ready or not.
As I reflected on my last years goals for Alison’s Pantry, I remembered wanting to be more organized in my office to aid in being more efficient for my customers. This is an ongoing goal for most business women. As business women and men we try to do it all and sometimes feel like we fall short. One of the ways that helped me to feel more organized and productive was to organize a quick and efficient way to store the information on my computer, helping me to locate it when I needed it. Most of us don’t have time to wade through thousands of computer files, emails, texts and messages. Knowing that organization is a learned and practiced skill, as your RSM’s we are planning on focusing on ways to improve this area of business during the month of January. We will teach you what works for us and new ways to organize and make your home based business work better for you. Below you will find the system that I use which works great for me, I think that it can work well for you too. Please feel free to make adjustments and use as you would like. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment or ask your questions on our Face Book groups. Happy Selling!!
Stacee
One of the hardest things to do is manage your business; the most important thing you can do is to set up a system that you understand and is easy to use. Start with a filing system for your home office.
I recommend a system with hanging file folders for your office. Have a file for each catalog IE. Catalog #1-2016. You will want to include these hard copy items in each file.
1. A copy of the AP catalog
2. A copy of your sales invoice with the demo products or giveaways highlighted.
3. A copy of the AP invoice that came with your order.
4. Any credit invoices that you had from returns for that month.
5. A copy of the Tax report for your taxes.
6. I also include any copies that I may need for my customers, receipts from business expenses and mileage reports.
When you finish up a catalog, you will want to keep a copy of the catalog, your tax report, your personal order, and your AP invoice. I also keep any business expense receipts with the packet. Then I clip it together and place it in a file in my office. If I used any items for a demo or sample, I would highlight the item number and cost on my invoice for tax purposes. Also if I gave any items as a gift for a customer for contest, that also can be adjusted on your taxes. I also keep any mileage or postage receipts that I may have gotten in the packet for your taxes
Your computer is organized in files; usually most files are located in the documents file in your “C” drive. You will want to become familiar with your system to find out where your files are stored when you save them. After you locate the documents file, then you will want to make a sub folder for Alison’s Pantry (see example). After you make the folder you can then save your Alison’s Pantry items to that folder. I make sub folders in the AP main file for each catalog (see example) i.e. Catalog # 8.14
For example, AP order forms, invoices, personalized newsletters, special offer sheets, and any contests that might be in effect should be placed in the corresponding file. Then when the month is over and you no longer need it, make sure that you have hard copies of all of the important items you may need for taxes and then delete the file. I usually wait for 2 months before deleting, just to be sure I have all that I need out of it. Some reps place the current catalog file on the desktop to access it quicker. Then they just remove it after the month. I keep all of my catalogs and then file them in a yearly file, thereby allowing me to look back on past catalogs.
Check back for more ideas on organizing your email accounts….
Since this is the first month with all the changes, here are some reminders to help ensure great sales on Catalog #1.
Good luck on your orders this month!
I have a confession to make; I take awful photographs. If it’s people, someone’s head ends up getting cut off, or the picture is blurry. Usually I delegate picture taking to someone else. But taking great pictures of AP foods and adding it to your Facebook business page or an email can be a great way to build your business. People love to see what you are eating and are always looking for good ideas for their families. So with that in mind, here are some great tips to take better pictures of food:
It’s a great idea to take pictures while you are preparing the food, or your family eating the food. If your children cook, grab a picture of them making dinner. Adding pictures of your family and making it personal is more interesting and will get more engagement on Facebook. Here is a great example from company founder Alison Chuntz and her grandson, William Kissee:
Making waffles with little William. I’m always amazed at the ability of small children to cook and bake. It adds a lot of confidence to their life and it makes grandma happy too.
Good luck with taking great pictures for your Facebook marketing!
Here are a couple of resources I used that you can check out for more information:
