- On the road again
-
One of our key
objectives is to get out with IBOs more -- whether one-to-one, in smaller
groups, or in larger formats where we can focus corporate resources -- to build relationships, strengthen
confidence, and help IBOs build stronger, more profitable businesses. Going
back in our history, reaching out to the IBOs with product expos was a regular
part of our business and the time has come to do it again. So, with apologies
to Willie Nelson, I am pleased to relay that Quixtar/Amway Global is going
"on the road again" to a city near you with the National
Spotlight. During this two-day event, we
will shine a spotlight on products and the business, including interactive
demonstrations and activities surrounding Artistry, Nutrilite, XS*, and Ribbon, plus
Home Care and Health Tech favorites.
Quixtar/Amway Global
Canada kicked off their Pathways To Success events last year and experienced
great success in providing attendees with greater belief and confidence in the
business, its credibility, and an increased understanding of how to build a
balanced business with greater profitability. Knowing a good idea when we see
it (OK, steal it!), we've built the National Spotlight events in the US to reach the
same results. We are excited to get out and share product information and sales
training to help IBOs realize the full potential of their businesses.
National Spotlight is
open to all IBOs and their prospects and admission is free. In addition to
product booths staffed by experts who can answer questions and provide valuable
information, IBOs will be provided opportunities to attend breakout sessions
that will focus on selling Ribbon, Artistry, and Nutrilite. We are especially pleased that the IBOAI
Board will participate with a presentation on profitability and building a
balanced business. The cities and dates of the National Spotlight events are as
follows:
Los Angeles - May 9-10
Greensboro, NC - May 30-31
Orlando - June 6-7
Chicago - July 11-12
San Francisco - August 8-9
Omaha - August 22-23
New York City - August 29-30
Portland, OR - September 12-13
Dallas - October 17-19
Pathways to Success
events:
Winnipeg, Manitoba - April 12
Toronto, Ontario - May 30-31
Montreal, Quebec - October 24-25
Calgary, Alberta - November 14-15
Like I said, we are
thrilled to have the opportunity to bring the National Spotlight out to the
IBOs and it appears IBOs are excited too. In order to gauge interest and help
our planning, we are asking IBOs to pre-register and the response so far has
been great. Thanks for reading, and wish
us luck!
*added 4/29/08, Oops! How could we forget XS?
- New online courses prepare you for selling
-
Have you seen the latest Quixtar University offerings? The Artistry Time Defiance online course
launched just last week, highlighting the age-defying benefits of Artistry Time
Defiance products and how to help your customers select the right products for
them.
Also new is the Sports Nutrition course. Learn how to
identify the three types of customers most likely to buy sports nutrition
products, as well as which products to recommend to these customers.
In general, the product
expertise courses on Quixtar
University strive to do
one of two things. Some courses focus primarily on preparing you for selling products. You learn key benefits of the
products, how to match these products with actual customer needs, and see some
selling dialog that you can model in your own selling conversations. Both the Artistry
Time Defiance and Sports Nutrition courses
fall into this group.
Other available courses
focus more on selling and follow-up
skills. The Artistry Purse-to-Purse
course is one of these. You learn a method for selling conversational or
experiential products in your everyday interactions with others. You can easily
transfer the skills learned in the Purse-to-Purse
course to other experiential products, such as XS Energy Drinks.
Let us know what you think
of these two new courses, as well as any others available in the Product
Expertise group. What features were especially helpful? What information wasn't necessary? What do you
need more of?
- Staking Claims
-
What we say about a product - any claim we make about features, benefits, or performance - is more than just marketing. It's a matter of the reputation of our products, business, and IBOs. Because of this, we take claims very seriously.
Before a product is launched, there are dozens of people at Quixtar and Alticor who work on determining what can be said about a product that's accurate, factual, and representative of most people's experience with that product. Claims substantiation typically involves marketing, research and development, quality assurance, and legal, among other departments.
Rules gets involved when someone is making claims about a product which fall outside of what we've published or provided for use.
As many of you may know, Quixtar is planning to launch Perfect Empowered Drinking WaterTM, which is being sourced from an outside vendor. Because this product is manufactured by another company, we rely on the vendor for claims information and substantiation. But our commitment to ensuring only approved and appropriate claims are used to promote our products remains the same, regardless of the manufacturer.
Quixtar recently communicated to its IBOs about the need to make only approved and published claims about this product, and outlined that any IBO making exaggerated claims about the product's effectiveness or implying that it can be used for medicinal purposes would be in violation of Quixtar's Rules of Conduct.
IBOs must only use claims and demonstrations which have been approved by Quixtar to promote this product. This list of approved claims is available at www.drinkperfectwater.com or in the "What's New" section at www.quixtar.com. We currently are working with the manufacturer on demonstrations and claims and will update the list of claims as we are able to substantiate them.
As our rules state, if an IBO is found to be making claims that aren't supported in authorized product literature, Quixtar requires the IBO to correct the misinformation and may apply sanctions up to an immediate six month suspension. We also have a Zero Tolerance Policy against unauthorized websites or advertising.
If you would like to promote Perfect Water, but aren't sure if you are doing so correctly, please contact Rules Administration at qbcr.department@quixtar.com or 616-787-6712. Or, if you become aware of anyone making unauthorized claims about this or any other product offered by Quixtar, please contact Rules at the above e-mail address or phone number.
- Your Healthy Business
-
One of the ways we're transforming this business is through a commitment to provide world-class training to IBOs and, thanks to the input and participation of so many enthusiastic IBOs, we're one step closer to our goal.
I’d like to share some of the rave reviews we’ve gotten from IBOs who have attended the Your Healthy Business instructor-led training (ILT), a program developed to help IBOs sell Nutrilite products.
• “That was the greatest, most fun, most informative teaching session of its kind that I’ve witnessed in 10 years of being in the business.”—Torrey and Annette, CA
• “I’ve been in the professional sales world for pretty much all my life….over a quarter million dollars of professional sales training have been spent on me… One of the most beautiful things (about the Nutrilite seminar)…was that it was done in a simple format so that anyone could take the workbook home and take all the sales experience that I have gotten and put that to use”. Paul, OR
• “The presentation was absolutely incredible!! We have been going to the seminars for some years now, and this is by far the best.” --- Barbara, MN
These testimonies reflect the fact that we have raised the bar for ILT programs. In the past, these programs were called Product Education Programs (PEPs), but we’ve worked to make them much more. Now they are sessions where you can not only learn about products, but learn the skills you need to make money by selling them.
What are the elements of good, instructional programs? First, the learner must be able to pay attention. That means providing compelling content and interactivity that will keep them engaged.
Second, the learner must be able to remember the behavior. The skills must be taught in memorable way. Humor helps a lot.
Third, the learner must replicate the behavior. Providing opportunities for the learner to practice the skills right in the workshop is ideal.
A final ingredient is motivation. The learner must want to put into practice what they have learned once they leave. Helping learners create action plans and giving them tools to take away and use in the selling situation are key.
We have worked hard to build these elements into the new Your Healthy Business program. Those who attend this workshop will learn how to make money by selling key Nutrilite products. If you’d like to book this program for your group (50 attendees and up), call us in Training and Education (616-787-5442) for details. We look forward to providing more and enhanced programs to help your group succeed.
- Fifth Year Above a Billion
-
Today we announced that 2007 was our fifth consecutive year of passing the billion dollar sales mark! Five straight years of billion-dollar plus sales is no small accomplishment and I thank all of the Independent Business Owners whose hard work and dedication make this business opportunity work.
Last year saw a lot of changes for Quixtar and we anticipate even more exciting changes in 2008 as this business transformation moves forward. We look forward to partnering with IBOs to make this business opportunity stronger and more successful than ever before.
You can read the entire Quixtar sales announcement in our newsroom.
- Not quite Alpha
-
Like a lot of working moms, Lynn Wendyger struggles to do it all and do it all well -- work, raise a family, keep up with trends and technology. Part of that is an effort to keep up with her kids, and part of it is to learn how people can use technology to achieve goals in her role in Quixtar's Training and Education Division.
Now Lynn will share her thoughts on how technology impacts all of us in her new blog, Beta Mom in Training, a new addition to the Opportunity Zone.
The title of the blog is a nod to a new breed of Moms who admit they can't have it all and do it all -- the Beta moms, who unlike their Alpha counterparts, aren't a blend of June Cleaver and Martha Stewart. They're more like the Moms on Malcolm in the Middle or Everybody Loves Raymond!
So look for insights and a bit of humor from a Beta mom like so many of us!
- Case dismissed! Nitro case dismissed by Federal judge
-
Get more details at Alticor Media Blog -- or as much as can be shared at this time as the ruling is under seal.
- Alticor sales top $7 billion for 2007
-
Visit Alticor Media Blog to read today's Alticor announcement of sales of $7.1 billion for 2007, a 12 percent increase over the previous performance year.
And, watch the Opportunity Zone for Quixtar's sales announcement later this week!
- A new rule to help IBOs sell more products
-
I just want to give IBOs a heads-up about something. As you may know, Quixtar is undertaking an overall business transformation that has as one of its goals, Growth through Innovation. We want to help create awareness of and demand for our products and help more IBOs make more money sooner. One of the first things we are doing is adding a rule to help IBOs sell more products to customers. Detailed information about this new rule will be published and distributed in the February poly-bag (along with the Achieve Magazine).
The change, effective March 1, 2008, will allow IBOs to sell some Quixtar exclusive brands at temporary health or beauty shows or expos and certain kinds of sporting events. Up 'til now, we have approved booths for IBOs who wanted to display and maybe let customers sample some products, but we've never allowed the actual sale of the products. Now, at many events, the display and sale will be allowed. Imagine that! The already existing Booth Rule will stay in effect for other kinds of events where we will continue to allow display-only.
The displays will need to be set up in accordance with Quixtar guidelines and with prior written authorization (we're asking for 30 days' notice) from Quixtar's rules department. We will provide supporting merchandising material on a CD, so IBOs can print off their own, pre-authorized signage or handouts.
What kind of sporting events are we talking about? Marathons, 3-on-3 basketball tournaments, kids soccer tournaments, etc. Events of a limited duration, so it's not like a concession stand at a high-school football field, but, rather, the kind of event where the IBO can get permission from the event organizer/organization to set up a booth and sell some product on the day/days of the event.
This rule change was brought to the IBOAI Board, and they recommended adoption.
We will begin accepting applications for Event Sales March 1. The application form will be available on quixtar.com or by contacting Customer Support or Rules Administration. If you have questions, please contact Rules Administration at 616-787-6712 or by email at qbcr.department@quixtar.com.
The pending Rule: [Rule 4.3.3.]
4.3.3 Event Sales: The display and sale of health, beauty and sports nutrition products by IBOs only at temporary (no more than 10 days) health and beauty shows and certain kinds of sporting events (e.g.: bike race, marathon, 3-on-3 basketball tournament) are permitted. The following information must be received by the Corporation, in writing, 30 days prior to the event, to allow sufficient time to grant approval.
4.3.3.1. A written description of the type of event (including date of event).
4.3.3.2. Name of the specific product(s) to be displayed and sold.
4.3.3.3. A list of specific literature to be used at the booth or for handouts. Any privately produced material for handouts or display must be sent with the booth request for approval.
4.3.3.4. A signed statement from the Platinum or above IBO accepting responsibility for booth activity and include a list of all names of IBOs staffing the booth.
4.3.3.5 A post-event accounting of total volume sold must be provided to the Corporation by the Platinum if the volume sold is part of the qualifying volume for Silver Producer or above for purposes of verifying 70% Rule compliance.
- Hola Voces Latinas!
-
Please join me in welcoming a new voice -- and language -- to the Opportunity Zone.
Quixtar's Bilingual Editor Paula Otero has joined the Zone with the new blog Voces Latinas. This is the first Spanish-language blog we've launched.
In her own words, and for those not fluent in Spanish I'm providing the English translation, here's how Paula describes the blog:
"I will share with you themes that deal with the experience of entering this country being of Latin American origin. Leaving behind everything you know and love to come in search of a better life for ourselves and our family. In the course of this change we find new challenges but also many opportunities, Latin Voices will give shape to our experiences."
We're hoping this new blog brings insights and new voices to the Opportunity Zone as IBOs and others share their experiences, hopes and challenges at Voces Latinas.
- Goodbye from Jeannie Mai
-
As many of you know, our contract with spokesperson Jeannie Mai has come to an end. There has been some speculation and questions as to why Jeannie Mai is leaving, but the truth is very simple: Quixtar has decided to slowly phase out the NAO never accept ordinary cosmetics line in order to focus our resources on the Artistry brand.
Transitioning to a single cosmetic beauty brand will simplify our consumer messaging and enhance its clarity and consistency. This is one of many positive, promising changes ahead for the business, for IBOs, and for customers. That said, we will certainly miss Jeannie Mai and her sparkling personality. Below is a farewell letter from Jeannie.
*****
Hi Everyone!
I understand there has been a lot of speculation about why my contract with Quixtar has come to an end. First off, let me say that this relationship has ended on the best of terms and at a natural point where both Quixtar and I wished to pursue other projects.
My life has actually been entirely changed ever since I discovered the heartbeat behind what Quixtar was really about. I still remember the first excited conversation with an anxious IBO in Hawaii three years ago, and the feeling of meeting family every time I'd greet the passionate people within the corporation. I can recall the pride to be a part of something so revolutionary as I toured the laboratories behind the research of every product distributed. As awesome as the concept to becoming a successful IBO was, I was most attracted to the fellowship that was bonded as every dreamer would work to reach their goals--together. Each time I spoke the words "Never Accept Ordinary", I was praying it over every single heart that was blessed to have a stab at an opportunity like this.
Now that my contract has ended, my work to "never accept ordinary" has actually become my heartbeat. I've made valuable friends for life from this role I had the privilege to experience, not to mention gain a fabulous husband whose qualities that made him an IBO are exactly what I desired to have as my life partner. This corporation has been a dream turn reality, and I wish the same continues for every person who has the chance to experience it from this point on.
Love so much,
Jeannie Mai Harteis
*****
Jeannie Mai can be seen on USA’s Character Fantasy and on the TLC’s Miss America Reality Check.
- Transformation Station: Logo Preview
-
I want everyone to know that I couldn’t have joined Quixtar at a better time. This is a business that's only going to improve as we go forward. And because we're in the middle of an exciting transformation, there's never a dull moment – new products, new support, new money, and more. Our plan for this transformation calls for strong brand support, an aggressive reputation campaign, and the transition to a new brand for the business opportunity.
But, it’s going to take some time and a lot of hard work to get from where we are to where we want to be. The transition to a new name started in September with references in the Quixtar Business Opportunity Brochure. In March 2008, we’ll begin a three-phase rollout of the new brand name and logo.
Phase 1: March 2008
All internal and external communications, including advertising and public relations, will carry this logo.
Phase 2: September 2008
Amway Global will be elevated to the lead brand in our communications, and Amway’s 50th anniversary will be acknowledged.
Phase 3: May 2009
The transition to our new business opportunity brand will be completed.
As I mentioned above, March 2008 also marks the start of media advertising and public relations for the new Amway Global brand. We’ll be filling you in on the details of the multimedia, multimillion-dollar campaign during the coming weeks and months. But I can share that our vision is to once again be the business opportunity of choice in North America.
We’ll also be separating Sales and Marketing into two distinct, collaborative teams. To lead our Sales efforts, we’re happy to announce Sandy Spielmaker as our new Vice President of Sales. Sandy joins us with nearly 25 years’ experience in Sales, Marketing, and General Management, with a track record of innovative sales approaches. We will look to Sandy to accelerate our initiatives and achieve our goal of improving profitability for all IBOs. We are actively recruiting qualified candidates for the Vice President of Marketing position and plan to have it filled soon as well.
We all know that talk is cheap. It's easy to throw around words like transformation, change, enhancements, and partnership. It's actions that really count. And at the end of the day, we’re putting our money where our mouth is and investing in new products, expanded training, enhanced compensation, and integrated reputation initiatives. Ultimately, we’re building a compelling and dynamic business that will become the business opportunity of choice in North America.
- Successful Selling
-
I experienced Achievers for the first time this month, and was I impressed! The product expo, entertainment, and venue were all top notch. But what was most impressive was the attendees commitment to transforming their businesses for the future. Part of this transformation includes a commitment to building a balanced business. It was in support of this goal that a presentation called Successful Selling was made available to Achievers attendees. For those who were there, it is no surprise that the Successful Selling Workshop was one of the most popular presentations. Evaluations filled out after the session were nearly uniformly positive. Good content, engaging speaker, great timing.
We thank Joe Pici, the presenter and an accredited Emerald and Achievers qualifier, for sharing his wisdom and knowledge about the sales conversation. Some of the memorable takeaways from Joe's presentation were:
- We often try to understand the ingredients in the bottle when we should be concerned with what is in the person we are selling to (know your customer!)
- Someone isn't really your customer until you've had multiple opportunities to sell to them and follow up. Sending someone to your website doesn't do it, and simply signing them up for DITTO without further personal contact doesn't either.
- Rapport is the ultimate goal with your customer. Rapport leads to referrals (you want to be their trusted advisor).
Having been a sales trainer myself, as well as managing and directing many professional sales programs, I can relate to these insights.
Those who attended Successful Selling at Achievers will be receiving an audio version of the presentation along with a PowerPoint presentation in January. We are working on other ways to provide this and other similar selling support for all who want it.
So, given that, what kinds of training do you want on selling? In-person training sessions? Online courses, webinars, or webcasts? Podcasts? DVDs, CDs? Train the trainer programs that will teach leaders how to train their groups? We are looking into all these options, and your feedback will help us determine which approaches we use.
Are there any particular topics or content that you feel is especially needed in relation to selling? Any other requirements that will help us provide you information that is helpful and credible?
We look forward to an exciting year partnering with you and your support organizations. Many IBO leaders have already started conversations with us about how we can work together to help IBOs make more money selling products to customers. Let us and your leaders know what training you need, so that together, we can help you build a successful and profitable business.
- Quixtar has gone Hollywood!
-
Hollywood, Florida, is the location of this year’s Achievers celebration where over 5,000 Founders Platinums and above have been gathering for four sessions over 17 days as we discuss the transformation components which will shape our future. Oh yes, and we have some fun planned too.
From the fabulous product expo, to candid conversations with Doug DeVos, Steve Van Andel, and Steve Lieberman, we all have been challenged to commit ourselves to reach a new and unprecedented level of success by focusing on investment, innovation, and reputation.
Quixtar has had its share of success, but holding steady and maintaining the status quo isn’t good enough. To take the business in new directions and experience revitalized growth and success, we will need to continue to transform our business model. Quixtar will be making a significant investment in advertising, new products, training, and other areas. But we also need IBOs to invest in the transformation with their time, energy, and commitment to building a balanced business.
We are committed to innovation and we are already seeing evidence of this innovation with new products, new training, and new business support. We also need IBOs to be innovative by being open and creative in their thinking, and willing to do things differently and move in new directions.
Everything we do and say affects our reputation. Our reputation in turn affects our potential for growth and success. We need to provide IBOs with the right consumer-focused products that customers want to buy and IBOs want to sell. In turn, we ask that IBOs are open and honest about who we are, what this business is, and the value of our great products.
This has been a wonderful Achievers as we see our leaders embrace these three essential ideals. I personally believe that, with the commitment from all, we’re certain to succeed in transforming our business, our lives, and our future.
- More on Training and Education
-
Thank you to everyone who gave feedback on Quixtar University, and please keep it coming! Below are a few of my takeaways from your input, along with my responses.
First of all, I'd like to address the authenticity of the online learning modules themselves. One of the virtues of online learning is that you can pack a lot of information into a very short period of time. This keeps the learning quick and efficient, so you, the user, can fit online learning into your busy schedule. The downside of this is that sometimes in being so efficient, one can easily lose the authenticity or "realness" of human interactions. Real conversations are often messy, and do not contain all the perfect words and phrases that we tend to put in online courses. We are working on better capturing the essence of what real customers and real IBOs say to each other in a sales conversation, by learning from you in the field. So keep your comments coming! (And, yes, you're right, sometimes it is just bad acting and we need to find the right actors for online learning videos who sound authentic).
A few of you commented about usability issues, as you found it challenging to access Quixtar University due to browser or other functionality issues. We are currently working with our software vendor to find solutions. If you have questions or need support please call Customer Support at 800-253-6500.
You also suggested that Quixtar provide leaders with reports on who in their organization have taken the online courses. This is a great suggestion, and we are looking into how we can support it. You said this may be especially helpful for courses such as Welcome to Quixtar, which is a prerequisite for special new IBO incentives. If your downline have not all taken the course, you may like to know that so you can encourage and help them. After all, this is not about Quixtar educating IBOs. This is about a partnership between Quixtar and leaders in supporting and developing new IBOs to help them have a more successful business.
Finally, I'd like to preview some of the new courses coming your way. You've heard that a "How to Sell Ribbon" online course will be available by the end of this year. This course is designed to show how easy it is to sell Ribbon to a friend, family member, or acquaintance. An instructor led version of this course is also available now for leaders to book for their meetings (Call 616-787-5442 to book a program for your event). There are also online classes on Artistry Essentials and the Nutrilite Brand coming your way. And, you'll soon be seeing some courses available in French, Spanish, Korean, and Mandarin--in fact, a Spanish version of Simply Nutrilite has just launched - all to better support you and your groups.
Once again, thank you for entering in the conversation about learning. How fantastic that we can so easily communicate with each other, and learn from each other every day.