I've been kinda laming out on my blog lately. Really, it's partially because nothing has really been super interesting or different lately, and I haven't been reading as much as I would like to be lately. Shame on me. Shame! But I have been preoccupied.
I started into a new business venture with Steeped Tea which is taking up a lot of my time. (Don't worry, this isn't a sales pitch, just an explanation of what I have been up to lately)
For anyone who isn't familiar with Steeped Tea, it's a Canadian home based business out of Hamilton that does home based Tea Parties. Think Arbonne/Tupperware type home party thing, but with Tea and tea products.
I have had one bad experience when I tried to do a home based business type thing with a skincare-type company (although they would hate it if they knew I called it that). Their expectations of their consultants were way too high and there was a minimum amount of product you HAD to buy and then try to sell after the fact. They make it sound like people will be coming up to YOU to ask for the stuff, but that really just wasn't the case. I ended up with 10 times the product I needed and no one to sell it to. So I cut my ties and swore I would never do it again.
Then I got invited to a ParTEA by a friend of mine from work that decided to sell it. Now, I have always loved my tea, so this sounded like a good time and I had no intention of selling it myself, but I did have a list of product the length of my arm that I wanted to try. I stuck with 8 teas (plus a freebie) at that party and was proud of my self control.
I really became interested in the company and ended up watching their Dragon's Den episode, like, 5 times just because I loved these people so much. I decided to host a party through my friend from work and we picked a date and I sent out invites. Shortly after, they had a special advertised on their site about a discounted rate for becoming a consultant. Now, by saying it was a discounted rate, I mean that they sell you a crap tonne of product, including teas and hardware, plus a bunch of the sales supplies and it's up to you to sell stuff, book parties, etc. etc. but they GIVE you all of this stuff to do it with. Seriously, when I got my Enrollment package, I felt like I had ripped someone off. I got THAT much stuff. I figured that the teapot and the iced tea jug were about the same price as I paid for the whole package, which included infusers, about 20 teas, food product, and a bunch of other little things I don't care to list. AND the greatest part, I didn't have to sell anything if I didn't want to. There would be no punishment if I just said "SUCKERS!" and took the stuff and used it myself.
But I didn't want to do that. But at the same time, I don't really want to SELL it either... not like the way the skincare company did. I want to sell it like I sold books, where people approach you, tell you what they like, and it's your job to help them find something. My whole sales pitch is "NO PRESSURE!" because I really want you to WANT the product, not buy it because I said it's good, or I like it or whatever. I really do want to offer my customers an opportunity, not a sales pitch. I would like to do parties, not only to make a little commission but to offer this awesome product to people. I will not lie, the hardware stuff can be a bit expensive (the iced tea infuser jug I got with my kit is worth $40, I bought 4 similar style ones I like better from Costco for $25 total), but if people want to learn why loose leaf tea is superior to tea bags, I am your girl. If you just want to come to a party and try 47 different types of tea and then buy one (or maybe even none!), that's OK! I am supportive of that! At least you have tried it and figured it wasn't for you....
Anywhoo... I have rambled on about this FAR longer than I intended. I just get excited, and it's still pretty new, so I love talking about it.
But back to why I am busy and not reading or blogging. It seems that during the times I would normally be reading books, I am now studying information guides and googling things about stuff I want to learn about teas and this company. I know more about Rooibos teas than I ever thought possible. Basically, I don't want to just sell this stuff, I want to be an expert on it. I want to be able to ask any question that is thrown at me. So I end up reading product updates and listening in on conference calls rather than reading my books.
I have had a book on the go for 3 weeks now that I really should have finished after a week. Then I decided that I was gunna crack down and finish it and I bought the next book I was planning on reading, but I still haven't finished that first book yet... and now another one that I have been on the wait list for months at the library waiting to come in is now available and I only have it for two weeks, so that has bumped the newly purchased book to 3rd... but I STILL need to finish this book... so... I'm working on it. I'm getting to the point in Steeped Tea that I've got the gist of everything, now I just need to get more experience. So I completed my Training Party, booked another couple, and just need to do it. So I think I will get back to having more time than I have lately, but still not as much as I did before the Steeped Tea thing started.
So in conclusion, sorry for the impromptu hiatus. I am still around. I will be around. I'm just busy.
[/pointless post]
No comments:
Post a Comment