Effortless Purchase Order Import!

Margrette Field, an Independent Sales Director from Vista, CA. Margrette will post a blog each Wednesday full of tips, tricks, info and advice for other consultants and directors. Be sure to check back each week!

I have a quick and very useful tip for you today! 

Are you importing your orders from Mary Kay into UW?  This is a new and improved import tool that makes it SO easy to import your orders and keep your inventory current!  Here's how you do it.  Go to www.marykayintouch.com and click on Estimated Wholesale Production on the center of your homepage.  Then click on the order you want to import.  At the top of that page you can highlight and copy and paste the URL.  This URL is all you need now to import your order!  Go back to UW and then go to Inventory>Order from MK>Create Purchase Order.  At the bottom of the invoicing section you will see an Import from Intouch button.  Click there and you can paste your URL and click on Import Products. YOU'RE DONE!!  Love it!    

Star Consultant deadline is coming up March 15^th!!  Sell your way to STAR!  There's still time!

Pink Hugs,

Margrette

Save the Nation with Foundation

Margrette Field, an Independent Sales Director from Vista, CA. Margrette will post a blog each Wednesday full of tips, tricks, info and advice for other consultants and directors. Be sure to check back each week!

Hello Beautiful,

Today is a BIG day in Mary Kay.  Are you ready to "Save the Nation with Foundation"?  I know I am!  As Directors and some of you Future Directors and DIQ's spent the last few days in Houston, TX getting inspired and educated on exciting updates to our product line. In particular, the new foundations!  Tomorrow, UW will have these foundations in the product list. But you don't need to wait until then to order.  Go ahead and order them online through marykayintouch.com and you an import your order when the product list has been updated!  If you are not familiar with how to import your order remember the UW Help menu on your Dashboard has all the videos or text you will need to review the simple steps to import your orders from Intouch and keep your inventory up to date!

Thank you UnitWise for the new uwnow.com application for our mobile phones.  I didn't take a computer with me to Houston but I was able to look up customer information on my mobile phone!  If you haven't set a bookmark for it, do so now. You'll want to have the information you need at your fingertips!   

Find your way to beautiful today!

Pink Hugs,

Margrette

Get your Year in Gear!

Julie Potts, is an Independent Senior Sales Director from Ft Myers, FL. Julie will post a blog each Saturday full of tips, tricks, info and advice for other consultants and directors. Be sure to check back each week!

Steps for stepping it up!

1- MAKE A LIST OF EVERYONE YOU KNOW...go through your cell phone and facebook.  Write down men and women, offices, doctors, etc.  Then as you write a name...think of who they know.  Example, Albert has a mom, daughter, wife and sister.  Dr Anderson's office has nurses and he has a wife and daughter. etc.  Use a spiral notebook and leave a line per entry to track your attempts and conversations.  This book will last your through 2011, I bet.
2- CHECK YOUR DATEBOOK...know when you are available to hold appts.  Block 3 hours for party and 1.5 for makeovers.  What about your training night and other events in your area this month?  Note them all before you make calls so you have option ABC to offer her.
3- WRITE AND PRACTICE YOUR SCRIPTS...what are you offering for Hostesses in January?  What are you featuring as your Party of the Month...New Year New Looks?  Write a script and call someone to roll play at least once then start dialing for dollars.
4- CHECK YOUR INVENTORY... did you sell off too much in December without restocking?  Do you have the new products to show like the awesome Cream Eye Color?  Place an order to be ready for all your sales which equal profits.
5- HOSTESS AND RECRUITING PACKETS READY?  FACE BAGS READY? go to my website at www.juliepotts.com to learn more about packets and bags.  But being prepared saves you time and frustration! 

READY SET....GO!!!

Julie

Happy New Year!

Margrette Field, an Independent Sales Director from Vista, CA. Margrette will post a blog each Wednesday full of tips, tricks, info and advice for other consultants and directors. Be sure to check back each week!

Isn't it nice to feel that sense of "ahhhh"?  A new year is here and we can start over and celebrate the successes of the year past and look ahead at how we would like things to unfold in the new year.  Last week I shared how you have to take a physical inventory count and you've made updates to your ideal product counts as well.

Another thing you will want to do is take a picture with your cell phone or digital camera of your ending odometer reading on your car.  This will give you either a way to know exactly how many miles you put on your car in 2010 and you're trip logs will help you know how much of that were business deductible miles or you'll have snapshot ready for 2011.

When you visit the Accounts page on your Dashboard be sure to update any accounts and balances and be sure all of your expenses are entered here.  If you weren't doing this all along last year, it may take more time. However, going forward set up a system that works so you're not overwhelmed at the end of year.  Eg. Once per month or once per quarter enter your business receipts so you're always up to date.   

Here's some helpful reports to print out at the end of the year. These can all be found under the Home tab.  First, in the Accounts category print the Profit & Loss report.  Under the Products category, print out the Annual Product Purchases report. And lastly in the Sales category print out the Annual Summary of Expenses, Annual Summary of Income. Don't worry, when you actually filing your taxes these reports will still be there, however, at this time you want to be sure they are accurate before you start inputting any new data for 2011.

Remember, the best resource available to you regarding tax specific questions is the Tax Essentials document located on marykayintouch.com.

Pink Hugs,
Margrette

UnitWise for iPhone

It's here! uwnow.com - website for the mobile version!
It's up and running and optimized for iPhones; we are working on the Blackberry version and then the Android version. This release is for the view only mode, once this is completed, we will release the full editable version, where you can create invoices, take credit card payments, add appointments etc. Blackberry and Android users, you can use the mobile version now, but some of the screens will be out of alignment. Watch the Newsflash for the release updates.

Here are some tips on how to bookmark the site on your iPhone.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!
Wish you all a Very Happy New Year!
   May this New Year bring newly found prosperity, love, happiness and delight in your life.

Super Support

Good customer and technical support is more important than some might realize. It's an odd thing, because you really only notice bad support. When a program or business has excellent support, you often come away from a problem forgetting you even had one. That's the idea behind UnitWise's support.

They just integrated a new support system that is so helpful, and so easy, it's kind of scary. The support system makes it easy for users to quickly find answers to their questions. As they type in their question, possible answers to the question pop-in below. That's right, users could get an answer before they even finish typing their question! If the answer isn't there, the UnitWise team will get it answered as soon as possible, then add that question and answer to the database.

On top of all the helpful text answers, users can also check out informative videos like the one below.
This is all in addition to the live chat and phone support! The best
customer support is the kind you don't have to think about. The kind
that doesn't put you on hold or ignore your requests. That's what the
folks at UnitWise have built, and we thought it was worth pointing out.

Why Social Media?

It has the potential to eat up tons of time, scheduling it into your day means adding an extra activity into a crowded schedule, and the learning curve can be high depending on how technically savvy you are. So why get into social media? Customers!

Don't think of social media as an online time waster, instead, think of it as digital networking. There are tons of people for you to connect with. By skipping out on social media, you could be skipping out on an enormous number of new customers. Here are some specifics:

-Facebook has more than 400 million users. A bit of perspective: there are 300 million people in the United States. The average Facebook user has 130 friends and is connected to 60 pages, groups and events.

-There are nearly 12 million Twitter users. About 65 percent of them are under 25. Women make up 53 percent of the user base.

That's a huge market! Before you get too excited, remember that this is digital networking, not digital door-to-door sales. Don't spam users with links and useless content. It's like real networking--connect with people and engage them. Send useful links and take part in conversations. The benefit over face-to-face networking is that you can break up the conversation over time, you can connect to multiple networks at once, and you can do it from anywhere.

An easier inventory

Anyone that has to manage a business with a lot of inventory knows that nothing's more tedious than data entry. If you get hundreds of new products every quarter, the last thing you want to do is spend hours inputting each item. Some desktop programs will send you new items to download into your program, but they cost money. Other programs don't even have inventory options, you're stuck keeping track of them in a spreadsheet, or on paper. There are some online programs that keep track of updates for you. You don't have to spend hours updating your inventory every quarter. You don't have to keep using the same old programs and methods just because that's the way you've done it for years. It's time to upgrade! There are faster, better and easier ways to run your business. Ways to save you time and money. Check them out now!

Desktop vs Online

These days you can do just about everything online. From taking care of your finances--using online banking--to writing documents and creating presentations--using things like Google Docs--it's all online. It used to be that when you bought a new computer you also had to buy word processing software, music software, picture editing tools, and more. You can do all of that and more online and keep your desktop clean of clutter. Now you can even manage your Mary Kay business online--every part of it. Why ditch bulky desktop programs in favor of the internet? Here are a couple of reasons:

-With online programs, you don't have to worry about backing up your data. If your computer crashes all of your information is safe. 

-You can use an online program on any computer, and in some cases, on your smart phone.

-Web software developers can push updates and fixes to the program to users faster and more efficiently than desktop developers. Instead of sending out download CDs or new versions every couple of years, web developers can send out updates as soon as they are ready. That way everyone is using the most up to date version of the program at all times.

-Good web developers employ the latest virus blockers and firewalls for your safety. It might seem like a desktop program is safer, but many of them are open for easy attack.

-Your desktop program can't do it all. You might have to use several different programs to do everything one online program can do.

-Desktop software often comes with a set number of (expensive) licenses, limiting how many times and how many computers you can install it. An online computer can be used on any computer.

Those are just a few of the perks of using online programs. The best part about online programs is that most of them let you try them out for a while. So get out there put them to the test.

Keeping in touch with customers

Today's technology enables us to keep in touch with customers in a number of new ways. The next time you get a new customer, make sure you take down more than just their name, phone number and address. Ask them if they are online--Facebook, Twitter, email, LinkedIn, blogs, etc. Some online business management programs allow you to store this information about customers for reference. With their online contact info, you can quickly and easily reach them. Send an email marketing campaign to them, comment on their Facebook status or pictures, or connect with them on LinkedIn. 

Using online communication, you can easily pass on links containing coupons or helpful articles. If you schedule in some time to communicate online once or twice a week with your customers, you'll stay in their mind. A lot of people fear that always being online will distance us from people and hurt our face-to-face communication. I think it actually makes it more special. If your customers see you digitally all the time, either on Facebook or Twitter, imagine how surprised they'd be if they received a phone call or a hand written note. So just because the online world is growing, doesn't mean the older means of communication are going to die out. Here are some quick tips for communicating with customers:

-First, become a friend of your customers on Facebook and Twitter (if they are on those services. If you aren't, stop reading now and join!)

-Next, comment on their status updates, pictures and links. Occasionally send them something useful about a sale, but DO NOT spam them with merchandise--that's an easy way to get un-followed.

-Get to know them--thanks to online profiles, this is pretty easy!

-Every now and then (maybe once a month) send them a personalized, handwritten note. This will strengthen the relationship and make them feel special.

-Keep that cycle going and you'll build a loyal customer base in no time!

Who do you follow?

Do you have a Twitter account? If so, who are your favorite people to follow? Chances are it's not the people that are constantly spamming links and "deals." It's probably the people tweeting good content. The people that connect with you and bring something of value to the relationship. It might be a famous person with something funny or insightful to say, or a business colleague dishing out excellent advice. It's like life outside of the digital world--you decide which people to become friends with based on what benefits they'll bring to the relationship, and what you can offer them. Treat your Twitter account in the same way.

Whoever it is, there's a reason you follow them, a reason you like to read the things they write. Keep that in mind as you tweet your own content. If you want people to follow you, then you have to provide something they want.

Twitter
is a great way to network with others. Make yourself worth following!

Keeping your business information safe

Just because you're using a program that is based on your desktop, doesn't mean it's safe from hackers and viruses. In some cases, desktop programs have lower security than online programs because they don't have to stay updated against all the latest viruses. Here are some things you can do to protect your business information:

Password Protection

If the programs or websites you use offer password protection, use it! Make sure your password is not obvious, you'd be amazed the amount of passwords out there that are simply "password." A good password includes a few letters at least one number and at least one special character, something like @ or $.

Financial info

Make sure your financial information, and your customer financial information, is safe and encrypted. Some desktop programs store payment information in text format or easy-to-access files. If someone stole or hacked into your computer, they shouldn't be able to find that information easily (or at all). If someone steals the credit cards of your clients, you could be held responsible. Some online programs have integration with financial websites like ProPay, so payment and credit card information is encrypted and secure.

Back it up!

If your computer suddenly melted today, what would happen to all your business information? Would you still have it? It's important to back up your information on a routine basis. Use a portable hard drive, DVDs, or an online storage solution. If you use an online program, you never have to worry about losing your information, it's available anywhere.

Don't put your business and customers at risk, start practicing safe computer habits now.

Learning to blog through Facebook

If you're new to blogging, but you're a Facebook veteran, there's no need to worry. Facebook is like a more open, accessible form of blogging.

-Status updates are like micro-blogs. 

-For more in-depth updates you can write notes for others to read. 

-You gain friends by commenting on other posts and pictures, just as you would do to gain readers on your blog. 

-The comment and reply system on a Facebook wall is very similar to the comment system in most blogging tools. 

-Other things, like uploading pictures and inserting links are also similar. 

-You arrange pictures and notes into albums--similar to the way you arrange posts on a blog into categories.

-You put captions on photos and tag friends in them, just like you would put tags on a blog post so people know what's in it.

If you're a heavy Facebook user, you might be more accustomed to the world of blogging than you think. Practicing good Facebook habits--commenting, tagging, frequent posting--can help you form good blogging habits.

Later this week, we'll discuss the differences between Facebook Groups and Facebook Fan Pages.

Juggling programs

If you've ever tried to manage a business with your computer, you know it takes a number of different programs. You've got your email program, your document program, spreadsheet program, inventory program, financial and account management program, your social media programs, and on and on and on. Before you know it, half of your time is gobbled up jumping between programs. The worst part is, most of those things don't talk to each other. If your inventory goes down, you have to switch programs and make sure it is reflected in your financial management program. It can be a measure headache.

That's why it's good to consolidate. If you can find programs that offer a lot of the same functionalities under one roof, you'll save time and money. That's why it's good to learn and now your programs before getting into them. If email program you use can also update Twitter and Facebook, then there's no need to download another social media program. The fewer programs you  juggle, the easier it is on you, and your computer!

An intro to blogging

So you've signed up for a blog and you're ready to go. What now? Before you start writing, there are a few questions you can answer that will make blogging easier.

Why are you writing?

This is the most important one. What's the reason behind this blog? Is it to act as an online journal? Will it cover a specific topic? If you know why you're writing, it will make coming up with new entries easy.

Who are you writing for?

Is there a certain reader or demographic you have in mind? Knowing your audience is key to writing good content. You wouldn't use the same language with toddlers as you would with adults!

When will you write?

Creating a posting schedule isn't a must, but it can make things easier for you and your readers. If your readers know that you'll have new content up every MWF, then they don't have to guess. 

Having the answers to these questions will make blogging much easier and even more satisfying.