Putting Out Origami Owl Fires (byline: Growing Pains)

I fear there is going to be a lot of backlash from frustrated designers and negative people.  Origami Owl is a new company and going through some growing pains.  I agree they may not have thought out the process of launching a new party tab, doing it at the same time they changed shipping rates, launched new products and did this all right before Mother's Day (a huge jewelry business holiday).  But it is what it is, and we're having to navigate the mine field as best we can as designers while keeping a professional and positive attitude.

I'm constantly amazed at people who don't know how to "Push away from the keyboard" and think before posting negative comments.  Listen, I found myself vascilating from tears to shouting at my monitor when trying to close out my launch party the other day.  The new cart was not functioning quickly enough, everyone was on line at one time trying to place their orders with the new line, new catalogs, new reduced shipping and new hostess rewards all being released at once.  I had to put in my party from scratch at least twice and still was having issues applying the new shipping.  All of my items are still sitting in a posted (aka not yet shipped) status and I'm hoping everything will get here and be ironed out for my party next weekend.

Guess what? I can't control this.  I did my part. I had my party, sold my jewelry and put in my order.  Murphy's law intervened and we have a shopping cart feature that probably should have been beta tested a lot more before releasing it into the wild, and a dock strike causing back ordered and delayed products.  The Nest has temporarily shut down the ordering process and will be reverting to the old cart along with the old hostess reward system until it can be fixed.  To be quite frank, it totally sucks!  But again, there is NOTHING I can do, and being negative and leaving snitty remarks on message boards is going to do more to damage your credibility than the actual issues at hand.

When I couldn't get my shipping to work out, I posted some questions to my up line and the forum. Everyone was experiencing problems.  Huge wait times at the Nest were being reported and I wasn't sure what to do. Guess what I did.  I told myself, the world will not end if I don't get this order placed today.  I took a deep breath. I went and watched some T.V., I came back later and placed my order.  I don't know when I'll get the order. I don't know if I'll even get all of my order (based on some orders having been delivered without newly back ordered items or half orders missing), but again... Nothing... I.... can.... do....

Remember one thing... Nothing is forever.  This too shall pass.

If I need to explain to my customers that there were IT problems at O2, I will. I don't think there is a SINGLE one of my customers who has not experienced some sort of IT nightmare in their lifetime.

Origami Owl is a professional company and are certainly working hard to get this all sussed out.  They're new and they're learning (I know that sounds like a cop out but it's true).  They're going to fix this, we'll move on and look back and the hell that was the month of April and say, "Wow we made it through that."  The question is, will you be proud of how you handled yourself?

Launching Into Success

The launch party was a huge success.  Cool enough, as an independent designer for Origami Owl I have the option to host my own parties. Which means that I get to be the recipient of the hostess rewards i.e., I get free stuff. I will get my commission check next Friday (Yay! to supplementing my income) AND I will have the following items in my stock and some for my personal collection (This includes the hostess exclusive I received for only $40).

Black Locket with Crystals
Black Ball Station Chain
Chocolate Locket with Crystals
Chocolate Ball Station Chain
Mini Gold Locket with Crystals
Medium Flat Black Locket
Large Silver Locket
Flat Oval Chain
Small Black Quadrefoil Dangle
Small Smoke Quadrefoil Dangle
Small Silver Love Plate
Teal Lock Charm
Teal Key Charm
Teal Crystal Puffy Heart Charm
Black Accent Stone
April Birth Stone
Bright Eyed Owl Charm
Chain Extender

I think that's it... :)  but a LOT of goodies to say the least.  Since I can't impose on my friends once a month to keep supplementing my own habits, I do need to book some parties, so I was more than happy when I got a solid yes for a party which will be held next weekend. I also have a Take-Out Party (catalog party) in the works and two possible other parties for the month of May/June. Oh and I booked a vendor event.  I'm hoping this summer will be a success. I do plan on having more of my own parties, but I will space them out.  I think my next one will be a Christmas in July, than maybe one in November.

But the bottom line, the question I get asked, can you make money doing Origami Owl, and the answer is Yes.  Do you have fun? Yes.  Do you get free stuff? Yes.  The other question I get asked, "Are the hostess rewards good?" Uhhhh YES!

Now for those of you already in the Origami Owl biz, or just starting out, the valuable lessons I've learned.

1. While creating a cool video to play at your party to help explain the jewelry and pump up excitement, if you've already handed out the catalogs, by the time you get to your presentation they are already ordering. Not necessarily a bad thing, but look at it this way. You want a captive audience to increase sales and also talk about the opportunity or booking a party. If they don't see your presentation, you won't have a chance to sell these things.

2. Give yourself PLENTY of time to prepare. I was still putting stuff on toothpicks when my first guest arrived.  Thankfully it was my pastor's wife and she helped me out, but it caused me to have more stress than I needed.

3. Encourage all the guests to give you their email address. This will allow you to add them to your newsletter list. (Again something that can be brought up in your presentation).

So, my next party I will hold tight to the catalogs.  I will encourage my hostess to have everyone get snacks, eat and maybe look quickly at the jewelry but when I'm ready to begin, call everyone to the presentation, thank the hostess, speak about the product, the opportunity and hostessing, then at that point press play. After they have seen the presentation, play a game to loosen things up, THEN hand out the catalogs. At this point you can ask if anyone has questions and discuss highlighted items and release them on to the jewels!

Growing Pains

I watched a YouTube video last night from a girl who was supposedly giving a non-biased review of O2, saying how any marketing program that requires you to have home parties is slow going and suggested that Origami Owl required "tons" of money up front without giving you information about the company.  The end of the video contained a sales pitch for her own direct marketing system (one you had to click a link to learn more about).  So no, not a non-biased review.  Now you may say that I'm also non-biased.  Sure, I'm an Origami Owl designer.  But if you want a review about whether you can have success with Origami Owl, who better to ask.  This is a 100% no BS review. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.  I'm not skeerd!

1. Origami Owl does NOT require you to have home parties.  You can run a totally and completely online and catalog business if you wish.  It's YOUR business. You run it how you wish.  The reason Origami Owl encourages homer parties, is that this is a successful selling model.

2. Slow going?  I became an independent designer on Valentine's day.  I started getting online orders right away.  I saw income in my first week.  Now I'm not going to blow smoke and say I was making money hand  over fist, but I was making money.  And I held my first online party in March and made back the money I had put into the business. And Origami Owl does offer some of the highest commissions in the industry (between 30 and 50%)!  So if you can begin making money right away, I don't consider that "slow going".

3. Putting Tons of Up Front Money without knowing about the company? You can go to the Origami Owl website right now and find out what it costs to get in and how much you can make:  In fact, go here and put in my designer number 17556 https://irresistiblecharms.origamiowl.com/wait/index.cfm  All of your questions will be answered. There are no secret tricks, no get rich quick schemes, no hidden fees (though you do have to pay tax and shipping on your business package, but that's common sense).  And keep in mind, you are GETTING jewelry in return.  Highly DISCOUNTED jewelry I may add, and if I had a chance to go back I'd buy the biggest package I could.  But I was... yup... skeerd.  So I played it conservative and went with the lowest package of all.  See my previous post for more information about the business packages.

The Fear of Home Parties and Selling from a Non-Sales Person:

I decided to take my time with my launch as I'm a perfectionist and there were some things I wanted to do first.  I wanted a DVD to assist me in talking about the product.  I'm a stage fright kinda person and I feared I would not remember everything when "on stage". So I made a music video of sorts that covered all the important points.  I also wanted to have the perfect set up, so I got some jewelry busts, some owls and other display items to make sure my Jewelry Bar looked totally pro. I did this bit by bit when I saw things on sale.  When I felt I was ready I did my Launch Party (Meanwhile I was still selling lockets online and to friends/family/acquaintances.  Or should I say, the lockets were selling themselves).  My launch party was a great success. I didn't even NEED my video. It was a totally relaxed atmosphere and I enjoyed the party as much as everyone else.  Again, this is your business.  You decide how you want to approach your parties (if you even do in person parties at all).  While there is a suggested outline of what to do, it is ultimately up to you (provided you're not doing something crazy and outside of policies and procedures... I think they would frown on Origami Owl Beer Pong).

Personally, I have a full time job and I also do web design.  I have a LOT going on in my life, this is my fun-time job.  Do I think that I could make it a career if I had to, I like to believe I can.  Fortunately right now I don't have to test it out. I have the option of doing it for fun on the side and I'm having a blast.  Am i quitting my full time job for it, No. (Ummm can you say Government Funded Health Care Benefits?)  Are there people in the business who have quit their full time jobs? Yes.

I've said it before. If you believe in the product, you don't have to be a sales person, and you will be successful.  You just have to decide how Origami Owl will fit in your life. My suggestions is host a party and see how it feels.  Do you think you'd enjoy doing it? Then go for it.  You prefer just being a host and getting discounted or free jewelry, then that's fine too.  Maybe you just love the jewelry and wish to simply be a customer.... No matter where you fit, please consider speaking with me.  I'd love to have you on my team, as one of my hostesses or of course as a valued customer!

My House Party Invitation!

Invitation

Never Underestimate a Possible Customer

While working my first festival, I met a woman who said she had heard about Origami Owl. I gave  her a take out menu (so hard for me not to call them catalogs) and she looked over all of my display items.  She proceeded to buy a locket on the spot and told me she wanted to order at least two more. I was so thrilled! I was in contact with her while she waited for her locket to ship, just to touch base and to suggest that she pick her locket up at my home office where I have everything on display.  As promised, when she showed up, she purchased two more lockets and explained that she wants to buy a third but wants her daughter to pick everything out.  I told her of an upcoming party I'm having at my house and suggested this is a perfect opportunity to bring her daughter and she can build her own locket.  (I was invoking a sales technique and didn't even know it!) She accepted my invitation and also expressed an interest in hosting a party.

How amazing is that?  Three to four lockets and a potential party from ONE customer, who was a total stranger.  Making it even more amazing, she is going to host a party and introduce me to all of her friends and family, all strangers who are potential customers and hostesses.  This to me is the key to this business.  Your friends and family are going to buy from you, but that's not enough to sustain you if you're looking to actually make a career out of this business.  You've got to hit your friends friends, your friends friends friends and so on. You've got to make contact with that "stranger" and infiltrate (for lack of a better word) their circle.  This is where you're going to find your success.  So for me, this early in the game to already have "strangers" as customers, I'm very excited!!!

{Woot Woot} and {Hoot Hoot}! <----Look I did my first "hugs around words"... Yeah I'm an Owl!

Sales Training (Sort of)

Being probably the WORST sales person EVER, this whole selling thing is a new and foreign concept to me.  I have never been comfortable asking for money or asking for a sale.  Thankfully with Origami Owl you don't  have to be a sales person.  But I'm trying to step outside of my safety zone, knowing that it will only increase my sales and presence.  I try to do something everyday that will possibly get me a new customer.  Start small, like leaving a take out menu in the break room at work. Show your necklace to a friend at work and when they say how much they love it, tell them you're selling them, "Aren't they great? I'm selling them. They're fully customize-able  look you can open them up and change the charms anytime you want!" Once you get brave, hand a take out menu to a co-worker.  I'll generally preface it with, "Hey, I just started selling this jewelry and I thought you might be interested. No pressure AT ALL, if you don't want it, pass it on to someone you think might like it. I'm just trying to get my catalogs out there..."  I have found this angle makes me feel better about approaching them.  We've all had co-workers or friends come to us with stuff their kids were selling for school or the like.  That wonderful guilt or sense of obligation that you have to buy something.  So I don't like the idea of being "that person".  But when I phrase it in a way where I'm just trying to get my catalog out there, I feel better.  A GREAT sales person would find a way to later run into them with an, "Oh hey, did you get a chance to look at my catalog, what did you think?"  I'm not there yet!

I'm proud of myself though.  I have personally walked up to an associate at work and invited them to my launch party.  I've handed my card to the waitress who always serves me at my favorite lunch spot.  I'm challenging myself daily.  I still have moments when I walk away from a normal daily situation and realize that I've missed a promotion opportunity.  But the good news is I'm recognizing it.  Someday I'll be able to look at every situation as a possible promotion or selling opportunity.  That's right around the time I will have become that annoying sales person I've always been afraid of becoming :)  But hey, it's not like I'm selling cars or insurance (No offense).