WAHM Forums

I wanted to give a big HELLO to other BabyCrazy Reps! http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gifI am still fairly new with BC and just when I started getting into using their message board it went offline. http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley19.gif I know Lee and Jen are working to get one up again, but meanwhile, I thought I'd send out a hello to you.

I'm about to do my first vendor display at an outdoor fair in June and I'm really nervous and very excited about it. Jen R. was very helpful (as she always is) and I got some great info and ideas that were posted at the now defunct board.

Any feedback so far on products from the summer catalog? Some key items that I had ordered to have on hand for my table is on backorder: such as the water play center, stomp launcher, ice cream scented bubbles and bug patrol --- http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley19.gif-- but I do hope they come in on time for the 9th.

I do really like the chalkboard placemats and my daughter was playing for awhile with the magnetic glow n the dark dinosaurs board with her dad. She was facinated with the lantern radio (smaller than I thought but I guess perfect for little hands and it is quite bright!) My daughter loves the bubble horn but I was disappointed that the very small amount of bubbles provided for it and the dipping tray was useless -- far too small and shallow. But once I bought a big jug of bubbles and used a saucer to dip it in -- it worked great and was a lot of fun to use.

The information posted on these boards are very helpful and I like that it is such a supportive community. I look forward to speaking to other reps and hearing how things are going for you in your neck of the woods. http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley1.gif

Wishing you all much success and happiness!

Kathy T.

Hi Kathy!
Fellow BC Rep, Jessica here.
I haven't ordered any of the new summer products yet, but I am snapping pics with a demo Jen sent me (the glow in the dark squish ball)
I think the ball is really cool. The soft texture makes it great for indoor and out door play.
Just wanted to drop a line and say hi. There aren't many BC reps on this board, but there are a few of us.
Good luck with your first expo!

Hi Jessica!

Thanks for the reply! I had considered the skushi ball but I had decided on some other items instead for my expo. But that's good to know that you like it (and by receiving a demo that meant you achieved the goal -- so a big congrats to you!)

I heard from Lee and she reassured me that I should be able to have all my backorders in time for my expo! Whew -- that's a relief!

You said you haven't ordered anything so far from the summer catalog, is that from lack of interest from your clients? Or just hadn't had the opportunity yet? Personally, I think the catalog looks very appealing, but I have a home party this Friday and I will be curious to see their response to it.

So, hopefully, more of our reps will check this out so we can share our experiences.I get a lot from just reading other reps on the board, as well.

Hope your summer is starting off well. I'd like to keep in touch to see how you are doing.

Wish you much success!

KathyT.

I love the summer catalog myself. I have just been striking out in the booking parties area. I have a huge expo event in July that will hopefully jump start things again.
Summer is really a hard time of year for me, because it just gets so crazy around here. I know that it is no excuse, and some people around here would see that as a cop out, but the truth is I just find it easier (with my family's lifestyle) to accomplish things in the winter.
I have also been eyeing a bunch of products out of the new catalog for my daughter. Do you have any kiddos of your own?
What has been your favorite product so far?
I hope that your event goes well! That is so exciting!

I have a sweet daughter named Sara who is almost 2 1/2 yrs old. As for my favorite products, that's tough, because I really love watching Sara and other kids play with our products, so any of the ones they are playing with becomes a favorite. But I really like showing the Keep It Clean Paci to other moms and I love the No Rinse Hand Sanitizer -- I really don't leave home without one. Sara and I have been having a lot of fun with the IceCream Scented Bubbles, they're cute, smell nice and compact so I have one in my bag to take to the park with us.

Don't apologize about taking it slower in the summer -- that's the beauty of this, isn't it? -- to fit it in your lifestyle. http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley1.gif

I'm hoping that June will really launch my business, it really has been slow going for me to start (I've only been a rep since March and new to this). I'm still trying to find the balance of how to approach others about it without seeming pushy or insincere in about befriending them while also trying to network BC. How do you do it? What's the response your getting? In June, I have two expos, 2 parties, and 1 daycare event. I hope that they will be successful monetarily and in gaining real leads from it. I hope to approach other daycares and moms groups, as well.

Good luck with your expo! Since mine is in a couple of weeks, I will let you know how mine goes and what products got the most interest. (the new chalkboard placemats look really nice and the chalk writes well on it).

So, you have two children? How old are they? How long have you been a BC rep? Has it been going as well for you? (since you received a demo product, that meant you achieved the quota, so a big congrats to you! yeah! http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley20.gif) Which has been your favorite product? Which one has been the most popular with your customers?

As you can see, I have been really waiting to get to speak to another BC rep, so thank you for lending me your ear. http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley1.gif

Kathy

I really enjoy visiting with other reps too. I have been with BC since November 2006. I have really had fun with my business. It is sort of a hard sell in my town sometimes. I live in a small town in Wyoming, and there isn't really a lot of money floating around here. I have a few faithful customers and that works well for me. I am planning on hitting the craft fair curcuit hard during the holidays this year. I really did well over the holiday season last year. I know that if I set aside more time just for BC,my business would be a lot bigger by now, but you are right, that is the beauty of it. You can build as you go, and go as fast or as slow as you want/need to.


I actually just have one daughter, Sydnee, she will be 2 in August. (That still dosen't seem quite right.)

I did receive a new demo, but it was just because I was selected to receive it to take pictures with my daughter playing with it for the next catalog. I was so excited to do it though.

Good luck with your events! It sounds like you are just truckin right along. Where are you located? I am actually the first rep in the state of Wyoming. I was really excited about that. Even if it is taking me a while to build, that is with anything and any business you decide to do.

Please keep me posted on how things are going. Like I said, I love to hear from other reps!

That's great! I'm also the first rep in my state of Delaware -- much smaller than your state of Wyoming! But for a small state, it is very much divided as heavily populated in the north (where I live) and rural living in the south (which being a small state, is quickly being encroached upon by development with much controversy). So, I think if I only get into some good marketing and networking, I, too, can build a solid clientele.
If you were given a demo to take pictures of, that is an achievement because only certain top amount of reps qualified by total sales for that month, so that is a big congrats! I hope your picture is used, so I can see Sydnee playing. http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley1.gif

That is adorable that you also have an "almost" 2 year old daughter (sorry, I don't know where I got it in my head that you have 2 children, oops http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley9.gif). It really is a fun age isn't it? And your right, it is unbelievable how quickly they grow. It is amazing and I'm glad that I'm able to get to spend so much time with her. Since, my husband and I don't plan on having anymore children, that is also what attracted me to do BC, so that I can remain around precious babies and young tots, even as my precious little girl grows up (maybe she'll become my little helper in this, as I believe another BC rep had mentioned on the BC board. She sometimes already plays "BC" where she'll gather some odds and ends into a bucket and calls it "BabyCrazy, no touch" --which is funny because I will let her touch my demos, but with a reminder that she has to be careful and put it back. Or she will push her stroller and announce she's going BC -- mimicing me when I've taken her along delivering flyers --which is how I got my two expo leads).

Anyway, enjoy your summer and I look forward to staying in touch with you. Are you going to convention in August? I would love to, because the other reps sounded like they had a blast, but I can't due to a variety of reasons. Maybe next year I will be able to make it happen, though.

Kathy

I can't make it to the convention either. My daughter's B-day is on the 2nd and I don't feel that is really a day that I want to be doing anything but revaling in the fact that I have a 2 y/o. I really would love to go, but it's just not great timing. Maybe next year...

Oh, I wouldn't go to convention if it was my daughter's birthday either. But what timing! Maybe next year it will fall on a better date. I guess this year we can commisserate together on what we are missing, but at least you have the excitement of your daughter's birthday to celebrate!

Kathy

I think that they try to have it in August every year. But that's okay, I'm planning on being with the company for a while, so maybe one year, the whole family can go, and we can make it a family vacation too and celebrate Sydnee's birthday somewhere special...

I am really glad that you told me about what you thought about the bubble flyer. I have a customer that was unhappy with another item and is looking to exchange it for something else. I am having a feeling that she may pick the bubble flyer. It is good to know about the bubble pan. Do you think that it was just poor quality bubbles? Just curious in case she asks.

Thanks again...

That may work out in the future to combine a special birthday trip with convention if your husband is happy to spend the time with Sydnee alone while your at the convention. But I'm glad you see this as being in it in the long haul. That says alot about the company and that's what we need.:)

It was the bubble horn not the flyer. But I did just order oneflyerto have on hand for my expo and I was debating to open it up to try it out and just use it as a demo -- I may not be able to resist -- I really have been curious to see how well it works. :) (in fact the only thing that stopped me thus far, is my husband exclaiming, "how many bubble toys do I need?! And if I open it up, I won't be able to sell it!) If I do crumble, I will let you know what I think. But 2 oz of bubbles is hardly anything.

And back to referencing the bubble horn -- the pan is definitely too shallow. The horn is made up of a bunch of individual bubble wands and some of them are on an angle, so there is no way that that dipping pan is going to cover them all. I think if someone is interested in it, I won't discourage them because it really is fun (Sara and I were playing with it last evening) but I would definitely inform them about the pan and that it doesn't come with enough bubbles but that I think it's still worth it for the horn itself. I think if they know that going in and still want it, they won't be disappointed in the toy itself. I plan to take ours to the expo to blow from my table since I can't afford a bubble machine at this time. :)

Now I'm curious, what product was your customer disappointed in? Oh, and that reminds me about something I meant to email sales about, the toy boat with beach accessories, another one that I ordered to have on hand at my expo, the boat is a nice size but the bucket is just a plain yellow, no pretty pictures on it like in the catalog. And another thing that would have been best to be informed about, for the pirate sand mold set, the supplier randomly selects the little pirate that you get. I ordered 3 only one looks like the one in the picture, the other 2 are a pirate in a green shirt with no hat or eyepatch, only a "bandana" and a big scar on his cheek! I like the one in the picture better but you can't "select". Maybe in the future we can get product guides to go with the supplement, like the one we get for the main catalog.

And how about us having our own single conversation? No other BC reps to pop in with their view point and offer their two cents? You're right, there is not enough of us talking to each other yet. When I start recruiting, I'm definitely going to talk up this site and our own message board -- when we get one again. :)

Have a great day!

Kathy

I really love visiting with other BC reps, but it is also oh so nice to see how other reps run their businesses too. I have gotten many really great ideas from them too. I am really excited to get our private BabyCrazy forum back though. There are so many smart and articulate women (and men) that rep with BabyCrazy.

I know that Lee and Jen were planning on adding a special appendix type deal to the product guide that is posted on the rep website. Have you checked that out yet? I haven't looked at the product guide recently. Also, one thing that I did for myself is printed out the product guide and punched holes in it and put it in my BabyCrazy Manual, so that way I always have a copy.

One other thing, I noticed that you are doing a lot of fairs and expo type events. One thing that I did for myself is took one of my master catalogs (and each time a supplement comes out, one of those too) and purchased the clear sheet protectors and place the pages of the cataolgs in those and then into a binder. That way, people can browse the catalog w/o tairing it up. Then, if they want to take one with, (after of course getting their email address and other info) I gladly give them a catalog. Those little puppies can sure get expensive if you are handing out20 or 30 per event. Just something I thought I would throw out to you.

The info that you gave me about the products is VERY helpful. Unfortunately, (or fortuneately) there are just so many products from BabyCrazy, that you will never really get to try them all in person. Have you emailed Lee or Jen with your concerns about the toy boat? I really would. I don't know if some of the details you mentioned would hinder a sale, but if something is showed one way in the catalogs, that would be what I would expect to receive as a customer. Lee and Jen really want to hear what we have to say on things. I would deffinately make sure you make contact with them if you are worried about something.

Best,

Thanks, Jessica! I did email them about it, as well as my feedback on the bubbly horn and pirate sand mold set just after emailing you. It's just that I'm a stickler for details, so I would prefer to know as much as possible of something so that I can explain it as best as possible to a customer to avoid any possible disappointment or misunderstanding. Because as you said, it's just not possible to buy everything in the catalog to experience first hand (or at least not for me, although I would like to buy alot if money allowed).

And thank you for that tip about displaying the catalog in sheet protectors -- I remember seeing that mentioned on the BC forum and thinking that was an excellent idea as I'm realizing the need to be a bit stingy or at least more particular in handing out my catalogs.

Thank you!

Kathy T.

hey Kathy!
It seems that you have been quite busy posting on the forum! It's nice to see another BabyCrazy rep active here and getting our name out!

LOL. Yeah, I'm finding it rather addictive as my DH is noticing. :) But there is so much helpful info here. From another rep's suggestion, I checked out Cafemom.com and having been making friends just chatting with others and one woman that I befriended inquired about BabyCrazy and today she just informed me she will be signing on!!! I am soooo thrilled! Just made my day!

Wish me luck, I have a home party to do this evening!

Have a great and successul day, Jessica!

Kathy T.

note: I'm disappointed that no one else has posted under best summer toys to recommend. How odd for a forum like this. But at least BabyCrazy's name is there!

Oh gosh! Good luck tonight. You will be in my thoughts! You'll have to let me know how it goes!

And congrats on the new recruit! I love sharing BabyCrazy with people and introducing them to the business opportunity side too.

Have fun tonight!

Thank you so much, Jessica,for your encouragement. It was great timing, too. I read it just before I was heading out the door to my event (so thank you also for that PM, that only proves your right -- I amaddicted to WAHM. LOL). But it gave me that added oompf as I went off.

Well, the party went well in that people and kids had a great time, me included(I was surprised by the amount of kids there since this was scheduled for 7pm!). But there were only 6 attendees, disappointing, oh the lack of attendees, the very bane of a successful showing. http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley19.gifThis party was rescheduled already once so it took persistance on my part just to get it to happen and then once I was there, I found out that the hostess had actually scheduled another home party for the next night where alot of the same attendees were expected to go to! http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley5.gifSo, that wasn't good --- these people were getting tapped out. Couple of them hardly spent, definitely rationing out their money, so, thank goodness for the two grandmothers in attendance who made up for it.

I did get apotential lead for another home party out of it to follow up on and my hostess indicated that she may want to do another one in the future (but you can be sure that next time,I will talk to her about booking too many around the same time).

And hey, I made like $42 in commissions (that is even after I gave the hostess a 20% discount off one item since her daughter's birthday is this month -- I thought I'd try offering that to see how it goes. Book a party in the month of you're child's birthday and get 20% off one item. I think that is what got the one attendee considering hosting. I know her daughter's birthday is in July.) But $42 for a couple hours of my time is good money. http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley1.gif

I also gave away a $10 gift certificate from a drawing (for every $10 that they spent, got an entry for it. I also playedone game and the winner got an automatic entry into the drawing, as well as free shipping and a Kids Lip Block) that's issued by me, so it won't cost me anything until she redeems it. One of the grandmothers won that so hopefully it will be a good order once she chooses to redeem it. :)

So, it didn't go quite like I had hoped as far as sales. But, it felt great to start the month off with a party order! http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gifAnd a recruit! So, my next scheduled event is next Saturday's craft fair -- my first expo. So that will be interesting. And my next party is on the 14th with my Moms Group. So far it looks like I could have from anywhere of 4 attendees to as much as 12. We'll see how that goes.

Thanks again for the encouragement! I really do appreciate it. So, you have a summer fair next month, right? Anything else currently in the works? I know you said you like to take it more quietly in the summer and I don't blame you for that! I'm glad to have a busy month this month because next month we will be going away for vacation for a week, so between that and my other job, it won't leave room for much -- but I do hope to book that other party (fingers crossed).

Talk to you later!

Kathy T.