Longtime lurker, first time poster

[Tadah!]

Hi guys, I just wanted to write a few lines to say a couple of things:

1-You guys on this board are pretty amazing. You are full of help and encouragement to each other, and I find that really exciting.

2-You have been so helpful to me. I don't sell (yet, I'm going to strike when the iron is hot, so to speak) but, virtually every question I've ever wanted to ask, one or more of your members has already answered to another poster. This board is a wealth of information. Thank you.

About me: I'm a law student who is going to have a metric crapton of student loans come due, part starting in March of next year, and the rest starting in November of next year (grad loans work funny, you start paying two months after your last disbursement for some). I'm getting married sometime next year. We're planning on starting a family sometime shortly thereafter. So, lots of exciting stuff, but--money. And who wants to work a sixty hour a week job when their child is an infant? Not me. Not anyone. So I'm just looking for different opportunities. I realize I have a way to go until anything "important" happens, but a girl likes to plan, right?

The only question I've had is--do any of you guys have lawyers or other...stuffy-type professionals that have hosted parties, etc. for you? I know a lot of people, but I know them very superficially, and the people I actually work with aren't the type I'd want to ask for leads... at the same time... I just don't know. There's a difference between having been a lawyer in a firm for 30 years, and being a summer intern hoping they'll hire you when you graduate. Not sure if you've heard, but, it's a really, really bad market for new lawyers right now.

You guys rock, and, even if you can't help me with my question, please know that you and this forum have been very valuable to me.

Thanks!

[akerr1117]

Tadah!

Thank you for posting! I'm glad you were able to learn from our posts while you were lurking. One thing about Thirty-One consultants is we truly support and help one another. That is one ingredient to our success.

I personally have lawyers on my team and I have done parties for lawyers as have some of my teammates. I have to say they were booked off of their friends parties and they were as excited as any hostess to have their girlfriends over. While in general I did not find them as interested in the purses, I did find them VERY interested in our organizing totes because like many busy women these days we are looking for ways to organize and simplify our lives. We have the perfect products for that too!

I look forward to having you join this amazing company soon! You are going to love it!

[beachchef]

perfect response Angie! I live in a collegw town and in addition to the organizing totes, I sell alot of our Cindy Totes to be used as laptop bags because they have room for other items inside in addition to the laptop. Had a professor buy one just a few weeks ago in the grey poppy with yellow initials...a little out of her comfort zone and she is in LOVE with it!

One of my daughters best friends is a young lawyer and bar-tending at Red-Robin because she cannot find a job in NoVa. Sad! She is considering joining for the same reason you are!

All the best - we have alot of exciting things happening with 31 over the next few weeks and we are happy to help here! Cindy

[Leanne McGarr]

Ditto what everyone else has said. In addition, realize that lawyers may not have time to shop for gifts and such. Be open to other avenues of income besides parties. Parties are your BEST option of course but there are plenty of women who need help getting gifts that they have not had time to shop for. Offer your services for that. Offer to gift wrap for them. Carry your bags and they will get compliments and interest. Have your mini catalogs and business cards on hand at all times.!

Congrats on getting through law school. I laughed at your metric crapton comment. I have student loans too. Quite frankly, they suck THirty One is really the only hope I have of ever getting them paid off!

Great to have you on the board!
Leanne

[adarcy11]

Hi Tadah!

I am also a longtime lurker. But I felt compelled to respond to your post, because I am an attorney and a Thirty One Independent Consultant.

My experience with attorneys as a Thirty One Consultant has been pretty decent so far. I work in Criminal Defense and I love Thirty One.

This was my why: I really loved the Organizing Utility Tote and I take my court files to court every day and it really is such a great product. I can fit my water bottle in one pocket, post it notes in another, pens on the side, cell phone ...you name it. Anyone that has court daily loves this tote. Plus my student loans basically left me no spending money at the end of the month.

I have found my biggest clientelle to be the clerk's office and at the local county courthouse. I bring them a catalog, set one of them up as a hostess so they can get the rewards and they order something with every new catalog.

Also, another big resource is Attorneys' secretaries. I have hosted so many parties through them and found several recruitments from them.

I'm right there with you on student loans as well. This helps pay my monthly payment. There are only a few attorneys that I have found that have turned down their nose to Thirty One. But almost everyone that I have approached has at least looked at the product and once I show them the benefits of the products I usually can convert them into a Thirty One lover.

I have an spare organizing utility tote and I ask the attorneys to take it and try it for a week. I have yet to have a no when they try it out.

My advice is to build the relationships with them first. They will be more open to looking at the product then.

If you have any questions then just let me know. I am really glad for Thirty One. I needed money desperately and loved the product. So it was a good fit.

[Tadah!]

Thank you guys SO much. You're so encouraging! I'm going to get started as soon as I like the starter kit (Not crazy about lotsa dots!).

Thank you again.

[Leanne McGarr]

Originally Posted by Tadah!

Thank you guys SO much. You're so encouraging! I'm going to get started as soon as I like the starter kit (Not crazy about lotsa dots!).

Thank you again.

There will be a new kit offered in addition to the one now starting on Monday the 16th. You will have two options to choose from!!

What I always tell my team also is that loving the Starter Kit is not important. It is a tool you will use to make money. with the money that you make now (instead of waiting until later to make money) you can buy the exact items that you want with the personalization that you want.

Lotsa Dots is the most popular pattern that we have. Even if it isn't your favorite, others will love it and that will make you money Trust me, there have been patterns that we have carried in the past and I was just like "blech" when I saw them. Those patterns ended up being some of the most popular and I sang all the way to the bank. When I showed that pattern and they got excited I would just say "this is a VERY popular pattern!" You don't have to love it, you just have to show it

HTH!
Leanne

[Tadah!]

Originally Posted by Leanne McGarr

There will be a new kit offered in addition to the one now starting on Monday the 16th. You will have two options to choose from!!
Lotsa Dots is the most popular pattern that we have.

I saw where someone had written that in a prior message and I thought, "Huh." I'm just not one for taupe.

I can't *wait* to see what the new kit is like. I'm actually a hostess for a catalog party right now (fundraiser for an Indiana tornado victim I went to college with) so I'm planning on using my hostess rewards to (1) give gifts that will get thirty-one into a community that doesn't have much thirty-one in it right now (2) buy myself stuff to do the same. A few walking billboards can't hurt. I have two graduations, two mothers days, and my Mom's birthday to buy for. I also had a one-year job, and I want to give my boss something. So hostess rewards, here I come!

So I guess another plus to waiting a teensy bit is that I won't be overwhelming my social circle if I wait until after finals. Speaking of, I should be reading...

[Tadah!]

I just wanted to say that I'm signing up as of tomorrow. I wanted to share something with you guys.

I sold Avon before. I'm not very "good" at selling things, and basically everything was always for personal use. I'm also terrible at recruiting others, it just never worked for me back then. I had a pal lose her house in a tornado, our mutual friend is a consultant, and she had "All my commission this month" fundraiser for our friend. So I said I'd have a catalog/online party.

Without actually trying to promote the anything other than sales and just being excited about the special and about getting to help my friend, I have a catalog party and a fundraiser already lined up. I'm not even a consultant yet. All I did was follow-up with people who had the book/were interested. I have two friends that are making mouth noises about signing up themselves.

Strangest. Thing. Ever.

[adarcy11]

It really is pretty easy to sell. Also, the outlet sale starts April 18th so that should really boost sales.

Good luck!

Angela