Lia Sophia Update

Since I've been obsessively following Lia ladies on Facebook, I found out that their annual conference set for next week was cancelled this week.  Apparently no specific reason was given. A bit worrisome.  

Yesterday I had a long phone chat with a former advisor about her experience.  She had also heard about the cancelation and had no more info, but offered to fill me in if she learned anything from friends who are active advisors. She understood my trepidation about joining a company that cancels an event that big at the last minute.  It is a family owned company so it's possible something happened within the family?  In the meantime they are busy promoting a new product line to be unveiled in August.  

Anyway, she told me that like me she had done it for the jewelry discount and some extra money.  She went to a couple of conferences which she said were fun and helpful.  She did most of her business as online parties and occasional fundraisers (giving 10% of her sales to the charity).   She asked if I had an upline in mind and I told her about the opportunity call I had done with a woman in Ohio.  The fact that she does her team meetings as phone/video conferences works out well.  

She was actually the perfect person for me to talk to because she really was pretty laid back about her business and said she never felt any pressure to recruit or do more home parties.  Her upline seemed to understand this was the way she wanted to run her business and that was fine.  She only stopped as she also had a full time job and while the Lia Sophia job was good for part time she never wanted to make it a full time thing.  She never earned any of the trips but had plenty of friends who did and raved about them. She encouraged me to go for it once the new line comes out.  She even told me that she would host a party if I decided to do it and said she still had some forms and supplies that she'd be happy to pass on to me.  

She's going to be at a dinner that the women's group we both belong to is holding later this month, so I'll get to talk to her more about it then.  Part of the reason I'm going is to the event is to get to network.  

Lia Sophia Facebook Opportunity Event

The other night one of the advisors I have bought from in the past hosted an opportunity event on Facebook.  Yes it was basically a recruiting event but also a no pressure forum for me and others to learn about the business and ask questions. The advisor who I used to host a party most recently had one too but I skipped that one.  Well that is I tried to view it once it started,but it was a private event.  I didn't want to RSVP for it cause that advisor doesn't even have a Facebook presence so I don't think she'd be the right fit for me.  

I always take these things with a grain of salt as I know that direct sales people profit from those under them, but still I think she was pretty honest.  Although when I asked her what she didn't like about her job so said, "nothing".  I find that hard to believe.  No one likes every single aspect if their job even if it's a little thing, but I didn't push it.  

She's been in the business for about 6 years and has a team of about 100.  She does seem to give good support to her team and they help each other.  I admitted my main reason for doing it was to earn free jewelry.  I asked if there was much pressure to recruit, and she said she supports everyone to run their business their way.  No pressure.  She lives in Ohio but most of the team meetings are via conference calls and Facebook meetings so that's not an issue.

I ended the meeting saying I wouldn't be ready until the fall due to having Little Man home so much, and she said she understood and respected that.  She's a grandma herself. 

I didn't get all my questions answered but most of them.  I definitely feel like I could succeed with her.  Actually last night when I couldn't fall asleep I started drafting my party presentation ;). I just hope I like the new starter kit.  At this point that is really the deciding factor.  

The tricky part will be that advisor who hosted the Facebook event and my previous party advisor have the same upline.  Not sure if they know each other.  Not sure if that'll be wierd when the time comes, if I do sign with someone in Ohio who I have never met versus someone who I have been to 4 parties with including my own - but I'll figure it out.  

Open Letter to Lia Ladies

Dear Lia Sophia Advisors,

I went to my first Lia Sophia party 5 years ago and was instantly hooked.  I didn't consider myself much of a jewelry person, but have acquired over 60 pieces over the years.  I love them all, have had only minor issues with the jewelry and have a couple of times taken advantage of the LRG no problems.  

I've considered becoming an advisor since last summer and really the only reason I haven't done it is that I've been underwhelmed with the starter kits.  Or more to the point - the stuff I like I already have.  I figure if I give this a try and don't succeed a starter kit with jewelry I love would be a nice consolation.  

Last year I wrote a post called 10 tips to having a successful Lia Sophia party and posted it on Pinterest.  It's been repinned a lot by advisors. I don't know if they share my info with their hostesses, but I'd like to think so.  When someone pins it, I check out their profiles and usually find other posts about Lia Sophia and tips on direct sales.

I've been able to learn a lot about the business from what active advisors have pinned, and I follow a bunch of different advisors on Facebook, but there are a few questions I haven't been able to find answers to.  If I've managed to keep your attention this far, I'd love your input.  

I'm a stay at home Mom and my youngest will be going to Kindergarten in the fall.  At this point I don't have a lot of time to myself but by then I will.  I'm looking to do this as a side thing not a major money earner, more a way to subsidize my jewelry addiction :)  

My question is, is it possible to be an advisor without doing in-home parties?  I realize that the most successful advisors do a lot of home parties, but I would have a hard time doing them.  Home parties would be tough as my husband's work schedule is unpredictable, my kids aren't old enough to stay home alone, and while I could get a sitter I'd rather not in case my husband DOES get home in time to watch the kids. If those sound like excuses, I guess in some ways they are, but the fact is I'm an introvert and don't want to give presentations to groups but I am fine one on one.  

One of my initial concerns was the Excellent Beginnings program requiring new advisors to have 3 parties with 5 weeks with a total of $1500 in sales.  That seems to have been replaced with the Smart Start program. Does Smart Stsrt have similar kickoff requirements?  What happens if you don't reach the goals? - my concern is not the amount of sales - the last inhome party I hosted had $1200 worth of sales from just 10 women.  But what happens if I don't get that 3rd party within the 5 weeks. After that my understanding is that you need a minimum of $250 of sales every 3 months to be considered active.  Can that be done with just catalog sales or independent orders?  

My plan would be to have an open house kick off in my home as my starter inviting pretty much everyone I know locally, then have a Facebook party for out of towners or anyone who couldn't be there a week or so later with a mystery hostess, but not sure what I would do for the third.  Maybe a fundraiser for a women's group I am part of (outside of my home).  I'm assuming if you do a fundraiser, the advisors commission is what becomes the donation to the cause, right?  I'm ok with that as I figure it would be a good way to grow the business.  Any other suggestions?  I know the usual way to grow these kinds of businesses is to have friends host a party, but I don't want to do that if I can avoid it.

How do you find the best upline for you?  The advisor who I've had home parties with most recently goes the traditional route of doing most of her sales through home parties.  She doesn't have much of a Facebook presence.  How would I find someone more in tune with my plan?  In case you were wondering, this is why I haven't contacted her with all these questions.  She's a successful advisor and she's a lot of fun but I'm not sure she would be the right fit.  

Looking at my calendar and local community events, vendor fairs, holidays etc, I have come up with a theme or sales pitch for each month to encourage/increase sales.  

I have "attended" a couple of Facebook parties and love the idea, just not sure how profitable those are?  I know for home parties generally 1/3 of those invited actually attend.  What is the attendance of a Facebook party like?  Are sales usually less or the same as a regular party?

I know all advisors can purchase a website on the lia sophia site with their info on it.  How often/easily can this be updated?  

Lastly, a couple of more general questions

- What do you NOT like about being a Lia Sophia advisor?  I know all the perks, but there must be some negatives every job has some (even if it's just a little pet peeve).  

- How much pressure is there to recruit?

- If you know any advisors who did not succeed, why do you think they didn't?

Thanks in advance for your help. Like I said I'm not ready to really pull the trigger on this until the fall, so don't try to recruit me now ;) but I'd love your advice.  If you would prefer to send me an email rather than write a long comment, fill out the contact form on the top right and I'll email you directly

Classified Necklace

I bought the silver Classified necklace over the summer and love it.  So far I have yet to wear it in any of the myriad of ways I've seen posted by various Lia sources.  Instead I braid it - like this

I plan on braiding it mixing the hematite and the silver soon too. I'd love to do a fishtail version so I could have an even number of each but haven't been able to figure out how to do it.

Getting My Fix from the Lia Sophia Spring Summer Line

The new catalog came out February first. I got an advance copy of the catalog from one of my Lia ladies and after studying the catalog made my wish list.  As usual I found a couple if things I liked at first glance, but after going through it again (and letting my daughters look) the list grew. Not enough to warrant a party though.

I placed my first order through my local rep. As much as I want to wear it (especially the classified necklace) I'm waiting as I ordered the party time and shortcake necklaces from two different advisors so both my daughters could get them.

Party time necklace for March 34

Shortcake necklace 28

Classified necklace in hematite 88

Block party in mulberry 48

123.61 for 198 worth

The second order came yesterday, and actually my daughters have been asking about them so I may give them their goodies this weekend (although I wanted to wait to give them the birthstone ones for their actual birthdays).

Shortcake N - $34

Party Time N (May) - $28

Glacial N - $20

Slow Dance E (Mint) - $5

Shipping - $4.25

Tax - $6.96

Grand Total is $98.21 for $208

I thought I was done when I stumbled across a Facebook party held by a friend if my local advisor and I saw the Bardot bracelet and the offer to get it for $10 if I ordered up to $80 worth of other stuff.

3rd order including 

 Free Flyer earrings

flash bulb earrings

 first dance earrings

Bardot bracelet

106.82 for $200 worth

For a grand total of $606 worth of jewelry (before tax) for $328.64 including tax and shipping.  Not bad especially considering that the full price items were the necklaces for my daughters - total of $124 for all 4.  Bottom line though, I need a bigger jewelry box ;)

I held off ordering until I could checkout the new starter kit.  Unfortunately, like the previous kit, there weren't any pieces I was really excited about that I like (other than ones I already own). I am still seriously considering joining Lia Sophia once my son starts school in the fall, which is partly why I am obsessively following different advisors Facebook pages, and joining Facebook parties of total strangers.  I'm not a stalker, I'm collecting ideas.  Everyone time someone pins any of the pins I have under my Lia Sophia boards (especially my tips for a successful party), I check to see who they are and what I can learn from them.  

I have a couple of pins planned for ways that I use my genius clasps and necklace shorteners that I haven't seen elsewhere. I just need to figured out how to take the pics. 

Lia Sophia on Hold for Now

Ok, so I've mentioned my interest in starting selling Lia Sophia.  I got the new catalog and while I like a lot of the new pieces, I'm not that excited about the current starter set.

There are a couple of smaller pieces that I like, but the bulk of it I can't see myself wearing.  I figure this matters in case I fail miserably and am left with the jewelry.  The starter set costs $149 for $1000 worth of jewelry but if I only want pieces totaling less than $149, not worth it.

Also if I really wanted to make a go of it, I'd need to be starting now to get my first five weeks off to a good start.  Since training for my half takes up most of my kidfree time right now, I think it's time to put the plan on pause.

Depending on how much I like the next  new catalog I may consider it come February, but next fall would be better when Little Man will be in Kindergarten.  I'll have a lot more kid free time and could even offer daytime parties in some cases.

Until then I will continue to follow a couple of advisors who seem successful selling online and will get one of them to include me in one of their Facebook parties so I can see how that really works.  I'm still skeptical that the online option actually works, but at the same time I can see how it work for people like me who can't always get out due to husband/kid schedules.

I did order a couple of new pieces from the new catalog and will hold off on the rest until I get some awesome offer.  

Confessions of a Lia Sophia Addict

A friend of mine  had a Christmas party four years ago and had a Lia Sophia rep there.  I had never heard of the jewelry and even though I don't consider myself a jewelry person (I used to wear the same pieces almost everyday, and even though I got my ears pierced when I was 12 I hardly ever wear earrings) I really liked what I saw in the catalog.  The advisor played "Deal/No Deal" with us and I ended up winning a piece of free jewelry and a party of my own.

My party was small but I still took advantage of all the free, hostess and half price deals I could.  Since then every February and August I eagerly await the new catalogs.  I've ordered a few individual pieces directly through advisors.

I check out the list of retired pieces in July and January to make sure I don't miss something.

I check for new specials at the last Monday of every month.

I have "liked" numerous advisors' Facebook pages based on the fact that they have giveaways/ deals/ headsups on upcoming specials.

I have the Lia app on my phone.

Shortly after the new catalog came out in February I came up with a wishlist of almost $700 worth of jewelry.  I called the advisor from the most recent party I had attended and booked a party.

I earned a ton of new items after that party, but still have a long wish list.  I will be attending a party next week (that will be my 5th Lia Sophia party attended in four years and I have hosted 2).

I know I said I don't consider myself a jewelry person but I really like this line.  They have a wide variety of styles and while there are always plenty of pieces that are not my style, there are many that are.  I've gotten in the bad habit of throwing clothes on the morning, when I take a little extra time to think about what I'm going to wear and accessorize, I feel better about myself.  When I bump into someone I know in town I can hold my head high knowing I look good, instead of thinking I should have taken the extra couple of minutes getting dressed that morning.

Bottom line - I have seriously been considering selling Lia Sophia.   I've made a list of every woman I know and came up with over 150.  I ran the numbers to see how much I would have to sell before I would earn commission.  I have come up with a month by month plan of how to grow my business.  I came up with a list of ways to market the business.  I scoured the internet and managed to find some unprotected "advisor-only" documents.

The problem is I don't want to do home parties.  I know this is the basis of Lia Sophia's business, but I'm way to introverted to do it.  Lately I've seen some catalog and on-line shows.  I'm not sure how viable those really are though?  I think those are usually extras for busy advisors who do the usual home parties.  To be fair I'm going to start by asking the advisor who ran my last party, and if she thinks I'm insane I'll check with some of the advisors I found through Facebook.  I know this is not how the company wants their advisors to do things as everyone makes more money doing home parties, but my main goal is free jewelry for me, not paying the bills.

Any Lia or other jewelry reps out there, I'd love your input.  Am I crazy to think this could work, or can I make this work?

10 Hostess Tips for having a Successful Lia Sophia party

I don't sell Lia Sophia but I have hosted 2 parties and attended 3 others. To help hostesses out there earn lots of great free jewelry I figured I'd share what I've learned.

1. Guest list - it is my experience (and two advisors have confirmed this) that no matter who you invite only about 25-33% will actually attend.While these parties are a fun excuse for a girl's night out, people feel pressured to buy so usually won't attend unless they want to buy the products. To maximize your freebies and bonuses for Lia Sophia you need to 10 people to place orders and 2 people to book shows.  To hit that 10 order minimum invite at least 40 people.

2. The second part to earning your 40% is having 2 friends book their own show.  At both my shows only 1 person booked their own show.  The first show was pretty small though.  The advisor I worked with recently mentioned that in her experience younger women book shows, but don't buy as much and older women buy more but don't book as many shows. This has been my experience too.  If you don't get two bookings at your actual party, encourage anyone who can't attend to book their own show.  Emphasize the perks and bonuses.  If you have a friend who is on the fence ask your advisor if she's willing to sweeten the deal with a bling card - aka a Lia Sophia gift card.  My advisor offered to give one piece valued at $100 or less for free for my friend if she booked.

3. Choose your date carefully, obviously you want to pick a day that works well for you, but think about the people you are inviting and their availability. We have a lot of Greek and Eastern Orthodox people in our area and I booked my party on their Good Friday without realizing it - and lost 5 potential guests right there. 2 others had their children's communions that weekend. So 7 people were already out due to planning their own parties/family gatherings.

4. Consider hosting with a friend. Increases your guest list and your chances of getting that 2 shows booked.

5. Hype your party before you send invites. The advisor will usually send your invites for you about 3-4 weeks before the party. As I mentioned mine included mini-catalogs with the invites so people could easily see some of the jewelry. A link to the full website is a also a good idea so they can see everything, but the mini catalog was a good teaser to get them interested enough to check out the website. Create an event on Facebook. My advisor did this and posted pictures of jewelry and notice of specials as the party got closer.

6. Send out your invites early enough that you can move to your B list if necessary. As I got closer to the party I realized there were other people I would have liked to invite but it was too close to party day for it not to be obvious they were B list. 

7. Be a walking advertisement - assuming you already have some pieces wear them leading up to the party (preferably current pieces, but even retired ones will give people an idea of the styles available).

8. Depending on how many respond yes, you may want to open up the party to more day of. The day before my party was raining and miserable. So I posted on FB, that the best way to fight rainy day blues was with some sparkle - join me for cocktails and Lia Sophia jewelry.

9. Have fun with the party but don't go so overboard with drinks and food that you spend more than you earn. You also don't want your friends to think they have to go to the same level or above to host their own show, and feel intimidated to host a show. You can still have a theme and have fun but set a budget and stick to it.

10. Your advisor will most likely leave your show open for a couple of days after your party. This gives you time to figure out what you want to buy, but also gives those who couldn't make it a chance to purchase online through your advisor's page - and contribute to your earnings. Promote that option through email, Facebook, Twitter whatever.

Have fun!!

Lia Sophia Success

Friday night was a fun and successful night. I had 10 friends show up for my party and based on the sales I earned $240 in free jewelry. Only 1 friend booked her own party so I only earned 20% of the sales. If I got one more friend to book a party normally I would earn 40% in free jewelry but for the month of May Lia Sophia is giving hostesses with 10 orders an 2 bookings 60% of their shows sales in free jewelry - for me that would be $720 worth of jewelry for free!!!!!

I've reached out to a couple of friends who couldn't make the show to see if they want to help me by booking their own, but not sure if they will.  I know I have a few followers in Chicagoland, so if you're interested in booking a show of your own, let me know.   I don't sell Lia Sophia myself, but I'd put you in touch with my advisor so I can get my second booking.  The advisor lives in Round Lake but was willing to drive to the Northwest city limits to do my party.  If you book a show through her, I'll commit to placing an order at your party (I don't have to be there, I can order online - unless of course you want me there).

Even if I don't get the 60% it was still a successful evening - had a fun evening catching up with friends and got $892 worth of jewelry for $173.80 (along with the free jewelry you get to pick out 4 pieces at special hostess prices, and up to 5 pieces at 50% off.  I laid out $125 in party expenses for food and wine, so overall a great deal and a fun night.

If you're interested, check out the jewelry here http://sites.liasophia.com/sites/corporate/productcatalog?page=cataloglisting