A Publication of The Handmade Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Vol. 5, Issue 34
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Sugary Silk Scrub will leave your skin soft and silky.

When you visit MakeYourCosmetics.com, it's easy to buy the ingredients you need by clicking on our Selected Supplier links:

Essential Wholesale: pure essential oils, over 200 cosmetic bases, hundreds of carrier/fixed oils such as meadowfoam, cranberry, jojoba and shea butter plus a new Short Run Private Labeling Program!

Bramble Berry, Inc.: over 105 different fragrance and essential oils (including their exclusive "Energy" and "Relaxing"), all soap tested, soap molds and unscented soap bases!

SunRose Aromatics, LLC: pure essential oils (many organic & wild crafted), carrier oils, solvent free shea butter rare & exotic perfume materials (visit the Perfumers Emporium), supplies, accessories and more. GC/MS tested to ensure quality.

The Scent Shack: fragrance oils and soap supplies. Fragrance oils are pre-tested in cold process, melt & pour soap, and candles, and test results are listed at the Web site. Scents tested by soapers for soapers!

From Nature With Love: over 1,600 ingredients and supplies, including cosmetic ingredients, spa supplies, bath accessories and packaging supplies!

This Week's Question: Who is the well known beauty diva who said, "If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right."?

These are just some of the praises for the Handmade Beauty Cookbook!! Don't miss this sneak preview of our book, which will be made available for purchase exclusively from Handmade Beauty Network members soon!!

Enjoy recipes like Citrus Spa Salt Glow by DK Mind & Body, Eczema & Dry Patch Balm by Essential Wholesale, Cocoa-Castile Soap The Scent Shack and Island Blossom Cream by Fallen Muse WebWorks and so many more!

\Life.Style CEO\n.  A person who owns and manages a business, not solely for financial gain, but also to enjoy the personal rewards of entrepreneurship, independence, flexibility and fun.

If you've been in business even a short period of time, you have experienced either the benefits of "cold calling" to generate sales and/or industry contacts or you have experienced a great deal of angst at the thought of making such calls. This week, I share some practical cold calling tips that you can use to turn cold calls into hot sales.

1. Plan Your Call Ahead Of Time. This means targeting your calls, planning who you'll speak to and exactly what you will say and as well as itemizing your goals for the call. For a first time introductory call, the main focus should be on making a good impression and securing permission to either talk with the prospect (this term is loosely used to describe in short hand fashion the person you are calling) further during the call about what you have to offer, or securing an appointment to do so in the near future. If you are in close proximity to the business you are calling, an in person appointment is best. If you are some distance away, the optimal result for the first call is to be able to talk with the person at the time of the call, but if you call at an inconvenient time, be prepared to find out a better time to call. Whether you can discuss your products at the time of the call or not, be sure to first clearly describe the purpose of your call so you don't waste the person's time.

2. Learn About The Business Of Your Prospect Before Calling. Visit their website or store, read their brochure materials or experience their products or services first hand before calling them. The subject of your call will appreciate that you took the time to "target" them rather than making a cookie cutter contact. (Don't you hate that??!) In this way, you maximize the chances that the call will be a win/win for both of you and that no one's time is wasted. If you have educated yourself ahead of time, you will be more adept at packaging your product or service to fit particular needs.

3. Precede Your Call With A Written Note. Once you have decided to call, send a note before making the call. Depending on the circumstances, you may wish to include a pamphlet or sample, but either way, make a written contact first. Use "snail mail" or email as appropriate given the particular situation. This helps break the ice and gives the person a "heads up" to expect your call. It also gives them the option ahead of time to tell you "thanks but no thanks." (This happens only rarely in my experience.)

4. Make Your Call Professional. When you make your calls, be sure you are in a quiet area where you will not be interrupted. Even if the baby is napping, be sure it's a solid nap time or you have someone on standby to help if needed. Few things are worse when you're trying to make a good impression than a crying baby, and it's a sure fire way to end your call and ruin your chance for a positive outcome. I like to stand up and sort of "pace" around my work area during a cold call. It gives my calls an energy that cannot be achieved from a chair and it adds a tone of confidence.

If your call is met with a voice mail, be succinct and polite and follow the requested instructions on the recording. Leave a name and call back number and speak clearly and slowly. I often repeat the phone number so the person listening to my message doesn't have to listen to the message a second time. Be brief. When your call is met with a live person who offers to take a message or gives you a better time to call back, you may want to get into the habit of getting that person's name so you can close the call by saying, "Thank you Tina. I appreciate your help and will call her back on Monday." Then when you call again, you can address Tina by name.

5. Remember That There Are Several Positive Outcomes. A successful cold call need not result in a sale. Small business owners love to talk about themselves, and the chances are excellent that if you are selling a product or service they could use, you also have a lot in common. This means that while you are finding out more about how your product or service can help them, not only are you obtaining the information you need to target what you offer to their needs, you are also creating a friend and colleague. This means that whether you close with a sale or not, you have gained something valuable, and so have they. If you are lucky enough to talk with your prospect the first time out, and don't have to set up a more convenient time to call back, you have the opportunity of a lifetime to make a new industry friend, share what it is you offer and how it can help your prospect solve a problem, save time and/or money or contribute somehow to the profitability of their business.

6. End Your Call On A Positive Note. How you conclude your call depends in large part on how the call went. No matter what transpired during the call, be sure to end it on a positive note. For example, if you have made a friend but did not generate any interest in your product or service, let your prospect know that you have enjoyed meeting him and that you hope to stay in touch. If you have made a friend and a sale, thank the person for the confidence they have placed in you and let them know they can contact you anytime with questions or problems, and try to check back with them periodically to see how else you can serve them. 

Visit our suite of Web sites serving the handmade toiletries industry:

HandmadeBeauty.com: the leading industry trade organization
MangoButter.com: 450+ suppliers of raw materials and packaging, updated weekly!
MakeYourCosmetics.com: ingredient encyclopedia & original cosmetics recipes
DonnaMaria.com: sound advice for your small business, Create The Life You Love™