Tag Archives: app

My Top 6 Apps

My Top 6 AppsAs I’m writing this in late 2017, this is my favorite list of apps. Next year, I’ll probably discover new apps and services that I simply must have. But right now, these are my top apps and I use them all the time for my business and I thought I’d share it with you.

  • Fundometer
    This app helps you to track sales goals for yourself and your team. I particularly love to use it when I’m tracking my progress towards an incentive trip or an iWish goal. It is so satisfying to update it and see that you’re getting closer to your goals. The app is free and is great for visual people as it provides visual stimulation and a progress meter.
  • iWish
    This is a free bucket list app with a raft of ideas for you. It’s a great app if you know that you want to do things and make memories but you are unsure of what those things are exactly. By making your bucket list you know what you’re working so hard for. It’s a great help to keep you motivated, especially because you get to move things from your iWish list to your iDid list as you’ve achieved them. The only thing that iWish (you see what I did there?) is that they had used the word “goal” rather than “wish”. Wishes are things that you hope for while goals are things that you make happen. But I guess iGoal isn’t such a catchy app name.
  • Shuffle
    Shuffle Screenshot    I just love Shuffle. It is an app that helps you with host preparation. It will help you to get more pre-party orders. It will provide all the info that potential recruits need. It will help you to communicate with your team. It is pure awesomeness that you send to people’s phones. For more information on Shuffle, check out this article .Shuffle is a paid app but you won’t regret paying for one minute!
  • Canva
    This is the online graphics maker that you didn’t know you needed. The free option is so good that most people get away without paying for advanced functionality! Canva lets you quickly and easily make images for social media and printables to help you boost your business. Canva has various sizes all ready for you to go for Facebook event covers, A4 worksheets, Pinterest graphics, ebook covers, and just about anything else you can think of. Never made graphics before? No worries. Canva provides free layouts ready to go. All you need to do is change the text to say what you want it to say. If you want you can change the colors, add a photo or icon….but the free layouts look so good that you don’t really need to.
  •  Cinchshare
    If you find that you’re spending too much time working on your social media posts this is the app you need! Cinchshare allows you to schedule posts for Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. Cinchshare ScreenshotIt has some great features especially for direct sales heroes like you. I use it to schedule posts to my Facebook team groups, my business social media, and Facebook parties and events. It helps you to maintain a consistent posting schedule, no matter what else you have going on in your life! It is cheap to use and worth every cent!
  • Headspace
    Meditating? For business? Oh yes! Headspace is particularly good for beginner meditators as it guides you through a series of training sessions. And there are a bunch of sessions to choose from for quick 2 minute meditations right up to more advanced and longer options. I usually do a 10 minute session and I find it gives me clarity and focus. Meditation has been found to reduce stress, improve concentration, increase happiness, slows aging and is great for immune and cardiovascular health. Who doesn’t want that?I’m very goal oriented so I love that this app keeps track of my meditations and gives you merit badges. Yes, I love achieving badges. The app is free with plenty of options but you can purchase more functionality too.

These are the six services and apps I use almost every day at the moment. Are there any apps that you can’t live without in your direct sales or party plan business?

I’d love to hear your top 6!

I’m hopelessly in love with an app

I'm hopelessly in love with an app

I’m hopelessly in love with an app

Have you ever fallen in love with an app? It’s happened to me. I’ll gush about the app to my friends until they stop calling me, I’ll point out new and awesome features I’ve discovered to my husband until he’s bored to tears, and I can’t stop using it.

Meet the new love of my life: Shuffle.

Shuffle is made by Ellify and they market it as a “virtual business card”, but that’s like calling cheese “aged milk”. Yes, it’s technically true but it’s so, so much more!

It’s a bit hard to describe how useful and awesome Shuffle really is without sounding like a marketing firm. I could tell you it’s a game-changer for consultants in any Direct Sales business (true, but boring). I could tell you it bridges the gap between online and offline marketing (what does that even mean?). I could tell you it will help you to stand out from the crowd (and, boy, does it do that!)

But if you have a go with it, you might just fall in love too!

One click awesomeness

Shuffle Screenshot

The beauty of this app is that from one simple link you can take your customer to a fabulous looking page that is rich with information. It’s all right there on their phone, accessed with one click.

You can include links to all your social media sites and websites. You can include branded images, links to videos or catalogues. You can include all your contact information. And you can create all this yourself without breaking a sweat.

So let me tell you why you need this.

Fortune is in the follow-up

As they say, fortune is in the follow up. But how do you know who to follow up with? Well, Shuffle will tell you who’s viewed your “card” or clicked on links. You can automatically schedule a follow-up so you don’t forget. Let me just say that again so it sinks in: the app will tell you who’s interested in your offer so you can target your follow-up. You can even schedule follow-ups so no leads fall through the cracks.

How to get the most love from Shuffle

So what could you use this app for? Here is a quick list of ideas:

  • Start a “text of the month club” for customers and send any special monthly deals to them that your company or you personally are offering.
  • Boost Facebook event attendance. For Facebook events I include a link directly to the event from the card, a link to the online catalogue and my social media sites. I send it to the host and encourage them to text or private message it to the people they want to invite. I’ve experienced a big increase in attendance at Facebook parties because the link makes it easy for them … they can click straight in and it feels more special than just getting an invite via a notification! Sales have increased significantly too because the link to the catalog is already right there in the ‘card’!
  • Make it easy for hosts to invite people to in-home parties. I send a personalised card to the host to forward to the people she would like to invite. Attendance has increased because the message feels more personal and looks attractive.
  • Increase outside orders. I’ve been blown away by the increase of in outside orders I’ve received from parties since using this app. The link to the catalogue is included in the ‘card’ and in the message on the card I tell them when to get their orders in for the event if they can’t make it in person. It makes it so much easier for the hosts and the results are wonderful!
  • Increase your Facebook following. I make sure I include a button linking to my business page on every card I send … it makes it easy for them to like / follow you! You could create a campaign with a card offering a reward to everyone who likes your page or put everyone who likes your page into a draw. Since the link to your page is right there on the card it’s so easy for people to do it.
  • Follow up with potential recruits. If someone shows interest in your business opportunity sending a card specifically for that purpose would be a great way to follow up. You can include links directly to where they would need to sign up, videos about your business opportunity and you can personalise it with a message from you. And because the app sends you a notification when they’ve viewed your card, which links they’ve clicked and how long they spent on your card, you know who to follow-up and when!
The app that's a MUST for direct sellers...

This is just a small list. But if you apply every single idea on this list, you’d be giving your business a real boost.

And did I mention how great the cards look? How easy the app is to use? How much more targeted my follow ups have become?

I know, I’m gushing again. I can’t help it: I’m in love.

Check it out here.