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Longaberger Education for Advisor Development
is a monthly educational article designed to help boost your leadership
skills. Each month, The Visionary Online will include a new
L.E.A.D. article focused on topics relevant to your role as a leader
in the Longaberger family of Independent Sales Associates.
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Growing Your Business While Making a Difference
Becky Haskin is a wife, a mother, an Independent Longaberger Sales Consultant, and a two-time breast cancer survivor. Cancer first touched Becky's life when she was thirty and she learned that her mother had found a lump in her breast. Although her mother's lump was benign, Becky and her sister vowed to get full medical checkups.
With Becky's busy schedule and her daily life taking hold, her medical checkup slipped to the back of her mind. Weeks had past when Becky's sister called to share her recent medical update. After her sister's discovery and removal of a benign tumor and despite her busy lifestyle, Becky knew it was time for her own medical checkup.
Becky's mammogram showed a suspicious spot and after a biopsy and lumpectomy, it was confirmed that she had breast cancer. Although the prognosis wasn't good, the doctors informed Becky and her family that with the strongest chemotherapy and radiation, Becky might survive her cancer.
According to Becky, "the saddest thing in the world is that all of us lead hectic lives and we get caught up in the fast pace of everyday life. Our most important priorities get out of whack." Breast cancer was a blessing in disguise for Becky; she quickly aligned her priorities and began to treasure each moment of each day and began to live life to its fullest. Becky's Longaberger business enabled her to put her career on the back burner; because she had her own business she was able to work as little or as much as she could.
In keeping her business alive, Becky realized she had the opportunity to touch many women through her job; she could change lives while expanding her business. Every time she would get together with a group of women - whether it was at a meeting or during a home show - she told everyone about the importance of mammograms.
Becky reminds us that we have an unbelievable opportunity - like no other company in the United States - to touch thousands and thousands of people and increase awareness about breast cancer. Not only does the Horizon of Hope® program educate about breast cancer and help raise research money, it provides an incredible support system to console, to inspire, and to believe. To Becky, the program "is a joint effort to inspire, to save and to touch lives." Now is a great time to weave a difference and share this message with your daughters, sisters, mothers, grandmothers and friends.
The Longaberger Company provides you with a wonderful tool to start the discussion of awareness - the Horizon of Hope program. It also provides educational and informational literature to share with your hostesses, customers and friends. But you have the most valuable tools of all at your disposal: Your voice and your ability to touch the lives of hundreds of people through fund raisers and organized events.
Since the launch of Horizon of Hope in 1995, Independent Longaberger Sales Consultants have educated more than 14.4 million women about breast cancer and the value of early detection. Longaberger proudly donates $2 from each Horizon of Hope Basket sold. Since 1995, Longaberger's Horizon of Hope program has contributed more than $8.4 million to the American Cancer Society for breast cancer research and education.
The Horizon of Hope program presents business-building opportunities as well. As you strive to reach new customers and organizations with this program, be sure to focus on building your business at the same time. New customers with a special interest in Horizon of Hope may not be familiar with other Longaberger products. What a great opportunity to expand your contacts and mailing list.
Connect with your past customers as well. This program offers a great opportunity to reconnect with customers from the past: maybe they had a special interest in Horizon of Hope during previous years, or maybe it's a customer with whom you lost touch - what a great way to rekindle the relationship.
A fundraiser, such as a Horizon of Hope event, enables your business to support and promote a worthy cause while reaching new customers with a powerful message. Proper planning, giving yourself plenty of time to organize the fund raiser and recruit assistance, will ensure maximum support for a very worthy cause and maximum exposure for your business. Events such as luncheons, community events where you host a booth, and corporate programs that partner your independent business with community employers also increase your business profile, grow your overall business, and help you develop valuable relationships that have long term results.
Becky Haskin offers several suggestions as to how she and her Branch Advisors promote the Horizon of Hope program in her Directorship and grow their businesses at the same time. As with all special events you or your Consultants hold, please be sure to reference your Business Planner, the Company Guidelines section for policies, procedures and legal requirements. Here are some of their tips:
- Organize a tour of homes around the neighborhood at which the price of the Horizon of Hope basket is included in the cost of the tour. Each guest could receive a basket at the end of the tour. Consider taking orders for the Horizon of Hope Basket as well.
- Coordinate a luncheon at which each participating "Hostess" sponsors a table by inviting guests to fill the seats. The hostess is able to take orders during and after the event. Work with local stores to fill a Horizon of Hope basket with donated cosmetic or personal care items. Give the basket away as a raffle prize during the event.
- Arrange a luncheon where each table is dressed representing a different theme. A Horizon of Hope basket filled with themed goodies can be raffled during the event. Theme ideas: Hawaiian, 50s era, Gardening, BBQ picnic, etc. Contact local doctors offices or hospitals to set up the donation of a mammogram to be given away at your Horizon of Hope event.
As with all special events you or your Consultants hold, please be sure to reference the Company Guidelines section of your Business Planner for policies, procedures and legal requirements. Other event ideas include the following:
- Have a booth or display at community events. Make sure you're featuring Horizon of Hope campaign information; sell only the Horizon of Hope Basket, OR give all or part of your own commission on other sales to the campaign.
- Have a mother/daughter fundraising event. Use your imagination! Try a car wash, walk-a-thon, bake sale, rummage sale, or another event moms and daughters can work on together, with all proceeds going to the Horizon of Hope campaign. Provide information about early detection of breast cancer and the Horizon of Hope campaign.
- Suggest Horizon of Hope baskets as gifts. Talk with area doctors, nurses, counselors, social workers, and others about what a meaningful gift the Horizon of Hope Basket would be for patients, survivors, staff persons, and others.
- Have a group-pledging event. Do a fundraiser, where members of your Branch take pledges for time worked while Stimulating a Better Quality Of Life™ in the community - working at a homeless shelter; rolling bandages for the Red Cross; working at a food pantry; visiting hospital patients; working on a Habitat for Humanity House; working at an animal shelter; working at a battered women's shelter; etc.
- Give out Horizon of Hope information wherever you go! Carry a Horizon of Hope Basket with you wherever you go, and make sure you have a ready supply of stamped flyers, and your business cards. You'll be surprised where you'll find interest!
Horizon of Hope reinforces the importance of education - it is more than a Basket, it offers the opportunity to talk about breast cancer and promote company-wide support of breast cancer research. Use Becky's inspiration and the inspiration of many other cancer survivors to plan your next event in support of the Horizon of Hope program.
For more great ways to coach your branch to sponsoring success, check out this month's Skill Builder, which focuses on building your business through current booking and sponsoring opportunities.
We always welcome your suggestions for topics!
Email us your comments and suggestions.
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