This week on the Modern Direct Seller Podcast, we’re joined by Shauna Spence, a health coach with a variety of experience in direct sales. She’s all about helping others better fit their business goals into their busy lives, and one of her favorite ways to do so is by providing a formula for a script that will help direct sellers more successfully make a sale, book a party, or build their team. Learn how to shift your focus away from the end result you’re seeking, place more value on the person with whom you’re connecting, and make your conversations a piece of “Cake”!

Get in touch with Shauna at ⁠[email protected]⁠, or follow her on ⁠Instagram⁠!

Time based notes:

• 1:10 Shauna Spence introduction
• 7:45 Staying in as direct sales shifts
• 9:53 The “Cake” formula
• 16:11 Overcoming objections
• 17:55 “Cake” in conversation
• 21:38 Getting to know new customers
• 27:30 Good business habits in 2023
• 34:12 Shauna’s favorite office supply

Make Your Sales Conversations as Easy as … Cake?

This week on the Modern Direct Seller Podcast, we’re joined by Shauna Spence, a health coach with a variety of experience in direct sales. She’s all about helping others better fit their business goals into their busy lives, and she has a formula for a script that will help direct sellers do just that. Learn how to shift your focus away from the end result you’re seeking, place more value on the person with whom you’re connecting, and make your conversations a piece of “Cake”!

So, Shauna, for everyone that has not yet met you, why don’t you share a little bit about your journey in direct sales and across the industry? What roles that you’ve been in, what companies have you supported, all the things?

Where do I even begin? My journey started so long ago, I feel like, but what I love is that I have been on both sides of the direct sales industry, in corporate and as a consultant. And, I believe I started my consultant journey when I was 18. I had no idea what I was doing. But, I’m so glad that I had that visibility.

One of my favorite experiences was being on the corporate side. And, when I started on that corporate side, I actually went into direct sales as a call center trainer. And, at one point, we had, like, 150 CSRs—customer service reps. And, I not only got to train on systems and website policies and programs, but I also got the train on soft skills. And, soft-skill training was my absolute favorite, because I understood the wants and the needs of our consultants, those that were trying to make that little extra income while navigating another full-time job or raising a family. So, it was always our goal when I was on the call center side of corporate to provide the best customer service experience for them to help them achieve their goals. And, we really owe that to them. Because, at the end of the day, those consultants are the reason we had a job and a paycheck.

And then, I was a quality-assurance supervisor, which meant that I got to lead a team and we got to listen to calls to ensure we were not only taking care of the consultants and the customer needs, but also providing accurate information and finding ways to make their experience with us incredible. So, our quality assurance team not only got to evaluate these calls, but I got to hear of any gaps that there may have been in the company in regards to communication between the field and our home office team. So, I loved being able to be the eyes and the ears of the company and to course correct where needed.

And then, with my journey on the corporate side, I got to join the sales team—which is my love and my passion. And, I got to work with thousands of direct sellers to help them build their businesses and to meet their goals—whether that was to make income or grow a team. Honestly, my jam continues to be connecting consultants’ passion to their products and providing them tools to feel confident when sharing the products that they love with their customers.

And, I also love goal setting. I love having goal-setting conversations. The key for me was never to tell a consultant what to do, but to let them pick their action based on what worked for them and their lives. And, the reason that I was so passionate about this was because I was a single mom when I started in sales. And, when I started in sales, let me tell you: It was insurance sales. There was no beautiful, tangible, yummy product. So, when I was doing insurance sales, and I was told that I was going to have to work all day and then give up my evenings to appointments, I literally cried. Like, I had just invested all this time and money into this training to earn an extra commission for me and my daughter, and I couldn’t even imagine working all day and then giving up my evenings.

The last thing I ever wanted to do was leave my daughter, who was a year and a half at that time. So, I had to find a way to be present with my daughter and be true to what was important to me. So, as far as coaching goes, I love allowing the consultants that I coach to tell me what they can or cannot do while still accomplishing their IPAs—income-producing activities—to meet their goals. So, it’s all about fitting this into what’s important to those in the direct selling industry.

I love that you say this Shauna, because I think so often we get a little backwards. And, as a business owner myself, I understand how that goes. Like, we have this business because we want to be able to work it around our kids’ schedules and be there at their games. And, I think that that’s so important. But sometimes, when you’re deep into the business, and you’re so passionate about what you do, you have to do a little bit of a gut check. Like, “Do I want to do this? Can I do this? Am I willing to sacrifice this or that to get where I want to be?” So, I think it’s super important that that’s part of the conversation that you bring in is: “Well, tell me. Is this what you want to do?” Or, “How does this fit into your life?” And, “How do we work this business into the spaces that you have available inside your life,” right?

Exactly! And, that is super important, to be able to fit it into your life. “Is it something I get to do instead of something I have to do?”

Yes! So, last month, we were having this fun conversation around a formula that you’ve coached on, that you’ve coined, called “Cake.” And, I love that it’s “Cake,” because who doesn’t love cake? With icing and sprinkles and all the things? So, I’d love for you to share a little bit about that formula and what it means.

Oh, absolutely. Thank you for asking. And, when I told you about this, I saw your eyes light up. I’m like, “Oh, she likes cake!” It’s just a fun acronym for just how we can make sales cake for us. And, I know that sales always has this stigma, right? And, most people in this industry don’t want to be salesy. They don’t want to be pushy. They don’t want to bother people. That’s what we hear over and over.

Well, I created this “Cake” formula to help people create a script for what they can say to feel good when reaching out. What I love about this is that you can grab other people’s scripts, right? You can go to AI, you can do these things all day long, but until you know the art of how to construct the script for yourself to ask people to book a party or event or have an open house or come join you and join your team, you’re always going to be reliant on somebody else’s words. So, I want to set people free and help them to create a purposeful script that they can feel so good about.

And, this is actually, in this industry, our opportunity to shed light on others’ values. It’s not about us, as the salesperson, the consultant, the retailer—whatever your title is. At the end of the day, it’s about filling someone else’s cup, and it’s about their value. And, I want to park on the term “value” for just a moment with a stat. Did you know that 95% of all people stay with a company when they feel valued? How many of you have ever left a job when you didn’t feel valued? How many of you have left a relationship when you didn’t feel valued? Or walked away from a sale when you didn’t feel valued, whether it was a car sale, a furniture sale, a customer service sale, right? So, it’s all about “people first, products second.” When we lead with product, then people start thinking about their objection rather than listening to what you have to say. So, with this “Cake” formula, it’s all about how to craft this so that others feel valued and will listen to you.

So, in order to get them to listen to you, talk about them. Really get to know them. Ask questions about them. At the end of the day, you want someone to feel good and remember you, because it’s not what you said, but it’s how you made them feel. So, this formula is about really holding that together, plus you get to provide a service to someone. It’s not about them saying “yes”—although, I know you want them to say “yes.” It’s about planting a seed that you care.

So, the “Cake” formula… We say “Cake,” spelled C-A-K-E. But, in this one, it’s really not spelled that way. We’re getting creative. But, it’s something like this: You want to compliment them. And then, just really go for that ask. Then, compliment them again. And, end with a question.

I love it! I love it so much. And, Shauna, do you think we could play out what this looks like in an example, just to bring it to life for people? So, we have “Cake.” We have compliment, ask, compliment, end in a question. So, could we just run through what that might look like in a sales conversation?

Sure! So, let’s just say, Becky, I’m reaching out to you, and I would love for you to join my team, okay?

So, I’m going to reach out. I’m going to say, “Oh my gosh, Becky, I am so excited to reach out to you, because when I think about you, I just love how you are just socially engaging. And when you talk, people really stand up and listen. Like, that is such a talent and such a gift that you have. And, I’m really looking to build my team with people just like you. And, I would love for you to consider talking with me about this opportunity, because I just know the impact that you can have on so many people in this amazing business and what you could do for them. What do you say that we just have a coffee chat, and just to see if it’s something for you? Think about that.”

I’d love to have coffee with you, Shauna! It’s so good! I love it.

You know, I want to say one thing about this: I say a lot of words. Not everyone is like me. So, as long as you’re leading with those compliments, it could be super simple, like, “Becky, you are truly amazing. And, what I see in you is that you are an incredible person. I would be honored if you would just consider taking an opportunity to talk to me about this amazing opportunity to see if it’s for you, because I just see how you impact so many people. What do you think about we just have coffee, no matter what the end result is? Let’s just get together, because I would really love to partner with you. What do you think?”

Okay, so Shauna, I have to ask: This formula. Do you think it works best in a conversation—like a voice conversation back and forth? Or, will it also work on social media, or text, or however you’re communicating with your leads or prospects?

That is a fabulous question. Yes, this is a conversation you have in person, but you can also have this conversation over text or Messenger. The point is, say what you need to say quickly, but make sure you’re waiting for their response back to you before you start digging into anything else. Then, once they respond, that’s when you start the dialogue and setting that time with them. So, it can be in person, or it can be over text, but it has to be personal.

One thing I want you to notice is that you have to do the work upfront to get to know this person. Like, I know Becky, right? So, what is it about this person that you can say about them? And, I know what you’re probably thinking. “Well, Shauna, I’ve got tons of customers. I don’t always know something about someone, but I think they would be a great fit.” Well, you can compliment them on their purchase. Maybe I can say to Becky, “Becky, oh my goodness, you bought the product in our catalog that actually started our company. It’s the staple of our company, which tells me you really know a great deal. I love how you are savvy in that regard. I would just love the opportunity to chat with you more about how you can help others making wise decisions and learn more about the business. What do you think?” So sometimes, it can be about what they buy.

Or, maybe I don’t know anything about you, and I can say, “Becky, oh my goodness, I just love your outfit. You totally pull things together. And, I just think you’re so organized. I bet you probably have all your clothes in your closet color-coded. I just love that about you. You pull it together. And, I would love someone like that, because I can learn from you. I think this business opportunity might be something for you, because I can just see that in you. Do you think we could just have a quick conversation about what I do? You can ask me all the questions, but I just love to get to know you more. What do you think about that?”

Okay, so Shauna, I’m going to just point out what you didn’t say. You didn’t say how much the kit was. You didn’t say what was included. You didn’t give, like, 18 paragraphs of information about why you love your company and why you love your products and why you love what you do. It wasn’t about you; it was very much about me. And, I think that’s important just to call out, because so often we think, “Oh, we have a kit special. We should reach out to everyone and say, you know, ‘You can get started for just $25 today.'” It’s not about what’s in the kit. It’s about the person that you’re speaking to.

It is. Now, I won’t say that that won’t work sometimes, right, if you develop that relationship. But, it’s not about the products; it’s about “people first, products second.” The key is that, if it’s an objection, you follow up with them again, because if you see something in them and you really think that they’re amazing, you’ve got to make sure that they know that you value them as a person. And, it’s not about being spammy. It’s not about constantly bothering them about it. It’s just about what value they bring to the table that you see in them, and just sharing that with someone.

And, Becky, I think we’re both in alignment that it’s not always about business when you reach out. It could just be about something you see in them, or it could just be about their vacation, or something else that you’re just checking in on, because if every time the check-in is about joining, they’re probably not going to read your messages anymore. But, to get them to listen, it’s always about what they bring to the table. Most people are used to hearing negative things, or doing a lot of negative self-talk. So, anytime you say something positive, they’re going to listen with both ears and hear what you have to say. Again, it’s about making people feel good.

And, at the end of the day, you want them to be your customer. Ultimately, you just want them to be your customer and follow you, because you see something in them. And, that’s what our customers want out of someone that they’re purchasing from—to know, like, and trust them. And, this is a good way to build that.

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Take Action: What is one change that you can make to put customer service at the forefront of your business?