Not Surprisingly, There Has Been a Ton of Conversation About New

[ChefBeckyD]

Not surprisingly, there has been a ton of conversation about new products, programs, etc......and not all of it positive. I can't help but think about the following quote -one of my favorites. Every day is full of choices, but if we can just make this one choice before we begin the day, imagine how much better our day will seem!
I am not someone who lives life wearing rose-colored glasses - but I do know that I always have the choice to focus on the positive, or the negative - and this quote reminds me to focus on the positive!

ATTITUDE
"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than acts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. IT is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church....a home......
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past....we cannot change the fact that people will act a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. the only thing we can do is play on that one string we have, and that is our attitude....I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you.....We are in charge of our attitudes."

- Charles Swindoll

 

[chefmeg]

couldn't have said it better myself, Becky! We have a choice everyday on how we will approach that day.

A word of advice to all:
If you need to vent, put it in a thread that warns that it is a vent~your words can really affect others and may bring them down inadvertently.

 

[pamperedlinda]

Thanks Becky.

There is always controversy when there is change, people don't like change. But, those who are the most negative at first usually come around once the products are actually introduced and many of them wind up loving the stuff! We have a catalog full of wonderful items. Something for everyone! I can't wait to get my hands on the new stuff and really check it out.

 

[lacychef]

Great words Becky!
I'm also a believer that positive thinking is the key to everything. There's always an upside to everything.

 

[heather223]

I agree Becky. There is a reason that HO changes things, we may not understand why, but they do it with good intentions. Every change they may not always work out for the best, but that is how we learn what will work and what won't. :chef:

 

[DebbieJ]

Here here Becky! It IS all about attitude. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[chefann]

So true!!

A perfect example of this is the metal baking sheets that were introduced at Leadership. You could have heard a pin drop in the arena when they announced them. But then they read a statistic that 60% of consumers prefer metal pans to Stoneware. Why not tap into that market? And even people who LOVE stones occasionally need a metal pan - for broiling, or for under a foil pan (like frozen lasagna). I'd rather have my customers buy that pan from me than someplace else. All it takes is a little tweak to how you look at things to make a big difference.

 

[DebbieJ]

So true!!

And even people who LOVE stones occasionally need a metal pan - for broiling, or for under a foil pan (like frozen lasagna). I'd rather have my customers buy that pan from me than someplace else.

I needed one for that very purpose just last week! Good thing I didn't go out and buy one....now I'm getting at least TWO for free!! The perks of being a director......I don't stress about Sell a Thon cuz I know I'll get it all and then some anyway!

 

[daniellemorgan]

My mother is one of those "metal pan" people who is stuck in her ways when it comes to cooking/baking certain things. I think it's great that we're finally offering an alternate to the stone, that way everyone is happy.

 

[friday]

I am going to have to get my mitts on some things before I can really make a call on how much I like them. I like the LOOKS of a fair list of things.

 

[Kristina21]

I'm not a huge fan of metal pans myself, for I usually burn things on them. But, I really can't pass up being able to offer 100% of the market to my customers. We can't fail with this change!!! I love it!

 

[PamperChefCarol]

So true!!

A perfect example of this is the metal baking sheets that were introduced at Leadership. You could have heard a pin drop in the arena when they announced them. But then they read a statistic that 60% of consumers prefer metal pans to Stoneware. Why not tap into that market? And even people who LOVE stones occasionally need a metal pan - for broiling, or for under a foil pan (like frozen lasagna). I'd rather have my customers buy that pan from me than someplace else. All it takes is a little tweak to how you look at things to make a big difference.

It's just like when we saw the finger guard... but hey, I sell a bunch of them!

 

[Addie4TLC]

So true!!

A perfect example of this is the metal baking sheets that were introduced at Leadership. You could have heard a pin drop in the arena when they announced them. But then they read a statistic that 60% of consumers prefer metal pans to Stoneware. Why not tap into that market? And even people who LOVE stones occasionally need a metal pan - for broiling, or for under a foil pan (like frozen lasagna). I'd rather have my customers buy that pan from me than someplace else. All it takes is a little tweak to how you look at things to make a big difference.

Someone at Leadership suggested we market it as a Broiling pan except everything pictured is baked. It was funny that the crowd was confused when those were introduced and you could practically hear the (ohhh!!) when they mentioned the statistic and the broiling feature.

 

[dannyzmom]

couldn't have said it better myself, Becky! We have a choice everyday on how we will approach that day.

A word of advice to all:
If you need to vent, put it in a thread that warns that it is a vent~your words can really affect others and may bring them down inadvertently.

Amen to Becky and in total agreement with what Meg has suggested!
And just a little something to notice...look at the different levels of consultants (cons, FD, Dir, etc) and the different sales level, incentive earning levels and notice this trend...those earning the upper levels tend to be the ones who, rather than complain and point out the negative, are the ones who find the positive in everything about this business. Yes, it has ups and downs...and the business has great days and lousy days...but EVERY day is a learning day and everything we go thru in this business gives us something we can learn from and apply to BETTER our businesses!

 

[pampchefrhondab]

Just because someone voices their opinion or dissapointment doesn't mean they have a bad attitude or don't love the Pampered Chef.

Each person has their favorite product, special, etc. It doesn't mean they can't talk about that here. We are all here to support each other.

I always tell people if I won the lottery the only job I wouldn't give up is the PC!

I do have to say from what I have heard though, it is getting tougher to earn trips and free products. I've only been with the company 3 years, but my old director always said she used to get so much more stuff free. And she said it was easier to sell at that time.

Times always change. I guess I'm just glad I don't remember when it was like that

 

[DebbieJ]

Amen to Becky and in total agreement with what Meg has suggested!
And just a little something to notice...look at the different levels of consultants (cons, FD, Dir, etc) and the different sales level, incentive earning levels and notice this trend...those earning the upper levels tend to be the ones who, rather than complain and point out the negative, are the ones who find the positive in everything about this business.

Good catch Carolyn and it's very very very telling.

 

[baychef]

Great post, Carolyn!
I ALWAYS love the new products...even if I don't see the why of them or the "how am I going to sell them" aspect.
To add to Ann S.'s post...on another loop someone posted that their exec. told them that telling our guests that these pans are broiler safe whereas, our stones are not, are good for those items that we DO need to broil. And that the PC are not just an ordinary pan, that they are substancial in weight (not much lighter than the stone version) so they are made with a professional grade in mind.

No matter where we go, what we do, as much as someone says change doesn't bother them...that is equivalent to the amount they are fooling themselves. We are all bothered by change. Some more so than others. I am looking for all of the positive twists on things that I can.

I showed someone I work with the outdoor sticks and their reaction was stronger than I would have expected. With colors, trends, etc. it is not about if "I" like it...it is how much the customers like them. Some love the colors, some hate them and the same with the products, etc.

I haven't been on much to see these negative posts, but let's start a positive campaign ourselves. When someone has a negative. Post a postitive. It will help them "do the twist". I have some products I absolutely hate. My customers do not know which ones because some LOVE the same product. It is our job to help customers see all of the positives. It is not pulling the wool over their eyes or trying to "sell" them, it is just trying to see what fits in their lives.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Great post, Carolyn!
I ALWAYS love the new products...even if I don't see the why of them or the "how am I going to sell them" aspect.
To add to Ann S.'s post...on another loop someone posted that their exec. told them that telling our guests that these pans are broiler safe whereas, our stones are not, are good for those items that we DO need to broil. And that the PC are not just an ordinary pan, that they are substancial in weight (not much lighter than the stone version) so they are made with a professional grade in mind.

No matter where we go, what we do, as much as someone says change doesn't bother them...that is equivalent to the amount they are fooling themselves. We are all bothered by change. Some more so than others. I am looking for all of the positive twists on things that I can.

I showed someone I work with the outdoor sticks and their reaction was stronger than I would have expected. With colors, trends, etc. it is not about if "I" like it...it is how much the customers like them. Some love the colors, some hate them and the same with the products, etc.

I haven't been on much to see these negative posts, but let's start a positive campaign ourselves. When someone has a negative. Post a postitive. It will help them "do the twist". I have some products I absolutely hate. My customers do not know which ones because some LOVE the same product. It is our job to help customers see all of the positives. It is not pulling the wool over their eyes or trying to "sell" them, it is just trying to see what fits in their lives.

hee hee - I've been trying to do that all day!


And it's so true about not letting customers know what you don't like! I have one customer who LOVES the easy opener (I don't) and buys them in quantities to give away.....how would she feel if I told her I thought it was worthless? I will often have hosts/guests who rave about something, and it's something I don't care for at all.....who am I to say that they are wrong? They just have a different need.

 

[pampchefrhondab]

Personally I think many of you are "reading" more of a negative in some of the post then I am. It's hard when you don't really have a two-way conversation going and you just read a small post to really know how the person is thinking.

Example: I started a new job a few years back. At that time there was another dept. we had to request assistance from to complete our job. I emailed my co-worker and informed her what I need and ended with "Thank you very much." She actually went to my supv. and said I was be sarcastic! I couldn't belive it. I was actually being nice by saying "Thank you." I even let my boss read it. It was too funny. It tought me a good lesson not to read too much into someones email.

 

[pamperedlinda]

....... I have one customer who LOVES the easy opener (I don't) and buys them in quantities to give away.....how would she feel if I told her I thought it was worthless? ......

That thing is the BEST for opening baby food jars! I sold them to all my moms with babies and the pregnant ones. I swear those jars were the hardest of anything I ever had to open. Now most of the baby food comes in the plastic containers so I don't sell as many easy openers. I hardly used it after DS moved to table food.

 

[etteluap70PC]

Thanks for posting this Becky. I had a small issue wit one of the announcements but you are so right!. PC GIVES us SOOOOO much, we should be grateful even to have not only a company that believes in us but the great comunity of consultants who support each other.

There will always be negative nellies but I work everyday on not being one!

 

[chefann]

I remembered on my drive home from work today that there was an interesting statistic on the news last week. We had it on in the room at Leadership, and there was a story about negative thinking. We didn't catch the whole thing, but did see a statistic that the average person has 60,000 thoughts per day, and 80% of them are negative. Wouldn't it be great to reduce that percentage?

 

[rennea]

I remembered on my drive home from work today that there was an interesting statistic on the news last week. We had it on in the room at Leadership, and there was a story about negative thinking. We didn't catch the whole thing, but did see a statistic that the average person has 60,000 thoughts per day, and 80% of them are negative. Wouldn't it be great to reduce that percentage?

Holy crap!!! 80% negative. I'd like to think I'm not that negative.

 

[chefann]

Holy crap!!! 80% negative. I'd like to think I'm not that negative.

That's 1.



<giggle>

 

[MissChef]

Great post Becky! Attitude is everything! When I was in management classes YEARS ago, one of the main books we read was one that was called "your attitude is showing". It has stuck with me and I often refer to it!
I definetly support what your post is trying to convey! Our pastor often tries to get this through people's heads too!
Thanks for sharing this with us, Becky! :balloon:

 

[JAE]

Great post Becky! Attitude is everything! When I was in management classes YEARS ago, one of the main books we read was one that was called "your attitude is showing". It has stuck with me and I often refer to it!
I definetly support what your post is trying to convey! Our pastor often tries to get this through people's heads too!
Thanks for sharing this with us, Becky! :balloon:

Sometimes I'm afraid of that! (The part that says "your attitude is showing".)

 

[mommyhugz1978]

Thanks for Posting Becky, the other thing that I can add to your comments are. That if we carry a negative attitude then our PC customers will notice it and that would not be a good thing for business. Having a positive attitude will take you further than having a negative one.

 

[Jules711]

I am honest with my customers. I don't love everything in the catalog. Hello! I'm just like them. I have my favorites and things that I would never use and things that I love when I need it. I am thrilled to earn products free. Some other companies can get them free but only if they go to conference. I'll wait to get my hands on the products before deciding for sure. I'm excited by some and underwhelmed by others, but I know that's changed in the past based on seeing it.

 

[baychef]

Had to re-read this thread again and thank you so much, Becky for starting this thread. Reading it again has helped me gain perspective and a better attitude.:chef:

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Had to re-read this thread again and thank you so much, Becky for starting this thread. Reading it again has helped me gain perspective and a better attitude.:chef:

Thanks Ann! I guess the glass will always be either half-empty or half-full. It's all a matter of how you look at it!

 

[pamperedlinda]

Thanks Ann! I guess the glass will always be either half-empty or half-full. It's all a matter of how you look at it!

That is so true! You also have to remember that other people's problems are not your problems too.....have a great day!

 

[baychef]

Thanks Becky and Linda! It is so easy to get caught up in the negative. Hope your days go well too! :balloon:

 

[rennea]

That's 1.



<giggle>

HAHAHA!!!!

 

[DebbieJ]

Just wanted to add this--got it via email today from Mary Hunt's Everyday Cheapskate

Reframe Your Thinking to Change Your AttitudeAre you facing a difficult or unpleasant situation in your life? You may not be able to change it, but you can change the way you think about it. That’s because you have 100 percent control over your attitude—the way you choose to respond to whatever life hands you.Years ago my husband and I decided not to replace my car once the lease was up. The plan was that since we work together, we would share his car until we could pay cash for a second car. We figured that would take six months or so.I won’t say this new arrangement was enjoyable. Actually I hated it. I felt like I’d lost my freedom. My wings were clipped; no more spontaneity for me. I felt sorry for myself because if I wasn’t being “chaperoned” as a passenger in my husband’s car, I was having to ask permission to borrow it. Let me just put it this way: I was not the most pleasant passenger.I like to be in charge. I want to decide when to change lanes, which exit to take and the choice of radio stations. After all, I’d had my own car for decades, something that symbolized my independence. This new arrangement was limiting.We’d been commuting together for about three months when I realized that it wasn’t the situation that was intolerable. It was me. I was making myself miserable, not recognizing that the nicest guy in the world was willing to take me anywhere I wanted to go, anytime I wanted to get there. I was ungrateful and horribly self-centered. I needed an attitude change and I needed it quick.I decided I had to reframe my thinking because the situation wasn’t going to change anytime soon. I decided that rather than a pathetic dependent child, I would see myself as a woman of privilege. I have a driver!Every day I am driven back and forth to work during which time I am free to chat, read, write, think, knit or nap. I never have to wash a car the way I did when I had my own car. I don’t have to pump gas into it, insure it, register it or have it “smogged” (a California thing)—all because my driver is also my maintenance man. Several times a year when I need to go in a different direction I get a rental car, which allows me to try out some brand-new fancy cars and get my fix behind the wheel. See? A different way of looking at the same situation.I don’t know what you are facing today, but I do know that it is within your power to choose how you will respond to that situation. You can choose to be miserable, to worry and doubt—and to be a pain in the neck to everyone around you. Or you can reframe your thinking. You can choose to see things in a different light, from a new angle and in a way that will cause you to be grateful.By the way, we’ve become so comfortable with our one-car arrangement, we find ourselves hoping it will never end. Eight years later you cannot imagine how many thousands of dollars we haven’t spent to own and maintain a second car.

 

[baychef]

Thank you, Deb for your post. How true! It's all on the twist we put on life and it's challenges!

I would love to cut my 80% negative thoughts that Ann S. spoke of down to....well at least 79% Seriously, if we all paid attention to our own attitudes how much easier our own lives would be!

My last newsletter to my team was a challenge for me to write. You know, those "words of inspiration" we all look for?!!?! Well, I happened to have been watching the movie about Helen Keller with a very young Patty Duke and Ann Bancroft. Although I had seen some of the story I watched it again (well the beginning at least). I then found my inspiration for my newsletter. What I wrote had to do with the perspective I had as a child watching this movie. I felt so sorry for Helen and thought that the teacher, Anne was the meanest of the meanest! As and adult, I still felt very sorry for Helen, but the teacher was a tremendous inspiration. The famous "dining room scene" played so well by these two actresses was fantastic. No matter how many times Helen threw the spoon down, no matter how much she bit, pinched, kicked and spit food in Anne's face, Anne did not give up until she knew that Helen was starting to learn. How many times do we have the word "no" said to us in our business? If we had half of the persistence and patience that Helen's teacher had, how far could we go? I then did a google on her and was very impressed with her history.

 

[janetupnorth]

Bump - I think we all need this a little tonight - me especially! The scraper post got me fired up when it shouldn't have...

 

[dannyzmom]

Bump - I think we all need this a little tonight - me especially! The scraper post got me fired up when it shouldn't have...

Amen sistah!!!
Seriously...attitude is SO important in this business...it will make or break you.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Just bumping so hopefully people read this before reading the "other" thread!

 

[DebbieJ]

bumping

 

[Gina M]

I definitely agree with having a good attitude getting you far in life. I have a friend who has MS - she's 35 and has had it for the last 7 years - currently confined to a wheelchair and unable to do even the simplest things that we all take for granted (like feeding herself and getting out the door to go somewhere). However, she has one of the most wonderful attitudes of anyone I know. She was in the hospital for a month prior to Thanksgiving trying new treatments that weren't accomplishing all that much. When she finally made it home - she came with her husband to pick up her kids from school - she missed doing that so much and didn't care that she's in a wheelchair - she was happy to be in her own home. Some moms from my elementary school along with myself are currently planning a fundraiser for her and her family for Jan. 25th - it has been one of the most fulfilling things we've ever done. Just helping someone who needs it in any way you can. And she's thanking us for helping her and we're thanking her for letting us.

If the people we all encounter all had such good attitudes - think what a happier place this world would be

 

[lacychef]

Thanks for posting that Deb--that was great!
hmmm....do I dare go read what had Janet all excited?