Improvability Blog

Thank you to everyone who has filled in our recent survey . Very interesting results indeed (!) which have helped us decide to create a fabulous new program to help you with your image business in the New Year.

Well, there are going to be two but let’s not get ahead of myself here…

Later this week I shall be discussing this, amongst other projects, with my GJK mastermind group. We’ll be shutting ourselves behind closed doors for two whole days, each mapping out our business strategy for 2012. I shall probably need a very large gin (or three) when we’re done!

But I’m still interested to hear even more from you

Are you just interested in what colour can do for you personally? Would you like to become an image consultant or personal stylist? Do you want more training? Are you a consultant who needs more clients? Are you looking for a mentor? Or maybe a one-to-one strategy session?

What do YOU want from me next year?

• What would help YOU the most?

Email me. Send me a postcard. Write me a letter. Just let me know!

In the meantime, I’m meeting my best friend from school for lunch today at Chatsworth. Hopefully her daughter, who is my god-daughter, will be joining us. As she’s about 8 months and 17 eighteenths pregnant, it could be a bit of a close call. I fear we may be calling for towels and hot water before the day is out.

And I can promise you that I shall be out of there faster than you can say, “Gordon Bennett!”

I asked this question recently on the new Colour Analysis forum

What are you planning for your business over Christmas? Do you have some great offers for your existing clients? Are you thinking of ways to attract new clients? Or are you just planning to write December off as a bad job?

So I thought you might like to think about this one too.

I hear all sorts of comments about ‘this time of year’. Here’s a good one, “Oh well everyone’s thinking about other things right now. They’re too busy getting ready for Christmas to book with me.” Or what about, “December’s always really slow.” And the best one of all, “With the economy as it is, no-one’s spending money on luxuries.”

God’s teeth! These are all such utter nonsense and are nothing but lame excuses.

I should know because I’ve used them all myself at one time or other. And, astonishlngly, lived to fight another day.

But eventually I had to stop making excuses

For the last few years, December has been up there with the best of them in our business. And in the years directly before the training and mentoring took over, when I was offering personal colour and style services directly to clients, December and early January regularly produced some of my highest revenue figures.

I changed my results for December when I changed what I used to believe about December.

After all, a belief is only a thought, and you can change a thought.

Maybe it’s time for you to do just that?

Can I suggest one easy way to make December a high-income earner?

Offer gift vouchers or gift cards right now to your existing and potential clients for Christmas presents

This will be win-win situation for absolutely everyone.

For the gentlemen – husbands, boyfriends, fathers, uncles, brothers often have no idea what to buy the ladies – this could solve a huge problem for them

For the ladies who are always looking for different gift ideas for their female friends and relations – especially those who, in their opinion, could do with a bit of help with what they wear! – they can buy them one of your gift vouchers

For the ladies who would love their own colour or style consultation with you, they can ask their family and friends for your gift vouchers as a Christmas present

And for YOU!

• You will earn money right now from the sale of the cards
• The recipients won’t telephone you until after Christmas to book their appointment – so you don’t have to deliver anything until at least January
• You will get dates booked in your diary now for the New Year

And if you’re just learning or perhaps relaunching your image business, this will give you the impetus (commonly known as a ‘kick up the proverbial’) to stop faffing about and get everything ready for your first or next paying client!

There’s nothing quite like a deadline to make you get on with whatever it is you should have been doing already…

Personalise your gift cards

You don’t need to spend a fortune on printing. Over the last hundred years or so, I’ve tried all sorts of different ways to do this. I’ve had special cards printed. I’ve printed them myself. I’ve sent pdfs by email.

The best way I’ve ever found was to buy some beautiful cards with matching envelopes that are blank inside, and personally handwrite the details inside.

I suggest you write on the left-hand side of the card and leave the right-hand side for the giver to write their own personal message. Remember to include the value, what they can (and can’t) spend their voucher on, how they can pay any difference in costs, and your contact details so they can book into your diary. I’ve had some really lovely and appreciative comments back from the person who bought the card and also from the person who received it!

Why not take a look at ours for some ideas?

Improvability Gift Cards

We list the products that the recipient can use her gift voucher against, and then take a little extra time to print the value (amount paid) and the giver’s personal message.

We email this to the giver who can choose to either print it off or forward it on by email.

You can also buy gift cards for our products too.

If you’re really keen to learn from any of our in a Box training courses:

• Colour Analysis in a Box
• Ladies’ Style in a Box
• Advanced Colour Analysis
• 3 Steps to Success for Image Professionals

then ask your friends and family to get YOU an Improvability Gift Card for Christmas.

Creating gift vouchers is such a simple idea but aren’t they usually the best ones?

Everybody wins THIS Christmas!