Gaby: A Peak at Being a Paperly Consultant

One of Paperly's most successful Consultants on the West Coast is GabyL. Recently, I asked her to document her Paperly business, such as preparing for an event, presenting Paperly's products, and highlighting some of Paperly's best sellers. Below are a few of the videos Gaby shared with me.

A Totable Business
Two common complaints about running an at-home business are:

1. Purchasing and storing bulky and expensive inventory.
2. Lugging around that same bulky - and likely heavy - inventory from one party to the next.

Fortunately, Paperly requires neither. Instead, as Gaby's video below highlights, Paperly's products are personalized (and hence no pre-purchase of inventory) and nothing can be simpler and lighter to carry than loose samples of paper.

(By the way, I love the grand entrance of Gaby's son. It's a perfect example of how family-friendly an at-home Paperly business can be.)

Two Display Tables
One of the most common questions I receive from new Paperly Consultants is, "How should I set-up my display table?" Fortunately, Gaby does an amazing job of showcasing her samples in the two videos below.

You can see additional examples of display tables at the following Paperly blog entries:

• DeeDee's Paperly party (04/06/11)
• Bridget's Paperly party (03/15/11)
• Crystal's Paperly party (02/10/11)

Best Sellers
Lastly, I love that Gaby has taken the time to highlight her best selling products: beverage napkins, hard-sided coasters, wine tags and self-inking stamps. Listening to Gaby, I know why she's great at Paperly. She doesn't "sell" wine tags, as an example. Instead, she enables customers to make a logical choice: non-personalized and expensive wine bags versus personalized, adorable and cost-effective wine tags. Easy choice, right?!

Thank you, Gaby, for letting us peek into your Paperly business. If you live in Southern California, and you'd like to learn more about Paperly, you can connect with Gaby via her website: http://www.mypaperly.com/gaby.

As for the Flip video recorder? It's my turn! I plan to take it on my trip to Washington DC to meet with the thriving community of Paperly Consultants there.

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO, Paperly

Paperly is Different... and Better!

On occasion, I hear from potential Consultants, "I'm considering a few companies. What makes Paperly different?" Fortunately, the answer is easy.

While there are many direct sellers that focus on everything from bags to jewelry, Paperly is the leading direct seller of personalized stationery. Being the leader means having the widest assortment of products, the best-in-class technology, a lucrative commission & career plan, a supportive training process and exceptionally strong marketing materials (e.g. catalogs, loose samples, etc.).

Further validating Paperly’s #1 standing is its membership in the exclusive Direct Selling Association (DSA.org). As DSA’s President, Neil Offen, has said, "The members of the Direct Selling Association pride themselves in their commitment to the highest standards in business ethics." No other direct seller that focuses exclusively on personalized stationery can make that claim.

Additionally, and this point should not be underestimated, Paperly’s designs are exclusive. Without exclusive designs, there are few compelling reasons to purchase products from you versus elsewhere. Paperly’s exclusive designs also enable it to keep its retail price as low as possible, since it does not need to pass along licensing fees or royalties.

Lastly, Paperly drop-ships personalized orders directly to customers. Therefore, Consultants do not need to hold inventory. That’s a big deal! Inventory is YOUR money tied-up in unsold products. That’s why some companies need to pay an outlandish commission. Basically, they’re trading the promise of a high, yet uncertain commission for your upfront purchase of inventory. Personally, that’s not a deal I’d want to make as a distributor.

All that said, there truly is no comparison. If you want to be a part of the leading direct seller of stationery, then Paperly is your best option.

Regards, Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

Comparing Commissions

The feedback from Consultants regarding Paperly's new Commission & Career Plan, which is still relatively new (we just launched it on 09/01/10), has been overwhelmingly positive. And yet, I still occasionally hear from folks interested in joining Paperly, "Why are Paperly’s commissions limited to 26% when I see other direct selling companies offering 30, 40 even 50%?" Nothing could be farther from the truth!

1. Paperly's average party size in 2010 neared $450. I believe the industry average is closer to $350. Clearly, larger parties means larger commissions, so be sure to ask other companies what their average part size is.
2. Paperly’s Consultants do not need to carry inventory. Instead, Paperly's products are personalized and drop-shipped. No inventory means no additional investment beyond the Starter Kit. This is not true for most other companies. They need to offer a higher commission rate, because their Consultants need to re-invest in additional samples and inventory. Therefore, do not looking solely at raw commissions. Instead, you need to calculate your "return on investment" – i.e. how much you make versus how much you spend.
3. Paperly’s 26% is merely its base rate. Many of Paperly's Consultants earn substantial bonuses (up to 12%) by hitting achievable personal sales targets. Also, the 26% does not count the additional commissions a Consultant can earn: e.g. downline commissions (up to 6%) and team/generation bonuses (up to 8%).
4. Lastly, when I helped build Paperly's commission plan, I was adamant that a Consultant could be successful via (i) personal sales, (ii) building a team or (iii) both. I talk to Consultants every day and I know each ticks differently: some like to sell, some like to recruit… and that’s perfectly okay with Paperly. Please be wary of any direct selling company that requires you to recruit as the only way to be successful.

All that said, I think Paperly’s Plan is VERY competitive. Don't be blinded by looking solely at base rates, because so many other factors go into your final payout. Truly, the best advice I can offer when you’re trying to compare commission plans is: Find a company and product that you absolutely love, share your passion with everyone you know, and you’ll likely be very successful.

Happy Holidays,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly