So Shelli - So Shelli Blog - Who Said Meetings Were Boring?

Friday

Feb052010

Who Said Meetings Were Boring?

Friday, February 5, 2010 at 04:58PM

I’ve spent the last two days in all-day meetings with Stampin’ Up!’s corporate team members. These meetings are part of ongoing meetings we’ve had the last several months as we’ve worked on focusing our resources on efforts that will be most beneficial to the company, our demonstrators, and our customers.

I have LOVED these meetings. I’ve learned so much, both personally and professionally, as we’ve worked through the process and realized what is most important to us. It was interesting as we worked to identify our “True North,” or what motivates and guides us as a company, to discover that we’d already identified it years ago—our Statement of the Heart. But somewhere along the line we’d lost sight of the fact that we truly exist to love what we do and then share that with others, helping them enjoy creativity and worthwhile accomplishments.

Using the Statement of the Heart, over the past few months we’ve identified five areas (profitability, product, business model, relationships, and service levels) that we want to focus on moving forward. After receiving more than 100 project ideas from our different departments that fit into these five areas, we realized we needed to tighten our focus even more. So late last year we decided that we would laser focus on two things—recruiting and service levels.

The meetings we’ve had the past two days have been to determine specific things we can do in these two areas. I’ve enjoyed being part of the stimulating discussions that have taken place, and am especially looking forward to what I think are very exciting things as we work to improve our relationships with our demonstrators and share Stampin’ Up! with more people.

I won’t go into details right now, but in the coming weeks and months, I’m certain I’ll share more specifics about what we’re doing. I’m already planning to post one idea we had, once we’ve shared it with our employees first in a couple of weeks. How’s that for a teaser. . .. .

Shelli |

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Reader Comments (15)

So not fair - I want to be on the corporate team!!

February 5, 2010 |

connie

Yes, how does one get hired to be on the Corporate Team? ;-)

February 5, 2010 |

Marion Dornan

Sounds exciting. I'm already very impressed with the Sale-a-Bration service levels with regards to orders. My orders, so far, have been very speedy to pick & ship and WAY more accurate than in years' past. Even a couple of backordered items were delivered promptly. Way to go, SU!

February 5, 2010 |

Staci Miserlian

Intriguing! I'm sure what ever the announcements are they will come after much thought, consideration, and even prayer. All for the greater good of SU! Thank you.

February 6, 2010 |

SHH

Oh we so have faith in the corporate team (and yourself) to deliver decisions that will benefit the things that matter - people........:-) I too wait patiently for the news of future directions of SU! and wouldn't mind a guest stint, not to mention a visit across the sea to Utah!...I'm here waiting.....and forever hopeful!

February 6, 2010 |

sharon

I was hoping it wouldn't be weeks or months:) that's means not until New Catty Time?? Can't wait for this shot in the arm... Thanks for everything Stampin' UP! is....

Faith

February 6, 2010 |

Faith Gaspar

Shelli this was forwarded to me by a dear friend. In case you didn't see it. Check it out
Andrea Bocelli and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in SLC. I didn't know how else to send it to you but your blog. Hope you do not mind.

February 7, 2010 |

Terry Molineux

Oops forgot to add the link:

http://god-gives-us-strength.blogspot.com/2009/12/lords-prayer.html

February 7, 2010 |

Terry Molineux

OH. A couple weeks! "watching the clock"

February 8, 2010 |

Sharon

Shelli-- Can't wait to see & hear about your idea. I enjoy your blog.

PS: Shelli, It's time to change your banner. The red and brown look good and I can sorta deal with the snowflake in mid February but not the holly and berries!

February 8, 2010 |

Martha Cavazos Fipps

Looking forward to the changes - hopefully one will include a DC on the east coast???? Standard shipping takes so long to get here - 7 or 8 days is the norm after the order is fulfilled/picked! I'd rather spend $20 on product than expedited shipping!

February 10, 2010 |

Elena C in NJ

Shelli,

I have tried to communicate with DS both verbally and in writing through emails and am not getting the point across somehow. I wish we had a way to escalate issues to your attention. There has to be a way to get beyond the policy and procedure to a real person with real understanding and comprehension of problems and solutions.

Sometimes just because that's the way it is, shouldn't be allowed to be the answer. We all have to adjust in life as situations come up and this no different. In fact this is in everyone's best interest. However, you have to allow it, you have to see it and realize the issue exists and that there is a solution that is very simple and rewarding for everyone involved.

If you really beleive what you say about positive people, being positive, having moral and ethical standards, then you would not and could not allow this to be the solution.

So then I must ask myself what is the situation that would allow this to be a valid solution? I am dumbfounded. To be honest, offended and quite frankly in disbelief that you would really choose such a negative and clearly unreasonable solution.
Please find a way to investigate these problems ASAP. It says volumes for the company's integrity and public opinion of the company.

Now how can I let you know who this is and what the issues are without posting it publically?

February 10, 2010 |

demo

I would Love love LOVE to hear the answer to Marion's question!

February 16, 2010 |

...

Shelli,

I didn't know where to pass along this Thank You, so I thought it best to tell YOU! I do hope that you read your comments!

Thank you so much for the current issue of Stampin' Success! The detailed discussions of how to prepare and carry out a successful workshop are priceless and are destined to be reviewed periodically by all demos wishing to improve!

I became a demo in July of 09. I had NEVER attended a Stampin' Up! workshop. I had NEVER used Stampin' Up! products! So WHY did I join? Because I wanted products that coordinated with each other to lessen the time it took for me to complete a project! It used to take me over an hour just to choose the DSP, cardstock, ribbon, and accessories that matched!

I began my search for product that coordinated online. There was no other company in the market that has a full line of coordinating products that extend over such a rainbow of colors with such outstanding quality and customer service! Believe me, I looked. The products were the salesperson that sold me on Stampin' Up! There was no way I could know what a wonderful company I would be purchasing from.

When I decided to place my first order, I realized I needed to choose a demo to get preferred pricing. I also realized that my first order was huge and included most of the items that were in the Starter Kit, plus more. But who to choose? I knew no other stampers (I was also a newbie to stamping as of April 09). Again, I searched online.

I finally found a demonstrator completely across the country from me, because she took the time to call me when I sent an email to her asking questions. (A couple of top demos did not return my emails.) When my soon-to-be-upline called me, I was very impressed. She took time out of her busy day to call me. Not only did she call, but she put her bottom line aside and encouraged me to sign on as a demonstrator. This was a profound moment for me. Yes, she would have made much more money in commission had she just sold items to me, but she wanted what was best for ME. She talked to me, she was never a salesperson. I told her of being disabled and feeling that I couldn't "keep up" with required minimums. She still encouraged me. (While I can't hold as many workshops as most demos, I have EASILY exceeded the minimums every single quarter!) My upline has talked me through every single question I had. She helped me even more after I signed on as a demo! It was this encouragement that built a relationship between myself and my upline. A relationship just like those that Stampin' Up! was founded upon.

My goal has been to do workshops and demonstrations to invite others to enjoy our love of stamping. I have found other people, who are just like me, that wanted coordinating products, or that just needed great, high quality products! Most importantly, I feel I am carrying on the "family tradition" that my upline shared with me. I talk with my customers. I help them with their questions, and I share my love of stamping with them.

The heart of Stampin' Up! should always be the interpersonal relationships. That is why most of us are demos. That is also why we share our love. I don't ever look at the workshops I hold as sales opportunities. My workshops are to provide myself and my customers with friends to share a love of stamping. Being a source of products is secondary, and I think that is one reason I have been so successful with so few workshops.

The workshop discussions in Stampin' Success have given me tools to hold better workshops than I have had before. It has given me a guide and a reminder to continue to build these relationships and to improve my presentation of the products.

I thank you for such a thorough discussion of the workshops. I thank you for all the help you give us in the magazine each month and online, but most of all, I thank you for the company... The friends...The family.

Leslie Jones

February 19, 2010 |

Leslie Jones

December 2, 2011 |

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