A diary of a slimming world consultant

[jaylou]

I suppose it is all part of growing your business and every avenue of promotion needs to be tried to enable you to get the members in. I will be using social media as well as the tried and tested methods to start with and see what really works. I want to succeed at this so I am happy to leaflet when needed plus I've got lots of people that are willing to help which is a bonus

Wait until you have done 4 or 5 promotions and are out in the rain on Boxing Day! People won't be so quick to help!
I admire your enthusiasm but out of 3000 leaflets SW say 5 members will come. Add in the time taken and the maths doesn't always add up in my head.

Re leafleting or not, as long as you buy them, SW don't know if you have dumped them straight in the bin and if you are an E category (over 100) you actually don't have to leaflet.

 

[sarahc2003]

Not saying that I will be leafleting at every opportunity but I certainly will be giving it a go to start my business off.

 

[jaylou]

Sadly the Xmas promo always starts on Boxing Day.

I put my heart and soul into my groups but leafleting just isn't worth the effort in my opinion.
I still do it, but not all of them and when it fits into my schedule.

 

[Mandlegrot]

Leafletting is one of the main reasons I decided not to be a consultant. I was told it could take 12 Sundays a year, I can't do that many Sundays, plus another 12 for monthly meetings. We put junk mail straight in the bin, so I personally see it as a waste of time. I had access to a website and social media page that could get out to 12000 people, so i think that was worth more than leafletting. :-(

This. How many times have you actually paid attention to leaflets coming through the door? They go straight into recycling. If I need a builder/pizza/slimming club etc I ask around for recommendations. After all, nothing works better than someone telling you it was good. I would not be able to give up all of those sundays at all, and I think leafletting is a little bit of a waste of time in the current day and age. Much better spamming/advertising online, linking on facebook, finding mum & baby groups etc etc

But then again, there's probably a whole generation or more of people who do pay attention to leaflets. Maybe because i'm 'young' (27) I am of an age when everything was on the internet. Even the yellow pages gets binned or used as fire kindling!!! Maybe its something they need to work on in the future - taking the reliance off a particular method of promotion, but leaving it up to you to decide how to do it. After all, only you will lose out if you do nothing. I personally would put posters up, do local leafletting if I was about/bored/weathers nice, put banners up, posters in local groups/drs/hospital/toddler groups etc and do the rest online - facebook, gumtree, forums etc.

 

[DLovesSW]

Are you allowed to pay someone to do the leafleting for you? I have a teenage nephew who maybe I can hire if so! I would probably give him my iPhone and use run keeper app to check he actually went up all the streets and see the time he took etc!

 

[rosierose15]

Yes u can but not a professional as they will put it with other junk mail Nd it will get lost. By all means hire fiends and family

Other consultants give members free countdowns for doing x amount of leaflets etc

 

[PurpleClouds]

15 of my new members on my first night were because of leaflets. The other 10 were people that knew me, saw promo on Facebook or saw ad in paper. So leaflets do work. But they are hard work. It's also up to you as an individual. After all its your business. I hate leafleting but I can't deny it helped me get my 25 new members.

 

[emmylc]

Yes u can but not a professional as they will put it with other junk mail Nd it will get lost. By all means hire fiends and family

Other consultants give members free countdowns for doing x amount of leaflets etc

I've helped my C several times now and she gives me a free week or a free recipe book as thanks - I started out doing the streets near me and could do about 150 but then I started going out with her for 4 hours or so on a Sunday when she's promoting. I like the exercise but obviously when the weather is rubbish it gets to be a bit more of a drag. You have to have a wooden spatula to save your hands from the vicious letterboxes though

 

[DLovesSW]

Thanks Rosie for reply. I will make sure i do the 3000 leaflets one way or another, at the info day they said statistically it is the best prong. Once my group is up and running i will certainly get my members to help, just need to get them first! I am 29 and look at all leaflets that come through my door before putting them in the recycling. Never had a slimming world leaflet but would probably have joined a lot sooner if I had! I have been out venue hunting today, all very exciting.

 

[sarahc2003]

I too look at most leaflets that come through my door before recycling them. Luckily we don't get that many. I don't class myself as that old but I do understand the need for both leaflets and using the internet to advertise. I don't think many new members in my catchment area will be from the internet though. It just shows how each area differs in what method of advertising works!!

 

[DLovesSW]

I was excited about that fact that slimming world proposed I set up a new group in the area that I live. However i have been venue hunting and found out there is another group literally two streets away. We are in a city so I suppose their argument would be there is the population to support it, but I've been looking at the locations of all the other groups in the city and nowhere is there two groups as close as this. Mine would be on a different day and time, but I'm concerned the person running it will be upset with me 'moving in on their turf', and all the consultants won't like me before I've even started! Any advice?

 

[rosierose15]

I live just outside London. There is a group within ten mins on every night. There are no treading on toes with slimming world from what I found. Everyone is so friendly just be careful u don't leaflet or poster in their "area"

 

[DLovesSW]

Thanks Rosie, once my venue is finalised I'll have to get in contact with her to make friends and sort out boundaries and things x

 

[shanning75]

Hi all. Well ive been running my group for 6 weeks now and its gone from a y cat to a c cat group with over 50 members in my single session and still growing. I had a letter from head office yesterday and i achieved tuby status in century club and will get my award at next team meeting amd its looking good for bronze this month too
Have to admit i start leagletting again tomorrow which im not looking forwards too. I know some c dont bother but you know what its my bisiness and i want to grow and if that means delivering leaflets on sundays then im gonna do it. However this time some of my lovely members have taken a few bundles for me too.
I can honestly say im loving this new career and i cant wait to be in a situation where i can give up my other part time job and purely do slimminv world.

 

[sarahc2003]

Hi all. Well ive been running my group for 6 weeks now and its gone from a y cat to a c cat group with over 50 members in my single session and still growing. I had a letter from head office yesterday and i achieved tuby status in century club and will get my award at next team meeting amd its looking good for bronze this month too
Have to admit i start leagletting again tomorrow which im not looking forwards too. I know some c dont bother but you know what its my bisiness and i want to grow and if that means delivering leaflets on sundays then im gonna do it. However this time some of my lovely members have taken a few bundles for me too.
I can honestly say im loving this new career and i cant wait to be in a situation where i can give up my other part time job and purely do slimminv world.

Well done you!!! Sounds like you have done really well and you are enjoying your new job. I too hope to be in a position to give up my part time job once I have got going....my group doesn't open until 9th October. Thank you for letting us know how successful your group is and hope it carries on growing.

 

[cazwalden]

Leafleting can really be a pain to set up, get help and most of all get them all out. This time around i am doing them in the week as im off work. Its our business and although they stipulate doing them on a Sunday, i know myself i get loads of takeaway ones through the door on a sunday, i pick them all up and bin them. So this time around i am going against the grain and see what results i get.
I have a fab group who are willing to help me promote so i dont have a lack of volunteers but when you mention "Only on a Sunday" it puts them off.

The good thing about having a wonderful group, is word of mouth. It is priceless!
You dont need to leaflet so much because your members tell everyone who will listen and they come in on their own.
Of the 3000 leaflets i had last campign, i only delivered 1500 and still have 20 new throught the door every month. I am going double session in September so i do need to get the word out a bit quicker and leafleting is going to be by far the easiest way to do it.

Once i get the second session up in numbers i will be able to quit my day job

Stick with it guys, if leafleting is all that puts you off, have a rethink. In 4 months time you might not have to do any as your members will tell everyone about you and deliver them for you too xx

Just be amazing xx

 

[DLovesSW]

Thanks for those posts Shanning and Caz, you guys give me hope I can make a success of it I work part time as a nurse, 12 hour shifts. I would loooove to be able to give it up, hate leaving my kids for 12 hours and working xmas day.

 

[cazwalden]

Thanks for those posts Shanning and Caz, you guys give me hope I can make a success of it I work part time as a nurse, 12 hour shifts. I would loooove to be able to give it up, hate leaving my kids for 12 hours and working xmas day.

It is true what they say " You get out, what you put in" When i first started i seemed to eat & sleep SW. Now my members look after each other on facebook without me needing to answer every question. I do my midweek support all in one day and pick up on any that seem to be struggling as soon as i notice it.

Due to the hard work i initially put in, it is paying off now.
Really scared at the prospect of running a double session but i know if i can get it grown to a decent number, i can give up my day job and have plenty of time for other projects.

Manage your time well and your dream will become a reality, cant wait to tell you i have ditched the rat race

 

[Mandlegrot]

Did you start a new group or take an existing one? How many are there in thr local area? Norwich seems quite saturated, especially around where I live...there's a group about 100m away from my house on a tues so I'm not sure if there would be any space for me.

 

[DLovesSW]

Good words of wisdom there Caz
Mandlegrot - I'm in Norwich too. Where are you? Mine will be a new group in the NR3 area, there are already two in this postcode but they say there's room for at least two more! I think due to the population. Is it one group per 3000 population they say? Not sure of the figure. Mine would be on a different day and time to the existing ones. It does concern me but my team developer has said not to worry and that there is the population to support my group. I can only trust and do my best! I'm viewing potential venues with my team developer tomorrow, excited!

D x