Ribbon gets refreshed for 2008-2009

Tuesday, February 26, 2008  by Susan Julien-Willson
Category: selling, credibility, Ribbon, gifts, incentives, customers, sales kit, products

It's the program designed for retailing and well, you're doing it!  Figures show us you're using the kit, you're promoting the gift cards and albums, and some of you are selling Ribbon Gift Collections to businesses. YOU ROCK! Thank you, thank you, thank you for embracing Ribbon and making it a success. And thank you for providing feedback since it launched to help us refresh the program ... to better meet your needs and your customers' needs. We heard you! I've hinted at a few tweaks in recent blog posts and let you know about the new kids' collection that's launching May 1 with the new program. NOW, I'll tell you more! The good news is that we listened to your comments on Sales Speak, through the RibbonRetailer@quixtar.com email account, via the Learning Lab Partnering Program, and at events like Expos and Achievers. WOW! We got so many great ideas from you guys ... Ribbon is sure to make your business ROCK this coming year.

The 2008-09 Ribbon Program will feature:

-A newly designed Gift Card Carrier that looks and feels like the elegant black tuxedo-striped album envelope. Plus, the back will be cutout so you can read the redemption number on the back of the card.

-You said you wanted the Gift Card in Spanish, too. It will be! We plan to offer more sales materials in Spanish on the site, too, including ...

-A simple How Ribbon Works downloadable PDF (FREE!) to share with customers ... Who? What ? When ? Why? Short and sweet. This How Ribbon Works will appear in many places ... the Steps to Success Brochure in the Kit, the jacket of the Customer CD Presentation, in event fliers, on the web.

-A Ribbon Customer Presentation CD that features How it Works video clips for consumers and for businesses. For those of you who saw these videos at Achievers, you'll be happy to know we ARE including them in the Presentation CD!

-Now there will be two Sales Kits for IBOs (available April 1)-- the Ribbon Essential Kit will include everything you need to get started, including a Customer Presentation CD and a slipcase with all 19 printed albums. The new Ribbon Expansion Kit will include extra samples ... a 5-pack of Catalogs of Gift Collections, a 5-pack of Presentation CDs, a 5-pack of Sample Unique Gift Collection Packs (Card/Album/Envelope), a 50-pack of clear Mylar mailing envelopes. If you buy both kits using the special assigned SKU, you'll save $15.

-By popular demand, introducing the Klutz(R) brand Gift Collection for 4 to 12 year old kids. Games, puzzles, crafts. FUN, FUN, FUN! Great for grandparents to give kids ... perfect for birthday party gifts.

-More flexibility for product changes throughout the  year ... each Gift Collection will showcase items in printed album and feature additional items online, too. This will help us provide the best possible experience for Gift Collection recipients ... better avaiability, less disappointment.

-Ribbon signature order form ... PDF in Resource Center and also three-part form available through Quixtar Brand Support, a Partner Store. Very important form to use for customer purchases. Three-part form provides you with customer receipt. Also find signature Ribbon logo merchandise such as business cards and stationery at Quixtar Brand Support.

-Mailing Envelopes in 50-packs ... choose Clear Mylar or Black Mylar envelopes for albums. The Black is for those of you who said you or your customers wanted to conceal the contents for mailing.

-Ribbon Fast Facts Downloadable PDF available for IBOs who say they need responses to objections about credibility and service of program. Includes facts like when the program began over 30 years ago, number of Gift Collections sold, how much is spent per month on gifts, and more.

BTW, the How to Sell Ribbon training module at Quixtar University is now available! Check it out.

This current Ribbon Program is a huge success because of communication: We asked, you told us. We listened and acted on your suggestions. And then we listened and responded again--and did what we could do that made sense for the business and was within our budget/schedule, etc. Now, let's see how you and your customers respond to the new refreshed and rarin'-to-be-retailed Ribbon Program. (I'm excited and I hope you are, too.)

It's all COMING SOON!  NEW Ribbon Sales Kits available April 1 - Gift Collections available on May 1.
Please keep your feedback coming through Sales Speak or email RibbonRetailer@quixtar.com

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Comments

# Jeff Namnum said on February 27, 2008 2:32 AM:

Susan, it's now official; you rock.

This is awesome news, I haven't gone all thru it yet (it's 2:30am), but I will and I will post.  

I will point out the one thing I noticed that was missing...please speak of updates to our personal sites.

Thanks again!!

# Susan Julien-Willson said on February 27, 2008 7:43 AM:

Jeff,

You don't miss a thing, do you? :-) I purposely left it out because we have no official word yet on what we can do to update the Ribbon personal website. I have contacted some of the people I think may be able to give us some insight. I promise to let you know if I obtain additional info. sjw

# Josh said on February 27, 2008 12:15 PM:

Susan,

I am excited to see and sell the Ribbon program this year.

Another word about the websites, perhaps you can speak to the powers that be about having one personalized website (and address), where customers can go and then select from that website which area they wish to explore and buy.

Thanks for all the hard work.  Looking forward to this year.

# CJ said on February 27, 2008 12:28 PM:

I agree with Jeff except on one more point-You rock out of all the OZ editors-LOL! Really, your blog (to me)is at the heart of what we as business owners need to know to move our business forward. But I do have questions (as always-LOL!):

1) Any word on the Travel Ribbons coming back for 2008-2009?

2) Any particular reason why the presentation is on CD as opposed to DVD? Unfortunately, I don't have a laptop so I guess I would have to rely upon the person(s) I'm showing it to to have a computer? DVD would be much better in that it could be shown not just on a computer, but on a Home/Office/Portable DVD player as well which could suit any potential client from a "normal" consumer in their home to the "business owner" at their place of business. It seems to me that if Ribbon is one of the forerunners that the coroporation is wanting to push (along with Nutrilite and Artistry), that a well-done video on DVD would be more compelling to the potential client for sales than a CD with a powerpoint presentation.

Thanks again Susan for all you do to help us!!!

CJ.

# Josh said on February 27, 2008 1:14 PM:

CJ,

I am not sure what the legalese would be with taking the CD downloading it to your computer and then creating a DVD of your own.  Would have to check the corp.

# Susan Julien-Willson said on February 27, 2008 1:22 PM:

CJ, Josh, Jeff,

Thank you for your comments, compliments, and creative ideas ... you keep me and the corporation on our toes. Way to go! However, we can't do everything right away--but we won't say no to anything but we will say well, let's see or maybe ... It's true. We won't be offering vacation packages for Ribbon in 2008. Consider this ... if we go with vacation packages and your customers/gift collection/trip recipients have a less than satisfactory experience ... then how do you and your business look? What do you suppose it does to your credibility and the Corp's credibility? What do you think the chances of gaining a loyal, repeat customer is if they have problems? We would like to offer some type of experiental or getaway gifts (like a spa visit), but we won't do it until we feel a vendor can deliver on service and satisfaction to meet expectations. So, the answer isn't a total no. The Ribbon Brand Managers and Merchandising Team are exploring many areas over the next year. As you can see, they are open to suggestions. So, be patient ... sometimes it takes longer than we want for our ideas to be executed. (I have to tell my impatient self that all the time when it comes to my ideas and projects -- oh, I know,  you're surprised I am impatient! : )

I remember the discussion of having a DVD vs. a CD and I think it has to do with the amount of info we want on the CD--it definitely was discussed since we had heard it via the blog and you previously. I believe we had to go with a CD. I'll check again. I'm not terrifically techy so I don't want to say the wrong thing as to the reason. I see your concern -- not that I am telling you to spend your money, but the Home & More Catalog that comes out March 1 features a Sony Vaio Notebook Computer on the inside back cover. It looks pretty cool--well, it might be the beach scene screen capture I am attracted to, but nevertheless, a laptop can be a handy business tool. (I'm saving for my own personal one right now.)

If you're talking about a DVD with just the video clips on it, we might be able to do that. It's the showcase of all 19 Gift Collections that hogs the space--oh nevermind, I don't really know that. I'll get back to you with the true reason.

Could you and all the Ribbon Retailers reading this blog do us a favor? We'd love to hear what your customers tell you. What do they like and dislike? What do they ask for that we don't deliver on? Would customers like a coffee/tea/treats collection for the holiday season? How would your customers respond to a limited-time holiday collection?

Oh, and is everyone reading this signed up for the Ribbon Retailer enewsletter for IBOs? It's great. Well-written, informative, entertaining ... delivered right to your inbox FREE. Sign up under Manage my Business at Quixtar.com if you're an IBO.

Again, thank you. This blog and getting to know IBOs and the business through it has to be one of the most rewarding

experiences of my career here. sjw

# Susan Julien-Willson said on February 27, 2008 2:09 PM:

CD vs. DVD ...

Just got the word from one of the tech guys. The CD for Ribbon is interactive and putting it on DVD would not allow for interactivity. Also, a DVD would have upped the cost of producing and also increased the price for IBOs. We opted not to do that. Hope this helps clarify for those of you wondering why we did a CD vs. DVD. sjw

# Bridgett said on February 27, 2008 2:31 PM:

Susan,

Does Quixtar have any stats regarding how much of Ribbon is retailed to individuals versus businesses? I guess a more measurable question would be: What percentage of total Ribbon revenue is on orders of, say, $200 (IBO cost) or more?

And the question is NOT the percentage of orders over $200, but the percentage of total revenue in which the orders were over $200.

Example: Let's say the total revenue is $1,000. And let's say that the total number of orders is five--3@$50, 1@$100, and 1@$750. I'm interested NOT in the fact that 20% of the orders are over $200. I'm interested in the fact that 50% of the total revenue is from orders over $200.

Does that make sense? Thanks!

.

By the way, the 4-12 yr old Kids Ribbon can't come soon enough!! :)

# CJ said on February 27, 2008 4:41 PM:

Thanks Susan on the CD vs DVD!

# Susan Julien-Willson said on February 27, 2008 4:42 PM:

Bridgett,

Why are you asking about orders over $200 for Ribbon Gift Collections? The answer is lots! The majority of sales are IBOs retailing to small to mid-size businesses ... and some to large corporations. However, the number of known customer sales of Ribbon have doubled this past year, so we're seeing a rise in B2C sales. As you know, we encourage IBOs to start by selling Ribbon to people they know, then branching out to people they interact with regularly like the hair stylist or dry cleaner or son's coach ... and then, if they want to expand their business further, we encourage them to connect with contacts at local businesses like the realtor who has a real estate agency that might be interested in giving them to home buyers as a thank you, etc.

We have some very successful B2B IBOs. Check out the Ribbon Success Stories PDF in the Resource Center online to hear from some of them.

Your kids are going to love giving their friends the Klutz(R) Ribbon Album. It's so fun!

Thanks for your questions. sjw

# Ben said on February 27, 2008 6:08 PM:

Susan,

Can't wait to see the new collections! The overall experince and sales with Ribbon have been excellent.

I think a coffee/tea/sweets would be a great addition for the Holiday season. I remember the old one had a price point of around $30. Something in that range would be great.

The only problem I've had is a downline IBO did not receive a product from the Variety album. I think it was on backorder, but she was never kept up to date on what was happening with her product. I called the corp for her a couple of times and the first time I was told it would ship in a couple of weeks. When she still didn't receive it, I called again and they said it was out of stock again. I have to call again and let customer care know that she just wants a replacement album. This whole process has lasted over 2 1/2 months.

Can the communication between the customer and the corp be improved? This was her first album and she hasn't been very impressed by the service.

Thanks!

# Bob Aylward said on February 28, 2008 12:40 AM:

The following comments are the results of finding out that the only Gift Albums available as SAMPLES in bulk will be the Unique Gift Album once the new Ribbon program starts May 1st.

I wish I could say I was happy with the response but I cannot.  Please do not take any of the following constructive criticism personally, but I must get my points across in a direct manner.  A significant amount of my business is at risk, - business in the Ribbon program that I have built from scratch over the past 7 years.  Last year I did approx. $160,000 myself in Ribbon sales.  I know my business customers extremely well.  I survey them on a number of things regularly as well as prospective customers, -- that's my job, and I know what they want.  I have no idea where I stand as an individual IBO selling the Ribbon Program but my guess would be that I'm up in the top 10% and I need to question why someone like me, in the field, doing the work is not asked for input into the program.

The issue of course is the decision to only offer samples of the Unique Gift Albums as well as the sample Album Multi Pack.

I have to admit, it is mind boggling to me that we have to rehash the same issue that came with the introduction of last years program -- that being the limited amount of sample Gift Albums that were originally available.  As you know, there was a groundswell of complaints from IBO's that resulted in the decision to reverse course and offer all Gift Albums as samples as well as the great looking new envelopes.  A wiser decision and a plain old common sense one could not have been made, but here we are again!

Here are just some reasons why we need to have samples of all Gift Albums and envelopes available in quantities, - not just from the Multi Pack.

1.  We produce the Gift Albums anyway.  Why would we not offer them as samples?!  This is common sense 101.

2.  Do we care what customers in the field say?!  This is Sales & Marketing 101.  Whenever I make physical presentations, I always bring and leave behind my presentation pack which typically includes 3 different sample albums because over time (7 yrs) I have learned this is what prospective business customers want and what works most effectively.  If I cannot get an appointment right away, but a prospective business customer wants an info pack I send the same info pack so they can get a genuine feel for the diversity of the program.

3.  I have different sample albums requested routinely.  Last Wednesday, I had a request from an existing customer for samples of the Elite ($300.) and Ultimate ($500.) Gift Albums so they could decide on what to do for a retiree.  I always give the option of looking online, but 90% of the time they prefer the physical sample.  This is completely understandable -- it is physical, tactile and what they will end up ordering to give to their employee.  By the way, the VP of Operations called me yesterday and ordered the Ultimate Album.  If the adage is still true, and I hope it is with us as a company, -- that the customer is always right ---- well then???  And again, since we produce the albums anyway (see #1)

4.  Customers sometimes forget and suddenly place an order they needed yesterday.  It happens!  If I don't have "live" albums in stock, I can offer them the sample album they need with envelope, (I keep extras of them in stock also) so they can reward their employee on time and wait for the gift Card to come in.  This is just another example of being nimble and responsive to a customer!  It saves them embarrassment and makes me look like a hero.

5.  I have several customers, one being a big one I picked up 3 months ago from a strong national player, that want the physical gift selections sent to their office so the physical gifts, in lieu of the gift albums, are given to the employees at a company meeting, luncheon etc.  In these cases, it is ridiculous to order and give them "live" Gift Albums, -- I use my head and give them sample albums to make their selections from and I order the specific items.  Again, -- I always give them the option of directing their employees to the web site but they demand the physical Gift Albums so they can physically put something in their hands (please see #3)

I am so thankful for the fact that we have online capability.  The virtual part of the program where products can be added/deleted to the various Gift Albums is a tremendous improvement, but we cannot turn our back on the physical part of the program or what our customers tell us.  We need both!  The great thing is we do not have to reinvent the wheel -- the wheel is right in front of us.

With all do respect, I appeal to you, the Ribbon committee and whoever else may be involved with this decision to reconsider.  I routinely tout the web site in conversations and thru e-mails.  I typically am involved with VP's of HR, VP's of Operations, VP's of sales, Owners etc. and, as you know, people are extremely busy, -- conversations go in 1 ear and out the other, e-mails are often buried with tons of other e-mail for days or weeks.  This is why so many prospective customers request physical information packs, -- they have to open the mail, they are captured at that moment to review the information and the success rate is significantly higher.  Plus this is what they want!!

In closing, I want what the customer wants.  I want to grow my business to $200,000/year and beyond for myself and for the company I have the utmost respect for, -- Amway/Quixtar.  Any customer wants their supplier to be nimble, flexible and responsive to their needs.  All I'm asking is that we offer all the Gift Albums and envelopes in quantities that we need.  It is so important and so easy to do.

I welcome feedback and discussion with anyone on the team.

Sincerely,

Bob Aylward

 

# Jeff Namnum said on February 28, 2008 12:40 AM:

btw Susan, 2 things, one related and one kinda sorta but important anyway.

1. what's the deal with the Quixtar Brand Support? PVBV?

2. Please check out Bridgett's comment here: http://www.realquixtarblog.com/2008/02/15/Another-Year-Another-Billion-Dollars.aspx

regarding how to improve the quality of the conversations on the OZ.

Thanks (and yes I'm going right now to sign up for the newsletter, must've missed that one)

# Susan Julien-Willson said on February 28, 2008 8:04 AM:

Bob,

To summarize your comments ... you'd like sample albums of each collection available for purchase by IBOs because business customers are in need of them, you'd like us to stay with printed albums for gift collections but keep the online redemption capability, you'd like us as a corporation to be more responsive to what customers want if we expect IBOs to be successful in retailing.

I will forward your ideas and concerns to the Ribbon Team and I have already discussed some of them with the Ribbon Brand Managers. Thank you for sharing your ideas and concerns. sjw

# Susan Julien-Willson said on February 28, 2008 8:06 AM:

Jeff,

In general, we do not offer PV/BV on sales literature or tools such as branded merchandise offered through Quixtar Brand Support. There are exceptions from time to time, but for the most part, the PV/BV is awarded to IBOs for product purchases. Does that answer your question? sjw

# Bridgett said on February 28, 2008 1:40 PM:

Bob & Susan,

One of my concerns with having potential customers so tied to the actual albums, is that, from what I gather, the albums will now only be a representation of what's available. And that what will really be available will be shown online.

And I believe this is occurring so that the Corp can, using one of your words Bob, be nimble in their offerings.

So...I think if the items in the albums do not exactly match what's on the redemption website, and if the redemption website offers more choice, then wouldn't in make sense to promote the redemption website more than the phyical albums?

If people still need a physical piece of paper, then maybe the redemption website can be designed in such a way where we can easily print a screen shot with all the items in a particular album and give that to a potential customer with a Ribbon album sample. This way, they get the feel of the album, but will also get the specific details of what's in that album (up-to-date, printed that day/week).

I wouldn't want my customers to be thinking that the choices of an album are exactly what's in the physical album, and then be disappointed or angry or whatever when that's not the case.

Does that make sense?

# Susan Julien-Willson said on February 28, 2008 2:22 PM:

Bridgett,

Yes, it makes sense. We're hoping that the items in the printed album won't change through the course of the year ... but if they do, the web will be updated. If the items that are web-only change, or if we decide to add additional items to the collection on the web, we can do so to be flexible and responsive to customers' needs. We want it to be a good experience for the recipient of a Gift Collection so we want to be sure to diminish the number of back orders. Thanks, sjw

# Susan Julien-Willson said on February 28, 2008 2:27 PM:

Ben,

Sorry to hear about the back order mishap for the Variety Gift Collection recipient. See my note to Bridgett. We are working with our suppliers, buyers, and warehouse to reduce the number of back orders so that recipients have a positive brand experience.

# Josh said on February 28, 2008 2:53 PM:

Susan,

A couple thoughts of things to think about as the Ribbon grows and changes.

1) With regards to the getaways.  This may be something people can spend some good money on.  Instead of trying to low-ball the getaway options, increase the price and find quality and up-scale places to stay.  Places that, like Quixtar, offer top notch customers service with a proven track record.  That may mean a few less choices, but I think could prove to work out better.

2) Have you also considered some real high-end albums?  In some preliminary talks with different companies, they tend to give out quite a bit more money and/or gifts than we have. Several hospitals I am looking into offer 5 years=$5000.00 incentives and 10 years=$10,000 incentives.

Just something to keep in mind, especially if you are looking to help us get more corporate clients.

Thanks again.

Oh, any word about the website question?

# Susan Julien-Willson said on February 28, 2008 3:12 PM:

Josh, I will definitely pass your ideas on to the Ribbon team. Wow. I thought our Luxe Royale Collection at $750 was huge for an executive gift or incentive. All I have heard back is that the Ribbon team will be able to update the Ribbon Personal websites for the new program, but how much we can do is still TBD. We are going to meet with all the players in the next couple weeks. So, you see, I don't have too much to share just yet. Hopefully I can tell you more after we meet with IT and the web marketer. Thanks for your patience! sjw

# CJ said on February 28, 2008 5:39 PM:

On Bob's note, I totally agree. I've run into the same situation in that people, no matter what you say will want something physical in their hands to hold and see as well as pass on. It's so easy for information to get lost in email these days till it's ridiculous-especially if you are dealing with someone who is a business owner or a high-level executive. Before the program turned into "Ribbon" we used to be able to order a pack samples of a particular album if needed. Now with the envelope and card options, that should be included with the pack.

I also have to agree with Josh, I don't think it would hurt to have some higher level gift albums for those companies who spend even more-if it were feasible and possible for the A/Q. Through one of our Partner Store Websites "Shop.com", a store/catalog company called "A Gift To Remember" offers gift albums similar to Ribbon that go up to $5000. Although there is no profit on it, there is PVBV but we as the IBO could always add a profit margin on to it.

In response to the getaways topic and my question earlier regarding Ribbon Vacations program, I'm like Josh in that someone, somewhere, offers programs that are of good quality. The problem with whether or not someone enjoys our vacation program is very subjective but if the vendors aren't reliable, that's a whole different story and I completely agree with Susan's statement up above. Some suggestions on companies who can provide spa experience/vacations that the corporation can check into: SpaFinder.com who provides an affiliate program as well as cloud9living.com who provide spa experience packages. Another consideration on who the corporation could partner with is Marriot Individual Incentive Travel Services. They offer different types of packages that last for 15 months. They are also a well-established company with a decent track record I would say. Just suggestions....Thanks Susan!

# josh said on February 28, 2008 9:54 PM:

Susan,

Thanks for the update. Just to be clear before you head to the meeting with the others. Just looking for simple personalized web address which a customer can go to, from there have to option to pick what area they are interested in.

Like the others said, you definitely rock! Thank you for everything.

My gratitude to you. I will share this idea via email prior to the meeting so people can explore the idea ahead of time. sjw

# CJ said on March 12, 2008 2:39 AM:

Susan,

I know Jeff mentioned it before about the personal websites but I have a specific concern regarding them all: why can't we put our personal contact information on the sites at least? I've asked the guys at Code Review and never got a response that makes any logical sense. I feel that forwarding people to my site with no contact information (at a bare minimum my phone number and my email address would be nice)leaves them to chance of not calling or emailing me if they have a question about the service/product. My biggest fear is that somehow they will call Quixtar/Amway directly and my client will get passed on through the leads program and someobody else will get the PV and profit. I've heard of this horror story-issue on Code Review happening in part to the Simply Nutrilite Website and the free samples. Some IBOs sent folks there only to have another IBO through the leads program follow up with their customer-that's not right. Help!

Thanks,

CJ

# Susan Julien-Willson said on March 12, 2008 7:43 AM:

CJ,

I am forwarding your request to the Web marketer. Stay tuned. Thanks, sjw

# Josh said on March 12, 2008 12:46 PM:

Regarding the physical albums, I vote to keep them.  For a couple reasons.

1) It is very nice and professional looking, and gives that hands on feel.

2) It is also something that many of my customers keep, even after ordering their gift.  Works as advertising, especially when you put your contact info on the inside.  Can and does generate 2nd and 3rd tier referrals.

I agree with Bridgett, to keep the items that are in the book always available online, but if there are bonus items online,all the better!

# John Kingsley said on April 10, 2008 11:07 PM:

Hi Susan , Thanks for listening to the IBO's an creating a way for us to grow our business by retailing.  I am looking foward to the new year of Ribbon and believe the CD's will be very helpful in finding new customers.  As challenges arise this will be a valuable resource to support and learn from each other .  

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