take a deep breath....

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Posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on October 25, 1999 at 23:26:53:

In Reply to: College henna is getting messy... posted by Rosie on October 25, 1999 at 21:59:15:

Back up and think carefully about what YOU need from henna....and how
best to get it. If you're in this for money, make all your decisions
based on money, or lack of it.

That University money policy is absolutely normal...When a dorm floor
had me come in at KSU, I signed paperwork for the time and materials,
and I suppose the $ will come in with my next paycheck for teaching
there.

Sounds like your biggest current problems are cash flow and getting
paid. Maybe something here will help:

1) Do you have a decent wholesale connection with a henna supplier?
GET ONE! Castle Arts has a very fair wholesale break for people doing
business. Email them (link below) and find out the particulars and
see if it's to your advantage to do that. Eat nothing but Ramen for a
week if you need to do that to fund your first wholesale order of
henna, but get some bulk henna in your fridge NOW. Or, for henna
supply money, sell plasma ... whatever .... but get some supplies on
hand.

2) Your're getting practice with the money thing....you'll get better
with experience. You have made some small mistakes estimating your
time spent so far, but don't panic. You can work that out. When you
are young, it is difficult to be firm about prices and time, just out
of timidity. When doing the money thing, adapt the same calm firm
tone of voice that a dog trainer or horse trainer uses to maintain
control of a situation. When you're trying to schmooze up a sale,
raise your voice high and be bouncy and enthusiastic ("the good
doggy! Want a cookie? tone of voice). When you're doing collections
use the "Down and Stay" tone of voice....lower tone, patient, firm,
all body language must express calmness and authority. Work on eye
contact and body language when negotiating money deals. Exude glacial
calm, discipline and controal (think Marlon Brando in the Godfather).
Think about obedience training a Rottweiler. You'll get better at
it. You'll also, just by experience, get a better handle on how to
estimate what a situation is going to require of you. Remember, this
will improve hugely.

3) When people try to mess with you about price, don't panic (unless
you are genuinely rediculous about your prices ...... $35 an hour for
competant henna is reasonable) To a certain extent people just do this
and it's mostly a game they play like children trying to get mom to
buy them candy at the grocery checkout. Know down to the bone what
you will, and will not put up with. If someone is genuinely startled
at a price for a major job, and is going into verbal twaddle about it,
put yourself in this mindset: The person is a horse. You have just
startled this horse by introducing something unfamiliar or scary (that
they'll have to pull out their wallet and pay for something, God
Forbid.) Square your shoulders, be calm and stand your ground. The
horse-person will run it's flight distance. Let it. Once it's gone
its flight distance (about 1/4 mile, or 20 minutes) it will be ready
to listen (or accept a bridle). You never need to yell or argue.
Just know exactly what you need and be firm about it.
(Moms...this also works really well with adolescent children...view
them as skittish horses and unruly Rottweilers, and the parenting job
gets much simpler...there is no obedience problem that can't be solved
by a choke chain, crate, or trip to a spay-neuter clinic)

4) For the dorm gigs....make this offer: (works for me!) Set a price
per hour, and give the lecture, and then YOU henna as many people as
fill out the rest of the hour. BUT have a couple of extra cones that
you've stashed in the freezer that you let people use on themselves.
That way, everyone goes home happy, and you clean out your freezer.
More fun, more bang for the buck.

Castle Art

Follow-ups:

Re: take a deep breath.... Kenzi 23:40:16 10/26/99 (1)
- Re: take a deep breath.... Catherine Cartwright Jones 02:49:38 10/27/99 (0)
Re: take a deep breath.... rit 03:20:19 10/26/99 (1)
- Re: College Henna Rosie 20:41:21 10/27/99 (0)

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Comments:
: Back up and think carefully about what YOU need from henna....and how : best to get it. If you're in this for money, make all your decisions : based on money, or lack of it. : That University money policy is absolutely normal...When a dorm floor : had me come in at KSU, I signed paperwork for the time and materials, : and I suppose the $ will come in with my next paycheck for teaching : there. : Sounds like your biggest current problems are cash flow and getting : paid. Maybe something here will help: : 1) Do you have a decent wholesale connection with a henna supplier? : GET ONE! Castle Arts has a very fair wholesale break for people doing : business. Email them (link below) and find out the particulars and : see if it's to your advantage to do that. Eat nothing but Ramen for a : week if you need to do that to fund your first wholesale order of : henna, but get some bulk henna in your fridge NOW. Or, for henna : supply money, sell plasma ... whatever .... but get some supplies on : hand. : 2) Your're getting practice with the money thing....you'll get better : with experience. You have made some small mistakes estimating your : time spent so far, but don't panic. You can work that out. When you : are young, it is difficult to be firm about prices and time, just out : of timidity. When doing the money thing, adapt the same calm firm : tone of voice that a dog trainer or horse trainer uses to maintain : control of a situation. When you're trying to schmooze up a sale, : raise your voice high and be bouncy and enthusiastic ("the good : doggy! Want a cookie? tone of voice). When you're doing collections : use the "Down and Stay" tone of voice....lower tone, patient, firm, : all body language must express calmness and authority. Work on eye : contact and body language when negotiating money deals. Exude glacial : calm, discipline and controal (think Marlon Brando in the Godfather). : Think about obedience training a Rottweiler. You'll get better at : it. You'll also, just by experience, get a better handle on how to : estimate what a situation is going to require of you. Remember, this : will improve hugely. : 3) When people try to mess with you about price, don't panic (unless : you are genuinely rediculous about your prices ...... $35 an hour for : competant henna is reasonable) To a certain extent people just do this : and it's mostly a game they play like children trying to get mom to : buy them candy at the grocery checkout. Know down to the bone what : you will, and will not put up with. If someone is genuinely startled : at a price for a major job, and is going into verbal twaddle about it, : put yourself in this mindset: The person is a horse. You have just : startled this horse by introducing something unfamiliar or scary (that : they'll have to pull out their wallet and pay for something, God : Forbid.) Square your shoulders, be calm and stand your ground. The : horse-person will run it's flight distance. Let it. Once it's gone : its flight distance (about 1/4 mile, or 20 minutes) it will be ready : to listen (or accept a bridle). You never need to yell or argue. : Just know exactly what you need and be firm about it. : (Moms...this also works really well with adolescent children...view : them as skittish horses and unruly Rottweilers, and the parenting job : gets much simpler...there is no obedience problem that can't be solved : by a choke chain, crate, or trip to a spay-neuter clinic) : 4) For the dorm gigs....make this offer: (works for me!) Set a price : per hour, and give the lecture, and then YOU henna as many people as : fill out the rest of the hour. BUT have a couple of extra cones that : you've stashed in the freezer that you let people use on themselves. : That way, everyone goes home happy, and you clean out your freezer. : More fun, more bang for the buck. : : Then, make sure NO ONE leaves the room without your business card, in : four part harmony and such. : 5)Get an appointment book and keep it by the phone or with you. The : calls won't be so bewildering or intimidating when you have them all : written down. It also really helps your negotiation from the start if : you say, "Let me get out my appointment book!" : 6) Don't ever make decisions based on wanting to be liked, unless you : are actually went into business just to be liked! Avoid business : situations that spend YOUR money and waste your time, unless you went : into business just to get out of the house a little. Look at what : you're doing carefully, frequently, and see if you're accomplishing : your objective. (Seems that that's what you're doing in that post! : Good!)

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