National Storytelling Network Forum

MFrast · Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 1:52 am Post subject: Cherish Bound

I'm all for residual income, for storytellers, for anyone.

But someone please, please tell me Cherish Bound is not a multi-level marketing company, where "consultants" recruit other consultants and take a cut.

Teresa · Joined: 16 May 2007 Posts: 1 Location: Idaho

As storytellers is it not part of our collective objective to erase knee jerk prejudice? Why are we so quick to defend this principle in our profession, but so quick to throw it out when the subject of money enters the picture?
How has the trashing of corporate America become accepted in our community? Why have we allowed this? A company comes to us after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars identifying the most effective marketing tools to help us increase our income and we dismiss them based on our own lack of education? Shame on us! We shamelessly ask businesses to fund our festivals and conferences then dismiss their business model off hand. When did that become ok? How does that build solid relationships with our sponsors?

By the way, Cherish Bound has sponsored numerous storytelling events. They are walking their talk.

Cherish Bound is not a pyramid scheme. This is Direct Sales through a party plan. They are upfront about what they do. Direct Sales experienced $30 billion in sales in the US alone last year! There is no shame in that. It’s a business model that is working and is absolutely ideal when it comes to sharing story and storytelling. You can involve your friends, publish your stories, get a discount, and make some money!

You become a Business Owner. As such you earn profit through sales and services. As your business grows you will earn a percentage of what your consultants earn. Just like any other business earns money from their sales team. Do you have to have consultants to make money? No. But why wouldn't you want to? They will have an equal opportunity to build their storytelling business as well.

Consider the alternative - could you possibly sell story in a retail space with uninformed cashiers? We all know selling story requires real-time genuine conversation and human connectivity.

Cherish Bound isn’t multi–level–marketing. MLM involves sales opportunities and sales within a very narrow channel. No sales take place out of the channel. Direct Sales through a party plan offers sale outside of the channel. Your customers may remain customers without ever becoming consultants. There will always be sales outside of the channel.

Quite simply, Direct Sales is consumable product, at a lower price, so you need more people to help sell it. You aren’t paying for recruiting someone with no return of value. They aren't paying to be recruited with no return of value. If all you do is use Cherish Bound for their products and tools to enhance your workshops and marketability - it's worth it. If you are truly looking for a way to increase your storytelling income - don't ignore what they have to offer.

I spent the better part of a year looking into this! This is a GOOD thing. I'm receiving residual income after my residencies and workshops...the checks just come in the mail every month. In addition, I'm making deeper connections with my workshop clients. They rely on me as their personal storytelling expert.

You may be as surprised to learn as I was that 40% of the products sold worldwide are sold via direct sales! In a world where many people can’t tell you who their neighbors are – communities are rediscovering themselves through direct sales. Crazy - but true. Are we willing to consider if this has anything to do with the sharing of our lives and stories?
If so, they've created a pretty perfect blend.

Why do people become part of the Direct Sales Model?
§ They can change their lives.
§ It can build self-esteem, friendships, solutions, and long-term relationships.
§ You bypass the increasingly struggling retail experience
§ You show, teach, and bond
§ Customers are willing to pay a premium for the relationship building experience.

Sounds a bit like what draws people to storytelling, doesn't it?

Want to know more?
Click on the links in my signature!

Let's discuss the real question. How did we become so prejudice? When did that become ok? Don't we ask our audiences to open up their hearts every time we give them a story? Shouldn't we, as a community, be equally open and receptive to a new perspective sent our way? If you're part of that dream audience who comes to the discussion with an open mind - click the link. If you're somebody whose willing to read the book before you burn it - click the link! I did, and I liked what I found.

_________________
Teresa B. Clark ~ Storyteller
Hear my story - www.videoutah.com/videofiles/CB/frogchild_story_web.mov
http://www.writeonspeakers.com/teresa_clark.htm
www.cherishbound.com
What can CB do for you?
http://www.cherishbound.com/tellers.php?c=MzU0

SeanBuvala · Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 6:04 pm Post subject: Re: Cherish Bound

MFrast wrote:

But someone please, please tell me Cherish Bound is not a multi-level marketing company, where "consultants" recruit other consultants and take a cut.

Oh, that made me laugh. This is not the 1980's. Been a while since I've been "prospected." LOL.

After 21 years in this business, working nationally, I have talked to many hundreds of storytellers. I know the issues we face. Here's an excerpt from *my* list of reasons why I'm working with CherishBound (CB). These are not the official words of CB, just mine.

You can read my whole letter at http://www.storyteller.net/cherishbound

You can learn about CherishBound for Storytellers at http://www.fulltimestorytelling.com

1. CherishBound is part of the $30 (B)illion Direct Sales industry. In the next several years, CB *will* have several thousand consultants throughout the U.S (and my guess is more eventually throughout the world) who will be freely calling themselves professional storytellers. Like it or not, with or without our community, they will and do use the term "storyteller" to describe themselves.

2. Would you rather have "professional storytellers" who understand storytelling or yet more people who are untrained in storytelling using that title? In my mind, I'd like to help shape, teach, coach and properly train CB folks who will be saying, some very soon, that they are "professional storytellers." Other industries have left the storytelling community behind as we collectively said, "Eww, *that's* not storytelling."

3. CB came to Storyteller.net asking for our help to connect to the storytelling community. They've already made a significant commitment to several storytelling festivals. They have put their money where there mouth is.

4. CB offers more paths to Income Diversification. Storytellers who derive life-supporting income from their art form must have multiple streams of income.

5. Let's give up on the concept of the starving artist. Financial struggle is not noble, harms our artistic skills and actually keeps many out of storytelling. What a loss.

6. Especially for the brand new storyteller, CB offers the ability to add "ready to go" workshops to your repertoire immediately. For those of us who've been around for "a few years," these workshops are great to fill those empty spots on our calendars.

7. The CB residency workshops for schools is going to get media attention and support when they happen in your neighborhood. Why shouldn't that media be focused on you and your storytelling business?

8. This isn't scrapbooking. CB already has and will continue to introduce thousands of people (for the first time) to the very idea of personal and family storytelling. Why shouldn't you be on the forefront of that process?

I know that I will get "flamed" by some of my fellow storytellers for this. We were flamed when Storyteller.net started 10 years ago, saying we were going to be the "end of live storytelling." I also know that many of you will recognize the opportunity for all of us here. Visit http://www.fulltimestorytelling.com .

I am now going to repair the leaking faucet in my backyard.

Respectfully,
Sean

_________________
K. Sean Buvala
http://www.seantells.com
http://www.fulltimestorytelling.com
http://www.storytellingproducts.com

Tim E · Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 12:02 am Post subject:

Methinks the lady doth protest too much. Wink

_________________
Tim E
http://www.storyteller.net/tellers/tereneta
http://www.myspace.com/storiesbytim
http://storytelling.blogspot.com
http://storytellersunplugged.wordpress.com

SeanBuvala · Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 1:43 am Post subject: giggle

Tim E wrote:

Methinks the lady doth protest too much. :wink:

LOL

yes, as you know, storytellers tend to be Dispassionate people

imagine what life would be like if a national organization we all know and love....

meh, never mind

:wink:

_________________
K. Sean Buvala
http://www.seantells.com
http://www.fulltimestorytelling.com
http://www.storytellingproducts.com

kdietz · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 3 Location: Jonesborough, TN

Cherish Bound is not an MLM company. They are a company that uses the party business model to support people in capturing and sharing their stories.

CB is a great opportunity for storytellers to create additional income for themselves. This company really supports storytelling and storytellers! It's a shame some storytelling organizations have been so shortsighted they've missed crafting a great opportunity to help storytellers and expand storytelling.

CB's vision for expanding storytelling is inspiring. Check out the company. There are a variety of ways to expand your storytelling business with CB. I'm glad Storyteller.net is on board with CB. It's a good move.

_________________
Karen

Karen Dietz, Ph.D.
www.polaris-associates.com

TexasMel · Newbie Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Texas

Can products be ordered through members? I was interested in some of the cards (but not all of them) and I don't want to fork over $99 (not a good time) to get the distributorship.

SeanBuvala · Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 12:34 pm Post subject:

TexasMel wrote:

Can products be ordered through members? I was interested in some of the cards (but not all of them) and I don't want to fork over $99 (not a good time) to get the distributorship.

Mel, contact me and we'll get you what you need. We're putting some things in at www.storytellingproducts.com, but I can help you in the meantime. sean@storyteller.net

thanks

_________________
K. Sean Buvala
http://www.seantells.com
http://www.fulltimestorytelling.com
http://www.storytellingproducts.com

MFrast · Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 5:53 pm Post subject:

Karen,
thanks for your succinct and to the point reply.

I really don't understand what Teresa was going on about.

Millicent

TexasMel · Newbie Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Texas

Actually, I was just curious if the products could be ordered individually and how much they cost. At this point I don't actually have a use for them... it was more idle curiosity.

SeanBuvala · Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 2:32 pm Post subject:

TexasMel wrote:

Actually, I was just curious if the products could be ordered individually and how much they cost. At this point I don't actually have a use for them... it was more idle curiosity.

Short answer to your question then is "yes." However, if you are a working storyteller, then you do have an immediate use for a number of the prouduct which are ready to go on your "back of the house" table. Unless of course you are already making too much money in your work and performances.

_________________
K. Sean Buvala
http://www.seantells.com
http://www.fulltimestorytelling.com
http://www.storytellingproducts.com