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Direct Sales Success
In order to have a direct sales success,
you need to practice what you preach. In other words,
you need to make sure you are taking advantage of your
direct sales products before you begin promoting the
products. A customer would not want you promoting an
item that you have never tried yourself.
Direct Sales Tip: Be A Product Of The
Industry
New distributors hear this as soon as
they join; seasoned distributors live it every day;
trainers shout it from the rooftops so their
organizations get it loud and clear… “Be a product of
the product!” What does this mean?
That depends on the company you are with. If you are a
distributor for a company that offers health and
nutritional products, being a product of the product
means that you start your day with quality supplements
and an energy drink. When that morning coffee break
rolls around, you skip the coffee and donuts and re-fuel
your body with your best selling power bar and make
healthy meal choices throughout your day. For these
distributors, being a product of the product means they
understand the importance of good nutrition. They take
every opportunity to use their company’s products to
live a happier and healthier life.
For those of you who represent a skin care line, being a
product of the product means having healthy glowing skin
that defies the passage of time. Every morning you
cleanse, tone and moisturize with the best products your
company offers. You protect your skin from the sun,
drink plenty of water and end your day with a nightly
ritual of youth enhancing cleansers, creams and lotions.
A representative for a company selling products for the
home is a product of the product when she transforms her
living space into a place of beauty, warmth and comfort
using just the right accessories.
And this phenomenon doesn’t stop at just products; it
extends to services as well. From long distance to legal
advice, direct selling companies are on the cutting edge
of delivering top quality services to today’s consumer.
Being a product of the product means having an
unshakable belief in what you sell and using it every
opportunity you get. It is this philosophy of becoming
your own best customer that has made this industry the
economic powerhouse that it is today, generating more
than $26 billion in sales in 2001 in the United States
alone.
So the question we pose is “Why stop here?” Why not flex
our collective economic muscle, harness the buying power
of the more then 12 million direct sellers in the United
States and begin a new trend of becoming a product of
the industry? Being a product of the industry means that
we, as direct sellers, begin to look to “our own” for
the products and services we use every day. From the
moment we rise through the end of the day, we are faced
with opportunities to strengthen the collective buying
power of our own industry by purchasing products and
services from other direct sellers. Stop for a moment
and look around you. The shampoo in your shower, the
pots and pans in your cupboards, the vitamins on your
counter, the food in your pantry, the cleaning products
in your laundry room, the clothes in your closet, and
the phone on your desk… literally every product you use
is now available through a direct sales company.
Let’s take a look at the tremendous impact this could
have on our industry. Suppose this new “buying direct”
trend were to inspire one out of every two direct
sellers to spend an average of $100 more per month on
products and services purchased through direct selling
channels. That would mean that 6 million out of the 12
million direct sellers in the United States would
perhaps switch their long distance provider, change
their skin care brand, start on a nutritional program,
and buy this season’s fashion and accessories from
fellow direct sellers and so on.
This simple act of buying direct would infuse more than
$600 million dollars into our industry each month,
resulting in skyrocketing revenues of 7.2 billion
dollars more per year in the United States alone!
Assuming approximately half of those revenues are paid
to distributors through commissions and overrides, this
new trend could put more than 3 billion dollars into the
pockets of direct sellers in the United States in one
year alone. With more than 44 million direct sellers
throughout the world, “buying direct” could be the
tipping point that brings direct selling out of the
closet and into the hearts and minds of consumers
everywhere.
What needs to be in place for this new phenomenon to
take hold? First and foremost, companies must get rid of
old beliefs and policies that discourage their
distributors from networking with or buying from other
direct sellers. Stop thinking that the simple act of
buying products is going to cause your distributors to
“jump ship.” Instead, have faith in the bond you have
with your sales force and focus your efforts on
enhancing the support services that will keep them loyal
and steadfast in their commitment to you.
Secondly, we must each form the habit of looking first
to direct sellers in our community who offer products
and services we need. By doing so, we transform a simple
monetary transaction into a personal statement of belief
in, and support of, this industry we have grown to love.
Help launch this new trend of buying direct by joining
the tens of thousands of direct sellers who have set a
goal to look first to “our own” for the products and
services they use every day. Together, we can strengthen
our industry.
Article by:
Jane Deuber is a Co-Founder of
www.DSWA.org (the only association dedicated to the
needs of the independent party plan and network
marketing professionals). Discover what makes the DSWA
so unique. Listen to three motivating and informative
free teleseminars by visiting www.mydswa.org/tele_class.asp
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