Success in Direct Sales – Part 2

Written by Annette Yen

In our last article we talked about two important characteristics of a successful direct sales representative. Successful direct sellers must be both consistent and persistent.

When we talk about consistency in our business it really just means having a plan to work your direct sales business and then working that plan. It doesn’t have to be complicated or involved. It can be as simple as 15 minutes a day, 4 days a week doing a simple system like the one I’ll explain now.

First, buy a spiral bound notebook that has 4 “subject” dividers in it. Alternately you can get a 3 ring binder and use tabs to divide out the 4 sections or even 4 labeled file folders. Next, comes a dependable timer or alarm clock that will mark off your 15 minutes. Finally, get a 3×5 card box with number and month tabs.

Now, label each divided subject for one area of your direct sales business that needs to be worked on in order for you to make money. The four most common areas of money making in direct sales are the following: customers, hostesses, potential recruits and current downline. So these are the four categories that you’re going to “touch” during your 15 minute work sessions.

Now here’s where the fun beings. Monday morning comes and you’ve set aside 15 minutes of your kids morning nap time to “work”. Pull out your notebook and flip to your “Customer” tab. If you have existing customers use the 15 minutes to follow up with them. Take notes in your notebook. Make sure you date your entries. If you talk to a customer and need to follow up later with her, fill out a 3×5 card for her and put it on the date you promised to call her. Or send your “Sandy” a reminder email so she’ll remind you to call that customer on the expected date. Keep calling customers until the timer goes off. Close your notebook until your next work session.

Tuesday comes and you’ve only got time when junior is sitting in the high chair. Great! Set your timer and pull out your notebook and flip to the hostess tab. Hostesses are the lifeblood of your direct sales party plan business so you better start and keep a system to stay in touch with past, current and future hostesses. Your notebook, file box and/or “Sandy” can help you do that. Use your 15 minutes to do follow up calls with upcoming hostesses or thank you calls to your hostesses from the past week. Call at least one potential new hostess today too before the timer goes off again. Close your book. You’re done for today.

You get the idea, right? Over simplified? Maybe. But it works and can work really well once you tweak the system and work it well and consistently. Remember, you have to persist through those days where you are phone calling and no one is home, or they hang up in your face; because those days will come.

In the next article of this series we’ll talk in more detail about the 3×5 card system and how this one step alone can help to create order and balance in your direct sales business.

Tags: Direct Sales, Direct Sales Marketing, direct sellers, party plan training