Finding Your First Direct Sales Recruit

Written by admin

So you’ve decided you’d like to be a direct sales team leader. Congratulations! Now, it’s time to find your first recruit. This can be an exciting, yet frightening adventure if you’ve never considered recruiting as part of your direct sales business.

Here are some ideas to help you find your very first team member. After that, with a little experience under your belt, recruiting will come a lot easier. That first recruit seems to always be the hardest.

• Ask friends and family. Maybe a relative is just looking for something to do in her spare time, or has been considering starting a home-based business of her own. You’ll never know until you ask!

• Make up recruiting flyers and post them around town. Give details on your compensation program and include a tear-off strip at the bottom so interested people can contact you.

• Post an ad on Craigslist, kijii, GoLSN and similar sites. Can’t beat their free advertising for reaching people in your local area. Be sure to post in the correct category, however, if you don’t want your ad to be removed.

• If you have a prospect who is interested but unsure, invite her to spend a day with you before she decides. Take her to a home party, on a sales call or a delivery, or to post flyers around town. Whatever you do and wherever she goes with you, let her see how much you enjoy the business you’re in. She’ll be much more apt to make a decision the better she understands exactly what it is you do.

• Consider hostesses, especially repeat hostesses, as potential consultants. If someone has booked a show with you – especially more than one show! – they obviously like your products. Being a consultant for your company will help them earn even more products, so sign them up!

• Know someone who hates her job? She’s a prime candidate for a home-based business in direct sales. Talk to her about the flexibility she’ll have in her own business and remind her that starting part-time while she’s still working that job will give her the added benefit of having ready-made customers and hostesses.

• If someone admires your success and compliments you on your business, tell them how they can have the same thing for themselves! What a natural lead-in to recruiting.

• Wear a pin-back button that says, “Own your own business for only $X!” and wear it everywhere you go. People will comment and then you have a perfect opening with someone who is obviously interested in learning more.

• When mentioning your business to others, always mention the business opportunity as well. Yes, sales and shows are great, but finding recruits is another wonderful avenue to added profits.

• Keep in mind that not everyone is suited to direct sales. Some people don’t have the confidence, others don’t simply don’t like to sell. Whatever the reason, expect to hear no at times. Remember, though, that every “no” you hear brings you that much closer to the next “yes!”

• Share your business opportunity every chance you get. Emphasize the benefits of owning a home-based business and being a consultant with your company, and share your enthusiasm for your products. Your excitement will build excitement for your company and products in others.

If you’re serious about moving into leadership, get busy and find team member number one. Take that step and you’ll be on your way to the next level of success in your direct sales career.

Tags: Direct Sales Marketing, direct sales success, recruiting others