Use Self-Talk to Succeed in Direct Sales
Maria, a 33 year old direct sales consultant for a well-known beauty and skin care company, wanted desperately to succeed in her business. She struggled, however, with low self-esteem and didn’t believe she was qualified or capable of creating her own success working at home.
On the verge of giving up on her business and going back to work as a server at a nearby restaurant, Maria discovered a technique that she continues to study and learn more about. It’s called self-talk.
Self-talk is just what it sounds like. It’s what we say to ourselves, though it’s internal, not audible. Self-talk is also what others say about us that we hear. This kind of talk–to ourselves and by others–affects us on a subconscious level, so that without even realizing it, we believe what we hear.
Self-talk is more than what we think. It relates to the conversations we have with ourselves. We may say something like, “Why in the world did you do that?!” Or, “Whoa… you look good today, girl.” In the first case, we walk around the house felling like an idiot all day. In the second, we feel on top of the world!
Our internal self-talk may be positive or negative. It’s anything we say to ourselves, any conversation we have within our psyches at any time. And it affects us either positively or negatively, depending on the kind of talk it is.
While you may not realize it, you’re influenced greatly by your internal self-talk. Whatever you say within yourself or whatever you hear someone say about you, on some subconscious level, you believe. While you may not be as likely to believe what someone says to you, you will almost certainly believe what they say about you. Self-talk is powerful.
So how can you use self-talk to succeed in your direct sales business? By changing the things you say to yourself!
If you want to change an ingrained behavior or habit, self-talk can make or break your success. You can dramatically increase your chance of success at anything by simply changing what you say to yourself relating to that topic.
So if you want to succeed in direct sales, instead of saying to yourself, “I really wish I was a better salesperson,” you can say, “I’m so glad I started my direct sales business. I know my success is going to be over the top!”
Or, instead of saying, “Oh, I wish I didn’t have to make this phone call!” Say to yourself, “I’m so glad making calls is easy for me.”
Sometimes when we say something to ourselves there’s a little voice inside us that doesn’t quite believe it. We may say, “I’m so glad making calls is easy for me,” and deep inside us we hear, “Yeah, right. You know you hate to make phone calls.”
Self-talk doesn’t work instantaneously! But if we keep using positive self-talk and keep saying what we need to hear, we will come to believe what we say. That’s when it will begin to manifest itself in our lives and we will become what we say we are. Honestly! That’s how powerful self-talk is.
What we say to ourselves and what other people say about us that we hear affects us on our deepest emotional, subconscious level in very real ways. If we want to change our behavior, we must change what we say and believe about ourselves.
Remember Maria? Well, as she began to study and learn about self-talk, Maria began to change what she said to herself. Today, instead of suffering from low self-esteem, Maria has developed a healthy self-respect. She has come to understand and believe in her value as a woman and her abilities to succeed in direct sales!
Self-talk isn’t a magic potion. It’s a real, concrete method of changing our thought patterns and molding our minds into recognizing and believing in the good within us. Self-talk is a tremendous tool that you can use to adjust your thinking and your attitude. Give it a try… but be prepared to be amazed!
Build Your Direct Sales Through Quality Customer Care
Lew Young, former Editor in Chief of Business Week, said that “the most important management fundamental that is being ignored today is staying close to the customer to satisfy his needs and anticipate his wants.” You can learn a lot about direct sales success by heeding these words of business wisdom.
What Mr. Young was referring to is what we commonly call personalized customer service. When you practice personal customer service, and you do it well, you begin to understand your customer. You begin to anticipate her wants and desires. You begin to satisfy her needs before she even voices them.
For example, let’s say you have a customer who has shopped with you several times over the past months, but never buys much. Her family is on a tight budget, but she loves your products. Because you know she’s a fan, and you know that she struggles financially, you could treat her one of two ways.
First, you could basically ignore her, rationalizing that she can’t afford to buy. A lot of direct sales reps will do this by not offering her a catalog or never phoning her to book a party.
On the other hand, you can use her love for your company products and her need for added income to present your business opportunity to her. If she isn’t interested in the full-fledged opportunity, or maybe can’t afford that, you can offer her a sub-seller agreement where she would get a discount on her personal sales for any orders she gets from friends and family. If she accepts, you increase your sales while giving your customer the opportunity for free or discounted product. A win-win situation.
If she is truly not interested in selling anything, you can–at the very least–track the specific products your customer likes and notify her whenever any of them go on sale. Or you can offer her a 10% discount for every referral she sends your way who places an order.
While this does require some added effort on your part, this simple act could pay off tremendously in customer loyalty. When the day arrives that your customer can afford to buy more product (and it most likely will), there’s no way she’d ever desert “her” consultant who has been so good to help her buy what she wants at the best price.
There are a few simple ways to offer your customer quality care while anticipating her possible needs:
• As mentioned, keep track of the products she likes and let her know whenever they go on sale. She’ll appreciate the heads-up even if she can’t buy that time around.
• Let her know of any complementary products that work with something she’s already bought. For instance, if she purchased a cologne spray, let her know about the matching powder or body wash.
• Make it a habit to say, “I’ll see what I can do,” rather than, “No, we don’t offer that.” Even if you have to go back later and tell your customer you can’t offer what she wanted, she’ll see that you at least tried and that you were concerned about her needs.
• ALWAYS, Always, always treat your customer with the utmost respect. (Did we mention always?) Never “bite her head off” or offer a quick retort when you get angry. Never insult her or treat her rudely. While you may think it doesn’t matter if you lose that one customer because of your attitude, keep in mind that she has friends and family members who will certainly hear how she was treated–good or bad. Live by the adage that the customer is always right and even when she isn’t, she’ll know that at least you are trying to please her.
Use Business Cards to Build Your Direct Sales Business Offline
Business cards are one of the best, low-cost methods for promoting your business that you’ll find, yet so few direct sales representatives use them! Maybe you think the cost isn’t justified, but there are so many things you can do with business cards that no direct sales consultant should be without several on hand at all times.
• Post your business card on every local bulletin board in town.
• Leave 2-3 on the restaurant table with your (generous) tip.
• Stick one in every envelope you mail including invoices, bill payments, letters to customers, even complaints.
• Slip one in several books in your topic area ever time you go to the library.
• Drop one in every business card drawing fish bowl you come across.
• Attach one to your catalogs before passing them out.
• Ask if you can leave a few on the counter at the doctor’s office, dentist and other places you visit.
• Hand them out anytime someone asks for your phone number.
• Use them like the old-fashioned calling cards… present one each time you’re introduced. But use some finesse here. This could be perceived as pushy if not done with the right attitude!
• Ask friends and family members to take several and share them with them their friends and co-workers.
• Buy one of those inexpensive holders that attach to a car and leave a stack of cards in it for passersby to grab.
• Add a note on the back of your business card that you’ll give a free gift or discount to anyone who refers a new customer.
• Use the back of your business card as an appointment card by including a blank line for the date and time.
• Include an inspirational message or quote on the back so people will keep your card longer.
• Attach a piece of candy to the back to “sweeten” your card.
• Need to jot down a note for someone? Write it on your business card.
• Give new team members a welcome gift of business cards with their name and the company website.
• Staple a business card to the outside wrapping on gift baskets you give out, or tape one to the bottom of the basket so everyone knows where the gift came from.
• Try folded business cards if you need more space for product or service offerings, coupons, discounts, etc.
• Order magnetic business cards that encourage customers and prospects to post your card on their fridge and keep you and your company name in sight.
• Canvass your neighborhood and leave a business card on every door.
• When you go to a convention or a trade show, share your business card whenever you take someone else’s.
Having business cards printed is cheap and easy. But don’t let them sit in a box and rot! Get out those business cards and use them to build your business offline. You’ll be surprised at what a big difference those little cards can make.
10 Ways to Relieve Stress as a WAHM
Working at home and being a WAHM can be stressful at times. It seems there is never enough time, children cry for our attention, husbands and family members place demands on us, and even full or part-time jobs play a role in adding to our stress. That’s why it’s important to find ways to alleviate and eliminate some of the stress in our lives to make our time working at home all day long more enjoyable and less of a burden.
1. Identify what causes you stress. In order to relieve the stress in our lives, we have to know what’s causing stress. Do you feel time-pressure to meet a deadline? Feel that you have too many obligations? Never find time for yourself? Have a difficult client you dread facing each day? Learn to recognize what it is that’s causing you to feel stressed so you can make lifestyle and attitude changes to reduce or rid your life of that stressor.
2. Now that you know what makes you feel stressed, you can begin to eliminate that stress from your life, or at least reduce its effects on your well-being.
For instance, if you find yourself continually stressed because you’re having trouble meeting deadlines, try getting up an hour earlier or working while the kids nap. Reduce the amount of time you spend watching TV, or cut back on other obligations to find more time to do what you need to.
If you realize having too many obligations is causing you to feel stressed, learn to say no–even to good causes! Begin to remove activities and obligations from your schedule until you no longer feel pressured by all you have to do. This applies to your children’s schedules and your workload as well. You’re not a bad mom just because you say no sometimes, and if you’re so busy you have to turn down work–or pass it on to a colleague–it will actually make you more desirable to your clients because they’ll see how much others value your services.
If it feels like you never have time just for you, then make time. Set aside 30 minutes a day, or an hour a week and do only what you want to do. Go for a quiet walk. Read a book. Sit in your bedroom and stare at the wall. Do what brings you pleasure. As WAHMs, in particular, refreshing ourselves has to be a priority. If we’re not our best, we certainly can’t accomplish all we need–or want–to do effectively.
If you have a difficult client who is causing you stress and whom you dread facing, stop working for him. Tell him politely that you’re no longer available and if you feel you can, help him find someone else to do his work. One of the advantages to being a WAHM and owning your own business is the ability to choose who you work with. If someone is making your work life miserable, find another client to replace them and eliminate that stress from your life.
Whatever your personal stress triggers are, search for ways to deal with each specific issue so you can reduce or eliminate the stress each one causes.
3. Make sure you get enough sleep. If you find yourself tense and anxious during the day, take a close look at how much sleep you’re getting each night. A good night’s rest rejuvenates us and gives us strength to face the day. If we don’t take time for that renewal, our whole attitude suffers. If you suffer from insomnia or find you are repeatedly waking in the middle of the night for no apparent reason, it may be time to talk to your doctor to see what could be done to help. But drinking a cup of herbal tea before bed, reading for a few minutes before you go to sleep or other methods of relaxation may help. Give them a try to ensure you sleep as you should.
4. Exercise, eat right and take good care of your health. When our body is in good shape and we feel good physically, we always have more energy to cope with life’s trials. When we slack off on caring for our health, it begins to show almost immediately in how well–or not!–we handle stress and anxiety.
Schedule a workout at least three times a week, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, reduce your sugar and fat intake, and if needed, take a multivitamin every day. Caring for your body will help keep your mind in shape as well.
5. Smile and laugh more. Developing a light-hearted attitude and one that helps you laugh at yourself and situations you face will go a long way in reducing the stress you feel when facing trials and struggles. You’ve heard people say, “It’s either laugh or cry.” Often that’s true. And laughing is a lot more fun, especially when we make it a habit we live by!
6. Cry if it will help. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to cry when you need to. We all want to be strong and “put on a happy face.” But sometimes we just need to admit that we’re hurting or feeling overwhelmed, and shed a few tears. Crying can have a cleansing affect on our system and our psyche, and there is nothing wrong with crying once in awhile. If you find yourself crying too often, however, you might want to talk to your doctor about clinical depression. But occasional crying is as good for the soul as laughter.
7. Find outside interests. Take up a hobby. Learn a new craft. Join a local women’s club. Take music lessons. Whatever it is, do something new and something you enjoy. Getting your mind off your problems, even for an hour or two, can work wonders in strengthening your ability to deal with those problems when you get home.
8. Get organized. If your home or office is in chaos, it can add untold amounts of stress to your day. Clutter is stressful! If you’re not sure about the truth in this statement, walk into a room that is neatly arranged and where everything is in place. Then walk into a room that is cluttered with things strewn all over the floor, clothes everywhere, nothing put away. How did you feel when you entered each room? More often than not, we feel more stressful when surrounded by clutter. Take the time to organize your home, office and life, and your stress level will decrease automatically.
9. Take a long, hot bath. Whether you add the Calgon® or not, a bath will relax you and help to renew your mind. Just getting away from everyone and everything for a few minutes works wonders and there’s nothing like a nice soak behind a locked bathroom door to help you do that.
10. Learn to let go. While this is certainly easier said than done, sometimes we just have to let go of things that cause us stress. Remember the Serenity Prayer?
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Learning to live by this bit of wisdom will take you far in your struggle to reduce the amount of stress you face each day.
Being a part-time or full-time WAHM can add more stressors to our lives because we are adding another layer of responsibility and activity through our daily work load and business-building strategies. But there are ways to recognize and lessen that stress. When we do that, we remember just how much the WAHM lifestyle fulfills our dreams and just how fortunate we are to have found it.
12 Fun Online Party Games for Direct Sales Parties
Looking for games to play at your next online direct sales party? Here are an even dozen fun and easy games to get your guests and hostess involved and having fun!
1. Alphabet Soup
Choose a product that starts with as many letters of the alphabet as you can. Give each letter, going one letter at a time. The first guest to name the product that begins with that letter earns a point. You can choose to allow any product beginning with the letter, or only a specific product.
For example, if your company sells a Mango scented candle and a Melon scented candle, you can allow both products or only the one you chose in advance. The guest who earns the most points wins a prize.
2. Company Trivia
Make a list of 10-15 trivia questions relating to your company products and website. The first guest to give you the correct answer or URL for that product page earns one point. The guest who earns the most points wins a prize.
3. Door Prize Drawing
Number your guests as they enter the chat room. Ask one of your children or one of the guests choose a number between one and the number of guests you have. The guest whose name corresponds with that number wins a prize. For example, if you have ten guests, and the number chosen is seven, the guest whose name is on line seven wins.
4. Guess the Secret Word
Pick a “secret word” before your online party begins and let your guests know what the word is–for example, the name of your company, or a key product such as “candle.” Ask guests to tell you every time you use the word during the party. The first person to tell you each time gets a point, and the one who has the most points at the end of the party wins a prize.
5. Make More Words
Give guests five minutes to see how many words they can make from the letters in your company name, slogan, or other phrase. At the end of the time limit, have them tell you how many words they found. The guest who got the most words must type in their answers. The guest with the most legitimate words wins a prize.
6. Online Scavenger Hunt
Give the guests a list of 10-15 products from your website. The first guest to give you the URL of the page each product is on earns one point. The guest who earns the most points wins a prize.
7. Party Perfect Guest
Tally the scores on this one giving guests one point for each item below, then award a prize to the one who earns the most points.
• Asking a Question
• Attendance
• Being on Time
• Booking a Party
• Bringing a Friend
• Making a Purchase
• Purchasing a Party Special
• Spending Over $25
• Subscribing to Your Ezine
• Winning a Game
8. Phrase of Fortune
Type an underline (“_”) for each letter in your company name, slogan, or other phrase. Have guests take turns guessing a letter. Fill in each correct letter the guest names and give her a chance to guess the correct phrase. The guest who guesses the phrase correctly wins a prize.
9. Pick a Letter, Any Letter
Secretly choose a letter that is in your company name but don’t tell the guests. Ask each guest to pick a letter from the name and tell you what it is. The guest(s) who choose the correct letter wins a prize.
10. Product Bingo
Type a list of your company products and related words. Have the guest choose five of those words and email the list to you. After you receive each guests’ list, begin randomly selecting words from your original list and typing them in. Guests check their lists of chosen words and the first person to type BINGO after you call all five of their words wins a prize.
11. Product Scrambler
Scramble the letters of the names of 10-15 products from your website. Give the first guest to unscramble each word a point. The guest who earns the most points wins a prize.
12. Who Knows the Hostess?
Ask several questions about the hostess such as “Where does she live?” or “How many kids does she have?” Have guests record their answers and tell you how many questions they got right when you’ve finished. The guest who knows the most about the hostess must type in her answers. The guest with the most answers correct wins a prize.
Gearing Up for Holiday Sales
It’s hard to believe how quickly time flies (whether you’re having fun or not!). And this year is no exception. Before you know it, Christmas will be upon us yet again. Of course, the decorations and carols, festive food and fellowship is wonderful, but to many direct sales representatives, Christmas is the biggest shopping season of the year. So it’s time to get geared up and ready to go for those added Christmas sales. Here are some things to work on to insure you get your share of that extra money!
• Set a goal for your holiday sales. Decide how much you’d like to earn during the three months of the typical holiday shopping season (October, November and December). Divide that amount by 12 weeks and you’ll have a sales figure to shoot for each week. Now, divide that amount by your estimated earnings per show and you’ll know how many shows you need to book every week.
For example, if you want to earn $6,000 over the next three months, you’ll need to earn $500 a week. If you make an average of $250 per show, you’ll need to hold two shows every week. While $6,000 may seem like an outrageous amount, two shows a week doesn’t look so hard, does it?
• Start early. Don’t wait until December first to start promoting your Christmas sales. Plan flyers and other advertising. Take out a small classified newspaper ad. Post your business card on bulletin boards around town. Leave catalogs in doctor’s offices. Start ramping up your sales now to have the biggest holiday selling season you’ve ever had.
• Create some custom gift baskets and bags. Use your company products to create gift packages in a variety of price ranges. Find some inexpensive, but nice, bags or baskets at the dollar store. Spray paint the baskets gold and they look really nice! Then arrange your products in a nice display. Wrap the whole package in a cello bag and tie with a ribbon. Include a small gift card that the recipient can sign and you’re on your way to some great holiday sales!
• Contact local businesses and offer your gift baskets or other appropriate gifts for their customers and clients. Take in a sample so they can see the quality of your products. Leave a flyer that includes prices and ordering information. Call back in a few days to follow-up.
Businesses of every size look for affordable Christmas gifts that show their appreciation for their customers every year. They can buy from you as well as anyone else… you just have to let them know what’s available!
• Include free gift wrapping, free or low-cost delivery with local orders, a gift registry and other services that cost little but offer added value to your products. These services may be especially appreciated by businesses who often have to send an expensive hourly employee to hand-deliver their gifts.
• Create a simple three-to-a-page gift certificate, print and cut, then sell these in lieu of gifts. Gift cards and gift certificates offer the greatest shopping advantage because gift buyers know they are getting exactly what the recipient wants. Become a part of this craze by selling your own gift certificates.
These are just a few things you can do to get started building your holiday shares. The main idea is to promote your business in new and unusual ways while maintaining a high level of customer service. A combination that will never steer you wrong!
5 Secrets to Making Happy Hostesses
Happy Hostesses mean more guests invited to your home parties, a more relaxed atmosphere during the party itself, and better party sales. The key is how to make a Happy Hostess and how to get her motivated to have a great show.
1. Offer added incentives.
Many direct sales companies provide gifts designed solely for hostesses, but you can become known as the consultant who offers more to her hostesses. Add a small gift that no other consultant offers.
This could be an added 10% discount on product, a surprise product that you bought on clearance and wrapped in a pretty gift bag, or even a complimentary book of tips (that you wrote and published yourself) on ways to use your company’s products more effectively. Whatever it is, giving your hostesses a little something extra will let them know you appreciate them and the part they play in building your business.
2. Publish a monthly newsletter or ezine.
You can easily create a monthly newsletter filled with hostess coaching tips, product information, discount coupons, ideas for using company products, contest drawings and more. It’s a great way to keep in touch with prospects and past customers. And if you send it out by email, it only costs some of your time.
Be careful that you do more than sell products, though. No one needs another sales letter, but most people will gladly accept some soft-selling “commercials” in the midst of an informative publication filled with ideas they can use.
3. Send greeting cards or postcards.
While you can use e-cards to keep in touch–and that’s okay!–think of the impact a physical card would have on a customer’s birthday or anniversary. Or think of how she would respond when you send her a postcard saying “Thanks for hosting your party with me!” It still only costs a few cents to mail a postcard or greeting card, but the impact on your hostesses may be priceless.
4. Become a good motivational coach.
While it may take some training to learn how to coach your hostesses well, making the effort to learn will pay off tremendously over time. Learn to recognize different personality types and discover what motivates each one. Then make the most of each hostess personality type to encourage them in ways that matter to them, individually.
If a hostess wants recognition, seeing her name published in your monthly newsletter will make her feel special. If she likes rewards, giving her an added gift will do the trick. Build on what motivates your hostesses to keep them as happy as you can. They’ll reward you with loyalty and word of mouth referrals to help you grow your direct sales business in record time.
5. Support your hostesses.
If a hostess receives an order that’s wrong, do your best to make it right. Even if the product is shipped to her directly, step in and help her resolve the issue. Offer to call the company for her. Offer to replace an item. Give her ideas for what to say to friends whose orders were late when they expected their orders to be on time. Go the extra mile to do whatever you can do to support your hostess. It’s called customer service and it’s what a good business is built on.
Offering added incentives, keeping in touch through newsletters, greeting cards and postcards, being a motivational coach and supporting your hostesses may seem like a lot of added work. But practicing these strategies will help turn you–as a direct sales consultant–into one with a good, strong reputation for caring for your hostesses and not just someone who wants to make a buck.
Ultimately, the number of parties you host and your sales will increase, but they’ll do so through word of mouth marketing and quality referrals. Let serving your hostesses and your customers become your business priority and they will build your business for you.
5 Tips for Getting Direct Sales Referrals
Whether you’re starting out in direct sales or have been running your own direct sales business for years, getting consistent referrals is a key component of your success. Referrals, or personal recommendations from others, is one of the best ways to build your direct sales business. A referral means that your friends and customers trust you enough to tell others about you. What could be better than that?
Of course, the goal then is to get as many referrals as you can. But how do you do that? Here are five ways that work:
1. Business cards will bring referrals.
In the world of online marketing, business cards are becoming almost extinct. But these little babies are still worth their weight in gold (and then some!). Have some business cards printed with your full contact information including name, title, company, phone number, email address and URL. You can include your physical address, but unless you have customers coming to your home, there’s really no need.
Begin the day you get the cards from the printer to share them with anyone who will take one. Drop a few in the teller’s box at the bank. Leave a couple on the table for your server when you eat out. Stash one in a book or two at the library. Staple one to a small sample or goodie bag and give them to day care moms, cleaners, cashiers, and anyone else you talk to. Business cards are a tremendous, low-cost marketing tool that will do a great job of getting your name out in your local area.
2. Reward anyone who gives you a referral.
Offering a small gift, a discount or a special service to anyone who gives you a referral, lets others know you value word of mouth marketing. An easy way to get referrals is to write something like “10% Discount for Every Referral” or “Free Gift for Every Referral” on the back of your business cards. Add a line that says “Referred by…” and give a few to everyone you know. Encourage friends and customers to write their names on the cards before they hand them out, and see how quickly new referrals start coming in.
3. Ask everyone you know for referrals.
If you approach someone to host a show and she declines, ask her if she knows anyone else who might be interested. The same is true for prospective customers, recruits or anything else. Make asking for referrals a habit, and the number of referrals you receive will increase dramatically.
4. Trade referrals with other direct sales consultants in non-competing businesses.
If you sell beauty products, trade referrals with a home decor representative. Or if you sell candles, trade with a pet products consultant. Be cautious that you trade only with consultants you know won’t abuse your customer contacts. Better yet, offer to send a letter to your customers referring your consultant friend and ask her to do the same thing for you.
5. Give referrals to others.
Know the adages, “Give to get,” and “You reap what you sow”? Those phrases contain a lot of truth! If you want others to refer business to you, begin to refer business to others. It doesn’t even have to be the same person, but the act of sowing generosity by promoting others will return to you in the form of referrals for your own business.
6. Brag about the referrals you receive.
Let prospects and customers know when you receive a great testimonial or recommendation. Post it on your website, print it in your newsletter, include it on a flyer. Authors do this when they print those blurbs on the back of their books. No reason a direct sales consultant can’t do the same!
8 Ways to Create Direct Sales Customer Loyalty
Marketing experts assert that it’s much easier to keep a customer you already have than it is to find a new one and convince them to buy from you. That’s why, especially in today’s economy, it’s imperative to do all you can as a direct sales consultant to develop loyalty in your existing customers. Not only loyalty to the company, but specifically loyalty to you, their consultant.
Thankfully, this can be accomplished by focusing on your customer and doing everything you can to make them feel appreciated while keeping your name in the front of their thoughts.
1. Communicate with your customers on a regular basis throughout the year. Use ezines and newsletters, direct mail, postcards, Christmas and birthday cards, telephone calls and more. How you do it isn’t nearly as important as that you do it. Stay in touch with them, and when your customers need what you have to offer, they’ll come to you–the person they know.
2. Create a customer loyalty rewards program. Use referral points or frequent buyer cards to show your appreciation for your customers in visible ways. You could offer a discount based on every point they earn, give a free gift after X number of purchases, or make them a member of your preferred customers club. This is a low cost, yet extremely effective way, to build customer rapport and strengthen the customer relationship.
3. Make it easy to contact you by prominently displaying contact information on your website, business cards, and literature. While we live in a world where most people prefer to communicate via email, many customers still want a more personal approach to their business contacts. Set yourself apart from all the other direct sales reps by providing a simple way for customers to reach you by phone, or at the very least, by instant messenger.
4. Borrow concepts from the brick and mortar world by converting a few common customer service principles to use online, or on the phone. For instance, many employees are instructed to greet every customer as they enter the store. You can do the same thing with a pleasant greeting at the top of your website. Some webmasters use pop-ups for this, but be cautious. Pop-ups can become annoying very fast.
5. Another concept is to let customers know someone is available to help if they need it. Virtually, you can do this by giving your customers your cell phone, by providing a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) with a prominent link on your website, or by offering live chats via a web interface. There are many free and low-cost programs that allow you to offer this service from your site.
6. Consider sharing your expertise and advice as well. You can provide free articles on topics that relate to your direct sales company products. If you sell beauty products, for example, offer make-up and skin care tips, fashion helps, hair care information and more. If you sell kitchen items, offer recipes, cooking tips and grocery shopping help. Whatever your company provides, take it a step further and offer free information that correlates to the product line.
7. Provide service beyond your customer’s expectations. Offer service with a virtual smile–or a real one when you deal with people directly. Handle problems and returns quickly and cheerfully. If your company charges for returned items, let your customers know that you allow returns on any item they purchase from you, even though the company won’t take it back. Talk about going the extra mile! And you can bet the word will get around that your are the best consultant for your direct sales company to be found.
8. When shoppers leave the store, many employees go out of their way to say thank you, wish them a nice day and invite them to return. You can do the same by sending simple thank you cards, or emails and letting your customers know that you appreciate them and their loyalty to you.
Direct sales competition can be fierce, but if you practice excellent customer care and go beyond the norm in providing quality service to your customers, they’ll reward you with loyalty, return sales and word of mouth referrals. You can’t ask for more than that, can you?
Start Your Own Profitable Direct Sales Business
Working at home is a dream for most women, especially those with school age or younger children. The desire to stay at home and care for our own kids is a natural one for moms. Starting a direct sales business that will help you earn a good income while giving you the freedom and flexibility you crave is a good option.
With such a plethora of direct sales opportunities available, however, how do you know where to start? There are as seemingly as many direct sales and home party plan companies as there are consultants who sell for them. That’s why it makes sense to choose a company that fits your interests and one that sells products or services you would buy yourself.
This will help you to remain passionate about your business after the “new” wears off and on days when you feel like doing nothing more than laying on the sofa, eating bon-bons and watching TV.
A good place to begin is by brainstorming. Write down everything that really interests you. Think of the things you’d do if no one paid you. Or better yet, the things you’d pay someone to let you do! Look for a direct sales company related to those interests and you’re almost guaranteed success.
Next ask yourself some tough but very important questions…
• How many hours can you spend building your business?
• How much money do you need to earn?
• How much of an investment can you make?
• Do you enjoy home parties?
• How do you feel about meeting new people?
• Do you like talking to a group?
• Are you a self-starter who can motivate yourself to work even when you don’t “feel like it”?
• Can you discipline yourself to focus on your business and do what needs to be done?
• Or are you a procrastinator putting everything off until tomorrow?
• Do you manage your time well?
• Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit or mindset?
Be honest with yourself! Take the time to deeply evaluate whether you have what it takes to succeed in a business of your own. Direct sales is a business, and to make money with direct sales, you have to treat it like a business.
After you’ve decided that you truly want to start your own direct sales business, it’s time to begin looking for a company you’d like to join. Go back to your list of interests and choose something that fits your personality.
If you never wear make-up, have no interest in jewelry and couldn’t care less about fashion, you probably don’t want to join a beauty company. If, on the other hand, you love to redecorate your home and have a real knack for interior design, you might consider a company that sells those type products. Whatever your interests, there are hundreds of companies available, so keep looking until you find one that fits.
After you’ve found a company that might work, talk to some of their representatives. Ask about the compensation plan, how well they work with consultants and any special rules they have like specific territories or not allowing reps to mention the company name online.
Search for the company online and see what kind of results you get. If they’ve been accused of scamming consultants, not paying their bills on time, or if they appear questionable in any way, look for another opportunity.
On the other hand, if a company seems legitimate, other consultants are pleased with them, and you still think they offer products you could sell, it’s time to get more specific information.
You’ll want to ask as many questions as you can. For instance:
• What is the initial investment
• What’s provided in the sales kit?
• How much commission will you earn?
• When will you get paid?
• How much do catalogs and other supplies cost?
• Do they have a minimum sales amount?
• What happens if you don’t meet that goal?
• Can you sell online?
• What about placing classified ads?
• Are their benefits to building a team?
• If so, what are they?
Also ask about the company’s return policy. Do you have to pay a restocking fee for returned items? Does the company expect you to keep the items and resell them yourself? What if you buy too much stock? Will the company buy it back from you? At what percentage?
All of these questions should be answered by your recruiter and covered in your direct sales contract. Be sure you read the contract in full or have an attorney look it over before you sign.
Once you take the leap, it’s time to get busy promoting your company and looking for new customers. Keep a positive attitude, believe in yourself and you can go far in direct sales.
Starting your own direct sales company is not the solution for anyone looking to get rich overnight. But if you sincerely want to start a business that you can work from home and build into something you can be proud of, direct sales may be the very solution you need.
