FREE Leads – Take ‘em Or Leave ‘em
Anyone who does not have enough business is not taking advantage of the unlimited FREE leads available to them. There is unlimited leads our there and if you do not have enough business then you should take advantage of the free direct sales training available to learn where to find more business.
Here is a starter list of where to find unlimited free leads.
- Bulletin Boards: Bulletin boards are all over town you can be picking up leads at every mini market, grocery store and bulletin board. This is multi-tasking because you are putting out your marketing material, picking up leads and generating an income tax deduction by logging your mileage to and from everyday errands.
- Public speaking is one of the best ways to have an unlimited supply of free leads for any business. It doesn’t matter if you are selling vitamins, coffee, plumbing supplies, or financial services, becoming a free local public speaker will generate business for you and create an unlimited source of FREE leads. I know that you are probably saying that you hate to stand up in front of people and talk. Some of you probably say you hate to speak, yet already do it in your direct sales business. Let’s face it, performing an in home demonstration is public speaking. If you do not have more leads than you can use, then you really deserve to take advantage of public speaking as a lead generation factory. Check out the local clubs. Many of them need fund-raising opportunities and a weekly or monthly speaker. Again, you will be multi-tasking when you make calls to clubs, churches and organizations offering your services as a fund-raiser program and also a speaker.
- Expos: Most people think of fairs and expos in the traditional sence, Pay to set up a table and network. That is awesome and you should go to a fair or expo at least monthly. It doesn’t always have to be a paid vendor event though. You can go as a guest. Pay your $2 or $7.00 to get in and network with the other guests as well as the vendors from the guest side of the table. It works!
- Internet: Most direct sales professionals never think about all of the options of networking on the internet. Your own web site is the obvios way and there are hundreds of leads for the taking on the internet. Maybe you are a home décor rep. Have you ever Googled home décor and checked out the possible leads that come up? Are you a company who is looking for professional reps, then try Googling other sales professions like realtors. You will find lists of people who actually answer their phone and may have an interest in your company.
When you take advantage of all of the lead generation sources available to you, then you will never be hurting for sales. This is only a short list of where to find UNLIMITED FREE leads. Check out other ideas at www.CreateACashFlowShow.com
Online Networking: Your Way To Direct Sales Success
You already know that networking is the lifeblood of your business. You do it every day when you book a show, sponsor a new recruit or sell your products. The world wide web can be an excellent resource for those involved in direct sales. Think of networking online as an additional tool that will help you grow your business.
Online Forums
Online forums can be great places to meet new people and create relationships. Wahm.com and internetbasedmoms.com are two forums where you can meet and network with other moms/women. You’ll find moms with successful businesses that can answer your questions as well as those that are searching for their own home based businesses or just looking for the products you are selling.
When networking on online forums it is always best to start by creating relationships. Interact with the members of the forums without expecting anything in return in the beginning. Be genuine. Be mindful of the rules and regulations of each forum that you decide to visit. Not only with this save you from doing any unauthorized advertising, it will help you build a solid reputation as a business owner.
Twitter.com
Twitter.com is a powerful social networking site where you can connect with others. It’s easy to create relationships by joining in the conversations of the people you choose to follow. You can ask questions, share information and make new friends. If you only choose one thing to do with your online networking Twitter should be the one you choose. As with online forums, be mindful of the rules and don’t start twittering with the sole intent of spamming the site with your advertising.
Article Marketing
If you are able to write quality, informative articles about your product then you should consider article marketing to establish yourself as an expert in your field. After you’ve written the articles submit them to article directories with free reprint rights and an author biography that includes your site name and link to drive traffic to your business. Website owners will use your articles on their site but since your information is included in the article, people will coming looking for you and your products.
Squidoo.com
Squidoo.com is also a social networking site. Use Squidoo.com as a tool by creating lenses, which are basically short articles on any topic that you care to write about. This can be an excellent way to establish yourself as being very knowledgeable about the products or service that your business has to offer. Squidoo can be useful by driving potential customers to your websites.
Email Groups
Email groups, like those offered by Yahoo, are another option for online networking. Search for groups that might fit your business. “Work at Home Moms in Wisconsin”, or “Moms in Home Business” would just be a couple of examples of the types of groups that you should keep an eye out for when looking for email groups to join.
Whenever using one of these tools be sure to look for ways to be a useful contributor and supportive friend wherever you choose to network and you will be well on your way to building your business in no time at all.
The Value of Motivating your Team
Congratulations, you’ve decided to start sponsoring team members to increase your income.
A well-motivated sales team can be the cornerstone of a successful direct sales career and gives you the potential for great financial benefits as an up line leader.
As you continue to build a good sized sales team you’ll need to think of ways to help keep them motivated so that they continue to have fun with what they are doing and be able to build their own successful direct sales business.
Team Newsletter or Ezine
Starting a team newsletter is a great way to motivate your team. In a newsletter, you can offer general business tips, words of encouragement, theme party ideas, ways to get booking and ideas to increase sales. You might also include information about company or personally sponsored contests for your group, along with recognizing your top sellers or recruiters for the month. Let your team members participate by selecting a few contributors each month to share success stories or ideas. Everyone likes to see their name in print.
Sending Cards
We all like getting mail so why not let your team members know how much you appreciate them by sending a card on their special occasions? Remembering things like wedding anniversaries, birthdays or even a consultant that has had an exceptional sales month will let your team members know that they are special to you and not simply a number that you recruited for your own personal gain.
Training and Incentives
If you don’t already offer team training and/or incentives to your down line now is the time to think about it. While not everyone will be motivated to perform by incentives there are a lot of people that are. Whether your new recruits are direct sales pros or delving into their first experience, training is always a good thing.
If most of your team is local to you think about hosting monthly team meetings that offer training, opportunity presentation, team awards and product displays. If your team is scattered around the US or even the world, then consider using a conference call line with weekly and/or monthly meetings with an outline similar to the local meeting.
Offering incentives to your team might help them reach their sales goals. Offer things like sales aides (order forms, catalogs, etc…), company logo items, or products if they meet required goals like booking so many parties in a month, making so many sales phone calls, or meeting a certain amount of sales.
Support
Create your office hours and let your team know they can call you at any time during them. Nothing is more motivating to your team members than knowing their problems or questions matter. Supporting your team can mean the difference between success and failure to your direct sales business as well as those of your team. Using these tips will help your form a sales team that really loves what they do, which means success for everyone.
Secrets To Creating A Successful Online Hostess
One of the secrets to having a great show or party is to make sure your hostess is excited about the product, motivated to get her hostess perks and encouraging her guests to have fun and buy lots of stuff while they’re looking at the catalog. The same holds true if your hostess has her party online. To make sure she is both comfortable and excited with an online party simply follow these steps.
Build Her Excitement
Let your hostess know about all the free and discounted stuff she’ll get for hosting a show. If you haven’t already, surprise your hostess with a thank you gift at her party. It can be something as simple as a votive and dollar store candle holder but it’s a nice touch and your future hostesses will look forward to their little gift. Help her become enthusiastic by having her create a list of products she’d like to have and then help her get them.
Extra Incentives
Sometimes it helps to offer your online hostess an extra incentive to go out and get those extra sales. Is your hostess “this” short of the minimum party or the next level of hostess perks? Do you have a sales or booking goal? Set a goal for your hostess to have a certain number of guests at her party or a certain number of sales or bookings prior to the show.
If there a particular catalog item she’s interested in or if she is just short of her goals think about holding the party open a few more days so she can meet her ( and your) goals. Offer the hostess the item that she wants if, and when, she meets your challenge.
Train your Hostess
Help your hostess out by giving her everything she needs to make her party a success. Include extra order sheets, catalogs and any incentives offered in her hostess package. Maybe even include a checklist for her and give her a small gift if everything is checked off prior to the start of the party.
Keep in touch with her and help her out if needed. Offer to mail her invitations for her if she gives you a mailing list. This is also a good source of future leads for you. 😉 If she is too busy or uncomfortable making reminder calls then offer to help her with them. Giving your hostess guidelines and then helping her follow them has the possibility of increasing both your sales and bookings making your hostess happy when she gets all that good stuff.
Games and Fun
Everyone likes to win stuff so plan some super simple games and giveaways during your hostess’s online party. Consider having a drawing with everyone that makes a minimum purchase of $50 or more if you have a small product to give away. Everyone will have fun playing the games that you have set up and your hostess will have a blast racking up sales to put toward getting free items.
For more online party inspiration an internet search should provide you with a ton of ideas that will make for a wonderfully fun party for your hostess and will create a profitable party for yourself.
What Can My Up Line Do For Me Anyway?
Choosing the correct up line leader is one of the smartest moves that you can make when you decide to get into the direct sales industry. The person you choose as your leader is the person responsible for teaching and mentoring you. Make sure you choose someone you like and respect as well as someone that will be able to mentor you effectively, after all, you’re making them money, too. Most successful direct sales consultants that you speak with will tell you that they feel their choice of sponsor played a large role in the overall success of their direct sales business. Once you’ve decided on your sponsor or up line leader, it’s important to stay in touch with them to make sure you’re receiving the benefits of having a successful up line leader.
Training:
Proper training is essential to the growth of your business. If this is your first venture into the direct sales world your up line leader will be your business life-line. For example, your up line can answer any questions that you might have on how to navigate through your company’s online ordering system, or how to get your discount on personal orders. If at any time, however, you feel your up line isn’t training you correctly or you don’t get a response from them, make sure to contact their up line for the correct information.
Your up line will be able to guide you through the company’s policies and procedures as well as show you the many hints, tips and tricks learned through her experience. Ask if you can shadow some of her home shows and take notes on her presentation.
Promotion:
Your business won’t thrive if you don’t promote it. A successful up line leader is experienced in marketing and promotion of your business. Use her knowledge of the company’s marketing materials and promotional tactics to find out what would work to help you build your business.
She can help you develop a plan of action that will help you build momentum with your booking and income goals. Make sure that the goals you’re setting are goals that meet your needs – not just the needs of your up line.
Your up line can also help you develop a plan of action so you can go out and book parties and make the income goals that you have set for yourself. Your up line will also help to fill you in on your company’s policies for marketing your business online.
Support:
Like a building is only as strong as its support beams, you need support so your business won’t collapse. One huge reason you should stay in touch with your up line is the moral support and encouragement that she can offer you. This can make a huge difference in the success of your direct sales business.
When you feel that you have someone that believes in you and is just as excited about your business as you are your confidence, as well as your business, will grow. It’s important to have a good relationship with your up line. She has the experience to help you get through the hard times of building your business. For instance, if you lose momentum, she can give you hints and tips to fill your booking calendar or make more sales.
Staying in touch with your up line when you join a direct sales business is essential to the growth of your business. It’s important to find a sponsor that is actively working her business and is genuinely interested in signing you up and helping you grow a business so that you can be successful in meeting your goals.
Keeping your Direct Sales Calendar Full
As you probably already know, the way to money and success in a direct sales business is to keep your calendar full and happy with parties, vendor fairs or other events focused on selling your company’s products. There are many ways to insure a full calendar when you first start with your company:
1. Host your own open house to introduce your business. The goal of an event like this is not to sell a ton of product (although that’s sometimes a nice side benefit) but to encourage others to hold parties for you.
2. Offer to do a class or presentation at your local park district or chamber of commerce meeting. This gets your name and your business known to a lot of people who can spread the word for you!
3. Ask your dearest friends to do an open house or party for you. I know, this drives fear into the heart of a lot of new direct sales reps but really, all you have to do is ask and the worst thing they can say is “no, I’d rather not”. But you’ll never know unless you ask!
4. Participate in local craft and vendor fairs to get your name out in the community. These might cost a bit of money for a booth or table but it’s a nice way to reach a lot of people in a short amount of time. Make sure you have some type of give-a-way or drawing to get names to add to your mailing list.
5. Advertise – both paid advertising as well as press releases and other forms of free advertising. A small ad in your local paper can do wonders. Notify your local “neighborhood” reporter of your business too.
Once you’ve got some events and direct sales parties scheduled on your calendar, the key is to keep the momentum going and continue booking. There are some great ways to do this as well:
1. Use the open date cards – at every party and event that you have, have your next open party dates listed on a calendar or index card and offer premiums for anyone who books those specific dates.
2. Play booking games at your parties.
3. Ask ask ask – at every party and event as each and every customer and guest if they’d be interested in having their own party. Don’t be shy! Start your presentation with a simple statement like “And because I don’t want anyone to feel left out I’ll ask everyone if they want to have a party with me. In fact, if I don’t ask you to host one, I’ll give you free shipping on your order!” That way you’re committed to asking and people are expecting it!
4. Whenever there are holes in your schedule pick up the phone and call those folks on your mailing list who expressed interest in possibly hosting a party or schedule an event yourself like a past hostess appreciation event, I love my customers fiesta or similar. And again, at that event, book more!
Once you’ve really built some momentum, it’s good to actually overbook a bit for a while. Start looking for other team members locally that you can pass your extra parties on to and you’ll really start to grow!
Be Cheap and Easy When it Comes to Marketing Your Business
photo credit: justinlai
In direct sales, the work at home market and especially in this economy, you can be effective by being cheap and easy when marketing your business.
While we are all in business to make money, sometimes our budget can leave a lot to be desired. Dropping your advertising budget in this economic environment can be a killer. It seems like a vicious circle. We need to drive the traffic and sales, but our money is best used very wisely. We have to become very aggressive to market our business. But if you don’t have the time to research, here are some of my ideas that can help you that are cheap and easy; my favorite kind.
· Use mini mailers or flyers with samples or coupon attached and go door to door. No, you don’t have to knock, but be respectful of no soliciting signs. And don’t just go one time.
· Check with neighborhood stores that may allow you to leave information.
· Use fish bowls or information boxes to gather customer interest. Give away something once a month or so to encourage them to fill out your form.
· Bulletin boards are free and easy. Laundry mats, grocery stores, local stores, restaurants and many more places have them. Make sure to have a tear off tab with your phone number for someone to take.
· Team up with another business owner that has products compatible to yours and market together. She can introduce you to her customers and vise versa.
· Place small ads in the community paper or penny saver.
· Use your business cards like water. Place them everywhere you can.
· Many restaurants allow business card inserts or ads in the menu.
· If you sell a product, check to see if there are businesses that take consignments. Depending on the mark up of your products, you can move some product while advertising it as well. Make sure all products have your contact info on it.
· Donate product to a charitable organization for a raffle prize.
· Participate in local events where you can set up booths to give out information or sell product.
· Invest in a logo designed just for you and get a professional shirt made to wear as you are out. Make it your uniform, so get several.
· Invest in signs or graphics for your vehicle.
· Join the chamber of commerce and become an Ambassador. Work the meetings.
· Teach classes in your expertise. Look at senior centers, YMCA, churches and other local places that you can donate some time teaching others.
· Write articles and send them to the paper.
· If your business is also online, write articles and places them on article websites along with a nice tag line to drive business to your site.
This list comprises just a few of the things that I have done. How many can you incorporate into your marketing plan? Remember, you can still advertise without a lot of money. Most of these things I listed here are no cost besides your time or the cost of some product. Put on your thinking cap and see how many others you can come up with and keep your advertising cheap and easy.
25 Steps to Sucess for the New Direct Seller
You’ve just signed up for your new direct sales business opportunity. Now what? Here are 25 things that you can do right now – many of them even before your starter kit arrives – to get you started on the road to success.
[ ] 1. Call your sponsor
[ ] 2. Find your way around your company “back office”
[ ] 3. Download ad slicks and other promotional materials
[ ] 4. Personalize those materials and print off 100 of them
[ ] 5. Start talking to people right away about your business and giving out the flyers
[ ] 6. Contact your local park district about doing a class for their next season in your area of expertise.
[ ] 7. Visit your bank and set up a separate checking account for your business.
[ ] 8. Get a separate credit card account for your business.
[ ] 9. Get a separate phone number or toll free number with voice mail for your business.
[ ] 10. Purchase a specific domain name to forward to your company sponsored site
[ ] 11. Start a blog that relates to your area of expertise
[ ] 12. Read your training manual cover to cover with a highlighter
[ ] 13. Write down questions with regard to your training manual and company back office and call your sponsor again to get your questions answered.
[ ] 14. Use your products for personal use and if appropriate, share samples with your closest friends and family.
[ ] 15. Set a goal to talk to at least 3-5 people every day in your first 30 days of business. Keep a checklist to hold you accountable.
[ ] 16. Put catalogs and flyers in your trunk or back of your car so you’ll always have them on hand to give when you’re talking about your business.
[ ] 17. Schedule an open house in your home to share your products and business with people you know.
[ ] 18. Put up a drawing box in local places that your target market frequents.
[ ] 19. Join your chamber of commerce or other local networking group
[ ] 20. Run an ad in your local paper
[ ] 21. Put the dates of any upcoming company sponsored events (convention, etc) on your calendar now.
[ ] 22. Call your sponsor again and ask her what you need to do to be able to get to convention and/or other company sponsored event
[ ] 23. Schedule at least 15 minutes a day every day to do something to promote your business.
[ ] 24. Set up a follow up system for customers, recruits and future team members.
[ ] 25. Set monthly goals for the next 6 months for your parties, sales and recruiting efforts based on your family schedule.
Obviously this list is not exhaustive but hopefully it will help you jump into your new direct sales business with both feet. Print it off, highlight a few things that you can do TODAY and watch your business start to grow right from the start.
10 More Ways to Promote your Direct Sales Business Everywhere You Go.
In our last article we talked about some ways to get the word out about your direct sales business without spending too much money. As a direct sales business owner you want to have the opportunity to promote as much as possible and as naturally as possible!
1. Ask for referrals at your parties – the events that you do for your business are the most natural place to promote and find new customers as well. You have a captive audience already! When you have a customer enthusiastically ordering at a party, don’t be shy. Simply say, “Jane, I’m so glad you enjoy our products so much. I’d love it if you’d share what I have to offer with some of your friends. Can I give you some of my discount cards to hand out or better yet, let’s schedule a party like this at your place so we can have another night of fun!”
2. Follow up right away – If you happen to get some names from your enthusiastic customer, don’t wait to follow up with them. Pick up the phone the next day and give them a call. It doesn’t have to be a big sales pitch. Just something simple like “I met your friend Jane last night at a party and she mentioned you…”
3. Along those lines, make it a point to call at least 3 calls to potential new customers each and every day. The phone is your best friend in your party plan direct sales business – if you use it consistently with a goal of 3 calls a day before long you’ll look forward to making those calls more and more.
4. Use your email signature – Every time you send an email you can be advertising your business for free. But don’t just put a link to your website. Use that little section of your email to create some sizzle and demand a response. A one line invitation before your web address invites them to click even faster, email you to find out your specials, cash in a coupon or get a freebie from you.
5. Get a car magnet. Much like a giant sizzle card, a car magnet or decal shouts out your business to any and everyone out there. Make it colorful, fun and make sure the words include a call to action. Add some card pockets when you are parked so interested people can walk up and get information on their own without having to write down your phone number and web address themselves.
6. Your answering machine. Get a separate phone number for your business and make sure that your outgoing message is a clear promotion of your business. Even here you can be voicing a call to action on your message.
7. Carry your product with you. Keep samples of your direct sales company products on hand and show or give them out freely. Keep a box of “refills” in your trunk so you can put more in your purse or bag when you run out.
8. Booths and fairs – participate in local vendor events with the goal of getting the word out about your business and networking with other direct sales reps to look for joint venture arrangements.
9. Send thank you notes – one of the most powerful ways you can keep a customer and gain referrals is with a personal note to them in the mail thanking them for their order or just to say hello.
10. Plan customer appreciation events and hostess only previews. Make your current customers feel special by letting them in on your upcoming promotions first – before anyone else. Have a monthly preview party or take some time just to call those folks whenever you can let them in on something special that’s upcoming.
If you keep your business in the front of your own mind at all times, you will be able to share it with others very naturally throughout your every day comings and goings. Make the most of every opportunity and share from the heart!
15 Free Ways To Promote Your Direct Sales Business
When you’re first starting your direct sales business or even after you’ve established yourself you want to focus on getting the word out and maintaining momentum. Obviously you can invest in some paid advertisements, but there are some great ways to get the word out about your business that don’t cost anything but a little bit of your time.
Let’s take a look:
1. Sizzle Cards – Create business sized card flyers on your computer or use VistaPrint’s free business cards and advertise yourself with them. These cards aren’t your typical business card with just your name, business name, email and phone, but like a 30 second commercial in print on a snazzy card that you can give to any and everyone you see. Print a simple coupon on the reverse side to increase your chances of someone calling you to redeem it!
2. Flyers – put up flyers 1/4 page flyers any and everywhere you can (ask first). Think through your target market and ask to leave a stack at the front desk, cash register or on a bulletin board. As above, adding some type of “action” incentive or coupon will increase the chances of that flyer not ending up in the circular file somewhere!
3. Press Releases – spend some time crafting a press release about you and what you can offer to the community. Don’t make it a sales letter – the press is looking for relevant news stories, so stick to news or how you and your product might relate to what’s going on in the world today.
4. Articles – This, in my opinion, is the best way to market yourself for no cost at all. Write articles and publish them locally as well as submit them to internet article directories. Establish yourself as an expert in your field and refer them to your website for more information and specials.
5. Seminars – Offer to be a speaker at local seminars and business meetings – again, keeping it news worthy and not all about sales. For instance, if you’re in a food oriented direct sales business, offer to do a seminar on entertaining with food, or healthy holiday entertaining, etc.
6. Park District events – Similar to above, offer to teach a class through your local park district. They’ll print your information in their community guide that is sent to everyone in your local area which furthers your status as an expert in your field.
7. Online forums – actively participate in online forums that relate to your niche market. Again, don’t just give a sales pitch but be helpful and involved. This can be done with just a little time each day and can be very effective if done well.
8. Commenting on blogs – search for blogs that target your market as well and comment on the blog entries. No sales pitches here either -this is all about getting your name out there and branding you, not about other people thinking you are spamming your business, product or opportunity everywhere.
9. Local networking groups – Get involved in local networking groups and your chamber of commerce. Most networking groups will allow you to visit at least once for free and may charge a fee in the future.
10. Referrals – referrals are the backbone of any good business so make sure you’re asking your current customers to recommend you to their friends and family. Make it easy by giving them sizzle cards or other things to pass on to their contacts or better yet, reward your customers for the referrals they send you.
11. Partner up – work with another direct sales representative in a complementary but not competing business and work to promote each other with each event and party that you do.
12. Drawing box – put up “prize drawing” boxes at local restaurants where people can enter and win a free prize from you. This will help you build your local mailing list and get your name out as well.
13. Volunteer – volunteer at local fundraising events and offer to throw in a coupon or something as a door prize if you’re able.
14. Wear logo clothing – if you receive some type of “uniform” shirt or logo wear from your company as part of your starter kit, wear it often! If not, create a name tag or button to wear around. Don’t be shy!
15. Return address labels – add your business website or business email to your return address labels and use those for everything you mail out from now on. Or invest in a simple self-inking stamp that has the same information so you can stamp all over the envelope!
This is just the tip of the iceberg of ways to get your name out and start letting people know you are in business and ready to serve!
