13 Recruiting Tips to Help Your Team Grow
When you work with a direct sales team you need to come up with ways to help them recruit people to their teams. Sometimes you can use the same techniques over and over again and you’ll find that your crew will continue to grow. Sometimes that isn’t the case and you need to come up with new and creative ways to make this happen.
Here are 13 tips that’ll help you grow your team.
1. New recruits are usually very excited about starting out. When this happens you need to make sure you’re there for them all the way. Help them stay excited by working with them to grow and expand.
2. Encourage your recruits when they are down. Maybe they have experienced a few no’s all in a row and this can bring them down. When this happens you run the risk of losing them. When you encourage them and show them how to get out of the rut, they’ll feel better and when that next yes comes along they’ll thank you over and over for getting them through the rut.
3. Continually check in with your recruits. Call or email them at least once a week to make sure things are going good and answer any questions they may have.
4. Set up a team call once a month. This can be for your leaders or for any and all people in your downline. You might consider two calls a month. Do one for your direct line and then do one for everyone on your team. Encourage your team to attend and then answer questions, help with problems, and show them you care.
5. Stay in constant communication with your team. Share your Yahoo Messenger screen name with them, share your cell phone or Skype information with them, and give them your email so they can contact you at any time with questions or concerns they may have.
6. Share your business hours with your team and make sure they understand that you only work during these hours. You might have to be a little lenient at times when you have a new recruit, but encourage them to work during your hours if possible.
7. Show your team how to grow through marketing. Show them how to use social media, forums, and other online advertising to grow their business.
8. Share tips and tricks you have learned to grow their business. These can include a newsletter, flyers, and business cards. You can share online and offline tips with your team.
9. Share new information you learn. This new information may come from someone else or it may come from you. You may learn this information from a teleseminar you were a part of or you may have attended a local networking group. Sharing with your team will help everyone grow.
10. Create a team training site and offer training to your team. This may come from YouTube video’s, pre-recorded calls, or live calls.
11. If the company you work with offers weekly or monthly specials, find a way to remind your team about these. Creating a newsletter or email that reminds each of your team members about this will help them remind their team and customers as well.
12. Remind your team members to send out cards or emails to their recruits or potential recruits or customers for birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions. Gather this information and create a spreadsheet or Rolodex with it, so it’ll be easy to access.
13. Encourage your recruits on a regular basis. When you continue to encourage them, they’ll continue to grow because they’ll want to make you happy and they’ll want to hear the great things you’ll say when they do.
These 13 tips will help you grow your team. Recruiting others is the only way to grow, so you must do it in a way that will help you continue to grow week after week. Use these tips and ones you can come up on your own to help your team. you’ll have great success and so will your downline.
4 Simple Strategies to Market Your Direct Sales Business
We all know that the way to grow a direct sales business is to grow your team. But, you need to remember that’s only one portion of your growth. You also need to increase your sales or you won’t grow financially.
There are a number of ways to increase your sales. When you market your business you’ll see the growth you’re looking for. Here are some ways to grow your direct sales business when you market online. Some of these strategies you may have considered while others may have never entered your mind.
1. Article Marketing
Article marketing is one of the best ways to grow your direct sales business. Writing articles and submitting them to article directories is a free marketing method that will make a huge difference in your website traffic, and ultimately, sales. you’ll want to write articles that are in line with your business topic and the products you offer.
For example, if you offer candles, write articles about different uses for candles, how to burn them correctly, and how they can help warm your home. If you sell nontoxic cleaning products, write articles that show people what toxic cleaning products do to your home and family.
2. Social Media
Social media sites like Twitter and Facebook are great for growing your business. Find your target market on these sites so you can follow them. Offer help when you can and communicate with your online friends. When you do so, you’ll build trust and they’ll feel comfortable talking with you, referring business to you, and purchasing from you.
Share your blog posts and articles on these sites as well. This will help build trust with your followers and will get your information online in more places. Incoming links are great for search engine ranking.
3. Online Parties
Online parties are a great way to increase sales. You don’t have to be in the same location as your potential customers when you host an online party. All you need is a chatroom and a headset or microphone. You can do an online party without a mic, but it may not go as smoothly. When you have a headset, in particular, you can give your presentation verbally, rather than having to type it out.
Offer prizes and use your website for online games. Ask questions about things that can be found on your site. Give a prize to the first person to answer the question correctly. Mail the prize to the winner or offer a discount or free gift that can be rewarded when she places an order.
4. Special Reports and Ebooks
When you write special reports and ebooks, you’ll increase your exposure online and even more people will learn to trust you. Write a special report that offers a brief overview of tips that you include in detail in an ebook. Give the special report away free, then, at the end of the report, tell readers how they can get more detail on each tip by purchasing the ebook.
Another option is to market your ebook and tell buyers if they purchase from you using a certain code you’ll give them the special report free. Or offer the special report free when visitors sign up for your email list and then offer the ebook at a discounted rate.
Marketing your business is crucial when you want to grow and take your sales to the next level. Use these four simple suggestions and you’ll see success almost immediately. Then share these ideas with your team and help them grow at the same time as you!
8 Ways to Find More Customers for Your Direct Sales Business
As a direct sales business owner, you know your customers are the lifeline for your business. Without them you won’t make any money and that’s not good.
Here are some tips and tricks to help you gain more customers, no matter what time of year it is.
1. Cold Call
Now this is one that some people don’t like to do, but it works. Go through the phone book and call people. You can start with the letter A and call the first person listed or start with the letter Z and call the last person in the book.
You’ll need to mark your phone book so finding an extra one would be ideal. Use a simple code for your responses such as NI for not interested, NA for no answer, or DC for deliver catalog. Whatever works for you to be able to record the responses.
2. Ask for a Party at the Party
When you hold a party, ask the people attending if they would like to have a party of their own. A good way to get people to set a date for a party is to offer an incentive of some sort; maybe a free gift or a discount on their current or next order. Whatever you think will work.
When you give them an incentive, they’ll see the value in hosting a party themselves. People like receiving something free and most often don’t mind “giving back” when you give them something first.
3. Postcards
Mail out postcards to people or businesses who might have an interest in what you offer and invite them either to visit your website, call you for party or order details, or visit a party you’ll be holding. You’ll want to keep track of the places you send your cards so you don’t send them again to the same people. It’s also a good idea to follow-up with a phone call a week or so after you send the postcard.
4. Flyers
Handing out flyers is a good way to spread the word quickly and easily. The only downside to flyers is that you really don’t have a way of contacting the people you hand them out to. Unless you get a card or a phone number, you can’t contact them to see if they want to order or schedule a party, but it’s still a viable soft-selling option.
5. Newsletter
Start a newsletter that you send out weekly or monthly and use it to your advantage. Ask for a party in your newsletter and offer a free gift for anyone who uses a booking code or lets you know they read about it in your newsletter.
6. Business Cards
Not yours… those that other business people give you! Gather business cards from everyone who will give you their card. You never know who may have an interest in holding a party or placing an order. Make a note on the back of the card that lets you know where you met them and if they express an interest in booking a party, placing an order, or even your business opportunity.
7. Open House
Hold an open house and invite everyone you know. Ask each person to bring someone and offer an incentive to everyone who does. Be sure both the person you invited and the one they invited receive a free gift for attending. Samples, discounts, or freebies are always make good incentives.
8. Information Packs
Create packs that you can hand out at a parade, daycare, school, or some other place where you find your target market. Include your business and product information as well as things from others. Also include your business card, a flyer, and a sample product.
Direct sales business owners need customers to profit. When you’re running short on ideas for attracting new customers, you can use the suggestions above to draw in new customers almost every time.
What Can a Direct Sales Consultant Do to Increase Sales?
In direct sales, the term “don’t reinvent the wheel,” is often used. Many reps, especially beginners, look for new ways to increase sales and rack their brains night and day for new ideas. No one likes to be a copy cat, however discovering the basic principles of advanced marketers and applying a personal touch is just smart business. In fact many large corporations’ success is based on sales tactics learned from competitors. It’s time to take a look at what fellow reps and competitors are doing to increase sales this holiday season.
Stocking Up
It is difficult for many reps to keep products on hand and have their money warehoused, so to speak. However, it can be very lucrative if the items move quickly. Successful direct sales reps know their products. They know which products are fast movers and have an eye for what pleases their customers. Many reps keep a good supply of fast movers to sell directly to customers at parties and functions. Lots of people buy on impulse and don’t want to wait for an order to arrive. They will not place an order, but if a product is before them that they can see and touch they will make a purchase and supplied with a catalog may possibly become a lifetime client.
Freebies
Many companies offer rep discounts on discontinued items or samples. The savvy marketer knows these make perfect freebies. Everybody enjoys the surprise of a free item. Make it a point to offer free items with purchases. The items may or may not complement each other. If possible they should be personal and client specific. Using new products for freebies will expose customers to an ever widening product base. While offering freebies may slightly decrease profit it will boost sales and be well worth the return on investment (ROI).
Holiday Baskets & Bulk Discounts
It is the holiday season and shoppers are looking for gifts. Smart reps are creating gift sets. This pleases customers and lessens the burden of gift wrapping and shopping. Shoppers have many people on their holiday list and if they can check off a few names in one stop, they surely will. Another good sales tip is to offer discounts for multiple items. This will encourage more sales which will make up for the discounted pricing. Catalogs, sales flyers and a business card should be included in every gift set. The customer base has just been greatly increased.
Useful Ideas for Clients
No matter how attractive a product may be, if the customer has little or no use for it sales will decrease. Business savvy reps educate their clients on the multiple uses of their products. This can be done face to face with unbelievable results or it may be done with teaching tools. Teaching tools may be as complex or simple as fits the situation. Bright and colorful flyers can inform customers of the many product uses. Simple miniature cookbooks that include company products encourage more use of items. New ideas for using products, or explanations as to why they make great gifts increases sales. Finally, a list of the benefits or real life stories about the product may convince customers to open their wallets.
While focusing on increasing sales is important for business, direct sales reps know their team members are their best asset. Recruiting of team members should not be forgotten during the rush of the holiday season. Many new team members are gained by noticing how lucrative a rep’s business appears. Open arms and inviting explanations to customers and potential team members will increase sales the most.
