The ABCs of Getting Your Customer’s Attention
Offering something just a little bit different, caring for your customers just a little bit better, and creating content that’s just a little bit more interesting will take you a long way in your search for direct sales success. Here are fresh ways and some tried and true concepts for building interest and attracting attention from your customers and prospects.
Accent important information on your flyers, website and printed articles with paragraph borders, colored fonts, larger size type and other attention-getting changes.
Buzzwords excite your readers and get them emotionally involved in your content. Consider proven words like Free, Money, Health, Easy, Yes, Quick, Benefit and others.
Clear envelopes draw everyone’s attention to what you’re mailing–even postal service workers!
Die cut business cards shaped like your products are much more effective than plain rectangles–and they’re less expensive than you’d think. Sell beauty products? Use a lipstick shaped card. Sell Home decor? Try a wreath shape or a house. Sell toys? Use a teddy bear shape. Think of something that matches your business and add extra impact with a specially shaped card.
Everyone loves freebies! Use free samples to promote your business and get prospective customers interested in buying from you.
Fill a distinctive shape that relates to your business–such as a hairbrush, doll shape or drinking glass–with text for added interest when creating flyers, fillers or other print information.
Graphics strategically placed to draw the reader’s eye will enhance your content and make your writing practically jump off the page.
Hand-written Post-It® notes are guaranteed to grab your reader’s attention. Stick one on the top of your sales flyers before posting or mailing them.
Involve your reader by using “you” and “yours” in your articles, titles, headlines and website content.
Join a filler swap for a fabulous low-cost way to promote your business to women, in particular. Find a group that will let you submit your fillers (coupons, bookmarks, samples, business cards, etc.) free for inclusion in other direct sales consultant’s customer shipments, and you could see a tremendous increase in added sales and prospects.
KISS your customers and prospects for the best results… Keep It Simple, Sister!
Leave catalogs in unusual places such as inside a shopping cart at the grocery store, or on a library shelf that holds books relating to your topic.
Make sure you treat your customers better than they expect to be treated and they’ll repay you with repeat orders and referrals to friends and family!
Neon colors make printed materials such as flyers, bookmarks, mint books and more stand out from the rest of the filler packs.
Over-deliver on everything you do and you’ll become known as the direct sales consultant who offers more than is expected.
Print a sales special on your shipping labels along with your website address for free advertising every time you mail a package.
Quotes are a great way to get your message across. There are thousands available online that you can use to add interest to articles, flyers and other content.
Remember that the customer is always right–or thinks he is! So treat him with respect and kindness. Even irate customers will typically relax and calm down when they see you’re on their side.
Sidebars in your articles and on your website are great for attracting attention to important points you want to make and for adding visual interest to your content.
Tuck a handful of confetti inside your catalogs when mailing and create an instant party when the recipient opens your envelope.
Unleash your creativity! Think outside the proverbial box when looking for ways to advertise and promote your direct sales business and your customers will notice the difference.
Vary your marketing methods. Run print ads this month and online ads next month. Write articles one week and send out a press release the next. Reach different demographic markets by using different marketing tactics and strategies.
White space adds visual interest and makes for easier reading copy.
eXtend your marketing efforts past your own community by advertising in national publications when your budget allows.
Write thank you cards and letters to customers, hostesses and downline members. They’ll notice and remember your personal touch.
“Z sky is z limit!” where promoting your business is concerned. Have fun and you’ll be amazed at the results!
Is Your Direct Sales Company Web Friendly?
Getting involved in a direct sales business can be a very easy way for someone to earn an income from home. One way to help maximize the amount of money that you can make with your direct sales business is to select a business that has web-friendly policies but, how do you determine a direct sales company is web-friendly?
After you have decided on the type of product that you would like to sell, you need to research which companies allow you to sell online.
Here are some questions to consider:
• Do they offer a website that consultants can utilize in order to make sales online?
• Are the company-made websites easy to navigate?
• Is it easy for your customers to place an order or sign up as a consultant?
• If they do not offer company-made consultant websites will they allow you to make your own website to sell their products?
• Does your company offer the use of an online party chat room?
• What restrictions do they have for online advertising?.
As a potential direct sales consultant that is looking for a web-friendly business you need to take the time to find out what types of online advertising are acceptable. Most direct sales companies have their own unique set of rules when it comes to online advertising. Some do not allow any online advertising.
If you do plan to pursue your business online, this is a very important consideration. Be very careful. Even if you see others in the business promoting online, if the agreement states that it is against the rules, do not believe your upline when she says you can “get away with it”. DO NOT DO IT! Many of these companies do police the internet, and you don’t want to feel reprimanded or hindered in your business after you’ve invested much time, money and energy. Choose a company that fits with your needs in advance. Don’t try to tweak one to work for you, unless you are 100% sure that it’s worth it.
However, if you fall in love with a company that has strict rules concerning how the company is represented online, do not let that discourage you from becoming a representative of that business. Find a quality up line and they will be able to assist you in learning ways to promote and network your business both offline and online while staying within company rules.
Should You Be Recruiting Online?
Being able to recruit online has really opened the door for those in direct sales to build large sales teams. Since communicating through the world wide web is a lot different then communicating face to face, make sure that you are doing the best thing for both your business and the business of your prospects.
First of all it is important to be completely honest with your potential recruits. You are probably very excited about the opportunity your company provides but don’t try and make it sound like your company is the only company out there that is profitable. Simply provide them with the fact and allow them to ask as many questions as they need to make them comfortable joining your company. Do share how excited you are about what you are selling because enthusiasm is infectious.
Once you have decided to pursue online recruiting you will need to make yourself available to your prospects and future recruits. Technology has given us so many avenues to communicate so pick a couple you are comfortable with whether it is through email, chat rooms, instant messages or phone and provide your prospects with your contact information. Nothing would be worse than to have wonderful conversations through email with a potential sponsor and then never hear from them again once you’ve signed up. Think of using an auto-responder to feed your team training emails so they feel like you are interested in them and their business. If you cannot offer a certain level of supportiveness to online recruits, you are not likely to be successful building a team in this manner.
Another thing to remember while recruiting online is not to knock other companies. Always remain positive about your product and never speak badly of another representative. You want to present yourself in a professional manner and that is not going to happen if you’re making statements like “You won’t make any money at all with Company X” or “Company B has such lousy products and the commissions are horrible.”
Don’t be pushy but do be available. If you are planning to recruit consultants to your direct sales company, please make sure they don’t have a policy against it. Some direct sales companies will only allow you to recruit face-to-face. By keeping these things in mind you will have an easier time while you are trying to build your sales team online. And don’t forget to have a solid plan in place before you begin searching online for your future sales team and you are sure to be successful.
photo credit: jakesmome
How do I get More Traffic to My Site?
Question:
My website (SloCountyMoms.com) was created late last year by a web designer. She maintains the site for me and I have absolutely NO knowledge of anything having to do with web construction or maintenance. I have very good results with people who have visited my site and asked to be contacted, but my problem is driving more traffic to my site. I do quite a bit of online advertising, but I’m thinking maybe I need to branch out from WAHM sites and start advertising on other types of sites. Any ideas? I’m drawing a blank as to what other types of sites I can advertise on. Or, is there a better way to drive traffic to my site? Ellen
Response …
Hi Ellen! Thank you for this great question and for being willing to be my example. Your question is a great one, because it applies to so many Work at Home Moms. They may have purchased a site through their company or be in a situation like you where you don’t know or necessarily want to learn Search Engine Optimization. You just want TRAFFIC!
The best news is that you are getting a good response from the visitors that come to your site. That means that your content on your site is working! That deserves Congrats!!!
1.Truth About Traffic – What works and What is a waste of your time and money. This course is great for your situation because it shows you mostly what NOT to do. And, it’s great for those who are interested in Search Engine Optimization, too, but, for you, I’d recommend listening to the first half on what not to do and the rest is optional.
2.Write Articles – This can be a hard one to understand and to get started. I hope my step-by-step lesson helps!
3.Press Releases – Take this press release tutorial and learn how to get FREE exposure for your business. Placing ads in newspapers all over the country can get expensive … unless you know how to play the Press Release game.
4.Write an Ebook – It’s a great way to promote your products!
*Want to start today? I recommend the OneMinuteEbook.
5.Newsletter/Ezine – If you’ve followed my advice, you’re doing a lot of writing for Articles and Press Releases. Take full advantage of all the great things you’ve written and start a Newsletter and build a membership.
*It’s All In The List – Why start an Ezine?
*11 Ways to Quickly Build Your List! – How to Make it Grow?
*Autoresponder – An good autoresponder makes selling your products and promoting your affiliate programs so much easier! I use this and can’t live without it. If you have questions, contact me.
6.Blog – Start a blog and talk about your business.
7.Promote Your Website – Read these ways to promote your website offline and online.
This is just a partial list and I’ll add to it in the coming weeks as I come up with more resources and ideas.
I hope this helps you plan your marketing strategy!
