09Apr
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When you think of direct sales, you think of a business where you are trying to convince your friends and family to join you. You think of that you are supposed to try and get people to come to your house and spend hours on the phone or doing other work to get sales. And before you know it, people are starting to avoid you as they know you will constantly be promoting the business and they are just not interested. And chances are you had to buy a bunch of product that you were not able to get rid of and it is still sitting around your home taking up room.
But things have been changing and no longer do you need to spend evenings on the phone trying to get people to purchase product or mail out a tonne of letters and hope that you might get a response.
Direct sales have also changed with the times and now there are online systems that you can use to find a lot leads to help you grow your business. You can use search engine advertising to find targeted leads that then come to your website to get the information that they need to decide if your direct sales company is going to be a good mix for them. Of course, you will likely need to do some work with these leads as well, but your website should give them enough information for them to determine if it something they want to pursue.
Not only can you find and recruit people completely hands off with your website, but you can also receive many sales through this method. There are those out there that do not do a single home party or a catalogue party as they are able to get enough sales from their website to keep them running and making the income that they require.
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advertising, Business, changes in direct sales, direct sales change, direct sales changes, Direct selling, Marketing and Advertising, products, sales, website
17Feb
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I have to tell you right off the bat, there is no such thing, at least, in regards to the best company for everyone out there. But, chances are, there is a company that is best for YOU and that is the one you want to find.
When searching for a direct sales company, there are a few things that you want to think about before joining. These answers may impact the decision as to what home based business you want to join and make you think a bit more about what you are looking for.
- What do you want from the direct sales company?
- What kind of products do you love?
- What products do you think you can sell?
- Is there a minimum commission you want to make?
- Do you require the hostess program paid for by the company?
- Do you want the ability to ship directly to your hostess?
- How much time do you want to spend working your business?
- What are your goals with the direct sales business?
- Will your partner/spouse support you?
- What kind of support will you want or require?
- Are you looking for a business to stay in for six months, a year, five years?
- How much money does it take to get started?
- How much money can I afford to invest?
- How quickly do I need to see a return on my investment?
- How saturated is the market in my area?
- What types of opportunities are there for me within the company?
- What incentives does the company provide?
- What sort of training does the company offer?
- How long has the company been in business?
- How financially stable is the company?
Some of these questions may not be relevant to you and your search, but it is important to consider the different angles out there. Questions that you did not think of may end up impacting your decision so being aware of them can be helpful.
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Business, Direct selling, facebook, Home business, questions to ask when considering direct sales, questions to ask when starting in direct sales, questions when starting direct sales, Small business
08Feb
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A scary aspect of direct sales is standing up in front of people and giving a presentation. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I always feared having to get up and talk in front of a group in school. And yet, I started a direct sales career where I knew I would have to get up and talk! Was I crazy? Well, maybe, but not for starting in this industry.
Mistakes can actually be good for your direct sales career. If you are saying to yourself, “Huh? Is she nuts?” just stick with me and I will explain.
Breaks the Ice – How often are you in a room and everyone is sitting stiffly in their chair thinking to themselves why the heck am I here? Then a slight mistake is made, the audience and presenter laugh, and then everyone relaxes. Well, that mistake just broke the ice and made everyone more comfortable. I bet there are presenters out there that make mistakes on purpose just for this reason!
Mistakes make you look Human– Many people in your audience will think that there is no way that they can do this, that you need to be perfect to be successful in direct sales. But truly, you do not. A mistake shows others that it is okay to not be perfect – the products won’t blow up, the world will not end. It may give someone the courage to decide to join your team.
Able to Duplicate – One of the biggest reasons people avoid direct sales is that they think it is hard. Mistakes show that it does not have to be hard and expecting to be perfect is too much stress. If you are worried about mistakes, it is okay to use cue cards and take them with you. I did that when I started with the different companies I have been with and I still use them now – more as guidance and an outline, but I still have them. If you feel silly carrying cues, just tell the audience you use them so you do not forget anything important as you have so much to share!
Everyone makes mistakes, and just like any career where you are in front of people, you want to make sure that they know you are human too. You have made mistakes in the past, you likely will in the future, but life goes on and you are still successful. It also helps to show people that anyone can work in direct sales, not just those that are perfect.
advertising, Business, career, direct sales mistakes, Direct selling, mistakes, mistakes in direct sales, Multi-level marketing
16Nov
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Guest post by Amrita Saxena
Have you beеn thіnkіng if oреning a buѕіness іѕ rіght fоr уou? If ѕо, уоu need to mаkе lots оf decіѕiоnѕ beforе уоur grand оpening. You will need to mаkе dеcіsiоns аbout which produсts to sell and whеre tо ѕet uр ѕhоp. You mау wоnder hоw cuѕtomеrs will fіnd уou. Mауbе a dirеct sаlеѕ busіnеss іs a bеttеr chоісе? There аre lotѕ of spесiаltу businеsѕes tо соnѕіdеr. If а flexiblе ѕсhеdulе iѕ desired, thе home pаrtу busіnеsѕ mіght ѕuіt уоur nееdѕ.
Look for an еѕtаblіshed cоmраny that hаs а sucсеѕsful homе party plan model. Sеlling wаrеs at pаrties has bеen profitаble fоr mаny уеarѕ. After јоіnіng thе buѕineѕѕ, you аre сonsіdеrеd аn indeреndеnt distrіbutоr. You wіll bе аuthоrizеd to ѕеll рroduсtѕ аnd сonduсt buѕineѕѕ. Mоney cаn bе еarnеd frоm commiѕѕіon ѕaleѕ bаsеd on thе tоtal rеtail sаle аmоunt. When уou ѕhare thе busіnеѕѕ oррortunіtу wіth оthеrѕ, уоu can rесruіt people to become teаm mеmbеrs to ѕtart theіr оwn businеѕses. Cuѕtоmеrѕ and extrа teаm mеmbеrs will сrеаte more іnсоme.
Whо nеeds thе hasslе of finding а buildіng tо rent? You hаvе a home bаsеd buѕіnеѕѕ. Makе your оfficе in yоur homе. Wоrkіng at homе іѕ сomfоrtablе аnd flеxiblе. In yоur оffiсе, уоu are able to dеcidе how muсh іnvеntorу to kееp which allows buѕіneѕs trаnѕасtionѕ to осcur anуwhеre уоu сhооѕе.
Suѕtаining а buѕinеsѕ means ѕсhеdulіng hоme раrtіеѕ tо dіstrіbutе these prоduсtѕ. Bу thіѕ technіquе, уou wіll hаvе accesѕ to more custоmеrѕ. As а new еntreрrenеur, уоu hаvе thе frееdоm tо schedulе your work when you would like. You will want to uѕе hоmе рartіeѕ tо netwоrk аnd grоw уour buѕinеѕѕ.
Direct sales businеѕseѕ аrе supported bу а largеr сomраny. Eѕtabliѕhed lаrgеr соmраnіes аre еquіppеd tо givе neеded ѕuppоrt tо іndереndеnt dіѕtrіbutоrѕ. Thеу create buѕіneѕѕ tооlѕ, cаtаlogѕ and buѕіnеѕѕ fоrms. Thе раrent сomраnу is іn chаrgе оf рroductѕ beіng offеred to meеt ѕeаsоnal trends and purсhaѕіng раtterns. This takes some of the stress off the direct sales consultant.
Cuѕtоmеr rewаrd prоgrams kеер уоur buѕіnesѕ growing. Mоst соmpаnіeѕ havе monthlу sаlеѕ ѕpесials tо keep a fresh аnd еxсіting рurсhasіng арреаl. As an entrеprenеur, yоu hаve the rеlаtіve freеdоm tо оpеrаte уour buѕіnеsѕ tо ѕuсcеѕѕfully genеrаte unlimited fundѕ by ѕatіsfyіng yоur сustomеrs. Hаpрy custоmerѕ beсome frequent buуеrs bу ѕсheduling mоrе homе partіeѕ.
Bеing ѕuссeѕѕful in dіrеct sаlеs busіnеѕs іs а wondеrful оpрortunity tо own yоur businеѕѕ. Thе homе partу рlаn is а highly еffесtivе marketing tеchnіque tо aсcommоdаtе thе neеdѕ оf а flеxible buѕiness. Withѕtаndіng уеаrs оf survivіng іn the buѕinеѕѕ wоrld, being а hоmе baѕеd indереndеnt dіѕtrіbutor іѕ grеat орtiоn fоr some entreprеnеurs.
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This is a guest post by Amrita Saxena. She is a tech freak and occasionally blogs about topics such as blackhead removal.
direct sales, direct sales dreams, dreams
20Oct
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Some companies allow you to sign up with the direct sales company directly instead of with a consultant in the business. But is this something that you should do? Ultimately it is your call, but here are some things to consider before making a decision.
Benefits
Independence – You will be totally on your own with your direct sales business. For some people, this is very important and they do not want have others offering suggestions or information on what they should or should not be doing.
Control – You have total control of your direct sales business. Not that an upline controls any of your business, but you will not have them trying to get you to do things their way or hassling you to get a certain amount in sales that month to assist them with their goals.
Other Support – These days with social media, you will still be able to get support and assistance in a variety of ways. There are many companies that have Facebook pages or groups for all consultants or places where consultants can discuss aspects of the company.
Downsides
Support – One of the biggest reasons to have an upline is that they will provide you with support or assistance when you require it. If you sign up directly with the company, you will get some support from them but it will likely be the same support everyone else gets.
Being Lonely – Sometimes working a business can be a very lonely endeavor. If you are working on your own, without an upline, you may find that you get lonely and it may cause you to lose some ambition.
Keep in mind that there are many direct sales companies that do not allow this, that require you to sign up with someone. But some companies will allow you to. If you are determined to be fully independent, this may be a requirement in your search. Even if you have to sign with a demonstrator, you can let them know you prefer to be on your own if that is your desire.
Business, direct sales consultant, direct sales upline, Direct selling, Marketing and Advertising, Multi-level marketing, signing with a direct sales company, Small business
11Jul
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One of the best things you can do for your direct sales business is to sit down with your calendar and figure out your schedule. You can do this to help you make the decision if you have time for a direct sales business and then in the future to keep yourself organized.
- Mark in your shifts at work if they vary
- Mark in your partner’s shifts if there are children and someone has to be home with them
- Mark in anything that you have committed to that cannot be moved. I.e. Sports, events, appointments
- Mark in anything else you have to remember
- See what kind of time you have left
- Do not forget to make sure you have some “me” time so you do not burn out
Keep in mind that you do not only have to do parties when in direct sales to make money. It is the easiest method but you can do well with catalogue parties or individual sales if you promote them enough.
advertising, Business, creating time for direct sales, direct sales time, Direct selling, Home business, Small business, time for direct sales
08Jul
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Unfortunately, no. This is due to a variety of reasons. Some people give up before they even start – meaning that they give up quickly as people are not jumping out of the woodwork to host a party. Others do a few parties, get the start up incentives, and quit after that. Others are just in the direct sales business to get their product at discount and if they make a few dollars, even better.
If you pick the right product, are determined, and don’t give up easily, you definitely have a better chance at doing well with your direct sales business.
advertising, Business, direct sales success, direct sales sucess, Direct selling, Home business, Small business, Social network service, success in direct sales, sucess in direct sales
05Jul
Filed in Before You Start | Getting Started
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Just as there are good reasons to get into direct sales, there can be reasons to stay out of them. It is best that you weigh the pros and cons, and use these to make the decision that will be best for you.
Cost
A low start up cost is a great benefit to direct sales. But it can also work against you as you may not put the work into it when the financial commitment is low. I have found that those on my team who joined with a $20 kit did less than those who joined with the more expensive kit. This is also something that I have heard from other consultants.
Flexibility
While you have the flexibility in direct sales to book parties and events when you want, your prospective customers do not necessarily want to have events on those same days. There are times when you may have to open up a date that you had planned to stay home with your kids or where you were going to go out with friends in order to do a party. Of course, you have the ability to still turn these down. But your calendar may not always be yours depending on what you want to do with your business.
Brand
Having a recognizable brand can work against you in direct sales, as you may find everyone you talk to already has someone that they deal with for their product in that company. Depending on your company though, you likely can still find customers but you may find it more difficult. Talk to people before you join to see if they can help you get started out. Even though they may have a rep already, people do change their consultant for a variety of reasons.
Research
Not having to do your own research can definitely be beneficial as you can devote your time to other items. But, you do not have control over what you are selling to your customers nor the pricing. It can be frustrating when you have a well selling product but due to the company research or sales in other regions, the product is pulled because no one else is having luck with it. You may also not be able to get the colour a customer wants as your company has deemed it a bad colour or not the current seasons colour.
Downsides do not mean that you shou8ldn’t get involved with direct sales, but they are aspects that you need to consider before joining. I fully believe in presenting the good and the bad to my potential recruits and I feel the same on this blog.
Are there other downsides that I have missed? Please share.
direct sales business downsides, direct sales downsides, downsides to direct sales
04Jul
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Everyone gets into direct sales for different reasons. For some, it is in the income aspect of it whether it is to pay bills, stay home with children or to build up savings. For others, direct sales give them a chance to share a product they love with others. Yet there are others who do it for the socialization aspect. No matter what your reason, direct sales can be a rewarding and profitable career. If you are not sure if this is for you, here is some information to help you out.
Starting Cost
One of the greatest things about direct sales is the ability to start your own business for a minimal investment. Depending on the company you are looking at, and their signup options, you can start for less than $100. The company may also have a method for you to earn your kit for free as well if you meet certain requirements. Chances are you will need to do a certain amount in sales in so many days for this to happen.
Flexibility
With direct sales, you are not committing to working 40 hours a week, 5 days a week. You work when you want to work. This is great for the stay at home mom who wants to spend time with her kids. She can schedule parties during school hours if her kids are old enough or she can schedule them in evenings when her kids are in bed. If she only wants to do one party a week, she has the ability to do that. If she prefers to work five nights a week, that is possible as well.
Brand
Another benefit to direct sales, depending on the company you join, is brand recognition. Chances are if you tell someone you sell Tupperware, they already know the product and likely have only good things to say about it. The same would be true of Avon, Mary Kay and other companies. Some are well known regionally such as Epicure in Canada.
Research
Some people dream of having a business but do not want to do all the research and work involved with starting a business. Direct sales are like a business in a box. You sign up, they send you a kit, and you are ready to go. Your kit likely includes product for showing people to get sales as well as training information to help you get started. You do not have to figure out what product to sell, what to price it at, where to buy the product and a myriad of other issues with having to source your own inventory.
These are just some of the benefits to starting a direct sales career. Tomorrow we will talk about how these same factors can be a downside.
Did you join your company for one of these reasons or something else?
Business, company, direct sales benefits, direct sales business, Direct selling, Product (business)
