What do I need to know about succeeding with direct sales?

queen

Mon, Oct 06 2008, 12:45 pm

Need to be outgoing, and friendly. Know how to make small talk and make people feel good.
and be confident that your products are the best, and well priced for what they are.

Good Luck!

ShakleeMom

Mon, Oct 06 2008, 1:05 pm

Stay away from greed. When greed gets greater than your common sense, you start overstepping boundaries. NEVER involve your friends, neighbors and family with your financial needs. If you cannot acquire skills to achieve your financial skills outside our immediate social network, then do not get started.

HooRYou

Mon, Oct 06 2008, 2:26 pm

I am not sure if you are looking more for sales tips or how not to alienate your friends. This is a suggestion for the second category.

I received a call from a neighbor that a mutual friend who I hadn't seen for a while was coming to visit and wanted to know if I could come over and say hello. I came to be social but the friend didn't really have a social visit in mind. Instead she was on a sales visit. The budget was pretty tight back then and if I had known I would have been more prepared. I think if you want to guard your friendships make sure that your business hours and social hours stay separate. It is hard to socialize with someone who is always trying to sell you something.

Clarissa

Mon, Oct 06 2008, 2:39 pm

Do not attempt to sell to friends and family. Tell them about your new venture, and let them come to you. If they express interest, ask if they know others who might be interested.

Don't be the person that everybody flees from on the street, or whose calls always get screened.

creativemommyto3

Mon, Oct 06 2008, 2:41 pm

HooRYou wrote:

I want to know how to do it without involving my friends and family as this can get sticky. I don't want friends and neighbors to think I only am around to sell them something.

ChossidMom

Mon, Oct 06 2008, 2:44 pm

One of the reasons I wouldn't go near an MLM is that every relative and friend / neighbor becomes a potential customer. And then they start to flee from you when they see you on the street.

WATCH OUT.

Assuming you are targeting people not in your immediate circles, it helps to be honest and outgoing. I have a sales personality and it has served me well for many years. It helps to enjoy meeting and talking to people. and teaching them about your how your solutions can help them. Make sure you really LISTEN to them to hear what their problems are (if they have any) before you offer them solutions. Then you can tailor your solution to each one's needs. And if someone doesn't need it - don't sell it to them.

What are you selling?

creativemommyto3

Mon, Oct 06 2008, 2:50 pm

Not sure if I should do something like shaklee or do something over the internet and write my own ebooks etc.

I really want to start my own business with something I enjoy but also need something that will make me some money.

ChossidMom

Mon, Oct 06 2008, 3:09 pm

Just don't do an MLM. And certainly not Agel (which is the in thing right now). But that's just my opinion.

Internet marketing is something worth looking into. Just be aware that it's alot of work and you never get to actually sit back and enjoy the money coming in. You have to constantly be producing new stuff and working very hard to keep the money coming in. There is alot of money to be made online, though.

By the way, if you are working online and not in Direct Sales you don't have to be Miss Personality. You never actually face a customer! But you have to learn how to copywrite. You have to learn how to put up a site. You have to learn basic html. You have to learn marketing techniques. You need to learn lots of stuff. But it can be done. You can always outsource what you don't know how to do.

creativemommyto3

Mon, Oct 06 2008, 3:14 pm

I have been trying to find a way to do something online just not sure how to start. I would love to do internet marketing , write my own ebooks etc. That sounds much more stimulating.

I tried tupperware three times and bought more stuff myself then I sold. I like to write and would love to market things I really like to do.

I don't have much money to invest and really would love to make money and have a creative outlet at the same time. does that make sense?

ChossidMom

Mon, Oct 06 2008, 3:21 pm

The beauty of internet marketing is that you don't have to invest too much. And if you like to write you can make money. If you haven't seen my website yet please take a look here: Making Money on the Internet for Beginners. You may get some ideas.

bonnie

Thu, Nov 06 2008, 11:09 pm

I would say, the number one rule of sales/soliciting- don't let "no" stop you. You'll get one yes for every 20 no's. You gotta keep going. THe more phone calls you make, the more you'll raise.

Marion

Fri, Jan 30 2009, 2:52 am

I used to tell my family and friends what I was up to. I made it very clear that I wasn't really interested in mixing business with pleasure, but if they heard about anyone who was interested in my product I'd love to get the contact's information. So they were my "feeders", if you will, but never my customers unless they approached me.

ChossidMom

Fri, Jan 30 2009, 7:03 am

TwinsMommy wrote:

ChossidMom which one are you doing?

There is a new Israeli startup called Marvalous. They market vegetarian Omega 3 oil made from the Marva plant (sage) which grows in Israel. The company just launched 2 weeks ago and I got it waaaaay on top. The timing is amazing and the product is brilliant. They have a 20 year patent on the production of this special omega 3 oil. Everyone takes Omega 3! The market has been abuzz about omega 3 for at least 10 years now. So, the market is there. And many people can't take fish oil for various reasons (diabetics, people on blood thinners (like my husband), pregnant women, kids). The oil is tasteless too.
So, the product is great, the timing is unbelievable and the compensation plan is the best I've seen on the market.

So, I went in last week! The company headquarters are also 1/2 an hour away from my house so that's real convenient for me...

PM me if you want more details or want to join a conference call in the U.S. They have them every day at 11:00 am (NY time).