10 Simple Steps To Success In Direct Sales

Every year thousands of men and women across America sign on with

direct selling firm-Tupperware, Amway, or a cosmetic

company-hoping to make money enough for new draperies, a new

davenport, or some new clothes. They sell a little merchandise to

a few relatives and close friends. Then they are through. They

quit before they give themselves a chance to learn the basics of

success in sales. "I am simply not a born salesperson," they

often say.

No one is born a salesperson, any more than one is born a doctor

or born a lawyer. Sales is a profession. To be successful in any

profession one must learn not only the basic techniques, but also

how to apply those techniques. Success in sales makes use of all

the abilities one is born with, plus all those acquired through

education and experience.

If you are looking for a career opportunity or "extra income" to

help with the family budget, direct selling offers you

dream-fulfilling possibilities. However, you must give yourself

time to learn the techniques of sales. Ask yourself. "How long

does a doctor to be study? A lawyer to be study?"

WHAT IS DIRECT SELLING?

Direct selling is marketing a product directly to the consumer

with no middleman involved. Most reliable firms are members of

the National Association of Direct Selling

Companies. They bring to the public fine products that are

modestly priced in order to insure mass consumption.

Most direct selling companies furnish their representatives with

a starter kit and essential supplies below-cost prices. In many

instances the investment is under $100.

There is an old adage which says "Give a man a fish and you feed

him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a

lifetime."

Many of them were able to change their lives for the better. They

took their families on nice vacations. They purchased a piano or

an organ and provided music lessons for their children. They

saved money for college education. They redecorated their homes,

bought needed furniture. One highly successful saleslady built a

new home.

The rewards of direct selling are many

1. You can be your own boss.

2. You can set your own hours.

3. You can own your own businesses with little or no investment.

4. You can pay yourself more than any boss would ever pay you.

5. You can give yourself regular raises as your business grows.

It is only fair to tell you that there are failures, too. There

are people who will not work for themselves. When working for a

boss, they rise early, are well-groomed, and get to the office on

time. However, when they are their own boss, they are still in a

bathrobe, drinking one more cup of coffee at 11:00 A.M.

If you can be your own boss and discipline yourself to do what

has to be done when it has to be done, direct selling offers a

most unusual earning opportunity.

THE TEN STEPS

Here are ten steps that will assure your success:

1. BE A GOAL SETTER. What do you want to accomplish? Do you want

to save for college education for your children? A new car? A

new home? You can have whatever you want, but you must want it

enough to do the things that have to be done to get it. Whatever

your goal, write it down and set a target date for reaching it.

Divide the time period into blocks of achievement that are

reachable. Work consistently toward accomplishing each day, each

week, each month what you set out to do. Goal-setting is a must

in every area of life. Little is ever accomplished without

definite goals.

2. BE A LIST MAKER. Each evening list all the things you want to

get done the following day. That gives you an organized approach

to each day. As each task is finished, mark it off your list. It

is amazing how much gets done when one works with a

"things-to-do" list. Also, have a notebook listing appointments,

potential clients, repeat clients, and referrals, and keep it

with you at all times. You will be adding to it constantly.

3. BE ENTHUSIASTIC. Enthusiasm is the high-octane "fuel" that

salespeople run on. Enthusiasm generates its own energy. Energy

and good health are synonymous with busy, happy people, people

who are achieving.

4. RECOGNIZE THAT THE MAGIC WORD IN SALES IS "ASK." In direct

sales we don't have to wait for business to come to us. We create

our own business by asking for it. Ask for appointments, then you

can do business. Ask for business, then you will close sales. Ask

for referrals, then you always have a full list of potential

clients. Be quietly, yet firmly aggressive.

5. EXPECT NO'S. Realize that no's are not personal. In sales, as

perhaps nowhere else, the law of averages works. Every no gets

you closer to a yes. Keep track of your ratio. It will help

improve your techniques. Are you getting ten no's to one yes? Is

your ratio five to one? Remember, the yes's are your income. Also

remember that "no" does not necessarily mean "no." Often a "no"

is simply a stall for more time to think. It may be a request for

more information about your product or your service. What your

client is actually buying is assurance. Assure here by your

helpful attitude and your complete honesty, that you want what is

best for her. She will most likely respect you and do business

with you.

6. Schedule Time Wisely.

 A schedule is the roadmap by which

salespeople travel. It takes the frustration out of the day. It

assures that the necessary things get done and get done on time.

Plan your work then work your plan.

7. Be Positive in Your Attitiude.

 Success in sales, as in all

areas of life is 90 percent attitude and 10 percent aptitude. All

of us must work at developing habits of constructive thinking. I

am proud to be a salesperson. Sales make the wheels of our

economy turn. Bernard Baruch, advisor to several presidents, is

quoted as saying, "If every salesperson sat down and took no

orders for twenty-four hours, it would bankrupt our country!"

Every company that manufactures any kind of product depends upon

salespeople to move that product. Without salespeople business

would be paralyzed.

Remember, sales is one of the highest paid of all professions.

Statistics show that good salespeople enjoy incomes far above the

average.

8. Have An Office Area. Most direct salespeople work from their

own homes, but it is essential to have a place where you can work

in a organized and efficient manner. An office plus a strict

working schedule gives you dignity. Both are absolutely essential

for efficient operation and accurate record keeping, so important

to the success of any business.

9. Be Involved. Most sales organization offer contests to

stimulate production. Include winning contests as part of your

business goals. Contests make your business fun as well as adding

considerable dollar value to your income.

10. Learn How To Handle Money  Intelligently 

A regular nine-to-five

job usually means a paycheck at the end of the second week.

Direct sales "reps" handle money constantly. Direct sales is

instant income and constant income. Therefore. it is absolutely

necessary to become an efficient money manager.

Deposit every penny collected from

clients into a checking account set up especially for its

business. Since bank statements show an exact record of all

monies collected, and business expenses can be verified by

canceled checks, record keeping becomes simple and accurate.

Everything except a few "petty cash" transactions can be directly

taken from bank statements.

Money saved regularly and put at interest, soon develops a second

income in addition to earned income. A long-term goal, which is

realistic in direct sales, is to be able to live in retirement

off the interest earned on savings.

Would financial security mean a lot to you? If so, ask yourself

these questions:

* Am I honest?

* Do I really like people?

* Am I willing to learn?

* Am I willing to work?

* Am I capable of being my own boss?

If your answers are yes, to find a good product

for the direct sales market, one that you like, one that fills

the need of a lot of people, and go to work for yourself! .

You can turn dreams into reality. 

SECRETS OF MILLION DOLLAR SALES LETTERS – FOR MAIL CAMPAIGN & INTERNET

         ]

   Regardless of what you're trying to sell, you really can't sell it without "talking" with your prospective buyer.  An in attempting to sell anything on the Internet, the sales letter you send out is when and how you talk to your prospect.

            All winning sales letters "talk" to the prospect by creating an image in the mind of the reader.  They set "the scene" by appealing to a desire or need; and then they flow smoothly into the "visionary" part of the sales pitch by describing in detail how "wonderful" life will be and, how "good" the prospect is going to feel after he's purchased your product.  This is the "body or guts" of a sales letter.

            Overall, a winning sales letter follows a time-tested and proven formula:  1)  Get his attention  2)  Get him interested in what you can do for him  3)  Make him desire the benefits of your product so badly his mouth begins to water  4)  Demand action from him - tell him to click the right button or send for whatever it is you're selling without delay - any procrastination on his part might cause him to lose out.  This is called the "AIDA" formula (Attention, Interest, Desire and

Action) -  it works.

            On your website, your sales page should be the length of what it would be

if were doing a mailing, or longer if you're using bullets to emphasize benefits to build the desire.  Of course on the Internet you don't have to worry about letterhead stationery or the cost of postage, which is a considerable savings.  If, however, you want to also do a mailing campaign then the following would apply.  The sales letters in mailings that pull in the most sales are almost always two pages with 1 1/2 spaces between lines.  For really big ticket items, they'll run at least four pages. - on an 11 by 17 sheet of paper folded in half.  If your sales letter is only two pages in length, there's nothing wrong with running it on the front and back of one sheet of 8 1/2 by 11 paper.  However, your sales letter should always be on letterhead paper - your letterhead printed, and including your logo and business motto if you have one.

            Regardless of the length of your sales letter, it should do one thing, and that's sell, and sell hard!  If you intend to close the sale, you've got to do it with your sales letter.  You should never be "wishy-washy" with your sales letter. You do the actual selling and the closing of that sale with your sales letter - any brochure or circular you send along with in your mailing will just reinforce what you say in the sales letter.

            There's been a great deal of discussion in the past few years regarding just how long a sales letter should be.  A lot of people are asking:  Will people really take the time to read a long sales letter?  The answer is a simple and time-tested yes indeed!  Surveys and tests over the years emphatically prove that "longer sales letters" pull even better than the shorter ones, so don't worry about the length of your sales letter - just make sure that it sells your product for you!

            The "inside secret" is to make your sales letter so interesting, and "visionary" with the benefits you're offering to the reader, that he can't resist reading it all the way through.  You break up the "work" of reading by using short, punchy sentences, underlining important points you're trying to make, with the use of subheadlines, indentations and even the use of a second color, and leaving lots of white space around it.  On your website, the sales letter should run down the middle of the page so the viewer doesn't have to keep adjusting the screen to see the whole sentence. This is very distracting and more apt to send that client to another website than losing patience reading a long letter.

            Relative to the brochures and circulars you may want to include in your mailing with your sales letter - providing the materials you're enclosing are of the best quality, they will generally reinforce the sale for you.  But, if they are of poor quality, look cheap and don't compliment your sales letter, then you shouldn't be using them.  Another thing, it will definitely classify you as an independent home worker if you hand-stamp your name/address on these brochures or advertising circulars instead of having them printed.

            Whenever possible, and so long as you have really good brochures to send out, have your printer run them through his press and print your name/address - even your telephone number and company logo - on them before you send them out.  The thing is, you want your prospect to think of you as his supplier - the company - and not as just another independent entrepreneur.  Sure, you can get by with less expense but you'll end up with fewer orders and in the end, less profits.

            Another thing that's been bandied about and discussed from every direction for years is whether to use a post office box number or your street address.  Personally, I don't like Post Office Boxes in a business address - because it transmits an aura of instability or temporary location. 

 If your business is run from home, get a mail box from a post box vendor that has a street address.  Then your address looks like, 1234 Willow Lane, #567, Your Town, and the box number could appear to the reader as a Suite number. 

 However, if you live in a remote area where your address is 7890 Main St., RFD 42, Box 123, Your Town, then you have no choice but to include both your post office box number, AND, your street address on your sales letter.  

When doing it strictly for your website, put your street address, telephone number, and email address at the bottom of the page.  More than likely, the customer will contact you by email, but it conveys dependability if that Internet buyer sees that you're willing to give your address. This kind of open display of your honesty will give you credibility and dispel the thought of you being just another "fly-by-night" mail order company in the mind of your prospect.

            Above all else, you've got to include some sort of ordering page or coupon if you're mailing.  The coupon has to be as simple and as easy for the prospect to fill out and return to you as you can possible make it. The order page on your website should already be filled out, with perhaps just the shipping left to choice. 

 If your product is an eBook or software to be instantly downloaded, then you don't have any options to be chosen.   A great many sales are lost because this order coupon is just too complicated for the would-be buyer to follow.  Don't get fancy!  Keep it simple, and you'll find your prospects responding with glee.

 Should you or shouldn't you include in your mailing a self-addressed reply envelope?  There are a lot of variables, as well as, pros and cons to this question. Overall, when you send out a "winning" sales letter to a good mailing list, a return reply envelope will increase your response tremendously.

   Tests of  late seem to indicate that it isn't that big a deal or difference in responses relative to whether you do or don't pre-stamp the return reply envelope.  Again, the decision here will rest primarily on the product you're selling and the mailing list you're using.  Our recommendation is that you experiment - try it both ways - with subsequent mailings and decide for yourself from there.

Top 15 Ways Solo-prenuers Use Virtual Assistants

Your time and money are worth more when you are able to concentrate on what you do best and leave the rest to an assistant. Virtual office assistants work from their own home-based offices and are highly trained in their skill areas as well as a variety of technologies. Many of them have advanced degrees as well as years of professional experience. Not only can a virtual assistant relieve you of mundane, everyday tasks, but also in many cases, s/he can even help you grow your business.

One of the biggest benefits to hiring a virtual assistant is the ability to delegate work to people who have better skills, and can do work you don't know how to do, don’t have time to do, or just don't want to do.  The next big draw (when considering virtual assistants over bricks-and-mortar assistants) is that virtual assistants only clock-in and work when you need them and use their own resources.  In other words, they’re not charging you to sit there and play solitaire on a computer you purchased for them.

Top 15 Ways Solo-preneurs Use Virtual Assistants

1. Your VA receives calls routed to his/her home office phone and your prospective customers do not receive a voice mail. You pay only for the minutes that the VA is on the phone

2. You need to confirm appointments for the week. Your VA calls the appointments and notes who is confirmed and who must be rescheduled. Your VA even updates your calendar online, if you’re using a mutually accessible calendar program.

3. By purchasing a software program that installs a desktop electronic billing system on the VA's computer, billing can be done off-site. The software vendor technical support trains the VA to use the program, then you email or fax information to the VA, who then does daily electronic billing or accounting services to get your billing done.

4. You are preparing a marketing plan and need further information.  Your VA can contact possible advertising outlets on the Internet, magazines, periodicals, newspapers, etc. and acquire information on pricing, publishing dates, publishing deadlines, payment policies, etc. All information is compiled into a report for you to review.

5. You are preparing a direct mailing and need to verify your database.  The database is sent to your VA via email attachment. Your VA telephones each name and verifies name, spelling, title and address. All corrections are made, old names are deleted, and new names are added. The corrected database is “zipped” and returned to you via email attachment.

6. You need a brochure, business card or flyer for your business.  Your VA can design, type and print your advertising material using your own artwork or stock art.  Your VA can also make the materials ready to print by a professional print shop and simply email the file to the shop for printing.

7. You have a blog, but do not have time to update entries regularly.  Brief ideas and thoughts or links can be emailed to your VA, who then updates your blog.  

8. You need a website set up, either on a directory site or using a web-hosting service. Your VA can design a custom site or adapt a template, and can maintain it on a regular basis, adding current articles or information as needed.

9. You need a telephone conversation (i.e., conference call, teleclass, etc.) recorded. The VA records the call and transcribes the tape for the participants.

10. You dictate letters, reports, notes or memos on a cassette tape and mail it to your VA via overnight delivery. Your VA transcribes the tape, prints the letters on your stationery and mails them the following day. Or, send your VA an MP3 file of your recording.  S/he transcribes the audio and emails the completed transcript back to you.

11. You cannot keep up with the volume of email and are missing important messages. You or your webmaster set up a general email account (info@mycompany.com). Your VA retrieves all email, sorts, responds to routine requests, and forwards items of importance to you at your personal email account (myname@mycompany.com).

12. You are going on vacation, but can’t let your customers wait for two weeks.  Your VA answers the phone and email and responds to customers.  You are called for urgent calls while you are away if you want.

13. You need bill paying services. You simply have all bills mailed to a post office box near your VA. Your VA sets up a checking account with payment authorization for both you and the VA. As the bills are prepared for payment, your VA notifies you how much money to deposit into the account. The bills are then paid. Another option, if available from your bank, is to use on-line bill payment services. Security features can be set up which make this a safe and simple solution.

14. You implement an advertising plan or promo. Your VA can monitor the plan, submits ads by deadlines, track expiration dates, coordinate payment, handle correspondence with advertising vendors, and continually update the advertising report and/or advertising budget report for your review.

15. You would like to write a book, but can't get organized. Your VA can compile rough drafts, notes, fragments, letters or memoirs and get them into an editable form to begin the process of formatting the book, research publishers, and send out queries.

Virtual assistants are here to stay.  The above shows that virtual assistants can and do work well for most small and home-based businesses and especially solo-preneurs.  Over the next couple of years you can expect your conversations with regards to virtual assistants to go from “What is a virtual assistant and what does a virtual assistant do?” to that of “Who provides your virtual assistant services?”

Implementing the use of a virtual assistant, especially through a virtual staffing agency, is a low-cost, low-risk undertaking.  If the virtual assistant doesn’t work out, you simply request another, perhaps for a better fit.  What’s more, coupling the use of a virtual assistant (or several virtual assistants) with your already up-and-coming business can catapult your income and success to the next level and beyond.

Open Dialogs with Your Customers by Asking Questions

If you want to impress your customers you definitely want to learn the art of not talking about yourself. People love to be asked questions about what they do and the things they like. They don't like to be bombarded with a ton of I am good at this or that statements.

As a business person you want to get into the habit of asking open ended questions. These are questions that require a response other than just a yes or no.

In addition to learning how to ask this type of question you need to develop the skill of becoming a good listener. People love to know that you are indeed listening to them. 

When you can repeat back all the main points of a conversation then you have acquired this skill.

Let's take a look at some good questions that you can ask your customers and clients. These is also a great way to get to know someone new too.

·         Asking how to and why questions is a great place to start.

·         Where did you hear about us?

·         What is important to you with...?

·         How do you feel about?

·         Tell me about your previous experience with...

·         Tell me about yourself.

When asking open ended questions you never know what information the person will give you. You may discover that they just moved from another state or province. Maybe they just got married or became grandparents for the first time.

You may be surprised at what kind of information people will offer when you give them the chance to talk. Remember let them do the talking, take mental notes so that you can respond by showing your concern.

When you can repeat back to them the main points of their conversation, they will be a) impressed, b) grateful that you actually listened to them.

When you garner some great information don't immediately turn around and try to sell them something. Instead offer to follow up by sending them some information that will help them.

The offer of help will be appreciated, and of course, is the perfect excuse for you to follow up at a later date.

During the course of your conversation, if you discover that this person was referred to you by someone else. 

Ask for their name and don't forget to send them a thank you card! Now you are impressing two people with one action. 

Connecting with Your Audience as a Real Person

While the internet is a fantastic way to communicate with your audience. It is also a way for you to hide behind your website. Putting a face to a name is one way to easily add that personal touch to your business.

When potential customers and clients see your face, you immediately become human to them. If you hide behind an icon then the feelings of trust and even customer loyalty can be damaged.

Coming across as a 'real person' can really make or break your business. You don't have to go all out and start relaying your personal life. You do want to add that personal touch to your business.

This can be done in various ways. As we mentioned just showing your face and creating an 'About' page on your website is really effective. Here you can describe a few details on your past. You can explain how you got into your current business and even add your interests and passions.

Don't forget about using social media to connect with your customers too. This is an easy way to put up new posts about what you are doing and sharing things that you like. If you have a business page it never hurts to add some images of where you live, or what you are up to. Include snippets from both areas of your life.

If you haven't tried opening up and sharing then you really should. You may be surprised at just how your customers enjoy your conversations and start interacting more on your sites.

If you run a local business then you want to get out into your community more often. Join your local Chamber of Commerce or start a Meetup in your area.

Depending on your business model, you may like to run a monthly newsletter and share shopping tips, new products and more. This way you can connect with other business owners and customers alike.

The best advice we can give you is to stop trying to interact with an audience altogether! Instead start acting like a real person on your website and on all your social media sites.

Why You Should Over Deliver As Often As Possible

One of the best ways to increase your customer retention rates is to simply over deliver whenever possible. Giving your customer more than they were expecting is a great way to keep them returning to your store or website. Who doesn't like to receive more than they had bargained for?

So how can you over deliver to your customers as often as possible? There are several ways you can do this, here are some great ideas to get you started.

1.   Give your customer a bonus, this could be a sample product, access to a coaching call or access to a private mastermind.

2.   Offer you customer a coupon for a discount on their next purchase. 

This also helps to get your customers visiting your store again. You don't have to stop at just offering a discount. You may like to offer a free sample, a consultation or a buy one get one free type of deal.

3.   If you offer a service the best way to over deliver is to get the project finished ahead of time. Beating deadlines is a wonderful way to add value to your own offers and gain lifelong customers.

4.   Small gestures can go a long way in gaining appreciative customers. Sending a hand written thank you note in the mail is one way to achieve this. Other small gestures include sending birthday and anniversary cards out. Remember you can come up with your own anniversary ideas too.

5.   Why not set up something such as a Customer of the Month or Customer Shout Out. Here you would thank your customer or highlight something they did that you appreciated.

Don't forget to celebrate with your clients and customers and even fellow business owners. If they win a new contract or make a significant improvement in their business send them a small gift. This says to them that you are noticing what they are doing and are paying attention to them.

Another fantastic way to over deliver to your present customers is to network with other business owners. 

What you want to do here is to refer local businesses that offer quality services and products, which you do not carry. This allows you to create a rolodex of resources for your customers.

 Always ensure that you have taken the time to check out these sources, your reputation is hanging on it. You don't want to recommend a bad resource or product to anyone.

The Great Importance of Amazing Customer Service

For a lot of people customer service is an option to use when you have an issue with a product, service or the company in general. While this is true a customer service desk or online option can be a fantastic way to connect with your customers and use the feedback to improve your services.

Dealing With Returns and Complaints

Of course no one really wants to see their products returned or have to deal with a less than happy customer but these things are all part of running a business.

The important thing is the way you deal with the problems that arise in your business from time to time. Once you have acknowledged that people will always have issues you can then set up an effective system to deal with them.

If you sell any type of product or service people are going to need a way to get in touch with you after they have made their purchase. If a product is defective or they have not been entirely happy with a service it will need to be refunded or replaced and the easier you make this process the happier your customer will be.

Most consumers understand that a defective product will slip through the net once in a while and if you quickly replace that item for a new one you will not lose the sale and the customer will love you. Make your customers life difficult and the chances are they are not going to come back any time soon.

Sometimes a product just doesn't meet your expectations. No doubt you have experienced this at some time. The sales page and reviews looked fabulous and yet when you used the product, you did not see the results you had expected. So why wouldn't you ask for a refund?

Whether your business is on or offline you need to make it easy for customers to process a return. The process may be as simple as returning the item to you for an exchange. Or you may need to set up a support system so a ticket can be created.

If you run an online business there are plenty of support desk systems you can use. Your hosting company can help you install a free one on your website and this only takes a few minutes to set up. A good one is the Hesk support system. It looks professional and is easy to use.

Once installed have a clear link to the support system on your website. Place it on your contact page. You may want to add a link to it in your customer receipts. Make it visible and easy to find.

Just the fact that you offer a support system for customer service means that you understand that some customers may have issues and you are willing to deal with them in a timely fashion.