I have been in direct sales since January of 2004, and over the years, I have learned many tips and ideas that I would like to share. Direct sale’s is all about relationships. You need to establish relationships with your customers. People in general will buy from someone they know and trust.
I am an Avon representative, but the ideas that I will share, I believe would cross into party plan and multi level marketing companies also. Become a walking, talking user of the products that you sell. When someone asks me about skin care or makeup or fragrance, I can answer their questions because I use the products and believe in them.
Go out of your way to make your customers feel special. This may involve searching high and low to find their favorite product, if it is not in the catalog, or back ordering that product if they may have missed the sale. They will remember this, and become a faithful customer. Giving samples and little gifts is also another great idea and tool to use to gain customer approval and also to gain new customers. Good customers will tell their friends how great their sales representative is and this is the best referral of all—word of mouth.
Never stop searching for new customers. If you are not advertising your business, you don’t have a business. How are people going to find you if you don’t advertise? Take some of the money you make and re-invest it back into your business with advertising. In a year (or even a few months) this will start to pay off. You need to have a marketing plan and advertise; flyers work well, online ads work, hand out business cards everywhere you go, advertise your website, hand out books to everyone you meet, have a yearly Open House at your home. I have found that if you advertise both online and offline you will have better results.
The power of 3 really does work. Tell yourself each morning, that I will talk to at least 3 people today about my business. This could just be a matter of handing them a book, or a business card and telling them what you do.
Social media is another avenue that cannot be ignored in this day and age. If you have a Facebook page, put your websites on it. If you don’t have a Facebook page, create one. If your company allows, create a fan page for your business. Start Twittering. You will get followers over time, and friends will tell friends about you, thus Viral Marketing at work.
My philosophy with direct sales and down-lines has always been, work smarter, not harder. In other words, start a down-line and recruit as well as sell. You are opening up a whole new channel for making residual income, that is, income that pays you long after the initial effort was put into the work of recruiting. You will need to be there for your recruits and answer their questions, and the best thing to do is to teach them to do what you do. This is called duplication. Then they can teach their own teams how to create a successful direct sales business.
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Cecilia Frederick is an entrepreneur who is an Avon representative and Unit Leader, http://ceciliafrederick.avonrepresentative.com and also owns http://www.Wahmteam.com
and http://www.TeamEzine.com , a home business website and ezine dedicated to helping women and men start a successful home business.
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