Direct Selling Opportunity - Party Plan Companies, Working from Home Opportunities, Home Business

Free Advertising for your Direct Sales Business

admin — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 05:43:27 +0000

Over and over again I see both women and men asking how they can advertise for little or no cost. Advertising does not always mean “an ad”. I advertise constantly but almost never use an ad.

Here are several forms of free advertising:

1. A signature line in outgoing emails. I send and receive emails every single day. While some emails are from my kids or from mom and dad, many emails are from those who might benefit from visiting my website. I never email out an advertisement, but I always put my first and last name and my URL. I do know some folks use a one line advertisement in their signature. I choose not to, but one line is great.

2. When you join an online community, use the profile and introduction board to tell folks who you are. Do not use this space for an advertisement. Use this space to let folks get to know you. I always let folks know I live in Santa Barbara. I can not tell you how many times I’ve gotten emails from others who have told me they have visited Santa Barbara and just loved it. By simply letting others know where I live, I have formed relationships and made sales. I also use this space to list my hobbies. How can someone make a connection with you if they don’t anything about you? I happen to have two dogs. I almost always let folks know I have dogs. This too has started conversations with strangers. We tend to buy from those we know and if we find something in common with someone, we feel like we know them.

3. Start a blog. A blog allows you talk about any topic you want to talk about. I know many people who have both a personal blog and a business blog. I have very often searched the web for something specific and been taken to someone’s blog entry.

4. Post comments on other peoples blogs. Not all blogs allow you to put your URL. I choose to post comments on blogs that allow me to put my URL. One of my favorite blogs to comment on is whatcanimakewithit.com This blog lists one food ingredient and asks you what can you make with that particular ingredient.

5. Article writing. This is one of my favorite forms of marketing. Every person who reads this particular article will see a link to my website. Some will click, some won’t. Of those who click, some will make a purchase, some won’t. If a publisher sees my article and likes it, he/she will use in their ezine, or on their site. This gives my link even more exposure. I wrote an article almost 10 years ago about passwording children. I still occasionally get emails from moms who tell me that my article has helped them. I wrote this article over 10 years ago. That’s an awful lot of free advertising for my sixty minutes of time to write the article. The more you write the less time an article will take. This article you are reading will take about 30 minutes to write. If you invest 30-60 minutes per day and write one article per day, you’ll have 365 articles online in a year’s time.

Try some of these forms of free advertising and watch both your web hits and your sales go up.

Article by:

Audrey Okaneko has been working from home since 1983. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at www.recipe-barn.com

New Exclusive Rep – Skinny Body Care

admin — Thu, 26 May 2011 15:01:48 +0000

Caryl Stohr – Skinny Body Distributor and Team Builder

Visit her page and see what she has to offer as a direct selling opportunity!

http://www.directsellingopportunity.com/by-company/skinny-body-care/

Preventing Party Cancelations and Reschedules

admin — Tue, 24 May 2011 17:54:52 +0000

UGH, the dreaded cancelations. Especially when they have a prime spot in your calendar. You may have even turned a party away because you *thought* you were going to be doing a party that night. Annoying!! So, let’s talk cancelations, shall we? And I don’t mean whether it has one L or two Ls. Because I have been trying to figure that out for a while!

Let’s go over some ideas on how to prevent them from happening.

First off, we have the emergency cancelations. Like your hostess’s basement flooded or her babysitter backed out. These might be salvageable if you tell her “I’m so sorry to hear about your mishap, maybe the show could still go on. Do you know someone who would be willing to have the party at their house?” You never know, she just may have a close friend to whose house she can divert all the guests to. Now, a death in the family, is very sensitive and not something I would recommend “the show must go on” with. You’ll want to express your condolences, cut your losses and dial for dollars that night. Contact her again some months later when she could really use a Ladies Night.

Weather related cancelations aren’t so bad, because you can reschedule for a very date very close-in. Say, you have a party tomorrow and there’s a blizzard. You both realize the afternoon of your party that this isn’t going to happen. Reschedule for your next available date, if possible! You don’t want people losing the excitement for the party. And let her know this too.

Here is a big cause for MANY cancelations. LACK OF PLANNING. This could be your own fault. Too many consultants book parties, are ecstatic about it, send out their hostess packets and OOOOPS, they forgot all about their hostess. Then the week of the party you call to confirm and OOOPS, she has to reschedule. This is because she is not ready. You simply did not keep communication and let this party get through your fingers. It’s not her fault. If you’d have called earlier, then she may have expressed her concern to you or you could have asked her how’s it going and she would’ve told you, “People are not RSVPing”.You could then brainstorm to come up with a plan. Or at least you’ll have enough advanced notice to book another party on that date.

Cancelations or reschedules aren’t all that bad if you know about them ahead of time to replace that date/time with another party.

Some important things to do during hostess coaching to ensure a party holds:

Your hostess packet. Send it out on time! Not only that, but send her an email booking confirmation. This is a simple email that you should have saved as a template that has a place for her name, date, time and location. It should let her know that this is her BOOKING CONFIRMATION and that a packet will shortly follow. It should also include all your contact info. This official booking confirmation email basically tells her that you are a professional and that she is dealing with a business.
In your hostess packet, state that your biggest tip is to have AT LEAST 15 people in attendance. This will stress the importance of attendence to her and will make her aware that she needs to be strong with a guestlist. Now, the more people she invites (while telling people to bring friends, of course), the more that will RSVP a Yes! And the more that RSVP a Yes, the less likely she will cancel or reschedule.
Offer her an incentive VERBALLY for a guest count at your party. Be it, 15 people or 20 people, whatever you want. But I capitalize VERBALLY because when you are on the phone with her and offer her something great for that attendance, she is more likely to get off the phone and take action. Especially if you hint her on what to do! You can always offer something in your host packet, but she’ll tell herself that she’ll do it “later”. After you SPEAK with her, she’ll do it NOW! Yes, attendance is a big key to holding parties on their scheduled dates.
Communication. ASK your hostess what communication she prefers from the beginning. Is it email? phone? text? walkie talkie? (haha..joke) And use that method to communicate with her. All to make communication easier and more effective.
Rescheduling deposit. I’m not so sure about this concept. A rescheduling fee is if someone reschedules within a certain amount of time close to their party date, they must pay a deposit and get it back on their rescheduled date. This is something you can TRY and see if it works for you. It’s all in your attitude and how comfortable you are with it. If you ARE comfortable and it works for you, great! But if you are not comfortable with it, but do it anyway, it will most likely not work for you. However, I feel that a hostess can always pop online and find another rep that they don’t have to pay anything up front with. You could possibly miss out on a great party that may be double your average. In other words, like 2 parties worth of sales in 1…catch my drift?

So there you have it. Some tips to help parties hold on their scheduled dates. If you keep the communication effective and systematic, your cancelations will be greatly reduced. You ARE a business and you deserve great parties!

Article written by Pascale Le Bris of toypartyleads.com and loveloveparties.com.

The Customer is Sometimes Rude

admin — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:18:16 +0000

Business is not all fun and games. If you are running your own business, you absolutely must have a thick skin. Being easily hurt or upset isn’t going to get you anywhere.

Imagine for a moment you holding a home party. As the guests are looking at catalogs, one says “Look at this lamp, it’s so UGLY!”. You note which one they are looking at, and realize you have one just like it in your own home.

You have two options here. Either you get rude right back at her, or you offer to help her find something more her taste. While the second option is obviously the better way to go, sometimes we tend to react on instincts first.

The same is true while networking and being active in business communities online. While these places shouldn’t be the main source of customers, know you WILL sell to other business owners. If you react rude to another WAHM, you are going to lose sales pretty fast. Not only are you going to lose out on a possible sale from the person you offended, but also others reading it too.

Customers and business owners are going to have opinions. No matter if it’s on your website, your products, or your method of marketing. Some comments may be constructive critisism, others may be down right rude. Regardless, fighting back is NEVER going to look good on your part.

Granted there are always going to be those who will never buy, but that still doesn’t mean you should be rude back to them. Word travels regardless of who they are, and your business is going to be hurt. Always keep in mind that bad news travels at least twice as fast as good news.

Bottom line – the next time you feel someone is being rude, grit your teeth and smile. Getting down to their level never helps. Besides, don’t forget, you never know who’s watching. You’re a business owner and your reputation is on the line.

—————————————-
Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive
to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your direct sales business, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com.

New Exclusive Rep – For Your Pleasure

admin — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 23:06:07 +0000

Tara Mahovetz, Presidential Director with For Your Pleasure!

Visit her page and see what she has to offer as a direct selling opportunity!

http://www.directsellingopportunity.com/by-company/for-your-pleasure/

Measuring Success in Direct Selling

admin — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:38:05 +0000

Courtesy of directselling411.com

When considering an opportunity, it’s natural to want to know how successful you’re likely to be. It’s also important to understand that the answer can’t be found by looking at the number of people who earn “big bucks.” There are certainly direct sellers who earn six-figure incomes (and more!). However, that is not the norm, and holding all direct sellers to that standard does not create an accurate picture of “success.”

One common way to measure “success” is through income – of course a majority of people who get involved in direct selling do so, in whole or in part, because they want to earn money. However, to determine success in terms of income, one must consider do so in the context of the seller’s initial goals. A person who wants to earn $200 a month, and does so, is just as successful as someone who develops their business into a six-figure income. Someone who joins with the purpose of buying products at a discount is just as successful as a stay-at-home mom who joins to meet to new people.

Even in a multilevel compensation system, there may be many people who do not earn commissions on a downline – because they don’t have a downline. Of course a business grows and evolves when new people join as sellers, but recruiting others is not essential to success unless your definition of success involves a level of earnings beyond what you will be able to earn from your own personal sales of the products and services.

Focusing solely on the number of people who achieve a certain income, or on the length of time consultants remain in direct selling, is simply not an accurate way to measure success. Success must be analyzed on an individual level, based on personal goals.

Direct selling critics will often focus on the small percentage of direct sellers “at the top.” They make it sound like it’s impossible to achieve that level of success, when in reality, most people have no desire to devote the time and energy necessary to be a top performer.

In fact, the direct selling model has many parallels to a traditional corporate business model. In a corporate model there are a few people at the top (president, CEO, Chairman of the Board) who drive the business and motivate those below them. A large number of directors and mid-level managers execute the business operations and are developing professionally and personally. In a few cases these individuals may one day rise to the senior executive level. Finally, there is an administrative level where one generally finds younger, less experienced people who are learning the business and, depending on their career goals, may continue to climb the corporate ladder or they may leave after a relatively short period of time to pursue other goals.

The salesforce structure in direct selling is actually very similar, but in reality, the potential for someone to reach the top is much higher. In a traditional business, there are a limited number of desks in the senior executive suite, but in direct selling, personal sales and the development of a productive downline will propel you to the top regardless of who else is already there.

New Exclusive Rep – Bamboo Pink

admin — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:52:13 +0000

Pilar Wienke, a consultant with Bamboo Pink has an exclusive listing!

Visit her page and see what she has to offer as a direct selling opportunity!

http://www.directsellingopportunity.com/by-company/bamboo-pink/

5 Essential Criteria Needed Before Choosing a Direct Selling Company by Marie Leonard

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:43:05 +0000

So you’ve just decided that you’re going to start and build a direct selling business in network marketing and because most people want better health, wellness is your niche.

Now what? Do you just go ahead and jump into the first thing that comes along?

Of course not!

You take a good look around at the available companies and their product to see which company will be the fortunate receiver of your talents and energy. Believe me, there are thousands out there to choose from, some good, some mediocre and some very bad!

The first rule of direct selling says: “You should absolutely use and believe in the products or services you sell.”, you must first ask yourself whether you would buy this product or service if you were not part of the sales organization.

If the answer is no, don’t go there. If yes, then consider these next questions:

· is this product at the cutting edge of technology?
· is there something that sets it apart from all the others?
· does it improve people’s lives?

If these 3 basic questions get a yes, it’s now time to consider the 5 most essential criteria that should be characteristic of the company.

1. While you’re in business for yourself but not by yourself, is there a good support structure which includes marketing materials, training opportunities, online ordering systems, operations and most important emerging new products and technology?

Working a 9 to 5 job is different than working with a home based business. If done right, it can however lead you out of the 9 to 5 grind. But you need to do it in the right way from the start. It’s easy to tell your boss goodbye, but not so easy to tell your many clients and associates that you made a mistake and want to change company.

2. With that in mind, then the next obvious move is to investigate and assess the company’s background. What is their track record? How long has this company been in business and what businesses have they run prior to this one? How committed are they to providing the best in information, training and education?

Just recently, I was fortunate to experience a personal development seminars, “The Millionaire Mind Intensive” offered by Harv Eker. It was not only fabulous but I realized that a good company should also offer courses in that genre, in order to help you broaden and deepen your skills. Other questions: are they using the latest, best technology and what can you tell from their Internet presence?

3. Another important area to consider is whether the company is suited for global expansion and what its present international exposure and plans are for future growth?

You are choosing a partner to do business with and should look at every possible angle!

4. An important quality of a good business is whether it belongs to the Direct Selling Association (DSA). The DSA has certain codes of business of ethics which insure proper conduct in the market place:

· Nominal start-up costs
· Optional purchases for inventory or materials
· The user earns money from sales of products or services not from the sheer act of recruiting
· The company allows for return of unsold inventory within a specified time reimbursing usually 90% of the price paid

5. The final criteria are patience and expectations, meaning that the company should not expect you to get rich quick although it may be providing you with all the tools necessary for you to do so. A mature, high quality direct selling company has its personnel present the income opportunity as a serious commitment that can yield results all dependent upon your efforts.

How long could this take? That is entirely up to you. Expect to put in consistent effort for 2 to 5 years and in this time you should be able to create a significant stream of long-term residual income. After all, isn’t this what it’s all about? Retiring early with no worry of where the next dollar will come from in order to pay the bills.

As Harv Eker says: “If your goal is to be comfortable, chances are you’ll never get rich. But if your goal is to be rich, chances are you’ll end up mighty comfortable”. And the direct selling industry of network marketing is almost the only vehicle out there that can help you to achieve your goals for the least amount of money invested. It changed my life!

Marie Leonard is a publisher, alternative health care provider and network marketer. Watch how to create your success ratiot: Characteristics For MLM Success and Marie’s blog The Keen Marketer

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marie_Leonard

Sales Training: 7 Tips to Boost Your Sales by Brian Tracy

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:36:22 +0000

Sales Training: 7 Tips to Boost Your Sales

By Brian Tracy -Motivational Business Speaker

Tip number 1: Get serious! Make a decision to go all the way to the top of your field. Make a decision today to join the top 10%. There is no one and nothing that can hold you back from being the best except yourself. Remember, it takes just as long to be great as to be mediocre. The time is going to pass anyway. Your job is to commit to excellence, to get better and better each day, and to never, never stop until you reach the summit.

Tip number 2: Identify your limiting skill to sales success. Identify your weakest single skill and make a plan to become absolutely excellent in that area. Ask yourself, and your boss, “What one skill, if I developed and did it consistently in an excellent fashion, would have the greatest positive impact on my sales?” Whatever your answer to this question, write it down, set a deadline, make a plan, and then work on it every day. This decision alone can change your life.

Tip number 3: Get around the right people. Get around positive, successful people. Associate with men and women who are going somewhere with their lives. And get away from negative, critical, complaining people. They drag you down, tire you out, distract and discourage you, and lead you inevitably to underachievement and failure. Remember, you cannot fly with the eagles if you continue to scratch with the turkeys.

Tip number 4: Take excellent care of your physical health. You need high levels of energy to sell effectively, and to bounce back from continual rejection and discouragement. Be sure to eat the right foods, get the right amount of exercise and get plenty of rest and recreation. Make a decision that you are going to live to be 80 years old, or more, and begin today to do whatever you have to do to achieve that goal.

Tip number 5: Visualize yourself as one of the top people in your field. Imagine yourself performing at your best all day long. Feed your subconscious mind with vivid, exciting, emotionalized pictures of yourself as positive, confident, competent and completely in control of every part of your life. These clear mental pictures preprogram you and motivate you to sell at your best in any situation.

Tip number 6: Practice positive self-talk continually. Control your inner dialogue. Talk to yourself the way you want to be rather than the way you might be today.

For example, repeat to yourself these powerful words, over and over again. “I like myself! I’m the best! I can do it! I love my work!”

Remember, fully 95% of your emotions are determined by the way you talk to yourself, most of the time. The way you feel determines how you behave. And how you behave determines how much you sell.

Your job is to get yourself on an upward spiral where you think and talk to yourself positively, all day long. You think, walk, talk and act like the very best people in your field. When you do, your success becomes inevitable.

Tip number 7: Take positive action toward your goals, every single day. Be proactive rather than reactive. Grab the bull by the horns. If you are not happy with your income, get out there and get face to face with more customers. If you are not happy with any part of your life, accept responsibility and take charge.

All successful salespeople are intensely action oriented. They have a sense of urgency. They develop a bias for action. They do it now! They have a compulsion to closure. They maintain a fast tempo and move quickly in everything they do.

The faster you move, the more energy you have. The faster you move, the more ground you cover. The faster you move, the more people you see. The more people you see, the more experience you get. The more experience you get, the more sales you make. You will be happier and more positive.

The faster you move, the more you take complete control of your entire life and virtually guarantee that you will be one of the top performers and the highest paid people in your field.

Brian Tracy is one of the top sales trainers in the world. He can be reached at his website http://www.BrianTracy.com

Sales Training: Happiness in Selling by Mark Bowser

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:33:46 +0000

By Mark Bowser – Motivational Business Speaker

Happiness in selling is always created from the inside, not from the outside. Where does happiness come from? Is it given to us? Can we earn it? Happiness is given to us. It is ours for the asking. Happiness is a choice. We decide how happy or unhappy we will be. Wisconsin Odd Fellow wrote a poem titled “Happiness Is Within” which says, “It’s not so much the world outside that makes us laugh or smile; it’s more the thoughts within our hearts that make life seem worthwhile.”

I know a story about an old wise man. This wise man lived in a small town. Every day this man would sit outside the local gas station and watch the cars go by. Every once in a while a car would stop and he would have the opportunity to talk with a neighbor or even a tourist passing through. On this particular day, the old man’s granddaughter joined him at the gas station.

After some time, a car pulled up to the station. A man got out of the car and started to look around. The wise old man did not recognize the stranger and figured he was a tourist. The tourist came up to the older man and asked, “What kind of a town is this? Is it a nice place to live?”

The wise old man looked at the stranger and asked, “What kind of town are you from? Is it a nice place to live?”

The tourist said, “It’s an awful town. Everyone is critical of each other and negative about the future. They gossip all the time too. I am glad to be leaving.”

The old man said, “That’s how it is in this town too.” After an hour or so, another car drove up. This time it was filled with a family of strangers. The mother jumped out in a hurry with two small children and asked where the restroom was. The old man pointed to a ragged, decrepit sign and the woman thanked him and hurried off with the children. The father got out and walked up to the wise old man and his granddaughter. He asked, “What kind of town is this?”

The old man asked, “What kind of town are you from?” The young father looked at the old man and said, “It’s a great town. I wish we didn’t have to leave. Everyone is very close. There is always a friendly hello and smile throughout the day. I feel we are leaving family.”

“That is exactly like this town,” said the old wise man. After the nice little family had driven away the old man’s granddaughter looked up at her grandfather with a puzzled look and said, “Grandpa, why did you tell the first man this was a terrible town and the second man it was a great town?” The old man looked down at his beautiful little granddaughter and lovingly said, “Sweetheart, the truth is that people see exactly what they want to see. Our attitude is what makes the difference. The attitude we have determines whether it is an awful or marvelous place in which to live.”

Well, there we have it. We choose whether we are going to live a happy or unhappy life. Are you a happy sales professional? Kind of an interesting question, isn’t it? It was Abraham Lincoln who said, “People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Well, I don’t know about you but I have made up my mind. I’m going to live a happy sales life!