10 Steps To Success In Direct Sales

Every year thousands of men and women across America sign on withdirect selling firm-Tupperware, Amway, or a cosmeticcompany-hoping to make money enough for new draperies, a newdavenport, or some new clothes. They sell a little merchandise toa few relatives and close friends. Then they are through. Theyquit before they give themselves a chance to learn the basics ofsuccess in sales. "I am simply not a born salesperson," theyoften say.
No one is born a salesperson, any more than one is born a doctoror born a lawyer. Sales is a profession. To be successful in anyprofession one must learn not only the basic techniques, but alsohow to apply those techniques. Success in sales makes use of allthe abilities one is born with, plus all those acquired througheducation and experience.
If you are looking for a career opportunity or "extra income" tohelp with the family budget, direct selling offers youdream-fulfiling possibilities. However, you must give yourselftime to learn the techniques of sales. Ask yourself. "How longdoes a doctor to be study? A lawyer to be study?
WHAT IS DIRECT SELLING?
Direct selling is marketing a product directly to the consumerwith no middleman involved. Most reliable firms are members ofthe National Association of Direct SellingCompanies. They bring to the public fine products that aremodestly priced in order to insure mass consumption.
Most direct selling companies furnish their representatives witha starter kit and essential supplies below-cost prices. In manyinstances the investment is under $100.
I was a teacher. In the early 60s, teachers' salaries ranked nextto nurses', the lowest of all professionals salaries. I went intodirect sales to earn a better income. I chose a cosmetics lineand marketed them to small groups of women in the home. Iprovided a service for women who wanted to learn professionalmake-up techniques and the art of professionalcolor-coordination.
My teaching background proved beneficial. My clients wereinterested and eager to learn. I worked every day, as I would atany job, and put in long hours. I read books on how to sell towomen. I devoured inspirational and motivational books. My incomegrew steadily. Soon I was earning more money than I had everearned teaching school. I was excited about my new "freedom toearn" and I began to share this opportunity withothers-recruiting and training sales organization.
There is an old adage which says "Give a man a fish and you feedhim for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for alifetime." I taught my trainees how to fish.
Many of them were able to change their lives for the better. Theytook their families on nice vacations. They purchased a piano oran organ and provided music lessons for their children. Theysaved money for college educations. They redecorated their homes,bought needed furniture. One highly successful saleslady built anew 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. Thereare people who will not work for themselves. When working for aboss, they rise early, are well-groomed, and get to the office ontime. However, when they are their own boss, they are still in abathrobe, drinking one more cup of coffee at 11:00 A.M.
If you can be your own boss and discipline yourself to do whathas to be done when it has to be done, direct selling offers amost 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 wantto save for college educations for your children? A new car? Anew home? You can have whatever you want, but you must want itenough to do the things that have to be done to get it. Whateveryour goal, write it down and set a target date for reaching it.Divide the time period into blocks of achievement that arereachable. Work consistently toward accomplishing each day, eachweek, each month what you set out to do. Goal-setting is a mustin every area of life. Little is ever accomplished withoutdefinite goals.
2. BE A LIST MAKER. Each evening list all the things you want toget done the following day. That gives you an organized approachto each day. As each task is finished, mark it off your list. Itis 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 itwith you at all times. You will be adding to it constantly.
3. BE ENTHUSIASTIC. Enthusiasm is the high-octane "fuel" thatsalespeople run on. Enthusiasm generates its own energy. Energyand good health are synonymous with busy, happy people, peoplewho are achieving.
4. RECOGNIZE THAT THE MAGIC WORD IN SALES IS "ASK." In directsales we don't have to wait for business to come to us. We createour own business by asking for it. Ask for appointments, then youcan do business. Ask for business, then you will close sales. Askfor referrals, then you always have a full list of potentialclients. Be quietly, yet firmly aggressive.
5. EXPECT NO'S. Realize that no's are not personal. In sales, asperhaps nowhere else, the law of averages works. Every no getsyou closer to a yes. Keep track of your ratio. It will helpimprove your techniques. Are you getting ten no's to one yes? Isyour ratio five to one? Remember, the yes's are your income. Alsoremember that "no" does not necessarily mean "no." Often a "no"is simply a stall for more time to think. It may be a request formore information about your product or your service. What yourclient is actually buying is assurance. Assure here by yourhelpful attitude and your complete honesty, that you want what isbest for her. She will most likely respect you and do businesswith you.
6. SCHEDULE TIME WISELY. A schedule is the roadmap by whichsalespeople travel. It takes the frustration out of the day. Itassures that the necessary things get done and get done on time.Plan your work then work your plan.
7. BE POSITIVE IN YOUR ATTITUDE. Success in sales, as in allareas of life is 90 percent attitude and 10 percent apitude. Allof us must work at developing habits of constructive thinking. Iam proud to be a salesperson. Sales make the wheels of oureconomy turn. Bernard Baruch, advisor to several presidents, isquoted as saying, "If every salesperson sat down and took noorders for twenty-four hours, it would bankrupt our country!"Every company that manufactures any kind of product depends uponsalespeople to move that product. Without salespeople businesswould be paralyzed.
Remember, sales is one of the highest paid of all professions.Statistics show that good salespeople enjoy incomes far above theaverage.
8. HAVE AN OFFICE AREA. Most direct salespeople work from theirown homes, but it is essential to have a place where you can workin a organized and efficient manner. An office plus a strictworking schedule gives you dignity. Both are absolutely essentialfor efficient operation and accurate record keeping, so importantto the success of any business.
9. BE INVOLVED. Most sales organization offer contests tostimulate production. Include winning contests as part of yourbusiness goals. Contests make your business fun as well as addingconsiderable dollar value to your income. One of my prizedpossessions is a lovely grandfather clock earned as a contestprize.
10. LEARN TO HANDLE MONEY INTELLIGENTLY. A regular nine-to-fivejob usually means a paycheck at the end of the second week.Direct sales "reps" handle money constantly. Direct sales isinstant income and constant income. Therefore. it is absolutelynecessary to become an efficient money manager.
I trained organization to deposit every penny collected fromclients into a checking account set up especially for itsbusiness. Since bank statements show an exact record of allmonies collected, and business expenses can be verified bycancelled checks, record keeping becomes simple and accurate.Everything except a few "petty cash" transactions can be directlytaken from bank statements.
Money saved regularly and put at interest, soon develops a secondincome in addition to earned income. A long-term goal, which isrealistic in direct sales, is to be able to live in retirementoff the interest earned on savings.
Would financial security mean a lot to you? If so, ask yourselfthese 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, I encourage you to find a good productfor the direct sales market, one that you like, one that fillsthe need of a lot of people, and go to work for yourself! .Youcan turn dreams into reality.