Archive for November, 2008

Making the most of your Direct Sales holiday selling season: Meeting the needs of stressed out moms.

The holidays are fast upon us and as work at home moms we know how it feels to have just one more thing to think about! Meant to be a time of excitement, joy, memories and fun, often the holidays drive the home based business mom over the edge and into the land of stress and craziness.

But you, Direct Sales Mom, have what many of those stressed out moms need this time of the year. You have the gift of GIFTS! Without having to battle the lines at Kohl’s or the mall, moms can email or call you and have their holiday shopping done without even leaving the house! By adding a little sparkle of “extra mile” to your already excellent customer service skills, you can help busy moms everywhere bring back the joy and fun this holiday season.

So, let’s talk about what you can do in your direct sales business to help these over the edge moms starting today!

** Give them a simple organization gift – Send out a blank wish list sheet to your customer mailing list. Offer it as a gift to new subscribers to your newsletter list too. This can be as simple as a chart with columns and rows for “Name” and “Gift” for them to keep track as they shop. It’s a nice gesture and could be just what an overwhelmed mom needs to help her get organized with this part of the season. You can create one yourself in word or excel, or search the web for some fancier templates. Just make sure it has your resource box on there, “Compliments of…” so they know who to call!

** Offer gift-wrapping and “delivered to their door” service for moms who purchase gifts from you. Yes, it might cost you a little more, but think of the help you’re giving to another mom and the potential for future business you’re generating by the sacrifice.

** Group your products into gift packages. Get creative here ladies. Take a good look throughout your catalog and create lovely packages of complimentary products at various price points. Do the thinking for your customers to take away one more layer of stress. Go beyond just suggesting and up selling and create packages with package pricing so all they have to do is call or email you and say, “I want 3 of that $15 package you mentioned on your email”. Offer the gift-wrapping above and include that in your package pricing to make it even easier for them.

** Provide gift certificate services so your customers can give your catalog and the certificate as a gift. Not only does this help your customer with her stress level, but it gives you the opportunity to win over a new customer as well.

** Most of all brainstorm about what would help YOU feel more relaxed about your holiday shopping this holiday season and then see how you can help other moms in the same way.

Make the most of your holiday selling season by reaching out and helping others. You’ll be glad you did!

It’s time for new beginnings. Even in the direct sales field this time of the year many stay at home moms are considering and signing up for direct sales businesses to help bring additional income and fun into their family life!

But Direct Sales is work for those who want it to be more than just a hobby and moms have a full and busy life already. So how does a new (or seasoned) direct seller work smarter and not harder to be successful? Let’s talk about some easy and inexpensive ways to work smart this season and beyond.

1. Use your company tools. I know… this sounds like a no brainer but I’ve heard countless stories of women who jump into a direct sales business and are convinced that they can do it better on their own and ignore the systems and tools that their company has put into place. All GOOD direct sales companies have fabulous training, promotional materials and a system for how to use them already in place. Follow their simple steps consistently and you will see results. Use your company-sponsored materials and save an incredible amount of time not having to create your own flyers, business cards, etc. They might be a tad more expensive, but well worth it in professional look and ease.

2. Use your upline. She WANTS to work with you and will probably have some great tried and true ideas to share. Most of the time her success is dependent on your success so let her know your goals and dreams for your business. Share your ideas with her and get her feedback. Ask lots of questions and most of all… do what she says. Much of direct sales and network marketing is duplication so if you have a successful upline, just do what she does… and you won’t know what she does unless you ask her! Even if your upline is only a few days newer to the business than you, contact her and 3way in with her sponsor or the company directly.

3. Use a schedule. Do something that’s income producing on your business every single day….even if it’s only 15 minutes a day. Set a schedule for your “office hours” so that hubby and the kids know that if it’s 7:00pm Mom’s going to be on the phone or at the computer. Use those 15 minutes to work on things that actually bring you money- not checking your email or im-ing your best friend. Call a potential hostess or customer, place a pay-per-click ad for your business, call and invite your friends to an open house, etc. Do those things that have the potential to put money in your pocket as a result of doing them.

4. Use learning. There are people in the world who have made millions in direct sales and now are sharing their knowledge and expertise with the masses. Even as a longtime direct seller myself, I am constantly learning and listening and growing by purchasing learning tools or getting business books at the library. Schedule a time each week for learning and then practice or try the things that you hear and read. Direct Sales is not rocket science but there is always something more to learn about yourself and your business. And you never know when one little nugget of wisdom from someone might mean the turning point in your business. Talk with your sponsor about what she’s read but start your own personal library as well. You’ve got a great resource right here – print out the articles on this website and use a highlighter to capture the “ah has” for your own business!

5. Use technology. I cannot stress enough the fabulous time savers I’ve found through technology. The use of an auto-responder alone has increased my capabilities ten fold. Not techno savvy? Invest in a good virtual assistant and have her use the technology for you. Can’t afford the tools or a VA? Search the Internet for the tremendous free tools that are available to start with – but just remember, you get what you pay for. Free tools are fine to help you see the benefits of using the systems but as soon as you can, upgrade to a system that will work the best rather than just the cheapest. You’ll be glad you did.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of working smarter in your business, but it’s a start. Use this season to get a fresh start with your direct sales business!

Experienced Freelancers and VAs for All of Your Business Needs

Although I love the possibilities of the Internet for marketing and building your direct sales business, there’s nothing like the good old mail system for getting your name around your community and in front of your customers. Here are some tips for a successful direct mail marketing campaign for your direct sales business.

1. Get a system. Before you even start with the first mailing, think about your plan of attack. Think through your mailing budget, your goals for the mailing, and your system of follow up, etc. Without a good plan and system, direct mail campaigns can really be just a major waste of money. Sit down right now and write down:

a. Your goal for your mailing: What are you promoting and what do you hope to happen when someone receives your print piece? Are you looking for a new customer? A recruit? People to attend an open house? Your goal here will determine your audience as well as your follow up plan.

b. Your budget: How much do you want to spend on this campaign? Factor in postage, printing costs, etc. If, for instance, your goal from this campaign is to get 10 customers to attend an open house, you’ll need to mail out at least 30 print pieces. Decide now if that should be a post card, flyer or full newsletter.

c. Your timeline: What all needs to happen after you send out the mailing? In our open house example, for instance, you would want to allow for print time, mailing time, follow up calls and event planning time once you know your attendance. Chart all of this on a calendar so you know exactly when that print piece needs to be in the mail and follow your timeline to make sure you don’t miss any steps.

2. Don’t forget follow up: As with anything in direct sales, the money is in the follow up. If you’re not planning to follow up after you’ve mailed your print piece then you may as well not waste your time or money doing it at all. People are busy these days and often your flyer or postcard will end up in the “I’ll look at that later” pile, never to be looked at again until it’s too late. If, however you follow your timeline above and follow up with the folks to whom you are mailing your print piece, you provide another contact point and a better chance of sealing the deal.

3. Be a generous direct mailer: Somewhere on your print piece should be a free incentive for taking action. Offer a free gift for RSVPing, a free sample when they call for more information, a free ANYTHING to encourage them to call. Mention it on your follow up call as well. People respond to “free” and it helps to build confidence in you as a direct sales rep.

4. Use your company materials. Whenever possible, use your company printed materials in your direct mailings. Most direct sales companies offer fabulous professional print pieces that, again, help to build confidence in your potential customers and recruits when they see the quality of those flyers or post cards. If your company does not have a preprinted glossy brochure, post card or flyer that will work for your campaign, take the time to make a professional looking piece. Post cards and flyers from online vendors are usually very inexpensive and look much better than something you’d just print off the PC. Saves ink too!

Whatever direct sales business you are in, consider doing some direct mail campaigns this year. Make a plan and timeline and stick to it. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at this relatively inexpensive way to advertise your business.

One new way that I’ve found to maximize the benefits of direct mail and still manage my life is to use the system created at Send Out Cards. Visit SendOutCards.com/24356 to find out more about it or send us a quick email and we’ll walk you through how this can boost your business into high gear!!!