Charlotte Howard Consulting Blog

Every year there are many men and women all over the world signing up with direct selling businesses. Just to name a few you may be familiar with Melaleuca, Amway, or Ardyss hoping to make money enough for a new car,a new house, or maybe even some new clothes. They sell a little products or merchandises to a few relatives and close friends.

Then they are quick to say ok I’m done now.Before they even give themselves the ability to learn the basic skills of success in business. 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 the right techniques. Success in sales makes use of all the abilities one is born with, plus all those acquired through the law of education and experience.

If you are looking for an opportunity to help with your family budget, direct selling offers you unlimited possibilities. However, you must give yourself time to learn the techniques of business overall. Ask yourself. “How long does it take a doctor,cosmetologist, or lawyer has to study to be the best in their profession?”

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 $300.

Rewards For Direct Sales Professionals:

1. You are the boss
2. You set your own hours.
3. You own your own businesses with little or no investment.
4. You write your own paychecks.

It is only fair to tell you that there are failures in direct sales too.
There are people who will not work for themselves as hard as they work for others. 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 PJ’s.

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.

YOUR TEN STEPS FOR 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? 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 road map 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 ATTITUDE. 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 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,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. It’s time to make your dream a reality!

About the Author:

Charlotte Howard is a Business Consultant and Founder of Charlotte Howard Consulting LLC. Grab Charlotte’s FREE click by click training for Traditional Business Owners and Home-Based Business Owners.

Copyright © 2009 Charlotte Howard Consulting, LLC. All rights reserved.

The rules of using attraction based principles to grow your Avon business are quite simple. For starters, you have to be a people person. This means you need to enjoy all types of people and have the ability to work with everyone as well as making them like you. Once they like you, they will trust you and your products.

Selling your products to the public, you sometimes have to be pushy, yet with Avon it sells itself. You do not have to be pushy, only helpful. There is the key, persuasion. Show your catalog of products and the customer will fall in love with the products if for no other reason than it is an Avon product. Avon is a trusted and prestigious name.

The second rule of attraction based principle is to make it a fun experience for your customer. People love to buy. You make it fun for them and they will come back to you since they enjoyed their buying experience.

Change your thinking from the salesperson to being a leader. You will need to identify any possible concerns or frustrations with your clients. Lead the customer through their difficult situations before selling them the products. Once you help them deal with the situations, the sale will follow.

Make the products irresistible to the customer. Make your customer feel they need this certain product to enrich their lives, which will lead to a sale. For the woman wanting to deal with the wrinkles from aging, show her the anti-aging creams along with how the pictures of how it worked for others.

Seeing is believing the product will work for her too. Offer a return on the products so the customer does not regret their purchase. Avon does offer this so stand by the policy for all of your customers. The policy creates a new relationship between you and your customer.

They know they can purchase a product without the “buyer’s remorse” so many have felt in the past for spending too much money on their purchases. You will have to learn to use the applied principles to increase your Avon business.

It takes knowing how to make the buying experience pleasant for the customers from the beginning until after them receiving the products. Taking the time to be a sensitive, caring, and genuine person will make the difference between selling a product once and having returning customers that look forward to the next contact they have with you.

Shine as only you can shine for your customers. Provide them with the type of service you want to receive. Your Avon business will grow when you apply these attraction based principles.

About the Author:

Charlotte Howard is a Hair Expert and Founder of
Charlotte Howard Consulting LLC. Grab Charlotte’s FREE click
by click training for Hair Marketing and Hair Industry Experts.
Copyright © 2009 Charlotte Howard and The Hair Marketing Gal