Books at DWSA are on sale!

PeachTree Accounting – A great software package for your accounting, and for $23 bucks, you truly cannot go wrong!  The only problem with using slightly older software is payroll issues, but this likely is not an issue with your direct sales business.

PeachTree First Edition 2012 – This version is for a business starting out or more basic, which may be just fine for your direct sales business.  But, the full version is actually a much better deal right now!

Maybe a book to help you learn PeachTree might be a good idea.

Looking for new hosting?  Check out HostGator. Thats where this blog is hosted!

Need your own domain name?  Head on over to GoDaddy!  Always deals happening!

Have you heard of top loading your month before?  Do you know what it means?  This is a new term to me me, but one that totally makes sense in the Direct sales industry.  This is an especially important concept if you are trying to meet a monthly quota or goal in any given month.

Top loading means you book all your parties/events in the first three weeks of the month and then you leave your last week open.  This way you have room to book people in if they have to cancel or reschedule or maybe those that contact you at the last minute to have a party.  By having the last week open, you are able to still fit them in and make that quota that you are aiming for.  And if you have already hit it, then they will just be gravy parties that you fit in.

Top loading your month can be especially important if you are just starting out or if you are having a tough time meeting quotas or goals within the month.  This is also helpful for those that do not do a lot of events each month and may have a harder time controlling their calendar.

Another thing to consider when you are booking people is to consider how far out you are booking them.  I suggest only booking them a week or two from today’s date.  The reason for this is that people do not know what they are doing a month from now so are more likely to cancel on you if you press them into a date right now.  But if you book them for next Wednesday, they likely know what they are doing and will have an easier time committing and actually following through.

By doing this, you can top load your month and as the month goes by, and your parties are holding, you can book out the last week of the month without any difficulty.  While you may have a hard time convincing people to book now instead a month later, you need to just make sure you stick to your policy of only booking out a month in advance.

At the beginning of the month you are feeling very positive but a cancellation can really depress you.  But if you have room to reschedule them within the same month, your month still looks good and you are able to make up those sales and make your goals.

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Sharon has been involved in direct sales for almost five years in two different industries and is currently a Platinum consultant with Gold Canyon Candles.  If you love having your house smell wonderful when using wicks or without wicks, you can buy Gold Canyon products at her website http://mygc.com/skcandles

People in direct sales feel that when they are calling someone, they are doing a cold call.  But if you have met this person, they have expressed an interest in your product, or they have asked to be put on your email list, they are a warm lead.  A cold lead is someone you have never spoken to or has never been spoken to on your behalf.   But it is possible to turn a cold lead into a hot lead and here are some ideas to help you.

Build a Relationship

Likely you are calling these leads as you are wanting them to purchase something from you.  But right now, they do not know you and therefore do not trust you.  You need to change this.  Start out by sounding sincere and telling them what you can do for them and engage them in conversation.  Listen for tidbits that you could use to help the conversation move along.  For instance, they might mention that they were out buying hockey equipment earlier for little Bobby.  Later on in the conversation, it may be appropriate to say something like if they were to sell 3 units; chances are it would be enough to cover some of Bobby’s hockey expenses.  This helps to build trust.

Adapt

When cold calling, you have to adapt to any situation you find yourself in.  You may start out with a script, but remember it is just a guideline.  After the first few calls, you may find it is not working as well and you can adapt it.  Chances are you will always be changing it up and finding ways to make it better.  If the call gets off track, or you get lost, you can always go back to your script to get back to where you want to.

Tone of Voice

Make your tone of voice match the person you are calling.  If they speak fast, then you should speak fast.  If they are quiet, lower your volume as well.  Make sure you are smiling when you speak to them no matter how you feel as this can go through the telephone line and they can tell.  Laugh when the situation calls for it; it adds to the trust and makes you seem more genuine.

Handling Rejection

A lot of people are not going to be interested in what you are calling them for.  Do not take it personally, it is nothing you have done wrong, it is just the product.  For instance, you may be selling baby products but the person you are calling is a single male in his 20’s.  He likely has absolutely no reason to use the product.  But you could turn it around and ask if he knows anyone that might be looking for what you are offering.

Cold calling is not something for every body and it is not necessarily going to be a successful method of marketing for you and your business, but it is something that many people try.  Depending on what you are selling, you may have success but without building trust, you will not accomplish much.

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Sharon has been involved in direct sales for almost five years in two different industries and is currently a Platinum consultant with Gold Canyon Candles.  If you love having your house smell wonderful when using wicks or without wicks, you can buy Gold Canyon products at her website http://mygc.com/skcandles

there and the choices can be overwhelming.  Sometimes you will find a company that is brand new and it looks attractive as everything is wide open for you to get in and be very successful.  But, there is more to consider than just getting in on the ground floor as startups can be more risky.

Knowledge

Do these people know anything about the direct sales industry or been involved it before?  While the concept of direct sales sounds simple and easy, there are many different things to be considered.  For instance, can consultants sell the product all over the country or are there restrictions in some areas so you cannot recruit there?  Who is responsible for paying any taxes to the government?  How is product going to ship to consultants?  What type of commission will consultants make?  For someone who does not know the industry, some of these considerations can be very daunting.

Financial

How is the company financed?  Have people invested their own funds or has it all come from the bank?  How long has the company been in operations?  Even if you are just hearing of it, it is possible it has been around for several years.  For instance, my company had only been in Canada for just over a year when I joined but had been in the States for over 10 years.

Compensation Plan

There is more to consider than just getting in on the ground floor.  Does the company offer a good compensation plan to consultants?  This would be commission on personal sales and any people that they recruit.  If they only offer you 5% of your sales in commissions, it likely is not a company you want to join.  But on the other hand, if they offer 50% commission, the question is whether that is actually sustainable in the long term and if you will make sales at the price that products are at to support that level of compensation.

Product Choice

How much product is available for customers and is it available elsewhere?  If you are selling the exact same thing that is sold at Walmart, you may have difficulty selling it at parties.  But if your product is exclusive to your party plan or you have a better version of the Walmart product, then it should be okay.  You also want to know if the consultants have any say about new product that the company makes available.

Know the Story

It is always nice to know why the company started and sometimes that can make the difference to people considering signing up.  There are many people that like to support the little guy and will join a company that was a Mom and Pop operation before they will join a company that was started by a big corporation to get bigger.

The biggest factor when joining a direct ales company is finding one that fits your needs, whether they are new or old.  Do your research and find out the answers to your key questions and concerns before making any decision.

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Sharon has been involved in direct sales for almost five years in two different industries and is currently a Platinum consultant with Gold Canyon Candles.  If you love having your house smell wonderful when using wicks or without wicks, you can buy Gold Canyon products at her website http://mygc.com/skcandles

Quite often when you attend training for direct sales, you will hear people talking about scripts.  These are pre-written little speeches or ideas to help you with phone calls or other aspects of your business.   If you are not using them, you may be losing out on some good connections and possibly parties and bookings.

A script is written to guide you when you are in a situation where you are uncomfortable or just not sure what to say.  A great example is one that you use when you are making calls in regards to get bookings.  A lot of people are nervous when making phone calls and when they get nervous, they hum and haw, forget what they are calling for, and just make a muddle of it. A script will remind you what to say and keep you on track.

Your script does not have to be fancy and it does not have to be written by your upline or top of your company to be effective.  It can be something that you write down before you start making your calls.  You determine what your priorities are and how best to say them.  This will get the conversation started and you will be fine beyond that.  If you feel you may get flustered with other details, make a script for them too.

For instance, you are doing some calls for bookings.  So you would write up a script to help you with the call.

“Hi Sue, this is Sharon calling from ABC Company.   We met when Cynthia had her party a few weeks ago.  You had given me your contact information and indicated you were interested in having your own party in a little bit and I just wanted to check in with you.  Have you thought about it any further? “

That is a way to help you start the call and see what happens.  From there, she may say she was interested and ask about the specials this month.  You may have another script prepared for this as well due to there being so many options or just so you do not forget them.

“Sue, we have awesome specials this month for our hostesses.  First of all, any hostess who gets $300 in sales, which is below my party average, gets a Free A for hosting!   Then, when you hit $500, you will get a B for free as well!  Of course, you still get your regular benefits of $40 free product and a half off item at $400 dollars, and 1 item from our hostess only program!  We don’t want your friends feeling left out – they qualify for any C item for free when they spend $40!  Isn’t that great?  Do you have a date in mind?”

Having a script will help your calls go smoother and eventually your phone will no longer weigh 100 pounds.  Calls will be a piece of cake and you will wonder why you were ever scared of them in the first place!

One of the best ways to get better at your direct sales or MLM business is to share with others. I’m curious what your favorite tips are to do business with your direct sales business? How do you get more clients or sign ups? Do you cold call? Do you buy leads? Do you talk to friends and family? What is your favorite method? If you buy leads where do you buy them from?

Let me know your answers below!

When talking about leads in terms of direct sales businesses, most leads basically fall into one of two categories: warm or cold.

Cold leads are leads that you have no prior information about. These are the type of leads that you can buy. They might be targeted but they still involve contacting strangers and trying to sell them something. This is usually done over the phone or on the Internet. You can buy lists of leads from lead generation companies with varying results. Cold leads can be a numbers game. You usually have to contact quite a few of them before you find ones that will convert.

Warm leads are people that you know by name. These could be your friends, family members, or co-workers. These are considered warm because these people already have some degree of trust in you. A lot of people find it easier to share their excitement about a product with someone they already know could be interested. It also doesn’t cost any money to use this type of lead. The only problem with warm leads is that rejection from family and friends can feel personal even if it’s not.

There are also some leads that may fall somewhere between these two types. Lukewarm leads are leads that you have gotten through the contact form on your website or people you have met at functions. They aren’t necessarily cold leads in the sense that they are probably interested to some degree but at the same time you don’t really know them so they can’t be considered warm. This type of lead can convert well if you respond quickly and effectively.

1. Create name tags before the party with the guests’ names on one side and a number on the other. Have guests wear name tags and go around and introduce themselves to as many people as possible. Then have them turn their name tags over. Give everyone a numbered list and have them try to recall as many names as possible.

2. Question Sheets. Give everyone a sheet of paper with questions designed to get to know each other. Some questions you might use are: Who has visited the most countries? Who has the biggest pet? Who has been married the longest? Then compare the correct answers.

3. Name Game. Everyone has to write down their name and then make up a sentence where each word begins with each letter of their name in order. Then everyone takes turns introducing themselves and sharing their sentence. This usually results in hilarious sentences so it’s a great way to get the whole crowd laughing.

4. Famous Person Name. Tape a paper with the name of a famous person on the back of each guest. As they mingle, they have to ask other guests yes or no questions to try and guess the name on their back. The first person to guess correctly wins.

5. Penny Game. Hand each guest a penny. Then have them take turns introducing themselves to the group and telling everyone what they did during the year printed on the penny.

A great way to host a memorable party is to incorporate games into your party plans. The worst thing you can do is just give your product presentation and pressure people to buy. A direct sales party should be fun and keep guests entertained. If you are looking for some different games you can play to get all your guests involved, here are a few suggestions.

Purse Scavenger Hunt: Send guests on a hunt through their purses for particular items. For example, the first person to find an item that starts with the letter “R” wins a prize. You can also use items as segues into recruiting for multilevel marketing. For example, after asking guests to find their checkbook you could then ask if they wish their balance was higher and explain how party plans can help.

Clothespin Game: Distribute clothespins to everyone as they walk in the door. They should wear their clothespin somewhere visible. Any time they see another guest crossing or uncrossing their legs, they receive that guest’s clothespins. Whoever has the most clothespins at the end of the party wins a prize.

Guess the Price: Ask for a few volunteers and give each one a deck of cards. Select a few of your products and ask the volunteers to guess the total price by laying down the appropriate cards. For example, number cards can be worth $5, face cards $10, and aces $20. Guests can use the catalog and shout out hints to the volunteers such as “higher” or “lower”. This is a great way to show off products that are cheaper than most people would expect.

With a direct sales business, sometimes you feel like you have exhausted all the avenues of finding sales leads. While researching other sources of leads, perhaps you’ve heard about purchasing phone leads for multilevel marketing. Is this a good idea?

Generally speaking, purchasing phone leads is not the best way to get leads. One problem with lead generation companies is that the leads are not well-screened. The person you call might have no interest whatsoever. Lead companies sometimes recycle their lists so they can sell them to other people so you may be paying for people who have already been contacted by several of your competitors.

Another problem with purchasing leads is that many of them can be outdated. You have no way of knowing when the contact information was collected and people could have moved or changed phone numbers in the meantime. It’s hard to know exactly what you’re getting when you spend money on phone leads.

The best way to get leads for party plans and other direct sales businesses is by using your own website. That is the only way to ensure that the leads are genuinely interested. If you have the budget to buy leads, there are a few more cost-efficient ways to invest that money in your business. You could hire a writer to write a few articles about party plans and then use them to get backlinks to your website. This will increase your exposure and search engine ranking. Set up a contact form on your website to collect phone numbers and then you have your very own targeted phone leads.

If you are really stuck and looking to purchase phone leads, you need to conduct some research to make sure you are buying them from a reputable company that does not resell their lists.