20 Direct Sales Lessons in 20 Years

After working in Direct Sales for 20 years, I have found a ton of HAPPINESS and also a ton of HARD LESSONS. I have learned A LOT about this industry, and what works and what doesn’t. I am sure that there are many more lessons than just 20…in fact, I had to make myself stop writing when I got to twenty, I could have gone on & on & on! Some are hard to face, and some are even a little cliche because they’ve been said over and over and over again. Here are 20 Direct Sales Lessons that stand out on top:YOU are the only person responsible for your success.

Your business, no matter how good or how not-so-good, is EXACTLY where you’ve built it. 

Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re RIGHT.

When you hit a low point, you HAVE to keep working; a high point will be just around the corner.

Most people quit before they give themselves a chance to SUCCEED.

Take risks. It’s not easy, but it’s WORTH it.

Companies create incentives to help you build a strong business…GO FOR THEM, always.

Whether you have 1 guest or 30, give your BEST party every time. 

If you say you’re going to do something, do it.

Attend EVERY possible training.

Don’t recreate the wheel, DUPLICATE what is working for others. 

Find someone you want to MODEL your business after, and learn as much as you can by watching them.

Touch your business EVERYDAY.

Stay away from the anchors, and surround yourself with the MOTORS. 

Dream in DETAIL.

WRITE out your goals.

HELP others, and start building a Team right away.

LEARN as much about the Company, the Industry, your Products, and your Clients as possible.

Utilize the RESOURCES your company gives you.

Complaining will get you no where. Cut the excuses and JUST DO IT.

Did any of these stand out to you? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below, or feel free to leave YOUR top lesson…afterall, I am always looking to learn more!

Happy Growing!~ Kim Denne

How to Approach Strangers with your Avon business

How to approach strangers with your Avon business

People always ask me…how do you approach strangers…

Everybody always asks me…WHAT DO YOU SAY….when you hand out sample packs/mini catalogs??

They say…“I just don’t know what to say”

Ready for it??? This is monumental…this is going to be a turning point in your career….pay very close attention…..you ready for it????……………..”Do you mind if I leave this with you?” 

-she’ll say……. “Sure, what is it?”
-and you’ll say…. “I help people with their beauty needs”. Don’t just say…I sell Avon. But say, I help people with their beauty needs, you peek their interest and open the conversation to…”really? what do you do?” or “how”.

**if she acts interested at all, you say…if you write your name and email down I can add you to my email list and you’ll be the first to see all the new products. A great way to remind yourself to do this is to put a post it note on the front of each sample pack or  mini catalog.

All you need to make your own is…………

-a mini catalog (Outlet or flyers) (optional)

-a mini opportunity booklet (or any opportunity flyer you have)

-Fundraiser flyer

-business card with a Coupon on it

- 1 or 2 samples (fragrance, cologne, lipstick bullet, etc.) 

 ****Side note: you can place everything inside a small snack bag or with the mini-catalog staple the flyer or insert the flyers inside the catalog

#1 Where do you put the mini catalogs/sample packs?

IN YOUR PURSE!!
IN YOUR CD VISOR
IN YOUR FRONT SEAT

**every Sunday….make up 25 mini’s….and put half of them in your purse and half of them in your CAR! Your job each week is to hand out 25 mini catalogs/sample packs a week to complete strangers…

Who do you leave them with??

*** EVERYONE!!!! When you go into the……

-grocery store, give it to the teller
-bank, send it in the tube
-gas station, give it to the clerk
-library, give it to the lady checking you out
-walmart, give it to the cashier
-doctor, leave some for the staff
-dollar store, give to the cashier
-WORK…leave in the BATHROOMS, breakrooms…
-servers….attach your bill to the mini catalog

ANYONE you come into contact with. And when you get really good at this…you not only go into the dollar store you intended to, but you go into the store NEXT DOOR! Why not? You’re already THERE!

AND WHAT DO WE SAY WHEN WE HAND THEM OUT????? “Do you mind if I leave this with you???”

Now one more thing that’s fun to do……

You CAN get some kiddy looking goody bags and a sticker book, mini notepads, and a pack of 64 crayons at your dollar store. Put some stickers, two sheets of paper folded over, 2 crayons, and a mini catalog packet. Hand them to rowdy kids in stores-the moms will love you.

Fun-Der-Ful ways to Connect with your Customers

Fun-Der-Ful ways to Connect with your Customers

®Copyright 2011 Christie Northrup

Mr. Lemon Aid and I travel quite a bit; we're headed to Connecticut early tomorrow morning.

I'm not a big souvenir shopper, unless it's a regional cookbook, but what I LOVE to BUY are postcards. Sometimes I mail them to my cute grandkids in Las Vegas, but mostly I bring them back home with me and then I

SEND FUN-DER-FUL MESSAGES TO CUSTOMERS, HOSTS AND PROSPECTS

Here are some examples:

1. Postcard from New York City showing Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges with my message for a recruit prospect:

Do you need a bridge to fill the gap between your bills (the ones you pay) and your bills (the ones you earn)? Let's talk about bridging any troubled financial waters..

2. Postcard from the Chattanooga Choo Choo for a meeting reminder:

"Choose choose you" to climb aboard the meeting express for great ideas and train-ing on date/time/place.

3. Postcard with skyline of Houston, Texas with an inset of a license plate sent to someone who completed leadership education:

You now have your license to lead a "Texas-size" team!

4. Postcard with picture of Florida beach and two empty beach chairs with the heading:

 "I've saved a spot for you."

 Mail this to a prospective host with a message on the address side: "on my party calendar. I have three dates open this month."

Look at postcards while you're traveling or in your hometown with a new TWIST. These are very inexpensive ways to impress customers and attract more business.  

Accidental Recruiting

Accidental Recruiting

                        ©Copyright 2011 Christie Northrup, The Lemon Aid Lady™

                    

Most direct sales consultants began their businesses by accident. They happened to be in the path of a consultant who "hit" them. Probably not in a literal sense. However, they could have been at a party and one of their friends hit their shoulder or knee and said, "You should be a consultant." Or maybe as a party guest, they had so much fun the thought "hit" them that they could do what the consultant is doing. Or, when they went to place a reorder for product, the idea "hit them" that if they were a consultant, they could service themselves and their friends. Perhaps they were "hit" when a consultant gave them a catalog or business card. Or when they saw a booth at a fair or an advertisement in a magazine.

Direct sales consultants who recruit the most, cause the most accidents!  The best way to have the most accidents is to be more active in your business.

Athletes have many more sports accidents than couch potatoes because they are on the
playing field. Young children have more accidents than adults because they are more curious and active. Commuters who drive to work have more car accidents because they drive more miles. There are no real statistics to back my opinion up, it's simply common sense. The more often you're in a situation, the more experiences you'll have in that situation.

The obvious direct sales model for recruiting more new consultants is that:
● The more parties you hold, the more recruits you'll meet.
● The more catalogs you give out and names you collect, the more people will ask about your
business.
● The more product you sell, the more people will be using your merchandise, the more curious  they'll be about how they'll make money telling their friends about what they use and love.
● The more contacts you make the more opportunity for people to "run into" you

The best insurance you have for success in your direct sales business is to create more and more happy, profitable accidents by recruiting.