Mary Kay and Avon got the ball rolling. They broke hallowed ground in the business world where only men had previously tread. What exactly is meant by ‘direct sales’? Why is it a strong venture possibility? Why now? This article will ‘break it down’ for you.

Direct sales means earning a percentage commission from selling directly to an end user. There is no ‘middle-person’ as when a manufacturer sells to a local merchant who then retails the goods in their store to the end user.

There are major benefits to direct sales for women:

1) Work from home: Business costs associated with your home office become tax deductions. Gas money is no longer a consideration. You can work while your children are napping. Personal satisfaction can be obtained from helping others succeed at the same time you do.

With a laptop computer, your business can be portable. Take it to the sidelines of your child’s soccer practice.

2) Scheduling: Your schedule is divined by your priorities, not dictated by someone else–huge! You can determine how many hours you want to work per week. You can work late at night, after traditional business hours or on weekends if you choose to.

3) Earning potential: The sky is the limit! It is your efforts, your creativity and your dedication that fuel your success. Presently, direct sales exceed $29 billion in the U.S. and $114 billion globally (Source: Direct Selling Association, 2010). Not small change.

4) The Internet: In addition, many, but not all, of these businesses have no inventory requirement. Online ordering expedites direct mailing.

The internet also mitigates some of the negatives that have kept women from pursuing this kind of venture in the past. Many women do not want to approach friends for anything other than pure, old fashioned socializing.

The thought of using friends for referral business in unacceptable to these women. The thought of home parties with a sales agenda is even worse.

Through various online marketing techniques, all of these drawbacks can be curtailed and even eliminated. All contact is made from home.

Communication skills, particularly the written word, are still necessary. This is not an automatic business. It is still powered by human brains, creativity and drive.

The ability to converse intelligently on the phone is needed as well. Not galling issues for adults who do these things daily.

The internet has exploded marketing businesses from home. Put the old negatives on the shelf. Do your research and find a coach who will guide you in duplicating what is tried and has proved successful.  The time has never been more ripe for women to pursue direct selling opportunities. If not now, when?

To find out more about exciting direct selling opportunities for women, hurry to http://www.maestromom.com 
To check out a mom who works from home and loves it, please also visit http://www.maestrocasa.com

Direct selling is a popular career choice for many individuals in these tough economic conditions and there is nothing more self-satisfying that being successful. In the modern age, we can’t deny the fact that these companies such as Avon, Mary Kay, Amway etc have been well accepted by the general public. Therefore, it is no surprise find both men and women signing on their application forms and have these as their main source of income. In fact, many of these individuals succeeded in buying their own cars and even homes through direct selling; but just how do they do it? Just continue reading and you will find out.

The Internet is a potpourri of information. You can easily avail tips to be successful in direct selling. Having mentioned that, I have some personal 7 useful tips to share with you in order to be successful in direct selling.

• Manage your time – Time indeed equates to money! When it comes to direct selling, every minute you waste, is a dollar lost. You will need to manage your time well between setting appointments, going for product discussions, group discussions in addition to your own personal activities.
• Set realistic goals – When you enter the direct selling industry, it is important to know what are the things that you should be accomplishing. You can write down your goals and take the necessary steps needed in order to achieve them. Do not set goals that is impossible to achieve. Divide them into short and long-term goals.
• Have a positive attitude – Success is not just about working hard. Actually success is mainly made up of having a positive attitude (at least 90%). Having a positive attitude in direct selling means not giving up easily after failures in getting sales.
• Take control- It is most vital that you take control of your own course. Never be afraid to ask if you are unsure. When there is an opening for a business opportunity, take control and move in at the right time!
• Have a work space – Whether it is in an office or from your own home, it is imperative that you feel comfortable working in your work space. It should also be a space that will motivate you to work harder.
• Finance management – In direct selling, it is important to become a professional in managing your finances. This is because often than not, your income is mainly based on sales commissions; without which you will have practically little or no income at all even.
• Be excited – This means that you have to show your prospective customers that you yourself is every bit excited in the product/service that you are trying to sell.

Direct selling involves a lot of patience and effort. However, the efforts will be well worth it as you have every chance to succeed.

Pinky is a mom with 3 school children. A Systems Engineer, an Independent Medical Billing and Coding Consultant. Her blog focuses on stay-at-home moms, dads and students who wants to work at home, build home based business or just browsing her blog with a lot of information to gain! Visit her useful blog at http://ezonlinebusiness.blogspot.com/ and website at http://www.mommyisworkingathome.com

Since the 1950s, people have been working at home with direct sales or “party plans”. Avon, Mary Kay and Tupperware have been selling in this way for the past 50 years, with agents going door to door or having product parties in their homes. There are still jobs like this today but also the option to use the internet to boost sales and offers an alternative way of working, especially people who have children to look after or who are disabled.

Direct sales literally means one person selling to another. The seller becomes a consultant or representative for the company and will sell the company’s products for commission. The seller will have access to training resources and support but will also be an independent business owner.

If you do not want to work the traditional party plan method, you can opt to work online instead since literally millions of people have internet access and you might be selling what they are looking for. A lot of companies provide websites which you pay a monthly fee for. Customers can find you by looking through the main page and placing orders on the website.

Some companies allow their consultants to advertise their business through email, on their signature line in forums or by purchasing advertising space on other people’s websites. You can gain new recruits by doing this or sell your products. Some companies however ban online advertising, so check their policy before you sign up, if you prefer to advertise this way. It is free to use a signature line but the price of advertising does vary. It is a good idea to experiment with advertising what works and what does not before ploughing a lot of money into it.

You can actually have a “virtual party” now in a web conference room instead of someone’s living room, thanks to technology
. The hostess gets a link to the room and she emails the guests. Then you can upload pictures of what you are selling and give a presentation using the microphone on your computer. The guests listen through their speakers so make sure you sound positive and full of energy.

You could choose to play games and give the winners prizes. If the guests have questions, they can type them to you. the online guests might be able to order products online or they might have to send payment and an order form, depending on the company’s policies.

There are thousands of direct sales companies around today. They offer everything from pet food, craft supplies and clothing to gourmet ingredients. You might want to check out a few direct sales companies offering products which interest you, if you fancy trying your hand at this way of selling.

You should compare the companies before signing up with one. Ask them questions. It is important to find one you can be passionate about because it is difficult to sell something that you aren’t interested in. If you believe in the company and its products, the enthusiasm will come across in your voice when you make presentations. The more you can sell, the more money you can make.

Some of the best work at home business opportunities are direct sales. Whether you are selling Avon, Tupperware, health products or anything else, correct sales techniques can have a big impact on your earnings.

Effective Sales Techniques:

1. Know your customer. This is one of the most important sales techniques in the arsenal. Do some research and understand the types of people that you are selling to. Understanding their needs, desires and concerns is a great way to present a solution that they will surely go for. Different audiences have different problems, as a salesperson you are in essence a problem solver and are there to offer a solution that can change from one customer to another.

2. Know the product. Make sure that you know your business and the product you are selling. Often using the product yourself will allow you to convey a message of reliability, honesty and integrity. You do not want to come across as someone who does not know what they are talking about.

3. Read customer reactions. Another important sale technique is to read customer reactions. Watch the facial, body language and verbal reactions of the customer. Be able to detect, interest and disinterest as well their general reaction to the pitch and the product. Hopefully, the reactions will be positive, because they are interested in what you are selling. If they seem disinterested, remind them of the more prominent points that your product has.

4. Listen to the customer. This sales technique can be crucial to your business success. Do not assume you know what customers want, listen for questions that are overt and covert as well. Be able to answer those questions with expertise and never convey that you don not know something. Make sure that you know the product well enough and all its components and features that you can answer with competence.

5. Emphasize the benefits. Every product has its benefits, and those should always be emphasized. Also, some customers may have very different benefits from the same products, identify those and emphasize the ones that fit a particular audience.

6. Eye contact. This sales technique can go a long way to exhibiting honestly and credibility. Make sure to look your customer in the eye and not convey any kind of hesitation or non-belief in your product.

7. Be professional. Be respectful, speak well and clearly, smile, address the customer properly. Do not use slang, or bad words. Remember that you represent the product and all it has to offer and there is not much time in a sales pitch so first impressions really count.

Utilizing these sales techniques can vastly improve the success of your home business and enhance your earnings and sales.

Learn more about all types of work from home business, direct sales resources, as well as sales business guides and tips at: Work From Home Blog. Including, Work From Home with 16 Freelance Sites.

An online party is also known as a vendor fair or online expo. Online parties can be very beneficial to your business whether you have a business of your own, or if you are in direct sales (selling for another company, such as Avon, Watkins, etc.). Online parties are most popular in the WAHM (Work At Home Mom) circles of the internet, however there are other places to find online parties to sell your products as well.

At an online party, you pay for a time slot (usually either a half hour or a full hour) to advertise to the other party visitors. You get the full time slot to say whatever you would like to about your business, your products, and anything else you would like to tell them. Online parties are held in chat rooms, usually either php-based (which means any browser can use it), or Java based (which means you need to have the ability to run Java applets on your computer). During the party, which usually lasts all day, other vendors who have signed up for spots, as well as people they have invited will generally be in the chat room as well.

It is important that if you do sign up for an online party, that you promote your time slot to customers, and other people on Yahoo Groups, message boards, and newsletters. The more people you can get to come to your party, the better!

Once you have signed up, and paid for your time slot, you simply need to show up at that particular time and give a presentation on your company that you signed up to represent. Start by introducing yourself to whoever else is in the chat room, give a little information about your company, and be sure to include a link to the website address of your company. Then go into a little further detail. Let the others know about specials, discounts, coupons, or products you especially like. Tell them why they would enjoy your products and what makes your products special. Remember that this is an interactive chat room, so you may be asked questions about your company or your products. In fact, you should encourage people to ask questions if they have them, as the more people are involved, the more likely they are to buy from you!

At some online parties, you may be expected to play an online game to give away a prize. Each online party is different, so you will need to ask or read about the requirements for any games before you sign up. If you are expected to run an online game, it is very easy to do, and will help people to get more involved. There are many different types of “games” you can play, but I will go over a couple of the most common used to give you an idea of how they are done. One of the most common types of online party games is the word scramble. You will need a piece of paper and pen to keep track of scores. Make a list of 10 words that have to do with your business, then scramble up the letters of each word. Announce to the chat room what the game is, how it is played, the rules, and of course, the prize. Give out each scrambled word (one at a time), and the first person to enter the correct unscrambled answer gets a point. The person with the most points after you give the entire ten words wins the prize! You can also do a trivia game, and ask people trivia questions about your products after giving them the URL to your website, such as: “How much is a single votive candle?” The first person to answer correctly would then get a point, and the person with the most points at the end of the game would win.

Prizes given away at online parties are usually only small prizes, around $5 or $10 value. Again, be sure to confirm what is expected at the party before signing up.

At the end of the party, about 5 minutes before your time slot is up, you will want to ask again if anyone has any questions, then thank everyone for listening and being at your presentation, and let them know how to contact you if they decide to place an order later.

All in all, online parties are easy to do, relatively cheap to sign up for, and a good way to show off your business to others. Some online party groups are better than others though, so do your research before committing to purchasing a time slot. The best way to see what a particular party site is like is to visit the presentations of others on that site. Simply enter the chat room, and watch how others do it! You can generally get a good feel for the results you would get by watching that chat room and seeing how many people show up, what the participation is like, and what the general “feel” is like.

Stephanie Davies is a 27 year old Missourian with a loving husband and an 8 year old son. She currently owns her own business, Mystickal Incense & More, and sells handmade candles, incense, bath & body products and more at http://www.mystickalincense.com

The Sales MOMS leads program is very exciting. We are able to collect quality leads from Request Information/Catalog Request forms that are located on our network of websites. When a visitor uses this form they tell us what information they are looking for from certain companies or product categories. These are very specific leads that can easily turn into sales and recruits. You pay only for the leads that you receive for your company or product category. This is unheard of in our industry!

TIP:  The Leads Program is a GREAT option for consultants who are not allowed to advertise online due to company policy.

The cost is only $25 per year for maintenance and $8 per company lead. If you are a Premier Partner with Sales MOMS the cost is only $20 per year and $5 per lead!  We only allow one consultant from each company to participate.

We currently have leads waiting for the following companies:

• Fifth Avenue Collection
• Bella Shaye
•  Swiss Colony Occassions
•  AuraStella (2)
•  Stayin Home And Loving It!
• AVON
• Partylite
•  White Lily Candles
•  Shelby’s Soy Candles
•  Uppercase Living
•  DOVE Chocolate Discoveries (6)
•  Celebrating Home
•  Work at Home United
•  Home Interiors
•  Candle Decor & More!
•  Jolica
• Longaberger
• Rodan + Fields Dermatologists
• Purely Gourmet

Please email us at success@salesmoms.com with any questions that you may have or you can visit our website for more information by clicking here. 

So you are looking for a direct sales job. There are a wide range of companies that offer these type of positions.

As an example, Avon, Home And Garden, Tupperware all offer a direct sales job opportunity for those interested in hosting parties that feature these products.

Let us take a look at these conventional opportunities.

Getting started with these companies is relatively easy. Typically you will pay a small starting fee and receive a commission that is a percentage of sales you generate. This can range from 10% to 50%

There are many costs involved with this type of direct sales job.

1. Small fee to get started. (typically any were between $10 and $100)
2. The cost of catalogs.
3. The cost of sample products.
4. Gas and time to distribute catalog sand products.

The other side of working with these companies is recruiting sales reps and training them. This is where the real money is to be made with these companies. Who wants to spend there time recruiting what amounts to be employees?

These days it is much easier to find these type of job opportunities without the cost of catalogs and sample products not to met ion the time it takes to distribute theses things. There is tons of companies on the Internet that offer people these same types of opportunities without any up front costs and you can do it all on line.

Even Avon offers Representatives the ability to sell on line using an Avon website. Does this not seem easier then buying and traveling around to pas out catalogs and products?

What would you rather sell Avon perfume that is hardly heard of or Brittany Spears perfume?

Would you rather sell pots and pans from Pampered Chef or The latest pots and pans from T-Fal and Farberware?

The point is all of these things sell. The difference is selling things people are actual looking to buy versus selling things you have to convince people to buy.

Opportunities to start a direct sales job are greater then ever before because of the Internet. This also makes it an easier business one you learn how to use the Internet.

Interested in getting more information about these types of companies and how you can use them to make money online? Visit: Direct Sales Opportunities, Or you can visit a great resource site that teaches how to partner with these companies and perform your direct sales job all online at: http://www.FreeMoneyTruth.info.

Have you heard of companies like Avon, Mary Kay, and Tupperware? If so, then you are already familiar with direct sales. Direct sales is an affordable way for women to start a business part-time or full-time from home. Companies, like the ones previously mentioned, have done the ground work for you so you can get your business started with little investment and little business knowledge. They have the products, marketing materials, payment processing, shipping, etc., in place so you don’t have to spend an exorbitant amount of money on start-up costs.

Find out the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions:

• How do I make money?
• Do I need experience?
• Doesn’t it cost a lot to start a business?
• Why do people start direct sales businesses?
• Do I have to conduct home demonstrations?
• What types of products are available to sell?
• How do I know what business opportunity is right for me?

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