One of the most important skills any direct sales consultant must acquire is the ability to network with event attendees to convince the attendees to keep coming to presentations. The trick to getting people interested in your products is to make yourself available to answer questions and create value in your products that is not readily available.

Developing an effective direct sales training course for your associates is just like anything else in the business world in that the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. By putting in some extra work and teaching your associates useful tricks, you can start to really expand your business.

Enhance Your Products – The catalogs you give out at each presentation are excellent resources for people to use when learning about your products. But if you work to find one or two more uses for each product that is not in the catalog, then you become a resource for your clients for information that only you have. When you give your presentations, include little bits of product information that is accurate but not in the catalogs. You will find that your clients will continue to call you and attend future events to buy products and get more information.

Spread Your Contact Information Around – One of the more important elements of direct sales training is getting associates to understand the power of communication. When you or your associates set up for an event, your contact information needs to be all over your catalogs and available on every piece of literature you hand out. You should also carry business cards that you give to each attendee as something they can carry with them with your contact information on it.

Stay in Touch – When you give a presentation, be sure to ask attendees for their standard mailing or email address so that you can send reminders for upcoming events. You can also use this list to send out short messages on uses for your products and announcements on new product releases. Do not saturate your clients’ inbox or mailbox with mailings, but do enough to maintain your status as a valuable resource.

Book In Tight – Narrow Choices – The chances are good that your most immediate dates will fill up first. That is why you should only show prospective clients your calendar for the next two to three months. You will find it much easier to fill up your calendar when you already have dates filled in. If you give your client an option of choosing dates that are three months away or more, then it looks like you have more open dates and you lose that sense of urgency.

Make your calendar look full!! – A sense of urgency in prospective clients is important because it helps to decrease the chances that the client will cancel. In order to create that sense of urgency, you need to know how to keep a calendar that always looks booked and busy.

When your calendar looks full,even if it is not full, then you will become better at booking shows at your show.

Establishing friendships at a direct sales event can be tricky because those friendships only benefit you if they result in sales or more events. That is why you should always act professional, be courteous, be fun and be an invaluable resource for your clients when it comes to your products.

When you put these direct sales business tips into your business you will create a consistent income year round. Learn more about party plan success systems that work for all companies at: http://www.CreateACashFlowShow.com

Whether you are purchasing your first or your fiftieth online ad, or even using free advertising, there a few things to do to prepare for your advertising campaign. Taking these steps ahead of time will help you determine which ads work and which aren’t as successful. Whether you are spending money or time, know if your efforts are paying off.

1 – What is the purpose or goal of your advertising campaign?
A common answer to this question is “to get website traffic” but is that really all you want? Think about what you want your visitors to do once they arrive at your site. Do you want them to make a purchase, join your business opportunity, or sign up for your newsletter? Setting a specific goal focuses your campaign for greater success.

2 – Get your landing page is ready.
Keep your goal in mind when you decide on a landing page for your campaign. If you want newsletter subscribers, don’t send visitors to your home page or your shopping pages. Your ad invites visitors to do something; make it easy for them to do it by designing a landing page that walks them through the process.

In some cases your landing page may be fairly short and simple. If your ad copy is long enough to presell the prospect you may not need additional marketing on the landing page. For example, a solo ad may provide enough information so that a visitor is ready to complete the offer when the arrive. But a banner ad or text link may have just peaked their curiosity enough to get them to visit, and additional marketing may be needed to get them to follow through.

Whether it’s a short or long landing page, make it very clear what you want your visitors to do, and be sure to ask them to do it. Don’t assume that if they see a form they’ll fill it out. Specifically direct them to complete it.

3 – What is your measure of success and how will you know if you’ve achieved it?
Having a specific goal for your campaign makes it easier to track and measure success, but you will likely need to fine tune your definition of success. For example, if your goal is product sales, you can measure success by dollar value, number of units sold, conversion rate (the percentage of visitors that make a purchase), or return on investment.

Your website statistics or analytic program probably provides all the information you need to track your promotions, but if not, you may want to invest in an ad tracking program or service. Or you may be able to use other methods such as sending results to to a special email address or by using a coupon code to identify the campaign.

Establishing your goals, having a well thought out landing page, and tracking results will help you recognize successful campaigns and determine what needs to be changed to improve results.

Linda Stacy manages several online resources for direct sales consultants. Generate your own leads for your direct sales business with a direct sales directory listing.

GET IN ON THE GROUND FLOOR!!!

PAPERLY, although not new to stationery, is very new to the Direct Marketing Industry.  Now is the time to sign!  There are less than 200 consultants nationwide, but we are growing.  Recognized by the Direct Sales Association for ethical business practices, Paperly offers generous Consultant commissions, is a low pressure business with a very low startup cost and no need to repeatedly buy expensive”samples”.  We offer high-end personalized stationery and a wide array of gift items via fun, social, house parties.  I would love to have you on my Paperly Team.

Paperly

Elizabeth Sheehy
elizabeth_sheehy@paperly.com
www.mypaperly.com/elizabethsheehy

Are you planning on working from home? Are you finding it challenging to complete tasks without being distracted? Is time management a challenge for you?

When I started working from home with my internet marketing business, I found it easy to get distracted and lose my focus. I am disclosing some of my best tips, so that you can learn from my mistakes-which brings me to tip #1!

1. Leverage your time by finding a mentor – The easiest way to get good at something is to find somebody who is good at it and copy them. There are many ways to find a mentor. One is by searching online for your business and see who comes up. Read recommendations and download free offers from their site to see who might be the best fit. Check out people who have written good articles about working from home.

Another way is to ask friends who are in the same or related business. If they are very successful, take them out to lunch and ask questions. Most successful people truly enjoy mentoring others, so don’t be afraid to ask.

2. Make a schedule and stick to it – When you worked for a boss, did you have certain hours that you had to be at work? Did you have certain tasks that you needed to accomplish? Now that YOU are your boss, create your own hours and tasks and treat your business like a business!

3. Cut out distractions – Are you distracted by email and social networks when working from home? So was I and I still am if I don’t take steps to avoid it. When I first boot up my email for the day, I delete everything that is not related to what I am doing. This includes offers for the next shiny object and the next magic software. Today, when I booted up my gmail account, I deleted 111 emails and kept 4. If I can’t see it, it can’t distract me.

4. Set a timer – Set a timer for 25 minutes and work with intensity. When the timer goes off, take a 5 minute break and begin all over again. This creates an artificial deadline and it really works. I use a clever little iPhone app called “Pomodoroplus”. It basically is a timer that shows me how much time I have left for my task and how many tasks (called “Pomodoros”) I have accomplished for the day. Currently, I have 5 minutes to go while writing this article so I know that I have to keep focused.

5. Don’t answer the phone – When you were working for a boss, you were probably asked to not take personal calls. Your family and friends have to be trained to understand that this is a business like any other, even though you are working from home. Even a quick phone call will lead to distraction, so turn your phone off while you are working.

Well, I have 75 seconds left and have managed to write an article from start to finish in my 25 minute period. Try these tips and you will be accomplishing more that you ever thought possible while working from home.

People are busy. Life moves fast. Rarely do we take the time to slow down and put thought into a gift to make that special someone know we went the extra mile.  How quickly we run to purchase a gift certificate or give cash in a card!

Enter Jillian Chase. We offer personalized crystal to help you bring thoughtfulness and uniqueness back!  The products are made from the finest crystal and glass from around the world and an etched monogram adds that personal touch.  A beautiful set of wine glasses or a frame to capture a photo of their special day, etched with their initials or special date is a gift they will treasure forever.

Not looking for a gift, but love to entertain?  Serve your guests with a monogrammed candy dish or serving tray and they won’t be able to stop talking about your style.

As a ground floor business in the direct sales industry, we stand alone!  There are no other companies that can compare to the individuality of our products.  This will set you apart from the crowd and provide a fabulous opportunity for you!  Join the Jillian Chase team where you can Live in Style, Give in Style, and Earn an Income in Style!

Featured Leader Interview with Tracy McDonald

Q:  Tell us a little bit about your background and why you decided to get started in Direct Sales.
Tracy:  I started in the Direct Sales industry 4 years ago because of my love of the product. I thought, “What a great way to earn some free products and get out of the house at the same time”. My day job was very stressful and direct sales gave me a great outlet to get out and enjoy myself. I continued on when I saw the potential income earnings and developed a number of new friendships that I would not have otherwise. I’m a huge supporter of direct sales in general. I try to purchase as many of my every day items from other consultants in the field to support the industry overall.

Q:  What made you decide to choose Jillian Chase as the company you would represent?
Tracy:  I am so excited to be a brand new consultant with Jillian Chase. The products are beautiful and there is nothing else like it in the direct sales industry. I love to entertain myself and I’m always searching for the perfect gift for people and Jillian Chase combines this all in one company for me.

Q:  What have you found to be your biggest challenge in owning your own home business?
Tracy:   My biggest challenge is time management. I tend to be a little extra “chatty” at times and because I have such a love of social media, I will get caught up in the fun of Facebook! I’m always seeking out new ideas and strategies to keep myself focused for “work time”.

Q:  What has been your biggest achievement?
Tracy:   My biggest achievement is my commitment to my business and the direct sales industry. This industry is filled with ups and downs and many will run away. I, on the other hand, will seek out training from my mentors or other experts in the field to rejuvenate and push through. I love this industry and what it provides to its consultants and customers!

Q:  What advice would you give to those people who are considering a move into the direct sales industry?
Tracy:   Make sure to research the company you plan to represent and make sure that you go for a product that you are passionate about. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and to ask for help! The wonderful thing about the direct sales industry is the support from other consultants to help each other succeed.

Q:  What is a typical day for you when you are working your business?
Tracy:   I am a big proponent of social media, so I balance my work time between making calls to customers, hostesses, and team members with getting online to promote my business in a variety of ways.

Q:  Tell us a little bit about your goals for 2012.
Tracy:   Since I am starting with a brand new, start up company, my goal is to build a team and help them achieve all of their goals. I would like to become the first of our consultants to become a member of the Founder’s Club!

Q:  Tell us about the your Business Opportunity
Tracy:   Jillian Chase offers competitive commissions and bonuses with unlimited earnings potential. Anyone interested in becoming an independent consultant can purchase their start-up kit for $149 (plus shipping). This includes 10 Simplicity Stemless Wine Glasses, a Savory Snack Bowl, and the Eatcetera Serving Tray with your personal monogram. You will also receive catalogs, order forms, and many other items needed to get your business started.

Tracy McDonald
tracy@etchedwithstyle.com
www.etchedwithstyle.com
484-432-0547

As a Direct Sales Team Leader, I often hear consultants say that they have a Phone Phobia. These consultants will avoid making or receiving telephone calls in regards to their home business.

When it comes to making business calls, consultants often fear the following:

1. Fear of not conveying their message correctly.
2. Fear of not getting the results they hope to achieve.
3. Fear of rejection or getting no’s.
4. Fear of not being liked by the person to whom they are calling.

When a person has a genuine case of phone phobia, they will avoid the telephone like it was their worst enemy. In fact, in Direct Sales, the telephone can be a valuable business asset.

Here are a few tips on how you can overcome this problem.

1. Write 3 business related scripts. You will need one for: party hosts, customers and for pitching your home business opportunity. If you are not comfortable with drafting up a telephone script, ask your team leader or sponsor for assistance.

2. Role Play with a fellow consultant or with your team leader. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will get when the time comes to make your business calls.

3. Tag Team with a fellow consultant or with your team leader. When you need to make business calls, see if your team leader will do a three-way call with you and the person you need to call.

Making and receiving business phone calls is an important part of having a Direct Sales home business. Sit down and make a list of why you are avoiding the telephone. Once you have your reasons, try solving the problem with one of the above tips.

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