Direct Selling For Dummies E-Book

Belinda Ellsworth

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Seitenzahl: 658

Beschreibung

Become a direct sales success story with this insider guide to making it big Direct Selling For Dummies is the perfect resource for anyone involved or interested in direct sales. Written by a 35-year veteran of this booming industry, this useful guide teaches you everything you need to know to achieve and maintain lasting success. You'll learn the insider tips that only the pros know, and how to structure your business, your time, and your customer relationships to optimize sales and achieve your goals. Compare party plans, multi-level marketing, and hybrid models to see where your talents fit best, and discover the most effective ways to promote your products and get people interested. You'll leverage social media as one of the most powerful tools in modern sales, and gain new ideas for recruiting, booking, and time management. With clear guidance and a fun, friendly style, this book gives you the strategies you need to be a direct sales success. The direct sales industry is going strong, with more participants now than any time in the past, yet with less face-to-face engagement. Businesses are operating online, people are shopping online, and more people are recruiting through platforms like social media. If you hope to be a direct sales success, now is the time to get up to speed on what that means today. This book shows you everything you need to know, and gives you the tools you need to put your ideas into action. * Choose the right direct sales model * Secure bookings and manage your time * Recruit and drive interest in the product and company * Harness the power of social media to make sales Direct sales can be your ticket to independence. Stop punching the clock and become your own boss -- and watch your income grow. With Direct Selling For Dummies, you'll have the skills and information you need to be a success.

Leseprobe

Direct Selling For Dummies®

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2015948800

ISBN 978-1-119-07648-3 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-07618-6 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-119-07620-9 (ePDF)

Direct Selling For Dummies®

Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/directselling to view this book's cheat sheet.

Table of Contents

Cover

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

Icons Used in This Book

Beyond the Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Exploring the Direct Sales Industry

Chapter 1: Direct Sales 101

How Direct Sales Works

Understanding the Three Different Direct Sales Models

Your First Steps in Direct Sales

Why the Direct Sales Model Succeeds

Personal Attributes and Skills Needed for Direct Sales

Different Ways to Work Your Business

A Brief History of the Direct Sales Model

Chapter 2: Choosing the Right Direct Sales Company

What to Consider When Choosing a Company

The Three P’s of Every Company

Special Considerations for Start-up Companies

Debunking the Myth of Saturation

Chapter 3: Working with Different Direct Selling Models

The Network Marketing Model

The Party Plan Model

The Hybrid Model

Part II: Building the Skills to Create a Successful Business

Chapter 4: Keeping a Positive Attitude

Staying Successful: Attitude Is Everything

Overcoming Self-Doubt

Getting Out of Your Own Way

Chapter 5: Creating a Vision, Setting Goals, and Boosting Your Productivity

Vision: Your Big Picture of Why

Goals: Milestones to Success

Be Rewarded: Strive for Company Incentive Programs

Productivity and the Power Hour

Developing Important Skills

Chapter 6: Always Be Ready for Business

Always Be Ready to Give Out a Business Card

Keep Catalogs with You

Have Host and Opportunity Packets Handy

Plan Your Show-on-the-Go

Create Your 30-Second Commercial

Dress for Success

Know Your Next Available Dates

Part III: Putting Sales Strategies into Practice

Chapter 7: Building Your Business on Bookings

Understanding the Importance of Bookings

Keeping Control of Your Calendar

Scheduling Appointments and Bookings

Securing Bookings or Appointments

Why People Book — Or Don’t

Three Power Questions to Get the Reluctant to Say Yes

Planting Booking Seeds

The Booking Talk

Tips for Securing More Bookings

Overcoming Common Objections

Tips on Finding New Business

Chapter 8: Planning a Launch Party or Show

Understanding Why Your Launch Party Is So Important

Preparing for Your Launch

The 1-2-3s of Inviting

Having a Back-Up Launch

After the Launch: Introducing My Two-Booking Method

Chapter 9: Hosting Successful Parties

A Brief History of Home Parties

Understanding the Appeal of Home Parties

Creating Desire

Giving Your Opening Talk

Giving Your Presentation

Giving Your Booking Talk

The Recruiting Talk

Upselling, Checkout, and Closing

Chapter 10: Coaching Your Host

Understanding the Host’s Motivation

Coaching on Attendance and Outside Orders

Keeping Your Host Excited, Engaged, and Informed

Host Coaching Online

Chapter 11: Social Selling: Direct Selling on Social Media

Choosing the Right Social Media for Your Business

The Five Cs of Social Media

Facebook for Direct Sellers

Instagram and Pinterest: The Power of Photos

Twitter: Community Presence

Capturing the Social Sale

The Virtues of Blogging

There’s an App for That

Chapter 12: The Power of One-on-One Selling

Selling with One-on-One Appointments

Getting One-on-One Appointments

Perfecting the Details: What to Do and Say

Selling While Out and About

Enhancing the Personal Shopping Experience

Chapter 13: Sustaining Growth: The Fortune Is in the Follow-Up

Warm and Cold Markets

Following Up with Booking Leads

Following Up with Hosts

Following Up with Customers

Following Up with Recruit Leads

Removing the Guesswork: Using the 2+2+2 Method of Follow-Up

Re-Servicing: Customer Care Is Key

Part IV: Building an Organization

Chapter 14: Attracting New Team Members: Recruiting and Sponsoring

The Rewards of Recruiting

The Rules of Recruiting

The “Why” of Recruiting: What’s in It for Them

Getting People Interested

How to Lose a Recruit Lead

Using Follow-up and Good Customer Care

Recruiting on Social Media

Chapter 15: Conducting Interviews

Setting the Stage: Creating Interest

Asking for an Interview

Interviewing a Potential Recruit: Phase 1

Interviewing a Potential Recruit: Phase 2

Chapter 16: Sponsoring New Recruits and Leading Teams

Getting a New Team Member Off to a Great Start

What It Means to Be a Leader

Mentoring Team Members

Working with Different Personalities

Using Team Facebook Groups

Challenging Your New Recruits

It’s Always a Learning Process

Chapter 17: Group Recruiting: Holding Opportunity Events

Looking at the Best Types of Opportunity Events

Recruiting at Events

Planning and Staging Events

Part V: Operating and Maintaining a Successful Business

Chapter 18: Managing Your Money Wisely

Getting Spousal Buy-In

Paying Yourself and Keeping Track

Watch Out for Overnight Success

Opening Your Eyes to Taxes

Chapter 19: Meeting and Communicating

Attending Your Company’s Conference

Planning and Attending Successful Meetings

Communicating with Your Leader and Your Team

Chapter 20: Networking to Grow Your Reach

Introducing Yourself

Business Best Friends

Finding the Right People to Network With

Tips for Power Networking

Maintaining Connections After Meeting

Set Up an Advisory Board

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Chapter 21: Ten Mistakes to Avoid

Not Starting with a Strong Line-up of Events

Being Afraid to Ask for a Party or Appointment

Failing to Set Goals

Lacking Commitment and Persistence

Prejudging Customers and Prospects

Not Treating Your Business like a Business

Lacking Focus

Skipping Training and Development

Neglecting Business Relationships

Depending on Friends and Family for Too Long

Chapter 22: Top Ten Resources for Direct Sellers

Step Into Success

Time Management

Organization and File Sharing

Team Communication and Online Meetings

Social Media Communication and Management

Video Creation

Images and graphics

Newsletters and Email

Business Expenses and Money Management

Website and Blog Creation

Chapter 23: Ten Benefits of Direct Sales

Increase in Income

Flexible Schedule

Be Your Own Boss and Work from Home

Friendships and Relationships

Incentives and Recognition

Business Skills

Personal Growth

Mentorship

Discount on Products

Tax Benefits

Dedication

Cheat Sheet

Connect with Dummies

End User License Agreement

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Begin Reading

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Introduction

Welcome to Direct Selling For Dummies! I have been a direct sales trainer for the last 20 years (after 15 years as an independent representative), and for the last 20 years, people have been asking me to write a book. Well, something always held me back, and I never did it, until … the Dummies folks approached me to write a book on direct selling. I jumped on it. I had already written many guides for individual companies, but I knew the direct sales industry needed a step-by-step, plainly written guide to navigating direct sales and building a successful business.

Despite what you may read on Facebook, creating and maintaining a successful direct sales business involved a lot more than posting product shots and pleading with people to “join your team.” Direct sales is like any other business — it takes work. But the benefits of increased income, flexibility, recognition, and personal growth all make it worth it.

If you picked up this book, I assume you have been bitten by the direct sales bug and are ready to take a chance on you. Just know that even though you are looking to go into business for yourself, because you bought this book, you are not alone. I am here for you every step of the way.

About This Book

Direct sales companies do their best to provide their representatives with relevant information about the industry and training guides to help them succeed. But until now, there’s been no book or guide out there like this one, simple and comprehensive. No other book on the shelves will take you from the beginning of your direct sales journey all the way through to success. This book is full of my training on every aspect of the business, from your very first party or appointment to building a multimillion-dollar organization.

Keep this book on a shelf in your office or somewhere close by. It is perfect to reference whether you are struggling with filling your calendar, recruiting new team members, increasing sales, or working with a team member.

Anyone can succeed in direct sales, but the fact of the matter is, the industry is currently very female, and I acknowledge this in my use of feminine pronouns in the book. Rest assured that even though I may be using she and her all over the place, the industry does have its share of men, especially in the Network Marketing and Hybrid end of the spectrum (see Chapter 3 for more on these models). That said, the bulk of this book is aimed at the Party Plan model of direct sales, and I made the decision to allow the language to reflect that.

Foolish Assumptions

I can’t presume to know your hopes and dreams. What I do know is that you picked up this book, which means you are at least interested in earning income from home while running your own business and staying as busy as you want. If you decide to go ahead and take the plunge, get ready to change your life. Whether you’re looking to pay for dance lessons for your daughter, buy your first car, or pay off debt, this industry can help you, and so can this book.

Now I don’t know what company you are interested in, whether you prefer the Party Plan or Network Marketing models (see Chapter 3 for more on those), or if you have any experience with this industry. If not, great — and if so, great. There is something here for you either way.

I do assume that you have a vision of a better life for yourself. That you want to chase your dreams, better your family situation, and experience personal growth. I assume that you’re looking for a little something (or a big something) to finally call your own. And I assume that you are motivated and a self-starter.

Icons Used in This Book

Tips contain nuggets of useful, practical advice earned from years of experience in the field and training representatives.

Material next to this icon is stuff you should keep in mind for future reference.

This serves to alert you to things that could cause trouble or cost you time. It is meant to help you avoid common but costly mistakes.

Beyond the Book

Once you read this book, you will be hungry for even more content.

In addition to the material in the print or e-book you’re reading right now, this product also comes with some access-anywhere goodies on the web. No matter how long you have been in the direct sales industry or how great your leader or company is, you’ll likely come across a few questions where you require extra help. Check out our free eCheat Sheet at www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/directselling for some additional references you can bookmark to keep handy.

In addition, there’s also some extra content that wouldn’t quite fit within the confines of the book. Think of these as a kind of book version of “extras” that come on a DVD. At www.dummies.com/extras/directselling you’ll find articles on promoting leaders and training your team, building out your skill set, running your business, and putting sales strategies into practice. You’ll even find an extra “Part of Tens” chapter on using Facebook to promote and expand your business.

Where to Go from Here

You may be thinking, if I can start anywhere, where should I start?

This book wasn’t designed to be linear. It’s a friendly reference, not a tutorial, which means you can start or stop wherever you please. Take a look through the table of contents or index to discover the areas that interest you most. Or check for the sections that cover the topics you need the most help in.

If you’re new to direct sales, the beginning is a great place to start. You will learn a little bit about the direct sales industry, get some info on what type of company may be best for you and your situation, and check out my new representative checklist. No matter where you start, I hope you have fun exploring the book and soaking up my 35 years worth of direct sales knowledge and expertise.

Part I

Exploring the Direct Sales Industry

Visit www.dummies.com for great Dummies content online.

In this part …

Getting yourself oriented in the world of direct sales

Figuring out which company, and kind of company, may be right for you

Introducing the three main direct selling models

Chapter 1

Direct Sales 101

In This Chapter

Understanding how direct sales works

Checking out the three types of direct sales models

Getting off to a great start with a checklist

Working on the right skills to succeed

Getting an overview on ways to work your business

Knowing a bit about the history of direct sales

You may have been drawn to start your direct sales business for any number of reasons, or perhaps you’re still conducting research before you move forward. Either way, I welcome you to direct sales, a distribution model that has changed many lives.

Direct sales or direct selling refers to the sale of products or services away from a fixed retail location. These products are marketed and sold directly through independent sales representatives, also known as consultants, presenters, distributers, and a variety of other names.

Direct sales reps are not employees of the direct sales company. Rather, they are independent business owners who enjoy all of the benefits of being self-employed with the added perk of being a part of a company that handles operations like shipping, product development, marketing, and more.