Do Games and Giveaways Build Your Direct Sales Business?

Posted by Chris | Posted on 12-03-2012

Category : Direct Sales Articles, Direct Sales Tips, Home Party Plan Tips

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Sometimes I really have to wonder when I look at my expense line if games and giveaways are bringing an increase to my direct sales business. Well, the answer to this question can be yes or no. So lets take a look at how games and giveaways can benefit your business or how they can hurt your business.

The types of games we’re talking about here are the ones you play at your shows. For example, some consultants play games or offer giveaways at their shows for the person who drove the farthest, brought the most friends, is the oldest, youngest, married the longest, has the most kids, etc.

While those games are fun, do they really benefit your business? Do they increase sales or entice people to host a show or even more importantly, do they really encourage potential new recruits to join the business? Maybe – Maybe not.

Getting to the right answer is going to depend on your company; what product you’re selling and how you go about the games. For instance, if you sell skin care products, then giving product away to the person who is the oldest or someone who loves cosmetics may be a great way to gain a new customer. Choose gifts that are appropriate and something they will actually use; new colors for the season, Skin Care Products, cleansers, etc. are all great items.

Look for items that are different than what everyone else gets. If you do multiple parties a week, always try and have something a bit different at each. Some people like the idea of getting something that is rare and unique; something that everyone else doesn’t have. The idea is to think through what you’re giving away. Don’t give away something just to get rid of it!

Also, if you choose to give away a gift to the person who brings the most friends, make sure your hostess informs their friends of this before hand and it is on the invitations too. This is a great way to get more people to a show. Also, make the gift worthwhile. You want the guest to really want it so they will truly work for it.

Some companies encourage their consultants to give gifts to people as an enticement to get them to listen to the business opportunity. While this can be a good idea, it can also be a bad idea. Again, think through who you are trying to recruit. You are looking to recruit people who really love the product; those who are interested in making more money or those who are looking to start a new career and who are motivated and excited. In other words, don’t give your business away in gifts to just anyone who is simply looking for free product only.

Be choosy about who you’re giving your product to and what you’re giving away. Games and giveaways can help your business when they are well thought out, targeted to a specific audience and used appropriately. Keep in mind; freebies can hurt your business if you’re just giving away for the sake of having something to give.

Tips on How to Choose the Right Direct Sales Business for You

Posted by Chris | Posted on 30-06-2011

Category : Direct Sales Work at Home Business Tips, Home Party Plan Tips

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Copyright Chris Carroll and DirectSalesTalk. If you see this on any other site without my byline, please let me know.

How do you find the perfect direct sales business? The one that fits your personality and your lifestyle? As you know there are hundreds of established companies available to choose from. It can be an over whelming and daunting task to select the perfect business. Here are some tips that may help you in narrowing down the selection process.

First of all, think about what you love or love to do. Do you scrap in your spare time? Do you love coffee and treats? How about kids, love them, have them? Did you know there are tons of party plan businesses dedicated to all of these items? Maybe you enjoy household business like cleaning. There are organizational businesses, cleaning product business or even cleaning franchises. Anything you can think of more than likely exists. You just need to find what YOU love to do and what you can see yourself doing for a long time.

More and more people are realizing that to work at home successfully you have to have a passion and drive for your product or service. That is what gets you up in the morning. That is what is going to motivate you to go to work every day. In order to be successful, you have to put in the time and work it just like a regular job. If you work part time hours, you will get part time pay.

So, first narrow down the choices for your new business. Candle lovers have companies such as Scentsy or Partylite; Jewelry lovers look at companies like Lia Sophia or Stella & Dot plus all of the other choices. You need to write down your top 3-5 companies that interest you and then RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH! You cannot find out enough about a company before signing on the dotted line. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the company and the direct sales rep that may be talking with you too.

After your research, I am sure you will feel great about your selection. It will be a perfect fit to you and your lifestyle. When you put in the time to research and not jump on the first pretty line you see, you will do fabulous at growing your new direct sales work at home business. Have fun growing it!



Copyright Chris Carroll 2011

Hot Summer Party Ideas for Your Direct Sales Business

Posted by Chris | Posted on 06-05-2011

Category : Direct Sales Work at Home Business Tips, Home Party Plan Tips

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As the sun heats up the hostesses for our direct sales business may tend to withdraw a bit. The kids are out of school, family vacations abound and there are more family activities as well. But this does not mean that you have to stop doing parties; you just need to be a bit more creative. Here are a few summer fun ideas to get your hostess excited about booking with you.

Take all of the excuses away with fun outdoor activities with your direct sales business. You can offer your hostess parties geared around the kids and hold them in parks, at the pool deck or even in a nice backyard. Find some great themes to incorporate into your parties as well. Some great themes that do well are Wine themes parties; Margarita parties; a 50’s or 60’s pool party; Luau or Hawaiian theme is ever popular.

You can look at stores like Oriental Trading for great party ideas and buy some inexpensive accessories and build a party around it. People love to have fun and if it means that they do not have to cook or clean up much, you are in!

Great your creative hat on, and see what you can come up with for some fun summer themes for your booking your party hostesses. I know that they will be thrilled to do something besides the old stand by and if the kids are entertained as well, that is a double plus! Have fun!

The Importance of Branding in a Direct Sales Business

Posted by Chris | Posted on 02-04-2011

Category : Direct Sales Articles, Direct Sales Work at Home Business Tips, Home Party Plan Tips

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Joining a direct sales company is a fabulous way to start a business for a small amount of cash outlay. One problem that needs to be addressed when you start your business is that there may be a lot of other representatives in your area or online where you hang out that is selling the same type of item. Your challenge is to become known for your product and who you are. We call it branding.

I know that if I ask you what the logo for Coca-Cola or Pepsi is, you could tell me pretty quickly what it looks like. This is their brand. It is also very important for a direct seller to be branded as well. Since the company that you are working with has the rights of the brand for the company its self, we as independent consultants need to come up with a brand that we can market to others. Now that really is not as hard as it sounds, so don’t panic!

One of the best brands that we can market is ourselves. You are an individual and own your own direct sales business that sells your particular product line. You want to be effective in getting your message across that you are an individual business, not just a consultant. One of the best ways to do that is to market you. How can we do that? Well one of the first ways is to purchase a URL that represents you. If your name is available, then by all means get that. You will be able to use it the rest of your life. If you want to create a special URL for your business, you can do that as well. Make it something that you can brand for example, Kelly’s Kandles, BeautySpot or something like that. Try and make it memorable as you will use that in your marketing.

So now you have your URL, start marketing yourself as your URL name. If your company has representative websites, redirect your site to the new URL. Your main goal and purpose is to set you apart from the rest of the consultants out there. You become the brand and people will remember you. So instead of being yet another representative out of thousands, you have become the individual business owner. Now that is branding and a smart way to market your business.

The Challenges of Direct Selling

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Posted by Chris | Posted on 20-01-2011

Category : Direct Sales Articles, Direct Sales Work at Home Business Tips, Home Party Plan Tips

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Those of us that are in the direct sales profession know that there are some challenges that come with the territory of developing this type of home based business. We work hard to overcome some of the hardships and the stigma that tends to come with being a direct seller. Sometimes that is not always possible, but those looking to get into this business should know that it exists and be prepared to deal with it.

One of the main challenges that exist is the fact that the direct sales industry has been hit hard in the past by past claims of huge income in a short amount of time. Most companies now prohibit the claims of huge riches and admit freely that this is an industry where you have to work hard to succeed. Can it be done? Oh yes it can. There are hundreds if not thousands of direct sales reps and MLM reps out there making full time wages and even more. They are earning money through the sale of product and through recruiting team members. So if they can do it, you can do it.

Another challenge is the stigma that being in direct sales can have with some people. You may get the “look” of disgust and the “oh, you are selling that? WHY?” Never let the turkeys get you down! You know your why and stick to it. You love your product and you made an informed decision to join that company. Never try to sell to someone that has emotionally given you the cold shoulder when you talk to them about your product. Well, unless you like annoying them, so that could be fun.

Challenge number three could be the actual growing of your business. It is a well known fact that you will have to work at your direct sales business. If you plan your work in sections of your day and stick to your plan, you can grow the business quickly. Start off with sales of products as that is where your immediate cash flow will come from. And that cash flow is a necessary thing when growing your business. It will help pay for books, ads and supplies. Along the way you can add in bringing on team members and recruiting. This will add an additional income stream that is different from your sales of your product. As you continue to grow your business, you will see your income continue to grow as well.

These are three of the biggest challenges you will see when starting your direct sales business. But if you focus on the answer of how to bridge the challenge, it does not have to be a difficult at all. Be informed and be successful.

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Copyright Chris Carroll ~ All Rights Reserved

Chris is a work at home mom that has made direct sales her business of choice and enjoys sharing information and tips with others. You can find her at her business site Direct Sales Talk . She has also partnered with Shelly Hill on a product review site for small business owners at Two Classy Chics .

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