Sell Products for a Direct Selling Company

Selling products for a direct selling company requires a people-oriented personality, a willingness to make lots of connections, and a thick skin in the face of rejection. It's all about the numbers. For example, some direct sales models indicate that it takes an average of up to 200 connections to convert one order. Do you have the patience and the vision to deliver your sales script to 200 prospects before converting a single sale? If so, the potential income is much higher than other endeavors that require the same or less effort, for the simple reason that the pool of qualified individuals who can tolerate the downsides of direct sales is very low. Here are some preparatory tips to get you started:

Steps

  1. Study the opportunities in your area. Most of the organizations hiring direct sales staff in the US are advertising on Craigslist, under Jobs, in the "Sales" category.
  2. Start by studying the organizations, not the product lines. How stable are they? What type of training do they offer? Do they supply adequate samples and sales tools to aid in your sales presentations?
  3. Now examine the product lines. Is it a product you can believe in? If the product is health supplements and you don't really believe in them as a general rule, your sales life will be way more difficult because your customers can see right through the hype. Also find out before you commit, what the sales margins and commissions are.
  4. Contact the organization and learn what their script is for new applicants.
  5. Before you meet with their representative, write a list of questions, such as:
    • What products will I sell?
    • Do they require to carry any inventory, possess a vehicle, purchase marketing collateral, carry cash, or any other material expectations such as these?
    • Do they have quotas and/or minimum thresholds for sales volume?
    • How will funds be transacted, for sales, exchanges, refunds, tax collection, everything?
    • What are the customer's alternatives to ordering this from me -- can they call in or order online? Is there any chance I'll lose a repeat customer because they can go around me?
    • What is the average order amount?
    • Does this organization require that I recruit a downline, as in multi-level?
  6. If you've ever been in sales before, you know that expectations upfront don't always match reality, so if there are any other questions about the organization's expectations and/or compensation, this is the time to ask.
  7. There are enough direct sales/home-based business opportunities available, that you should make sure to find a product and organization and business model that overlaps your own passions and gifts as much as possible. Sales and self-accountability are difficult enough without having to work in a product line that you don't enjoy, or an organization that you can't trust.

Tips

  • People care how you look, sometimes even more than you do, especially for guys. Make sure you show up alert, rested, clean, well-dressed and early. In business, "on-time" is late.
  • Make a list of what this opportunity will cost you, in time, in flexibility, in resources, in floor space. Add it all up and ask yourself how long you can sustain the sacrifice necessary. Some direct sales opportunities have a long reward curve, so it may be months or years before the real cash starts funneling in, which it usually does, as long as the model is sound and you persevere.
  • Each morning, instead of checking your social media, set your smartphone aside and write a To-Do list with all the big and little items you can think of for the day. You're adding the little items so you don't forget them, but you're adding the big items so that you can pick the most important one and then when the clock says it's time to start your "sales shift", you commit to that one item on your list for a specified window of time, no interruptions allowed.
  • If that last tip threw you for a loop because you don't have a shift start time, then set one and post it on the mirror, just as if you were starting a new job for a big office. Just because you're in charge of your own schedule does not mean that you can flake in and out of your schedule on a daily basis, unless you enjoy financial disaster. You will be glad you set your own boundaries now, so that you don't have to turn that function over to somebody else later.

Warning

  • Do not fall for get rich quick hype! Direct selling is a business, and just like any other business it requires time, energy and money invested to become a successful business! Keep your expectations real!

Things You'll Need

  • A vision for where you can get to both sooner and later
  • A willingness to set little boundaries for yourself now, to set yourself up for more freedom later
  • You may need transportation, floor space, internet access etc. Confirm these with your prospective manager before you commit.

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