How to Succeed in Direct Sales

Set Up Your Own Business Website:

Click here to start your 10-day free trial. 

Take time to sit down with a pen and paper. Write out each of the following questions. Think out honest answers for each one. Your current situation and where you are in life at this very moment should provide you with true answers.

While I'm not trying to dissuade you from starting a career in direct sale, I do want to help you see any possible areas that could need work during this time of building your career, as well as helping to avoid a possibly expensive mistake. Having made my own mistakes, I hate to see others fall prey to the same issues when it is altogether avoidable. What do you ask yourself before jumping into a direct sales agreement?

1. Is there time left over in my schedule which will allow me to work and build my business?
I have all too often heard a recruiter mention how they only work a couple of hours a week, making hundreds of dollars doing it. It's all fine and dandy when you only consider the amount of time their shows, but once you add on set ups, bookkeeping, travel to and from, time for organizing, required meetings, etc.

Accounting for all these necessary aspects of successful direct sales business, are you certain right now you have the time for this? Do you have another job, either full or part time? Can your family get along without you at home for those hours needed for your business? What about church or other organizations to which you have already committed time to? I know, that's more than one question, but each of these things needs to be carefully considered when calculating how much free time is available to you.

2. Are the products I will be selling my absolute favorites? Are you already telling friends and family how much you love this line of products? Do you back this product 100% already, and everyone around you knows it? There is one thing that bothers me, and that is to have a consultant who doesn't completely know the ins and outs of the products themselves. Possibly they started with this company because working a couple of hours a week for loads of money in the process. Or they needed some additional money coming into the home and their recruiter made it sound so effortless. "This product sells itself; you won't even need to try. As soon as you show it or people try it, they are going to buy it.

Those exact words have caught my own attention. You have to truly love your product and know everything there is to know about it. I simply can't sell a product I don't love. It just doesn't feel right to me. If I'm not squealing about the product line, I feel like I'm being dishonest with the people I'm trying to sell to. I may not LOVE each and every product available from a certain company, but there were definitely some I just adored, like the products that were a perfect fit for me (i.e. my skin type). In order to really love the products you are selling, you should be using them already yourself.

3. Do I have the drive and motivation? Is there a great desire in your heart to work your business to the fullest? Are you the type of person who sets goals, always striving to reach them? It's my opinion that in order to find success in anything you do, your long term as well as short term goals to assist you in reaching your ultimate goal.

What is your long term goal? Is it a new car, or a vacation maybe? How to you actually achieve this goal? By earning X amount of sales and/or recruiting X number of people? What needs to be done to get your first recruit, your second and so on? What methods are you going to use to keep your down line motivated and successful? How many shows will be required per week in order for you to reach that ultimate level to earn the car? Do you have the motivation and energy to do this? Maybe you want to be able to quit your job to work full time in direct sales from home. To achieve this, you are going to have to work that much more. Not only do you have to work your regular 'day' job, but you will have to work your job in direct sales to the maximum during evenings and weekends so you can afford to quit your day job.

4. Am I outgoing enough to speak to a group of people? Are you able to talk in front of several people? You can overcome the issue of shyness, but if standing in front of an audience of clients while speaking about your products is something that overwhelms you how do you intend on holding presentations, shows and parties?

It will be in your best interest to overcome your shyness before jumping into direct sales with both feet. This is easily achieved by holding shows for family and close friends, which is where you will probably be starting anyhow. If you are still experiencing feelings of shyness, read some books on public speaking and building confidence.

After having time to sit and ask yourself these questions and honestly answering them, knowing whether or not you are cut out for direct sales will become apparent. You may find yourself qualified in some areas as you answer them, but not all areas. This being the case, it's possible you really do have what it takes for a successful start in direct sales, as long as you work on the other areas necessary for your business to get the kick off it needs to be successful.

Be completely honest when you are determining the characteristics you already have, while determining those you need to work on and take it from there. Don't let a recruiter convince you otherwise. Discuss this with your husband or best friend to get feedback on how their answers to the questions in reference to you would be any different than your own. There is no need to make on-the-spot decisions, and any good recruiter will allow you to take the time necessary to consider every aspect of this career possibility. Good recruiters want your success to come first, and in return have it help them be even more successful as well.

Start Building Your Website for Free:

Click here to start your 10-day free trial. 

More Resources:

• Click here for a quick guide to help you start your networking marketing / direct sales business out right.
• Put together your website, using the free 10-day trial.