Being viewed as a pushy sales person was my biggest concern, when I started my direct sales business. Yes, I was more concerned about being pushy than I was about getting business! Because I already have an outgoing personality (sometimes my children would call it overbearing), I knew it wouldn’t take much to convince people that I was just another pushy salesperson.

At first, that concern made my journey in the sales world difficult. Because I was so nervous about appearing pushy, I was extremely cautious, which didn’t exactly get my calendar filled to the brim. The good news is that all the while I was paying close attention to my prospects and customers.

It didn’t take long before I noticed what my customers loved most about me – my no holds barred honesty. After I realized how much my customers loved my honesty, I was able to see that what they yearned for in a sales situation was honesty over manipulation. So it astounds me how often sales people are taught manipulation over honesty. They’re taught it in seemingly harmless ways, but I maintain that any degree of dishonesty destroys the reputation of our industry.

Of course I have an example here to share. For a moment put yourself in the prospect’s shoes (something I often ask you to do). You’re at a home party of a friend and the consultant comes up to you and says:

“My company is looking for top-notch people in this particular area. I’d love to tell you more about our opportunity sometime this week.”

How do you feel right now? Did you become keenly interested because the consultant told you that her company was looking for top-notch people in your area?

All right. Now imagine that you’re at a different home party. This time the consultant says to you:

“I’m looking for top-notch people like you to join my team. I’d love to tell you more about this opportunity sometime this week.”

What differentiates those two approaches? I believe that what differentiates those two approaches is integrity. The first example might seem like a powerful way to attract a prospect’s attention, but the truth is, most people these days are pretty familiar with the direct sales industry.

They know that certainly any direct sales company wants top-notch people in their company, but they also know how this business works. They know that the salesperson’s job is to sell, book, and recruit. Therefore, saying “our company is looking for top-notch sales people in the area” is far more likely to be heard as a manipulative tactic to hook them instead of a sincere touch of honesty.

My husband and I have often discussed the many ways that salespeople cue to prospects or customers that they can’t be completely trusted. I can think of a better way to build a relationship – stick to honest jargon.

You see, what seems like an innocuous little approach is actually lined with deceit. Your company isn’t looking for top-notch people in THIS AREA; your company is looking for top-notch people any where they can find them. Furthermore, it’s not even a requirement that the people you recruit are top-notch. When an application goes across the president’s desk, it’s not going to be rejected.

Do you really think that the majority of people attending your home parties don’t know that? They do. That’s why anything that has even a hint of dishonesty or deceit rubs them the wrong way and does more to convince them not to join you in the business than it does to persuade them to take a look at your opportunity.

Even if a potential recruit knows nothing about the direct sales industry and totally falls for that line about your company needing top-notch sales people in the area, exactly how well will that phrase settle with her once she sees the business opportunity presented? Hmm… it’s going to be pretty obvious at that point that the company actually settles for anyone that is willing to buy a starter kit and give it a try.

So why not use honesty from the get go? It’s you who wants top-notch people on your team. Be proud of that, and let the people you want to recruit know that you are. It’s not only honest to say that you are looking for top-notch people to join you in this business, it’s a sincere compliment. Your prospect won’t feel any less flattered when she sees the marketing plan; if anything, she’ll feel flattered that you think of her as a top-notch individual that can achieve the top level in your company.

Surely you know the story of Pinocchio – each time he told a little white lie, his nose grew another inch, and before he knew it he looked ridiculous. Slipping in little white lies with the intent to coerce your prospects and customers to give you what you want not only makes you look ridiculous, it taints the very industry in which you’re trying to grow a business.

Your prospects truly yearn for sales situations that maintain honesty over manipulation. Thus, no matter what might sound salesman slick or smooth to say… honesty really is the best policy.

Tammy Stanley directs The Sales Refinery, a sales training firm that assists direct sales entrepreneurs generate more business through powerful marketing, selling, and leadership strategies. Get her FREE report, “3 Simple Secrets to Building an Empire in Direct Sales” at http://www.tammystanley.com

When I began in direct sales the online world did not exist. I spoke to people, one at a time. Some said yes, some said no and some became great friends of mine.

Online the exact same formula should apply. Direct sales is a relationship business. Some people will say yes, some will say no and from those you speak with, you should develop some great friends. Those friends might say yes, they might say no or they might refer someone else to you, all based on their friendship with you.

There are so many ways to establish relationships with others online:

1. Read blogs that are on topics you enjoy. I enjoy cooking, crocheting, scrapbooking and reading. I find blogs dedicated to those topics and read and comment. Remember, my goal here is relationships, not sales. I have seen way too many blogs that are nothing but one sales pitch after another and they have no readers, no subscribers and no commenters.

2. Find a few message boards on topics you enjoy. I belong to some mom sites, some crochet sites and some cooking sites. I post on an assortment of topics on these boards. I love helping others and learning from others.

3. Write articles and comment on articles. I belong to a few article directories. I love reading articles and where applicable commenting on the article or even emailing the author and having a chat about their article. Authors love knowing their articles are being read.

4. Create accounts on a few of the social media networks. There are several to choose from. Find a few that offer benefits you’ll enjoy. I happen to love Facebook as you can upload photos, write notes, send private messages, chat one on one and easily develop relationships with others.

5. Make it a point to explore other websites that cater to topics you enjoy. I’ve found some totally awesome crochet sites out there and have started relationships with the site owners talking about something we both love, crocheting. I’ve exchanged patterns with others and found a few non-profits that I love to send my completed project to.

These are five ideas to meet others online. Set your mind to meeting people and building relationships. You’ll find that your business will grow and people will refer others to you.

By: Audrey Okaneko: Audrey Okaneko has been in direct sales since 1983. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or you can Become a Tupperware Consultant

Direct sales consultants often complain that they don’t want to appear “pushy”. This is the number one reason they use for not staying in frequent contact with their hosts.

Their reasoning makes sense at a certain level. How would you feel if someone were to call you every other day for two weeks? No wonder consultants have this sneaking feeling that they’re being pushy. If you called me every other day, I’d think you were pushy, too.

It’s time for a contact revolution.

I believe Victor Frankl said it was important to meet people where they are. Instead of calling and leaving message after message, consider sending a text.

Text coaching is becoming a popular method for direct sellers to reach hosts and get their message through.

One client indicated that her hosts were more responsive to text messages because they were short, sweet, and she always had her cell phone with her – even if she couldn’t always answer the phone. Voice mails may pile up or get deleted, but a text message seems to slip in under the radar at a time when direct sales consultants need it most.

Here are three tips to incorporate text messaging into your host coaching plan:

1. Get permission. Ask her if you can send her short messages via text. Make sure she knows it’s ONLY for giving or getting updates regarding her upcoming show.

2. Mix it up. Don’t just text her, and don’t just call her. Use the phone, email, send a postcard. That way, you’re trying to reach her wherever she might be.

3. Keep her in the loop. Each time you reach out to her, let her know how and when to expect to hear from you next. When you call her let her know that the next time you’re going to try to connect via email. When you email, let her know you’re going to text her next, and so on. Always be clear as to how and when you’ll make your next contact.

When hosts are kept in the loop, direct sales consultants are held accountable for following up appropriately. By taking the time to connect in multiple ways, you’ll not only appear less pushy, you’ll be more likely to connect with your host in ways that are meaningful to her.

Lisa Robbin Young offers direct sales coaching and training to direct sales professionals looking to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com.

It’s so easy to get side-tracked when we fail to sit down and write out a specific to-do list. We end up wasting hours away during our business work hours. And consider this…if you were to get paid for all those lost hours, you might be a millionaire!

There seems to be two main extremities among business managers…

Those that suffer in utter chaos (you know, constantly looking for that lost file on the computer, a forgotten password, or notes scribbled on some little piece of paper somewhere — “It was right there yesterday! Really it was!”

On the other side of the coin, there are those that seem to fly through their day. They accomplish so much (it makes your head swirl), and stunningly enough…they even manage to have spare time to get a manicure and read their favorite book. They thrive abundantly in an organized, stress-free manner. Best of all, they don’t have to rush and burn the midnight hours away trying to get caught up.

The choice between the two options is really up to us. We all have the same 24 hours every day to get things done, and how we manage to use those 24 hours each day makes a real difference in our business and our home life. As you work from home, it’s more important than ever to organize your business tasks or you may find yourself working endless hours (and addicted to coffee).

Here’s 3 Easy Tips to Help You Manage Your To-Do List:

1. Make a master list. Create a master list of everything you need to accomplish for the entire week. Next, begin to break down your list into a daily “to-do” schedule. When you plan early the tasks that need to be done, you allow yourself more time to accomplish them without being bogged down or overwhelmed.

Example: If you’re creating a new report, you can plan to create an outline on Monday, do necessary research on Tuesday, write ten pages on Wednesday, write ten more pages on Thursday, proofread and add final touches on Friday.

*A couple of tips: Keep in mind those days that are quite hectic and schedule less tasks. Also, determine when your energy is higher and schedule larger tasks that require more focus during those times.

2. Schedule every task (smaller ones as well). Each task needs to be accounted for, such as responding to email, planning product development, managing your marketing plan, researching, managing your website, tending to customer service, attending meetings, traveling time, dealing with other employees, etc.

Scheduling all minor and major tasks allows you to see the whole picture which will help you manage your time better. It’s important to allow yourself adequate time to accomplish those tasks as well as trying to stick to the schedule that you’ve set so that you don’t find yourself lagging behind. You need to feel small steps of success and not constant failure.

3. Determine how much time you have to dedicate for each of your business activities. Keep a realistic view on your available time. As I said earlier, you want to allow yourself adequate time to complete each task. Also ask the question, “Are there some tasks that could be completely eliminated because they’re not actually productive for your business?”

As your business grows, you may need to outsource more tasks. Outsourcing is absolutely a positive action for your business. As you expand your home business, your position as CEO will become more defined as you outsource all the smaller tasks and your main focus now becomes overseeing all the major decisions and planning of your business.

Rhonda White is a Christian Work-at-Home Mom. To learn more about managing your home business and keep you motivated, grab your free membership on her blog at MommyRevenue.com.

Have you ever pictured your ideal vacation? Perhaps at one time you have pictured the ideal holiday celebration or the ideal vacation. Surely you have a concept of the ideal direct sales or network marketing business. However, while you might have thought of the ideal sales presentation, the ideal recruit, or the ideal customer, you probably never considered how ideals might be getting in the way of you experiencing what you desire in your business.

Here is a definition to use as a reference point.

Ideal: Thought of as perfect or as a perfect model, exactly as one would wish.

Most likely that definition did not jump out and grab you because it is what you expected. But what I want you to notice is that from the standpoint of “IDEAL,” anything less than ideal is not only seen as something less than perfect, but also as something that is not good enough or not right!

This is where ideals get rather tricky because once you attempt to run your business from your ideals it is nearly impossible to experience your customers, your sales team, and even your company as ideal. In other words, your business will have a difficult time living up to your idea of “the perfect business.” There will always be something or someone in it to keep you upset and/or dissatisfied.

You are never going to be able to control every situation or person. You can do a brilliantly persuasive demonstration, and the person who ordered $300 of products may cancel his/her order if he/she loses his/her job the next day. You can be wonderfully supportive of a new recruit, and that individual may become overwhelmed and paralyzed by the personal responsibility required for a home business. You may be a stud at selling a line of products that your company decides to pull from the product line. Because all of those situations are less than ideal, it is easy to see how situations like that create upset in one’s perception of one’s business. Look at what can happen, however, when you let go of your ideals and you replace them with values.

The following is a definition that might also prove useful.

Value: That which is desirable or worthy of esteem for its own sake. A thing of quality, having intrinsic worth.

A few weeks ago I looked at replacing my ideals for values and I experienced a rather remarkable breakthrough. I could not help noticing that from the standpoint of my ideals, our house was less than adequate with its beat-up baseboards, its popcorn ceilings, and its cookie cutter outside appearance. However, by exchanging my ideals of “house” for my values of “home,” I realized that the things I value were clearly expressed – Mind, Self-Expression, Fun, and Joy.

The gorgeous musical instruments and the many bookcases in every room readily communicate our family’s passion for Mind. The artwork collected from our travels around the world and all of our families framed achievements highlight our appreciation of self-expression. The impressive number of board games and puzzles as well as apple computers clearly broadcasts, “Fun activities start here!”

By considering what I valued in a home as opposed to what constituted my ideal house I realized that my joy filled my home. Do I need to mention that becoming awake to your joy creates far more possibilities than paying attention to your limitations? When you focus on the specific details of ideals you lose sight of the unlimited possibilities available from values.

As you move full swing into the new year or any new day for that matter, I encourage you to take a moment right now to reflect on the values you wish to express in your business. When I looked at my work and business I knew immediately that I wanted to express Passion, Joy, Fun, and Gratitude. Certainly I do not expect my values to be the same as yours but let us pretend for a minute that they were.

If the person who ordered $300 of products calls to cancel his/her order the following day, your expression of gratitude that he/she called to tell you right away would most likely leave him/her with the impression that you are the quintessential professional. Let’s see, when customers start thinking of you as a model professional, can you see how they might tell more people about you?

If a new recruit ends up feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed by the personal responsibility required for a home business, your emphasis on fun and joy may be the magnet that pulls him/her to attend a monthly meeting, where he/she ultimately gets what he/she needs to overcome his/her initial resistance to personal growth.

If your company decides to pull your favorite product line from its collection, your commitment to passion for your business and customers could allow you to discover that you have the ability to get fascinated with your company’s other products.

Unfortunately, your ideals about the way all orders should transpire, your ideals about “good recruits” and what they look like and what they achieve in their first 30 days, and your ideals about your company’s policies and activities all get in the way of you creating and running a direct sales business that leaves you energized and ready to take on the world!

Take a few minutes today to notice some of the ideals you have in your business in the areas of your customers, your sponsor, your recruits, and your company. Reflect on the times you felt frustrated in any of those areas and how your ideals got in the way by making situations or people wrong because they failed to meet your ideals. Then ponder the values that would most inspire you in your business and commit to operating your direct sales business with those values as your foundation.

Author, Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker, Tammy Stanley founded and directs The Tammy Stanley Sales Refinery, a sales training firm that assists direct sellers and network marketers to generate more business through powerful marketing, selling and leadership strategies.

To get your FREE REPORT, 3 Simple Secrets to Attracting More Prospects , go to http://www.tammystanley.com.

Direct Sales is a business model for those that work at home or want to supplement their income. One fact that is for sure and is found throughout the industry, is that most people that are in a Direct Sales business are in it for the money, and believe me, there is money to be made in Direct Sales, if it is done correctly.

That is not a profound statement, I know. Anyone is a small business is working it to make money. So why is it that so many Direct Sales business owners struggle to see a profit?

There are a few solid reasons that will kill a business pretty darn quick.

1) Failure to track expenses
2) Failure to track ad placement and where it is working
3) Giving away too much product or worse yet,
4) Giving away discounts or free shipping

The fastest and easiest way to increase and/or keep your profit in any business is to control your expenses. Your expenses are directly correlated to your bottom line. If you normally make 30-40% profit from the sale of an item, but you incur 10-15% in expenses, you have dropped your income substantially.

If you try and increase customer or hostess participation by discounting the price or by giving away free shipping and the like, you are really impacting your bottom line. This money comes right off of your profit and income. You have no way to recoup that money. Use demo items or free goods you earn from your company to encourage participation. These do not impact your bottom line as fast since you can control how much you give to a customer or hostess. And furthermore, these items can be a tax deduction at the end of the year.

Now I am not saying that you should never give a discount, but keep it moderate and maybe only for certain things like a sale once a year or a new customer welcome offer. Keep in mind that any purchases you make in your expense column can be controlled. Set a budget on how much you can afford to spend on your expense items. Monitor your purchases each month to make sure that you are inline. Find other ways to encourage participation in your business that don’t cost you cash.

Always remember you are working your Direct Sales business for profit as well as for fun. Let’s make it profitable fun while we are at it. Step it up to the next level in professionalism and let’s see how much we can earn this year by being in control of our budget and bottom line.

Copyright Chris Carroll All Rights Reserved

Chris Carroll is a sales professional that has made direct sales her business of choice and enjoys sharing with others. Blogger, article writer and ghostwriter round out her profession. Find her at http://www.DirectSalesTalk.com and http://www.TwoClassyChics.com

Many women that I run into seem to have this problem. I often wonder why some women are prone to undervalue their services and their own work. Why are we afraid to charge what we are worth?

• What can you do to increase your self worth and get the price you deserve?

• Focus on your craft and your work. Become an expert in all areas of the business. This increases your customers trust in your abilities

• Give superior customer service. From the initial contact and through each contact after, be special and unique and keep the contact going. Follow up and follow through. Under promise and over deliver.

• Be the part – be professional at all times. Show yourself as a professional in your market. One way to do that is to…

• Take classes and increase your training to be a valuable asset to your customer. Whether it is in sales seminars or web design, increasing your knowledge is worth the extra price you should be charging.

These things will increase your integrity, your pride in yourself and your work and it will show through. Never be ashamed of what you do. You don’t have to discount yourself to find your customers. Those customers that are truly worth your time and effort will come to you regardless of your price.

If the lady down the block is discounting, do not apologize. Just keep your prices right where they are and show them the difference with your service and smile.

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 DirectSalesTalk.com . She has also partnered with a friend on a product review site for small business owners at TwoClassyChics.blogspot.com .

I just received a new 1.5” Digital Pocket Viewer as a gift. It’s pretty nifty in that I can load pictures of my children onto it and then carry it in my purse. It’s the modern day version of the accordion wallet file of family photos. The first page of the little manual reads: READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USE. Of course I wondered how difficult this little gadget could be, as it is merely a little plug and play device. It was written in all caps, so the warning scared me into actually reading all instructions before use.

At the very bottom of paragraph two I read (again in all caps) DO NOT LAUNCH THE SOFTWARE YET. Had someone just decided that they were above reading the manual, I can believe with utmost certainty that they would have launched the software at that point. After all, it seemed like a natural thing to do.

Then I started thinking about all the people who sign up to be consultants for home-based companies. Most are either given or have access to the company policies and procedures. It is my understanding that most also need to sign or click that they have read, and agree to the information contained in the policies and procedures. They affirm that they have READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USE. However it has been my experience that truly, most do NOT read the policies and procedures before beginning their business.

These are the same people who think running a business is as easy as a plug and play device. They are the same people who “launch the software” before it’s time. These are the same people who don’t have a clue how their compensation works or what the qualifications are for rank advancement.

If I had opted to just plug and play my little 1.5” Digital Pocket Viewer and then preceded to launch the software before I taking other steps, it simply wouldn’t work. And I wouldn’t have any idea what was wrong or how to fix it. If you sign up to start a home business, be it candles, jewelry, gourmet food, makeup or any other wonderful products, it simply will not work if you don’t READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USE.

Out of all the questions asked on company specific consultant forums, I venture to guess that 99.9% of them could be answered if consultants only took the time to RTFM – Read the Fantastic Manual. Take some time to read all instructions before use – you might be pleasantly surprised what you learn!

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan. She started her first home business in 1988. As a single parent, Laurie has supported her family by working at home as an Independent Consultant and Star Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping others learn how to start a candle business. You can find Laurie at www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com

If you are with one of the Direct Sales companies, I am sure you know all about how important it is to add new team members to your home business. When you build a successful downline team, you will make a certain percentage of your team’s sales, which adds to your income stream.

As someone who has worked in Direct Sales since 1989, I thought I would share some of my best tips on where I find my newly recruited team members.

1. At The Party: My number one source of adding new members to my business has been when I have recruited them from a home party. During the party presentation, I drop numerous hints about how fabulous it is to work from home with ABC company. At the end of my presentation, I always spend a few in depth minutes talking about the home business opportunity with the attendees.

2. At Offline Networking Events: My number two source for adding new members to my home business has been when I have attended local home business networking events. When you attend these events, you are meeting and greeting with other like-minded home business professionals who are interested in you and the type of business that you represent.

3. On Online Social Media Networks: My number three source for adding new members to my home business has been when I have ran advertisements on various online social media networking sites. These advertisements can be text ads or graphic ads and both have been effective for me. When I run ads on these networking sites, I try to target people who I think would be interested in my business. For the most part, I target stay at home moms.

4. On Online Work At Home Web Sites: My number four source for finding new members to add to my team has been through text ads or graphic ads that I have placed on various online work at home mom or stay at home mom web sites. These type of web sites attract the type of people who are most likely to join a Direct Sales business.

5. In Print Offline Media Publications: My number five source for finding new members to add to my team has been from classified advertisements that I have ran in various local print publications. To be honest, I don’t get much of a response from newspaper ads. However, when I place print ads in regional magazines, I have gotten a great response.

Well…there you have it! These are the top 5 places where I find new members to recruit into my home business opportunity. No matter where you decide to advertise your business, you always need to make sure that you are targeting the type of people who are most likely to be interested in the type of business that you represent.

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989. Shelly is the owner of the popular online site called Work At Home Business Options at http://www.workathomebusinessoptions.com where you can find free home business articles, direct sales tips and free home business resources.

• Are you having a hard time generating leads?

• Do you want to tell the world about your business but can’t find the right words?

• Do you need a little boost to get the ball rolling?

Don’t wait for someone else to get excited about your business. Start the excitement yourself by creating your own Press Release.

A press release is a pseudo-news story, that seeks to demonstrate to an editor or reporter the newsworthiness of a particular person, event, service, or products and it’s a free way to advertise yourself.

Press released are often sent alone, by e-mail, fax or mail. They can also be part of a full press kit, or may be accompanied by a pitch letter. We recommend you send your press release to your local, county and state newspaper.

For more information on how to write your own press release visit:

http://www.ehow.com/how_8793_write-proper-press-release.html
http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp

Don’t forget to add a photo of yourself working your business. Pictures say a thousand words.