Every
year thousands of men and women across America
direct
selling firm-Tupperware, Amway, or a cosmetic
company-hoping
to make money enough for new draperies, a new
davenport,
or some new clothes. They sell a little merchandise to
a few
relatives and close friends. Then they are through. They
quit
before they give themselves a chance to learn the basics of
success
in sales. "I am simply not a born salesperson," they
often
say.
No one
is born a salesperson, any more than one is born a doctor
or
born a lawyer. Sales is a profession. To be successful in any
profession
one must learn not only the basic techniques, but also
how to
apply those techniques. Success in sales makes use of all
the
abilities one is born with, plus all those acquired through
education
and experience.
If you
are looking for a career opportunity or "extra income" to
help
with the family budget, direct selling offers you
dream-fulfilling
possibilities. However, you must give yourself
time
to learn the techniques of sales. Ask yourself. "How long
does a
doctor to be study? A lawyer to be study?"
WHAT
IS DIRECT SELLING?
Direct
selling is marketing a product directly to the consumer
with
no middleman involved. Most reliable firms are members of
the
National Association of Direct Selling
Companies.
They bring to the public fine products that are
modestly
priced in order to insure mass consumption.
Most
direct selling companies furnish their representatives with
a
starter kit and essential supplies below-cost prices. In many
instances
the investment is under $100.
There
is an old adage which says "Give a man a fish and you feed
him
for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a
lifetime."
Many
of them were able to change their lives for the better. They
took
their families on nice vacations. They purchased a piano or
an
organ and provided music lessons for their children. They
saved
money for college education. They redecorated their homes,
bought
needed furniture. One highly successful saleslady built a
new
home.
The
rewards of direct selling are many
1. You
can be your own boss.
2. You
can set your own hours.
3. You
can own your own businesses with little or no investment.
4. You
can pay yourself more than any boss would ever pay you.
5. You
can give yourself regular raises as your business grows.
It is
only fair to tell you that there are failures, too. There
are
people who will not work for themselves. When working for a
boss,
they rise early, are well-groomed, and get to the office on
time.
However, when they are their own boss, they are still in a
bathrobe,
drinking one more cup of coffee at 11:00
A.M.
If you
can be your own boss and discipline yourself to do what
has to
be done when it has to be done, direct selling offers a
most
unusual earning opportunity.
THE
TEN STEPS
Here
are ten steps that will assure your success:
1. BE
A GOAL SETTER. What do you want to accomplish? Do you want
to
save for college education for your children? A new car? A
new
home? You can have whatever you want, but you must want it
enough
to do the things that have to be done to get it. Whatever
your
goal, write it down and set a target date for reaching it.
Divide
the time period into blocks of achievement that are
reachable.
Work consistently toward accomplishing each day, each
week,
each month what you set out to do. Goal-setting is a must
in
every area of life. Little is ever accomplished without
definite
goals.
2. BE
A LIST MAKER. Each evening list all the things you want to
get
done the following day. That gives you an organized approach
to
each day. As each task is finished, mark it off your list. It
is
amazing how much gets done when one works with a
"things-to-do"
list. Also, have a notebook listing appointments,
potential
clients, repeat clients, and referrals, and keep it
with
you at all times. You will be adding to it constantly.
3. BE
ENTHUSIASTIC. Enthusiasm is the high-octane "fuel" that
salespeople
run on. Enthusiasm generates its own energy. Energy
and
good health are synonymous with busy, happy people, people
who
are achieving.
4.
RECOGNIZE THAT THE MAGIC WORD IN SALES IS "ASK." In direct
sales
we don't have to wait for business to come to us. We create
our
own business by asking for it. Ask for appointments, then you
can do
business. Ask for business, then you will close sales. Ask
for
referrals, then you always have a full list of potential
clients.
Be quietly, yet firmly aggressive.
5.
EXPECT NO'S. Realize that no's are not personal. In sales, as
perhaps
nowhere else, the law of averages works. Every no gets
you
closer to a yes. Keep track of your ratio. It will help
improve
your techniques. Are you getting ten no's to one yes? Is
your
ratio five to one? Remember, the yes's are your income. Also
remember
that "no" does not necessarily mean "no." Often a
"no"
is
simply a stall for more time to think. It may be a request for
more
information about your product or your service. What your
client
is actually buying is assurance. Assure here by your
helpful
attitude and your complete honesty, that you want what is
best
for her. She will most likely respect you and do business
with
you.
6.
SCHEDULE TIME WISELY. A schedule is the roadmap by which
salespeople
travel. It takes the frustration out of the day. It
assures
that the necessary things get done and get done on time.
Plan
your work then work your plan.
7. BE
POSITIVE IN YOUR ATTITUDE. Success in sales, as in all
areas
of life is 90 percent attitude and 10 percent aptitude. All
of us
must work at developing habits of constructive thinking. I
am
proud to be a salesperson. Sales make the wheels of our
economy
turn. Bernard Baruch, advisor to several presidents, is
quoted
as saying, "If every salesperson sat down and took no
orders
for twenty-four hours, it would bankrupt our country!"
Every
company that manufactures any kind of product depends upon
salespeople
to move that product. Without salespeople business
would
be paralyzed.
Remember,
sales is one of the highest paid of all professions.
Statistics
show that good salespeople enjoy incomes far above the
average.
8.
HAVE AN OFFICE AREA. Most direct salespeople work from their
own
homes, but it is essential to have a place where you can work
in a
organized and efficient manner. An office plus a strict
working
schedule gives you dignity. Both are absolutely essential
for
efficient operation and accurate record keeping, so important
to the
success of any business.
9. BE
INVOLVED. Most sales organization offer contests to
stimulate
production. Include winning contests as part of your
business
goals. Contests make your business fun as well as adding
considerable
dollar value to your income.
10.
LEARN TO HANDLE MONEY INTELLIGENTLY. A regular nine-to-five
job
usually means a paycheck at the end of the second week.
Direct
sales "reps" handle money constantly. Direct sales is
instant
income and constant income. Therefore. it is absolutely
necessary
to become an efficient money manager.
Deposit
every penny collected from
clients
into a checking account set up especially for its
business.
Since bank statements show an exact record of all
monies
collected, and business expenses can be verified by
canceled
checks, record keeping becomes simple and accurate.
Everything
except a few "petty cash" transactions can be directly
taken
from bank statements.
Money
saved regularly and put at interest, soon develops a second
income
in addition to earned income. A long-term goal, which is
realistic
in direct sales, is to be able to live in retirement
off
the interest earned on savings.
Would
financial security mean a lot to you? If so, ask yourself
these
questions:
* Am I
honest?
* Do I
really like people?
* Am I
willing to learn?
* Am I
willing to work?
* Am I
capable of being my own boss?
If
your answers are yes, to find a good product
for
the direct sales market, one that you like, one that fills
the
need of a lot of people, and go to work for yourself! .You
can
turn dreams into reality.
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