10 Tips For Choosing The Right Direct Sales Business
10 Tips For Choosing The Right Direct Sales Business
In order to begin narrowing down your direct sales business choices, ask yourself the following questions. As you answer them, you can start crossing off those on your list that don't align with your wants and needs in a direct sales business.
1. Do you have passion for the product?
If you're thinking of selling cat products but loathe cats, how can you enjoy it? Trying to convince someone else to believe in what you're selling will prove to be difficult in this case. Find a company who offers items you can be enthusiastic about selling.
2. Are the items consumable?
Will your sale be one time only or can you obtain regular customers due to the need for replacements? A consumable product is more likely to have repeat customers. This in turn, can easily increase sales.
3. Is the product or service practical?
If what you're selling is more efficient than an older, similar product, people may be more likely to purchase it. Efficiency can be very important, especially in this day and age where saving time and money has become a necessity.
4. Is a demand present?
If you are selling home insurance protection from hurricanes, then you'll probably get more sales in Florida than you would in Nebraska. Stop and think about whether or not the product is practical in the area you'll be soliciting sales from.
Also, take into consideration whether or not the product is something people will actually want to buy. If it is not a popular item to more than a few people, your sales will suffer. Try finding a direct sales company who offers more desirable items.
5. What competition, if any, will you have?
Consider if the area you're offering the items in is already oversaturated with representatives.
Competition can be a good thing, but depending on what you are selling and the area you are doing so, it might be a smarter idea to choose a complimentary product for those overly represented companies versus opening another of the same.
6. Is the compensation plan enough?
If the company's commission structure will not accommodate your monetary needs, you're probably better off taking your business elsewhere.
7. Will the product or service conflict with your morals?
For example, if you are an extremely devout Christian and your company is selling adult romance toys, you may find that presents a problem.
8. What, if any, costs are associated with starting or maintaining your business?
Many direct sales companies do require an initial start-up fee to cover inventory, marketing material or demonstration items. If you find these costs too steep for your budget consider other options.
9. Does the company have a good reputation with its customers?
Talk with those who have bought from the company. Find out their opinion of the products, customer service, and the company in general. Search for customer reviews online. Buyers are not shy about sharing their feelings when it comes to purchasing a product they ended up hating.
10. How does the company treat their agents?
You'll also want to find out how a company stacks up when it comes to how they take care of their representatives. One way to determine this is to chat with those who already work with them or have in the past. Keep in mind that some will be trying to very hard to recruit you, but all in all you should be able to get a sense of the true relationship between company and agents by preparing your questions ahead of time.
You don't want to get stuck selling a product you dislike or don't believe it. You also don't want a business that you have to work from sun up to sun down in order for it to be successful. Take your time and be very selective when choosing which direct sales organization you'll work for.
10 Tips For Choosing The Right Direct Sales Business - To learn more about this author, visit Chris Simpson's Website.
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There are many different types of direct sales companies who want you to join their team. Considering the different kinds of products and services these direct sales businesses have to offer, it is important to select the right one for your lifestyle, schedule and personality.
In order to begin narrowing down your direct sales business choices, ask yourself the following questions. As you answer them, you can start crossing off those on your list that don't align with your wants and needs in a direct sales business.
1. Do you have passion for the product?
If you're thinking of selling cat products but loathe cats, how can you enjoy it? Trying to convince someone else to believe in what you're selling will prove to be difficult in this case. Find a company who offers items you can be enthusiastic about selling.
2. Are the items consumable?
Will your sale be one time only or can you obtain regular customers due to the need for replacements? A consumable product is more likely to have repeat customers. This in turn, can easily increase sales.
3. Is the product or service practical?
If what you're selling is more efficient than an older, similar product, people may be more likely to purchase it. Efficiency can be very important, especially in this day and age where saving time and money has become a necessity.
4. Is a demand present?
If you are selling home insurance protection from hurricanes, then you'll probably get more sales in Florida than you would in Nebraska. Stop and think about whether or not the product is practical in the area you'll be soliciting sales from.
Also, take into consideration whether or not the product is something people will actually want to buy. If it is not a popular item to more than a few people, your sales will suffer. Try finding a direct sales company who offers more desirable items.
5. What competition, if any, will you have?
Consider if the area you're offering the items in is already oversaturated with representatives.
Competition can be a good thing, but depending on what you are selling and the area you are doing so, it might be a smarter idea to choose a complimentary product for those overly represented companies versus opening another of the same.
6. Is the compensation plan enough?
If the company's commission structure will not accommodate your monetary needs, you're probably better off taking your business elsewhere.
7. Will the product or service conflict with your morals?
For example, if you are an extremely devout Christian and your company is selling adult romance toys, you may find that presents a problem.
8. What, if any, costs are associated with starting or maintaining your business?
Many direct sales companies do require an initial start-up fee to cover inventory, marketing material or demonstration items. If you find these costs too steep for your budget consider other options.
9. Does the company have a good reputation with its customers?
Talk with those who have bought from the company. Find out their opinion of the products, customer service, and the company in general. Search for customer reviews online. Buyers are not shy about sharing their feelings when it comes to purchasing a product they ended up hating.
10. How does the company treat their agents?
You'll also want to find out how a company stacks up when it comes to how they take care of their representatives. One way to determine this is to chat with those who already work with them or have in the past. Keep in mind that some will be trying to very hard to recruit you, but all in all you should be able to get a sense of the true relationship between company and agents by preparing your questions ahead of time.
You don't want to get stuck selling a product you dislike or don't believe it. You also don't want a business that you have to work from sun up to sun down in order for it to be successful. Take your time and be very selective when choosing which direct sales organization you'll work for.
10 Tips For Choosing The Right Direct Sales Business - To learn more about this author, visit Chris Simpson's Website.
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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