Recruiting with FAQ – Part Two

Knowing what the potential recruit needs/wants to know is half the battle. What do the recruits want to know?

First and foremost there’s nothing better than stating the obvious here but, greet your potential recruit and thank them for their interest. After that it’s best to give a little background about the company. By doing this you’ll be making the recruit feel comfortable with the company itself and gives her an idea of what your company stands for. It’s also nice to include your email address again right from the beginning, letting her know that if you did miss a question she may have you’re available and ready to answer it for her.

Using www.EasyBakeGreetings.com as an example this is what I tell my potential recruits upfront. Feel free to use these and adjust them to fit your business.

1. What are Greeting Cakes?
Hopefully if your recruit has even made it this far they already know what your product is, but just incase…let them know.

2. How do I become a distributor?
Spell it out step by step (leaving no stone unturned out). Do they need to purchase a start up kit? What forms need filled out?

3. Why do I need to fill out a W-9?
Don’t let recruits in the dark why certain forms are needed. Explain why the company wants this information. What is it going to be used for?

4. What is included in my distributor kit?
If your company requires a start-up kit (distributor, consultant etc kits), let recruits know exactly what they’re going to be getting and how much it costs. Even though we know that startup prices shouldn’t be one of the most important deciding factors but truth be told we all know it is. If someone can’t afford the distributor kit, they just can’t. Also be sure to mention if you have a program available to “earn their kit”.

5. What are my tax requirements?
Oh now isn’t this a fun aspect of the business? Of course it’s not and some of us probably even hate the word “tax”. But, it is extremely important! There’s even some direct sales companies that are not allowed in certain states due to certain laws. Let your potential recruit know anything you do. Don’t be a tax advisor or a lawyer…just the facts. And always, always recommend that each recruit checks with his/her respective states for sure.

6. What are the Sales Quotas?
This of course is a handy little detail that you’re going to want recruits to know. There’s a lot of direct sales companies out there and a lot of them with different sales quotas. Monthly, quarterly, yearly or maybe even non-existent. This will most likely be an important deciding factor for the recruit.

7. How long does it take to get an order?
I know this can often be a difficult answer to make because everyone will be having their products delivered to different parts of the country or in some cases different parts of the world. The best way I’ve found to answer this question is like this: “Products are shipped from Any City, Any State and I live in Your City, Your State. I usually receive my orders XXX amount of time after I’ve placed my orders.” State how long it usually takes you to receive your goods and the company’s shipping policy. Use the following statement as an example:

“XXX Company does their very best to make sure all orders are shipped within 48 – 72 hours.”

8. How are my cakes shipped?
This question of course can be answered with the above question or all by itself. This pretty much depends on your company’s policies or how many options customers may have. Let your recruits know in advance how their products are shipped. Are they shipped UPS, USPS, FedEx etc.?

9. What if I have a problem with my order?
Well, let’s hope there never are any problems but, let’s also be realistic. They happen. So just incase of any misfortunate events; let recruits know what they can expect to be done. Who do they contact and how?

10. Does the company drop ship my orders to my customers?
This can often be a major deciding factor also. Some wish not to handle the products at all. Then there are others who have to have complete control and want to know what’s going on at each step.

11. What commission am I paid?
Well let’s just say if this question wasn’t answered … you might as well not have even wasted your time. This of course is usually one of the first and the largest questions of them all. Besides, we’re going into business to make money, right? I’ve seen quite a few payment structures from quite a few different direct sales companies in my lifetime and let me just say that sometimes I’d rather read “The 10 Million Laws of Complicated Physics”. Of course I’m joking but sometimes they are really hard to understand. If you do have a complicated payment structure, try to spell it out as easily as possible.

12. How am I paid?
Of course this also could be incorporated into the above question but, if you feel the need, separate the two so there isn’t any confusion. Are they paid “instantly” or once a month? Are distributors paid actual paper checks, paypal or direct deposit?

13. How do you (me) sell the cakes?
I personally like answering this question for my potential recruits. I’m often asked how I sell them. What works for me? I think this is a legitimate question. They don’t want to hear what “everyone’s” doing. They want to know what you do. You’re possibly going to be their mentor/supporter/trainer … they want to know how you handle business.

14. How much does the shipping and handling cost?
I myself have seen some outrageous prices on shipping and handling. These recruits probably have a pretty good idea as to if they’re going to be able to charge these costs. They usually have pretty basic idea of who they’re going to sell and if the price is reasonable. Who wants to join a company that they can’t move the merchandise?

15. Is there websites available or can I build my own?
Simply put there are a lot of variables in this and everyone has different wants/needs. Some businesses offer company websites while others don’t. Some potential recruits would rather have the company website while others don’t.

16. Where can I advertise?
Are they permitted to advertise online, offline etc.? Is there any restrictions, if so, list them.

17. How do I obtain printed materials? Catalogs, Business Cards, etc.?
Can distributors/reps/consultants etc. produce their own marketing tools? Do they have to purchase them from the company? Can they have someone else produce them? If you do have to purchase materials from the company, what do they cost?

18. How often are new items released?
Is your company the type that is always brining in new merchandise or is it basically the same thing all the time?

19. How distributors are there?
Everyone has their reasoning for this question. Sometimes they’d rather new “stomping ground” or sometimes they’d rather a company with a bunch of representatives “under their belt”.

20. What kind of training/support does the company provide?
This very well could be a “biggie”. Sometimes these people who are researching companies are brand spanking new to the direct sales industry. As “seasoned pros” at this we often forget what it was like when we first started and didn’t know anything. We tend to assume that people just “know how to do it”. Which isn’t always the case. So for some, added training/support is definitely a Huge benefit. Does the company offer training? Do you offer something in addition? What is it? How often? And anything else you can possibly offer. Remember, you’re counting on their success too.

Whatever you do; don’t try to make your business sound as the “best”. Just because it’s right for you; doesn’t necessarily mean its right for everyone. You don’t want to spend your time with someone whose heart just isn’t in it. You’ll go much farther working with those who are.

The basic concept behind this is to let everyone know exactly what is and will be expected of them if they should choose this company. If the facts are straight right from the beginning, there shouldn’t be any problems.

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Recruiting with FAQ – Part One

As most of us know recruiting in direct sales plays a very large role. Don’t make them search or ask for the information they want … hand it to them on a silver platter.

The first thing I do is make FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) and answers easily attainable. By doing this you’re killing three birds with one stone.

First of all your potential recruit may be “shy” and not want to ask certain questions for the fear of being a “pain” or they may think their questions are “dumb”. (My answer to this is that the only “dumb questions” are the ones that go un-answered because they were never asked.)

Another “bird killed” is … Doing this saves you time. How many times have you been asked the same questions, over and over again? Starting to feel like a broken record? Start a list of these questions and answer each one.

Lastly and probably the most important reason for this is I don’t know about you but, I’d certainly rather someone know exactly what they’re getting into before they join. Just because your business is perfect for you doesn’t necessarily mean it is perfect for everyone. Everyone has their own reasons for joining or not joining and they vary from person to person. I don’t want to spend my time training/supporting someone in a business that’s really not for them. Doing this is just a waist of yours and their precious time. I want to make sure each recruit knows exactly what they’re getting into BEFORE they sign on the dotted line.

What do you do with your FAQ?

1. If you own and update your own website, place your FAQ’s right on your website. Place it right on the same page as the description of your business opportunity or put it on its own page linked from your business opportunity page. A small example of this can be viewed at http://www.easybakegreetings.com/distributor.html#faq

2.Place a “request more info” link on your site for potential recruits to email you for more information. Place your FAQ’s in a word document and email those to potential recruits as an attachment.

3. You can take it one step further if you’d like to add a personal touch and the added bonus of a visual aid. Purchase folders from places such as OfficeMax.com. I use Esselte Double Pocket Leatherine Portfolios. These have a special spot for your business card, look very nice and are fairly inexpensive. (25 pack for $12.99) When a potential recruit asks for more information simply print out your FAQ’s and mail them off.

You can view an example of what I do at http://www.easybakegreetings.com/distributor-info.html

Knowing what the potential recruit needs/wants to know is half the battle. Next time we’ll discuss what recruits are asking and a few things they shouldn’t have to ask for.

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Why YOU Need a Marketing Plan

Being in direct sales can often give the feeling "I don't have to do much, just sell". It's true, you don't have to ship orders or create websites, or even design catalogs (even though we recommend it sometimes). Your job as the rep is to direct customers to products, that's it. The fact is, to 'sell' the product is the hardest part.

Because "just selling" is more complicated than it seems, it's important to you to have a marketing plan. First of course you will need to set goals, so you know where you want to be by a set time. The next part is deciding on how to get there.

A marketing plan should include the following:

- What types of marketing ideas you plan to use
This would be ideas such as purchasing ads, hosting parties online and offline, networking, having your own newsletter, etc.

- Why you want to use these forms of marketing
Of course our main objective is to gain more sales, right? Dig a little deeper on these different forms of marketing to really see WHY you are going to use these forms. You may want to host an offline party to not only make sales, but to book more shows. You want a newsletter to keep customers informed of new products and specials, to convince them to buy.

- How you are going to follow through on the ideas
Just having them down on paper doesn't do you much good. If you want to have several online parties, write down how you plan to pull in visitors. If you want to use a newsletter (highly recommended), write down how you plan to gain subscribers and what will go into your newsletter.

- Schedules
Don't overwhelm yourself - make a schedule of what type of promotion you'll be using first. If you want to have an online party, start your newsletter first. While I know you want to have that party, it's important to do other things first so you are ready and have the best attendance possible.

Don't skip this important step to succeeding with your company! Even though you are "just selling", having a marketing plan can make it much easier to do your job.

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Will Your Business Survive Summer Break?

Summer is approaching and soon the children will be out of school. Is your schedule ready?

Some of you may know from past years, when the kids are out for the summer your "quiet time" during school hours is no more. Here are some tips to keep the school age children busy while you keep up with your business:

1. Plan family days
Take a day each week to spend the entire day with your kids. Make it a weekly event. Do things such as go out for ice cream, going to the zoo, etc. Try to plan it for in the middle of the week.

2. Set aside nights and weekends
In addition to your weekly outings with the kids, make sure you set aside your evenings and weekends to focus on them.

3. Hire Local Neighborhood Kids
Is there a responsible child in your neighborhood? Hire them to take your children to the pool, the park, or other areas in the neighborhood. Preteens are always looking for a way to make some extra money, or someone to pay for their day at the pool.

4. Have crafts and movies lined up
Avoid the "I'm bored" comments by having several activities set aside for children to do for at least 2 hours, giving you enough time to finish a project or two.

5. Take breaks outside
Since the weather is nice, children will be begging to go out. Make sure you take a break daily to go out for even just an hour. Remind them when it's time to go back inside they will be able to go out again when you are finished working.

6. Trade Babysitting
Talk to other mothers in your community and trade babysitting. Remember the first tip? Take someone else's kids on your family day out, and ask if they will watch your children on another day.

7. Hire Babysitters
When all else fails and you need to get major work done, send them to daycare once a week. Don't feel guilty - it's only one day! Your kids need a break from you too sometimes, and the chance to play with other children.

Good luck surviving the summer, and don't forget to enjoy it yourself!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

The Truth About Contests

Often times you'll see the tip "run a contest to get more sales!", and general tips on how to do it, but there's some facts you should know before holding your own.

I've seen countless "sign up to our newsletter and be entered into our monthly contest" and see them submitted to various contest sites. Have you ever ran a contest like this? If you have you know that it will probably bring you several hundred new subscribers. Sounds like a great idea right? Wrong. While you may have hundreds of new subscribers, you have very little that are interested in buying anything from you. What you have is a list of people that are looking to WIN something, and want something for free. That's why they are on these lists you submitted your contest to - because they hope they will win free products and not have to pay for any of it. You on the other hand want BUYERS, not freebie seekers. Not to say there is something wrong with being a freebie seeker (I think we all love to get free items, and are always on the look out for deals like this!), but they are not your target market.

While contests can be a good thing and DO build your list, understand the conversion rate for a freebie seeker list is very, very low compared to one that is made up of current customers and people honestly interested in your product. While these aren't exact numbers and you will need to run your own test, it may take 1,000 subscribers on a freebie list to gain one extra sale while a list of 100 targeted subscribers may produce 2-3 sales. Quite a difference right?

Recently I ran a contest with my freebie seeker list. I offered a free product to the name drawn from those who suggested scents for candles. This list had produced little sales in the past, but as soon as I offered something free - they responded. Out of 800 subscribers, there were over 30 entries. One person was selected as the winner, and the rest were contacted personally (twice actually) to be give a coupon, plus state their scent chosen was available. Over 30 people were contacted personally, and told their recommended product was available. This experiment produced zero sales. Yes this is correct - zero. It was a fact - these people didn't want to BUY, they wanted to WIN.

So if in the future you are thinking of running a contest for your business, attract only those that want to buy even if it's in the future. Here are some recommended contests to attract only buyers:

- Questionnaire
Something such as "why you would like to buy and why". This can also be used to help determine what your target market is looking for, and what you could do differently to increase sales.

- Purchase to Win
All purchases made in the month are entered to win. You could get creative with this idea, and state higher purchased amounts get more entries. For example, $1-10 spent = 1 entry, $11-20 spent = 2 entries.

- Gift Registry
Have them fill out their gift registry with your site, complete with a list of friends and relatives that would buy your products FOR them. This costs them nothing, they are still getting their products for free, and you are making the sale. You could also give everyone they mark down the chance to win as well.

There are many other ideas that can be used with a current list or to gain new customers. Just be sure that any type of contest you are involved in does bring you buyers!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Are You In the Right Business?

Often times we see of people struggling with their online businesses, and while normally it's marketing related problems, the real problem may be you are in the wrong business.

There's thousands of articles on how to promote your business, and other related materials, but very little on how to choose your business. The normal response to a request for information on starting a business is glowing recommendations from current reps and how fabulous their opportunities is. The problem is, while they may be in the perfect business for them it may not be the perfect business for you. Thus causing problems later on.

You may have been given advice before you started on how to choose your business. You may have heard "go with your passion, you need to love the products!". Some may not have heard this at all, but joined your business because of the compensation plan. While both of these points are important, they aren't the only thing you should look at when joining a company.

Some may want to promote only online, but the company prevents this. Some companies deal mostly online while you want to take your business offline. Being in this situation can hold you back, and there are just too many options for direct sales companies to settle on one that restricts you.

If you feel you are struggling due to being in the wrong type of business, take a step back. Act as though you have no business, and are looking for the first time. What are you looking for in a business? What type of products do you like? You can download our free ebook, Choosing Your Direct Sales Business for help with questions to ask yourself:
http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com/free-ebook.html

After you have answered some of the most important questions and realized exactly what type of business you should be in, compare it to your current business. Does it match up, or is the company you are in the cause of your major problems? Now it's not to say this company is BAD - it's just not the right fit for you. For example, if you are with a company that deals mostly online, this company would be perfect for those that do not like to promote offline, but of course not good for those that do.

There are literally hundreds of direct sales companies and more opening every day. You can find just about any product with direct sales - from candles, to food, to greeting cards, and even decorative bags! Succeeding with one is just a matter of finding the one that matches you and your needs.

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Making the Sale When the Customer Won't Buy

Ever had a party online or offline, and had guests say "I love that item, but I can't afford it right now", or "It's so hard to decide, I want all of this!". This is a perfect time to sell all those items to your customer without them having to pay a dime.

If you aren't using this idea already, make sure to put it into action immediately. Have a gift registry form ready to point those customers to should they want extra items they simply can not buy right now.

What they do is fill out their information, special dates (Birthdays, Anniversary, etc), and the products they want. Then, they fill out names and contact information of relatives and friends they know they will be receiving gifts from. You contact the relatives, stating where you received their information and what's on the wish list you hold. Ask them if they would like a reminder before the special date, and which item they will be purchasing.

Simple eh? It's a win-win situation for everyone! You make the extra sale, the gift-giver knows they are buying a gift the other person wants (no guess work or wandering around a mall!), and the one receiving the gift is getting exactly what they wanted but couldn't afford.

This idea works easily both online and offline. Keep several forms handy if you are offline, so you can pass them out at parties or events (Pre-made forms available with the Direct Sales Success Kit). Online you will want to set up a page with an automatic form for your guest to fill out. For an example of an online form, visit:
http://www.soy-wax-candles.com/gift-registry.html

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Avoid Losing Sales This Summer - 6 Easy Steps

It's a fact - the online world dies down in the summer time. Kids are out of school, families are on vacation, there's fairs to attend to, and many are just spending too much time outside to be online. For those that market mostly online, the summer months could be eating your profit. The good news is, it's easy to take your product to where your market is - offline.

While some of you may moan and groan about leaving the comfort of your home to make money, if you don't want to loose out on sales it's the only way. Also you will get a chance to meet some local people in your area, and getting out can be good for you!

So what is there to do offline in the summer time? PLENTY! There are hundreds of events going on right under your nose, just waiting for you to be a part of. State fair, county fairs, town celebrations, music events, craft fairs, expos - all renting tables and spaces for you to sell. The hard part of marketing the events has been done for you, all you have to do is show up!

Use the following 6 steps to make your offline event a success:

1. Locate the events
This isn't as hard as some make it out to be. There are many different ways to get in touch with those in charge of organizing events. Check with your local City Hall or Chamber of Commerse first.

2. Get Ready for the Event
Make a list of items you will need to take, plus take inventory of the products you have in stock. You'll need a good variety and some eye catching items to take with you.

3. Set Up Your Table
Your table should be neat, but eye catching. Table clothes are a must! Don't forget to have a drawing box on the table as well, to catch leads.

4. Attend the Event
You will need to have someone at the table at all times. Don't leave - not even for a second - unless there is someone there to cover you.

5. Take Notes
Was there something you could have done differently? Take notes and do better next time!

6. Follow Up
As they always say, the money is in the follow up! Be sure to stay in touch with all those contacts you made at the event.

More information and help on staying organized while attending local events can be found at http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com/offline-events.html

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Online Parties with a Twist

We know once you have a room full of guests at your online party, getting them to play games is the easy part. While hunting for answers to your game, a guest has the chance to see some products they simply cannot do without, thus making you sales!

We also know from experience that getting the visitors to the party in the first place is like pulling teeth. We have given some ideas to increase your party and really being able to talk with your future customers in a chat room is the best. However, for those that you'll never see in the chat room here is a way to increase some party-like sales without having to hold an actual party.

After you build your list of potential customers (and if you don't have one - stop right here and do that FIRST. YOUR list of potential customers is your most valuable asset in business!), play a game with them via email. Announce on a Monday or even Friday (and you can test which days get the best responses) the start of a contest by email. Focus on a specific type of products like you would at your party, and set up some type of questions that can be emailed to you. Be sure to cover some good points about your products in a casual way (you know your subscribers want to get down to the contest part of this, so don't overload them with ads!). You can set this up in any way you wish really, just as long as it's something interactive you can do with them.

At the end of the week, send out another email with the answers (this might grab a few that didn't participate before, or maybe got stumped and you never got an entry from). Give the details again of the products, which the answers were related to, and also be sure to announce the winner. You can possibly even give a special incentive to buy the products you featured in the contest, since many of your subscribers have been eyeing these products all week - a special might just give them the extra push to buy.

You can do variations of this, such as having weekly-featured products and instead of giving away prizes each week having a monthly drawing where those that win the weekly contests are entered in. Just as long as you are doing something other than just "weekly sales" you will stand out of the crowd and increase your sales!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

4 Tips to More Online Party Sales

I know most of us have held our own online party, been to one, or at least read about them. Many of the materials online are general, and the average online party (for individuals) has around 5-10 guests at the most. Maybe more, maybe less, depending on several factors. But really for those that do not belong to party groups, and are holding their first party the attendance is going to be very low.

After some thought, I realized the way we are holding these parties is wrong. In our previous article we talked about stepping out of the wahm zone, and searching for your specific customers. When looking for guests for your online party, it should be no different. Instead of mass submitting party invites to wahm groups, let's take a step back and see what should be done FIRST.

1. BUILD a newsletter
Before you have your next party or even start to plan it, set up a newsletter. This is something you should have already for your business, no matter if it's an informational newsletter or one that lists your specials - you NEED a list of potential customers. If you haven't started to build one, start now! I could go into detail as to HOW, but newsletters are an entirely different subject of their own.

2. USE your newsletter list
No I don't mean take advantage of them, but I do mean send your party notices to your list. Your list is the most important, targeted sources of free advertisement you have!

3. Give good REASONS to attend
Simply saying "online party - join us" isn't enough. Not even saying "games and prizes" is enough anymore. Get creative and have a good reason for having your party. Such as announcing a new product not released yet, giving away free items (be specific in your email!), or featuring a specific type of product on your website. Informational chats are good as well, such as one that explains what a certain non-familiar product is.

4. Make a SCHEDULE
If you have monthly parties introducing or featuring specific products, the attendance is going to be better than if you just have them at random. Weekly is the best for repeat guests, but you also do not want to burn your guests out offering them the same products. Monthly would work best, since it's not as often but still creates that habit. Make sure you have it on the same day every month (such as the 1st, 10th, 15th...something easy to remember).

Don't forget to get creative with your parties! With so many offering online parties today, you really need to make yourself stand out. Granted if you do follow the first two steps, you WILL have a much better response since instead of just other wahms you will have a targeted group that may not be familiar with online parties. Even still, there is always room for improvement. ;)

Good luck with your next online party!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Direct Sales Reps CAN Write Articles - Here's How!

We all know that article writing is a great way to promote our businesses AND helps establish us as an expert in our fields. But, just because we know how important it is to our business doesn’t necessarily make us able to do it. It’s often said, “I’m not a writer, I can’t write articles.” Or “I can’t write an article about my own products without it sounding like an ad.” Do either of these sound familiar?

Here’s a twist on article writing that can both help and provide a little extra fun. Find another consultant from another non-competing direct sales company. Exchange products with each other and both of you try them each out. Once you have tried the product yourself, write an article about it. In return the other consultant does the same thing. It’s much more natural for us to be able to write about and recommend someone else’s products. It’s a win-win situation!

The following is perfect example of an article that was written about a gift from another direct sales company rep:
http://www.mommyshelperonline.com/rainy-day-cakes.html

Don't forget to add your resource box to the end of your article, and remind them to do the same. So really you are getting twice the advertising as you would just writing your own article! Not to mention you have a "testimony" that's not an ad and being used as content on other sites.

Pull up your address book and start figuring who you can exchange products with. Try to find others that have similar but not competitive products. Such as if you sell home decor with no candles, find someone that has candles.

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of The Direct Sales Success Kit, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

3 Steps to Finding New Customers

Step one: Knowing your Customer
To find your ideal customer, you first have to know them. Other than the fact your future customer wants your products, what else do you know about them? Ask yourself some of the following questions:

1. What hobbies do your customers have?
2. Do they have children?
3. Do they prefer buying online or offline?
4. What are their fears/concerns?
5. What makes them happy?

Step two: Finding Your Ideal Customer
The next step is a piece of cake! Once you discover what your ideal customer's interests hobbies, and lifestyle is, finding them is the easy part. There are TONS of message boards, groups, newsletters, and websites dedicated to specific groups of people. You can do some research to find these places on Yahoo Groups, Ezine Directories, or just by searching.

Step three: Discover Your Own Interests
Take a minute to realise your own hobbies and interests. Do you like to read and sell coffee or candles? Join a message board that talks about books and get to know others there. Make sure to put your business in your signature line! Use a creative ad such as "Relax with a cup of (your company's name) coffee and a good book", or "Relax with a (company name) scented candle and a good book". Try and get as creative as possible so your signature line really stands out and makes other want to click.

Also be sure to ask yourself why you joined this particular business to begin with (aside from the money!). Sometimes this will give you ideas of where your customers could be. For example, if you joined a bath and body company because of your concern for the use of store brand soaps on your children, you may consider seeking out a group or message board of other mothers that share your same concern. Again, be sure to use signature lines targeted to those who your products are targeted to!

Of course this is just the beginning. While you may choose to pay for simple advertising on some websites and newsletters (and this is fine!), if you are involved in the community be respectful to the current members. Don't just place ads and leave, but instead get to know those in the community. Follow the rules as you should within any community - don't post with the assumption everyone will automatically buy from you. Build relationships, be helpful, and the sales will follow!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of The Direct Sales Success Kit, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Stepping Outside the WAHM Zone

Often times on message boards you'll see several reps from the same company, making it difficult for all reps to gain enough sales. We've also seen issues where some reps dominate certain boards or even go so far as to steal potential customers and recruits. While there is no real easy answer to this problem, there are certain things you can do to gain your fair share of sales.

But wait, if there are at least 2 or 3 other reps from the same company on all the top wahm message boards you visit, how are you going to gain all the sales possible?

Very easily - visiting at least ONE message board that isn't related to the wahm community. Believe it or not, there ARE message boards our there that don't have anything to do with business! We aren't saying you shouldn't be a member of a wahm community, because this is important to your growth as a business woman and DOES have major benefits to you. However, advertising to others in business is not going to create the most sales for you. What will create more sales is being an active member of a community that's filled with your potential customers without a competitor in sight.

Finding other communties outside the wahm community isn't as difficult as you think. There are many, many other kinds of groups, message boards, and websites that could be of interest to you and your future customer. Take a minute to do some non-business surfing on the web and see what you come up with.

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of The Direct Sales Success Kit, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

6 Time Management Tips for Moms

Many of you have expressed the challenge of not having enough time to accomplish all your needed tasks and not being organized. Having good organization and management skills is absolutely imperative to your business. Being well organized can greatly affect your successfulness. Applying a few of the following tips will help you become more organized and make better use of your time.

1. Learn to delegate
Most of us are mothers and as moms we tend to automatically take on everything and are used to doing everything ourselves. There's absolutely nothing wrong with delegating different tasks.

2. Set business hours
One way to keep yourself and your business organized is to set regular business hours. You know Monday through Friday 1 - 4 or whatever times works best for you and your family and try to stick to it as much as possible.

3. Keep your office organized
Have a place for everything keeping like things together.

4. Group like activities/errands
Keep track of errands that need done and try scheduling most of them on the same day.

5. To-do lists
Having a to-do list keeps you motivated and lets you know what needs done at all times.

6. Plan for tomorrow
Make it a habit to review the following days schedule at the end of each day.

Take a few minutes right now and start a list of everything you need to get done. Take that list and re-write it by placing the things that most need accomplished and place them at the top of your list. Once you're finished get back to work and cross off tasks as you go. Not only will you find yourself getting more accomplished you'll also find a sense of fulfillment.

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of The Direct Sales Success Kit, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Reaching Goals in Direct Sales

From surveys and experience, we've noticed many setting excellent goals for their business. We've also noticed that while the goals being set are good, the results aren't. Around 90% of those in Direct Sales do SET goals, but never reach them.

So the question comes to mind.....are you making the right plans to reach your goals? It's GREAT to set a certain amount you want to make, so you have a little motivation, but without the proper planning reaching that goal is going to be more difficult.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What have you done in the past that created sales?
How can you improve on ideas for creating sales?
What ideas for sales have you seen but not tried?

Take a minute to write down every way you can think of to make your sales (such as through parties, catalog shows, drawings, etc), then make some more specific goals for doing each task. Such as "contact 10 people and book at least 3 shows".

Once you have a plan in motion, be sure to stick with it! A dream won't become reality if you are just simply wishing for it.

If you have an idea of how to get to your goal, well that's half the battle. The next part of course is taking action. You should have your goals AND plans clearly written in a place you can see. It's true everyone has their own way of setting and reaching goals, which is fine, but everyone needs to have them BOTH written down in some way.

If you don't have a goal or even a plan, now is a perfect time to start!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of The Direct Sales Success Kit, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

4 Tips for Keeping a Team Motivated

Companies often have incentives for reps, but sometimes that isn't enough. To keep your team motivated, you could do a number of things:

1. Hold your own personal incentive for your team
This could be something as simple as a gift certificate for the one who sells the most in a month.

2. Set up a message board just for your personal team
A great way to keep in contact with everyone. Many wahm boards already have a section for your company, so if you don't have the time to set up your own you could use a specific board for your team.

3. Send out a monthly newsletter to your team
Keep it personal and let them know how you are doing ... motivate them by explaining some of the ways you have advanced during the month.

4. Contact your downline on a monthly basis
Personally contact everyone and see how they are doing. This is a good idea even if some in your team are making sales without your help. Just check in and see if anyone has questions or problems - they may be afraid to ask for help.

These are just a few things that you can do to keep your team motivated. Be creative and personal, this is always the best way to go!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of The Direct Sales Success Kit, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.