Directory Listings & Direct Sales

Directory listings and other forms of advertising can be great exposure for anyone in business. However, if you are in direct sales and using a rep site you could be leaving lots of money on the table.

Even in direct sales, advertising online can be a huge benefit. One of the largest mistakes we see though, is the use of rep sites alone. Believe it or not, when advertising online your main objective is not to get customers to buy immediately. A very small percent will bookmark your site, so if your focus is just getting visitors that's all you'll have. And if you are lucky to get bookmarked … when is the last time you looked in your favorites list?

Instead of focusing on just getting people to your site to buy, focus on getting them to sign up to your list. This way you haven't lost them, they are just waiting to buy at a later time. To do this, of course, you will need your own website.

A rep site does have its purpose, and that's to complete the online buying process. It should be used as the end, not the start. Leads should come from your personal website or from you personally (offline or by email, stating to go to your rep site to order). Warm leads only should be sent to your rep site, while those just surfing should be sent to your personal website.

Contrary to popular belief, websites can be built fairly easily and inexpensively. So, do yourself and your pocketbook a favor and at least think about building your own personal website.

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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.

Setting Up Tables for Success at Craft Shows

One of the major questions after buying a vendor spot at a craft show is this: "How do I set up my table?". While it's important you have a nice looking table, the actual set up makes little or no difference. You don't have to be a professional designer to have a nice looking table.

When I walk around at craft shows I see many who use shelves, boxes, and other items to "lift" their items up. I also see banners, signs, and other "props" to make their items stand out. While these stands look extremely nice, it's not all the "extras" that pull in the sales.

Instead of focusing on how "pretty" your table looks (as important as that is), focus on how many items your visitors can pick up and hold. If you have candles, encourage them to pick up and smell everything. If you sell food, make absolutely sure you have samples. Scrapbooking supplies? Paper to touch, stamps to use, and other items to feel. Toys? Have lots to play with. It's been our experience the products the customer can actually pick up are the ones that sell the most.

Now don't get me wrong - you need a certain level of organization to your table. This doesn't have to be difficult though. Place like items together in groups, and the most eye catching items at the ends of the table (this catches the attention of people scanning, and if the eye catching item is at the end, they will stop for another look before moving on). Some candle reps I see lumping same scents together, while we prefer to lump types of candles together (all 8oz in ones area, 12oz behind them, 9oz teddy bears in front, melts all in one basket). This has always worked extremely well for us, and gives us a chance to spread out the scents over the entire table.

While tips are good, don't forget the best way to find what works for you is to just do it. Attend a craft show or two to see what others are doing, and talk to other vendors if you need more ideas. Good luck!

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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. For additional help at offline events, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/offline-events.html

Craft Show Tables - Is Expensive Better?

"More expensive doesn't always mean better. "

I think we all know this statement because it applies to just about any business expense, but over the weekend it was confirmed for us.

We attended a very established craft show featuring around 100 different vendors. This location has 4 craft shows a year, every year, and has been going on for over a decade. However, this was the first year we had attended this particular event as a vendor.

The layout was pretty simple, and they had two main sections. The front area by the door which lead into the main room (it's actually a theater at an amusement park, the main room was where the chairs would have been and crafters were even up on the stage). The other main area was the hallway that wrapped around the main section. It was easily accessible from all areas, and not hard to see. Even still, this narrow hallway section was about half the cost of the main. Since it was our first time at this event, we opted for the hallway because of the price and to see how it went.

I was amazed at how well we did considering we were "stuck out in the hallway". I really don't think there was many guests that didn't make it back in that hallway, and the table was large enough for us to make $200 in sales (the table cost $35). That was slightly above average for us to make that much for a table so cheap. The last event we attended was only about $150 in sales for the same size table. What really blew us away was talking with another vendor who stated this was the "slow show". *GASP!* If this was slow, I want to see the busy one for sure. *grin*

The main difference between costs was not so much the location, but the size of the space. Could we have made more with a fancy, large display instead of a table? Possibly, it's hard to say because of all the variables involved. We wouldn't know for sure unless we attended the same event at the same time of year. However, it's been our experience that the size of the area and massive set up makes little difference. Our table doesn't get much more basic, and our sales really come from talking with the customers. Just last fall at a different show someone with an elaborate display a few tables from us didn't even sell half as much as we did. We talked to our customers - he didn't as much. By the way, he had soy candles like us. ;)

The lesson from this experience was this: spending more on a table at a craft show doesn't always mean more sales. We took the smaller area in the out of the way place for less cost, and still made a nice profit. The guests were there to see all the tables, not just those in the main section, so we were found either way by most. Being in the main section could have gotten us lost in the crowd, because it even took us a few times walking around to find every table.

While taking a look at some of these shows before buying a table is a good idea, it's not always an option. Testing on your own is going to give you the best understanding of what's worth it and what's not. Don't be afraid to take a loss, and chalk it up to experience!


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. For additional help at offline events, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/offline-events.html

6 Quick Tips for a Successful Online Fair

Online parties and fairs can be profitable for everyone involved, but not if they aren't done right. We've heard many complaints over poorly organized or planned events, even though anyone can hold a successful event. In this article, we'll cover the 6 basic tips to ensure that you as the coordinator have set up an event that will be worth the time of the vendors.

1. Set Up
One of the best ways to set up your vendor fair is to have all the vendors and contact information listed on one web page. Don't forget to include a link to "enter" the event.

2. Costs, Fees, Etc.
Whether or not to charge vendors is a highly debated topic and completely up to you. Should you decide to charge - be sure it is reasonable (especially for your first one).

3. Inviting Guests
Be sure to invite guests outside the "vendor list".

4. Vendor Advertising
Encourage your vendors to promote the event also. The more promotion that is done; the more guests you're likely to have.

5. Set a Schedule
Set a certain time for each vendor to do their presentations so that each vendor has their fair "time to share".

6. Choosing a Room
Choosing a room is a crucial decision for your event. Be sure to do your research on various rooms and be sure to ask for recommendations from others.

There are several other tips included in organizing an event, but the most important is to be organized and make sure there is enough promotion. The last thing you want is unhappy vendors walking away without so much as a lead because of poor planning!

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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.

Networking at Craft Shows

When you attend a craft show as a vendor, the main goal is of course to make sales and gather leads. However, there's one important step that should be forgotten, and that's networking with the other vendors.

The last craft show I attended wasn't a large one, but it was very local. We had the choice to attend a large one in a big city, or a small local one. I sure am glad we picked the smaller one, because it gave us a chance to get more local leads and make a better impression.

Because there was two of us, we took turns walking around and talking with the other vendors. Not only did we gather display ideas, but we got to talk to the vendors about their businesses as well. As a result of doing this, several business cards were handed out, a wholesale lead gained, and another show was scheduled. I was most impressed with the additional show scheduled. If I wouldn't have gone to talk to her, I would have never known she held her own shows in a small town near by.

Networking online is so important, yet many overlook how much more important it is to network offline. By making connections and friendships with other vendors, you are opening the door for more opportunities to promote your products. The more you network, the more lucky it seems you are.

The lesson of this story is to not stay stuck in your own table, but rather get out on the floor and chat with other people. You will be surprised on what you can find out, and how much better you will do!

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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.

Capturing Leads

Attending craft shows can be an excellent way to pick up sales, but more importantly - gathering leads. Your ultimate goal is of course to make sales in the end, but to have the name and address of your customer can prove to be more valuable than just one simple sale.

There's many ways to capture a lead or get the name of your customer at the very least. Two of the main ideas I spotted at the last craft show that were working the best were:

1. Drawings
This is almost a given, and we all know this is one of the best ways to pull in leads. Most tables has the options to check off boxes for more information on the products, earning free products, or more info on earning money.

2. "For Display Only" Products
Several tables I saw that were set up very nicely were for display only. There were no "cash and carry" products at all, only displays of popular products. Reps would talk to each person that walked by and encourage orders from the catalog. This way they were still making sales, but they also had information on the customer so they could contact them later.

At your next craft show, see if you can use one or both of these ideas to gather leads. Don't forget that your mailing list is gold, and will bring you the more sales than any other type of marketing!

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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.

Holding Successful Drawings & Contests

Contests and drawings can be a great way to pull in business. However, if not done correctly you can end up with nothing but a whole lot of freebie seekers. The rule of quality over quantity applies here!

Just a few weeks ago I held a drawing for a $25 gift certificate. I learned quite a bit from this drawing, and will be able to fine tune this type of promotion in the future. One of the main points I learned was the key to a successful drawing is when you get the absolute most exposure and leads as a result. There are several main points you'll want to focus on with your drawing.

With your drawing, you should:

- Gather information from potential customers
In the last drawing I did, I asked those entering a few simple questions aside from basic information of name and address that had to do with the site. They actually had to look around before filling in an answer. Forms that weren't complete were tossed, since the rules were clearly posted and said "please fill out form completely". I was able to weed out those that were trying to grab a freebie from those that were truly interested enough to follow rules.

I also was able to gather some interesting information about my customers, like how much they spend a month on my type of product, and how often they use it. Valuable information since it comes straight from the customer!

- Schedule catalog shows and online parties
With any drawing online or offline, you'll want to ask those entering about being a hostess. It's a way of using the freebie seekers to your advantage. You know they won't buy, but they can find people that will and still get their free products.

- Sign up newsletter subscribers
If you want a responsive list, don't force them to sign up to enter your drawing. Making them do nothing but enter an email address to enter isn't going to do you any good, and they'll probably use a "throw away" email address to send your newsletter to. Instead, plug your newsletter AFTER they enter your drawing. Give them a chance to look around your site first with the questionnaire, and THEN offer the newsletter. You'll build a much more responsive list this way.

- Build a relationship with winner
At the end of the drawing and after you pick your winner, you can now build a relationship with them for future orders. Follow up, ask questions, talk to them, etc. Treat them as you would any other customer!

One of my main regrets for the last drawing I held was that I didn't ask enough questions. Had I done a longer questionnaire, I could have gotten more information and kept the potential customer on my site longer. It's in my notes, that's for sure. ;)

The main point here is, don't make it easy. Easy to figure out, but not easy to enter. Don't be afraid to make them jump through a few hoops. You may not end up with as many entering, but you'll have a much more targeted group of entries. The more work they do to enter, the more interested they are!

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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 Increase Sales

Everyone in the direct sales party plan business knows what a home party is. It's the basics of a direct sales company, more or less. Even if your company doesn't focus on home parties, you know what they are and almost everyone has been to one.

However, with the growing number of people coming online to do business, online parties are becoming more and more popular. Even still, not many know what an online party is or how they can drastically make a difference in your online sales.

The basics behind an online party are very much like that of a home party. Guests are invited to one location to listen to a presentation, and then look over products to buy. Often times games are played to keep the guests having fun, and products ordered.

With online parties, guests only have to log in to a chat room where they meet the consultant, and often times a hostess. Instead of looking at products in a catalog or on a table, products are viewed on websites. Games are still played, but done virtually.

Online parties can work wonderfully for consultants, hostesses, and guests. No one has to drive to a home, the hostess doesn't have to clean house, no one needs baby sitters, family and friends from all over the country can join the party, yet all the same benefits apply to everyone involved.

Despite the ease of online parties, it's equally hard to gather all guests into a chat room at one time. Some are still "new" at "the computer thing", so may not be able to easily enter the chat room. Time conflicts still apply, even though not having to drive makes it easier. Remembering to be online at a certain time is also a set back, since there is no pressure to go somewhere, it’s easier to forget. Because of this, you'll want to keep your party open for a certain amount of time after to make sure you don't miss party sales and make sure you are doing all the advertising possible.
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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. For additional help getting started on setting up your first online party, visit: http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/online-party-class.html