MLMWoman Newsletter Blog

Understanding Target Markets

By Laurie Ayers

Who is your target market? If your answer is “everyone” or “several” then you don’t have a target market. If you try to sell to “everyone” then you’re hurting yourself and diluting your efforts. There are no shortages of markets. If you pick a market to hone in on, then you can refine your marketing and networking efforts for that particular group.

Some potential markets could include:

Moms with young children
Pet owners
Empty nesters
Single men
Corporate gift givers
People with disabilities
Military folks
High income
Low income
College students
Night Schoolers
Apartment complexes
Nurses
Senior Communities
Pregnant Moms
New Home Owners
Teachers
Community organizations
Etcetera
So forth and so on

Can you see how a marketing campaign for a college student would vary from that of a mom with young children? Can you see where you’d hang out in different places to find teachers vs. single men?

Another benefit to finding a particular target market is you’ll be come known as “the person to call” within that circle. Referrals will be easier to get.

Think of a target market like archery (or deer hunting). You have a particular target (bulls eye or Bambi) that you’re trying to hit. If you have “several of these” then you’re going deer hunting but just spraying bullets willy nilly all over the forest and you’d be happy if you hit a squirrel, or bunny, or toad or possum, or deer or elephant. Heck, I’ll take anything.

Having a target market means setting your sights on a particular, specific market - one six point buck - and then taking all the necessary steps to bring home the bacon.

You’ll be much more successful if you actually plan to hit a target rather than spraying your Uzi in hopes you might nick something!

It’s often a natural fit to pick a group that you can easily identify with. If you’re a grandma your first choice may not necessarily be to target young moms.

Targeting merely narrows the focus - like focusing a camera lens so that you get a better photo. And it also does not preclude you from selling to others.

If you were to choose college students as your target market - you’d not waste your time going to business luncheons or chamber meetings. You wouldn’t advertise at a WAHM forum but rather you’d look to advertise in the college newspaper. You’d make fliers that talk about dorm safety (or college smells) or speak in a language that co-eds use.

If you were to pick college students then you may choose to sponsor some event involved with athletics or get your information into the new student orientations. You could offer opportunities to students looking to earn some extra money while staying in the dorm. You could promote Mother’s Day gifts and girl friend gifts to the male college students. There certainly is no shortage of colleges across the states and country.

That doesn’t mean you can’t participate in an occasional vendor event to open up another vein or do a party for a group of moms - but if you spend a majority of your time and efforts on a target market then you’re more likely to have better success and you’ll be working smarter, not harder.

Article Source: LadyPens: http://www.ladypens.com

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 start a candle business. You can find Laurie at http://www.thrivingcandlebusiness.com and http://www.Scentsy.com/LA

Women are Natural Networkers

By Carrie Wilkerson

Women don't realize that the same tactics they use for personal relationships are the very same skills they need for business networking, which is far more than making a few phone calls or handing out business cards. Networking, plain and simple, is about building relationships and that's what we do best.

Women tend not to see social contacts as potential business generators. We often think that if we're making pleasant conversation, we're not doing business. Just because you've made a friend out of a colleague doesn't mean he or she still can't provide business opportunities for you. And you might just make a colleague out of a friend. Many leads can be generated from family and friends whom you thought were only social contacts.

Of course, we're not all social butterflies with a long list of friends. But if you want your home-based business to succeed, you're going to have to make an effort to get out there and make yourself known. Here are some ideas about where you can do a little networking - and make new friends in the process!

Local and National Organizations

Local business organizations are a great place to start. In addition to the chamber of commerce, most communities have business organizations or clubs where potential clients might be found.

National organizations are a valuable resource, such as the National Women's Business Council found online at www.nwbc.gov. Their mission is "to promote bold initiatives, policies and programs designed to support women's business enterprises at all stages of development in the public and private sector marketplaces -- from start-up to success to significance." Their website offers links to mentoring programs and resources across the country as well as events and seminars, which brings us to our next networking resource.

Conferences, Seminars and Shows

Conferences, seminars, and trade shows are a wealth of networking opportunities. If you can't afford the registration fee, you could offer to volunteer, putting yourself in contact with new people and saving money at the same time.

Online Potential

We have the technology. Use it. Online forums are a great way to make new contacts and spread the word about your business. Don't make the mistake of becoming too impersonal, though. A virtual relationship can be just as fruitful as a fact-to-face encounter. Take the time to become familiar with online environments. Check out bulletin boards, discussion lists and chat rooms. When using online forums, be sure to include a signature with your message that explains what services you have to offer. Keep an eye on posts that might be connected to your business goals, and send them a friendly, introductory email. But don't try to make a sale with your first email since it might cause you to be banned from the forum. Plain old email is also an effective way to introduce yourself and request a short meeting to explain your business. Just call the office first to make sure you're sending it to the right person.

Scout the Next Opportunity

Keep an eye out for opportunities. Even if you're just driving to the post office or grocery store, look around and take notice of any new businesses that might benefit from your services. Read your local newspapers and magazines to keep up with new developments in the community and new networking opportunities.

Any one of these tactics on their own will probably not be effective. It usually takes about five contacts to see any results. Persistence is the key. As women know, building relationships takes a lot of commitment and hard work but we're more than up to the challenge.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

About the Author
Carrie Wilkerson is the voice of experience. From corporate life to teaching high school to direct sales, she has 'been there and done that' professionally and personally. An 'overnight mom' to 2 toddlers through adoption, her priorities instantly changed and so did her workplace. She's now built several businesses and coached others to do the same while overcoming extreme debt, losing 110 lbs and having 2 more children, for a total of 4 children, ages infant through 12! As 'The Barefoot Executive', Carrie and her network of experts have quickly become the definite resource for helping women achieve extra income and career goals while working from home. the-barefoot-executive.com

Attraction Marketing: How to Open Doors Online and Off In Direct Sales

By Liz Monte

A few months ago, the network marketing company I represent launched a new product that seemed to me like a perfect fit for a salon and spa campaign. I knew that a lot of salons were suffering from the economic downturn, and I figured partnering with me to promote this new item would be a good solution for them.

So with my bundle of flyers in hand, I set off to visit every beauty shop within a ten mile radius. After talking to thirty or forty managers and owners, a pattern began to emerge -- no one was buying. I got the usual polite brush-offs and a few sincere nibbles. But no bites.

What could be the problem? Was it my delivery? Was I not offering the right information? What was preventing these good people from appreciating the amazing opportunity that was being placed before them?

And then… [sound of palm slapping forehead] I remembered a lesson I've learned over and over again (usually the hard way):

Folks have to know, like, and trust you before they'll want to do business with you.

In launching my salon campaign, I had fallen into the old trap of believing that a superior product or opportunity would "sell itself." What I had forgotten is that I was the real product. If they didn't know me, like me, and trust me, they certainly weren't going to jump into business with me. That kind of relationship was nearly impossible to create in one or two minutes between appointments.

Knowing, liking, and trusting are three critically important emotions that grease the wheels of commerce. They also form the basis for something called "attraction marketing" -- a new approach to network marketing that works especially well on the Internet.

But getting back to the brick-and-mortar world for a moment, think about your own shopping preferences. Wouldn't you rather do business in a store where you have a friendly relationship with some of the staff -- a store that's earned your trust over time by consistently putting your needs first and treating you with respect?

Of course you would!

In fact, if you have that kind of relationship with a local business, there's a good chance you'll remain loyal to them no matter what -- even if someone else has lower prices or is more conveniently located.

That's exactly the kind of relationship you want to build with your potential prospects, online or off.

If you're building on the Internet, these principles are especially important. With all the spamming and scamming that's going around, most people are extremely cautious about who they do business with online. But by using attraction marketing, many doors will swing wide open for you.

Here are some pointers for a successful online campaign:

1. Be yourself. Don't pretend to be someone you're not. Other people can tell when you're not being real. Phoniness is always a big trust killer.

Along the same lines, there's no need to call yourself an expert or a leader. You could sound like you're bragging, and if you really are one, folks will recognize it without you having to tell them.

2. Contribute value. Help people get what they're looking for -- solutions to their problems. Become the go-to person for your particular niche.

3. Be generous. Provide free information. Offer a helping hand to someone who's just learning a subject you've already mastered, even if there's no direct pay-back for you. Generosity is one of the biggest trust-builders there is.

4. Interact. Become active on a few social sites like Facebook and Twitter. Show an interest in what your friends and followers are doing. Get involved in a forum or two. Leave comments on blog posts you find helpful.

Follow these tips consistently and you'll be on your way to building an effective online presence that'll help you take your business to the next level.

Oh, and if you're wondering what became of the hairdressers? I decided to keep life simple and stick with the Internet. It's so much easier!

About the Author
Liz Monte has put together a comprehensive guide for MLMers who want to take their businesses online. It's all on her website for free. If you'd like to learn more about attraction marketing and how to create an effective presence on the Internet, go to http://www.wisenetworkmarketer.com.

The Universe is Your Dog

By Christine Kane

"Start by becoming a pack leader in your own world and
healing your own world, and the effects will ripple."
- Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer

One of the fun assignments in my Uplevel Your Life Mastery Program is what I call "Mental Dress Up."

This is a game that you can play daily. It is designed to bring intentions to life by literally embodying them in your own being.

Here's how it works:

Take a few moments throughout your day and Be [Fill in the Blank with Desired Thing].

As you're driving you can become a published writer. What would that feel like? When you're at a party, try being someone that everyone wants to talk to. Be wise. Be someone who has so many clients, you can hardly get through a day without turning people down. Be someone who is certain of what she wants. What does that feel like?

Don't get all scrunchy-faced and try to VISUALIZE - which is a very high-pressure word.

Instead feel the effortless shift in you, and BE successful. BE a fun person. BE wealthy. BE a rock star. Whatever!

My client Isabella started using this technique when she decided to "be someone who loves to run with her dog in the morning." She was amazed at the results.

Typically after a few blocks of running, she'd start wheezing and feel awful. But when she became "someone who loved running with her dog," she had more stamina and felt great during the run. She got better and better at this game until she actually began to love running with her dog!

One morning, she was returning from a run. Another dog and his owner were walking in her direction. Isabella's dog, Bruno, is still healing from an abusive past and can be aggressive with other dogs. So, Isabella started to get anxious, clinging to Bruno's leash.

Then, she remembered Mental Dress Up.

Instead of getting nervous and reacting to her dog's bad behavior, she focused on how calm she felt and how much she loved her dog. She also played Mental Dress Up on Bruno, feeling that he was always very loving and peaceful around other dogs.

It worked! Bruno was fine. He followed her energy, and they both headed home without incident. To Isabella, this was a nice little miracle.

At this same time, Isabella was beginning a new business. She had experienced a whole range of emotions from enthusiasm to fear to excitement to disappointment during the process. At one point, she met with her accountant. The accountant was skeptical, issuing warnings to Isabella about the numbers and telling her the reasons why the business wouldn't work.

During our coaching call, she shared these stories - about the triumph with her dog, and about the discouragement from her accountant. She wanted to know how to deal with her emotions after this deflating meeting.

Here's what I told her:

I said, "Your accountant is your dog."

Huh?

It's true!

People follow your energy. It doesn't matter if they are mentors, accountants, lawyers, audience members, listeners, friends, or customers. People follow your energy, just like dogs. You always have a choice to step up and lead them. Just like Cesar Millan has been telling dog owners for years. And just like Bruno showed Isabella in that one situation.

I told her that the success of her business would always be up to her. I told her that every business owner, artist or entrepreneur experiences bad news, good news, depression, loss, gain and insecurity. The decision to quit, fail, or succeed is always hers.

In that moment, her accountant might have sensed her fear and found all the negative stuff he could muster up to dissuade her. He became her dog and followed her energy.

You don't have to be a Jedi master to tap into someone's emotional state of being. You just have to be human. Had Isabella been feeling confident, most likely the accountant would have presented his views in a different light.

Ultimately, during our coaching call, I told Isabella this:

"The Universe is your dog."

Everything and everyone follows the energy and emotional state you bring to it. Decide that you can do something, and the Universe follows that decision. Choose to radiate love and wisdom, and the Universe follows that radiance. This is not always an easy place to go. But it almost always teaches us about our own power to create or transform any situation.

About the Author
Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her 'LiveCreative' weekly ezine with more than 4,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FREE subscription to LiveCreative at www.christinekane.com.

MLM Woman Issue 145 - March 2009

From the Desk of the Editor

Welcome to the 145th edition of the MLM Woman Newsletter with some more fresh, hand picked articles to help your business survive and thrive in 2009.

If you like this month's issue, please be sure to let your friends know about it too and invite them to come and visit us. Also, if you have comments, questions or something to share after reading this month's articles, please visit our MLMTalk Discussion Forum and join in the lively conversation!

And also be sure to check out our Moms in Business Blog and MLM Marketing Blog for lots of additional tips and resources which are added throughout the month.

Yours in Success!

Linda Locke, Editor MLMWoman
Follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/LindaLocke

Do You Have What it Takes To Be a Good Network Marketing Team Leader?

From MLMWoman.com

You've proven you've got what it takes to make sales and run a successful network marketing business. Your next step is to recruit your first person. You're excited and realize that once you get someone on your team, you can continually grow your business and stop working quite so hard - or can you?

Once you become a team leader, you'll need to share your efforts on some different areas of the business. You still need to work your own business, but now you are responsible for others as well. What can you do to ensure you'll be successful as a team leader? Here are some tips and suggestions that will help make sure you'll be leader anyone would be proud to work with.

Put others first. Any good team leader realizes it's no longer only about themselves and their business. They put the needs of their downline above their own. Success will happen for your recruits, which in turn means you too.

Learn to prioritize. You must be able to put things in order of importance as a team leader. By doing this you will be better organized and show your team members how to do the same.

Walk the walk. As a leader you must lead by example. You can't tell your team to do something and expect them to follow you if you're not doing it too. So, go ahead and talk the talk, but only if you can walk the walk too.

Overcoming obstacles. You know how to work past any objections in this business. You know your product or service well enough to know what possible reasons people have for not wanting to purchase and have answers available to prevail over them.

Perseverance - You know that you'll receive a lot of no responses in this business, but you stay positive and also know you get the answer you're looking for. You stick with it when things are slow and don't let rejection get you down.

Create a working system. You are organized and have a system that gets results. You also realize that organization is different for everyone, but you know yours and are willing to help your team find their perfect system too.

You motivate, encourage and lift up your team. A good leader is the cheerleader for the team. The leader is the motivator and sees the bright side no matter what happens.

Set goals. You not only have to set goals for yourself, but your team as well. Know what an achievable goal is and what is out of reach. Be able to help others reach their goals by breaking them up into manageable steps.

Consistency is important. You must hold regular meetings and reward your team members for a job well done frequently. Your recruits want and need you to be consistent with their training. A good leader attends the Annual Conference or Seminar and encourages their team to do the same. The Annual Conference is the best place to be built up, encouraged and motivated!

You're not in this just to make money. Know your product, use your product and like it! You must believe in what you sell and only sign up those who do it too - they make the best sales people.

Above and beyond these tips, you can also learn to become a great leader by apply the principles it takes to do so. Watch videos, listen to CDs, read books and newsletters, and attend conferences that will help you become the leader you want to be. These things will make a difference in your business and your life too.

10 Steps to a Thriving Direct Sales Business

From MLMWoman.com

Whether it’s your first direct sales business or you’ve been down this road before, everyone could use a few tips to make their business successful. So here are 10 tips that will go a long way in helping you to create a profitable business.

1. The Products – Know, love and stand behind the products you sell. If you know how it works, why it’s worth it and actually like it yourself, you’ll do a better job selling it to others. Know what similar products are all about as well. If your competitor sells a product like yours, be able to tell your customers why yours is better even if it costs more.

2. Network, Network, Network – It’s important to build a business network. Be yourself and take the time to build friendships and other contacts beyond just potential customers. Join your local Chamber of Commerce or a business networking group like Leads or BNI.

3. Online Presence – Create a website or a blog for your business. Nowadays, you are missing a huge opportunity if you’re not doing business via the Internet. One of the first places people go to find something they need is the World Wide Web and your product is no different. Even if you sell a lot locally, broaden your horizons by going online too.

4. Take Your Business Seriously – Your website, business cards, products, presentation and everything else you do in your business should exhibit that you’re serious about your business. Sometimes this will take a bit of money, like hiring a web designer to put your website together if you don’t know how. However, most of your professionalism will show in you personally, so treat it like a real business and you’ll reap the benefits of doing so.

5. Honesty is Key – When your customers feel like they can trust you they will be back. Don’t be shady or pushy in order to make sales or gain team members. When you make a mistake, admit it, correct it, and move on. Remember people buy from those they know, like and trust.

6. Accept Rejection – In the direct sales business, the word No is one you’ll hear frequently. Don’t take it too personally and realize this is just a part of this business. Keep working hard and you’ll get positive replies and more sales too.

7. Attend Meetings – Take the time to attend meetings for your team. Not only will you learn about new products and sales techniques, but you’ll receive some needed encouragement from others who’ve been where you are. Even better, you will be able to help some of the newbies on your team eventually.

8. Set Goals – This tip is extremely important when it comes to the success of your direct sales business. Setting goals and constantly working toward them will help to make your business more profitable. Set big goals and then break them down into smaller easier to achieve steps. As you work your way through your list you’ll feel like you’ve accomplished something and your ultimate goal won’t seem so out of reach. Be realistic with your goals, but don’t be afraid to set them high either.

9. Be There for Others – You will some day remember what it was like when you first started out. The help you received from others was invaluable and once you’ve worked your way up, be sure to lend a helping hand to others too. Being a mentor is both rewarding and educational. Remember: "What goes around comes around."

10. Work Hard and Stick with It – There will be hard times when you just want to quit. But remember, any business takes work and nothing happens overnight. Just keep moving forward taking small steps every day and you'll find yourself on the road to success.

Building a Strong Downline Relationship in Your Direct Sales Business

By Annette Yen

Congratulations! You’ve got a strong direct sales downline or are beginning to build one! This is one of the best parts of being a direct sales consultant - the fact that you can share your passion for your business with others, help them to earn a little extra money and get paid for helping grow your company as well.

Now that you are a leader of a team, you’ll need to build a strong relationship with downline members to not only help them stay strong in their business, but to help your business grow stronger as well. A strong downline relationship will be one that’s mutually helpful and everyone benefits.

But you may be wondering how to ensure that downline members feel cared for while still maintaining some type of balance with the rest of your life. Here are 5 easy tips for maintaining a great upline/downline relationship.

1. Start off with a bang. When a new recruit first signs up, it’s vitally important that you communicate often with her. One thing that I have found very helpful here is to develop a series of emails to send to new downline that talks them through those first days “on the job”. It will help them feel like they are connected to the company and to you. Each day while your new recruit is waiting for her kit she should hear from you. This is very easy to do with an autoresponder system, but can also be done by just copying and pasting into an email message every morning.

2. 15 minutes a day. Set aside 15 minutes of each workday for downline phone calls. Use those minutes to call one to five members of your group for a quick “just checking in” call. Leave a message if you get voicemail. The idea is to let them know that you’re thinking of them and giving them a chance to hear your voice. This is a great time to ask how they’re doing with their non-business life as well and get beyond your direct sales company to show you care about them.

3. A downline website. Creating a simple website for my group has been the best thing, by far that I did to keep communication open and strong with my group. We have weekly topic discussions, contests, upload important files and just have fun with the whole group. Through this many relationships between members of my group have blossomed just because the website allowed them to “break the ice”.

4. Meetings and/or conference calls. This is another great way to foster unity and strong relationships within your group. Many of you probably have downline that are out your area, so have a quarterly conference call with everyone just to touch base. There are many free teleconference services via the internet that make it very easy to do. And if you can, have a face-to-face meeting once in a while as well. Some group leaders have meetings monthly or quarterly. Others do a once a year get together with everyone.

5. Ecards. I love ecards for celebrating birthdays, achievements etc. First of all it’s FREE, which is great, but it’s so convenient and just plain fun. Use one of those Internet calendar functions to keep track of birthdays. Once a month go through the upcoming month and set up the ecard deliveries for the birthdays and company anniversary dates for the next month or more. You can set these up to deliver up to a year in advance! It’s a wonderful thing. There are hundreds of sites for free ecards on the Internet. Have fun searching for ones that suit you!

The key? Communicate in any and every way that you can. You will find that your direct sales team members will stay with your company much longer when you’ve fostered a strong relationship by keeping in touch! Have fun and happy team building!

About the Author
Annette Yen is 20-year veteran of Direct Sales and leads a great team of women in her direct sales business. To find out more about how to start a strong relationship with your new recruits, sign up for her free e-course at www.directsalestools.com

2009 Success Checklist - Five Alive Tips For the New Year

By Barb Girson

Ready to start get off to a successful start in the New Year? Read my motivational tips, and I think you will be glad you did.

After my first January when my home party-plan business had a disappointing start, I have learned how to bridge the excitement of the holiday season with the launch of a successful New Year, so the momentum of the November and December is carried into a successful January and February. Over the years, I have refined these simple time-tested tips and January became a great launching pad for the success.

1. So Goes January Goes The Year!
It often is said, "So Goes January, Goes The Year!" Each New Year is filled with promise and a renewed hope that this year will be a defining year; this year we will make monumental changes to improve life for our families and ourselves. Select a motto and follow these tips to begin making your motto come true. For example:

* Start Strong in the New Year!

* It's the Year To Invest in My Career!

* Renew My Career This Year

* 2009 will be Mine!

* Find a Gold Mine in '09!

* Create your own...

Start strong by challenging yourself to book twice as many parties in January and February as you want to hold each of the other months. Make your personal booking goal to BOOK NINE IN 2009 to launch the year. Fill your planner with parties before you return from your holiday break (or shortly after returning. Book extra and you will feel terrific. Determine and implement a few new consistent steps to improve your success in the new year.

2. Set Your 2009 Targets!
Figure your sales target that you need/want to achieve monthly. Break your goal into how many parties it will take monthly by dividing your sales goal by your party average to get a number of parties you need to hold each month. Build a cushion. When you book extra you will feel that much more terrific!

3. Get Ready For Success!
Set up a planning day in the next 2 weeks. If possible, find a business buddy and work together. (I have an annual planning day sometime after Christmas and before mid-January.) For years, a business buddy and I would get ready for success on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Our spouses would watch football, and munch on the typical game day food. Our children would play. We would dream, plan and prepare.

What can you do in advance to be ready for success?

* Make up your Hostess folders.

* Label all collateral materials with your contact information.

* Make your call list.

* Prepare for a mailing.

* Clean up your Kit!

* Purge items that you no longer need in your office.

* Organize your files. Set up your file folders for the year.

Reward those who help you launch your New Year. Make sure all of your previous Customers and Hostesses know what is offered to launch the year. Do not duplicate what your company offers! However you can fill in any gaps, at your expense.

You might offer a personal incentive for:

* Filling the soonest dates you want to work.

* Pursuing repeat business. Call back past Customers and encourage them to gather friends and family. You bring your service to them. The guests will appreciate an event to look forward to after the holidays are over.

* Encourage multiple purchases. Suggest that your Customers stock up on items for upcoming gift-giving occasions. (Valentines Day, Easter, Birthdays)

* Retaining the biggest spenders from last year. Call back everyone who spent over the amount of your average customer order last year. Offer an incentive for placing another order before the 15Th of month.

4. Does the telephone ever get heavy? Do you experience call reluctance? To help you get in the right mind set as you dial the phone, you can silently sing, "Hey big spender, spend a little time with me...at a home party." This is a fun way to imagine success and have your voice convey your fun, upbeat attitude.

5. Have a System for Your Success.
Develop a systematic approach to your business which when followed consistently produces consistent results. Follow these Five Alive Tips and you will be ready for this to be your year to make monumental changes and move your business forward. You will also be glad when the old adage proves true for you. "So Goes January Goes The Year!"

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

About the Author
Barb Girson, International Direct Selling Industry expert, trainer and coach, is a highly interactive, creative speaker and author offering professional skill development programs for workshops, leader retreats, annual conventions and teleconference training programs. Barb helps companies and home-based entrepreneurs grow sales by sharing her systems.To learn more contact Barb: 614-855-0446 or Barb@MySalesTactics.com; www.MySalesTactics.com

Direct Sales Recruiting – Take Your Recruiting Online

By Alice Seba

As a direct sales business owner, you know that recruiting new consultants is an important part of building your business. If you’ve been recruiting out in the real world for any amount of time, you also know that many times it’s not an easy task. You post flyers around town, talk to party hosts and guests, yet still you don’t have the team in place you’d like to have so you can sit back and relax a bit. Do you find yourself asking “Now what?” or “Where can I possibly go next?” Have you ever thought about recruiting for your direct sales business online?

Creating a website dedicated to your direct sales business can bring in more sales, but can also be set up to help you recruit those interested in joining your team. Setting up a website can cost as little as $20 a year and recouping that cost can easily be done. One recruit will more than likely bring you more than enough commission to cover the annual cost of hosting and domain registration.

Designing your website to accommodate those interested in becoming consultants. Set up a specific section of your site dedicated to visitors who want to learn more. Be sure to include contact information so they can get in touch with you to talk about the opportunity and receive answers to any questions they have. Once you have a team in place you can even conduct training sessions online, offer training material to them right on your website and more.

Taking your recruiting efforts to the Internet opens the door for serious growth and income potential in your business. It also affords you more time to enjoy life, instead of working it away with home party after home party, in order to reach your income goals.

Why limit yourself and miss out on possible top of the line recruits just because they aren’t in your reachable area offline? The potential in direct sales recruiting online is huge, don’t miss out.

How Do I Generate More Online Leads for My Direct Sales Business?

Here’s a question I recently received from a subscriber who was looking for more leads for his direct sales business. He wrote:

Question: My wife and I have been an associate for a particular company for several months now and we are indeed very happy with the products and support training.

Our problem is getting other people to view our link or getting them to open it at all, I suppose. We need to expand our effort to new associate recruiting and would like your input as to how we might do this.

Thank you for reply to this letter.

Answer: Thanks for the question. I know that the problem you face is what many direct sales reps face as well. Right now, you are using the website that the company provided to you. It’s the same site that the other reps are using and it really doesn’t say much about the two of you as unique people.

Your site also makes people enter a code before even viewing it. I understand that this is so you can get credit for any referrals, but you’re creating an extra step for your users. People have to remember the code, type it in or even copy and paste it, which unfortunately, is something a lot of people won’t bother to do.

People use the Internet because it’s easy and they want to surf around quickly, without having to jump through hoops. You want your information right in front of your prospect when they get to the site.

Obviously, this is the way the company has set up the website and they probably aren’t going to change that…but honestly…I don’t think that matters. The two of you need your own unique online presence and need to generate your own leads.

Here’s why:

Who knows what will happen with your relationship with your company. They are a highly reputable company that’s been around for well over 100 years, but you have no idea what the future holds. If the company decided to no longer offer the direct sales opportunity or one day, the two of you decide you just don’t want to work with the company…what happens?

Your business is gone!

That’s no good. I recommend that you keep your online presence separate from the company you are working with, so it really is your OWN business and you can maximize your income. You can generate leads that might be interested in your opportunity and you can make them other offers through affiliate programs or you might even want to create your own information products down the line.

Think of what unique perspective you give to your business. Are you great cooks who can show people how to make delicious meals with those products? From the recruiting side, you can also figure out a unique perspective, but make it a product focused one. Your best recruits will be people who have the same interests as you…not just people who want to make money online.

You can start by creating a list to promote your products and another to find recruits. I’d create two separate websites for this because some of your best customers will never be interested in the opportunity, so don’t confuse your visitors.

For the product list, you can share recipes, information about using the right herbs and spices, etc.

For the recruiting one, you can give information about starting a home business, show how fun it is to sell these types of products, etc….all from your own perspective. All these subscribers you gather now belong to you. If you decide to move in a new direction with your business, you still have these subscribers and you can continue to deliver quality information to them…and earn an income too.

Just remember, this is your business and you want to have complete control AND maximize your income.

About the Author
Alice Seba is a full-time Internet marketer that helps direct sales reps maximize the performance of their online presence. Claim your free online direct sales lead generation tips at www.onlinedirectsalesleads.com