MLM Marketing Blog

Hold an Open House with other Direct Sellers to Boost Holiday Sales

Holding an Open House is one of the best ways to increase your holiday sales.  You can do it alone, but you can really maximize your results if you partner with 2 or 3 or more other direct sellers who offer non-competing products. 

Set the date for a early weekend in December and have everyone send out invitations to their own customer lists.  Also promote it to your Facebook friends and invite them to bring a friend with them. Make sure to include a special discount coupon or special offer to entice all your customers to attend.

Set up the sale at your own home or rent an inexpensive room at your local church or community center.  Make sure to include directions to the site with your invites.

Decorate your Open House site to make it festive and be sure to have some holiday music playing softly in the background.  Offer some holiday treats with tea and coffee.

Set up your holiday display by putting it into easy categories for people to see and buy with different price points.  For example:  Stocking stuffers, gift baskets, gifts for teens, men, moms, etc. Also consider offering gift certificates and complimentary gift wrapping.

The easier you make the shopping experience the better your sales.  Ho, Ho, Ho!

Focus on Slow Growth Marketing for Lasting Success

Lately, I've been hearing more and more about an idea called "Slow Growth Marketing," which is the opposite of the instant gratification marketing techniques many people use to promote their business opportunities (for ex.  get rich overnight with no work, ground floor opp, get in now or miss out etc.). 

Slow growth marketing focuses more on making one on one connections with people and building long term relationships over time. It means listening to your customers and putting them first. It means building credibility for yourself by establishing a brand and providing excellent service.

Yes, it may take longer, but in my experience the "fast" marketing techniques are pretty much a flash in the pan and only attract people who will drop out at the first sign of work.

People can tell if there is no substance behind the hype. What they really want is a real person who they like and trust, who listens to them and who puts service above a quick sale.

So, if you want to build a business that is profitable, sustainable and one that you can be proud of, Slow Growth Marketing is the way to go.

What do you think?

 

Follow Up with Lunch

Making new contacts at local business networking events is one of the best ways to promote your business and find potential prospects. But to really make the most of your networking efforts you need to follow up after the meeting. One of the best ways to do this is to invite someone to lunch to get to know them better and to start building a relationship with them. It's a low cost, easy way to connect and it's fun too!

Do you talk to strangers?

 

Do you talk to strangers? Unfortunately one of the side effects of parents telling their kids not to talk to strangers lingers when they are adults and need to make connections for their business. Apparently I was not paying attention when Mom was dishing out this advice, because I love to talk to strangers.

Here's some ideas for making it easier for you.

 1) Smile. People are naturally attracted to people who smile at them and it eases the way into a conversation.

2) Be approachable. If you are in a hostile, hurried or anxious state of mind, people avoid you. When you want to connect with people, be calm and centered.

3) Be friendly. If you are standing in a line at the store or someone asks you a question about how to find something, jump in start a conversation or provide some helpful advice. Some of my best conversations have been with strangers. Remember a stranger is a friend you haven't met yet!

MLMWoman Interview

Here's my recent Interview with Janet Mueller, a Business Success Coach working with Direct Sellers & Network Marketers.  I had lots of fun talking to her and sharing some tips. Enjoy! http://ht.ly/68o0D

Linda Locke
Editor, MLMWoman
http://mlmwoman.com

MLM Business Building Ideas for 3/18/11

Here's a quick roundup of some links I shared last week on my MLMWomanNews page on Facebook.

Enjoy!

Linda Locke
Editor, MLM Marketing Blog

"Choose your mentors & role models based on character, not just accomplishment." Carrie Wilkerson

Read this before you do your taxes this year: 10 Tax Benefits For The Self-Employed Forbes http://ht.ly/48Ro2

8 Sales Tips for Shy People http://ht.ly/4a8ge -- I especially like tip #4 Let them do most of the talking.

Interesting article about a husband who joined his wife's business when she became injured. Meet "Bob the Avon guy," a top salesman for the cosmetics company http://ht.ly/4aY2I

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started." ~ Agatha Christie

Tip of the Day: Marketing by walking around: Wear a t-shirt or jacket with your company logo on it or attach a promotional button or piece of jewelry to your shirt, jacket or purse strap. It's an easy way to get exposure for your company and products and to invite people to ask you about your business.

Great tips! How to Be a Good Listener http://ht.ly/4fJeC

Boost Buzz Fast with Local Press http://ht.ly/4fJs3

5 LinkedIn Tips to Boost Traffic to Your Direct Sales Blog « Marketing Direct Sales http://ht.ly/46qEk

Another interesting article on how women are turning to direct sales to start their own business: 'Pink Collar' jobs allow moms to make money at home http://ht.ly/41Tw2

Interesting profile of a direct sales entrepreneur: For Entrepreneur Mom, Direct Sales Lead to Big Business http://ht.ly/3UIqe

MLM Business Building Ideas for 12/13/10

Here's a quick roundup of some links I shared last week on my MLMWomanNews page on Facebook.

 

Enjoy!

Linda Locke
Editor, MLM Marketing Blog

 

Have You Missed This Essential Step in Marketing Your Business? http://ht.ly/3juOO

Five Steps to Get on a Talk Show http://ht.ly/3jXkD

Dominate a Networking Scene in 5 Simple Steps http://ht.ly/3kkvw

Listen Up! Getting Better at Bad: Why Practice Doesn’t (Always) Make Perfect http://ht.ly/3kkA1

Can You Really Build Your Business on Referrals? Depends on the Question You Ask http://ht.ly/3kDx4

How are your holiday sales coming along? Are you having a banner or bah humbug year?

The December issue of MLMWoman is online for your reading pleassure. http://mlmwoman.com/issue163.htm

If you aren't getting any call backs from your voice mail messages to prospects and customers, here's why: 5 Reasons They Don't Call You Back http://ht.ly/3lgQk

7 Little Words That Sum Up the Entire Marketing Machine http://ht.ly/3lh0m

8 Incredibly Simple Ways to Get More People to Read Your Content | Copyblogger http://ht.ly/3lVDR

These tips were originally meant for women who design and make things for sale, but the tips apply to anyone who sells products too: biz ladies: tips for selling during the holidays http://ht.ly/3lWLc

12 Ways to Make Your Business Merry This December http://ht.ly/3mgun

A Few More Thoughts From the DSA Be Connected Conference http://ht.ly/3myP2

Fear is Nothing to be Afraid Of http://ht.ly/3mAL7

5 ways to market your business for little to no money http://ht.ly/3nk3r

7 Ideas for Boosting Your Holiday Sales http://ht.ly/3nk64

Take a break today from all your shopping, selling and doing and have some fun creating your own ugly Holiday Sweater http://ht.ly/3nEDu

7 Ideas for Boosting Your Holiday Sales

Thanksgiving is just 2 days away. Are you ready to take advantage of the holiday selling season?

It's not too late to start. Here's some great ideas for boosting your holiday sales this year:

7 Late to the Game Holiday Sales Savers

Linda Locke
MLM Marketing Blog

How to Build Trust in Your Sales Relationships

I have often talked about the importance of relationships in the sales process and how taking the time to establish them is so key to the success of your network marketing or direct sales business. That's why I was so jazzed to see this excellent post on Jodi Bagwell's Women in Sales Blog on NO Trust? NO Sale!

Here's just some of her great advice on this topic:

"You may be the most honest salesperson on the planet but if your customers don’t perceive you to be trustworthy because of sloppy sales skills and negative selling behaviors, it doesn’t matter.

Do you follow these 4 principles of selling to build trust?

1. Begin and end from the customer’s perspective and walk in their shoes

2. Think in the long term; the relationship is the customer

3. Behave in a collaborative manner and openly conduct honest conversations with customers

4. Be transparent and trustworthy in all meetings and phone calls

Knowing, understanding and possessing the traits that customers like are the best way to gain trust and close the sale. So, in addition to being honest, you need to be knowledgeable, punctual, solution-based and customer-focused, just to name a few. It’s the way you relate to others that determines your customer’s level of trust."

Read more here: NO Trust? NO Sale!

Linda Locke
MLM Marketing Blog

 

Trade Show Success: Do's and Don'ts

By Linda Locke

I attended a trade show at my local business women's networking group this week and was once again struck by the fact that some exhibitors were wasting their money on a booth because they didn't have a plan to make the most of the opportunity.

Success at a trade show event only starts with purchasing the booth and showing up -- that's the easy part.  Next you need to plan your strategy for attracting people to your booth, making a connection with them and then getting their card or contact information to follow up with them afterwards.

So here's some quick tips for making your next trade show appearance a success!

DO's

Be approachable. Smile, look people in the eye and be friendly. People won't even approach your booth if you look unhappy or sad or nervous.

Wear something fun that invites comments -- a t-shirt with a funny saying, a cool piece of jewelry, a stylish or outrageous hat.  Pick something that matches your personality and style.

Offer something for free. It can be a sample, a tip sheet, candy, whatever. Use your imagination. And always particpate in any of the free drawings the event is offering to encourage people to leave their card or contact information with you.

Stand up -- don't sit behind your table. You want to be eye to eye with your booth visitors.

Create a fun and eye attracting display. Just spreading your brochures and sales materials on the table won't cut it.  Use balloons, flowers, or some colorful decorations to make your booth stand out.

Follow up with your leads immediately after the show to get maximum results.

Take some time to visit the other exhibitors and network with them as well.

DONT's

Never, ever, ever use a sales pitch at a trade show. Remember you are there to connect, network and get leads; not to sell.

Expect people to just come to you. You need to actively work a trade show. You can't just sit behind your table passively like a wall flower.

Don't let people just drop their business cards in a bowl -- jot some notes on the back of the cards as a reminder of what you talked about so you can do a proper follow up with them later.

Don't eat, drink, talk on your cell phone or text at your booth.

Dress unprofessionally. People make decisions about who you are by how you dress -- make sure you make a good impression.