Top 10 Tips for Successful Direct Sales

Successful Direct Sales

Do you have what it takes to make it in direct sales? Check out our ten tips. If they all sound reasonable to you, don't wait another second!

1. Be a Goal Setter ~ What do you want to accomplish? Do you want to save for college education for your children? A new car? A new home? You can have whatever you want, but you have to want it enough to do the things that have to be done to get it. Whatever your goal direct sales goal, write it down and set a target date for reaching it. Divide the time period into blocks of achievement that are reachable. Work consistently toward accomplishing each day, each week, each month what you set out to do.
2. Make Lists ~ Wrap up your day by listing all the things you want to get done the following day. That gives you an organized approach to each day. As each task is finished, mark it off your list. Also, have a notebook listing appointments, potential clients, repeat clients, and referrals, and keep it with you at all times.
3. Get Psyched ~ Enthusiasm is the fuel that salespeople run on. Enthusiasm generates its own energy. Energy and good health are synonymous with busy, happy people, people who are achieving, and if you project enthusiasm, it's bound to rub off.
4. Know the Magic Word ~ In direct sales, it's 'ask.' You don't have to wait for business to come to you. Create your own business by asking for it. Ask for appointments, then you can do business. Ask for business, then you will close sales. Ask for referrals, then you always have a full list of potential clients. Be quietly, yet firmly aggressive.
5. Make Peace With 'No.' ~ It's not personal. In sales, as perhaps nowhere else, the law of averages works. Every no gets you closer to a yes. Keep track of your ratio. It will help improve your techniques. Are you getting ten no's to one yes? Is your ratio five to one? Remember, the yes's are your income. Also remember that "no" does not necessarily mean "no." Often a "no" is simply a stall for more time to think.
6. Schedule Your Time ~ A schedule is the roadmap by which salespeople travel. It takes the frustration out of the day. It assures that the necessary things get done and get done on time. Plan your work then work your plan.
7. Be Positive ~ Success in sales, as in all areas of life is 90 percent attitude and 10 percent aptitude. If you aren't feeling it on a particular day, fake it until you make it. It's not hard to talk yourself into a good mood.
8. Have an Office ~ Most direct salespeople work from their own homes, but it is essential to have a place where you can work in a organized and efficient manner. An office plus a strict working schedule gives you dignity. Check out our list of office tools you won't be able to do without.
9. Be Involved ~ Most direct sales organizations offer contests to stimulate production. Include winning contests as part of your business goals.
10. Learn to Handle Money ~ A regular nine-to-five job usually means a paycheck at the end of the second week. Direct sales "reps" handle money constantly. Direct sales is instant income and constant income, but that doesn't mean you can spend it instantly and constantly. Tighten your belt and you'll enjoy more success.