What The Olympics Can Teach You About Business

With the Winter Olympic Games having recently come to an end, it brings to mind how much these athletes have truly achieved. How do you think they got to the Olympics? The gold medal figure skater and all of her competitors surely couldn’t perform even the simplest jump the first time they got on the ice, just as those skiers couldn’t attempt more than a bunny slope the first time they put on skis. Each one of them completed a series of small achievements that eventually led them to the Olympics. As a salesperson, you should be setting benchmarks for yourself as well, small achievements that lead to great results. Here are our top three picks that will help you achieve your business goals.

Find mentors to emulate. Who do you aspire to be like? Potential mentors could be people in your upline, or even in a completely different industry whose road to success is worthy of imitation. Identify your mentors’ work ethic, habits, education, or whatever it is that deems them worthy of your aspirations. If possible, talk with them about how you can achieve your goals by following in their footsteps. For example, if you are looking to transition from working your business “on the side” to making it your full-time job with a full-time income, an appropriate mentor would be someone who has done exactly that. Use the resources available to you in order to achieve your goals.
Make adjustments to your business and its direction as quickly as possible based on facts and results. When things aren’t going well or as you had planned, take a step back and analyze why this may be happening. As soon as you realize that you need to make a change, consult with mentors and use the information you have to adjust. For example, if you find that you are not booking enough future hostesses at each party, identify what it is about your presentation that may be lacking. Test out a new approach, review the results, and adjust if necessary. There is no sense in repeating an action that fails to deliver your desired outcome.
Build a strong foundation for your business by avoiding shortcuts. Your business must be built on ethical business practices, knowledge of your product and company, a desire to improve via professional development, and a commitment to representing your company and serving customers to the best of your ability. If you take shortcuts in any way, your business will suffer. When your upline conducts regional workshops once a month, asking a colleague for a brief summary instead of attending yourself is a shortcut. Make it a priority to attend, listen to what is being taught, incorporate relevant matters into your business, and always strive for improvement. You cannot expect success without hard work. The positive side is that by putting in the work and avoiding such shortcuts, you are more likely to rise above the fray and meet your goals more quickly.

With each benchmark that you meet, you are one step closer to realizing your dreams. Furthermore, such benchmarks help you stay focused, which is critical when your goals are long-term. What do you think about our benchmarks? What would you add to our list? Please share your ideas below!

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How to Get Out of a Slump

The natural ebb and flow of a career in direct sales will include the occasional slump. This rut of sorts could occur in any aspect of your business and for any number of reasons, but the important thing to remember is that as long as you have a strategy in place to get out of it, it is only temporary. Take a look at our ideas for getting out of a slump and moving forward with your business.

Start with a basic goal and revise often. The first step is to create a goal that is simple, does not take too long to complete, and is realistically attainable. For instance, if you find yourself in a sales slump, it may simply be because you’ve been going through the motions of the same sales presentation for too long. A simple and basic goal would be to implement one new element into your sales presentation and present it at least three times. This is a basic goal that is concrete and easily achieved. However, don’t stop there. Revising often is the key to making this strategy work. If, for example, after your three presentations you see no improvement, revise your goal. That could mean implementing something new into a different part of your presentation, or perhaps taking more initiative to ask for the sale. Revising your goal frequently will help renew your motivation to find a way out of your slump.
Create goals with predictable outcomes. There are many aspects of a career in direct sales that we cannot control, so when creating goals, try to choose those that have little room for guesswork. Even though you can’t predict the outcome of your next home party, you can predict the outcome of attending your company’s monthly training sessions. You know that you will always learn something new about your product line, a game to add to your presentation, or even an innovative approach to recruitment. Focus on what is guaranteed, and choose goals that will set you up for success.
Reward success and penalize failure. Self-discipline is a staple of being your own boss, so be strict about how you react to success and failure. This really works when you choose reinforcement tactics that will truly motivate you to get out of your slump. Figure out what you enjoy and how it can be used for reinforcement. If you’re a person who loves movies, focus your rewards and penalties around them. Did you exceed your goal for number of hostesses who committed to parties in one night? Time for a trip to the movies! Did you let go of a sale without asking all the right questions? Put down the remote tonight. Hold yourself accountable in meaningful ways, and be consistent to pull yourself out of your slump.

Getting out of a slump has as much to do with your mindset as it does with your actions. Commit to making real change by implementing these strategies until you are back on track. Only you can determine your success, so take control and keep moving forward on the path to achieving your goals.

Have you ever experienced a slump? What has worked for you to get out of it? Please share your ideas below!

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Ten Tips for Leaders

Ten Tips for Leaders

Whether you are a seasoned direct sales leader in your company with a large downline or are just starting out as a consultant, it helps to adopt the qualities of an effective leader. For existing leaders, possessing these characteristics can help you maintain a profitable business. For direct sales novices, strengthening your leadership skills will improve your customer service as well as prepare you for any future aspirations you have for a leadership position within your company. Here are our top ten tips for being a good leader.

Put people first. It isn’t always about the money. Putting people first is not only the right thing to do, but in the long run, it will contribute to your developing a good reputation as a reliable, trustworthy business person. For example, a consultant doing a home party booked several future parties with the incentive for those potential hostesses to have their own parties within the next three months. In doing so, the present hostess was able to receive a bonus in her rewards. When one of the potential hostesses had to back out due to a conflict, the consultant had to choose between rescinding the bonus for the original hostess or work to re-book the lost party. She decided it would be better for her business in the long run if she thought about her customers first; she kept her word, rewarded the bonus, and gained a loyal customer.
Work cooperatively with others. In any sales career, you will likely interact with all different kinds of people. It is important to find common ground and cooperate to maximize your productivity. This goes for customers and colleagues alike, and it sets a good example for those in your downline.
Maintain high positive energy. It’s normal to feel stressed or burned out once in awhile, but maintaining a high level of energy and positivity will work wonders for your own morale. Remind yourself why you started your business, what you love about it, and why you want to continue. Be your own best cheerleader; it will go far in helping to motivate others looking to you for guidance.
Set clear goals. Any goals dealing with your business should be clear, specific, and challenging but realistic. Setting a goal “to make enough money to quit my full time job” is well-intended, but it could set you up to fail. It makes no mention of just how much money that would require or the timeframe involved to complete it. Decide exactly what you want and how you will go about achieving your goal to set yourself up for success.
If you can’t measure it, don’t do it. Trying to accomplish a goal with no concrete way of measuring its completion will only bring you a lot of frustration. Part of what keeps us motivated is the knowledge that we are heading in the direction of accomplishment, but if you don’t know exactly what that looks like, then how will you know when you get there?
Share your power with your people. Have you ever seen a movie you enjoyed so much that you can’t wait for your friends to see it too? That feeling of wanting others to share in your enthusiasm should play a big role in your business. You’ve mastered a certain set of skills that are bringing you great success; share how you do it with others. People under your leadership want to learn.
Lead with action more than words. If you tell people one thing, but do another, you will lose your credibility. Words mean nothing when accompanied by actions that don’t match. Do what you say to earn and keep others’ trust in you.
Use common sense. This is especially important when faced with a difficult decision. In the example of the consultant mentioned above, she was well within her rights to rescind her original hostess’s bonus. However, common sense told her that this would be unfair to the hostess who would likely express her frustration to her friends who were at the party. By following common sense, she avoided a tense situation and gained a loyal customer.
Keep it simple, and don’t sweat the small stuff. When things get complicated, break them down into simple terms. There will always be obstacles, but be sure to pick your battles and don’t get bogged down with trivial things.
It’s business, but make it fun! The wonderful thing about a career in direct sales is the flexibility it brings in allowing you to make the business your own. Add your own personal flair to your sales pitch, your professional development workshops, and your opportunity presentations. Find what makes you happy and integrate the fun stuff into your business. Your enjoyment will rub off on those around you.

Taking on a leadership role may or may not come naturally to you, but adopting certain qualities will definitely improve your effectiveness. What do you think of our list? Would you add anything else? Please share your ideas below!

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Share Your Unique Story! Come Sign the DSA’s Direct Selling Proclamation

Are you a direct seller? Let the world know how direct selling has positively impacted your life!

The Direct Selling Association has created the Direct Selling Proclamation and Compact, and it’s a way for all of us who have been positively impacted by the direct sales industry to show legislators, regulators and many others the significant positive impact that direct sales has had on our lives, and the lives of those around us.

Come join the 11,000 people who have already signed the Proclamation. This is our industry’s firm commitment to business ethics, product innovation and empowerment. All who sign the Proclamation make known their support for the direct selling business opportunity, DSA’s Code of Ethics and DSA’s mission “to protect, serve and promote the effectiveness of member companies and the business people they represent.”

Come sign the Proclamation and add your story to stories like these:

Erika H.
Harker Heights, TX – Texas
My husband and I were struggling in our finances and our marriage. He was working full-time as a solider and part-time in the Mall. I lost my job after having our third child. We were able to improve our marriage and our finances. We are so grateful for the support we received from the company. Our live have been greatly enriched. You can’t buy that. This Industry is amazing. It takes work, dedication and commitment. This is not a get rich quick business. My husband will retire from the Military in 6 months and now we get to continue what we’ve been doing. Changing lives.

Jennifer P.
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Direct selling has allowed me to stay home with my children while still providing for my family. It has giving me my family life back in a way no other job has or could.

Kathy N.
Gainesville, FL
When I was widowed with three young children my direct selling job allowed me the flexibility to determine my own income and work around my family. My children learned the values of honesty with customers, a good work ethic, and watched as I set and achieved goals. They have all grown up with good self-esteem and independence because of my example.

Jennifer E.
Dallas, Texas
I started my business in 1999 as a way to pay off school loans. I fell in love with the strong supportive atmosphere and all of the free business education I would have not been exposed to at such an early age at my corporate position. It has taught me how to be a successful business woman in my community and has given me so many more opportunities to support my family and church than I would have had otherwise. I love taking care of my customers and positively impacting the lives of the women I train.

Share your story now: http://www.directselling411.com/the-direct-selling-proclamation-and-compact/

Make no mistake: this is a significant document. A vocal minority is trying to convince lawmakers and regulators that direct selling is bad for consumers. We know direct selling is a driving force in the economy, but without the voices of those who have been positively impacted, the assertions of those who would misrepresent us gain traction in the marketplace. While that vocal minority is slinging mud, we will take the high road and simply point out all that is good about direct selling—but we need hundreds of thousands of voices to provide the overwhelming evidence that direct selling is right for consumers.

Come share your unique story among other voices of direct selling entrepreneurs, and pass this along to your direct selling friends and colleagues using the share links below. Sign the Direct Selling Proclamation right now: http://www.directselling411.com/the-direct-selling-proclamation-and-compact/

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How to Create an Effective Quick Sales Pitch

How to Create an Effective Quick Sales Pitch

As a direct seller, you will likely come across the opportunity to talk about your product or service outside the normal home party environment. Perhaps a friend or relative asks you about it, or an acquaintance making small talk asks what you do for a living. In situations such as these, it is a great idea to have a quick sales pitch prepared in your head that you can use when needed. This should be a very brief version of your normal pitch, one which touches on the major highlights of your product or service. When creating this quick sales pitch, focus on the following topics.

How can your product/service help solve a problem? Some products make answering this question easy, such as fashionable organization systems sold by companies such as Thirty-One Gifts or Initials, Inc. These products solve the problem most people have of needing to organize and store their possessions in their homes, offices, and cars. Other products might not have such an obvious answer, but it surely is there. Look to your upline and corporate leaders for guidance about how to best convey what problem your product line solves for its customers.
How and why is it better than the rest? Your product undoubtedly has quite a bit of competition not only from other direct sales companies, but also from its retail counterparts. What makes your product stand out? In the case of Thirty-One’s fashionable storage solutions, their consultants emphasize unique features such as the option to personalize their products, coordinating patterns across product types, and the company’s commitment to giving back. Put together just a sentence or two to be included in your pitch that clearly explains why your product is best.

How is it a great value for the price? Value can be determined in a variety of ways, but consider level of quality, product versatility, and company-backed guarantee. It helps to also be prepared with knowledge of your competitor’s determination of value, so as to educate a potential customer. When inquiring about hosting a Mary Kay makeover party, a young bride-to-be mentioned that she was also considering taking her bridesmaids to an appointment at a department store makeup counter. The Mary Kay consultant was quickly able to give her some reasons why choosing a department store limits her options for variety, pricing, personalization, and convenience. Being prepared with this knowledge beforehand allows you to talk up your product and your company to anyone at any time.

After putting the finishing touches on your quick pitch, practice it often so it comes across naturally, like a casual conversation. Recruit some friends or family members to rehearse with, perhaps role-playing different scenarios in which your quick sales pitch is just what you need. As a direct seller, you should be ready and willing to discuss your product and opportunity in a moment’s notice. The effective quick sales pitch is a great way to do this.

Have you ever been in a situation where a quick sales pitch would come in handy? Were you able to use one effectively? Please share your comments below!

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How to Determine Your Success

How to Determine Your Success

When you think about your goals in your professional life, does the word “success” come to mind? If so, what exactly does it mean to you? Success can be defined in countless ways, so it is important for you to determine just how you measure your own success. In doing so, you are creating a true motivational tool for yourself, a super-objective for your business, and the foundation of a plan to achieve that goal. Today’s post will focus on two ways for you to determine your own success; those are perseverance and passion.

Perseverance – Your commitment to staying the course no matter how difficult things become or what obstacles pop up along the way is a good indicator of perseverance. To really assess your level of perseverance, ask yourself this question and answer honestly: at what point will you give up? For many, the answer to that is “never,” others may have a definite breaking point, and still others fall somewhere in between. It is up to you to decide where you fall on that spectrum, what your goal is, and what you are willing to do to reach it. For example, a recently retired small business owner tells his story of how he decided to leave a very secure job as plant manager of a very large photo processing lab to open his own small lab and retail store. He sat down with his wife every night for weeks after the kids were in bed formulating a business plan and crunching the numbers. It became clear that if the business didn’t take off, they would lose their house and have to move to an apartment. Keeping this possibility in mind always helped him make smart decisions and persevere. Not only did he not lose his house, but he was able to buy a much bigger one in which to raise his family, send them all to college without loans, and kept a successful business for nearly thirty years. Without perseverance, none of that would have been possible.

Passion – Without passion and a love for what you are doing, there is no way you will be able to persevere and find long term success. Your passion will be what constantly drives you to make your business the best it can be. Ask yourself how strong your belief is in what you desire. Dig deep to find the answer to this very important question. The retiree from the example above recounts how passion played a large role in his successful small business career. He knew that he was the best in his field and had areas of expertise that could edge out competition. Seeing flaws in how others did things and knowing he could do them better always motivated him to seek improvement and resist shortcuts. His passion for his field of work and his desire to be the best were major contributors to his success.

Taking an honest assessment of your level of perseverance and passion is a critical step in determining your personal definition of success. These two elements go hand in hand, so don’t underestimate their importance.

What roles do perseverance and passion play in your professional life? Do you consider them crucial to success? Please share your ideas in the comments below!

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Free eBooks to Grow Your Business

Building a bigger business starts with a decision. It’s the decision to do whatever it takes to grow. Typically this involves stepping out of your comfort zone, seeking the advice of mentors and your upline, and learning and stretching to achieve bigger and better results. As they say, if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll have what you always have. If you want to have more, you have to be more and do more. In short, you have to be willing to grow.

Part of growing involves learning. And that’s why we’ve put together a set of free ebooks designed to help you grow your business. The titles include:

Business Owner’s Roadmap to Success: This e-book is designed to help you learn the skills you need to be a successful small business owner. Whether you are new to entrepreneurship or a seasoned veteran, you will find techniques and ideas here to help you grow your business.
Creating Your Success Mindset: How do you stay motivated in your business when you’re reaching for success? How do you encourage yourself to overcome obstacles and keep driving towards your goals? This eBook is designed to help you create a winning mindset for yourself, so you can enjoy the success you’re striving for.
Reflections on Success: This 30-day journal, Reflections on Success, is designed to help you meditate on areas of your life and business that will help you grow both personally and professionally. We hope that you find this journey to be a powerful one in your growth as a successful business leader.
15 Days to Greater Success: An essential part of reaching your goals is building up the momentum you need to reach the finish line. This workbook lays out a 15-day process to build that momentum and create the environment you need to achieve your goals!

The best part is, these books are all free! They’re created by the direct sales industry to help you grow your business and achieve your goals.

So if you’re ready to do what it takes to grow your business, click here to download these books now.

*NOTE: This download works best on a desktop browser. If you have trouble accessing this page from a mobile device try it from a desktop computer.

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Find Your Purpose

Find Your Purpose

What is the main purpose of your business? Your answer should not be “to make money.” Of course, turning a profit and supporting yourself should rank pretty high up there, but it shouldn’t be the most important one. Small business expert Susan Solovic writes in her blog for Constant Contact that we should consider the purpose of companies like Apple and Zappos. They have an almost cult-like following because of what they are trying to accomplish with their products other than selling as many as possible. If you are having trouble finding your deeper purpose, take a look at our list of suggestions on where to begin.

Listen to your inner voice and hold off on asking others what they think. Before you start seeking opinions on what your purpose should be, tune into your inner voice for inspiration. You will no doubt be influenced at least partially by what others think, so define your purpose for yourself before asking around. Brainstorm some ideas, read up on the origins of other successful companies, and listen carefully to that inner voice we all have that helps us make decisions and think clearly. Once you have a definitive idea, then it’s time to gather opinions from others.

Follow what is exciting, not what is easy. In business, just as in life, the easy choice may not always be the best one. If you’ve ever read about the history of Apple Inc., you would see that Steve Jobs, on more than one occasion, did just that. He and his team continually spent a great deal of time and resources creating products that excited him. Many times, his investors didn’t believe in the idea or didn’t think it was worthy of pursuing. Keep in mind that because of Jobs’ tenacity and commitment to follow his passion for the exciting, Apple created more instant millionaires when it went public than any other company in history, and helped make Apple the brand it is today.

Tap into your instincts and emotions rather than logic. You obviously don’t want to ignore logic completely, but when finding the purpose for your business, your instincts should take over. Instincts and emotions are powerful enough to guide us to do great things. When faced with a difficult question or decision, listen carefully to your initial gut reaction. This does not mean to act impulsively, but rather to let that gut feeling lead the way on your journey. Keep listening to it as you conduct research, bounce ideas off others, and take any other logical steps toward making the final call. For many hard-working and ambitious people, this is not always the easiest thing to do, but it certainly is important if you want to find your true purpose that drives you toward success.

When finding your purpose, you don’t have to set out to change the world. You only have to do what makes you passionate, what motivates you, and what excites you. This is one time in business where your emotions should dominate.

What have you done to find your purpose? Would you add to our list? Please share your ideas in the comments section below!

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Our Top 10 Posts in 2013

Our Top 10 Posts in 2013

Here at DSEF, it’s our goal to provide you with great content you can use right now to build your business. And it’s content you can use any time. So we dug into the archives, to provide you with our Top 10 posts of 2013. These were your favorite posts this past year. Which one is your favorite?

Thanks for being such a great community! We appreciate your support and look forward to continuing to serve you this year!

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Practical Rules to Build a Successful Business

Practical Rules to Build a Successful Business

There are countless resources out there with information to help you build, operate, maintain, and grow a successful business. The wealth of material available on such topics can be daunting to sift through, so we’ve compiled a basic list of practical rules that every entrepreneur should follow. These rules apply to small businesses in any industry, so consider each one carefully as you begin your journey as an entrepreneur.

Expect positive results, but prepare to overcome failure. Expecting positive outcomes has everything to do with putting yourself in an optimistic frame of mind. If you are too consumed with fear of failure then you are inadvertently setting yourself up to do just that. Make sure the tone of your self-talk is positive, find effective motivators, and remind yourself frequently that you are more than capable of achieving your dreams. At the same time, recognize that a positive mindset alone is not enough to succeed. Prepare yourself for setbacks both financially and emotionally. Obstacles are bound to appear, but with adequate preparation and a confident outlook, you can overcome them and move on, all the better for it.
Strengthen your skills. Never stop learning. Invest the time, and money if possible, to sharpen even your strongest skills, and improve your weakest ones. There will always be someone or something you can learn from. Don’t get too caught up in the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities and neglect to improve your own skill set. Professional development and continuing your education can increase the longevity of your success.
Plan for the long run. This means everything from putting money aside for a rainy day to staying on top of your responsibilities so as not to fall behind in case of something unexpected like an illness or family obligation. Also take into account the big picture. For example, while hunting for retail space, an aspiring business owner finds an affordable location with lots of foot traffic anchored by a large department store. The problem is that this anchor store will be closing its doors within the next year. Although this may not seem significant, it’s a very real possibility that the closing of the department store will cause the majority of shoppers to go elsewhere, having a negative effect on the foot traffic in the area. So even though it may be an ideal space right now, planning for the long run means taking into account that it might be a poor choice in the future.
Identify your competition and learn about them. There’s an old saying about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. Although your competition shouldn’t be your enemy, you should know as much as you can about what they offer their customers and how they conduct their business. Staying in the loop allows you to keep pace with industry trends and to stay on par with what your customers want and need from you. The same goes for identifying what it is about the competition that you don’t want to do. Perhaps your main competitor has a good reputation for offering frequent incentives and promotions, but also has a bad reputation for its poor customer service. Take the weakness of your competitor and make it your strength. Your customers will notice and spread the word.
Don’t waste money. The best way to avoid this common mistake is to create a conservative budget and stick to it. A good idea is to track each and every expense, and evaluate them all at the end of a given time period (pay cycle, month, quarter, etc.). By putting your budget and expenses in writing, you will easily be able to analyze the financial health of your business and adjust accordingly.
Seek opportunities. There will no doubt be opportunities available to you that will allow you to grow your business. However, they won’t exactly come with an engraved invitation; you must be proactive and seek them out. If you want to increase your following within the community, find local events in which to participate and promote your business like school fundraisers, sidewalk sales, and holiday festivities. Define your goals and priorities, and develop an action plan to find your opportunities.
Minimize risks. There is a certain amount of risk-taking necessary in running a successful small business, but you can minimize these risks by doing your research and making the necessary preparations. The owner of a clothing boutique has been operating successfully for over ten years, so she decides to expand her business by opening up another retail location. Of course this is a big risk, but she knows how to minimize it by taking all the same precautions she did when she opened up her first location a decade ago: research locations, look at a variety of spaces, analyze potential customer base, have a financial fallback plan, etc. Whatever the risk you decide to take, be smart about your preparation in order to minimize the possibility of a negative outcome.

Talk to any successful small business owner, and he or she will tell you how these rules have applied to his or her situation. Have you followed these rules? How have they helped you? Is there anything else you would add to our list? Please share your comments below!