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The Right Way to Create a Sales Forecast in Direct Selling

September 25, 2018 by Strategic Choice Partners Leave a Comment

The Right Way to Create a Sales Forecast in Direct Selling

Every year, usually after convention season is over and most direct selling companies kick into their high-selling season, another important task begins (or at least it should): the formulation of the sales forecast for the balance of the year, and the plan for the entire following year. This is a good time to appraise how well your initiatives and tactics are working in the current year. Are we ahead or behind our plan? What worked and what didn’t work? Honest and clear answers to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sales Tagged With: forecast, involved, marketing, method, planning, sales, scratch, steps, team, yearly, zero-based approach

Our Customers Want to Know They’ve Been Heard

May 31, 2018 by Strategic Choice Partners 2 Comments

Our Customers Want to Know They’ve Been Heard

There is one word that can make a huge difference for the growth and sustainability of your direct selling business when it comes to your customers. Drum roll, please! And that one word is … LISTEN!   The Easiest Way to Show You’re Listening As customers, we want to know someone is listening. The easiest way a Customer Service Rep can do that is by summarizing the customer’s inquiry.   Something like this: CUSTOMER SERVICE REP: “Let me make sure I have this right. You … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Chris Clark, Customer Service Tagged With: customer service, customer service rep, direct sales, direct selling, email inquiries, listen, magical questions, network marketing, repeat, script

Avoid Bottlenecks: Make Warehouse Pick & Pack Easy

May 24, 2018 by Strategic Choice Partners 1 Comment

Avoid Bottlenecks: Make Warehouse Pick & Pack Easy

Largely out of necessity, most startup companies perform all functions of running their business, including picking and packing orders. That is a good thing because this function can be one of the most time-consuming and costly pieces of operating your business. But it can also quickly turn into a costly and time-consuming bottleneck during busy times, like the end of the month, holidays, etc. However, it doesn’t have to be that way!   Streamlining Your Pick & Pack Process A … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Operations, Shipping Tagged With: bottlenecks, direct sales, direct selling, labor costs, layout, network marketing, pick & pack, process, products, save money, set up, warehouse

Momentum: Success Starts With You

May 17, 2018 by Strategic Choice Partners Leave a Comment

Momentum: Success Starts With You

Just because it is the middle of the year, doesn’t mean we can’t start fresh as if it’s New Year’s Day, the infamous goal-setting holiday. Bring on the new goals, new growth and new people. Anything is possible. And how does that happen? By starting NOW and getting the momentum going!   Lead by Example! Bookings are easier when people are chatting and laughing in the company of friends. Recruiting is easier when people watch how much fun you’re having (and notice how much you’re … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Development Tagged With: ball rolling, commitment, direct sales, direct selling, excitement, leadership, momentum, motivation, network marketing

The Audio/Visual “Request for Proposal” Breakdown

May 10, 2018 by Strategic Choice Partners Leave a Comment

The Audio/Visual “Request for Proposal” Breakdown

In my last blog, “Should I Use the In-House Audio/Visual Company or an Outside Supplier?," we explored the reasons for considering an outside a/v company vs. an in-house supplier. Now it’s time to deal with the RFP (Request for Proposal) document itself.   Begin with a Brief Overview Begin with a very brief overview of the event: who, what, where and when. Be specific as to dates, location and attendance. Here’s a typical overview: Typical Home Parties, the direct sales … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: audio/visual, contract, convention, direct sales, direct selling, event, lighting, network marketing, packaging crew, photos, preparation, request for proposal, sound, staging

7 Trends That Prove Direct Selling is Changing

May 3, 2018 by Strategic Choice Partners Leave a Comment

7 Trends That Prove Direct Selling is Changing

For quite awhile now, we’ve all been speculating about how much the direct selling industry will change over “the next five to ten years.” It’s been a fun and poignant phrase to add to our conversations with colleagues. It’s a sentiment that has captured our sense of change, while also pointing out our lack of clarity on exactly what that change will be. It’s been the perfect thing to say when we don’t know exactly what to say.   Changes Happen in Micro-Phases In conversations, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Communications, Marketing Tagged With: buy, changes, compensation plans, direct sales, direct selling, future, industry, network marketing, sell, side hustle, trends

The Perfect Time to Capture Video for Direct Sales Companies

April 26, 2018 by Strategic Choice Partners Leave a Comment

The Perfect Time to Capture Video for Direct Sales Companies

Events are crucial for direct selling companies. Events are also a unique opportunity to capture video content because you have everyone who drives your business in one place at one time. From our years of experience in the industry, we have learned that many opportunities are missed at events from a video content standpoint. Check out our new video to learn about the 5 video opportunities you shouldn't miss at your event…     About Clark Diemer Clark Diemer leads Diemer … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Clark Diemer, Video Tagged With: conferences, conventions, direct sales, events, footage, incentive trips, interviews, testimonials, video

Should I Use the In-House Audio/Visual Company or an Outside Supplier?

April 19, 2018 by Strategic Choice Partners Leave a Comment

Should I Use the In-House Audio/ Visual Company or an Outside Supplier?

By now you should have determined the “Big 3” of your event—your theme, schedule and budget. The next step is to focus on what will likely prove to be a major part of your budget—your audio/visual (a/v) and staging. This process begins by putting together a Request for Proposal, usually referred to as an “RFP,” for your sound, lights, staging and projection.   Talk With Your Event Space Assuming your event is taking place in a convention center or hotel, you first need to think … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: a/v, audio, audio/visual, budget, charges, direct sales event, direct selling, event, event space, in-house company, lighting, outside company, power, restrictions, staging, visual

Flexibility is the New Must-Have for Direct Selling Companies

April 19, 2018 by Strategic Choice Partners Leave a Comment

For Today’s Direct Seller, It’s All About Choices

Today’s successful direct selling company understands that what their customers and potential sales people want is “choices.”   The 3 Best Choices to Offer As customers, they want and increasingly demand to be able to choose when, where and how they interact with a business to buy everything from cotton swabs to automobiles. That demand to choose when, where and how they interact with a business or a product is why you can now buy everything online, including cars and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Development Tagged With: 24-hour access, brick and mortar, choice, choices, compete, direct sales, network marketing, online, options, selections, times, world of direct selling

3 Important Considerations for Your Event Schedule

April 12, 2018 by Strategic Choice Partners Leave a Comment

3 Important Considerations for Your Event Schedule

Today, I’d like to give you a crash course in schedule creation by: Suggesting some important general approaches Exploring the anatomy of a good schedule Giving you step-by-step instructions on how to create a schedule with “self-correcting” times   General Approaches Probably the most important overall concept, for direct sellers at least, is to keep your audience’s time and money in mind. For your schedule, that means: Favoring weekend events over weekdays, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: event, event schedule, excel, program

How to Sponsor More Leaders

April 5, 2018 by Strategic Choice Partners Leave a Comment

How to Sponsor More Leaders

When working with field leaders, I’m often asked how to sponsor “good” people—ones who aspire to become leaders.   The Right Approach vs. Wrong Approach On occasion, a leader will tell me she only talks with people who “prequalify” as a solid prospective consultant. Ouch! I believe, without hesitation, we can’t tell if someone will be wildly successful. We can have a hunch, for sure. But too many times I’ve worked with new consultants who just needed encouragement and someone who … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Field Development Tagged With: direct sales, future leaders, leaders, leadership, network marketing, right approach, secret ingredient, sponsors, sponsorship, team growth

How to Create a Direct Selling Event Schedule

March 29, 2018 by Strategic Choice Partners Leave a Comment

How to Create a Direct Selling Event Schedule

For virtually all of your conference planning, you need to start with the basic commitment trio. The “Big 3” are your theme, budget and schedule. And out of those three, your schedule is the one component that will require the most ongoing time and attention. Event schedules will be updated and revised constantly, circulated widely and universally depended on as projects move forward and your event unfolds. Since this is the time of year when most direct sales companies are planning their … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Events, Planning Tagged With: conference, direct sales, event, event schedule, excel, planning, presentations, schedule

Upselling Can Work Against You in Direct Selling

March 22, 2018 by Strategic Choice Partners Leave a Comment

Upselling Can Work Against You in Direct Selling

I never thought this would be a high-priority topic—or even a blog post topic at all. But a recent incident brought it to my attention.   A Story of When Upselling Went Wrong I was working on a training project out of town and realized I needed a rental car. Since I was already at the office, the company arranged for a car to be picked up at a nearby hotel. How convenient! My colleague and I headed over and found a very small rental counter tucked in a corner of the lobby. The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Customer Service Tagged With: customer service, direct sales, network marketing, overboard, story, upselling

Time is Running Out for Your 2018 Event

March 15, 2018 by Strategic Choice Partners Leave a Comment

Time Running Out

If your company is like most, your annual event happens in July or August. That means it’s coming up soon, and you’re busy trying to get more attendees. You know what the best tools are to promote your event? Quotes, impressions and testimonials from your 2017 attendees. People want to know what’s in it for them. They want benefits, specific benefits.   How to Acquire Testimonials Ask Reach out to attendees via whatever channels you can … email, social media, newsletters, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: 2018, annual conference, benefits, direct sales, event, impressions, network marketing, planning, prepare, quotes, specific details, testimonials

Turkey: A Hidden Treasure?

March 8, 2018 by Strategic Choice Partners Leave a Comment

Turkey: A Hidden Treasure?

Editor’s note: Occasionally, we at SCP extend the opportunity to post an article to experts outside of the normal Associates in our firm. Hakki Ozmorali has long been a good friend and proven expert. He’s also the editor-in-chief of the extremely popular The World of Direct Selling newsletter and website. Enjoy Hakki’s insights here on direct selling in Turkey. You decide it for yourself. Turkey’s population is 81 million. This is the 18th highest in the world and the 2nd highest in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Multi-Cultural Expansion Tagged With: direct selling, expand, international, market, network marketing, population, technology, turkey

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Featured Posts

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Planning for Growth in Direct Selling: Embracing One-Year Strategies for Success

Shaping Today’s Company To Serve Tomorrow’s Consumer


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