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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
4 Tips to Adjust to a Changing Direct Selling Environment
Direct sellers across the globe are facing one of the most rapidly changing selling and recruiting environments in the last hundred years. We see evidence of it everywhere. Tried and true recruiting promotions no longer produce the expected results. Compensation plans and money prizes do not seem to drive the business as well as they used to. Few, if any, have a handle on exactly what is going on. The changes do not seem to flow from product innovations, new laws and regulations, or … [Read more...]
Salesforce Trust: The Key to Direct Selling Sustainability
Trust and belief from your volunteer salesforce are the most important assets any direct selling company can tap into. Great products, marketing programs, training materials, compensation plans and technology can all help build that trust, but they cannot replace it or overcome a lack of trust. In the early days of a direct selling business, company founders learn the importance of this asset. The founders tend to work side by side with the very first salespeople. These early adopters are … [Read more...]
The Seismic Shifts in Marketing’s Role in Direct Selling
"Marketing doesn’t matter for a direct selling company.” Have you ever heard this one before? If you’ve been working in direct selling for more than ten years, there’s a good chance you’ve heard someone say this outright, or at least imply it. In fact, that person may have even been you. Brett Duncan, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Strategic Choice Partners, explores a few of the most obvious shifts we’ve seen in marketing over the last ten years in his guest article on The World of … [Read more...]
9 Surefire Ways to Supercharge Your Strategic Planning
Q: On a scale of one to 10, how would you rate your company’s strategic planning process? I recently asked that question to a group of about 25 direct selling executives, and the average answer was a “5”, with the highest being a “7”. That should tell us a lot about how we feel about our planning process. Dwight Eisenhower once said: In planning for battle, I have always felt that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. I love that quote because it speaks to the priority of … [Read more...]
What Are Your Company’s Plans for Marketing Automation?
How can we automate as many components of our marketing as possible? And do it in a way that is effective? Brett Duncan, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Strategic Choice Partners, discusses why Marketing Automation is so important for any industry, especially direct selling, in his guest article on The SourceDS titled, “What is the biggest area of technology that direct selling companies are overlooking today?” Be sure to check out the full vlog. First off, you might be asking, what … [Read more...]
How To Step Up Your Brand with Story-Telling
Facts tell. Stories sell. This applies to every industry, including direct selling. Purchasing is driven by emotions, not logic or facts. When someone has an emotional response or connection to a company or product, this feeling will last longer than simply listing off the facts. This is why Clark Diemer and Tony Moran from Diemer Marketing Group share their thoughts on how story-telling through video can be used effectively for your marketing. Related Content About … [Read more...]
Is Being Different Than Amazon a Competitive Advantage?
Have you ever considered there being hidden competition between direct selling companies and Amazon? We didn't either until this conversation. Brett Duncan, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Strategic Choice Partners, shares a thought-provoking conversation he had at a recent DSA meeting with some executives from very successful direct selling companies in his guest article on The Source DS titled, “Is Direct Selling the Anti-Amazon? And is That a Good Thing?” Be sure to read the full … [Read more...]
A Fast Start Program for the Fast Start Program
It’s pretty standard for a party-plan company to have some sort of Fast Start program. While the names and details vary, the intent is the same. Helping new consultants experience success by rewarding them for incremental achievements during their first few months of business. These programs are carefully crafted to help new consultants quickly reach the first level of leadership, which has proven to be a solid indicator of future success. The strategy for achieving Fast Start challenges is … [Read more...]