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Laurie Ayers Scentsy Independent Consultant Blog

Direct Sales Leadership is a Marathon

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direct sales marathonIf you are a Director or Manager in direct sales, or you aspire to be, you need to remember that you’re in a marathon. You have to pace yourself or you will never make it to the top. I’m not a runner, so I won’t pretend to be. Although, I do know you need to train, diligently, every day. I know there are days you don’t feel like it and days when it’s really hard; then there are days when everything falls into place.

Most importantly I know that if you don’t take care of yourself – eat properly, stretch, exercise, get enough rest and avoid negative attitudes and environments then finishing the race will be next to impossible.

The same is true in your quest to go all the way to the top in direct sales. Consider the cycle: You start your new business venture and it’s exciting and friends and family rally around to support you. Then at some point you need to break into the cold market and it’s a little more difficult. You may hit a busy gift giving season and things seems to be rolling along smoothly again. But then, little by little, your team mates start dropping off; parties are harder to book; and while you’re still plugging along, it seems many around you don’t share in the same passion they once did or that pales in comparison to yours.

You’re not alone and you’re not doing anything wrong. Welcome to direct sales. There is high turnover in this industry. Those who succeed, those to make it to the top, are those who kept going when all others quit. No different than a marathon actually. If you quit along the way, you can’t possibly make it to the finish to collect your medal.

Stay on track and do not let others discourage you. While your friends and team members may no longer run alongside you, keep going. Rather than try to drag along dead weight of those who no longer wish to participate, hang out with other “runners” who train daily and who believe failure is not an option. [Read more…] about Direct Sales Leadership is a Marathon

Over The Top Customer Service

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I just returned from a quick getaway to Florida. The sunshine, sandals, shorts and sun were definitely a fabulous break from snow boots and shovels; though the most enjoyable, memorable part of the entire trip was the over the top customer service.

Two simple words had an enormous impact: Thank You. Attitude of Gratitude

Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. We lost track how many times we heard it. The waiters in the restaurants were amazing. After taking our order: Thank you. After bringing our beverages: Thank you. After removing our empty plates: Thank you. Every time they did something that caused us to say thank you, in return they thanked us.

It wasn’t just the wait staff, although they were working for tips and I would imagine they make a pretty income decent down there because every single one we encountered provided excellent customer service. It was so out of the norm for me, I was happy to throw money at them for treating us with such respect and courtesy.

My mamma raised me that having superior manners was not optional. Yet these days it seems to be a rare occurrence instead of an expectation. For years I’ve been amazed when people comment on how well behaved my children are. Thank you, but isn’t courtesy and manners to be expected and shouldn’t receive accolades for behaving as they should?

I talked with some of the service providers about their politeness. Repeatedly I heard their appreciation for us: the consumers. They clearly understand that if it were not for us patronizing them, they will not have a job or be in business. They understand that there are so many choices today, so many places we can stay, eat, visit or choose for transportation. They understand they aren’t the only ones and if they don’t take care of their customers, someone else surely will.

Now that I’m back home, laundry is done, suitcases are stowed away and I had to make my own coffee this morning and will soon need to shovel the driveway, I’m back to reality. The reality that I have to open my own car door and prepare my own meals is something I can easily handle. The reality that I’m back to the world where “Thank You” is rarely heard, finding good customer service is more than a quest, and disrespect and entitlement abounds saddens me. [Read more…] about Over The Top Customer Service

When Opportunity Knocks Open the Door

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open_doorNew direct sales consultants often ask how to approach people about their business opportunity or products. They tend to either say absolutely nothing, out of fear of rejection – or they come off like a bull in a china shop and approach the subject way too forcefully.

It is important to find your own style. Do not worry about following a particular script. Speak from the heart why you like the products or why you joined and why you think the person talking with you may also be interested in what you are offering.

The very best way to share your direct sales business is to allow conversations to happen naturally. You have to actively listen for opportunities to have a conversation. When you get the chance to share, do not let it pass you by. Below is an example of a naturally occurring opportunity that knocked this week, and I opened the door.

I had a doctor’s appointment. When I arrived at the office no one was there. It was a schedule mix up (on their part, not mine).   Twenty five minutes later the doctor and the other staff members arrived. They were at their other office. They immediately diffused the situation by apologizing profusely. Sincere apologies go a long way.

When the doctor entered the room he again apologized. Here is how the conversation went:

MD:   Again, I am terribly sorry for keeping you waiting. I hope this isn’t causing you trouble at work.

Me: I’m the boss, so I can be flexible.

MD: The boss? Oh! What do you do?

Me: I have a candle business. [Read more…] about When Opportunity Knocks Open the Door

Understanding Target Markets

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Who is your target marketWho is your target market? If your answer is “everyone” or “several” then you don’t have a target market. If you try to sell to “everyone” then you’re hurting yourself and diluting your efforts. There are no shortages of markets. If you pick a market to hone in on, then you can refine your marketing and networking efforts for that particular group.

Some potential markets could include:

Moms with young children
Pet owners
Empty nesters
Single men
Corporate gift givers
People with disabilities
Military folks
High income
Low income
College students
Night Schoolers
Apartment complexes
Nurses [Read more…] about Understanding Target Markets

Are You a Direct Sales Rep or Business Owner?

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We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far. – Swami Vivekananda

If you are a direct sales consultant, do you think of yourself as a sales representative for the parent company or as a business owner? If someone asks you what you do, do you respond “I’m a Scentsy (or Velata, Grace Adele, Tupperware, Tastefully Simple, etc.) consultant”?   Or do you say, “I have candle (jewelry, gift) business”?

Our words reflect what is in our heart. There’s a Proverb that says “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”  

If you enrolled in your direct selling company for personal use or to sell a little to family and friends or maybe to earn a little extra and you refer to yourself as a consultant or representative for the company, there’s nothing wrong or inaccurate with that designation.   If however you joined the company because you want to build a business, earn a full time income and work out of your home, then you need to speak and believe that you are a business owner.

If you’re going to be a business owner, you need not only to get into that mindset, but your words and actions need to reflect the same. Successful business owners are responsible for accounting, marketing, logistics, operations, human resources, procurement, managing, leading, legalities and product knowledge. Whether you are a solo entrepreneur or you outsource some of those responsibilities, they are still requirements that need to be fulfilled. Don’t diminish or minimize the importance of the work you put into your business. You perform a number of different functions to keep it running.

The efforts you put into your business will be indicative of what you get out of it. Put a little in, or treat it as a hobby, and you’ll get a little in return.   Although if you RYBLAB (Run Your Business Like a Business) you’ll realize much greater results.

It absolutely is possible and realistic to expect that you can earn a full time income with direct sales – providing you view yourself as a business owner and not “just a rep, consultant, distributor”.

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a Michigan work from home mom and a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping men and women start and maintain a home based business in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Germany, Ireland and the UK. To download a FREE Start Up Guide which provides more details about how to start a home business as well as to learn about our compensation plan go to https://www.thrivingcandlebusiness.com/how-to-start-a-candle-business/