Making Sales – What To Do When Family and Friends Won’t Buy Anymore

Starting a direct sales business by working with friends and family is a good idea. Generally speaking, they will support you and your new business venture. You can leave out information and pronounce things wrong, and they will still book parties and place orders. However, there will come a time when you run out of people you know. You will have to start approaching people you do not know if you want to continue working your business. The following are some tips to make that transition easier.

Start asking your current customers for referrals. You can set up a referral reward system, where you give your customer a $5 credit toward your products for every new customer they refer. When you call the referral, let them know who you are and who referred them to you. Ask if they might like to earn free product by hosting a party. If they decline, ask if they might like to have a catalog party. If they still resist, ask them if they know anyone who may be interested.

Advertising your business is a great way to gain customers and book parties. You can hang flyers around town, put an ad in the local paper, or put a sign in your car window. The point is to let people know your business exists. Include your name, phone number, and email address in your advertising. There are still some people who do not have email and will need to call you; on the other hand, there are people who prefer to use email rather than pick up the phone. By including both forms of communication, you are covering all of your bases.

If you notice a flyer or ad for an upcoming craft show, call and ask if there are any booths available. You can set up a display of a few products; decorate a cardboard box and cut a slit in the top. Ask people to put their name in the drawing to win the products on display. As people are filling out the their names and phone numbers for the drawing, ask if they would like to host a party to earn even more free products.

Non-profit groups, religious organizations, school booster clubs, and other clubs are always looking for new fundraisers. Look in the phone book and newspaper for listings of these organizations; call them and ask if they would like to use your product to help raise money for their group. You will give the members catalogs and they can collect the orders. You can then offer to donate 10% of your profits to their group. While you are giving away a bit of your profits, you are making up for it in the volume of orders you will receive. Plus, you may end up booking other parties from these fundraisers. 

RECOMMENDED:  Moms Talk Biz Guide to Direct Sales - Everything you need to get your direct sales business of the ground - build your website, get more customers, build your team and more!