Direct selling has leaped into a multi-billion industry. In the US, by 2018 it had jumped past $35.4 billion in annual retail sales. Many people continue to join the industry to enjoy the flexibility and financial independence on offer.
As the stats show, the model is still a viable business. Direct selling has stood the test of time and the growth of MLM companies is proof of its viability. But success in the industry doesn’t come easy.
Like any other business, you need to identify your market, deliver an appealing message and meet customers’ needs. Regardless of your networking model, there are some basic strategies you can use to succeed. Check out these six tips on how to be successful in direct sales.
1. Choose Your Products Wisely
Most of the leading marketers love what they do. They love their product, the hustle, the customer and selling itself. In the entire business world, passion is critical to selling success.
Your customers can discern if you’re giving an ordinary sales pitch or providing a solution. The more you’re passionate about the product the better. Passionate sales professionals can overcome selling rejection and sell where many people wouldn’t.
Leading sales professionals mastered how to be successful in direct sales. They choose to sell what they love and talk about their products enthusiastically.
You can use the products to understand them better and sell them from user experience. That way, you can express the benefits of your product without any fear.
2. Persistence Wins In Direct Selling
In direct selling, your marketing tactics don’t count without persistence. Most leading professionals portray direct selling like it’s a walk in the park. The truth is if it was that easy, many people will succeed.
Persistence is one of the most crucial skills in direct selling. If you know how to be successful in direct sales, persistence is the character to nurture. Prospects won’t buy after your first or second pitch.
In direct selling, you’ll lose prospects or fail to impress them. You may invest a lot in a proven marketing tactic, and experience minimal response. Often people will yell, scold or even hang op on you.
Thanks to persistence, all the rejection needs to be your launchpad to success in direct sales. Instead of focusing on rejection, you can fine-tune your strategy and target high-quality leads.
3. Embrace Target Marketing
How can a list of potential prospects help you be successful in direct sales? Most of the times your prospect list features only the warm market. That is your friends, family, church members, and workmates.
Warm marketing may be effective in the short run, but it may keep you to your comfort zone. Getting used to cold pitching prospects will get you further along when your first list is exhausted.
In many businesses, sales professionals prefer niche or target marketing from the onset. That way, you can identify the people interested in your products and streamline your marketing efforts.
Another mistake you might be making is targetting to recruit people instead of selling. You’re more likely to become successful in direct selling by targetting buyers. People interested in your product are more reliable when you want fast growth multi-level selling.
4. Sell Value
61 percent of customers expect you to listen to their needs and provide relevant information without being salesy. Customers expect value out of your product. Determine how your product addresses the needs of your market.
How will the customers feel or respond after using your product? Will they be happy and return to buy more?
One of the best ways to determine the value of products is to break down its features and benefits. A better product will have more features and benefits. When you understand the benefits of your products, you can aim your pitch to focus on value addition.
5. Build A Community
One of the most effective direct sales technique is to build a customer base. Aim at building a strong relationship to keep them coming back. How you relate to them will determine if you’ll be successful in direct sales.
If you build a close connection, customers can turn into your advocates and help you to expand your tribe. You can use Facebook groups to build a community and engage them with helpful tips.
Treat the community like it’s your family. Share inspirational posts and aim at providing the most value. Keep the clan engaged with consistent posts and try to understand their needs.
6. Use Videos And Blog Posts To Tell Your Stories
According to Uri Hasson, a neuroscientist at Princeton University, stories are the most effective tools of communication. Hasson says stories can sync your brain with your audience and create an emotional connection.
In business, marketers prefer stories to nurture audiences and drive consumers towards. Before promoting your products, use stories to hook your audience and allow them to understand your brand.
Focus on how the products have improved your life. Narrate your real experiences with products to pull your audiences.
To increase engagement, you can seek feedback from your existing customers about the products. Stories from customers are more powerful and can show proof about the effectiveness of your products.
Create videos and blog posts if possible to allow the sharing of the products. At the end of each video or blog, you can request the audience to reach out for more information about the products.
The Wrap Up: How To Be Successful In Direct Sales
Are you still wondering how to be successful in direct sales? Here’s one last tip to wrap up this guide.
Great customer experiences are an outcome of a nurtured relationship over the years. To improve the relationships, interact and go personal with customers. Think of creating memorable experiences and offering an emotional punch in every buying circle.
Combine this point with other tips mentioned to improved your salesperson skills. If you’re looking for help with advancing your sales tactics, contact us today.