Free Wahm Articles

Team Online Parties

2007-09-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

Keeping your team motivated can be a difficult task sometimes, but
oh-so-very important. Looking for a new and unique way to give your
team that boost it needs? Read on ...

Instead of a traditional online party or a team meeting, how about
combining the two? Hold a Team Online Party. By doing this you'll
accomplish quite a few things:

First and foremost, you'll motivate your team with a fun and
unique atmosphere.

Teach your team more about your products and review important
information such as company policies, procedures etc.

Teach members recruiting and sales techniques.

Help your team obtain business building supplies.

The first thing you'll want to do is choose an online party room. We
highly recommends MomChats.com.

Next you'll want to choose a couple of dates and times that you have
available and contact your team members to vote on a day and time
that works for them. You'll want to try to satisfy as many members
as possible, but remember that there's a good chance that you won't
satisfy everyone.

Once you've picked a date, chosen your room, booked your party and
invited your team members, you'll want to start planning your party
games.

Again, you can choose traditional online party games with a twist.
If your policies and procedures are not listed online, you might
want to request your team members to "bring" them along to the
party. Here are a couple game ideas to get you started:

Trivia
- One of your games could be as simple as simply asking questions
directly from your manual about company policies, procedures etc and
have your members answer them. The team member who answers the most
correctly wins.

Scavenger Hunt
- Another idea would be to help your team become more familiar with
your catalogs or your company websites by holding a scavenger hunt
for products. Have them tell you what page such and such is located
or how much a certain product costs. Again, the member with the most
correct wins.

For the prizes, you'll want to take this opportunity to let them win
business building items such as information products (Ex. ebooks),
business cards and other items needed for their business such as
samples. You can get very nice looking and very inexpensive business
cards from Vista Print as well as many other items such as
promotional magnets, calendars and stationary. Buy samples by the
bulk from your company and break them down into smaller quantities
for prizes. Ebooks with information about home businesses make a
wonderful and very inexpensive prize that will continue to give back
to you. Remember, the more successful your team members are, the
more successful you are too.

You'll also want to take this time to congratulate team members for
any accomplishments. Don't forget to congratulate for even the
smallest accomplishments. This is a perfect time for a little slap
on the back and celebrate.

Just remember to be creative. The more creative you are, the more
fun it will be. The more fun you make it, the more successful it
will be. You'll want to put in as much to planning this as you would
a traditional online party.

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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive
to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your
next team online party such as more game and prize ideas, visit
http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/team-online-party.html

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The Customer is Sometimes Rude

2007-09-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

Business is not all fun and games. If you are running your own business, you absolutely must have a thick skin. Being easily hurt or upset isn't going to get you anywhere.

Imagine for a moment you holding a home party. As the guests are looking at catalogs, one says "Look at this lamp, it's so UGLY!". You note which one they are looking at, and realize you have one just like it in your own home.

You have two options here. Either you get rude right back at her, or you offer to help her find something more her taste. While the second option is obviously the better way to go, sometimes we tend to react on instincts first.

The same is true while networking and being active in business communities online. While these places shouldn't be the main source of customers, know you WILL sell to other business owners. If you react rude to another WAHM, you are going to lose sales pretty fast. Not only are you going to lose out on a possible sale from the person you offended, but also others reading it too.

Customers and business owners are going to have opinions. No matter if it's on your website, your products, or your method of marketing. Some comments may be constructive critisism, others may be down right rude. Regardless, fighting back is NEVER going to look good on your part.

Granted there are always going to be those who will never buy, but that still doesn't mean you should be rude back to them. Word travels regardless of who they are, and your business is going to be hurt. Always keep in mind that bad news travels at least twice as fast as good news.

Bottom line - the next time you feel someone is being rude, grit your teeth and smile. Getting down to their level never helps. Besides, don't forget, you never know who's watching. You're a business owner and your reputation is on the line.

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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive
to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your direct sales business, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com.

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Find Your Marketing Strength - Part 2

2007-09-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

In part one we talked about why focus in marketing is so important. This part goes into more detail about various forms of marketing, and why it's so important they be focused on.

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Possible one form of marketing that requires the most focus. Just throwing in a few keywords or doing link exchanges without a purposes will get you nowhere in the search engines. SEO must be learned, practiced, and studied. A site is not optimized, a page is. So you need to work on optimizing one page at a time.

Is it worth the time? Absolutely! If this is something which interests you, and you enjoy writing content. If not, you might do better with another form of marketing.

2. Blogs
You may have been told blogs are a great way to pull in traffic. This is true. But it's another form of marketing which requires dedication. Setting up a blog and putting up a few posts a year isn't going to help much. If you use blogging as a marketing tool, be ready to post to your blog at LEAST once a week (more if you want the blog to really help your business).

Blogs make great "search engine food" because they are pure content and updated on a regular basis. This form of marketing works well if you enjoy SEO as well, since they can be easily focused on together. Just like SEO though, if you don't enjoy writing content this isn't for you.

3. Article Marketing
If for some reason a blog is out of the question, article marketing may be a form of marketing for you. Similar to blogging, you need to be able to write. Not quite as much as blogging, but still several articles a month are required for this form of marketing to work.

Basically what you'll do is write articles related to your business. Pick out a few of the top article directories on the net and submit your article. If done on a regular basis, you will soon have a steady flow of traffic to your site. This form works especially well for those attempting to gain subscribers to a newsletter.

4. Forum Marketing
A newer concept in online marketing, but still one which can have a huge impact on your business. In part one we mentioned one of the "basics" of business was some involvement in communities (meaning you are a member of 2 or 3 message boards or groups, and offer advice at least once a week). Forum Marketing (or "network marketing") takes that a step further.

Instead of just stopping in occasionally, this is one of the only tasks you do. You aren't just a member of a few communities, but rather 10 or more. For those who have been told "don't spend all your time at groups and boards", well you will love that we've just given you permission to do just that. If of course you love to help people, share ideas, and spend all your day chatting. Yes this really IS a form of marketing!

The idea behind this is your are making a name for yourself at any given community. You aren't spamming them, but rather becoming a respected member. Although for it to be absolutely beneficial, you must be involved with a community that's also your target market. If you have trouble finding a community, start one. Either a message board or yahoo group works just fine. Actively chatting with your target market is a fantastic form of marketing!

5. Paid Advertising
While some may shy away from this form of marketing just because of the cost, others have built an entire business with nothing but paid ads. Those who enjoy math will flock to this form, since it requires figuring out your return on investment (ROI). The goal is to spend less than you make.......and use money to make money.

It too requires focus, despite what some may think. The rewards can be huge if you unlock this form of marketing though. Testing is required to see which ads pull in the most money for you. You also need to search for various types of paid advertising which will earn you the most ROI.

There are many, many more forms of marketing online and offline as well. We've only just scratched the surface! As we've mentioned in both parts of these articles, focus is required for ANY form of marketing.

However, it is acceptable to focus on more than one IF they are enjoyable and successful for you. As long as you are keeping a focus on what works, your business will succeed.

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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive
to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your direct sales business, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com.

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Find Your Marketing Strength - Part 1

2007-08-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

There are hundreds of different ways to market your business both online and offline. While it's good in the beginning to test out various types of marketing, you'll eventually going to want to focus on how you market best.

Finding your strength in marketing is going to have a huge impact on your business. You'll be able to spend your time focused ONLY on what works, instead of scattered in a various directions.

Also, when focused on just two or three different forms of marketing, you are able to gain the maximum benefits from those forms. When your focus is scattered, you aren't going to benefit near as much.

Let us give you an example. Let's say you are good at writing articles, and they have proved to help your business. Not just "alright" at writing, but you can write several articles a day without problems. You spend half your time on the articles, and the rest of the time doing "busy" activities that aren't beneficial to your business. Had you spent all that time on articles, how much further would your business be right now?

Here's another example. You enjoy learning about search engine optimization, but haven't quite fully learned it just yet. Instead of learning more, you throw a few keywords on your website then move on to something else. Will just a few keywords help? Absolutely not. Instead of focusing on that form of marketing, you've only done a small part thus making it almost a pointless task.

Before going any further let us say this - there is NOTHING wrong with seeking out new forms of marketing. However, most marketing is not a "quick fix" or a "set and forget". It takes time to make any form of marketing work in your favor. But if you don't enjoy it nor focus on it, it's never going to work for you.

Also realise there are certain "basics" to any marketing plan that you are going to need to learn. Websites, newsletters, and some imvolvement in communities (we say "some" because "full" involvment is a marketing form all on it's own) are all things you must do.

Bottom line is - marketing is just like chosing your business. Success comes with passion and ability to focus. Now that you understand this, in part two we'll discuss some of the various ways to market and why focus in each are important.

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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive
to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your direct sales business, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com.

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Motivation - Where to Find It

2007-07-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

by Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank

While we all have our own ways of finding motivation, sometimes we all need a little shove. We'll tell you what gets us moving when you don't feel like doing anything at all.

One of the perks of owning a business is working your own hours. However, it can be very tempting to just say "I don't feel like working today". You do have the option to do that without "losing your job". But every day you take off, the motivation to work on your business gets a little less.

Before you know it, your motivation is completely gone. You don't feel like working at all, and start to feel your business is failing. Well of course it is if you aren't doing anything!
Obviously what you need to do is get your motivation levels back to normal. You have to WANT to work on your business to succeed. The best way to find motivation is actually pretty simple...

Read.

When you don't feel like working directly on your business (or really don't know what to do), this is the best time to do something indirect. Read, learn about new ideas, soak up information, and find new projects.

Read until you find the spark, and run with it. Which it WILL hit, simply because new ideas get us excited. Business owners love to be busy, or we wouldn't be building a business to begin with.

Visit your favorite WAHM resource websites. First you'll want to browse around the article / resource sections and - yup, you guessed it - read. Read the articles and make notes - no, not mental notes. Open a word processing document or even better, pull out that old notebook and pen. Make notes of anything that jumps out at you. Before you know it, you're note taking session will turn into a "brain dump" listing all your ideas for your next project.

After you've read all the articles you want to, and you're looking for some more motivation ... hop on over to your favorite WAHM message boards. Browse around older topics and join in on some of the conversations. Visit your favorite blogs and read what they have been doing, or resources they recommend.

So the next time you feel your motivation lacking, go and learn something new or review things you've already learned. The main idea is to keep yourself involved one way or another. Keep active and the motivation will stay with you. You'll be surprised how fast your business grows with motivation!

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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive
to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your direct sales business, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com

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Let Them Play

2007-06-28T05:59:00.000-07:00

by Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank

The purpose of a craft show or home party is to attract customers. You are also giving them the chance to touch, play, or try on the products. Telling them not to touch is going to have them moving on as quickly as possible.

Here's an example as to how to drive customers away:

We attend quite a few craft shows. It's not always possible to find sitters for the entire day, so my kids are with me sometimes for part of it. They always seem to find the Discovery Toys rep first thing.

Now I'm a parent that watches my kids. I tell them not to touch. I pull them away from the table, especially when I know I'm not going to buy that day. Our regular DT rep who we see on a regular basis always says "hey they're fine, that's what the toys are here for!". Well still, I want to keep her booth open for children of paying customers.

The DT rep we saw this weekend couldn't have been more different. My kids wandered over to the table right off the bat. I was right behind telling them not to touch and trying to herd them out of there. Even still, the rep told my kids to leave certain things alone and put them back. Not really rude, but repeating what I was already saying. This didn't make me happy in the least, because I WAS watching my kids.

Now not only did she upset a qualified potential customer (parent with young children), but she failed to really show off her products. Our normal DT reps knows the more kids playing the more parents it attracts. If space permits, she'll even set up an extra table specifically for the kids to play.

When you see your kid interested in a toy you know is educational, you are more likely to buy. Plus when parents come to collect their kids, our normal rep uses that time to talk about the company and products. Not like this other rep who spent that time scolding the kids for touching toys (how dare they, right?).

At a craft show or home party you aren't just showing the products. You are demonstrating. You are letting potential customers try them out. Candles you let them smell. Food you let them sample. Scrapbooking materials they make a project with. Pampered Chef you cook with. Bath products you have samples sitting out to try. Other products you let them pick up and touch.

Sometimes it's not so easy to let them try products before buying, but you've got to do your best to let them. For example, I once saw a scrapbooking rep at a craft show who had fancy scissors sitting on the table with scrap paper. She encouranged people to use them.

You don't just show the product, but how it's used. Seeing it in action is the best way to push a potential customer right to their checkbook. Even if kids are touching items you don't want them to, just grit your teeth and smile. Let the parents take care of their own children.....and of course, buy from you.

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. For additional help at offline events, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/offline-events.html

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Craft Shows: Pay and Stay

2007-06-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

If you pay for a table at a craft show, it only makes sense to show up. Sure things come up, but you should always try your best to make it. You should also try your best to stay for the entire show.

Over the weekend we attended an outdoor craft show. Our instructions stated we were allowed to set up on Friday night, and stay as late as we wanted to Saturday evening. The schedule of events showed activities clear up to 10pm at night, so we knew we would be there until at least dark.

The tables next to us were obviously new at craft shows. Not only did they not show up until Saturday, but a few left in the afternoon. Sure the sales slowed down a bit, but we knew it would pick up later on that day. The schedule was given to all vendors ahead of time, so we all knew it was coming.

What baffled me the most was what one vendor said to me as she packed up at 2pm. When asked if she was leaving already, she stated "yeah, we have another show tonight".

What??

Now why would you pay for a table at two different places? Not only did they not set up Friday, but they left early Saturday too. They missed out on all those sales in the evening, even though they paid for the table. Right now I'm sure they are thinking they won't return to this show because of lack of sales. Of course they didn't make enough sales if they were only there half the show!

If you want to make the most of your craft show, you MUST be there for the entire show. Don't show up late and don't leave early. Outdoor events are going to have slow periods depending on the type of event and what's scheduled.

Also, don't overbook yourself. You can only be in one place at one time. Paying for two different events on the same day is just throwing profits away.

Bottom line is, if you pay for a table, stay there!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. For additional help at offline events, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/offline-events.html

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6 Steps to a Successful Home Party

2007-06-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

Everyday someone is coming up with a new way to market your direct sales business (which of course is great). Keeping your business interesting and fresh is important. However, don't forget the tactics that made direct sales companies (aka home party plans) popular.

Home parties are not only an excellent way to showcase your products, but are also a great deal of fun. There's nothing more entertaining than getting a bunch of people (usually women) together to show and test your merchandise. Hands on beats other tactics hands down time and time again!

Following a simply guideline can help you have successful home party that runs smoothly and everyone enjoys. The following guideline will give you the basic idea of how to do this and can easily be adjusted to fit your own tastes / needs.

Before the Guests arrive...
Be sure to arrive at your hostess's home about an hour or so before the start of your party to review any last minute details. Set up a refreshment table and re-arrange furniture if needed. Set up your display and do a quick review of the guest list. Review any before-party sales. Don't forget to lay out the catalogs, brochures and business cards!

Greeting the Guests...
Have the hostess warmly greet each guest as they arrive. Have her introduce you and engage in some general chit-chat. Ask them about themselves, what do they do, how do they know the hostess, do they have any children? Remember to smile!

The Ice Breaker...
Games are a perfect ice breaker. Play a game or two to make the guests feel welcome and comfortable. Make your games fun and with as much interaction with the guests as possible. Another good ice breaker is to thank your hostess for holding the party and giving her a gift. If you offer gifts to guests who bring friends; now's the time do hand them out.

The Presentation...
Start showing guests the items that you've brought for display and give a brief description that you've prepared before-hand on each one. Guests love hands-on viewing. After each description, hand the merchandise to the guests to get a better look and pass around. At the end of your presentation, discuss the opportunity for guests to become hostesses themselves and briefly discuss the rewards. Be sure at some point to open the floor to the guests for any questions, comments and/or concerns. At this time the hostesses should be doing any last minute preparations of the refreshments.

Finishing up Guest Orders...
Be prepared to help guests fill in their order forms and answer any questions about sales tax and shipping costs. It might not be a bad idea to bring along a calculator for quicker or more accurate order totals. Also be prepared to accept checks and let it be known who you'd prefer the checks to be written to. Make sure you thank each guest who purchases and give them a copy of the completed order form.

Ending the Show...
Once again you should thank the hostess for having the show. Be sure to thank each guest for coming as they leave whether they made a purchase or not. Don't forget to have all the needed information to contact guests after the party concerning their orders or potentially hosting a party themselves. And don't forget to have fun!

Remember, it's your party so get creative! The more fun your guests have ... the more chances you have of future bookings. Some simple planning and organization will open the door of opportunity wide open. Make sure you hold your head high, put on a smile and walk right in.

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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive
to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your direct sales business, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com

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3 SEO Tips for Direct Sales

2007-05-31T13:58:00.000-07:00

While this could easily turn into another "you need a website" article, it's really about search engine optimization for direct sales reps. It's just important to you (maybe even more so) than it is for others in different industries.

Before you read any further, know you are going to need your own website. There is no way around this, as you can't optimize a rep site. It looks identical to all the rest of the rep sites out there, and search engines hate identical.

1. Check your company terms
It's important you check with your company to make sure you can actually have your own site. It's also important you double check that you can use your company name. Being able to use a heavily searched for company name could be a huge asset if used right.

2. Use keyword phrases
Once you know you can build a site on your own with your company name, you need to come up with a list of keyword phrases. Keep in mind you will only use ONE keyword phrase per page. Each page needs to focus on just one set (a phrase) of keywords. Start here to find out what others are searching for:
http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/

3. Build incoming links
Write articles, use your signature line on forums, and seek out link exchanges. As long as you have links coming into your site, the search engines WILL index you automatically. Which is something you need to realize about search engines - they will crawl your site as long as you have quality content and links coming into your site. Do not fall for the "submit your site to 100s of search engines" scam. It happens automatically!

For more advanced search engine optimization work on your site, I highly suggest Cricket's SEO class at:
http://www.gnc-web-creations.com/seo-optimization.htm

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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive
to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your direct sales business, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com

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Newsletter or Ezine Advertising

2007-05-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Online Advertising Secrets Exposed - Part 5

This is one of the most direct ways that you can advertise online. Newsletters, often referred to as ezines are like magazines online. Most of the time they are presented in a newsletter format rather than an actual magazine. But they have one very big advantage over most types of online advertising. They are very targeted to a particular topic. They are not paid for, except with a few exceptions such as financial and scientific ezines, but are usually sent free to their subscribers. The way that the owner makes money from their ezine is through advertising, either for their own products, or other people’s products that they have an affiliate link for, so that they get a percentage of the sale.

Because the readers of the ezine have signed up for them and receive them on a regular basis, they are very targeted on their market. After all if the readers were not interested then they would just unsubscribe. Any ezine owner that has a successful ezine also knows that they have to give their readers good content and not just advertising. There has to be a balance where the main emphasis is on the content, providing good informative content for the readers that is both interesting and useful and occasional advertising. But even then to be really effective the advertising has to fit in with the context of the article so that it is more seen as helping them to find something that could help them with a problem than just trying to sell them something.

A lot of ezine owners sell advertising space in their ezines because it is a good way to make extra money. But you have to be very careful that the ezine audience is the same as you need for your product and if the owner gives you advice on how to write your ad you should listen, as they know their readers.

It can’t go unsaid that you should also start your own ezine by collecting subscribers from your site and from your customers. If you give them quality content and occasional offers, especially if you give them a good discount, then you will be able to sell to the same readers again and again. But you need to make sure that the ezine is good so that they keep reading. Ezine advertising is a really good way to start getting good conversions for your products and when you start to get your own subscribers then you will begin to see your profits grow.

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Anita DeFrank, owner of http://www.MommysHelperOnline.com is a busy work at home mom. MommysHelperOnline.com is the leading resource available online built to assist you with your home business. Whether you're brand new to the work at home game or you're an old pro, be sure to stop by today.

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Advertising With Articles

2007-04-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

Online Advertising Secrets Exposed - Part 4

Advertising with articles is not only an extremely effective way to advertise online it is also one of the fastest ways to see a return on your investment. If you have a limited budget then this is the way to go because it doesn’t cost anything to submit articles. It works like this; you write an article on a topic related to your business or product. Then you include a resource box at the end that has text describing your product with a link to more information. Then submit it to article directories where webmasters look for content for their websites or ezines. They then publish your article if it fits in with their site. The whole thing is done on a no cost basis and is beneficial to everyone. The ezine publisher or webmaster gets a free article, the article directory gets visitors to their site and you get publicity for your business.

Usually the only stipulation for the person publishing your article is that they are not allowed to alter it in any way. This includes keeping the resource box and link to your site at the end of the article. One of the reasons that this works so well is that the only people who will publish your article are ones that have a site on that subject. You then have a targeted audience that is already interested in the subject of your site who is reading your article and then clicking through on your link.

If you do not mind doing some extra work then there is an even more effective way of advertising with articles. Instead of submitting your article to a directory, you can search out the websites that you would like to see your article on and contact the owners to see if they would like you to write an article for them, (with your resource box of course).

A lot of website owners like to get extra content and if it is a high traffic site then it might be worthwhile offering to write exclusive content for them. This means that you write articles them only and that you will not send to other sites. This will make the owners a lot more interested in getting free exclusive content for their site.

But remember it is not so much quantity as quality that counts. A good article that is well written is much more likely to be used than a lot of articles that are not so good. But if you do it right then article advertising can be a very effective way of promoting your site.

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Anita DeFrank, owner of http://www.MommysHelperOnline.com is a busy work at home mom. MommysHelperOnline.com is the leading resource available online built to assist you with your home business. Whether you're brand new to the work at home game or you're an old pro, be sure to stop by today.

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Are You Tracking?

2007-04-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

The first sale off your website comes in. You're so excited, everyone you know hears about it. Before you know you see another, and another. When you are asked where the visitor came from, you may shrug and think it's unimportant. What matters is you got paid, right?

WRONG.

One of the most important aspects of business is knowing what makes you sales and what doesn't. You end up wasting time and money repeating actions that don't make you money. If you knew where those visitors were coming from, then you could duplicate the efforts in that specific area.

Let's put this way. Say you run 10 ads in different places, each costing you $5 each. You make 10 sales from all those ads. To duplicate those results without tracking, you'd have to spend another $50. But if you tracked those visitors you would only spend more money on the ads that worked.

The same goes with other forms of advertising. Let's say you visit 5 message boards every day as your main method of advertising (which we don't recommend by the way). It brings you 5 sales a week. If you track your visitors you can easily see which message board is bringing the traffic, cutting the time you spend on message boards down to maybe 2 or 3 a day instead.

So what can you do to track your visitors?

Simply set up a stat tracker of some kind on your website. And yes, even if you are given a rep website from your company, you NEED a website. This is one of the reasons why you do. We can't stress this enough. Your online business will be VERY limited without your own website.

Tracking is very important to any online business. It doesn't matter what type of business you run, you absolutely need to know where your visitors are coming from to increase your sales.

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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive
to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your direct sales business, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com

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Advertising Through Content Sites

2007-04-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

Online Advertising Secrets Exposed - Part 3

Content sites are one of the more effective ways to advertise online. If you have your own content site, then you are making your own traffic by advertising in the search engines. This means that as long as your content site is on the same topic as the product that you are trying to sell, then your traffic is going to be much more targeted. The people that are going to your site are going there to find information, so it doesn’t take a genius to realize, they are interested in that topic. So, common sense tells you that to make the best use of that traffic, you have to sell something that relates to the same topic.

You need to make sure that the quality of the content on the site is good. If the content on your site isn’t any good, then the people who go to your site will be unlikely to buy from you. But if it is good, then they will be more likely to view that product as being good as well.

You’ll also want to make sure that the content on your site is mostly original. If you just have the same content that other sites have from article sites, then the search engines will just see it as duplicate content and they will not send people to your site. But if you have original content on your site then the search engines will send properly targeted traffic to you. So if you have the right products that match the content, then you have a good chance of them converting well.

Content sites are one of the best ways of advertising online, because once the site is built and you have plenty of back links to it, then all you have to do is add content on a regular basis keeping it fresh. Another reason is because aside of the hosting costs, you have a free source of good traffic that you can send to your sales page. And in return, you’ll get targeted traffic that is interested in the product that you are selling for very little cost to you.

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Anita DeFrank, owner of http://www.MommysHelperOnline.com is a busy work at home mom. MommysHelperOnline.com is the leading resource available online built to assist you with your home business. Whether you're brand new to the work at home game or you're an old pro, be sure to stop by today.

Targeting Your Online Advertising

2007-04-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

Online Advertising Secrets Exposed - Part 2

When targeting your online advertising, keep in mind that there are hundreds of millions of web users and at least some of them are probably looking for a product just like yours. This gives you a huge potential for profit if your product is good, your advertising is seen by them and if it lets them know how good your product is and why it would be a good thing for them to buy.

But if you are not targeted enough in your audience, then it is quite likely that you will either waste a lot of money, a lot of effort, or both. Many people, when they start advertising online, try to keep their advertising as wide as possible, placing ads just about anywhere. The reason behind this is usually that they think that the more people that see the advertising, the more they will sell. After all a product that is seen by millions of people will sell better than a product that is seen by thousands, right?

Although this sounds reasonable and in fact may be partly correct, it does not work in the context of getting a return on your effort and money. If you are advertising an exercise machine that is usually bought by women hoping to tone their thighs, there is no point in advertising it just as an exercise machine. If you do this you will be spending your advertising budget on advertising it to runners, body builders, people recovering from a broken leg, soldiers, athletes and who knows how many others. Unfortunately, many of these people will probably never buy it but you will still be paying for the advertising. However, if you sell directly to middle class women in their twenties, then you are much more likely to get a better return on your investment.

All of this is especially important if you are using pay per click advertising. Then you will want to make sure that the only people clicking on your ads are those more likely to buy. That way you get a much better return on your investment and your advertising will be much more successful. So ultimately, a lot less people may see the advertising, but it will be seen by those that are actually interested in buying it rather than those that will probably not.

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Anita DeFrank, owner of http://www.mommyshelperonline.com/ is a busy work at home mom. MommysHelperOnline.com is the leading resource available online built to assist you with your home business. Whether you're brand new to the work at home game or you're an old pro, be sure to stop by today.
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Online Advertising Secrets Exposed

2007-04-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

An overview of online advertising ...

Online advertising can be a very cost-effective solution to promote your business or product. There are many different types and although many can give you good exposure for your money, some can lose you money very quickly if you do not know how to do it properly. Online advertising is not the same as offline advertising. It is in many ways a much more direct medium than TV or magazines.

If someone is looking at a web page that you are advertising on, then it is because they have chosen to go to that page. Of course it could be that they are just surfing around, but people these days tend to be more web savvy and targeted in what they are looking for and in the sites that they look at. Most people now use more targeted searches and so if you target your advertising well enough so that it appears in places that are highly relevant to your site, then it is quite likely that you will get a good result.

There are many different types of online advertising such as, pixel advertising, ezines, banner ads, article marketing, forum marketing, text links, pop ups, ecourses, back end product sales, content sites, pay per click, joint ventures, viral marketing, and thats to name just a few. You have to decide which is the best for your product and/or service. If you're not experienced, one of the easiest ways is to find out what methods the bigger sellers in your market are using. If they're successful in the same market as you, then it is a good bet that this type of advertising works well with that market. But that only means that it is a good place to start, after you have had some success, you will have a better idea of what the market wants and what other ways you could advertise to them.

Online advertising is really like any other type of advertising in that you have to know your market and what they want. You also need to know the right way to reach them. The best way is if you are a part of this market and are interested in what you are selling, so that you will know what they want. But if you are not, then it is a good idea to do some research. Visit sites that are on the same subject (especially forums) to find out what they are interested in. That way you will know what to sell them and how to sell it.

Online advertising can help give you exposure to your business if it's done properly. It can be very lucrative or you can loose some money. Do your research, advertise properly and you'll be on the lucrative side with no problem at all.

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Anita DeFrank, owner of MommysHelperOnline.com is a busy work at home mom. MommysHelperOnline.com is the leading resource available online built to assist you with your home business. Whether you're brand new to the work at home game or you're an old pro, be sure to stop by today.
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Stop Being Lazy and Run Your Business

2007-04-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

by Kara Kelso and Anita DeFrank
http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com

This may be harsh words, but they need be said. Over the past few months we've noticed an epidemic of laziness. It needs to be stopped!

Let us explain a little more.

Quite often we see a post on a group or message board for someone looking for free advertising. Nothing wrong with that I suppose, we need all the exposure we can get on our sites. Not paying anything for it is even better. These posts are always followed by a slue of "me too". Again, this is understandable.

Now here's where the laziness kicks in.

In the past few weeks we've made some posts in search of link exchanges, articles, submissions, and partner exchanges. In other words, free advertising in exchange for several sites. The response? Slim to none.

What happen to all those who wanted free advertising? Did the word "in exchange" scare them away? If it did, then that's a shame. They all had the perfect opportunity to promote their business, but passed it up because in required them to do something. Something other than handing over their link of course.

Even worse, you tend to see the same people asking same questions on many boards. Questions such as "how do I promote my business?" or "I need to advertise, where do I start?". The answers are written all over the place, yet they aren't being read. Either that or it's being ignored because "it looks too hard to do".

Everyone seems to want that magical way to drive hundreds of visitors and sales to their site, without spending the time or money. Let's put this to rest once and for all - there IS no easy way to build your business. It takes time and/or money to build a solid buisness. What's more, no one is going to do it for you.

So while it may sound harsh, get to work! Put those suggestions and ideas for promotion to work. Get more involved with projects others are asking help for. Don't spend all day surfing boards looking for the easy way to succeed. The only place you are going to find success is within yourself!

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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive
to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your direct sales business, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com

Is Lack of Focus Holding You Back?

2007-04-02T23:59:00.000-07:00

There are no shortage of marketing ideas out there. Online and offline, there's literally thousands of ways to promote your business. Although if your focus isn't on any of them, how will you succeed?

We admit it - we're guilty of having focus issues. When a new idea or business comes along, it's hard not to get excited. You drop what you are doing and get right to work on it. Unfortunately that excitement fades within a few weeks, and you are back to square one. Before you know it, there's tons of unfinished projects and half-way promoted businesses.

Lack of focus is holding you back.

Here are some tips to help you stay focused:

- Set Goals
Give yourself goals or specific things you want to accomplish before you stop on any given project.

- Set Hours
If time is an issues, set specific work hours. Don't go anywhere between those certain hours. Even if it's just 3 hours a day, it's something.

- One Project/Business
Instead of splitting your focus among many businesses, keep your focus on just one or two businesses or projects. Do whatever time allows you, not just what sounds interesting at the time.

- Wait a Week
If you spot a new business that sounds interesting, don't jump on it. Focus on your original business for awhile. If it still sounds exciting a week or two later, then it might be something worth giving a second look.

There are other ways to keep focus, but these are just a few.

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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive
to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your direct sales business, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com

Free Start Up vs. Kit Requirement

2007-03-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

Some people won't join a company unless it's free to join. To be very blunt, you're better off without them on your team. These people are what some might call freebie seekers. Not that there is necessarily anything wrong with this. We all love a freebie, right? However, this really isn't something you need on your team. Why you ask?

When someone isn't required to invest at least a little bit of money, then they're also not required to put any thought into it either. I mean after all it's free, what's the loss? Since there's no need to invest any money, there isn't any. So they jump in head first without learning anything more than the "free sign up" only to find out later that the company isn't a fit after all. And think about this ... How many free companies have you joined simply for the discount? When you join a company for the discount, you really don't have any interest in marketing the business at all, do you? Now keep in mind, this isn't always true. Not by any means.

It's been my experience that when people are required to put a little money into it, they're more likely to actually think about it before they join. They will likely read all the fine print of becoming a consultant. Hopefully they'll actually make a purchase to test the ordering process, the shipping costs and time, the quality of the product and most importantly do a little research to see the marketability in their area. In other words, are they going to be able to sell this product in their area? How many other people are selling the same product or something similar?

Another point to keep in mind is that there is now an investment. They at least want to make that money back, right? There's more than likely a spouse or other family member who is going to expect them to at least give it a good try because there is now an investment.

Most companies offer start up kits that are perfect to give your business a jumpstart including some of their best sellers, samples, brochures, catalogs etc etc. Of course what each company offers is different but for the most part, this is generally what is included. Some companies have expensive start ups. However, most companies offer these products as greatly reduced prices making it very affordable to start your own business.

With that said, it brings me to my next thought. If your prospects can't afford an inexpensive start up kit, they may want to consider getting a j.o.b first and start their new business on the side. It takes time and money before your business will start making business. Against the popular belief, your business cannot survive on free advertising/promotion methods alone. You're going to have to invest some kind of money at some point. At the very least, you need business cards and catalogs. That list itself, can be longer however, you can at least get a small start there.

So to wrap up a long story, having a business that requires recruits to pay to start is not a bad thing. Happy recruiting!

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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive
to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your direct sales business, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com

How to Train Your Team

2007-03-07T10:49:00.000-08:00

How to Train Your Team

Your downline is one of your most important parts of direct sales.
Your sales come first of course, but having a well trained team
selling for you can account for half your income.

The following are three simple ways to train your team, while
building your own income at the same time.

1. Hold Meetings
Use meetings not just to direct your team, but let it be open for
ideas as well. Holding monthly meetings to talk about the month is a
great way to help everyone as a whole. Talk about who sold what and
where, and any special tips anyone might like to share. It's a great
time to answer questions as well!

2. Teach by Example
If you aren't selling products yourself, this needs to be at the top
of your list. Just as children pick up things from their parents,
your team is doing the same.

3. Newsletters
Publish a weekly or monthly newsletter. Include expert articles
designed to help motivate and train your team. You can also include
a summary of your meeting as well, for those that didn't make it.

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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank specialize in helping direct sales
consultants succeed with their business. Need help building your
team? You can find expert articles to train your team at
http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/team-articles.html

Search Engine Optimization Exposed

2007-03-04T20:02:00.000-08:00

How do they Find You?

Search engine optimization is utilizing techniques and methods in order to make your website rank as high as possible on search engine result pages. The higher the ranking, the higher the probability of "getting the click". So, it stands to reason that higher rankings equals more clicks which equals more traffic which eventually equals more business.

There are many aspects you can change on your website or add as well to make your website a little more search engine friendly. A few little examples would be adding titles, meta tags and alt tags. Done in moderation and properly, link exchanging is also a good technique to acquire backlinks. The amount of backlinks you have is another one of the components search engines use to rank sites.

Keep in mind though, a large portion of SEO revolves around properly using keyword phrases about your niche or website theme within your pages. Do not (and I repeat ... DO NOT) mutilate your webpages with keyword phrases. Yes, you want to include your keyword phrases throughout your page for search engines but keep in mind, they are not your customers. You need to find a nice balance between keeping both the search engines and your readers happy. So in other words, if it cannot be read smoothly and make sense ... change it. Would you place an order on a website that looks like it was written by a child?

Don't be afraid to do a little research and reading on how to make your website a little more search engine friendly. There are plenty of articles, ebooks, reports and other information sources of the like available. It might cost you a little money and it'll certainly take some time, but the benefits will come back tenfold over and over again.

Search engine optimization does require a little bit of work but it's really not much more than using a little bit of common sense. Start optimizing your site today so you too can reap the benefits of more traffic. Besides, we're all in business to make money, right?

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Anita DeFrank is the author of Kick Start Your Online Business. The online world is full of possibility. It gives you the power to meet people from all over the world that you could never dream of meeting and better yet, Do Business with these people. Stop wasting time sifting through all the advice that may or may not be useful and learn from her mistakes. Learn more about her book at http://www.mommyshelperonline.com/kickstart.html
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Content is King - Even In Direct Sales

2007-02-25T23:20:00.000-08:00

You've heard it said a hundred times before - content is king. But did you know this applies to those in direct sales too?

When your potential customer lands on your rep site, are they getting all the information they need to buy? Or are they just seeing short descriptions and price information? We've said it before and we'll say it again - all direct sales reps need their own website.

Direct sales companies are only concerned with selling one way - through reps. They aren't concerned about search engine optimization, content, link exchanges, or any other methods of selling online. They pay you because it's YOUR job to drive the traffic to the site and make the contacts.

The only way to sell online (other than starting your own direct sales company), is to offer content. Lots and lots of content. This is what it all comes down to.

Here's just a few things you can use more content for:

- Search Engine Optimization
Search engines crave content. The more words on the page, the higher the rankings for certain terms will be. If this is an area you are concerned with (and you should be!), you absolutely need content.

- Articles
Write your own articles and submit them - you'll be amazed at how much they increase your traffic.

- Product Reviews & Descriptions
Just imagine how many more sales you'll make if you give your buyers more information. Give them details on how you used the product, why you like it, how it worked for you, and what it could do for them. Or better yet, details on how other customers used the product, why they liked it and how it worked for them. They are more likely to buy if they are given more facts and opinions about the product.

Learning to write online is an important skill, but not a hard one to learn. It simply takes practice....which to get practice, you need to write!

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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive
to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your direct sales business, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com
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Why You Need to Use Search Engine Optimization

2007-02-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

Selling online is a cut throat business. You have to arm yourself with the proper tools and know-how to make your website a cut above the rest. Everyday more and more people are clambering to optimize their websites and if you let down your guard, you just may get trampled on and be left in the abyss filled with so many other failed websites.

Search Engine Optimization, also known as is SEO, is widely used by many website owners. For quite a few years in the past and many, many years to come, search engines are the most widely used tool internet users use to find the websites they need to go to for a product, service and/or information they're looking for.

Most search engine users only use the top ten search results on the first page. Very seldom do they move onto the next pages. Therefore making it on the first page is a goal for most website owners. Ideally however, being listed in the top three should be the ultimate goal. The higher the rankings, the higher the ratio of the probability of "getting the click". So, it stands to reason that higher rankings equals more clicks which equals more traffic which equals more business.

Now it must also be mentioned that once you grab a hold of that top spot, it's important to keep a hold of it. As I mentioned, each day is a new day for all website owners to make themselves rank higher using SEO. It is extremely important to make your site better everyday.

So, the answer to why you have to use search engine optimization is an easy one. You need SEO to rank high in the search engines so you can make your website an income generating website. With you SEO you can get the benefit fo generating a high traffic volume. As mentioned, more traffic equals more business.

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Anita DeFrank is the author of Kick Start Your Online Business. The online world is full of possibility. It gives you the power to meet people from all over the world that you could never dream of meeting and better yet, Do Business with these people. Stop wasting time sifting through all the advice that may or may not be useful and learn from her mistakes. Learn more about her book at http://www.mommyshelperonline.com/kickstart.html

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Is Adsense for you?

2007-02-02T05:39:00.000-08:00

It sounds so easy to get paid by simply running a few ads. But could
you be destroying your reputation and missing hundreds of sales just
for a few pennies?

If you own a website (which you should, even if your company
provides it!), AdSense can be a great source of revenue. You put up a few ads, and then you start seeing the clicks coming in. First a few pennies, then a few dimes ... before you know it, you are seeing several dollars a day. Awesome!

However, if you are trying to sell a product, you could be losing
out on HUNDREDS of dollars. What's worse, you could be destroying your reputation in the process.

When a potential customer hits your site, they have a specific idea
of what they want in mind. You only have a few seconds to sell them
your spectacular product. What happens when the first thing they see is an ad for a similar product?

Those advertising on Google are smart cookies. They know how to
write some killer headlines that really pull in results. Now think - even if your product is exactly what they want, if the other ad SOUNDS better, how fast do you think your visitor is going to go running off? You just got maybe 10 cents when you could have made several dollars. How many times a day could that be happening?

What's worse - what if someone in your company is advertising, and
you just handed the sale to another rep? Direct sales is competitive
enough, you don't need to be giving away sales!

Get out of the "side income" reasoning right now. It's absolutely
NOT worth the lost "main income".

If you are looking for another way to pull in a "side income",
consider affiliate programs. Not only will you get paid better, but you have full control over what you offer. It doesn't have to be competition, but rather something that compliments your main products.

Just remember - AdSense doesn't belong on websites selling products!

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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive
to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your direct sales business, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com

5 Super Tips to Building a Successful Team

2007-01-25T12:40:00.000-08:00

While you always want to put your customers first, don't forget about your silent income - your team members!

A good team member usually won't take up too much of your time. Aside from a few question here and there, the hardest working downline members are busy working their business and training themselves.

However, it's important to remember this - even if they don't ask for your help, they may need it. Make sure you are paying attention to all of your team, not just the ones contacting you.

Here are a few things you can do to help keep motivation up, and let your downline know you are behind them 100%:

1. Team newsletters
Do you have information or tips to give? Organize them in a simple newsletter. This can be monthly, weekly, or random. Just be sure you have a list they join when they sign up under you. Follow all spam laws on this one!

2. Team incentives
Hold a montly contest for the most sales, or something similar. This helps boost your own income, while getting your team motivated at the same time. If your company holds a contest, sweeten the deal and offer something extra if someone from your team wins.

3. Give a personal touch
Don't forget about birthdays, holidays, and other special days. Keep good track of these important dates and include your downline members on your "card-giving" lists. The extra note will let them know they are important to you!

4. Team Blog
A great way to keep in contact with everyone. There is many different ways you could set this up to fit your needs. You can give all team members full access to make posts or you could have it set up so they can only leave comments, ask questions etc. You can keep your blog private so only yourself and your team members have access or you can keep this open to the public so everyone can read it.

5. Team Training
Part of your responsibilities as a direct selling leader is to train your team members on the specifics of building their direct selling business. One way you can do this is to hold face-to-face team meetings with local team members. Another way thanks to the wonderful world wide web, you can now hold meetings with team members from all over the world. No matter how you choose to do it, training is a necessary part of your role as a team leader.

There are many other ways to help motivate and train your team, Just remember, they are working for you as hard as they are working for themselves!

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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive to help women in direct sales. Find out how you can earn some extra cash while training your team at
http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/affiliate.html

Three Ways to Automate Your Business Fast

2007-01-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

The use of autoresponders is a great way to automate your business fast, freeing up precious time you could be using to do other important aspects in your direct sales business. Set up properly, they’ll make your business more automated without losing that personal touch. The following are just a few ideas for you.

Business Opportunity Information
You could set up your autoresponder to send out information on your business opportunity. For example, you would take a list of frequently asked questions about your business and put them into your autoresponder. Put a form on your website for potential recruits to request more information and then it’s all done automatically for you. This also saves you from having to answer the same questions over and over again. Don’t forget to set up a follow up message to ask if they had any more questions or needed more information!

Catalog Requests
Set up an autoresponder for potential customers to request catalogs. An example on how to do this would be like this: Set up a form on your website for customers to enter their mailing and email address. Set up your autoresponder to send them a message letting them know that you’ve received their request and you’ll be sending out the catalog. Then have it set to send out another message in about a week – just to confirm that they’ve received your catalog and making sure they didn’t have any questions. Next you might want to set it to send out another message in 3 – 4 days maybe offering a special discount “just for them”. Then for your final message, you could let them know about a newsletter you offer with instructions on how to join.

New Recruit Training
Autoresponders are a great way to train your new team members! Here you could take a list of important information about the company, product etc., and put them into the autoresponder to be automatically delivered over time. Another idea is to set it up to send out business tips about online parties, home parties, or just running their business in general. With this, the possibilities are endless.

The above is just a touch of what you can do because, as mentioned, there are so many things you can do with an autoresponder. With a little bit of creativity, you’re sure to come up with something that will help your business stand above the rest and with a little research you’re sure to find a program that will work for you.

For a jumpstart on your research, feel free to take a look at the autoresponder we recommend at: http://www.mommyshelperonline.com/autoresponder.html

Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your direct sales business, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com

Top 5 Ways to Kick Start Your Online Business

2007-01-10T19:53:00.000-08:00

Top 5 Ways to Kick Start Your Online Business

It's a brand new year and time and the perfect time to give your business the kick start it so desperately needs. Did you ever get the feeling that your business is at a standstill even if you've been in business for a while? Of course it does. It happens to everyone - I know that because it's happened to me time and time again. In the following you'll find the top five ways to give your business a boost.

1. Build a Website
Yes, we're starting at the very beginning here. I've seen too many folks who for example are affiliate marketers or direct sales representatives and they're still working with their "company issued" website. Sure, that might be the ideal (and easy way out). However, it is time to break out of that shell and build something better.

2. Learn SEO
Build It and They Will Come - Bull! That just does NOT happen so get that out of your head now. Take the time now and learn a little about Search Engine Optimization. Why waste the time building a website if the search engines can't find you? There are a lot of things out there that you should be doing and more importantly, things you shouldn't be doing. Learn how to build your website the right way now and you'll thank yourself later.

3. Start a Newsletter
Hopefully you already have one but, if you don't - start one now! You NEED a way to keep in front of your customer / visitors on a regular basis. Build a list of folks who WANT to know when you have specials, know when you have a new product, etc. etc. Your newsletter doesn't have to be something huge and elaborate. As a matter of fact, here's when the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Sweetie) concept comes into play.

4. Advertise Your Business
To gain exposure/brand recognition, gain immediate sales, announce new products/services and search engine optimization are just a few of the reasons why you need to advertise. Very few businesses can survive without some type of advertising. It's also one of the most important aspects in running certain types of businesses. Unfortunately, it seems to be one of the biggest steps missed and/or done incorrectly. Take the time to learn more about online advertising, sales copy writing and don't skip this important step!

5. Online Promotion
There are many, many other ways to promote your business online (in addition to traditional advertising). Ebook writing, mini courses and article writing are just a few tactics. Believe it or not, these CAN be used with ANY online business (even affiliate marketers and direct sales representatives). Make it your goal to write one of the above this year.

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Anita DeFrank is the author of Kick Start Your Online Business. The online world is full of possibility. It gives you the power to meet people from all over the world that you could never dream of meeting and better yet, Do Business with these people. Stop wasting time sifting through all the advice that may or may not be useful and learn from her mistakes. Learn more about her book at http://www.mommyshelperonline.com/kickstart.html

3 Steps To Planning Your Own Event

2006-12-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

by Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank
http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com

If you have a hard time locating events in your area which are
reasonably priced, it may be time for you to start planning your own
event.

Planning your own event isn't as hard as you may think. While it is
time consuming and requires a lot of organization skills, it could
bring you a whole lot of local business.

Step 1 - Finding Vendors

The first thing you need to do is make sure you know enough vendors
to host your event. If you know other local home business owners,
get in contact with them and see if they can give you names. We've
been contacted several times because our name was passed on by
someone else who we met at a craft show.

Step 2 - Plan Your Costs

You'll need to rent a local community center or other space for your
event. Many are low cost, while others may cost you several hundred.
Go by your list above to figure out how much space you may need.
Remember not all those you have contact information for may contact
you, so it's best to over book than under book.

Be sure you also keep the cost of advertising in mind. Call your
local radio stations and newspapers to find out how much it will be
to run ads. You may want to kindly ask your vendors to let their
customers know they'll be attending your show. Don't make it a
requirement, but do ask. Many will do so automatically just because
it's easier for their customers to meet them at an event.

Step 3 - Set Your Date

Check for events around the area in the larger cities as well as
smaller towns to make sure you aren't holding your event on the same
day as another. We've had to turn down many offers because we were
attending another show. Not only will you be missing many vendors,
but attendance will be lower as well. NEVER book your event on the
same day as another craft show or similar event. Booking around
other events in town which compliment your event is fine though.

Once the date is set, you can now start collecting money from your
vendors and booking spaces. Keep your cost as low as possible, but
do as much advertising as you can as well. Low cost options such as
signs in town work wonders and help you stretch your advertising
budget. Depending on the size of the town, you won't want to charge
more than $10-20 per space. The more you do your event though, the
more you will be able to charge since locals will begin to expect
the show every year.

While organizing shows can be a lot of work, it can be a wonderful
way for you to build a bigger customer base within your own town.

Have fun!

5 Tips for Holiday Craft Shows

2006-12-04T12:49:00.000-08:00

by Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank
http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com

Attending craft show can be a profitable experience if you use the following tips:

1. Show off your best products
Have an eye catching product? Don't leave it at home! They may not sell, but they'll bring more to your table. Make sure what you are showing off is an item you sell, and not just a prop.

2. Keep your table simple
Flashy lights, decorations, and tons of shelves are not needed. Keep your focus on your products.

3. Talk to your customers
While walking around we noticed not a lot of vendors were talking with their customer and encouraging them to buy. You don't have to be pushy, but ask them what they are looking for. You might have what they want, but they may not see it right away!

4. Have nice brochures
This is something free they can take home to look at later, so you want to make sure it outlines your business and products well. If your company brochures are expensive, design simple ones at home to print and take to your show. Keep the company brochures to include with orders.

5. Smile!
More than just interacting with your customers, be friendly as well. A smile can go a long way!

Craft shows may take time to get use to and profit from, but once you do they can be your best friend. As the old saying goes, "practice makes perfect", but with these tips you will have a good jump start!

Direct Sales Expert or Fake?

2006-09-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

Direct sales help sites for moms are a dime a dozen. You don't get far in the work at home mom community without running into a business help site. Although how do you know they really are really qualified to help?

Before you take advice as fact, here are some points you should watch for.

1. Are they in direct sales?
A silly question to ask, but you'd be surprised. All site owners have one purpose - to make money. Of course there is not necessarily anything wrong with this because, we’re all in business to make money. However, many who run "help" sites have absolutely no experience in the industry.

2. Is there outside experts?
While it's great for experts to share their own tips, they should also be seeking advice from others in the industry. What works for some may not work for all. Remember, even the greatest of mentors need a mentor.

3. Is the information solid?
Always check out a newsletter before buying any products from the site. If the newsletter is fluff or filled with recycled information, beware. Double check articles - you never know when a ghostwriter with even less experience on the subject has done poor research while writing the article.

4. Is the information being shared ethical?
If you don’t believe in what you’re being told to do, you can’t possibly make it work for yourself. In other words, do they share the same goals as you?

There's a lot of good information all over the internet. Unfortunately, there's no real solid way of knowing if what you are getting is true or not. The best thing to do is if you are in doubt, ask others that you know are successful for advice of what they utilize.

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com for free weekly tips.

How to Take Orders at Craft Shows

2006-08-10T05:37:00.000-07:00

We've discussed how important it is to have stock on hand, and how you want to sell off the table rather than take orders. However, if you are just getting started and your stock is low, there's several ways you can increase the number of orders you take in at an offline show.

1. Display Order Forms
If you have products which must be custom ordered, display those next to your order forms. It's an extra visual for the customer and understanding of how your ordering process works. They also know they can quickly put in their order if the forms are already on the table. Remember your customers don't have a lot of time!

2. Display All Products
While you may not have a large stock, you'll want to put out as many products as possible. Let the customers see and touch all products. Use those products if possible - such as placing food in a dish which holds food. I once saw a Pampered Chef rep use cookie cutters on meat and cheese samples which were placed on a serving dish. They displayed what could be done with the cookie cutters, as well as the use for the dish.

3. Don't Hide Catalogs
Catalogs can be expensive, but don't hide them. If you don't want just anyone walking away with them, place pages in a binder which can be set out on the table. Shoppers at craft shows want to see prices. Don't hide it from them or they may loose interest! You shouldn't be ashamed of your prices if the product is of high quality.

4. Talk to Customers
This is important no matter how your are selling. Get to know your customers and their needs. Don't assume your display will sell your products alone. Even the worst display will sell hundreds of products if the person behind it is talking. With so much to look at, it's easy for your customer to miss an item they may be truly interested in. Also it's possible you don't have a certain item on your table they would like, and they may not take the time to flip through your catalog.

These are the basic ways to make sure you sell the most products if you are taking orders. Mostly it takes a lot of trial and error, so don't give up after only a few shows.

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Is Inventory Important?

2006-08-04T06:53:00.000-07:00

One of the hot questions when it comes to direct sales and offline shows is this:

"Do I need a large inventory, or can I just take orders?"

Honestly, this is no easy answer and it's going to mostly depend on what products you are selling. Some items (such as custom products) are near impossible to have on stock and must be ordered. Other items (such as candles), the shopper wants to have in hand before they leave. Candles are one of those items which are NOT unique (no matter if you have a great product), and a shopper knows they can easily pick it up at just about any store.

For the most part, you are going to want a large display of products to sell right off the table. When shoppers are roaming around craft shows, they are looking to shop. If they wanted to have items shipped to them, they would probably be shopping online. I'm sure they do, but only because they have no other option when shopping online or at a home party. People LOVE to walk out with something in hand.

I know one of the benefits of a direct sales company is not to have large amounts of stock on hand. However, if you plan to have tables at offline events, stock is a must. Even when taking orders, you must have some type of display. This way the customer can see and touch, knowing exactly what they will be getting should they order.

Be warned though, even with large amount of stock on the table, it's like pulling teeth to get orders. For example, occasionally we'll have a 12oz Jelly Jar in a scent they really like but no 8oz Jelly Jar. We'll suggest they put in an order and have it delivered (no shipping for local orders since we deliver). Almost always they'll go with a different candle or none at all.

In over a year, we've taken in a total of 3 orders. The reason for each order was as follows:

Order #1: Previous customer who had purchased a candle at another show. She smelled a candle she liked and bought it, but wanted 2 more in a larger size. So she not only already knew the candles, but wanted more than what we had on the table.

Order #2: A customer wanted 4 of the same candle while we only had 2 in stock. Because it was a gift for a special occasion, she decided to order.

Order #3: Another previous customer. This one had smelled each scent on the table and wanted different colored votives all in the same scent. Again, she knew what the product was like and wanted more than what was on the table.

In conclusion, while you can get away with taking orders only, it's better to sell outright. Shoppers are ready to impulse buy, and you don't want to miss out on it!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Are You Ready for a Vacation?

2006-07-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

by Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank
http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com

While this may seem like the perfect title for an ad, this is really an
important business topic! There's much to do before going on vacation,
and your business needs to be ready.

We all need a break sometimes. Running a business is hard work, no
doubt about that. If you are planning your family vacation, don't forget to
make sure your business and customers are taken care of while you are
gone!

- Notify friends and communities
Be sure to let all your groups and communities know you will be gone
for a set amount of time. Email your closest associates to let them know
when you are leaving and when you will be back. You never know if
someone will be looking for you, so you'll want to have a few that can say
"she'll be back on this date". If you help moderate any message boards,
communities etc, make sure you let the board owner know you will be
gone.

- Put groups on "No Mail"
Make sure all your groups are set to no mail or daily digest, so you
aren't overwhelmed when you return.

- Notify team members
Be absolutely sure you let your team members know you'll be gone until
a certain date. Give them back up emails and phone numbers to call in
case they need immediate help. You may consider asking your upline or a
trustworthy (knowledgeable and active) downline member to help with
some basic questions for you.

- Notify customers
If you have a personal website, edit your home page to mention you are
on vacation. You can still take orders while you are gone, but if you
ship them out yourself, make sure they know the order won't be filled
until you return.

- Have back ups
If there is someone who can take over some of your duties while you are
gone, contact them before you leave. Make sure they have access to
certain email addresses and websites.

- Do NOT put your email on auto reply!
Many do this and it's not a bad idea, although it's extremely annoying
for those who already know or don't care. Auto replies go to everyone
who sends you an email, including newsletter owners, groups, etc. You
could be doing more harm than good with auto replies!

These are some of the basics of taking care of business while you are
on vacation. The most important thing to remember is not to worry -
remember, you are on vacation to RELAX!

Have fun!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com for free weekly tips.

The Customer Is Always Right

2006-06-24T06:25:00.000-07:00

One of the most basic rules of business, but often times forgotten. No matter what goes on we must remember - the customer is always right!

This tried and true statement stretches back to the beginning of the small business revolution. When customer service was the most important aspect of business, which set them apart from the big corporations.

Offering the best customer service possible is just as important today as it was more than 100 years ago. In today's world there are just too many options. If you don't treat your customers right, they will have no problem doing business with someone else.

Not only does poor customer service lose a customer, but negativity travels far. Most know a happy customer might tell a few people (if any) about your business, but an unhappy person will tell everyone they know. As a small business owner, can you afford to lose hundreds of customers due to one unhappy customer?

In the work at home mom community, when business is done with other business owners, it can get tricky. We are suppose to understand the hardships of running a small business, as well as show compassion to family emergencies. However, business is business and customers are customers. No matter what the social status of your customer, they are still just that - a customer.

The lesson here is to always treat everyone like a customer. No matter how mad you are about what they've said, keep your cool and make it right. Don't argue with them, because they WILL spread the word on how hard you are to work with. If you lose money because of the situation, live and learn. There are situations where the customer will be in the wrong and just trying to scam you, but don't ever assume they are. Learn from the mistake and put your own rules in place so it won't happen again.

It's inevitable, if you're in business, at some point, you're going to have to deal with a disgruntled customer. The protocol should be to apologize and get the issue resolved as quickly and painless for the customer as possible (within reason of course).

The bottom line which I feel needs to be said just one more time - the customer is always right! Remember it, and you will go far in business!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Find Your Niche in Direct Sales

2006-06-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

by Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank
http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com

Direct sales is hard, especially with all the competition. The best way to stand out from the crowd is to have your own website.

We've said this time and time again in many different articles, but it can't be stressed enough. If you are serious about doing business online, you MUST have your own, unique website.

Many direct sales companies do not allow personal websites, or for you to place product info on a site. If this is the case with your business, there IS a way around it. More on this further in the article.

The first step in finding your niche is to take a good hard look at your business (or all your businesses if you have more than one). Ask yourself the following questions:

What are the best selling products?
Which are your favorites?
Who is your target customer?
Which do you know the most about?
How much could you say about specific lines?

The next step is figuring out which products to focus on based on the answers from the above questions. On our message boards, we posted this example on finding a niche for Mary Kay:

When I think Mary Kay, I think make-up. Period. When I visit the main site, I see more specific things like skin care, spa & bath, fragrances, and other things that I didn't know about. Many items could easily be made a niche from.

From the example above, I see Mary Kay offers skin care products. Diving deeper into that I see "anti-aging skin care". Perfect niche! Instead of selling "Mary Kay products" or having a general site, what about a site focused on just the anti-aging products? There's an entire line so it shouldn't be hard.

While Mary Kay does not permit the use of their trademark on a website, here's what you CAN do. Create a content website based on anti-aging tips, using products, proper diet, and exercise. Borderline health site, but with a focus on the anti-aging. Lead into your Mary Kay site with "For more information on products, visit...".

This is just an example, and the same idea can be applied to ANY business. Other examples include websites dedicated to specific layout ideas for those selling scrapbooking supplies, specific scented items for those selling bath and body, specific information sites for health product (focusing on one issue the health product you sell takes care of, such as diabetes or other health issues).

The possibilities are absolutely endless. There is a lot of room for reps of the same business to all have completely different websites. To gather suggestions, I suggest using a keyword tool which will show you exactly what people are searching for. There is an excellent one here: http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/suggestion/

Choose a topic that is small, yet has enough searches and can be expanded on.

Good luck in finding your niche!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/ for free weekly tips.

7 Summer Survival Tips

2006-06-01T05:55:00.000-07:00

Will Your Business Survive Summer Break?

Summer is approaching and soon the children will be out of school. Is your schedule ready?

Some of you may know from past years, when the kids are out for the summer your "quiet time" during school hours is no more. Here are some tips to keep the school age children busy while you keep up with your business:

1. Plan family days
Take a day each week to spend the entire day with your kids. Make it a weekly event. Do things such as go out for ice cream, going to the zoo, etc. Try to plan it for in the middle of the week.

2. Set aside nights and weekends
In addition to your weekly outings with the kids, make sure you set aside your evenings and weekends to focus on them.

3. Hire Local Neighborhood Kids
Is there a responsible child in your neighborhood? Hire them to take your children to the pool, the park, or other areas in the neighborhood. Preteens are always looking for a way to make some extra money, or someone to pay for their day at the pool.

4. Have crafts and movies lined up
Avoid the "I'm bored" comments by having several activities set aside for children to do for at least 2 hours, giving you enough time to finish a project or two.

5. Take breaks outside
Since the weather is nice, children will be begging to go out. Make sure you take a break daily to go out for even just an hour. Remind them when it's time to go back inside they will be able to go out again when you are finished working.

6. Trade Babysitting
Talk to other mothers in your community and trade babysitting. Remember the first tip? Take someone else's kids on your family day out, and ask if they will watch your children on another day.

7. Hire Babysitters
When all else fails and you need to get major work done, send them to daycare once a week. Don't feel guilty - it's only one day! Your kids need a break from you too sometimes, and the chance to play with other children.

Good luck surviving the summer, and don't forget to enjoy it yourself!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/ for free weekly tips.

5 Tips for More Leads & Reorders

2006-05-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

by Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso
http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com

Recently I wanted to contact a representative whose business card I had. The business card had an email address however, when I emailed her, it bounced. I checked the business card for a website address which had none. I had to find the company’s corporate site and hunt her down through her name. I had no personal website link and no representative number. A word of caution … an average customer won’t go through all the trouble.

Here are 5 tips to make sure you are making it as easy as possible for customers to contact you:

1. Contact Information on Promotional Materials
Make sure your contact information is on all materials you hand out (ie: brochures, catalogs, business cards). Your materials should have at least your name, company name, consultant number, email address and website URL.

2. Business Cards
Have at least business cards on you at all times. If you have smaller brochures, pamphlets or something of that nature you can pop in your purse, bring those too.

3. Signature Lines
Utilize signature lines. I don’t know how many emails we’ve gotten from folks who don’t use signatures. It’s a super-easy method that can be used with little to no effort. Check out your email program to find out how to set one up.

All you really need is a catchy little tag-line and add your website URL. I’ve also seen signatures that look like a business card. It includes their name, business name, consultant number, email address and URL. I do not however, recommend the business card graphics in your email. Don’t forget that there are some who don’t allow html in their email and they take up way too much space. They’re almost as bad as using fancy stationery on your email. Almost all message boards allow you to have a signature line also. Use them!

4. Reordering Information
Include a business card, pamphlet, catalog or something of this nature in every order you send out. You already have the customer … now make it easy for them to reorder.

5. Return Labels
The next time you buy return address labels, include your website address. For example:
MyWebsite.com
123 Any Street
Any Town, Any State 12345
Use these labels whether you’re sending out your next order or paying your electric bill.

The above are only a few ideas that can be done with little to no effort and inexpensively. Use your creativity – it can be your best friend. Think about the things that you’re already doing and alter them just a bit to your businesses benefit.

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

2006-05-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

Once you’ve been in direct sales for a few years it’s easy to get in the “I know what I’m doing mindset.” You stop reading articles, training manuals and books. “I’ve been doing this for ten years, what can I possibly learn that I don’t already know?” Simply put … a lot. Are you still using the same booking methods you used five years ago? Everyone in your community knows you’re the person to see for your particular product line, right? Or do they?

It never hurts to try something new for a change. Liven up your presentation or display. Play a new game or try a new technique. Don’t get yourself in a rut doing the same things over and over again.

We’ve all had it happen … A group of friends get together and book parties to help each other out. The next thing you know; you have four or five parties and the guest list is almost exactly the same. Just because the guests are the same, doesn’t mean the party has to be the same too. Change the format for each party. Play different games or change the presentation. Keep it interesting and keep them guessing.

Pull out that old training material or better yet, go online and search for a new book. But while you’re reading this material, remember that your mind needs to be like that book. You’re not going to get anything out of it unless you open it. Ever do that? “Wow! What a great idea!” And that’s as far as it goes? Are you actually applying these things?

I don’t know how many times we’ve gotten feedback thanking us for the great tip we shared. We of course reply with the usual – glad to help type response. The next time we’ll say, “Great! Now let us know when you’ve applied it.”

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly.

Are You A Good Team Leader

2006-05-11T05:17:00.000-07:00

When and how was the last time you contacted your downline? Keeping in touch with your downline and proper training is a very important aspect of being a team leader. I don’t know many people who were born “just knowing what to do”, how about you?

Setting up a Yahoo Group is a great way to train your team members that comes with many benefits such as:

- Members will be able to check old posts to see if some questions have been asked and answered.

- Eventually, you’ll find that other team members will start to help answering questions (saving yourself a lot of time).

- Files such as printable brochures, price lists, frequently asked questions etc. can be uploaded your group.

- You can create databases with important information.- Calendars can be created with important dates to remember.

- You have access to a reminder program that you can set up to send out a reminder on a certain time, date etc.

- You can send out articles, tips and tricks to help your team build their businesses. You can sign up to have weekly direct sales articles sent to you via email at http://direct-sales-team.blogspot.com

There are many, many other benefits of doing this. Setting up a yahoo group is very easy to do and best of all … It’s free. You can set up your own yahoo group by going to http://groups.yahoo.com

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Is Your Downline Needy?

2006-05-04T06:19:00.000-07:00

Of course as a team leader, it’s your responsibility to be there and help your downline as much as possible. However, having overly needy team members can be detrimental to your business.

Taking each of your downline members by the hand for every single step makes it very difficult to do other things such as …

- Take care of other members who might need quite as much help.
- Build your team by recruiting.
- Promote your own business.
- And worst of all, you run out of time to take proper care of your customers.

You know who I’m talking about…

- The ones who ask the same questions over and over again.
- Those who ask the very same questions that are listed in the training manual you just gave them.
- Those who ask questions that can be answered by simply using a little basic, common sense.

Everyone (hopefully) wants to be a good team leader and wants to help their downline be as successful as possible … so, what do you do?

- Start keeping track of these questions. Start yourself a “FAQ” list with the answers and give them to every new team member.

- Start answering questions that you know are listed in training manuals or other materials like this:

“You will be paid commissions via paypal on the 10th of each month. This and other details are listed on page 22 in the Getting Started Manual.”

By doing this you’ll not only answer the question, but also hopefully this will remind them to check other materials before asking you. If you were to ask where they looked; more times than not you’re going to hear “Nowhere, I just contacted you.”

- Sometimes you’ll find that recruits are so deep into trying to do everything “perfect” that they forget that some things are just common sense. Have you ever heard of “Book Smart – Common Sense Dumb”? Politely remind your recruits to not make things so difficult and answer questions like this …
“Think about it this way … your customers can have their orders dropshipped to the recipient, so yes, you can have your orders dropshipped directly to your customers.

Don’t ever discourage your team members from asking questions. But do help them learn how to answer some questions on their own. This will not only help you have more time for more intense training and motivation but also will make your team members a lot more independent – eventually turning them into a much stronger business owner.

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Vendors Are Customers Too

2006-05-04T05:45:00.000-07:00

One of my problems with being a vendor at craft shows is making too many purchases. Since there are always two of us at the table, we often walk around and talk to other vendors. Which of course, leads to buying stuff. Many vendors do this, often times before the show or when they can "sneak away" for a few minutes.

A few weeks ago at a large craft show I was making my normal rounds before the show actually started. I came across a very large, nicely set up display of homemade gourmet mixes. You know the kind - dip mixes, teas, breads, etc. The table was set up for the most part, with samples already set out. There were cute signs and information carefully layed out on the table for customers to read, and at least 2 vendors working this table. The name itself caught my eye, since it's one I had thought I'd seen online, so I wanted to ask them a few questions.

I stood there for a few seconds, waiting for one of the vendors to finish her conversation with a personal friend. After a minute or so, they began to talk about a mutual friend of their's and his medical conditions, which happen to be something most wouldn't want to hear when looking at food. I couldn't get away from their table fast enough, I was disgusted! Not only did the vendor not acknowledge me in any way, but proceeded to talk to a friend about matters you do NOT want to hear when around food. Several hours later, I purchased a beer bread mix from their competition just a few tables down.

Some might say, "What's the big deal? The show hadn't started yet and you were a vendor!". While it's true the doors hadn't been officially opened yet, there were still other people around. Don't forget that vendors are customers too. There hasn't been one single show that I've been to where I didn't buy something from another vendors, or a vendor didn't buy from us. We treat EVERYONE like a customer, and because of that sell to several of the other vendors every time.

Basically what can be learned from this is don't ever write off a person as not being a customer. It doesn't matter how nice of a set up you have, if you aren't giving your full attention to every single person that walks by regardless of who they are, you are going to loose out!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. For additional help at offline events, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/offline-events.htm

Directory Listings & Direct Sales

2006-04-27T19:34:00.000-07:00

Directory listings and other forms of advertising can be great exposure for anyone in business. However, if you are in direct sales and using a rep site you could be leaving lots of money on the table.

Even in direct sales, advertising online can be a huge benefit. One of the largest mistakes we see though, is the use of rep sites alone. Believe it or not, when advertising online your main objective is not to get customers to buy immediately. A very small percent will bookmark your site, so if your focus is just getting visitors that's all you'll have. And if you are lucky to get bookmarked … when is the last time you looked in your favorites list?

Instead of focusing on just getting people to your site to buy, focus on getting them to sign up to your list. This way you haven't lost them, they are just waiting to buy at a later time. To do this, of course, you will need your own website.

A rep site does have its purpose, and that's to complete the online buying process. It should be used as the end, not the start. Leads should come from your personal website or from you personally (offline or by email, stating to go to your rep site to order). Warm leads only should be sent to your rep site, while those just surfing should be sent to your personal website.

Contrary to popular belief, websites can be built fairly easily and inexpensively. So, do yourself and your pocketbook a favor and at least think about building your own personal website.

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Craft Show Tables - Is Expensive Better?

2006-04-20T03:26:00.000-07:00

"More expensive doesn't always mean better. "

I think we all know this statement because it applies to just about any business expense, but over the weekend it was confirmed for us.

We attended a very established craft show featuring around 100 different vendors. This location has 4 craft shows a year, every year, and has been going on for over a decade. However, this was the first year we had attended this particular event as a vendor.

The layout was pretty simple, and they had two main sections. The front area by the door which lead into the main room (it's actually a theater at an amusement park, the main room was where the chairs would have been and crafters were even up on the stage). The other main area was the hallway that wrapped around the main section. It was easily accessible from all areas, and not hard to see. Even still, this narrow hallway section was about half the cost of the main. Since it was our first time at this event, we opted for the hallway because of the price and to see how it went.

I was amazed at how well we did considering we were "stuck out in the hallway". I really don't think there was many guests that didn't make it back in that hallway, and the table was large enough for us to make $200 in sales (the table cost $35). That was slightly above average for us to make that much for a table so cheap. The last event we attended was only about $150 in sales for the same size table. What really blew us away was talking with another vendor who stated this was the "slow show". *GASP!* If this was slow, I want to see the busy one for sure. *grin*

The main difference between costs was not so much the location, but the size of the space. Could we have made more with a fancy, large display instead of a table? Possibly, it's hard to say because of all the variables involved. We wouldn't know for sure unless we attended the same event at the same time of year. However, it's been our experience that the size of the area and massive set up makes little difference. Our table doesn't get much more basic, and our sales really come from talking with the customers. Just last fall at a different show someone with an elaborate display a few tables from us didn't even sell half as much as we did. We talked to our customers - he didn't as much. By the way, he had soy candles like us. ;)

The lesson from this experience was this: spending more on a table at a craft show doesn't always mean more sales. We took the smaller area in the out of the way place for less cost, and still made a nice profit. The guests were there to see all the tables, not just those in the main section, so we were found either way by most. Being in the main section could have gotten us lost in the crowd, because it even took us a few times walking around to find every table.

While taking a look at some of these shows before buying a table is a good idea, it's not always an option. Testing on your own is going to give you the best understanding of what's worth it and what's not. Don't be afraid to take a loss, and chalk it up to experience!

Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. For additional help at offline events, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/offline-events.html

6 Quick Tips for a Successful Online Fair

2006-04-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

Online parties and fairs can be profitable for everyone involved, but not if they aren't done right. We've heard many complaints over poorly organized or planned events, even though anyone can hold a successful event. In this article, we'll cover the 6 basic tips to ensure that you as the coordinator have set up an event that will be worth the time of the vendors.

1. Set Up
One of the best ways to set up your vendor fair is to have all the vendors and contact information listed on one web page. Don't forget to include a link to "enter" the event.

2. Costs, Fees, Etc.
Whether or not to charge vendors is a highly debated topic and completely up to you. Should you decide to charge - be sure it is reasonable (especially for your first one).

3. Inviting Guests
Be sure to invite guests outside the "vendor list".

4. Vendor Advertising
Encourage your vendors to promote the event also. The more promotion that is done; the more guests you're likely to have.

5. Set a Schedule
Set a certain time for each vendor to do their presentations so that each vendor has their fair "time to share".

6. Choosing a Room
Choosing a room is a crucial decision for your event. Be sure to do your research on various rooms and be sure to ask for recommendations from others.

There are several other tips included in organizing an event, but the most important is to be organized and make sure there is enough promotion. The last thing you want is unhappy vendors walking away without so much as a lead because of poor planning!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Capturing Leads

2006-04-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

Attending craft shows can be an excellent way to pick up sales, but more importantly - gathering leads. Your ultimate goal is of course to make sales in the end, but to have the name and address of your customer can prove to be more valuable than just one simple sale.

There's many ways to capture a lead or get the name of your customer at the very least. Two of the main ideas I spotted at the last craft show that were working the best were:

1. Drawings
This is almost a given, and we all know this is one of the best ways to pull in leads. Most tables has the options to check off boxes for more information on the products, earning free products, or more info on earning money.

2. "For Display Only" Products
Several tables I saw that were set up very nicely were for display only. There were no "cash and carry" products at all, only displays of popular products. Reps would talk to each person that walked by and encourage orders from the catalog. This way they were still making sales, but they also had information on the customer so they could contact them later.

At your next craft show, see if you can use one or both of these ideas to gather leads. Don't forget that your mailing list is gold, and will bring you the more sales than any other type of marketing!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Networking at Craft Shows

2006-04-13T06:27:00.000-07:00

When you attend a craft show as a vendor, the main goal is of course to make sales and gather leads. However, there's one important step that should be forgotten, and that's networking with the other vendors.

The last craft show I attended wasn't a large one, but it was very local. We had the choice to attend a large one in a big city, or a small local one. I sure am glad we picked the smaller one, because it gave us a chance to get more local leads and make a better impression.

Because there was two of us, we took turns walking around and talking with the other vendors. Not only did we gather display ideas, but we got to talk to the vendors about their businesses as well. As a result of doing this, several business cards were handed out, a wholesale lead gained, and another show was scheduled. I was most impressed with the additional show scheduled. If I wouldn't have gone to talk to her, I would have never known she held her own shows in a small town near by.

Networking online is so important, yet many overlook how much more important it is to network offline. By making connections and friendships with other vendors, you are opening the door for more opportunities to promote your products. The more you network, the more lucky it seems you are.

The lesson of this story is to not stay stuck in your own table, but rather get out on the floor and chat with other people. You will be surprised on what you can find out, and how much better you will do!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Holding Successful Drawings & Contests

2006-04-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

Contests and drawings can be a great way to pull in business. However, if not done correctly you can end up with nothing but a whole lot of freebie seekers. The rule of quality over quantity applies here!

Just a few weeks ago I held a drawing for a $25 gift certificate. I learned quite a bit from this drawing, and will be able to fine tune this type of promotion in the future. One of the main points I learned was the key to a successful drawing is when you get the absolute most exposure and leads as a result. There are several main points you'll want to focus on with your drawing.

With your drawing, you should:

- Gather information from potential customers
In the last drawing I did, I asked those entering a few simple questions aside from basic information of name and address that had to do with the site. They actually had to look around before filling in an answer. Forms that weren't complete were tossed, since the rules were clearly posted and said "please fill out form completely". I was able to weed out those that were trying to grab a freebie from those that were truly interested enough to follow rules.

I also was able to gather some interesting information about my customers, like how much they spend a month on my type of product, and how often they use it. Valuable information since it comes straight from the customer!

- Schedule catalog shows and online parties
With any drawing online or offline, you'll want to ask those entering about being a hostess. It's a way of using the freebie seekers to your advantage. You know they won't buy, but they can find people that will and still get their free products.

- Sign up newsletter subscribers
If you want a responsive list, don't force them to sign up to enter your drawing. Making them do nothing but enter an email address to enter isn't going to do you any good, and they'll probably use a "throw away" email address to send your newsletter to. Instead, plug your newsletter AFTER they enter your drawing. Give them a chance to look around your site first with the questionnaire, and THEN offer the newsletter. You'll build a much more responsive list this way.

- Build a relationship with winner
At the end of the drawing and after you pick your winner, you can now build a relationship with them for future orders. Follow up, ask questions, talk to them, etc. Treat them as you would any other customer!

One of my main regrets for the last drawing I held was that I didn't ask enough questions. Had I done a longer questionnaire, I could have gotten more information and kept the potential customer on my site longer. It's in my notes, that's for sure. ;)

The main point here is, don't make it easy. Easy to figure out, but not easy to enter. Don't be afraid to make them jump through a few hoops. You may not end up with as many entering, but you'll have a much more targeted group of entries. The more work they do to enter, the more interested they are!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Online Parties Increase Sales

2006-04-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

Everyone in the direct sales party plan business knows what a home party is. It's the basics of a direct sales company, more or less. Even if your company doesn't focus on home parties, you know what they are and almost everyone has been to one.

However, with the growing number of people coming online to do business, online parties are becoming more and more popular. Even still, not many know what an online party is or how they can drastically make a difference in your online sales.

The basics behind an online party are very much like that of a home party. Guests are invited to one location to listen to a presentation, and then look over products to buy. Often times games are played to keep the guests having fun, and products ordered.

With online parties, guests only have to log in to a chat room where they meet the consultant, and often times a hostess. Instead of looking at products in a catalog or on a table, products are viewed on websites. Games are still played, but done virtually.

Online parties can work wonderfully for consultants, hostesses, and guests. No one has to drive to a home, the hostess doesn't have to clean house, no one needs baby sitters, family and friends from all over the country can join the party, yet all the same benefits apply to everyone involved.

Despite the ease of online parties, it's equally hard to gather all guests into a chat room at one time. Some are still "new" at "the computer thing", so may not be able to easily enter the chat room. Time conflicts still apply, even though not having to drive makes it easier. Remembering to be online at a certain time is also a set back, since there is no pressure to go somewhere, it’s easier to forget. Because of this, you'll want to keep your party open for a certain amount of time after to make sure you don't miss party sales and make sure you are doing all the advertising possible.
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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. For additional help getting started on setting up your first online party, visit: http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/online-party-class.html

Importance of Calculating Costs

2006-03-29T20:18:00.000-08:00

First let me say there's nothing wrong with exploring every possible marketing venue. There are lots of ways - both good and bad - to pull in sales. However, while something you have considered may seem like a good way to pull in sales, a closer look at your costs to run the campaign may prove differently.

Let's say for an example you decide to give out freebies at random. Giving samples can be a good way to bring in sales, but at the same time can make you completely broke. Just for this example, let's say you've sent out 100 samples and from this you pulled in 5 sales. Sounds like the campaign worked, right?

Many would stop here and say "I'm going to send out more samples, because this is bringing me sales". Before you start in on your victory dance, I can't stress enough the importance of comparing your costs to your profits. When doing something like this, you absolutely cannot rely on reorders or repeat customers. Keep in mind it takes nearly as much time and money to KEEP a customer than it does to get them in the first place. The mind set of "I’m getting my name out there" has GOT to go. With a small business, you are working on building relationships and repeat customers, not branding like the big businesses do.

Breaking down our example, let's say our freebies cost $1 each. There's more math involved in figuring your costs, but for this example we'll just set that cost for each sample. Now since you sent out 100 samples, your cost was a $100. Quite a bit of money for just one campaign! Sent out over a period of time (say several months) you might not even notice that it cost this much. Another reason why it's important to watch these things, because you can see how easy it can be to go broke quickly.

From our example we decided that 5 sales were made. Let's say our average commission is $9 per sale, so with 5 sales that makes $45. Great! You made sales! But wait - take a look at those costs again. Remember how it cost you $100 to send it out? You just lost $55 as well as precious time.

The purpose of this example isn't to scare you off of marketing all together, but rather to figure out your average costs BEFORE you start handing out samples or any other type of marketing. Regardless of how much figuring you do, there's still a chance for a loss instead of a profit, but that's fine. It happens, and it's normal. Testing, tweaking, and tracking are how we learn. After comparing your first try, decide how it can be better and try again. Either that, or try something else that will bring you a profit.

If I didn't mention it enough before, it's EXTREMELY important you track your costs closely. Our examples above proved this. Regardless of what you are told, it's not about getting the sales, it's about making a profit. That's the key word here - PROFIT. Just like a major company, it's all about the bottom line.
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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. If you need additional help calculating costs, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/calculating-costs.html

Know Your Business

2006-03-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

Usually we speak about these matters to those who are new to direct sales or are looking to possibly get in to direct sales, however, having spoken with quite a few different reps recently; we’ve found that even those who have been involved with direct sales for many years still don’t know the definitions of different terms used. This of course could be for a myriad of reasons such as maybe one particular term doesn’t affect your company, you never asked and your sponsor never mentioned, or you just never knew. Even if a particular term does not affect your company, you could very well be asked by a prospect and you’ll want to know so you can answer this question quickly and easily without a hitch. An even worse case scenario would be that you weren’t aware of a particular rule/regulation and you’ve been going against your company's regulations all along. Not following a company’s regulations could easily be call for dismissal from your company. Remember, not knowing is not an excuse. The following is a list of frequently asked questions/terms and definitions to help you. If you find a question that you can’t answer … find out!

Distributor Kit – Also commonly referred to as a start up kit, rep kit, etc. these are usually a compilation of products, business supplies, brochures etc. These are sometimes offered for new consultants only but are also offered to any consultant. These are usually discounted through a bulk package rather than buying each item individually.

Tax Requirements – Make sure you know what your company’s tax requirements are. It’s also a good idea to do some research online about other states' requirements also. If you do a lot of recruiting online, you’re very likely to have a downline of members all over the country. No one expects you to become a tax pro but, it never hurts to be able to share links with your potential recruits about their particular state so they can do the research themselves. This question is ranked high in the top questions asked.

Sales Quota – Some companies require their representatives to sell/buy a certain amount of merchandise in a certain amount of time. These usually range from monthly, quarterly or yearly. If a consultant does not meet the required quota, some companies will remove that consultant.

Customer Service - Be sure you know exactly how various order problems are handled. Who does the consultant contact and how in this unfortunate event?

Drop Ship – Dropshipping is when a consultant places an order with their company and the company automatically ships the product directly to the customer.

Commission Structure – This is another high-ranked question. Of course everyone wants to know what they’re going to make. Make sure that you clearly understand the commission structure so you can explain it to your potential recruit.

Territory Restrictions – Some companies have territory restrictions, meaning that you may only be able to sell in a certain area. Often this is set up according to towns, counties and sometimes even states.

Hostess Credits/Gifts – These are items or prizes that hostesses can earn/win for holding their parties. What are these prizes/gifts and who is responsible for paying for them?

Inactive Fees – These are fees that might be incurred if a consultant were to go inactive and decided to re-join.

Bonuses – Some companies like to offer added incentives/bonuses to their consultants for maybe when they reach a certain number in sales or reach a certain level with their downline.

Downline – These are the people that you “sponsor” or those who join the company “under you”. These are also known as team members.

Fundraising Opportunities – Many direct sales companies have a separate plan set up especially for organizations, teams etc. so they can earn money for their organization.

Buy Back Policy – Often companies will buy back any unused merchandise that consultants have not been able to sell. As required by the Direct Selling Association, most companies will buy back the unused merchandise at up to 90% of the cost.

Non-Compete Clause – Many direct sales companies have a non-compete clause in place meaning that consultants may not sell for a competing company while representing their own. There are even some that will not allow reps to sell for any other company – competing or not.

Return Policy – Make sure you’re well aware of your company’s return policy.

Advertising Regulations – Some companies will not allow their representatives to advertise online. Some will not allow consultants to mention the company's name or even certain brand names in any advertising.

There are a lot of different rules/regulations that pertain to advertising. Make sure you’re following them.

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Proper Networking & Emails Formats

2006-03-15T17:49:00.000-08:00

Often times when sifting through networks, I see some extremely terrible things. Just as your clothing offline shows how professional you are, your typing and email formats show how professional you are online.

Many of us have read the basic networking tips, what to do and what not to do. What's spam, what's not. Although there are several tips you hardly ever see, and need to be mentioned. These apply to every day conversation as well as ads.

The following is a list of things to avoid when networking and sending emails:

1. Grammar and Spelling
Nothing bugs me more than to see grammar mistakes. Some are forgivable, as I know we all make mistakes. However, some are deliberate or signs of laziness. I don't ever expect someone to spell check a reply on a group, but using capital letters at the beginning of sentences and periods shouldn't be left out. Also things like "u" instead of "you" are unacceptable. Message boards and groups are NOT chat room.

2. Using All Caps
This tends to fall into the grammar and spelling category, but I thought I would make mention of it alone. Online, the use of caps is translation for shouting. If you need to get a point across, by all means shout. Just don't write your entire message in caps (or vise versa - refer to the tip above).

3. Excessive Exclamation Marks
This mostly applies to ads, since I know we can get excited when talking to fellow WAHMs on a casual level. I absolutely cringe when I read an ad with (!!!!) after every sentence. This is probably because I learned early excessive exclamation marks is a huge no-no in ad writing. It indicates hype, and no one wants to read pure hype. One exclamation mark is good enough, and more is unprofessional.

4. Fancy Stationery
It might look neat to you, but extremely irritating to others. You wouldn't see an envelope covered with stickers from your electric company would you? Or a statement from your bank on pretty stationery that says "I don't do mornings". Not only that, but many groups and email programs will reject the code for the stationery. I can't tell you how many messages I've seen on Yahoo Groups that start out with "XYZ Stationery Header". That doesn't look professional at all. Save the fancy stationery for your personal mail.

5. Arguments
We all feel the need to put our two cents in sometimes, although while networking with business it's usually not a good idea. Unless it specifically concerns you, try to stay out of arguments and heated discussions. There's a time to say something and a time to keep quiet. Knowing the difference is the only way to improve your networking status.

There are many other "no-no's" that we see on a regular basis, but the ones listed above are the top mistakes many networkers make. Don't forget - your emails and words are a direct reflection of your business online!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Importance of Offering Team Incentives

2006-03-09T06:36:00.000-08:00

If your team is growing but not staying motivated, one of the best ways to kick them into gear is to offer an incentive. By offering an incentive you are not only helping your team stay motivated, but in return helping your own business. Working towards a tangible goal can be a very powerful thing!

Here are some ideas for goals you can set for your team:

- Top monthly sales
- Top quarterly sales
- Most recruits in one month
- Reaching a set sales goal in a month
- Reaching personal goals
- Advancing in company ranking

Incentives come in many forms. While many would appreciate a company discount, others may like different types of gifts. After all, being in the company they are already getting products at a discount, right?

Gifts do not always have to be expensive, but should reflect the goal you have set for them. If the prize is offered monthly, the gift should be small. If it's a larger, long term goal, something a tad more expensive would be better. Remember though, it's the thought that counts and what appears to be expensive doesn't have to BE expensive.

Some ideas for incentives include:

- Candles
- Gift Certificates
- Jewelry
- Products from your other businesses
- Personalized Products

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Needing incentives for your team? DirectSalesHelpers.com offers personalized candles at http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com/candles.htm

Locating Local Craft Shows

2006-03-02T05:34:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again! Christmas is over and the weather is starting to get warm, which means craft shows are starting to be scheduled. Are you ready to start looking for events?

We all know how profitable a craft show can be. Offline events are perfect for getting the word out about your business and making new contacts. What could be better than hundreds of shoppers walking right up to you and saying hello?

The most difficult part of a craft show is actually locating them before all the tables are booked. If you have never attended an event before, be prepared to spend several shows stuffed in the very back at a last minute table. Many of us start out like this, but as soon as you get on "the lists", your table location WILL be better.

The following idea for locating events is brand new, and given to us by a "neighbor" at our last craft show. While chatting with her, she pulls out a book and asked if we had this. It was titled "Iowa Calendar of Events", and was FULL of events for all over the state. Granted there were many events that do not accept vendors (theater dates, car shows, etc), but the list of shows that did accept vendors was amazing. All events were listed by date, complete with location and contact information. Perfect!

While this information might have been great for us being in Iowa, you might ask what good does it do for the rest of you in different states. I'll tell you - this booklet was free from our travel information website. All we had to do is go online and request a free copy. Iowa has a very limited amount of sights to see, yet we still have a travel website. This to me says other states have the same kind of information on website or with local offices.

There's a few ways to find out if your state has information like this:

- Check your state website
Often times the travel and event information will be right on your government website.

- Search online
Use terms like "travel" or "tourism" with your state to see if there's a specific website.

- Local offices
If all else fails, contact your state government offices to see if anything in print is offered.

Even in a small state like Iowa, we were able to find a list that will keep us booked every month for the entire craft fair season. Once you have your information, the easy part is contacting those on the list. Easy!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. If you need additional help with booking and attending offline events, visit:
http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/offline-events.html

Will Your Business Survive?

2006-02-23T07:58:00.000-08:00

I won't rehash the same "choosing a business" speech because most of you know it. However, there's one question that comes to mind - did you choose the RIGHT business, and will it stick around?

Looking around on groups and message boards, something has become some what of a trend - starting new direct sales companies. There's nothing wrong with an established business doing this. However, I can't tell you how many times in the past year alone I've seen companies open and close within a few months. Kits were purchased and reps signed up, but in just a few short weeks the company was closing its doors. It may not seem like a huge deal to the company to move on to something else, but the reps have wasted much time and often money as well.

Although, how do you know the company won't last?
There's a few points to look for when considering joining a new direct sales company.

1. Has the company been around before the consultant program?
If it's brand new and opening with the consultant plan in place, beware! While this isn't always the case, do think twice about a company that hasn't been able to sell the product on their own.

2. How well was the business planned out?
Don't be afraid to ask personal questions! You have a right to know if they have planned their costs out for several years. Regardless of the business, a business owner must understand there is a slim chance of any profit being made in the first year. If they haven't planned to be in debt for at least a year or more, then chances are they will cut their losses before the year is even up. Should they not reveal their business plan, you might want to just move on.

3. What type of shopping cart do they use?
While there's nothing wrong with PayPal, if this is the only type of payment offered by the company you may want to think twice. A professional shopping cart set up doesn't cost that much, and if that cost has been skipped they may not be planning well.

4. Are catalogs and samples available?
If you get a "coming soon" when requesting a catalog, think twice about joining. Catalogs are a very basic part of business, and to not have them ready shows the owner "rushed" to get the business open.

5. How is customer service?
Put in a test order and see how fast things work in the business. If you can't order products yet, but reps are being signed up already, you'll want to wait until they are fully open before actually signing up yourself. Not being able to test out products ahead of time isn't a good sign.

With business comes risks, and no one can be completely sure how solid a company really is. However, being able to spot certain signs is important in protecting yourself and your credibility with your customers. Not to say the tips above will tell if the company will survive or not, but they may be able to give you a better idea if your business will last or not.

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success Kit, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. For Free Weekly tips for your Direct Sales Business - Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com

Home Business Job Fair – Meeting the Vendors – Part 2

2006-02-17T12:19:00.000-08:00

Recently I had the opportunity to visit a local home business job fair. As direct sales coaches, quite a few of the questions we see often are about holding offline events. The questions vary from both coordinating one and being a vendor. I thought interviewing the coordinator herself and some of the vendors would be a wonderful way to share how to coordinate your own event and/or attend as a vendor. If you missed the beginning of the story, visit http://direct-sales-news.blogspot.com/2006/01/anitas-day-out-home-business-job-fair.html for the full story.

It was certainly all my pleasure to speak with Mrs. Noll. Not that it wasn't wonderful to speak with each of the talented women at this event - but it was truly an honor speaking with someone who has been in the top 10 in the US for the past six years, featured in the company catalog time and time again, featured on the company website, and featured at numerous company functions - this women is truly what we can each view as a success story.

Noll from Millerstown, PA has been with Heart Warming Creations for almost 9 years. Having done similar events in the past, she found out about this particular even through the News-Sun paper. Pat normally finds out about other events such as these through this method and also via word of mouth from consultants at other events.

When asked why she chose Heart Warming Creations, Noll responded with, "I joined this company because there were NO consultants in our area, it was a fairly new company and no one heard of it. I thought that would be good. New merchandise to offer and I like these kinds of items. It was down my alley."

Currently with only 2 active downline members who live too far away for monthly meetings, Pat still makes sure she keeps in contact with them. Depending on the week and what all needs to be done, Noll works on her business full time at approximately 30 hours a week.

"Doing the parties and meeting new people, making new friends and sharing Heart Warming Creations with them [is her favorite aspect of this business]" Says Noll.

When asked if she could only bring one thing to this event, what would it be, Pat promptly responded with her catalogs. "I would have to say Catalogs, so people can see our merchandise and what we have to offer. I would also bring some samples of our items."

Noll shares her tip for events such as these...

I would say be yourself and be honest with the people you come in contact with ... and most of all have FUN in what you are doing.

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/for free weekly tips. For more information on Heart Warming Creations visit http://www.PatsCountryCrafts.com

Home Business Job Fair - Meeting the Vendors - Part 1

2006-02-09T14:13:00.000-08:00

Recently I had the opportunity to visit a local home business job fair. As direct sales coaches, quite a few of the questions we see often are about holding offline events. The questions vary from both coordinating one and being a vendor. I thought interviewing the coordinator herself and some of the vendors would be a wonderful way to share how to coordinate your own event and/or attend as a vendor. If you missed the beginning of the story, visit http://direct-sales-news.blogspot.com/2006/01/anitas-day-out-home-business-job-fair.html for the full story.

Finding out about this particular even was easy for Laurie Fischer since the coordinator emailed her. She now keeps a running list of all the vendors she comes in contact with so she can keep in contact and find out about upcoming events such as these. Knowing that networking is a very important tool to her direct sales business, Fischer knew that attending a home business job fair would be a good choice.

In May of 2004 Laurie was asked by her sponsor about becoming an H&GP Designer and since she already loved the products she decided to give it a try. Now, with over 18 members in her downline, the title of Diamond Designer and titled 2005 National Star, Fischer keeps her team motivated with meetings, workshops and phone calls. Laurie also sends cards to her members once a month just to say they are wonderful. She does this whether they're working or not ... just to keep up the encouragement. Her team does challenges, and are in the beginning stages of doing a mentoring program with individual team members.

When I asked Laurie what her favorite aspect of her business was, she replied with, "The people that I meet and the relationships that I have built." If Fischer was only allowed to bring one type of promotional item to the event, she would bring her hostess packets because all the products and opportunity information is in there.

Laurie shares some wise words of wisdom...
"I say when you do an event like this ... you can't sit behind your table ... you need to be out there talking to the people. If there is no one around or there is down time, go out and about and talk with the other vendors, or depending where you are, go around the hotel or facility and hand out your information. Just keep talking to the people."

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of The Direct Sales Success Kit, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips. For more info on Home & Garden Party visit http://www.decorateyourhomewithlaurie.com .

Home Business Job Fair – Meeting the Coordinator

2006-02-03T04:48:00.000-08:00

Recently I had the opportunity to visit a local home business job fair. As direct sales coaches quite a few of the questions we see often are about holding offline events. The questions vary from both coordinating one and being a vendor. I thought interviewing the coordinator herself and some of the vendors would be a wonderful way to share how to coordinate your own event and/or attend as a vendor. If you missed the beginning of the story visit http://direct-sales-news.blogspot.com/2006/01/anitas-day-out-home-business-job-fair.html for the full story.

Here’s the scoop on Gwen…

Having participated in quite a few events in the past Gwen Cleck of Country Bunny Bath & Body, knew what not to do and simply did the opposite in the organization of this fair. Setting the price seemed to be a little difficult. She wanted to make sure that the fee wasn't too high as to attract consultants but also be able to cover the costs involved with the event itself.

Cleck chose local newspapers, radio stations, online advertising and posted flyers in the area to bring attention to her event. Choosing the location for her event seemed to be one of the easiest decisions to make. Living in the area, she chose a venue that was well-known, inexpensive and easily accessible. The location was a fairly-sized room of the Clarion Inn, Lewistown, Pennsylvania. This location was super-easy to find and to access, having an on and off ramp to a major highway less than 1/2 mile away.

Already having a network of vendors that she often works with helped in finding the vendors for this event. "I also advertised on CraftLister.com and searched company websites looking for local representatives.” says Cleck.

Cleck says, "I don't think I'd change too much about how I organized this. I think the way I advertised seemed to work well and that's probably how I'll do it again in the future. I'm not sure that I would do a job fair exclusively. I think a sales event would work out better toward the Christmas season."

With the interest of many vendors at this event the plans of a "stop and shop" in early November are currently underway.

Cleck has been a representative of Country Bunny Bath & Body since March of 2002, falling in love with the products first and then falling in love with the company once she joined.

Gwen has at least 23 members in her downline that she keeps motivated via holding monthly organizational meetings, monthly training calls, monthly challenges and motivational emails. Her favorite aspect of her business is holding spa retreats and spends 8 - 10 hours a week with her business, depending on whether or not she's holding retreats or attending events.

When asked if there was only one thing she could bring to this event ... Cleck responded with "If there was only one thing, it'd definitely be my products to sample." She also shares the best tip she's ever gotten for direct sales ... "Talk, talk, talk to everyone and share your opportunity."

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of The Direct Sales Success Kit, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips. For more info about Country Bunny Bath & Body http://www.BunnyStop.net

Marketing Online Businesses to Offline People

2006-02-03T04:26:00.000-08:00

Recently I had the opportunity to visit a local home business job fair coordinated by Gwen Cleck of Country Bunny Bath & Body. As direct sales coaches quite a few of the questions we see often are about holding offline events. The questions vary from both coordinating one and being a vendor. I thought interviewing the coordinator herself and some of the vendors would be a wonderful way to share how to coordinate your own event and/or attend as a vendor.

Attending this event and interviewing everyone gave me to opportunity to meet so many wonderful and talented women who were more than willing to share their business experience with me. Here’s the scoop…

One important lesson I picked up at this event is to be very careful when you’re marketing your online business to “offline people”. First and foremost, those ads you’re sending out … they aren’t working! Wait a minute, let me back up and explain here. Let’s look at this for example:

“How would you like to earn $500 a night? What if I told you that you could do it in your own home? No selling! The products sell themselves...”

Okay, I could go on here but I’m sure you get the point. These ads don’t work! Do you know what that ad says? SCAM! Sure, I wouldn’t doubt for a minute that you earn $500 in one night at a home party. And I’m sure your products sell themselves. I’m not saying that it’s not true … I’m saying the ad doesn’t work. If you’re marketing to folks offline with these types of ads, they have scam written all over them and you’re not getting your message across.

If you’re pushing the “online sales” and “online recruiting” to the “offline network” be careful of how you approach your market. Let me explain how I set this whole project up in the first place. I searched online at www.CraftLister.com, found out about this HBJF and contacted the coordinator. I told her who I was what my intentions were. Now keep in mind, people hold their email addresses near and dear to their heart. With all the spam that’s roaming around the internet you have to be super-careful about how you approach some via email. So, I asked Gwen if she could personally pass on my email to her vendors explaining what I was interested in doing and then had each of them email me personally if they were interested in participating. This way Gwen wasn’t just handing out email addresses without their permission. The response was fantastic.

So, much to my surprise, when I arrived at the HBJF there were quite a few more people there than those who replied to me. My initial thoughts were that these ladies just weren’t interested in what I was doing which of course was absolutely fine by me. I worked the room with my list of those who were interested and started speaking with each one. I of course didn’t want to be rude so I did at least try to stop and visit each vendor. Eventually I’m sure I started to be the “talk of the show” because here I was this woman walking around with a notebook, attaché case and to top it off I was taking pictures also. So unsurprisingly the questions started coming to me first. Can you believe even though my email was forwarded to them from the coordinator of the event they were attending that there were still some that had simply deleted the email. There were even a few who had replied which I believe strictly out of curiosity that still weren’t exactly sure what I was doing. These women weren’t accustomed someone online actually doing something like this. Not to mention I had to get it across that I was a “real person” behind a website. Of course once I explained who I was and what I did … my list of participating vendors grew.

Oh, and I almost forgot, guess what one of my most asked questions were? “How much does this cost?” I really hadn’t thought about that. Well, let me explain, I had absolutely no intentions what-so-ever to charge these ladies to place their info in our newsletter and blog. Folks nowadays are on “lookout”. And really if you think about it … what do we get for free anymore? This really was a valid question … just one I hadn’t expected to be asked so many times.

So, lesson learned … Is your message getting across or are your emails getting simply deleted?

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of The Direct Sales Success Kit, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Are You Taking Responsibility for Your Business?

2006-01-23T18:22:00.000-08:00

Recently we conducted a survey at a work at home mom community, Mommy's Helper. The survey question was "Would you do something illegal, even if you probably wouldn't get caught?" Of course, the general consensus was "absolutely not!". This is the response you would expect from most anyone in the work at home mom community. We have to set an example for our children, of course.

However, it amazes me how often I see others involved in illegal activities or not taking responsibility for their business. No matter if it's using excuses to not deliver products on time or running a business without proper licenses - it's unethical, irresponsible, and sometimes illegal.

As they say, ignorance of the law is no excuse. It's true even online, and you could be subject to fines or even lose your business. The following are some examples of illegal or unethical practices you may be faced with, and how to handle them.

- Running raffles or illegal contestsEvery state has different laws, and in most states it's very illegal to run a raffle without a permit. In some states, raffles are considered gambling and you may not hold a raffle unless it's for charity. There are many raffle groups online, but that doesn't mean they are legal. Avoid!

- Selling food without a licenceDid you know in some states it's illegal to sell food without a licence? This applies to those who rep for food companies like Watkins, Gabby Goodies, Homemade Gourmet, and many others. It should also be especially noted that even if you don’t sell the food itself you may need a license. For example, let’s say you’re selling food choppers. Let’s say you’re demonstrating your food chopper and you let people sample the food … you need a license to do this also. Check your state laws before selling anything related to food. (Thanks to Kerri Knack of Homemade Gourmet and http://DirectSalesNetworkGroup.com/ for this piece of information)

- Spamming, or sending advertisements without consentObviously, spamming is a big no-no. There are strict spamming laws that everyone should know before doing any kind of email marketing. Do NOTsend advertisements to those who didn't answer it. You can be fined and loose your email address.

- Copying ideas, websites, or adsWhile it may not be illegal to copy an idea, it's extremely unethical and not well received. Many have had ideas stolen from them, and do not like it in the least. Copying ads and websites on the other hand is illegal. It's called copyright infringement, and can get your website shut down. Hosting companies won't think twice about pulling the plug on your website hosting if there is a complaint.

- Using excuses for poor serviceNot illegal, but definitely unethical. Everyone should have a back up plan for emergencies. Customers will usually understand if you have a serious emergency, but not always. Word of mouth travels far - remember that.

There's many other unethical and illegal business practices out there, but this is just a few. Let us say this again - ignorance of the law is no excuse! Check with your local government if you are unsure of anything, or ask on a message board or group at the very least.

About the Authors: Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of The Direct Sales Success Kit, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. For free weekly tips for your direct sales business go to http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com/newsletter.html

Note to publishers: The above article may be reprinted in your publication as long as the bio is kept intact and links are not altered. Please send a courtesty copy to mommyshelperonline @ yahoo.com

3 Quick Tips to Boost Online Business

2006-01-13T05:37:00.000-08:00

There are so many ways to increase your business online. The following are just a few ideas for direct sales reps to get the most out of their time online.

1. Create a Personal Site
So much can be done with your own website, it's an absolute must for even direct sales reps. If you rep for several businesses, a personal website is even more important. Some of the ways a personal site can increase your business:

- You'll only have one link to promote instead of several
- You can exchange links with other sites
- Be included in more directories
- Easier to remember web address
- More professional looking links
- Ability to get more personal
- Ability to put on more information about your business
- Feature your favorite products
- Many more!

If you need help getting started with your own website, we recommend "Step By Step Guide to Starting Your First Website". This ebook free with Direct Sales Success Kit, but can be purchased alone. More information at:
http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com

2. Product reviews
Show off your best products on a popular website! Showing your customers how great your products really are by having someone that isn't getting paid tell them. Mom's Market offers reviews at:
http://www.momsmarketonline.com/product-reviews.html

3. Write Your Own Articles
Yes, direct sales reps CAN write articles! You are an expert in your field, and no one knows your products better. What makes them great? Why should we buy? Those questions can be answered in an article that doesn't need to sound like an ad. Lay down some facts about your ingredients or why your product does what it does. Get creative and show off your knowledge!

When you are finished with your article, there are tons of places online that will accept it. There's just too many to list here, so be sure to stop by your favorite networking place to ask for a list. The response will most likely be good.

These are just a few ways to quickly increase your business online. More ways listed in the Direct Sales Success Kit - see our website for details.

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About the Authors: Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank are two busy wahms, and the owners of Direct Sales Helpers. For more Direct Sales Success Tips, visit: http://www.directsaleshelpers.com
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Note to publishers: The above article may be reprinted in your publication as long as the bio is kept intact and links are not altered. Please send a courtesty copy to mommyshelperonline@yahoo.com

Stop Losing Sales - Build Your Own Website

2006-01-08T08:22:00.000-08:00

If you are in Direct Sales, you may not realize how many sales you are missing by not having a website of your own. Rep websites aren't usually indexed in the search engines, and most can't be personalized completely.

Let me give you an example of why it's so important to have your own website. I searched for "Watkins Vanilla" on Yahoo, Google, and MSN.

- On Yahoo, Watkin's company page was #7 in the listings. Ranked before them were reps with their own website.

- On Google, the company page was #5. Again, reps with their own websites ranked above them.

- MSN was the only place the company website was #1. However, following the company site were several personal websites.

Here's another term I searched: "Tupperware catalog" (which according to Word Tracker is searched over 300 times a day). On Google and MSN, Tupperware's company site wasn't even on the first page of results! On Yahoo it was the first, but of course personal websites followed.

So what does this mean to you? It's simple - there are millions of people searching for YOUR business or items from your business ever day. By having a personal website, you aren't lost in a sea of other rep websites in the search engines. Even the simplest of terms can work their way to the top of search engine results, in many cases giving you more free traffic than you can handle!

Of course, once you get those visitors there it's up to you to turn them into customers. The best way to do this is getting them on your list. More about newsletters next week.

So if you don't have a website already, start making plans now to build your personal website today!

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About the Authors: Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank are two busy wahms, and the owners of Direct Sales Helpers. For more Direct Sales Success Tips, visit: http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/newsletter.html
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Note to publishers: The above article may be reprinted in your publication as long as the bio is kept intact and links are not altered. Please send a courtesty copy to mommyshelperonline@yahoo.com

Increasing Your Business With Product Reviews

2006-01-04T16:51:00.000-08:00

A testimonial can be a wonderful thing for your business. Almost all successful companies use testimonials of some kind to show what they are saying about their business and products is the truth.

What good are product reviews?

- Give an unbiased review of a product
Sometimes we get so excited about our business, when we talk about our products it starts to sound like an ad. By giving the customer a chance to look at an unbiased review from someone that has nothing to gain from their recommendation, it gives the customer more faith.

- Better decision for the customer
Maybe they have questions or concerns about the product which they don't want to bother contacting anyone about. Some people are very quiet, and like to see what others are saying about certain things. By allowing them to read a review, you are giving them the chance to see the product from a non-ad side. They may or may not buy, but the main point is you'll have much more happy, valuable customers.

- Give suggestions to potential customers
Have you ever gone to a website and got lost in all the products? In an offline store, sales people can help point you in the direction of some interesting items. Online this isn't the case. Product reviews can offer that "suggestion" and point customers in the direction of those interesting products.

- Show your personality
In bigger direct sales companies, the competition between reps can be unreal. Having a product review written about you and your products can help bring your personality out. If a potential customer sees you as a recommended rep with reasons why, the chances of them going to you for their needs with this company is greater.

How do I get a review?

There's several different ways to have a product review written about you and your business. Some ideas include:

- Family or Friends
Most have tried your products, right? Ask them for some feedback, and what they think.

- Exchange Products
Find a rep for a non-competing business and swap products. You will need to find someone you trust to write a positive review.

- Freelancers
Some you may need to pay, but the rewards from a review can be much more that the cost of the article.

- Find Shopping Websites
Many websites online now offer to write reviews for you for free. It gives the website owner content, and you the chance to show off your best products. Mom's Market is one of these sites, and details on how to send in your product can be found at http://www.momsmarketonline.com/review-info.html

Product reviews can help your business in many different ways. If you have a personal website verses a company site, the rewards are much greater.

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About the Authors: Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank are two busy wahms, and the owners of Direct Sales Helpers. For more Direct Sales Success Tips, visit: http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/newsletter.html
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Note to publishers: The above article may be reprinted in your publication as long as the bio is kept intact and links are not altered. Please send a courtesty copy to mommyshelperonline@yahoo.com

Are you a "Spammer"?

2005-11-30T07:51:00.000-08:00

This is one of those topics which never goes away. No matter how many times the subject comes up, it's not long after we are spammed. The following are general guidelines to follow.

It's NOT acceptable to:

- Email your entire address book ads
- Forget using a mailing list
- Forget reading guidelines on groups
- Offer "great ways to make money" to someone that didn't ask for it

Basically put, s*pam is a message you send to profit yourself which they don't want. They didn't ask for it, they don't need it. It doesn't matter how great your specials are or how wonderful your business opportunity is. There are millions of great website and opportunities on the internet, and even if you think your's is the best it may not be to someone else.

What IS acceptable:

- Always use mailing lists
You must use some type of a professional mailing list where others can subscribe or unsubscribe themselves. Double opt-in is a must, which means when they enter their email address it must be confirmed before they are officially subscribed.

- Always include contact information
This is a spam compliance law - you must follow up your mailings with your publishing info INCLUDING mailing address and phone number.

- Always read group guidelines
The fastest way to make a group owner mad is not following their guidelines. You want to make friends, not burn bridges. Remember: "I didn't know" is never an excuse, and if someone were to report your email as spam your business could suffer dearly. They say "Ignorance of the law is no excuse", and the same applies online. To own a business of any kind is a large responsibility, and your job is to know
everything there is to know about starting. This includes licences, spam laws, local requirements, etc.

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About the Authors: Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank are two busy wahms, and the owners of Direct Sales Helpers. Learn how you can be successful in your company by visiting: www.DirectSalesHelpers.com
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Note to publishers: The above article may be reprinted in your publication as long as the bio is kept intact and links are not altered. Please send a courtesty copy to mommyshelperonline@yahoo.com

Holiday Promotion Tips

2005-11-16T10:34:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for Mother's Day? Yes I realize it's still a week or two away, but if you haven't started your Mother's Day promotions yet it might already be too late. I know of one company that has completely sold out of their big Easter product 3 weeks prior to Easter (yes completely sold out!). So if you haven't done so already, work up some Mother's Day promotions and start contacting your previous customers and lists.

Why promote Mother's (or any holiday for that matter) when it's still more than 2 or 3 weeks away? Why do you start seeing Halloween costumes for sale in September and Christmas decorations in October?

There's several reasons, but the two biggest ones are:

- To stay ahead of the competition

- Keep your business in mind when your customers begin their holiday shopping.

It's especially important to advertise products and specials far ahead of time in direct sales, because we need to keep in mind shipping times. If your shipping time is 1-2 weeks, your customers only have this week to shop.

If it's too late for Mother's Day, start thinking about Independence Day and what you can do to spice up your business!

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About the Authors: Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank are two busy wahms, and the owners of Direct Sales Helpers. Learn how you can be successful in your company by visiting:
http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com
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Note to Publishers: This article can be used any time of year. Just make sure you change all the holidays listed to be used for the
time of the year you're using the article.

6 Time Management Tips for Moms

2005-11-16T10:31:00.000-08:00

Many of you have expressed the challenge of not having enough time
to accomplish all your needed tasks and not being organized. Having
good organization and management skills is absolutely imperative to
your business. Being well organized can greatly affect your
successfulness. Applying a few of the following tips will help you
become more organized and make better use of your time.

1. Learn to delegate
Most of us are mothers and as moms we tend to automatically take on
everything and are used to doing everything ourselves. There's
absolutely nothing wrong with delegating different tasks.

2. Set business hours
One way to keep yourself and your business organized is to set
regular business hours. You know Monday through Friday 1 - 4 or
whatever times works best for you and your family and try to stick
to it as much as possible.

3. Keep your office organized
Have a place for everything keeping like things together.

4. Group like activities/errands
Keep track of errands that need done and try scheduling most of them
on the same day.

5. To-do lists
Having a to-do list keeps you motivated and lets you know what needs
done at all times.

6. Plan for tomorrow
Make it a habit to review the following days schedule at the end of
each day.

Take a few minutes right now and start a list of everything you need
to get done. Take that list and re-write it by placing the things
that most need accomplished and place them at the top of your list.
Once you're finished get back to work and cross off tasks as you go.
Not only will you find yourself getting more accomplished you'll
also find a sense of fulfillment.

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About the Authors: Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank are two busy wahms,
and the owners of Direct Sales Helpers. Learn how you can be
successful in your company by visiting:
http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com

Reaching Goals in Direct Sales

2005-11-15T17:50:00.000-08:00

From surveys and experience, we've noticed many setting excellent goals for their business. We've also noticed that while the goals being set are good, the results aren't. Around 90% of those in Direct Sales do SET goals, but never reach them.

So the question comes to mind.....are you making the right plans to reach your goals? It's GREAT to set a certain amount you want to make, so you have a little motivation, but without the proper planning reaching that goal is going to be more difficult.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What have you done in the past that created sales?
How can you improve on ideas for creating sales?
What ideas for sales have you seen but not tried?

Take a minute to write down every way you can think of to make your sales (such as through parties, catalog shows, drawings, etc), then make some more specific goals for doing each task. Such as "contact 10 people and book at least 3 shows".

Once you have a plan in motion, be sure to stick with it! A dream won't become reality if you are just simply wishing for it.

If you have an idea of how to get to your goal, well that's half the battle. The next part of course is taking action. You should have your goals AND plans clearly written in a place you can see. It's true everyone has their own way of setting and reaching goals, which is fine, but everyone needs to have them BOTH written down in some way.

If you don't have a goal or even a plan, now is a perfect time to start!

About the Authors: Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank are two busy wahms, and the owners of Direct Sales Helpers. Learn how you can be successful in your company by visiting http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com

Top 4 Promotional Materials

2005-11-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

Top 4 Promotional Materials (other than business cards!)

Sometimes a business card just doesn't cut it, and we have to look to other means for getting the word out about our business. Some of the following ideas you may have seen, others you may not have thought about. Regardless, each method is meant to help get your name out there and increase your sales.

Flyers
These can be effective for announcing events or any type of major announcement. Before you start posting, make sure you have permission first!

Brochures
Think of them like mini-catalogs, able to highlight the best or most interesting products in your line. If your company doesn't offer these, you can easily make them on your home computer. You may want to check with your company to make sure this is allowed first, and that you are able to use product pictures. Hand them out to customers and only those who show interest in your products.

Catalogs
These should be saved for your current customers only, showing the most current products you offer. If your company doesn't offer catalogs, again you can always make them at home. Don't forget to check with your company before handing them out!

Printed Promotional Products
This would include things like pens, shirts, or any other item your name and info can be printed on. Some direct sales companies offer these, while others you will have to take to a printing company. If you decide to look into something like this, be sure the product matches your company. For example, if you sell food mixes, you may want to use candy bar wrappers with your logo. Check with your company first before investing large amount of money into this.

These are just a few ideas to help jump start your business, and help get your name out there. Make good impressions - give your customers and future customer something they won't forget!

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About the Authors: Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank are two busy wahms, and the owners of Direct Sales Helpers. Learn how you can be successful in your company by visiting: www.DirectSalesHelpers.com
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Note to authors: The above article may be reprinted in your publication as long as the bio is kept intact and links are not altered. Please send a courtesty copy to mommyshelperonline@yahoo.com