Establishing an Effective Work Routine for Success

Dealing with the unexpected comes with the territory of being a direct seller, but in order to set yourself up for success, it is important to establish an effective routine. Routines allow you to be efficient, thorough, and comfortable with your job. Of course, any routine must be created with your personal work schedule and lifestyle in mind, but check out our list below to help you get started.

Create your to-do list the night before so you’re ready to go for the following day. If you wait until the beginning of the day to make an agenda, then you wind up wasting precious time thinking about your tasks instead of completing them. Some even find it helpful to create to-do lists for the entire week and then break them down day by day before the start of the work week. Do whatever works best for you, but preparing your list the night before will help you get a jump on those tasks and responsibilities right away.
Organize and prepare necessary supplies for the next day. For example, if you have an opportunity meeting, gather your notes, any printed materials from the company, some sample products if applicable, business cards, etc. Pack everything up so you can simply grab it and go. Also, consider packing your lunch the night before and choosing your wardrobe before you go to sleep. This is another strategy that will reduce your stress and make you feel less rushed first thing in the morning.
Get started earlier. Do you find that you are perpetually running 5-10 minutes behind schedule? Do yourself a favor and wake up a little bit earlier. Your energy level won’t be affected, as your body won’t notice waking up a mere 15 minutes earlier. However, you will be allowing yourself that extra time to decompress with that first cup of coffee or rehearse that sales pitch one more time before you begin your day. Give it a try for at least 2 weeks, taking mental note of how it positively affects your productivity.
Make a schedule and stick to it. Scheduling your time is one thing, but adhering to it can prove to be quite difficult, especially with other personal and professional obligations thrown into the mix. Do your best to stick to your schedule, and even when something doesn’t go as planned, go back to your written schedule and rearrange it to make up for whatever time was lost. This way, you won’t always feel like you’re putting things off.
Make quicker decisions. This mostly applies to more trivial decisions like what you will eat for lunch or which font to use for your blog. Deciding faster about minor things will help you build and maintain your daily momentum as well as increase productivity.
Do the hardest task first. Tackling the most difficult task or project first prevents procrastination. Furthermore, if you save it for last, it’ll be on your mind the whole time you’re working on other things, which can take away your focus from where it needs to be. Get the hardest one out of the way, and when it’s done, take pleasure in knowing that it’s one less thing to worry about.
Check email at the end of your to-do list. If you’re like most people, the accumulation of emails in your inbox can become overwhelming if you don’t stay on top of it. Make it a point to check your email and take action on pressing business after you’ve finished your daily to-do list. This allows you to start the day with a clean inbox (hopefully) and use your time sticking to your pre-set schedule.
Reward yourself. Time management is hard work and requires self-discipline. This is not to be taken lightly, so when you’ve achieved your goals for the week or month, reward yourself as a motivator to continue your effective routine. Splurge on lunch by ordering a sandwich from your favorite deli, stop for a manicure on the way home at the end of the week, or see a movie with friends on the weekend. Anything that you will look forward to and won’t hinder your goals or progress will serve as a meaningful reward.

An effective work routine is as important as the job itself. Your reliability, independence, motivation, and self-confidence will all improve as you create and perfect your routine. What did you find most helpful from our list? How do you establish your own routine? Please share your thoughts in our comments section below!

Blog

Easy Ways to Build Great Habits For Success

Easy Ways to Build Great Habits For Success

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” This statement penned by author Jim Ryun speaks to how you can find long-term success in both your professional and personal life. It takes time to make something a habit, and it certainly is a difficult thing to do. In the spirit of making resolutions for the New Year, we give you a few suggestions to help you make a habit out of your desired behaviors.

Make time to do it. As obvious as this idea may seem, so many people neglect to take this important first step. For example, if you plan to make exercise a part of your daily routine, you need to set aside a specific time to do that. Look realistically at your schedule and lifestyle to set yourself up for success. Someone who has the most energy and motivation at the beginning of the day would do well to carve out the first 15-30 minutes of the morning for a workout. Establishing the time beforehand will encourage you to stick to your goal and encourage you to continue.
Connect habits you already have to new habits you’d like to adopt. If your exercise goal is to spend 20 minutes on the treadmill once a day, then incorporate that into something you already do every day. If you always sit down to watch the 5:00 news every night, then spend that time on the treadmill in front of the television instead of sitting on the couch. Or if you always check your email at a certain time, work your exercise into, before, or after it. You’ll have a better chance at sticking to your desired behavior this way.
Make it as convenient for yourself as possible. If you want to exercise first thing in the morning before work, set out your clothes and equipment, fill your water bottle, and cue up your music the night before so you can roll out of bed and get right to it. You’ll have less of an excuse to skip it if it’s easy and convenient to accomplish.
Keep a calendar to chart your progress and reward yourself for meeting milestones. In order to stay motivated, you need to set goals and keep track of your progress. Set some benchmarks ahead of time and record them on a calendar, either digitally or on paper. Every time you reach a milestone, reward yourself in a way that will encourage you to keep going. Make the reward enjoyable and guilt-free so that you continue working toward your next benchmark and reward.

When developing good habits, do everything you can to set yourself up for success. Plan ahead, be realistic about your lifestyle, and track your progress. What great habits would you like to build in 2015? Which of our suggestions will be the most helpful to you? Please share your ideas in our comments section!

Blog

How to Overcome Your Fear and Succeed

How to Overcome Your Fear and Succeed

Think back to when you were a child and what scared you. Was it jumping into the deep end of the pool for the first time? Riding your bike without training wheels? How did you get past those fears? Although it’s normal to have fears about various things in our lives, it is important to develop strategies in which to overcome those fears and succeed. The following list will help you get started.

Create a backup plan. It is much easier to go about the uncertainty of operating a direct sales business if you have a “Plan B” in place. Try to anticipate circumstances that would be the most detrimental to your business and create a backup plan to fall back on if those circumstances ever occur. For example, what would happen if your company discontinues a product that is your personal best seller and the focal point of your sales presentation? How will you overhaul your pitch to highlight a replacement product? What would happen if you have to relocate out of the area and leave all your loyal customers? How will you re-establish yourself elsewhere? These are scary things to think about, but being prepared will allow you to move past them rather than suffer serious setbacks in your business.
Visualize and practice going through the event or activity. Many Olympic athletes as well as professional artists and performers admit to visualizing themselves crossing that finish line or nailing that performance repeatedly before they actually make a real-life attempt. The power of positive thinking should not be underestimated, and visualizing yourself succeeding can help you believe in yourself that you can truly do it. Visualization alone can’t win races or Academy Awards, however, so make sure you practice as much as possible. Whether it’s your sales presentation or an opportunity meeting with a prospect, practice alone, in front of others, while looking in the mirror, or recording yourself. The acts of visualizing and practicing will also ease your fear of failure.
Study and over prepare. We normally associate studying with being in school, but studying can be pertinent to your direct sales business too. You should be studying your catalog, prices, product features, manufacturing basics, current promotions, etc. You never want to be caught off guard or unable to appear knowledgeable about your business or the company you represent. Efficient studying and ample preparation are more than worth your investment of time and can help you overcome your fear of the unknown.
Focus on the positive aspects and tune out the negative ones. It will likely be difficult, but concentrate on tuning out any negativity that hinders your progress. This includes negative self-talk and people in your life who question your abilities or voice their doubts about your chances of success. Instead, tune in to the positivity you find in places like your upline, your supportive friends and family, and of course yourself. Be your own best cheerleader and you’ll never be too afraid to do what it takes to succeed.

Overcoming your fears has a lot to do with your state of mind and your self-confidence. Use the strategies above to clear yourself a path to success.

What are some fears you have about your business and how will these strategies help you get past them? Please share your comments below!

Blog

Easy Ways to Build Great Habits

Make time to do it. As obvious as this idea may seem, so many people neglect to take this important first step. For example, if you plan to make exercise a part of your daily routine, you need to set aside a specific time to do that. Look realistically at your schedule and lifestyle to set yourself up for success. Someone who has the most energy and motivation at the beginning of the day would do well to carve out the first 15-30 minutes of the morning for a workout. Establishing the time beforehand will encourage you to stick to your goal and encourage you to continue.
Connect habits you already have to new habits you’d like to adopt. If your exercise goal is to spend 20 minutes on the treadmill once a day, then incorporate that into something you already do every day. If you always sit down to watch the 5:00 news every night, then spend that time on the treadmill in front of the television instead of sitting on the couch. Or if you always check your email at a certain time, work your exercise into, before, or after it. You’ll have a better chance at sticking to your desired behavior this way.
Make it as convenient for yourself as possible. If you want to exercise first thing in the morning before work, set out your clothes and equipment, fill your water bottle, and cue up your music the night before so you can roll out of bed and get right to it. You’ll have less of an excuse to skip it if it’s easy and convenient to accomplish.
Keep a calendar to chart your progress and reward yourself for meeting milestones. In order to stay motivated, you need to set goals and keep track of your progress. Set some benchmarks ahead of time and record them on a calendar, either digitally or on paper. Every time you reach a milestone, reward yourself in a way that will encourage you to keep going. Make the reward enjoyable and guilt-free so that you continue working toward your next benchmark and reward.

Blog

Targeting Potential Customers

When you are on the lookout for potential customers, you want to make sure you’re focusing your energy in the right places. Remember that not everyone fits the profile, so spending time and money on trying to attract those outside your target demographic will be a waste of your resources. An effective way to find potential customers for your business is to ask yourself the following questions.

Can they afford your products/services? Of course, it’s impossible to know everyone’s financial situation, but you can get a good idea by looking for certain clues. For example, a consultant for a high-end ladies’ jewelry company should consider factors such as which town the potential customer lives in, if she wears designer clothing, if she drives a luxury car, etc. If your company sells products that range in price, consider the average and build an ideal customer profile from there.

Are they the decision maker when it comes to the purchase? There are several different ways that people handle finances within their households. Some couples agree on a reasonable level of autonomy when it comes to making a purchase. Either person can buy groceries or even a new lamp for the living room without consulting each other, but neither would buy a car or book a vacation without both agreeing to it first. Be sure that the person you are targeting as a potential customer has the ability to make decisions about purchasing your products. This especially applies to products and services geared toward young children and teenagers. A skin care company’s acne treatment is mostly used by those between ages 15-21, but is almost always actually purchased by the parent. Whoever has the final say about a purchase is your potential customer.

How much do they need the product/service? Ask yourself if you are fulfilling a need or solving a problem for a potential customer with your product. Someone who will be returning to the work force after a long hiatus staying home to raise her children may need all new makeup and accessories to complete her professional appearance. A cosmetics or jewelry consultant would consider this person a potential customer because there is a certain level of need for the products and services offered. The most effective way to find out if a need for your product exists is to ask the right questions. Demonstrate a sincere interest in people by asking them questions about themselves. Give them an opportunity to talk about their family, interests, and hobbies. When you discover that the person needs your product, you’ll know you are talking to a potential customer.

Targeting your niche toward the right people will help you spend your time and marketing resources efficiently, which will in turn allow you to have long term success. By asking the above questions, you are creating a sort of customer profile that can be used to identify potential customers.

How have these questions helped you find your own customers? Are there any other questions you would add to our list? Please share your comments below!

Blog

Four Quick Tips to Stay on Task

Direct sellers need to have a strong sense of self-discipline in order to succeed. When you are answering only to yourself, it is crucial to eliminate distractions and stay on task for both your daily and long-term projects. Here are our four simple suggestions for doing just that.

Get involved with activities that help your business. This means everything from professional development workshops held by those in your upline to more informal lunches with colleagues or prospects. Find ways to incorporate your business into things you already enjoy doing. For example, Heather, a direct sales consultant for a company that provides fitness programs and equipment, integrates fitness into her daily life. Aside from working her business, she follows her company’s exercise programs regularly and once a month, invites a few friends over for group workouts. She leads a small group of friends to try a new workout, then serves healthy snacks and bottles of water afterwards. By doing this, she is able to stay healthy, work her business, and make time to socialize with her friends all at the same time.

Make sure that your business utilizes your strengths and passion. Heather already had an interest in health and fitness, so it made sense for her to choose a wellness company to sign with. She enjoys learning about how to create and maintain a healthy lifestyle, and she is passionate about educating others who struggle with this to do the same. Because she gets so much joy out of helping others achieve their fitness and nutrition goals, it’s easy for her to stay on task. Even when it gets hard to stay the course, her passion for what she does and her ability to do her job well prevent her from getting off track.

Focus on small positive improvements. When there are things you want to improve about your business, it can be overwhelming to figure out where and how to begin. Start small to build momentum. It can be as simple as re-organizing your desk or purging a filing cabinet drawer, but once you get a few small tasks accomplished, you will be motivated to take on bigger, long-term projects.

Make sure the business gets you excited. As with any job, if you don’t enjoy what you do, it will be that much more difficult to succeed. Tap into your interests and passions to get excited about your business. When you can do this, you can get others excited about what you are offering and build lasting professional relationships.

The longer you work your business with focus and passion, the easier staying on task will become. Involve yourself in business-related activities, make small improvements, and create excitement within yourself about what you’re doing. What would you add to our list? Please sound off in the comments section below!

Blog

Four Ways to Make Sure You Perform at Your Best

In order for you to work up to your potential, you must be in good physical and mental condition. The demands of a successful career in direct sales can sometimes be stressful, mostly because there is usually no one else to share the workload. You are not only your own boss, but also your own employee. If you find yourself feeling sluggish, unmotivated, or just disconnected from what you want to accomplish, here are four ways you can get back on track and create a ritual that will help you reach your full potential.
1. Eat foods that make you feel good and are healthy. This is often easier said than done, but eating a balanced and nutritious diet is beneficial in so many ways. You will look better, feel better, and have more energy. When all of these things are happening, you are free to concentrate on achieving your business goals. Tip: To accommodate a busy lifestyle, consider planning your meals a week at a time. Pick one day of the week to plan out meals for yourself and your family, shop, and prepare or cook what you can ahead of time. Freezer-friendly meals and slow cooker recipes are great for both healthy eating and convenience.
2. Get your body moving. Some people enjoy weekly yoga or spin classes at a fitness club, while others incorporate less formal exercise into their day. For example, put on your favorite song and dance in the kitchen as you get breakfast ready. Find a parking spot farther away from the building, take stairs instead of elevators, or take a walk on your lunch break. Physically active people enjoy better overall cardiovascular health. Think of how much more productive you could be with your blood flowing properly and your energy level steady throughout the day.
3. Write down your achievable goals for the day. Instead of a regular “to-do list,” jot down what achievable goals you’d like to accomplish for the day. Thinking in terms of “goals” rather than “tasks” puts more importance on how your daily tasks contribute to your business’ success and gives you a feeling of true accomplishment at the end of your day. Furthermore, by writing these goals down, you give yourself direction and will be more able to limit your distractions.
4. Focus on something that inspires and motivates you. Take some time for self-reflection to figure out what genuinely inspires and motivates you to be the best that you can be. Is it your children? Your quest for financial independence? A desire to positively affect others? Identify your inspiration and make it your focus each day. Use it to keep you on track and strive to do your job to the absolute best of your ability.

Keeping yourself strong in both the body and mind as well as staying connected to your emotions will serve you well in your professional endeavors. Incorporate these things into your life in ways that allow you to sustain them long-term. You are the only one who can do it, so believe in yourself.

Do you have anything to add to our list? Please share your ideas below!

Blog

How to Create an Effective Quick Sales Pitch

How to Create an Effective Quick Sales Pitch

As a direct seller, you will likely come across the opportunity to talk about your product or service outside the normal home party environment. Perhaps a friend or relative asks you about it, or an acquaintance making small talk asks what you do for a living. In situations such as these, it is a great idea to have a quick sales pitch prepared in your head that you can use when needed. This should be a very brief version of your normal pitch, one which touches on the major highlights of your product or service. When creating this quick sales pitch, focus on the following topics.

How can your product/service help solve a problem? Some products make answering this question easy, such as fashionable organization systems sold by companies such as Thirty-One Gifts or Initials, Inc. These products solve the problem most people have of needing to organize and store their possessions in their homes, offices, and cars. Other products might not have such an obvious answer, but it surely is there. Look to your upline and corporate leaders for guidance about how to best convey what problem your product line solves for its customers.
How and why is it better than the rest? Your product undoubtedly has quite a bit of competition not only from other direct sales companies, but also from its retail counterparts. What makes your product stand out? In the case of Thirty-One’s fashionable storage solutions, their consultants emphasize unique features such as the option to personalize their products, coordinating patterns across product types, and the company’s commitment to giving back. Put together just a sentence or two to be included in your pitch that clearly explains why your product is best.

How is it a great value for the price? Value can be determined in a variety of ways, but consider level of quality, product versatility, and company-backed guarantee. It helps to also be prepared with knowledge of your competitor’s determination of value, so as to educate a potential customer. When inquiring about hosting a Mary Kay makeover party, a young bride-to-be mentioned that she was also considering taking her bridesmaids to an appointment at a department store makeup counter. The Mary Kay consultant was quickly able to give her some reasons why choosing a department store limits her options for variety, pricing, personalization, and convenience. Being prepared with this knowledge beforehand allows you to talk up your product and your company to anyone at any time.

After putting the finishing touches on your quick pitch, practice it often so it comes across naturally, like a casual conversation. Recruit some friends or family members to rehearse with, perhaps role-playing different scenarios in which your quick sales pitch is just what you need. As a direct seller, you should be ready and willing to discuss your product and opportunity in a moment’s notice. The effective quick sales pitch is a great way to do this.

Have you ever been in a situation where a quick sales pitch would come in handy? Were you able to use one effectively? Please share your comments below!

Blog

Four Ideas To Take Your Business To The Next Level

Four Ideas To Take Your Business To The Next Level

Ask any successful small business owner what he or she envisioned when first launching the business. Most of them will tell you that this vision is what helps them to keep moving forward and take their business to the next level. In today’s post, we offer four things you can do to grow your business and achieve your vision.

1. Do what you truly love and find ways to make money from it. If you aren’t doing something you’re passionate about, it will be very difficult to succeed long term. It’s important to tap into your interests. Ask yourself what drives you, what you care about, and what you’d like to spend every day doing with your time. For example, after spending years as a full-time parent, Jean decides to break back into the work force by using her experience as a competitive dancer to teach dance to local children. She starts out with a small clientele, but through word of mouth, eventually grows enough to purchase her own space and send her students to competitions. Nothing can motivate you more to succeed than doing something you truly enjoy.

2. Find and team up with great people to help you grow your business. When expanding her dance studio, Jean didn’t do it alone. She contacted people from her circle of dance friends from her youth, some of whom were also making a living in the arts. She picked their brains, asked for advice, and even recruited some to come work with her. Use your expertise in conjunction with your passion to identify smart, hard-working people with whom you surround yourself. Your network is essential to the success of your business.

3. Use and leverage your failures to improve. Each business endeavor is sure to come with its fair share of challenges. Instead of letting yourself get bogged down in the disappointment and stress of it all, use these experiences to learn and grow. What went wrong? How did it happen? Could it have been prevented? How could you improve for next time? The better able you are to turn your weaknesses into strengths, the more likely you are to find success and make your vision a reality.

4. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, personalize and make it better. It can take a lot of time to come up with strategies that are truly original and, most of the time, there is no need. Put your own spin on existing ideas to improve them and attract others to your business. Part of the reason Jean’s dance studio was so successful was because she personalized her services. It’s easy to find jazz and acrobatics classes for toddlers, but very few places teach tap to such young children. Since that is Jean’s specialty, she promoted that particular class more than the others, gave them a special mid-year recital, and was able to beat her competitors for those students. Identify what you bring to the table, and commit to it. You’ll be amazed at the results.

Remember to keep in mind your vision for the business, and know your strengths to help you get to the next level. Be passionate, ask for help, and learn from your mistakes.

What else would you add to our list? Please share with us in the comments below!

Blog

5 Ways to Be More Successful in Sales

5 Ways to Be More Successful in Sales

How do you achieve success in your business? Most likely, you strive to set goals for yourself, stay organized, delegate appropriately, participate in professional development, and prepare adequately for a day’s work. Doing all these things is an excellent start on your road to success, but we’ve come up with a list of actions you can take that will help your business thrive. How many of them have you mastered?

Be assertive without making prospects uncomfortable. There is a fine line between assertive and pushy. Prospects have confidence in those who are assertive because it’s easy to tell that they are knowledgeable and believe in their product. Those who are pushy, on the other hand, tend not to listen to the prospect, fail to ask appropriate questions, and sometimes make him or her feel pressured to take action right then and there. Potential customers often shut down in response to a pushy salesperson because they don’t want to be rushed into a decision that may not be right for them. Always be sure you are listening to your prospect and responding to his or her social cues (eye contact, body language, etc.).
Don’t rely on your prospect to make the next move. In your effort to avoid being that pushy salesperson, don’t go too far in the other direction by leaving the ball in the prospect’s court. You must still be the one to take action in order to close the deal. That action may be to come right out and ask for the sale when appropriate, or possibly to follow up at a later date by sending an email or making a phone call. Even if the prospect leaves the meeting saying, “I’ll be in touch,” it is important that you follow up after an appropriate amount of time has passed. Reach out to him or her and find out if there are any questions that still need to be answered or where he or she is in the decision-making process. A follow-up is an effective way to seal the deal.
Be positive by limiting negative thoughts. Negative thoughts and self-talk have a way of taking over your brain. When this happens, you begin to doubt yourself and lose motivation. Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations, pep talks, and reminders of all you have accomplished. Don’t just be your own worst critic; be your own best cheerleader as well. By reminding yourself regularly that you are intelligent and capable, you are driving yourself toward the success you so greatly want and deserve.
Think from a customer’s perspective. Avoid getting wrapped up in how a customer’s action or response affects you. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes; doing so allows you to better understand where you may be falling short in some aspect of your business. For example, you’ve recently replaced one of your products for a higher quality, but pricier version. At the same time, you notice that some of your most loyal customers haven’t been around lately. After reaching out to them, you find out that they are disappointed that their favorite product is no longer available. You may have been so excited about the new product that you failed to see how a customer would be hesitant to try something new, especially if it costs more and they loved the old version. Taking a walk in your customers’ shoes is essential to the success of your business.
Become a problem solver. Instead of being someone who sells a product or service to make a profit, be the person who provides solutions to customers’ problems. When the owner of an in-home daycare seeks out new customers, she emphasizes that her business provides the professional quality of child care in the comfort of her home. This solves a problem many parents have: where can I send my children while I’m at work that will be educational and nurturing at the same time? Her clients know that their children are getting the individualized attention and stimulation they need during the day so they can be the happy and well-developed children their parents want them to be. Figure out what problem you can solve for your customers and make it your number one priority to do so.

You can learn how it feels to be successful by putting your customers first. Listen to their needs while being assertive, think from their points of view, and solve problems. Your genuine interest in helping people will certainly shine through, and your business will succeed. What do you think of our list? Please share your comments below!