Are you having a hard time finding customers for your skin care/beauty business? There's no doubt the market is flooded with all kinds of beauty products. And if you're a home-based consultant representing one of many companies in the party plan, network marketing industry you're up against not only retail brands but competing with other direct selling companies too. Makes you wonder if it's a profitable business, doesn't it?
The good news is the beauty business in direct selling is big business and there are lots of successful companies as well as consultants building a full-time business from home. But how do you find customers for your business?
Here are some tips that have helped me to be the #1 leader in my company.
#1 Know your target market
The reality is not everyone's interested in your products or your business opportunity. We all think we have the best products and opportunity but that's not the case. I know plenty of people that don't give a hoot about non toxic skin care products, consuming organic products, and will buy whatever's on sale at the cheapest price. I'm not going to put much effort in trying to convert them. Your time is better spent sharing your products with people that are most likely to be interested and it's not hard to identify those prospects.
Look for small openings when you're having conversations with people. Don't get into sales-mode but pay attention to the conversation. If you're online, write informative articles on how your products have been beneficial to you and others. Or share news that might be an eye opener for your target audience. I love sharing articles on the dangers of using toxins in personal care and skin care products. That's one way you can use information to reach more people.
#2 Provide superior customer service
A friend of mine who is a leader for Perfectly Posh is the queen of customer service! As soon as her company has new products, she sends out new samples to me right away, without me asking for them. It's no wonder I'm one of her customers. People do buy from people they like and trust.
Be professional and act like a real business. Send samples to your prospect sooner rather than later. I've had people respond to me days later and I've moved on or no longer interested. We live in a highly connected world and it's too easy for people to find a new consultant that will happily take your business. Send out samples the same day or the next day at the very latest unless you're traveling and can't get to it. Follow up within a few days. It's up to you to follow up, not your prospective customer.
#3 Expand your network
Don't rely only on your friends, family, and people you know for business. Consultants get discouraged when they're taught the "friends and family" approach because it's not successful for everyone. It's a good start to share your products with people you know but you need to expand your network right away.
Make a list of the products you're selling and identify people that are most likely to buy your products. Start with your hot prospects first. I know people that are passionate about natural products and would not use beauty products with toxins or represent a company that sells products with harmful ingredients. Those are my most ideal candidates as customers and business partners.
If you're selling dietary products, you probably don't want to reach out to someone who's not looking to lose weight, but that person could be perfect for nutritional products. You can always use a third-party approach and ask if they know of anyone who would be interested in your product.
I've found identifying my most ideal customers and reaching them first more effective than randomly going after people.
Best,
Janette
P.S. Are you already buying natural personal care products? Have you thought about selling natural products online and help share the important message of using non toxic personal care products? If you're interested, visit my website and see how you can easily have the same online store -> Natural Skin Care Business
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Discounting Start Up Kit Good for Direct Sales/Party Plan Consultants?
January is usually the time when you see direct sales/party plan companies offering discounts on new consultant kits. It's the new year and it's one of the best time to start a new home-based business. It's a bargain when you consider how much products you're getting with a new consultant kit. Why do companies offer such a hefty discount on their start up kits- some as good as 50% off? The obvious answer is to ramp up recruiting. Nothing attracts new consultants as a discount on start up fees.
In direct selling, every company needs retention and revenue to grow and sustain growth. When it comes to retention, it can be flaky in this business. It's so easy to join but not easy to sustain. When companies offer periodic incentives i.e. kit discount or extra free products it certainly helps to attract new consultants. But is this strategy good for business builders that are looking for serious consultants and not wholesale shoppers?
Some consultants love it because they're more likely to see an uptick with new team members. And new recruits can mean more team sales. But it really depends on the structure of each direct sales/party plan company. Some people sign up just for the kit content without any intention of doing the business. Or they're signing up for the consultant discount which is quite generous with most companies. Why pay retail when you can save 20-30% which is standard with many companies. I signed up with an organic health and wellness company because the fee was so low and it allows me to save 20-30% on all their products.
In my previous post "sales quotas good for consultants ...", I think discounting a start up kit can be great for a consultant's business, if there's some type of monthly or quarterly minimums (ex: $300/quarterly) so consultants are expected to do more than just be shoppers. Of course, the flip side of the argument is that highly motivated people will work the business and people who aren't will find every excuse not to. I agree with this thinking 100%.
As a business builder, if your company is offering a deep kit discount, I would work with each new consultant and find out what their goals are. If they tell you they're only in it for the discount or kit content then you know how much to give of your time.
In general, I think it's always good to offer incentives to keep your business interesting and attracting new people.
Your thoughts?
Janette
campopfan@gmail.com
805.712.0840
In direct selling, every company needs retention and revenue to grow and sustain growth. When it comes to retention, it can be flaky in this business. It's so easy to join but not easy to sustain. When companies offer periodic incentives i.e. kit discount or extra free products it certainly helps to attract new consultants. But is this strategy good for business builders that are looking for serious consultants and not wholesale shoppers?
Some consultants love it because they're more likely to see an uptick with new team members. And new recruits can mean more team sales. But it really depends on the structure of each direct sales/party plan company. Some people sign up just for the kit content without any intention of doing the business. Or they're signing up for the consultant discount which is quite generous with most companies. Why pay retail when you can save 20-30% which is standard with many companies. I signed up with an organic health and wellness company because the fee was so low and it allows me to save 20-30% on all their products.
In my previous post "sales quotas good for consultants ...", I think discounting a start up kit can be great for a consultant's business, if there's some type of monthly or quarterly minimums (ex: $300/quarterly) so consultants are expected to do more than just be shoppers. Of course, the flip side of the argument is that highly motivated people will work the business and people who aren't will find every excuse not to. I agree with this thinking 100%.
As a business builder, if your company is offering a deep kit discount, I would work with each new consultant and find out what their goals are. If they tell you they're only in it for the discount or kit content then you know how much to give of your time.
In general, I think it's always good to offer incentives to keep your business interesting and attracting new people.
Your thoughts?
Janette
campopfan@gmail.com
805.712.0840
Friday, February 7, 2014
Sales Quotas Good for Consultants in Direct Sales/Party Plan Business?
Are sales quotas good for consultants in direct selling/party plan business? We know with nearly all network marketing companies there are monthly auto-ship requirements to be an active distributor and/or be eligible for the compensation benefits. But with direct sales/party plan, that's not always the case. There are lots of companies that have no monthly sales quotas. This is good and bad.
The good part is that it allows flexibility- someone can be a business builder or join to get the product discount with no pressure to hit monthly sales requirements. The bad part is that you, as a consultant, may be working hard to sponsor people and could end up with a team of too many "shoppers". But is that a bad for your business? Well ... no but if your goal is to earn a team commission you're going to need a lot of shoppers to hit the monthly team sales to earn a commission.
But there are two ways to look at this ...
First, I talk to a lot of people that love not having a monthly sales quota and quite honestly, that is one of the main reasons why I have built a large team in a short amount of time. Direct sales/network marketing is a numbers business because most people sign up and do very little, if anything at all. So, the upside of having the flexibility of zero monthly sales quota is that you're likely to sponsor more people.
But the downside is that they may not do much in the long term other than buying products for themselves. It's too easy not to do anything when there's nothing required of you.
For people that are serious business builders, I think having some quota is good for your business as well as for the company. But how much is the right amount that makes it achievable for consultants to recruit new people as well as for them to upkeep without losing interest or frustration because they're not able to maintain their business?
With some companies, requirements are as low as only $100 retail sales for the entire year to be considered an "active" consultant. For a consumable company that's hardly considered a requirement. This is good for people who aren't interested in building a business and are signing up for the discount but this isn't necessarily profitable for the team builder because you need a lot of wholesale shoppers to earn a decent team commission.
I believe sales quotas are good for consultants if it's an achievable volume such as $25 or $50 a month or $200 every 6 months for consumable products. It has be reasonable so a consultant isn't stocking up with a garage full of products in order to maintain her business. The requirement should be realistic so someone can replenish either for personal use or by selling the products, even on an occasional basis. In other words, sales quotas are designed for business builders as well as for shoppers, part-time, or occasional consultants.
Would love to hear the pros and cons.
Best,
Janette
http://jstoll.verefina.net
Verefina #1 Team Leader
The good part is that it allows flexibility- someone can be a business builder or join to get the product discount with no pressure to hit monthly sales requirements. The bad part is that you, as a consultant, may be working hard to sponsor people and could end up with a team of too many "shoppers". But is that a bad for your business? Well ... no but if your goal is to earn a team commission you're going to need a lot of shoppers to hit the monthly team sales to earn a commission.
But there are two ways to look at this ...
First, I talk to a lot of people that love not having a monthly sales quota and quite honestly, that is one of the main reasons why I have built a large team in a short amount of time. Direct sales/network marketing is a numbers business because most people sign up and do very little, if anything at all. So, the upside of having the flexibility of zero monthly sales quota is that you're likely to sponsor more people.
But the downside is that they may not do much in the long term other than buying products for themselves. It's too easy not to do anything when there's nothing required of you.
For people that are serious business builders, I think having some quota is good for your business as well as for the company. But how much is the right amount that makes it achievable for consultants to recruit new people as well as for them to upkeep without losing interest or frustration because they're not able to maintain their business?
With some companies, requirements are as low as only $100 retail sales for the entire year to be considered an "active" consultant. For a consumable company that's hardly considered a requirement. This is good for people who aren't interested in building a business and are signing up for the discount but this isn't necessarily profitable for the team builder because you need a lot of wholesale shoppers to earn a decent team commission.
I believe sales quotas are good for consultants if it's an achievable volume such as $25 or $50 a month or $200 every 6 months for consumable products. It has be reasonable so a consultant isn't stocking up with a garage full of products in order to maintain her business. The requirement should be realistic so someone can replenish either for personal use or by selling the products, even on an occasional basis. In other words, sales quotas are designed for business builders as well as for shoppers, part-time, or occasional consultants.
Would love to hear the pros and cons.
Best,
Janette
http://jstoll.verefina.net
Verefina #1 Team Leader
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
'tis the Month for Love at Verefina
Every day should be about love and kindness don't you think? But for February in particular, it's all about love. At Verefina, we have some fun and oh so delicious products to put you in the mood for some Valentine's love :).
The Bath Truffles below look and smell so decadent you might want to eat them. Find a quiet moment alone or together with your Valentine and indulge in a romantic bath. I personally LOVE the Massage Oil (below) and use it as an after shower bath oil. It smells wonderfully orange and citrusy and not to mention my bathroom smells divine afterwards.
If you'd like to check out these limited time, seasonal Valentine's products for yourself or as gifts for someone else, you can easily browse and shop on my website 24/7 -> Verefina Valentine's Day Gifts or see our other wide range of all natural skin care, beauty, wellness, and essential oils products for the entire family.
Feel free to email me with any questions.
The Bath Truffles below look and smell so decadent you might want to eat them. Find a quiet moment alone or together with your Valentine and indulge in a romantic bath. I personally LOVE the Massage Oil (below) and use it as an after shower bath oil. It smells wonderfully orange and citrusy and not to mention my bathroom smells divine afterwards.
If you'd like to check out these limited time, seasonal Valentine's products for yourself or as gifts for someone else, you can easily browse and shop on my website 24/7 -> Verefina Valentine's Day Gifts or see our other wide range of all natural skin care, beauty, wellness, and essential oils products for the entire family.
Feel free to email me with any questions.
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