Eight Signs It’s Time To Quit Your Direct Sales Business

At the beginning of my coaching career I was also an “in the trenches” direct sales consultant. When I looked at other trainers in the industry, I couldn’t understand why someone would quit their lucrative direct sales career that they endorsed so highly, to focus on coaching and training.

Now that I’m older and a bit wiser (I hope), I can speak from experience as both a direct sales leader and a coach. One of the things I like to tell potential recruits is that “anyone can do this business, but not everyone will, nor should they.”

Being in business for yourself requires fortitude, stamina, and a willingness to take a few risks – among other things. In any entrepreneurial endeavor, there comes a point when you need to decide if you’re going to press on or move on to other things.  I’ve worked with many clients who’ve faced this dilemma. Some chose to press on successfully, while others knew it was time to bow out and pursue other options for their life and/or business. If you’re feeling the itch and can’t make up your mind, here are eight signs it may be time for you to get out of direct sales:

Put the Labels DOWN!

Guest Post:  Melissa Dery

Be honest.

Are YOU still placing your labels on your catalogs and inventory?

While it’s a fantastic way to ensure your customers know how to get in touch with you and makes it easy for them to reorder their favorite products, you’re wasting your time. Yes,  you do need your label on your products and catalogs to remind your clients, but are YOU personally placing labels?  Why?  Stop it!

Create Connection to Build RAVING Fans

Guest Post:  Elian Evans

I’ve talked before about connecting with your clients through a website for your business and have mentioned the use of an email contact service like MailChimp. I love MailChimp for their humor and I refer my clients to them all the time. Best of all, for small lists, their service is free.

Connecting and establishing positive rapport with your customers is so very important. You want them to shop with you over and over again. You want them to refer all of their friends to you. You want to be “top of mind” to them. You want them to be your RAVING fans regardless of what company you represent and what products you offer. By developing and nurturing your relationships you will create that long term connection. Some quick tips to do that:

Increase Sales: A Fun Way to Interact With Your Customers

Guest Post:  Jen Fitzgerald

I am always looking for creative ways to interact with my customers either at a home show or by sending out an email to get them excited about something!

Here is an idea I love and a way for your customers to think they are playing a game while you get them to look over your catalog.

At a home show or through an email to all your customers (this will work in either situation) tell them to look through your catalog and count something to give you a total.  Here is an example of what I mean:

Take The Pressure Off!

Guest Post:  Teresa Romain

Take the Pressure Off…  “Stay Loose”…

I love to use sports analogies. I think it stems from being involved in sports year-round when I was in school.

No matter what sport it was, each of my coaches kept advising me to…

“Take the pressure off” and “Stay loose”…

Like most athletes, whenever I put too much pressure on myself (to make a basket, to get a hit, to win the match, to run my fastest race), my muscles would tighten up and I’d get tense – then I’d miss an easy shot, throw a bad pass, strike out, make a careless mistake.

The key to performing my best was to “stay loose”… to play the game in a relaxed, focused, clear-headed, energized manner – something that was impossible to do under pressure when I was “attached” to the results.  (FYI – Being “attached” is the exact opposite of “staying loose”.)

This same “stay loose” principle applies to building your business and accessing the lasting abundance you desire.