The Customer is Sometimes Rude

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.

----------------------------------------
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.

Find Your Marketing Strength - Part 2


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.

----------------------------------------
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.

Find Your Marketing Strength - Part 1

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.

----------------------------------------
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

Motivation - Where to Find It
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!

----------------------------------------
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

Let Them Play
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.

------------------------------------------------
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

Craft Shows: Pay and Stay

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!


------------------------------------------------
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 Steps to a Successful Home Party

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.


----------------------------------------
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

3 SEO Tips for Direct Sales

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

----------------------------------------
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

Newsletter or Ezine Advertising
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.

------------------------------------
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.

Advertising With Articles
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.

-------------------------------------
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.

Are You Tracking?

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.

----------------------------------------
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

Advertising Through Content Sites
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.
_______________________

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
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.

-------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------

Online Advertising Secrets Exposed

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.

-------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------

Stop Being Lazy and Run Your Business
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!

----------------------------------------
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?

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.

----------------------------------------
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

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!

----------------------------------------
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

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.

--------------------------------------------------
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

Content is King - Even In Direct Sales

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!

----------------------------------------
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 AdSense for you?

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!

----------------------------------------
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

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!

-------------------
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

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

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.

-----------
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
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
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?

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------
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

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------
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?


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!
------------------------------------------------
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?
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!

------------------------------------------------
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.