![Is A Direct Sales Business Your Answer to Working from Home?]()
Direct Sales, Member Contributions
by Mona Colwell
These past few months we have worked to discover whether a direct sales business is your answer to working from home. If you have followed along this far, you probably ordered your starter set and maybe even had your first few sales. Congratulations!
You are now free from all the “what if’s” that could have held you back from giving an at-home business a try. Go ahead and dream about your future earnings potential, the prizes you will earn and the all expense paid trips that you will take as a top performer! Best yet, you ALREADY have everything that you need to be amazingly successful with your business!
You may be thinking, “What? How could that be?” The truth is that there is only one thing that sets successful consultants apart from those who are not successful. One simple word separates the ones who persist, stick it out through obstacles and keep their focus on the goal.
Two people may be from totally different backgrounds, live in entirely different locations, have different home situations and be equally successful with their businesses. Our environment only matters if we let it hold us back. For example, one parent may say that she can’t be successful because her kids are too small while another might say she is successful because her kids are small!
What makes the difference for the achievers? The ones who BELIEVE this business will work and BELIEVE that they can be successful will rise to the top! Our results in our business are the outward or physical results that come from the thoughts in our head – good or bad. If you think you can, you can!
Don’t you just love children’s books? They are filled with hope and words of encouragement. We honestly believe that our children can have anything that their heart desires. So how about us?
The best thing we can do for our business is to invest in ourselves and our positive thinking. This may sound easy enough but it takes hard work, persistence and commitment! It takes effort to be in a positive, believing state of mind every minute of every day.
However, the success of your business depends on it. If you know that your business depends on it and this area could literally make or break your business, would you find a way to make it a priority? I hope so… It starts with investing in listening, reading or watching something positive every day.
Start there and check back next time for 10 fabulous tips on creating powerful beliefs!
Mona Colwell is a work at home mom with 15 years direct sales experience. In addition to raising her three children, Mona has created a company for her almost famous husband, Emerson, and his children’s books, blogs for The Professional Women’s Network and recently transitioned to a brand new direct sales organization, Ava Anderson Non-Toxic.
![Is A Direct Sales Business Your Answer to Working from Home?]()
Direct Sales, Member Contributions
One of the benefits of a ‘business in a box’ is that part of your success will be based on your ability to duplicate certain skills that are common across many sales organizations. These include Network Marketing Skills, Communication Skills, Business Systems and Life Skills.
NETWORK MARKETING SKILLS: These are some ‘founding’ principles that are important to follow because they are already proven to work well within a direct sales organization. Successful business owners develop prospect lists, use scripts (for generating interest in their business, scheduling appointments, closing sales and following up with customers) and follow a specific presentation format for both the products and business opportunity.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS: The best communicators are the best listeners. They are able to uncover prospect’s needs and provide solutions. It’s important to ask questions and hear the answers before offering products that can potentially help your audience. Honing these skills will grow your business with lasting clients.
SUCCESS SYSTEMS: These are systems that are put in place to help run your business smoothly such as a website where your customers can order products, reports for tracking your personal team production, customer sales reports or inventory management. Today, many corporations offer these systems as part of their ‘back office’, freeing your time up so that you can be in the most important place which is in front of people presenting the products and the opportunity.
LIFE SKILLS: Successful entrepreneurs often demonstrate high ‘life’ skills which encompass:
- People skills – how you relate to others, attract customers and provide exceptional service
- Time management skills – creating and working by a schedule and focusing on income producing activities
- Emotional management – keeping your feelings in check and looking at every experience as an opportunity for growth
Many direct sales organizations will provide educational websites, CDs, podcasts and events to help you gain and improve these skills. A direct sales business is just like every other business, and not necessarily a ‘get rich scheme’. Rather, it is an opportunity for you to have easy entry into the marketplace where you can take advantage of an already established business model. By taking the time to learn these proven skills and then putting them into practice in the field, your results will be a fast growing, lucrative home based business.
Mona Colwell is a work at home mom with 15 years direct sales experience. In addition to raising her three children, Mona has created a company for her almost famous husband, Emerson, and his children’s books, blogs for The Professional Women’s Network and recently transitioned to a brand new direct sales organization, Ava Anderson Non-Toxic.
![Is A Direct Sales Business Your Answer to Working from Home?]()
Direct Sales, Member Contributions
Most direct sales businesses cost relatively little, perhaps $100- or less for a “starter set” which may include marketing materials and full size products to demonstrate or show to potential customers. There are many people who will agonize about this $100- decision, talking themselves in and out of the business opportunity without ever committing to give the business a try.
If you are intrigued by the business, have uncovered no “red flags” and are still tossing back and forth about your decision, my suggestion would be to create your own “Pros” and “Cons” lists. A few minutes spent listing out all the reasons to start a business can eliminate weeks or longer of pain from indecision, help you to isolate emotional excuses and identify some of your fears that can block your success.
Some people may say, “You’ll never know unless you give it a try,” and I agree. However, why try something that you are not committed to giving an honest effort? You could be setting yourself up for failure.
All self-employed people will agree that there are no shortcuts in business and in order to make a business work, you need to work. Your success will truly depend on you so ask yourself, “Am I willing to work to make your business work?” If the answer is “Yes,” then go back through your two lists. Remember that fear, just like excitement, are emotions that can fade. So based on the facts, your “Pros” vs. “Cons” about the opportunity, which list wins?
If you like the products, can get excited about sharing the products with other people, your “Pros” outweigh your “Cons” and the company you are investigating has passed the “red flag” test, then perhaps you are ready to take the plunge into the world of self employment with a firm commitment for the direction you have chosen. OurMilkMoney.com, the nation’s #1 network for self-employed parents, will support you along every step of your new journey!
Mona Colwell is a work at home mom with 15 years of direct sales experience. In addition to raising her three children, Mona has created a company, TINK INK Publishing, for her almost famous husband, Emerson, and his children’s books and recently transitioned to a brand new direct sales organization, Ava Anderson Non-Toxic.
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