I know there are quite a few of us that are in direct sales on here and was wondering if we could share our tips on sales, recruiting and such.

Hopefully this post is appropriate!

One of the things I do to increase sales and get my name out there is I hand out little organza bags that contain a piece of candy, my business card with a 10% coupon on the back and a sample of one of the items we sell.

I am looking for advice on what you do with old catalogs. I do not like to throw them away but they are outdated. I usually put a sticker on the front that explains the catalog is older and to see all of our new products please go to my website. I do give the older catalogs away to hostesses in their hostess pack and when I am out and about and start talking to somebody I will give them one too. But I am stuck there.

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I used to take my old catalogs to my hairdresser and my doctor's office and ask them if I could leave some there (with the sticker you are talking about saying "Contact me for a current catalog"). I didn't get a lot of interest, but I did meet one future hostess that way and another customer who ordered regularly for a very long time.

Great Thread!!!

To increase my sales for the month of July, I'm doing a raffle basket for anyone who spends $50 and when I get $2500 in sales I will raffle off prize. I'm going to be going a large beach bag filled with all sorts of goodies. Appox $50.
For bookings for July;; I'm offering a Coach bag to raffle off, for every $250 in sales the hostess will go into.

Also our catalog will be changing August. So I will have a open house at my home and for every customer who uses our save plan they will get to pick any retired item I have for free. [ There is a lot of items to pick from as we retire about 1/2 our catalog]

For recruiting; I always play 20 ? ask me anything about my job. cost to start, how much money can be made, trips, free stuff etc...
Some time I will also play Mary Mall and it shows what a pt clerk working retail makes and a direct sales person makes.. This one is reallt good to start using in early fall.

I also have a yahoo group set up for my team to find flyers and stuff. This is fantastic as my computer has crashed before and I didn't have to go look for all the flyers.

I use constant contact to send out my e marking emails monthly. Our company does have it too. But They started after I started CC.. It shows who opens your email time and if they click on your website. Then I look to see who clicked through my website and make follow up phone calls.

I think the biggest thing in direct sales is to follow up and not to be afraid to get on the phone!

One good thing to do with one of your old catalogs is to use it for the pictures. Depending on what type of business your in if you have your display items in boxes you can cut out pictures, tape them to the boxes and then when your looking for something specific you find it much easier!!

Doing events are a great way to get your name out there! Like craft fairs etc. I have had trouble finding some in my area but have done them before!

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Doing events are a great way to get your name out there! Like craft fairs etc. I have had trouble finding some in my area but have done them before![/quote]

Have you looked in your local papers, craigslist or craftlister.com for vendor fairs. They are starting to advertise for the fall now..

How about doing your own? Being in the direct sales bus you meet so many other DS reps. If you were to rent a local VFW hall and have vendors pay you to set up. Also if you make it a benefit ex: addmission a canned good for local food pantry or auction for something the newspapers do free advertising for you. As it is a benefit.

One thing I am getting ready to do with my catalogs is put them everywhere!!!! We have a new catalog that starts in July so the current one will be gone at the end of July. Since the company I am with will be offering online ordering the 7th. I am going to put stickers on the front talking about the online ordering as we'll as my info, and just put them EVERYWHERE!!!!

I never throw catalogs away! You can always out a sticker on it saying contact me for a current catalog etc.

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