1) Know your income goals: Do you want to increase earnings by an extra $400 a month? Can you have regular meetings, parties, or one-to-one appointments to introduce others to the products? How many calls will you make in a week? How much money will you invest in inventory? How many people will you recruit each month?
When you actually begin in direct sales, you'll have much clearer idea of what to do and how long it will take to get your work done. You'll see how smooth goal setting can be.
"Sometimes, you can start out wanting nothing but some money." said Camilla Kuhn, a Westville New Jersey, district manager for Doncaster "and before you know it the money': $20,000 a year or more." Now fifty-two years old. Camilla originally just liked the idea of selling the kind of clothes she loves to wear and found she had fun doing it. She stayed with Doncaster, deciding to make it her career.
"Many of us entered the business with no real opinion of direct sales or knowledge of how much we could earn." she continued. "Since your hours are flexible to start, find out what you can do well and how to increase your earnings steadily. The best way: know your obligations to yourself and the company."
2) State your goal to someone important. Mary Kay Ash tells of how this step in goal setting made a big difference in her own rise to success. When she was new to direct sales and still a faltering and insecure salesperson with Stanley tome Products (Stanhome) she attended her first company seminar." One subject discussed was stating your goal with the company. Each person in the audience was called upon to it and up and do so. Mary Kay was at the back of the room, listening attentively. When it was her time to state her goal, she walked down the aisle directly up to Mr. Beveridge, the President of the company, and said to him. "Next year. I'm going to be your Queen." He looked at her and said sincerely. 'Somehow, I know you will!"
The point is: Mary Kay wanted to be honored the next year at Stanhome's seminar as the best, the "Queen." She told her goal to a person who would understand it-that is someone who was a success and knew what it took to persist in this business. What mattered most, though, was that Mr. Beveridge knew that Mary Kay really meant what she said and she offered sincere words of encouragement to her. Those few words are inspiring and motivating. Find a role model within your direct sales company whom you can talk to even briefly and state your goal to him or her. I guarantee that you will be encouraged!
3) Give yourself enough time to reach a goal: When you start working in direct sales and see the possibilities actual materialize, in your excitement you might list goals you want to accomplish within absolute time frames. You'll find them" each company awards titles appropriate to different levels of production and income-you may start off as a "distributor or "consultant." As your income increases, you may be eligible for "supervisor" or "sales manager." "director" or "division manager" and so on. Higher levels offer great" commissions and rewards or bonuses and you may want to reach these levels as fast as possible. You might slot one year for one title, or six months of hard work for another and up the scale.
If you've got the fever to make it big you should see advice from an expert at your company on how to get where you want to go and how long it will take. What will be expected of you? Can you reasonably hit your goal without rushing it or putting excessive pressure on yourself?
Each company establishes a policy about what is require for title change and with it increased earnings. Most likely, you'll have to fulfill a certain monthly sales minimum-for example. $3,000 or $3,500 a month in unit sales to be a manager or supervisor. Suppose you've now been told that, on an average, a beginning consultant needs about 12-13 months to reach a particular sales level. Decide how to do it.
Examine what you've done in the first six months and decide how to achieve your goal without straining. Will you need to devote more time to it each week? Do you need to recruit new people or more enthusiastic ones? Probably both. Once you get the feel of the business, it becomes important to devise one master plan as a tool to reach the goals you've set for yourself.
Women with young children can still reach their goals, but it may take them longer because of other demands on their time. I spent many years making a pie with one hand and setting up appointments with the other. The fact is that motherhood helps us master the art of multiple accomplishments out of necessity. I started my business when my children were all in their teens and time was tight. I had my business goal. Though it mattered enough for me to find the time. When you're busy running a home, the steps you take forward may be tinier, but tiny steps ease you closer to your goals anyway! As the direction of your life shifts day to day, just steer toward your goal from another angle. Make your phone calls at night rather than during "working hours" if that is what comes up for you. If need be, allow yourself to slow down your pace when caring for family business becomes the priority. In your heart you'll know the difference between making excuses and when there are real demands on your life. If that's the case, don't get frustrated because you're off schedule.
"We're pioneers of a sort in this business." said Sue Fredsrickson, a dynamic New Orleans-based manager for Discovery Toys, speaking of the force women with children have had upon the direct sales business. "We take care of each other and help each other get moving. Most of us have families and children and understand what it means to succeed and enjoy the rewards of a part-time career."
Sue, now 35, began her professional life as a teacher. A friend invited her to a demonstration of Discovery Toys though she'd never considered selling them. "After listening for five minutes I was sold! I loved the toys and bought the whole kit. That was 1981. That fall season I sold $10,000 worth of toys." Since then Sue's moved up steadily in the company.
To reach her success Sue formulated a personal theory that "anyone can win with three keys to success." The first is enthusiasm. "Talk about your product all the time." she advises, "and don't hesitate to recruit when you can. Just draw interest, and don't be pushy. Perseverance is second: There will always be days when you wonder if this career is worth anything. I think this is a universal feeling-everyone has thought this, no matter who. But you have to hang in there- during low times, slow seasons-overcoming doubts about yourself and most important to me, conscientious goal setting. Set your sights, set up a structure. If it means more recruiting or more hours, decide how you'll do it day by day. You'll make it if you believe in yourself and your goal."
Be kind to yourself. If success is your plan, pat yourself on the back for doing even a little work-don't diminish your efforts just because you didn't meet an ideal timetable.
Make out a master plan that details your goals and how you envision meeting them within the first two or three years and how to meet them realistically. The first twenty-four to thirty-six months are very important. This is where you'll develop expertise; expand your knowledge about selling, about the product, about dealing effectively with others; and become an entrepreneur as you set up working schedules and stick to them as closely as possible. You'll work hard these two to three years. But remember, though you may sometimes fall behind, at other moments, you'll surge ahead.
Some people become discouraged with the amount of money they've earned over the first two years and let all that effort go nowhere! They give up on themselves and a direct sales career when they just needed to take a breath then keep going.
Draw up a realistic program for increasing income by "X" amount each year: Decide how much you'd like to earn within your first year. Perhaps an extra $200 for a period of three months, then up to $500 for six months more, then $ 1,000 a month for the last three months of the year. A number of us meet such goals-and some far exceed it, but it always takes exceptional commitment, focus, ambition, and sales ability to do it. Recognizing the small successes helps us reach for more and greater goals. Remember, too that recruiting others can increase your income tremendously, since you'll be earning a percentage on their sales. Try not to put off recruiting others and include it in your plan to increase income.
In most cases, you won't clear $12,000 or certainly $20,000 or more in the first year working part-time. You can, though, realistically make about $100-$1 50 per week when you start. That's pretty good! Remember: When you go into business for yourself-especially if it's for the first time-don't expect miracles. Be happy to start a second year after twelve exceptional months of learning, trial and error, perfecting sales approaches, adjusting schedules, figuring out the most expedient ways to fill orders, and so on. You'll be putting effort into building a career, and if you're smart, you'll accept the possible lower-than-anticipated profits at the end of the first year, knowing that all you can do is grow.
Invest in yourself that first year and try not to place too much emphasis on instant riches.
You can be a whiz at sales technique, go to training sessions and sales meetings on a regular basis, attend seminars and conventions, but without a specific goal, you will not succeed. Goals help you define what you want and give a name to your next destination. Few of us would consider packing the family in the car. Backing down the driveway, and taking off for anywhere. Driving aimlessly is hardly considered a productive journey and conflicting opinions about where to go can make the trip an unpleasant one. The same issues hold true for your career. Choose the road you will take, know where it's going and be alert for meeting new opportunities as you travel it step-by-step meeting your goals. Most of all have a great time on the trip!
