How to Build your Direct Sales Business in 3 Easy Steps

Sponsoring can be such a challenge! It is tough to know what to say, who to reach out to and how to connect in the right way.

So how do we overcome the challenge and build real connections and lasting relationships?

Confidence leaves a lasting impression

Know Your Business

TIP: First rule is getting to know your business well enough to talk about it with confidence. As we move through our business lives we learn each day and knowing how to talk about what you do it key to building a team.

TRICK: Use your products, learn key ingredients and benefits of your products and then practice talking about your products. Learn the benefits of your business and the opportunity (how can it improve someone's life, how can it make a difference). What does your business mean to you? Share your story….

Build Relationships

TIP: The key to building relationships is leaving our comfort zone and connecting with people we know and people we don’t know. This is called networking in many sales businesses but I prefer to call it building relationships. To build a strong relationship we have to be comfortable with ourselves and be truthful in our approach. Try not to talk about your business in a first meeting or first message. Let the relationship develop. Practice the art of interviewing, or asking questions about topics your listener is interested in talking about. Let them share their passions with you. Then eventually you will get to share your passion with them.

TRICK: Reach out and touch someone today. I don’t mean physically I mean emotionally. Give a compliment, thank someone or ask someone a valid question that lets them share their knowledge. Learn what they are good at. People like to share their knowledge. Know that the questions you ask you really want to know the answer too. Do not ever ask a question if you really do not want to know the answer. Be genuine or nothing at all.

Example: Hi Jane, I love all of your Yoga pics, you look so strong and fit. I love Yoga but don’t know anything about Bikram. Should I learn the poses before I take a class or do you think I can go to a class as a beginner? I hate to make a fool of myself. Help needed from a newbie.

People love to share their knowledge…

Example: Susan I see you are at the Monaco Grand Prix….OMG I am so jealous and happy for you. I love racing! I cant wait to see all of your pics and chat about Monaco when you get back. (YES…. I really did send this)

Follow Up

TIP: Following up is the most important step of all and the one step we all forget to do or just don't want to do because it requires time and energy. And it isn’t the fun part of our job. But following up is the number one way to build relationships and to maintain a strong top of mind awareness, it is also the only way you are going to build your business. Having the ability to show that you care about someone as a friend will put you in a whole different category with any of your connections.

TRICK: Send Thank You Cards immediately after a sale or when a friend has helped out in a situation. Never forget a birthday. Just so you know my birthday is always the most important day of the year for me. You send me a birthday card or a direct message on my birthday I am your friend for life…

Use your skills of organization and remind yourself to follow up on any inquiries or connections that might lead to building your business.

No matter what business you are in building relationships is essential to your success. You are a business owner so make sure you act like one. Laziness as you can see is not on the list.

Cheers,

Toni

The Virtual Handshake

What does it mean and how do we achieve it with success?

 

I decided when I first became a work from home professional that I would take every opportunity to introduce myself and not miss any chance to meet someone new, I would make sure to personally engage with people even if I was doing it virtually.

In an age of information overload we tend to fall into the habit of those abbreviated words that become abbreviated messages which become absurdly quick answers to any question. We send and receive email that literally leaves out any sign of friendliness or genuine interaction. We have become a society of less than approachable conversations on all media and especially on social media. So here is how I created my version of the virtual handshake.

If you have become friends with someone new on any social media site it is time to reach out, introduce yourself and say hello. Take the time to get to know them by looking over their social media profiles and learn a thing or two about them. When you say hello genuinely greet them with a smile on your face, even if they can’t see it they can feel it and remember a quick compliment can go a long way to breaking any barrier.

By the way I do this exact same greeting in person so I am not straying from what I do out in the real world. It helps to break the ice and gets people to smile. SO my suggestion is to always be yourself, unless of course being yourself means you don’t say hi at all.  Be personable and fun be interested and interesting it can bring about a much friendlier conversation and frankly it makes for a much better handshake. The rule of thumb is to be genuine and yourself.

The Personal Handshake

At a recent cocktail party my husband and I attended I did not know a single soul in a room filled with professionals. But since I am a very social creature and tend to love conversation I never stand back in the corner and wait for others to come to me. I always pick out people in the room I truly want to get to know, I pay attention to the crowd and look for friendly faces and people who carry themselves with confidence. The more confident a person is in the room the more I want to meet them.

I will approach them after I have observed something about them and I prepare to introduce myself, I put out my hand for a shake and give a compliment or I ask a compelling question. Example: Hi my name is Toni Thomas, I saw you from across the room and I love those shoes, where did you find them if you don’t mind my asking?
I really did love her shoes and I really did want to know where she got them. Of course she smiled and was more than happy to talk about her great shoes and the great price she got them for. Never underestimate the power of the compliment.

The Virtual Handshake

So how is a virtual handshake different? I can honestly say the technique is the same but the approach takes a little more effort. In the world of social media we are constantly adding new people to our circle of relationships. In Facebook it is by adding friends, in LinkedIn it is by adding connections, with Instagram you have followers, and well you know how it works. Each one is a social media site but each one is very different in nature but I can assure you that a handshake is still a handshake if done correctly.

On social media it requires a little more time and effort. Let’s use Facebook as an example. On Facebook we have many friends, some we know, some we know real well and some we don’t know at all. If you are in the business of building relationships then a virtual handshake is very important to connecting with those unknown friends on your friend list and taking the time to do a virtual crowd look is much harder but can still be accomplished. Take the time go look at their profile. Scroll through and pick out something about them that you can relate to. Children, cats, dogs, motivational posts, inspirational posts, a hobby or one of the many things we see every day on other people’s timeline.

Once you have found a genuine topic to compliment or a compelling question to ask you are now prepared to make the virtual handshake. Example:  Hi my name is Toni Thomas, I noticed we are friends on Facebook and I love all the motivational post you make, thanks for sharing. I was wondering where you got that great scarf I saw you wearing in your post yesterday. I love it!!!!

Easy right?

Now how do we make a virtual handshake in an online event or party that you are hosting? This seems like an easy way to make a new friend and give a handshake. The attendees are in a virtual room that you have created, you have set the mood and they are watching (even if you don’t think they are) so never miss the opportunity to put out your virtual hand for a shake and give a compliment or ask a compelling question.

Take advantage of the occasion you created to make t heconnection.

The results will astonish you!

Cheers,

Toni

There is a better way...