Direct sales is easy IF you know what to do and what not to do. This hugpage will give informative information about direct selling and direct sales. Read along!

What is Direct sales ?

Direct sales is a method of selling a consumer product or a service, person-to-person and away from a fixed retail location. These consumer products are sold through in-home product demonstrations, “home parties” and one-on-one selling by salespeople. Such products or services are usually marketed to customers by independent salespeople or teams of salespeople. Depending on the sales company structure, the salespeople may be called consultants, distributors, representatives, or a number of other different titles. Direct sales can be a part time job or a full time business, depending on the needs and wants of the salesperson. Direct sales is one of the oldest sales methods still going strong today.

Industry representative, the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA), reported that its 59 regional member associations had accounted for over US$114 Billion in retail sales in 2007, through the activities of over 62 million independent sales representatives.

According to the WFDSA, consumers and customers benefit from direct sales because of the high quality of service, convenience, delivery method, and the satisfaction gaurantees provided. A major benefit to an individual that wants to begin a career in the independent direct selling business is the usually low startup costs. Most companies require little or no required inventory or other cash commitments to begin. If a company you are interested in joining does require high costs for inventory and startups, be very careful. These companies may actually be pyramid schemes, not direct sales companies.

Research by the United States Direct Selling Association (DSA) reported that in the year 2000, 55% of adult Americans had at some time purchased items or services from a direct sales consultant and 20% reported that they were currently(6%) or had been in the past(14%) a direct sales consultant.

Direct sales is different from direct marketing because it is focused on individual sales agents contacting, networking, and dealing directly with clients and customers. Direct marketing is business organizations more focused on seeking a relationship with their customers without going through a salesperson or retail outlet.

Direct sales companies also usually offer a multi-level compensation plan that greatly benefits the individual consultants. Not only does the company pay commission to the salesperson for their own individual sales, but they will also pay bonuses on sales of other salespersons that were introduced and trained by that particular salesperson. Not only can someone make decent income by networking and selling the services or products, but by building and training a large successful team of individual consultants.

Direct sales can be the key to running your own business and being able to control your income. With a successful direct sales company and a well thought out plan of attack, Direct Sales can be your ticket to freedom from bosses, commutes, and time restraints.

Direct sales Opportunity: Important Choices – What to Look For in a direct sales company

When entering the Direct sales field, you should always do lots of research on the company you are going to promote. Check the direct sales company’s reputation, check the BBB background on the company, talk with other direct sales representatives, and find out everything you can. You want to make sure that this direct sales company is the right one for you and that you are the right one for them.

Research the startup costs and costs that will incur for you to maintain your direct sales business through them. Most direct sales companies will have minimal startup costs. The reason for low startup costs is because the company wants to make it easy for you to get started with them, they are not trying to make a profit off of your startup. A direct sales company that tries to profit from you signing up is not what you want. These companies are usually just pyramid schemes that don’t last very long.

Make sure your direct sales company does everything they can to help with your success. This does not mean they will hold your hand through the process, but it does mean that they have policies in place that will allow the salespeople to be the way that they make money. A good direct sales company will not allow retail sales of their products or services, they won’t allow the direct selling of their products online through ebay or craigslist or other online services. If they do allow these types of sales, your selling will be limited because there will always be someone selling through ebay and craigslist and undercutting you.

Look for a Direct sales company  that provides a solid performance compensation for you and people that join under you. Your income can be excellent with just the direct sales of the items or services you sell, but if you have the added bonus of being able to build an excellent team underneath of you, and the direct sales company compensates this fairly, you can create a powerful income vehicle. Once you get started with your direct sales business, you will realize that the income generated by your team can quickly overcome your own sales income. After you build a large team under you, and you help this team to be successful through training and informative help, you can actually slow your own sales down and still make a full time income.

Don’t join a company that you don’t believe in. This is a VERY important factor in determining which direct sales company is right for you. You must be excited about the product and the opportunity so you can pass on the excitement to your customers and clients. If you believe in the product and the company, you will feel confident about telling your friends, family, and complete strangers about it, with no regrets. Don’t be the person that sells something they don’t even own themselves… it won’t work in the -long run. Be true to yourself, be true to your company and the success will follow with the work you put into it.

Happy Sales!

 When throwing a direct sale party, you want to keep it casual and fun. A good way to excite your potential customers and keep them content during the party is with a few games. Games should do two things: lighten the atmosphere and give your customers a chance to get something free. Everyone likes free stuff and if you can give them a product from your sales line it only makes them feel more obligated to place an order at the end of the party.

A few of the games that are simple and inexpensive to do that work well for parties are 1) maze game and 2) the story game. The maze game is simple and only costs a couple cents for each customer. Find a rather simple maze and print off enough copies for each customer. The game is easy... the first one to complete the maze wins the prize. You want to use an inexpensive prize from your product line. DO NOT use a prize that isn't your direct sales company's product. You want to use something that costs perhaps two to five dollars from your catalog. If you don't have these items on hand, just let the winner know that you will add that prize to their order at the end and you will give it to them for free. Then you can just pay for the prize when placing the order.

The story game is simple and also inexpensive. This is why these two are the best games to play at direct sales parties. For the story game, all you need to do is have a few paragraphs that tell about the company you represent. Then, choose a word from that story, such as the company's name. Now, give the first person the prize. Tell the group that each time you say the company's name in the story, they are to pass the prize to their left around the circle. Each time you say the company's name, they will pass the prize off. The person that has the prize at the end of the story wins it. A very simple and effective game.

Be creative, come up with your own games if you'd like. Remember, the two goals are to lighten the mood and make the customers excited and happy. Happy customers are the ones that will be willing to spend the money when it comes time for ordering. Also remember to only give prizes from YOUR CATALOG. People that win prizes will tell others how they won it and word will spread about your direct sales business and products. I hope these games to play at direct sales party help bring your parties fun and extra orders!