Belinda Ellsworth

Cheat Sheet / Updated 07-01-2022

Direct selling has come a long way from its humble, domestic roots in 1950s Americana. Today’s top independent representatives run highly efficient, modern businesses that often leave more traditional retailers in the dust. There are three main types of direct sales models: social selling, network marketing, and affiliate/influencer, and each finds its niche in the industry. Being successful means setting and meeting goals. Doing so keeps you on your toes and engaged in your business. Once you get going in your business, there are lots of hard-earned tips and tricks you can apply to really maximize your profit. The following are some resources you can use regularly as a direct seller. You can find helpful information about everything from time management, team communications, social media communication and strategy, money management, and a wide assortment of other topics.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Trade shows are amazing opportunities for you to gain clients that you might not have encountered from other areas of your direct selling business. They are great ways to broaden your audience and obtain new leads for sales, booking, and recruiting. There are many different types of shows to get involved with — everything from large events like national women’s shows that bring in thousands of people, to smaller community events. Both types of event have their advantages and disadvantages. Large trade shows The main advantage of large trade shows is seeing more people. Lots more people. Disadvantages include increased cost, longer time commitment, and development of leads that may not be strong. Large events can be a great way to meet lots of new people at one time. Because of the cost and time commitment, these types of events are great to involve your team members so that you can all share the costs. Smaller community shows Smaller community events like markets and Chamber of Commerce events bring in fewer people, but require less investment on your part. Leads developed at these events are typically stronger because you have more time to develop connections, and results may be better. Drawbacks include meeting fewer people. Contact your Chamber to see what types of events are going on in your area. You can also check nearby neighborhoods and cities to break out into new areas. Having a focus Another thing you should try to do is attend a trade show or two before deciding to become a vendor. That way you can judge firsthand whether you are likely to get a return on the time commitment and cost investment. Look for what other types of vendors participate and what the demographic of the attendees are. Could you picture your product and your business there? Would it appeal to guests? There are plenty of trade shows, craft fairs, and markets available to you in your state, if not your city and surrounding area. Don’t get discouraged if the event you want already has a representative from your company attending. Move on and find another event you can attend. The next important aspect when looking at trade shows is choosing what to focus on. It is good to have one goal in mind. This may change from show to show or event to event, but it’s important to go into every trade show with one main objective. Many direct sales reps go into a trade show and try to obtain sales, bookings, and recruits — and end up feeling overwhelmed. It’s okay to touch on all these things, but when you go in with a tight focus and restrained expectancy, you will be more successful. If you want to sell off inventory and make quick cash, then focus on that. Bear in mind that because people will be walking away with products in hand, they may be less likely to book a party or join as a team member. If you want to sell something to help cover the cost of the booth, then consider having a show special. This special could be one product that is discounted, or bundled product. A show special can help you cover the cost of your booth and still create a desire for hosting among attendees because there will be other product that they can’t get at the trade show. Be sure to always have samples of your other products out on the table. Focus on either booking to fill your calendar with parties and appointments or on securing recruiting leads. These are the activities that will move your business forward and make you more money in the long run. When looking to fill your calendar, focus your efforts on creating a desire for the product and emphasizing the benefits of hosting. Instead of giving away catalogs, which can be costly, make up smaller brochures or flyers (some companies do this for you) that cover the host benefits and highlight some of the benefits of your products. To encourage booking on the spot, you can also offer a booking bonus special. This is a gift hosts will receive the day of their party for booking with you (not the day they book at the trade show). If you want to focus on recruiting, give out information and recruiting packets. Most companies have already created these materials for you. Focus on the benefits of starting a direct sales business and have posters or banners that say “Start a Business for as little as $___” (your kit cost). If your company doesn’t offer recruiting materials or other marketing pieces, include a kit flyer (photo of the kit and cost) as well as information on the benefits of starting a business. Some of these benefits are increased income, flexibility, awards and incentives, friendships, and personal growth. So before each event, decide what you really want at that particular time in your business (sales, bookings, or recruits) and stick to pursuing that.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Personal development and growth are constant requirements in direct sales, as in life. If you think you’ve quit learning and that you can’t grow, then you have nowhere to go but backwards. Even returning to tried-and-true materials can teach you something new. If the resource is grounded in excellence, rather than mediocrity, it will still hold value for you. There is innovation and inspiration to be uncovered in new programs, as well as in old standbys with proven track records. For example, you can reread a favorite book. You may be surprised by how much you forgot — and by how different the story or characters seem now, if you read it a long time ago. This is confirmation that you can continually learn different things at different times from the same materials because you’re in a different place. Excellence stands up to the test of time, but the things you learn are only useful if you employ them, reinforce them, and remember them. Sometimes that means revisiting, because the lessons do you no good if you read them, reflect for a moment, and then forget about them. Just the act of seeking out more information and learning opportunities can cause you to make connections in your mind between different philosophies and techniques — and that, too, helps cement previous lessons. People like refreshers on the basics. They may think, “I used to do that. I quit doing that. It worked for me. Why did I stop doing that?” That thought process and hearing the same information again keeps them returning to what works and adjusting the things that don’t. That happens to everyone. You’ve learned tons of techniques — probably more than you can ever use all at the same time. But how many do you actually retain? How many do you still use? There certainly is no shortage of ideas and things you already know that would really improve your businesses and your life. So you discover a new approach. You learn it. You master it. It works great! And then . . . you get bored with it and just stop doing it. It happens. People get lazy. You will be doing great with a technique and it will be boosting your bookings, increasing attendance at your events, or pumping up your sales, and then you’ll just stop. Down the road, you run across it again and remember that it worked. And you know what? It can still work. It’s not that the technique wasn’t solid; it’s just that you quit using it. Why not revisit some old habits that work? Take a look at what’s been great for you in the past, but that, for some reason, you’re just not doing anymore. Go back and implement the techniques that lit a fire under you so long ago. Listen to that CD that spurred you into action and led to a small change in your life. If it had power and value then, it likely will again. A “reunion” with messages, tools, and habits that served you well in the past could leave you renewed and ready to take on new challenges. The tools of yesterday could be the beginning of a new personal growth path for you today.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

People decide to start a direct sales business because of hope — hope for a better life, for earning a greater income, for having the ability to choose how they spend their time and the opportunity to build something to call their own. To have a successful business you need to be committed and consistent with your efforts. But the truth is, a lot of people don’t do anything long enough to get good at it. The old saying practice makes perfect is right on. In direct sales, or any business for that matter, you need to be practicing the skill sets that will make you successful. In direct sales, they include the following: Holding parties Conducting interviews Handling customer care calls Recruiting Doing product presentation Securing bookings Not only do you need to practice these skills, you need to commit to practicing them regularly. To get the results you desire, you must commit to giving your business the time and attitude it deserves. As with any new job, there will be times when you feel uncomfortable. Just give it time; becoming successful or confident won’t happen overnight. If you want results, you have to stick with it. Being committed to perfecting skills isn’t enough, though. You need to be consistent. Do you know that the most successful business owners do the same things you do? They just do them more often. If you want to avoid the “roller coaster effect” of business (ups and downs), then you simply have to be consistent. Here are some areas where consistency is crucial for continued success: Book parties, events, or appointments from every party you attend. Book another party every time you have a cancellation to replace it. Follow up with your leads (at two days, two weeks, and two months). Do a booking and opportunity talk at every party or event. Touch your business in some way, every day. Submit orders and parties in a timely manner. Coach your hosts through consistent communication. Connect with your sponsor or leader for accountability. Attend meetings and opportunity events. Schedule blocks of time to contact new leads. Post to social media every day. Connect with team members. Commit to doing these activities for at least 30 days. Then evaluate the impact they had on your business. It’s important to continue practicing your skills (like customer calls, bookings, and recruiting) even if you don’t always get the outcome you want. The more you continue to practice and perfect these skills, the easier they will come to you, and the easier it will be to get the results you’re looking for. Did you know that Michael Jordan holds one of the career records for most missed shots? Yet he is remembered as a basketball superstar. Those who take a lot of shots, make a lot of shots.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

The key to having a continually growing direct sales business, even a multimillion one, is promoting leaders and training your team. But when you look at your organization as a whole, the idea of making coaching calls can seem overwhelming. Where will you start? What will you talk about? How will you keep track of what you’ve talked about with each individual rep? Viewed like that, the task seems almost impossible. But the good news is that it’s very possible to handle your team tasks using the Power Hour for Leaders approach, and one of the simplest ways is to look at your team as groups of reps, rather than as one big group. Try dividing members of your team into four separate groups, and handle your coaching calls for the day according to groups. (For example, only coach New Consultants on Mondays, Business Builders on Tuesdays, and so on.) New Consultants: This includes those who are new to the business as well as new to your particular company. With this group, you’re helping them master the basics of the business. You’ll introduce and review scripts for parties and appointments, follow-up calls for recruiting and host coaching, and help them set goals for their new businesses. Much of what you’ll be discussing with members of this group is training, with a dash of coaching. Members stay with this group during their first three months (until after their Fast Start program). Business Builders: This group has been in the business for at least three months, and they’ve proven that they’ve mastered the scripts (opening, demonstration, recruiting, host coaching, and closing). They have completed their Fast Start program and are working on their goals. With this group, you’ll focus on coaching them to earn incentives, such as trips or special awards, and help them hone their skills and develop great habits. Within their specific goals, you’ll coach them with a focus on reaching their recruiting and booking goals. Calls with Business Builders are more about coaching than training, but you can expect to do a little training, too. Future Leaders: These reps have either begun seriously recruiting or have expressed a desire to do so. This group is getting close to achieving the qualifications to advance to a leadership rank in the company. In other words, they are your potential leaders. Talking to reps in this group, you’ll discuss some of the same things you do with Business Builders, but you’ll also focus on helping them set goals for giving out recruiting packets as well as effectively following up on those packets. You’ll ask about how many packets they’re giving out, how often they’re following up, and, of course, how many they’re closing. You’ll take notes on who they’ve talked to and ask specific follow-up questions. (“Carol, you told me you gave recruiting packets to Sharon, Karla, and Stephanie last week. What did Sharon say when you followed up with her?”) It’s a good idea to regularly share the industry standard numbers with members of this group: For every ten packets given, one person will become a team member. For every ten team members, one person will become a leader. You will want to continually see where they are and coach them to achieve the qualifications so they can advance in the career plan. Core Leaders: When you have someone who has mastered the basics of leadership and is either preparing to or actually managing her own team, she becomes one of your Core Leaders. With the reps in this group, you’ll often have to encourage them to remember the reality of “A third of your team is joining, a third is working, and a third is leaving.” This adage means that it’s absolutely critical that she continue to recruit so she can replace that third which is leaving. You will also train leaders how to work with their teams (including their own New Consultants, Business Builders, and Future Leaders). Ideally, reps should advance to the next category within three months. Some may linger longer and some will soar, especially when a rep has expressed a desire to earn top money. With each person who comes into your group, if your goal is to move them to the next level within 90 days, you have a greater chance of promoting more leaders.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

By combining the logistics of social media with the tried-and-true methods of direct sales, you can achieve increases in sales, recruiting, and brand recognition online. With that in mind, here are five tips that you can learn and share with other people you bring into the business. You could even send this out in an email to your team, use it at your next team meeting, or even post in your Facebook Groups for training purposes. Facebook is not like a highway Say you’re a big name soap company and you decide to purchase an ad on a billboard on a busy highway. The company that owns the billboard space can’t provide any info to you except how many people drive past it per day. They can’t tell you how many impressions their ad made on people or how many engaged with it. Not only can’t they share that information, they don’t care. The ad will not be replaced by another because enough eyes didn’t look at it during the day. The ad will not be replaced because a certain driver doesn’t like soap. Facebook is completely different. Its metrics absolutely care if people are looking at your posts. They measure whether people are interested and whether they want to see more. They can also tell you how many people your post reaches and whether your post or ad is turning into clicks on your website. Facebook also cares if people don’t care about your post. And if you aren’t drawing in your customers with killer content and interesting graphics, Facebook will replace your post in newsfeeds with someone else’s. Engagement is king So now that you understand that Facebook absolutely cares and measures how many people are engaged with your posts, it’s important to understand how you stay in the newsfeed. In social media, engagement (Likes, Comments, and Shares) is everything. It is engagement on your content that determines whether the algorithm says yay or nay to posting your content into your fans’ and friends’ newsfeeds. To increase your engagement, you need to make sure what your posting is interesting and relevant. It’s also a good idea to literally ask for engagement. Try using phrases like “Comment below,” “Like if you agree,” and “Share this post with your friends.” Content is everything To encourage engagement on your posts, you need to share interesting and engaging content. Resist putting up posts that only show photos of your products. Don’t ever update your status to say something like “Order today!” or “Buy now!” Similarly, don’t use “Join my team!” or “Host a party!” as statuses either. You want to use benefit selling, not descriptive selling. Don’t focus on what your products are made of, or how they are produced, or anything like that. Focus on how they will make your customers feel and on why the product will be beneficial for them. Also, think about the types of posts that are shared most by your customers. If you are with a food or cookware company, recipes and health tips are popular. If you are with a cosmetics company, easy tips and techniques are also content that many people find interesting. Share content, not products. Product sales and interest will follow once people trust you as a reliable and trust worthy expert. Focus on ROR (return on relationships) Studies show that people respond more to customer relations than to traditional advertising. It is also more likely for a customer to become a brand ambassador and loyal customer (who you can constantly re-service) if they feel they are a valued part of your community. Put time and energy into following up with your customers and establishing authentic relationships. Don’t ever message someone you don’t know and ask them to purchase your product. That makes the experience about you and what you can get from it. Instead, take an interest in that person and build a relationship. Building relationships with your customers is a long-term endeavor. You can’t always expect a sale the first time you connect with someone. Some studies say that people need to see a product or service as many as 20 times before they make a decision to purchase. Continue to service your customers and wow them with your support. People want to do business with people they want to be friends with, so put time into building those connections. A picture is worth a thousand words Always use graphics and images with your posts. Text-only status updates get less engagement than posts that have photos. Think about how you interact with your newsfeed. You go on your phone and quickly scroll through, only stopping if something catches your eye. When creating posts for your personal profile and business page, it’s your job to make sure they are appealing. Use bright colors and tools like Canva.com to create custom images. And stay away from using the color blue because it blends into Facebook’s newsfeed.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

In order to build a successful direct selling business, you need to define what success means to you. That means deciding what your vision for your business is and setting the goals you need to get there: Creating your vision: Vision is the big picture of where you see yourself and what motivates you. Keeping your vision front and center can help set you apart — very few people develop a vision. Picture what you really want in life. Make that picture very clear. Don’t just envision more free time and more money. Get into detail. Paint a picture of what you really want the time and money for. Perhaps you would like to buy a new home, become debt‐free, or help your spouse retire. Writing down your vision and placing it prominently on a bulletin board is a good way to keep your vision alive. Setting goals as your milestones to success: Vision and goals both contribute to success, but they are not the same thing. Success is achieving your vision by reaching the goals you set. Goals are the milestones on the way to your success. Goals are a way to break down your vision into manageable steps. Look closely at your vision. What steps, or goals, will it take to get there? For example, if you want to take your loved ones to Disney World, you need to determine how much that trip will cost. Once you know the dollar amount, you can easily plan how you are going to achieve that in commission. Reaching your destination: When you make a decision, the desire builds, you follow through with the details, and you reach your destination. You may need to pull over and get directions (meaning you may need to get help from your upline or an accountability partner), but you don’t ever give up. Success is a journey — a road traveled. You will have speed bumps, roadblocks, and detours along the way. If you don’t know where you’re going, the detours that you come across in life may take you off in different directions. By having the destination in your mind, plus written down and posted around your home or office as reminders, you’ll be able to get through the detours and challenges and still be headed in the direction you want. Staying determined: Success requires determination. Tell yourself that you’re not giving up. And then don’t. When a party cancels, don’t just think, Oh well, I guess I have the night off, and then hang out watching TV. Instead, make some calls and book another party (or two). If you’re short on your sales goals for a trip, don’t hang out watching TV — instead make up the sales with more bookings, one-on-ones, or re-servicing orders.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Most people get into direct sales to earn an income, of course. There are many ways in which you can work your business and many different opportunities to generate sales. You can utilize all of the following suggestions or focus on just two or three services: Home parties: When people get to attend a party and interact with other guests, they experience that great energy that comes from having a good time together. The right balance of fun, the excitement of seeing friends make similar purchases, the information provided in the brief presentation, and the added bonus of expert advice all combine to create social proof (the strength of personal recommendations). Social proof can create stronger sales, result in more bookings, and even make recruiting new team members easier. Follow the elements of a successful party: Always create desire for the product, hosting a party, and the opportunity. Greet guests as they come in and get them excited for the evening ahead. Do an opening talk where you introduce yourself and plant opportunity and hosting seeds. Present products and you focus on selling their benefits, not the details. Give a booking talk where you make the hosting opportunity sound fun and appealing to other guests. Deliver a recruiting talk where you build the desire for joining the company and earning an income. Always do a full-service checkout where you review their products with them to make sure they aren’t missing anything and offer the hosting and joining opportunities. One-on-one appointments: One‐on‐one selling is an excellent way to gain new clients, party hosts, and recruits. It gives you the opportunity to discover your prospects’ needs and cater your presentation to offer them a specific solution. This personal experience is the perfect situation for relationship‐building, so it also helps set you up for re‐servicing. It’s also an excellent time to sit with someone one-on-one to discuss the business opportunity. Trade shows and vendor events: Trade shows can help you reach out into your community and meet people you may not have met otherwise. Note that smaller, less expensive events tend to provide a bigger return on your investment. Decide on your purpose for that particular event and don’t get distracted by anything else. If your focus is to get bookings, then don’t focus on selling product. Concentrate on engaging people so that you get bookings. If your goal is to earn enough to pay for your booth as you expand your contacts, focus on selling product you have on hand. If your goal is recruiting, make sure all your conversations include the message “I’m looking for people to join me.” Out and about: Meeting new people — or networking — is important because you never know where you will find business. Always be prepared to talk to the people around you. Being prepared means being ready mentally and physically. You want to look professional, have your 30‐second commercial prepared and rehearsed, and be sure your marketing items are on hand. If someone asks you what you do, you want to be able to follow up with marketing materials such as promo cards, catalogs, and business cards. Online: When it comes to doing a great online party, you use exactly the same skills as an in‐home party. The difference is in how you utilize those skills. To succeed with virtual parties, you need to engage guests, make it fun, and show them how your product really answers a need they have. Successful online parties also demonstrate why hosting a party is exciting and rewarding and how becoming a representative meets a need that each guest has. There’s no question that online parties can be a great boost to your business. They allow you to reach people outside your general vicinity and offer the best fit for both you and your hosts. You don’t have to leave your house, you can put the kids in bed, and you can sit down and do your virtual party. Fundraisers: Fundraising is a $19 billion market. The great part of fundraising programs is that people want to support their community. Fundraising can introduce you and your products to an entirely different crowd. Many companies offer a fundraising program that divides your normal profit so that the bulk of it goes to your school or organization or whatever beneficiary you have chosen. Or you can develop your own program. Focus on offering about a dozen top items on a flyer rather than using the entire catalog. Make sure the receipt offers an opt‐out option for future contact and that the products are delivered with your contact information included. People who come from a long‐term corporate background find this model of doing business very successful and appealing. Re-servicing: This is a piece of the business that many people leave out, and that’s a huge amount of cash to leave on the table. Re‐servicing is more than simply posting on Facebook “I’m putting in an order, does anyone want anything?” Re‐servicing is true customer care, meaning it involves contacting customers by phone with a simple, short conversation to ensure that they’re doing well and like the products, and to determine whether they need more or would like to try the monthly special. If your company doesn’t offer a monthly special, create one for just your customers. Or look at each customer’s previous purchases and suggest something tailored just to them. Re‐servicing can turn into an independent stream of income. You can also schedule about 15–20 minutes a day for this task. Personal shopping experience: Consider providing this kind of service as well as selling products. For example, those who sell food‐storage products might tell prospective customers something like, “For a fee, I will come in and organize your pantry.” The customer then pays the fee, and you come in, show them how to organize, and recommend products that should be used — and tell them they can apply their fee as a credit toward their order. Representatives who offer cooking tools can offer to streamline kitchens. Those offering clothing can also offer seasonal wardrobe‐organization services. For many companies, it’s appropriate to offer this service twice a year. Show-on-the-go: Your mini show‐on‐the‐go is an excellent opportunity to sell your product one‐on‐one while you’re out running errands. An afternoon out at the mall can quickly turn into a sale, a booking, or a new recruit for your team. You can quickly create a show‐on‐the‐go kit by putting three catalogs (or mini‐catalogs or product brochures) into a tote bag with five to eight product samples, a host packet, and an opportunity packet.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Direct sales or direct selling refers to the sale of products or services away from a fixed retail location. These products are marketed and sold directly through independent sales representatives, also known as consultants, presenters, distributors, and a variety of other names. With a starter kit purchase for a small fee, direct sales offers the average person a way to earn income with an established business model and a marketable product line. It works almost like a mini‐franchise but without the initial investment. It is a low‐risk opportunity to earn more money than you could realistically by starting from scratch alone. There are three types of direct sales models: Party Plan: This model focuses on efficiently selling to groups of people who have been gathered together by a host whom they know personally, either in person or virtually (online). These types of gatherings are typically referred to as parties. These parties are hosted at a customer’s home, and this customer is known as the host. The host traditionally is rewarded with a series of discounted and free products as well as host-exclusive specials. The host invites her friends over as guests to attend the party. The party usually consists of light refreshments, socializing, and a presentation done by the representative. The purpose of a home party is to create a fun, relaxing, home shopping experience with friends. This model lends the power of the host’s personal recommendation to the products and facilitates social proof, which means the weight of influence carried by a group of people. Party Plan parties are quite effective in generating sales, attracting recruits, and teaching others how to sell. One clear strength of the Party Plan model is the easy-to-understand emphasis on selling products to customers. Network Marketing: Network Marketing refers to a company structure designed to move consumable products through a network of independent representatives, via both personal use and sales to end consumers. When a Network Marketing company is building its sales force, it is focused on building a network of consumers. The company doesn’t distinguish between those who join as independent representatives to earn money and those who join merely for a discount on their personal products. One strength of the Network Marketing model is that companies can grow very large and sell huge amounts of products through a vast network of people who have, in many senses of the word, joined as members. Many members set themselves up for a subscription to receive their products each month — an arrangement often called auto-ship. These continuous re-orders through a network of people affiliated with the company by choice can lead to consistent sales growth, as long as people in the network continue to see the benefit of the product. Hybrid: As you might guess, hybrid blends the practices of Network Marketing and Party Plan. In Hybrid companies, as with those in the Party Plan model, independent representatives have hosts gather their friends and family to experience a product demonstration, in person or online. But with Hybrid, the emphasis is as much on the business opportunity as it is on sales of the product. The compensation plans tend to borrow traditional elements from both Party Plan and Network Marketing. As in Network Marketing, these products lend themselves well to auto‐ship, the subscription order model where independent representatives and customers get monthly replenishment orders shipped to their homes automatically. In Hybrid companies, auto‐ship usually offers a price break for the customer (sometimes referred to as a preferred customer rate). Some programs offer vanishing auto‐ship or free auto‐ship for customers who refer other customers through referral programs. These referral programs can also include free auto‐ship for independent representatives who have a certain number of customers on auto-ship, meaning that the representative’s own monthly consumption of product is covered. These referral programs, which combine the customer‐focused Party Plan outlook with the Network Marketing‐style auto‐ship approach, have been very successful and have led to significant growth for the companies and leaders involved.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Many companies offer programs and incentives to help motivate you and keep you consistent in running your direct sales business. It is important for your success and momentum, especially at the beginning of your business, to set your sights on earning these incentives and programs. Most companies offer programs within your first 90 days of starting (typically called Fast Start, Quick Start, Fast Track, and so on). The fast-track type program is a great way for you to earn additional products for your kit, gain items for your own personal use, and of course, establish good business habits and patterns. What you start with is what you are likely to continue with. So, if you get your business off to a healthy and successful start by pushing yourself in both sales and recruiting, you will most likely enjoy long-term success. It's important to familiarize yourself with the program and the exact requirements and qualifications you need to hit to earn it. Not only will earning this program get you off to a great start and land you a nice reward from the company, but you will be getting paid at the same time. Companies offer ongoing incentives because they want to keep you focused, excited, and engaged in your business. So, anytime your company is running a program or incentive, make it a priority to earn it.