Using Social Media to Achieve Leadership in Direct Sales

Today’s post is the next in a series discussing the successes direct sales professionals are experiencing through the use of social media.

I conducted a poll a few weeks ago asking direct sellers what social media tools they are currently using. 37% said they use Facebook, 23% are using Twitter, 23% use LinkedIn, and 17% are using other niche-specific tools.  All of these tools can help you find success in social media, and it’s so important to define your goals in order to use each social networking tool effectively in direct sales.  You’ll read how one direct seller is using some of these tools below.

I’m so excited to share today’s story with you.  This is an email I received from a subscriber to this blog (you can subscribe by clicking here), and I left it intact so you can hear it in her own words.  I love that Melissa has shared the specifics of what she has done, because I think it provides great value for those seeking guidance on applying social media to a direct sales business.  If you would like to share your story, please email it to me! You may be featured here as well.

Melissa Laverty

Jen-
First, let me say, that I have learned so much about social media and how it can help my direct sales business from you; so thank you.  In fact, I recently promoted to Senior Executive Manager because of social media.  The solutions that have most positively impacted my business are Twitter, my blog, and Ustream.  They all work in tandem.

I update my blog daily.  This is how I am able to establish a ”relationship” with my online customers.  It is here they can learn more about me and my business and decide if they want to do business with me.  A new recruit told me that she wanted to sign up with me because my About Me blurb reads, “I’ve been a Close to My Heart consultant for over two years and have loved every minute of it”.  She said she wanted to have that feeling, too.

Recently, I had a customer come to me from the UK because of my blog.  The most important thing I have learned about blogging for your business is that you HAVE to use keywords in your titles.  This is what will drive searches to your blog, and therefore allow you to acquire new visitors & hopefully customers.

I have set up my blog to “auto-tweet” so that when I have added a post, it automatically gets sent to Twitter.  I follow scrapbookers in the hopes that they will follow me and then check out my blog.

I also have a search set up on TweetDeck for “scrapbooking” & CTMH.  This way when someone posts a question or comment about either one of those things, I can respond as an expert.  Recently, there was a post from a woman who was looking for a good online resource for acrylic albums.  I directed the Tweet-er to my Shop Online site, and she purchased two.  I have sent an Idea Book to another Tweeter who scrapbooks weekly with her friends and has never used my company’s product.

Finally, I conducted a UStream webinar that I promoted through my blog and Twitter.  The purpose was to host an Online Opportunity meeting.  I told the attendees about the consultant opportunity and presented to them the contents of the new consultant kit.  I had about 6 attendees, and 1, from Alaska, choose to join my team.  (I’m in Virginia, so this would have never happened without Social Media.)

That’s my story so far.  I’m so excited to have even these few success stories because I know it will just continue to grow.

Sincerely –
Melissa Laverty, Close To My Heart Consultant
http://fancymelissa.myctmh.com
http://fancymelissa.blogspot.com

Thanks Melissa for sharing your story!  You are an inspiration.  Keep up the great work!

Jennifer Fong

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Can You Run Your Direct Sales Business Exclusively Online?

by cdsessums

This is a question I get asked a lot.  Now that social media has arrived on the scene, do direct sellers really need to continue doing parties, and running the business the “old fashioned way?”  Can’t we just point everybody to our website, and call it a day?  And wouldn’t it make recruiting easier, if those people who don’t want to do parties could now be told they don’t have to?

My answer is NO.  Social media is a fantastic tool for finding new prospects for your business, for providing superior customer service, and for positioning yourself as an expert that people turn to for advice and products.  However it is my very strong opinion that it is NOT a substitute for booking, selling, and recruiting.

First of all, parties are where the immediate income for your business comes from.  Your company most likely has party averages, and when you do a party, you can pretty much count on making a certain amount of money.  You also give people a chance to interact with you live, see and touch the products, and enjoy the experience of being with friends while making informed purchasing decisions.  In short, nothing replaces the party.

Social media marketing also has a longer cycle.  It takes time to build relationships online, develop content for your blog, and build up enough know, like, and trust to get someone to make a purchase from you.  You have to connect with someone 7-15 times online, typically, before they’ll make a purchase from you.  There are online tools that help you do this, but you do need to invest time into building those relationships.

Social media marketing is an addition to a party plan direct sales business.  It can enable you to connect with people you couldn’t have met otherwise, find people that are business minded and specifically looking for an opportunity, and provide superior customer service and customer contact through community-building online groups and events.  Once those initial contacts are made at live parties, customers can get better service which can result in a thriving reorder business when they are plugged into you through social media.

In short, social media complements a traditional party plan model in many ways, and can enhance what you already do.  But nothing replaces the core business activities of booking parties, selling products, and recruiting new consultants.

What are your thoughts on this?  Have you had experiences that prove or disprove this?  Would love to hear your comments!

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There Are No Pity Purchases Online

If you’re in direct sales, as either a direct seller or a corporate executive, you know what I’m referring to in the title of this post.  The pity purchase is the purchase a customer makes at a party because they feel that they should buy SOMETHING.  So they locate the cheapest item in the catalog and buy it.  If you’re a direct seller that depends on pity purchases to build your business, you are not creating a sustainable business model, and I dare say that if you’re not creating value for your customer, you will not be in business long.

When you begin to market your business through social media marketing, you need to realize that you’ve entered a realm where the pity purchase does not exist.  Not to mention, the pity purchaser is not a repeat purchaser.  People have a vast array of products available to them, and they can comparison shop to their hearts’ content.  They can compare product features, costs, shipping, and more.  They can read what other people have had to say about each product their considering.  In short, if you’re not providing a superior value at a decent price, it’s hard to compete.

So how do you use social media marketing to your advantage in this type of environment?  First, you become someone that provides value for free.  Yes you heard me.  For free.  How do you do this?  My favorite way is through a blog, just like this one.  Give out tips, advice, links, guidance, and more, that can be immediately implemented.  Why do you do this?  Because you position yourself as an expert, and you build relationships with your readers.  A purchase (or a recruit) is more likely when a person knows, likes, and trusts you.  So provide valuable content, related to your product line, and you will find that people will come read your content, and will refer their friends to you as well.

Once you’ve established yourself as an expert that provides value, give people a chance to get more from you, and get to know you. This can be through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, through your newsletter, or through communities that you build in places such as Facebook groups.  By giving people a chance to interact with one another, with you at the center seeding conversations and providing value, you continue to provide people with a reason to trust you.  So when you do make product recommendations, or talk about your opportunity, people have a reason to listen to you.  Help THEM first.  Then they’ll consider what you have to offer.

Finally, once you’ve got people signed up for your newsletter, or participating in your groups, gently provide them with the oppotunity to be introduced to your company and your product line.  Make special offers, just for them.  Provide online events (such as online wine/food pairing chats, decorating ideas chat, online party, etc.) that give education as well as the opportunity to buy.

By investing some time in providing value, you build a sustainable business model that does not rely on the “pity purchase.”  And that’s a business that you can feel good about.

What do you think?  How has this strategy worked for your business?  I would love to read your comments below!

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Social Media for Team Building and Recruiting

Social media can be an incredible tool for building and supporting your direct sales team.  One of the ways to build long-term income in a direct selling business is through recruiting other sellers and supporting them.  Your compensation for building and supporting your team is the commissions that you earn on your team’s sales, and this provides more income than you can earn through your own sales alone.  As your team becomes larger, however, it can become challenging to meet your team’s needs, while building your own personal business at the same time.  Social media can help with this.

Here are some social media tools that can be used for building and supporting a team.

1. Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn: Social networking tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are excellent for finding people that may be interested in your business opportunity.  Now this is not license for you to SPAM people.  However, as you share delight in your successes, enthusiasm for your business events, and your love for your customers and team, you will naturally attract others who may want to learn more. 

   You can also use groups on Facebook and LinkedIn that are dedicated to people looking for work, and build relationships/provide valuable content there.  By participating as a relationship-builder and giver in these forums, people who are good prospects for your business opportunity will be interested in learning more.  And don’t forget to use searching tools to specifically identify those people who are interested in your product line!  People who are interested in your products are often your best prospects for the opportunity.

2. Your Blog: A blog is such an incredible tool for your direct sales business.  It is a place you can provide content of interest to prospective customers, and is your home base for building relationships with people.  Your blog is also a valuable tool for team-building.  By providing content that is of value to opportunity-seekers, you become a trusted resource that attracts people to your business. 

   A separate blog can also be valuable for your team, providing team information, incentives, links, and a place to ask questions and make comments.  Imagine being able to provide your team with articles specifically dedicated to skills your team is currently working on building!  Blogs make it possible for you to provide that content without having to email everyone, worrying about spam blockers, etc.  You can provide a central location that your team can learn to come to as they need information.  Because all the information is archived on your blog, you can also send team members to specific information as they need it, providing a valuable library of topics that will be of benefit to your team for a long time. 

   And because blogs are easy to set up and maintain, they eliminate the need to go to the expense of setting up a personal website for your team.  Instead, you can set up an attractive blog with a few clicks, and provide all the resources your team needs in one place. 

3. Groups – A Facebook group can be another valuable tool you can use to support your team.  Facebook makes it possible to set up “Secret” groups that are not available to the general public.  Your team members must be invited by you into the secret group, and this provides an excellent forum for team members to learn from and support one another.  As your team gets large, you may feel like you are answering the same questions over and over.  Imagine being able to send your team members to a central location for the answers!  You can set up a series of frequently asked questions on the discussion board of your group, and add to these as necessary. 

   Your team members can also use your group to support one another.  If someone has a question and you are not available, she can post her question to the group, and other team members can share what they’ve learned.  The collective wisdom of your team can help you build a stronger team than you ever thought possible!  And social media enables that sharing. 

By employing social media tools that your team can access, and then teaching your team how to make the best use of those tools, you can be more efficient and effective in your team building.  Your team will develop closer relationships with one another, and that will naturally attract more people to your team.  Social media makes it possible.

Are you a leader in direct sales?  How are you using social media to build and support your team?  Did you get some ideas from this article?  What are you going to implement?  I’d love to read your ideas in the comments below!

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