Actually, the simplest way to turn a casual conversations when out and about into a business lead is to stop trying to do so.

One of my favorite lines is “stop recruiting and start making friends”.  That really is the key to sales…. relationship building.

Starting A Direct Sales Conversation

Instead of trying to start a direct sales business conversation you should just try to start the conversations with the goal of making friends.

You may be able to convert the new friend into a lead today or down the road.

The fact is that people buy emotionally.

So, whether you are looking for a new consultant, a new hostess or trying to pass out your catalog it won’t happen without developing a relationship and making an emotional connection.

People do not invite strangers over to their house!

Start Conversation With Compliment

The easiest way to start the conversation is with a compliment!

• My what beautiful children you have! How old are they?
• What a gorgeous baby! What is her name?
• OH, I just love our earrings? Where did you get them?

Notice how each compliment ended in a question. When you practice the 10 second rule without forcing the switch to business you keep the focus on them. Carrying on a conversation in this manner sooner or later you will learn something about them that you can use to provide value to your new friend.

More Ways To Start The Conversation

There really are lots of ways to start a conversation with people.  The first step is always put on your best smile and make eye contact. Then ask a question and always end in a question:

• Ask them about their shirt: I love Australia, did you go on vacation there?
• Ask them what they are cooking: I never used pomegranates before what are you making with them?
• Ask them if they are in a hurry? These lines are terrible…. are you in a hurry? Would you like to go in front of me?

Business Leads Out And About

You will find business leads when out and about if you are not pushy. When you make friends, you will be turning a causal conversation into a lead.

The lead may not convert today or maybe not ever but if you never make friends it is surely not going to convert into a closed deal!

Direct Sales BOOKINGS Training

Direct sales bookings seems to be an ongoing problem for many consultants.

I have been asked repeatedly for a training program similar to the Direct Sales Recruiting University that focuses on BOOKINGS. So….

By request…. We are in the process of creating a new training program called the Direct Sales BOOKINGS University.

Tell Me When The BOOKINGS University Is Ready! No Spam! Email * Name * required

This program will bring you UNLIMITED leads and the attraction marketing skills to fill your calendar.

Jen Fitzgerald is the creator and owner of  The Client Angel, a proven customer service tool for the direct selling – home party plan business community.

The Client Angel is the premier software tool for home party plan consultants. It helps them to build relationships with their customers by providing better follow-up, causing their businesses to soar!

Jennifer is providing a FREE webinar for CashFlowShow visitors on Tuesday, March 27th. There will be replays sent to those who register at The Client Angel.

Are You Hanging with Your Direct Selling Customers??

This may sound a little bit out there but let me explain.

I teach a lot about building relationships and how to get to know your customers on a personal level. I love using that kind of information to then reach out to them. For instance, if they say they love a certain designer shoe…when you see it go on sale, you can email them and tell them about it. It shows you care about them as a person and not just a customer who buys from you.

So…What do I mean by “Are You Hanging with Your Customers?”

Hang Out With Home Party Plan Customers

Well…let’s say that when you are talking to one of your customers either through email, Facebook or on the phone, she tells you that she is going to a charity fundraiser at a local park the next weekend.

That is your cue to go to that park and support her local charity and say hi. Let her know you are more than just her rep…you are her friend.

What do we do as girlfriends…we support each other. When it comes time that you send out an email saying you are trying to reach a goal or you are running a sale, she will open that email and be more likely to buy from you now that you have shown interest in her and are her friend!

Go out there and listen to your customers. Write down what they are saying and then follow up with them on a personal level.

You will be surprised at the reaction they will have and the response you will start to get when you do send out those sales for your business or you do a follow-up call with them. They will answer the phone and talk to you, they will return voice mails and most of all, they will become a lifetime customer and refer you to their friends!!

Home Party Plan Business Software Tool

The Client Angel is a software tool that makes it easy for you to stay in contact with your home party plan customers and hang with them offline as well!

Effectively Recruit Using the Feel – Felt – Found Method

Using the feel, felt, found method of communication will make you a more effective recruiter.

The effectiveness of your home party plan business recruiting practices is extremely important to the success of your business. The more events your organization has planned, the more revenue your company generates. It is a simple formula, but the missing ingredient is convincing new recruits to come on board and try it out.

Most people are resistant to trying something new if they have no experience with it. That is why your rejection rate for talking to new recruits may be a little high. But you can use the sales method of feel/felt/found to help get past objections and at least help recruits to see the benefits of giving the business a try.

What Is The Feel – Felt – Found Method?

The feel/felt/found method of combating concerns has you telling the prospect that you know how they feel about the concern, you have a case of someone who felt in a similar way but when they tried the process they found great results.

In most cases, your personal experience is used in party plan recruiting. This is true when it comes to using the feel/felt/found method as well.

Recruit Concerns – Keep it Personal

Don’t try to make the recruit feel small by talking down to her when you are answering her objection or arguing it. You should relay a personal experience that acts more as a story than a lecture.

For example, if a recruit indicates that she does not feel she has the time to plan and host events, then you can respond like this:

“I understand how you feel. I have to be honest, when I first got started, I felt the exact same way. What I found was that I was able to fill the down time I had with a money-making venture and I still had all of the time I needed to take care of my other responsibilities.”

This sort of a response will allow you to convey a story from personal experience and then finish it with the lesson that you learned. You are not trying to tell the recruit how to feel but rather you are using this as an invitation for the recruit to ask questions and get more information.

Keep it Pertinent

One of the biggest mistakes that can be made with the feel/felt/found approach is trying to draw a correlation between the rejection and a completely unrelated event.

For example, if the recruit feels that the pricing is too high on party planning products, then you should respond with a feel/felt/found response that deals with your personal experience on pricing issues. A story about how you had problems getting a good price on your last vehicle is not pertinent and not going to help the situation.

Feel – Felt – Found Effective Communication

The feel/felt/found approach is easy to remember and, when used properly, effective at getting recruits to rethink their objections. All you want a recruit to do is see that her objection should not stand between the opportunity you are offering and her chance to make extra money.

Efforts Today Affect Your Business 3 Months Down The Road

Every owner of a home party business knows that generating income is a challenge. Once you get your momentum going, it can seem easy to schedule events and generate revenue. But what many consultants forget is that what they do now affects their business in three months.

Just like any other sales business, a home party business is cyclical. When you know that the off-peak months of the year are coming, you need to have a plan in place to combat them. If this year was good to you, then there is no time to waste on planning next year. Always look ahead in your home party business to be sure that you stay in business and you remain profitable.

Plan -Target Repeat Business

It can get easy to assume that the people you work with on events each year will always be there. But situations can change and you could lose one of your reliable sources of income. A good business owner stays in touch with her best clients and knows exactly what is going on with each of them.

If you start to hear that you may be losing one of your best clients, then that is when you start looking to replace her or him. If you wait, then the revenue will be gone in three months and you will have nothing to replace it. Monitor your repeat business constantly to make sure that you make any adjustments now to preserve your income stream.

Plan For Business Slow Months

If July through August are your slow months, then you need to plan events or activities for those months starting in March. What you do during the busy times dictates how the slow times will be. When you have customers excited about your products and your events during the winter, then that is when you get commitments for the slow months that are to come.

These are a few of the many simple things that when you plan ahead can make a huge impact on your business:

• Host coaching techniques that reduce cancellations
• Reaching out to past hosts to reschedule for slow seasons
• Attending vendor events during those months

Always remember that people who commit to events can cancel or just not show up. As time goes by, keep a detailed record of attendance during the slow months of the year to find out what your attrition rate is. If 40 percent of the people you invite during the good months do not show during the slow months, then you know that you need to work that much harder to fill up those off-peak times of the year.

Planning Your Business Future Success

A good consultant never takes anything for granted and he/she knows that any planning for the future will create business success months from now.

Think of your business like a garden that you are planting and watering to reap the results later. When you think ahead in your business planning, you are ensuring your future success.

A Home Party Business Plan

Using a written business plan in your home party business creates clarity and purpose. It is an action plan that keeps your success on the right track. The Power Up For Professional Results program includes a business plan template written by a party plan specific accountant.

A cold call is a system of marketing your sales business by approaching customers, usually by phone (these days), when they do not expect it.

Whether the lead at one point was “warm” or you really never knew them at all, a cold call is the process of approaching prospective customers or clients who were not expecting interaction with you.

They have not specifically asked to be contacted by the sales person. Online or via email we call it spam.

Cold Calls Don’t Work!

Making cold calls really is one of the worst ways to grow your direct sales business because they really do not work!

Some Facts On Business Cold Calling

• Fewer than 1% of cold calls lead to a sale
• Only 5% of all business lead phone calls lead to a sale
• 55% of referrals end in a sale
• 80% of introductions generate a sale

Now those are some facts that you should ponder! Think about it….

When was the last time you bought something from or even talked to a cold caller? Are you making good use of your time with cold calling?

Direct Sales Leads – Don’t Let Them Get Cold!

In direct sales oftentimes our cold leads were at one point somewhat warm. We at least met the lead or potential client. Don’t let your leads get cold!

Follow up on all business leads within 48 hours and learn some techniques to achieve better results when making your follow up calls.