Entrepreneurship is the art of creating a marriage of demand and supply. The ones who have mastered this art have gone on to create their own empires. There are hundreds of good examples of individuals who have managed to build a flourishing business. Steve Jobs, Jack Ma, Mukesh Ambani, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are some of the most influential entrepreneurs on earth. What they all have in common is that they carved a path for themselves after reading their surroundings and getting a pulse of the matter. What they then created has now become something we cannot live without. Direct sellers have so much to learn from the world’s best entrepreneurs to break out and take flight.
Here are 5 insightful tips to achieve success as a professional direct seller:
1. Creating Your Own Market
The great businessmen of the world became successful not by doing what others did. They focussed on being different from what the market already provided. In simple words, to create a thriving enterprise, you need to create demand for what you are selling. And to create demand, you need to find what consumers want. In every industry, there is always something that everyone wants and nobody to give it to them. This is where you come in – to take advantage of this avenue and charge them for using it. Essentially, you need to become a toll-taker at a bridge that you build. Once people realise that they need what you are providing, they will come back happily for more. Capturing the market is the slow and steady path, the aggressive way of doing business is creating your own market.
2. Efficiency and Persistence
The world-renowned burger joint McDonald’s simply would not exist today as the best burger place across the world if it weren’t for persistence. Ray Kroc, a mere milkshake mixer salesman, through sheer determination and persistence, managed to create the brand McDonald’s as we know it today. By delivering efficient working systems and delivering the best, he attracted investment opportunities from hundreds and then thousands of people. As a direct seller, it is your responsibility to never back down and keep going. By offering efficient service and using your knowledge of the product, you can sell more than ever. Rejection is part of doing business, but you need to keep persisting and not take ‘No’ for an answer.
3. Networking Is Key
Not every customer will want what you sell. However, that does not mean his or her network does not need what you sell. A black and white approach to direct selling will never lead to great results. Instead, what you need to do is sell an idea, not just a product. Marketing functions on that single principle – sell people smile and happiness, not just toothpaste and healthy teeth. Rebrand your product as an opportunity and you will see phenomenal results and sales will multiply. Don’t look at a person as just a customer, look at the network he brings with him. Being a social person makes a huge difference for a direct seller. Through effective networking and introducing people to the whole world of new opportunities, you will become a brand on your own.
4. Following Up
The notion of simply follow up might seem silly, yet it has great potential. Once you approach a potential client, there is a chance that the person asked to call later or rescheduled due to work commitments. To dismiss such a lead as unfruitful is a big mistake. The simple act of following up with potential clients can yield miraculous results. People are lazy, people forget, people have no incentive to call back. Since you don’t have those luxuries, you need to be driven. Call back, remind them, show them what they are missing out on. You will be surprised how much more people are approachable when they are not busy or committed to something. Following up is a simple skill to master; try it!
5. Always Be Closing
Saving the best for the last – the ABC of selling, ‘Always Be Closing’. You need to remember that, at the end of the day, you have the responsibility to grow. So, you need to be in ‘work mode’ always. Focus on closing a sale after you have spent enough time chasing the lead. Never let the bottom line get out of your reach. Making a sale is your ultimate objective, whether you sell it as an idea or product is up to you.
Direct selling in India has been quite a growing trend, no small thanks to QNET. By being a market leader in direct selling international brands under the health, wellness, and lifestyle segments, QNET in India has made quite a name for itself as one of the leading direct selling companies. With a wide range of products and top brands such as SHARP-QNET, KENT-QNET, CHAIROS, ORITSU, and Nutriplus, QNET has popularised the culture of direct selling in India. Thousands of individuals, both men & women, have benefitted by becoming a direct seller for QNET India. During a time when India is in economic stagnation, direct selling has emerged as a viable employment opportunity for thousands of Indians. QNET India, among many others, believes that direct selling is indeed the right way forward and things are looking up now more so than ever as we are even more integrated, both digitally and culturally.
