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right now, to get moving so I can earn some money?

      That is where the list of steps comes in. Keep coming back to it if you begin to feel lost. You will have a shorter learning curve and feel more confident if you pay attention to the list, read the related chapters in this book, and seek additional guidance and training from your company – and especially from your sponsor and your upline.

      My Introduction to direct sales

      I was bitten by the direct sales bug at a young age. When I was 14, my mother was invited to a Mary Kay cosmetics party, and I really wanted to go. Most likely, she was looking forward to a nice evening spent with other adults, because she said I couldn’t come. But as a teenage girl, I simply could not resist the appeal of makeup and a party, so I hopped on my bicycle and rode over to her friend’s house. My arrival was perfectly timed – it was too dark for her to send me home alone on my bicycle.

      The Mary Kay director (a top position in a direct sales company) quickly assessed the situation and graciously asked me to be her special helper for the evening. Apparently, she was pleased with my assistance, because at the end of the party she asked whether I would be interested in helping her a few days a week after school. Of course I said yes. At the time, I had no idea that accepting that part-time fun “job” as well as meeting company founder Mary Kay Ash a year later would lead to a 35-year-long career working in direct sales, as an independent representative just like you, in corporate roles, and as a sought-after-speaker, trainer, and expert.

      I love this industry and it is my pleasure to share its power with people like you and help you experience as much success as possible by providing practical training, specifics on how to grow a successful business, and tips on what to avoid on your business journey.

      Why the Direct Sales Model Succeeds

      Direct sales models are successful because they offer the company an opportunity to market products directly to consumers. In direct sales, as mentioned, the products are sold by independent representatives who are not employees. These reps are independent contractors who work on a commission-only basis.

      Because the independent representatives are the sales arm of the company, the company only pays commissions for actual sales. Independent representatives are also the main way the company advertises and markets its products. Many traditional companies with ordinary sales channels utilize social media, for example, to help increase brand and product awareness. But direct sales companies don’t use typical advertising strategies like radio or TV to market their offerings. Direct sales companies mainly utilize their representatives to help market their products because they believe the products will do better with word-of-mouth advertising and in-person demonstrations.

      As you explore the different products available through direct sales, you will find that the products are often positioned as cutting-edge, unique, made from superior raw materials, and basically better than products that are available in stores. Although that may not always be the case, generally speaking the products do stand up to scrutiny and tend to inspire a type of “super fan” convinced of the supremely high quality of each product.

      It is a fact that direct sales product lines often are the first to bring new ideas to market. The companies are often led by mavericks or risk takers who are looking to get out ahead of the pack and incorporate the latest research and the newest “miracle” ingredients. People in this distribution model who have been laughed at in the past are the same people who first brought things like super foods, vitamins, healthy energy drinks, and supercharged, nutrient-enriched shake powders to market. All of these things are now, of course, carried widely in health food and grocery stores around the country and are no longer considered fringe.

      There is also a lot of truth to the cost-savings and cost-reallocation made possible by skipping the middle man and delivering your products direct to the consumer through volunteer sales people (independent representatives). Rather than pay a big portion of company revenue for advertising, which, studies show, continues to have less and less real impact on consumer decisions, these companies can and do spend a higher percentage of their budgets on creating high-quality products through product research and product development.

      Combine products that are typically superior to what’s available elsewhere with a sales model that leverages social connections, and you have a social selling model that has been proven to be very effective and profitable over time, for both the companies themselves and the independent representatives who build businesses with them.

      Today, you can find a vast array of products and services sold through direct sales. Here are some popular products:

      ✔ Cosmetics, beauty products, and skincare products

      ✔ Clothing and fashion

      ✔ Food and wine

      ✔ Home decor, including candles and fragrances

      ✔ Jewelry

      ✔ Kitchen items and cookware

      ✔ Nutritional supplements and diet aids

      ✔ Organizing and scrapbooking supplies

      ✔ Personal protection

      ✔ Romance and relationship enhancers

      ✔ Tools for home repair

      ✔ Weight management and workout supplies

      And it’s not just about products. Services sold through direct sales can include the following:

      ✔ Utilities and energy

      ✔ Financial planning

      ✔ Insurance products

      ✔ Legal products

      ✔ Personal business services

      ✔ Telecommunication

      Those lists are just a sampling. There are hundreds of categories of items you can market or purchase through direct sales companies.

      Personal Attributes and Skills Needed for Direct Sales

      Succeeding in direct sales calls for a certain combination of personality traits and skills. Despite their apparent differences, the same personality traits and skills come in handy with all three of the business models:

      ✔ Resilience and persistence

      ✔ Strong work ethic and discipline

      ✔ Ability to accept rejection and work outside your comfort zone

      ✔ Enthusiasm

      Beyond those generally applicable traits, you’ll find that possessing or cultivating many other skills and talents will be of immense help to you in direct sales. This section discusses those and why they are important.

Belief in the product

      It is imperative that you authentically and completely believe in the product you represent. Without that, your skills will fail to convince others, and the experience will be so lacking in satisfaction that it will all feel like hard work.

Vision and goals

      You need a clear and specific vision of what you want to achieve with your business. And you need to define, in writing, your income goals, production goals, progress up the company ranks, and what having this business will do for your life and how it will feel (read more about this in Chapter 5). You’ll hear people refer to this as your why. Having this strong why will help you overcome the challenges you will inevitably encounter.

Superior communication skills

      If you’re naturally a great communicator, you’re in luck. But even if you’re not, if you’re determined, it is possible to significantly improve your communication skills and reap the benefits in your life and in your business. This includes becoming a better listener who asks questions to gain clearer understanding; a better connector, because people do business with those they know, like, and trust; and presenter, because being able to demonstrate your products or explain your opportunity with confidence is essential.

Patience

      Rome wasn’t built in a day and

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