I am a big Seth Godin fan, and his blog entry today has huge application to direct sellers. I urge you to read it here so that my comments below make more sense.
He makes some very valid points. Most newcomers to direct selling start by asking their family and friends to help them out by hosting a party. But I always urge my new team members to try and make those bookings in diverse groups of people. You want to encourage the hostesses to invite as many people as they can that you don’t know. Your business has more chance of being successful if you can move quickly past the people who are just hosting a party as a favor to you, and find those people who actually really want and need what you have to offer. Provide exemplary customer service and a fun party experience (two recurring themes in this blog!) and word will spread.
After a few years in this business, I can now look at my calendar and see that 95% of my bookings are with people I do not know outside of my parties. I have a sustainable business and I’m no longer reliant on close personal friends to host as a favor or do my marketing for me.
Tags: direct sales, Hostesses, Recruiting, seth godin
