source: Ezinearticles.com
If you haven’t given much thought to the specific direct sales or
home party sales company you’d like to join, now is the time to
consider that. In order to succeed in the home party business, it’s
important that you choose a product that you use or would use yourself.
Selling something about which you are passionate is much easier than
selling something about which you have no interest. If you don’t use
plastic containers that burp, selling them will probably be difficult.
If you don’t wear a lot of jewelry, then a jewelry home party plan is
not the one for you.
Every day, new party plans and direct sales
companies are being formed. Why? Because in the 1980’s it was
discovered that this continues to be one of the best ways of selling.
Some products really need to be seen and demonstrated, and home parties
are a way of having those products demonstrated. Even though our lives
get busier, and people say they have no time for themselves or their
families, the home party business thrives.
Perhaps you are aware
of some of the home party plans in existence. Perhaps not. Do a
computer search to find all the home party sales companies you can on
the Internet. I think you’ll be surprised at the number and at the
kinds of products offered by home parties. There are companies selling
Christian merchandise, candles, make-up, jewelry, crafts, home décor,
gifts, coffee, and much, much more.
It’s important to interject
here that home party sales is not a get-rich-quick-scheme. Working in
the direct sales/home party sales industry requires work. But the
rewards are many. Most home parties now boast of having average sales
of $300-800 per show. Most offer commissions of 20-30%. If each show
requires an hour of pre-show preparations, three hours to travel and
demonstrate, and an hour of post-show paper work, that means that each
show or demonstration will require an average of five hours of your
time. At the lowest earnings (20% of a $300 average show), the earnings
would be $60 or $12 per hour. And that’s not bad for a part time job
that allows you to choose the days and time when you work. At the
highest level (30% of $800), the earnings would be $48 per hour. That’s
why it’s important to choose the company and the products that interest
you most. If you enjoy representing the company, you’ll want to build
your business, and the chance of earning about $25 per hour of your
time is not unreasonable. But, I emphasize, the money doesn’t just come
in while you sleep. With home parties, you do have to prospect for
sales and demonstrate. And that requires your time and effort.
Besides
showing an interest in the product being offered, another deciding
factor in choosing a company to represent is what the start-up cost
will be for you. Most companies offer a sales kit which does require a
out-of-pocket expense. Most don’t charge retail prices for their sales
kits, and they include catalogs and sales tools in the kits. There are
companies that don’t charge for kits. Instead, they make the sales
consultants sign an agreement to return the kit if they don’t earn it
by selling a predetermined amount. Some companies allow you to earn
your kit by having a show in your own home. Someone else, a manager
perhaps, usually conducts that first show and reaps the benefits of the
commission. But you earn the sales kit. How much you have to invest in
a new venture will be another determining factor in choosing a home
party sales company. As you research the different companies available,
you’ll want to take note of what is required to get started.
The
third consideration when choosing a direct sales or home party plan
business is what training and support you can expect. If were recruited
by a local person, you can expect more training and support. Many
companies offer official training classes, regular sales meetings,
season kick-offs and award ceremonies. Brand new companies may not have
any representatives in your area, and any training may be done by video
tapes, email and long distance phone calls.
Whether you should
choose a well-known older company to represent or a brand new one, is
another thing to factor into your choice of companies. There are
reasons for choosing either. You won’t have to explain the business of
an older well-known company. People will already know. However, they
may tell you they have enough of that particular product, because
they’ve been to so many parties.
A newer company will require
that you educate your friends and relatives and the public more about
the products and the company. There probably won’t be any others in the
area on whom you can lean for support. But for many, being in on the
"ground floor” is attractive, and outweighs not having local support.
The
choice of what kind of product and company you’d like to represent is
your own. Although it would be nice if your friends and family will
agree to be some of your first customers, it isn’t wise to let them
choose the company you represent.
Yes, the choice is yours and
yours alone. I suggest that while you search the Net for these
opportunities, you keep track of the pros and cons of each company you
investigate. Doing research and keeping track of the benefits of each
company will help you make a wise choice.
Marilyn
Mackenzie worked as a Regional Manager in the home party/direct sales
industry for 15 years. She has been writing about home, family, faith
and nature for over 40 years. She is an author on http://www.Writing.Com which is a site for Creative Writers. Her portfolio can be found at http://www.Writing.Com/authors/kenzie
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marilyn_Mackenzie
Technorati Tags: direct sales, party plan, MLM, WAHM, SAHM
No comments:
Post a Comment