The other day my neighbor and I went for a walk and she told me that she was looking for something part-time to do at home. A few years ago, I would be all over her with this kind of opportunity to “share” my business, but I know better these days.

Not because direct sales isn’t a good business to get started in but without knowing anything about what she’s *interested* in, I don’t make any assumptions.

In doing so, I’m not making the decision for her, but using the opportunity to listen. This is a tough one for some networkers to understand because they’re more interested in talking about their opportunity instead of listening.

Seasoned direct sellers are not surprised because they know direct sales isn’t for everyone. But newbies are when people don’t rush to join their business. Remember, only you think you have the best products/business.

It might surprise you that most of the time, people are NOT interested in starting a network marketing/direct sales business. More importantly, they don’t think you have the best products or even business. The more you ramble the more ridiculous you sound to them.

During the walk, I felt like a career therapist in a way, listening to her talk about what she did before she stayed home with her kids, and what her current interests are. I must admit listening intently is still a work in progress for me. Most people think they’re good listeners but really aren’t that good, including me.

I’m not sure if I was of any help to her but I know listening to her, without waiting for an opportunity to tell her about what I do, ended up helping me.

At the end of the conversation, she asked “what do you online anyway?” I mentioned I work online but didn’t offer any specifics. Perhaps that was enough to  intrigue her.

Whether or not she starts a direct sales/network marketing is not the point because people will do what want. The point is, it’s a good feeling to know that you’re able to listen and hear someone else out, without an interior motive to gain something from it.

Maybe it’s not a good recruiting strategy on my part and some of you might even think it’s idiotic NOT to use the opportunity to tell my friend how awesome direct sales/network marketing is. But there’s a way to tell others about what you do without losing friends.

Besides, we don’t need another person to think network marketing is a scammy business. It can be a great business but it starts with the networker.

It’s time to do more listening, whether you get anything from it or not, and stop with the incessant business sales pitch which also includes spamming other people’s Facebook walls and social networks.

What do you think?

’til next time,

Janette Stoll

P.S.  Let’s use our time and build real friendships with others.

My afternoons are spent driving my kids from one activity to another. I spend a good amount waiting -  either in the car or in the lounge for them.

Today, I’m chaperoning my daughter’s field trip. Although my priority is watching the kids but I’ll have some time to check in on my mobile phone and tend to urgent emails, if needed.

Having a mobile phone with data keeps me in the loop for urgent emails; follow up on a new lead, or touch base with a new customer while on the go.

If I’m working with a hot lead, I want to respond as soon as possible. If there’s an issue wtih a team member or an unhappy customer, I want to take care of it sooner rather than later.

My iPhone gives me the flexibility to build my business while on the go and instantly. This could be the difference between signing up a new customer or not because people want answers quickly.

The other day I was chatting with a mom about my business while waiting to pick up our sons at taekwondo. In the past, I would have handed her a business card or a flyer and maybe it’ll transpire into something.

But she too has an iPhone and was able to check out my website right on the spot. There we were, both of us on our iPhones, looking at my website.

Granted this doesn’t happen often but being able to gauge her levels of interest on the spot allowed us to talk about it in the moment. In the past, she may or may not  have checked out my website on her own or bother to call.

People get busy, lose interest, and move on to the next thing that catches their attention.

Using mobile to build my business is another way to reach and connect with potential customers and meet them wherever they are. This is important because not everyone sits at home but if your target audience has  mobile data and you do too, it’s a great way to reach them, while they’re on the go.

Here’s what Ziamond, an online jewelry company, has to say about mobile marketing …

Mobile users were making purchases from their mobile devices and we wanted to make their mobile shopping experience faster, easier and better. (internetretailer.com)

These days, I Google the person’s name, company, or whatever I need and more often than not, while I’m on the go with my kids.

If you’re a marketer, reaching me on my mobile phone is sure to get my attention. Likewise, I imagine others just like me, that are in your target market you can reach with immediacy if you’re using mobile to reach them.

There’s no doubt texting/mobile marketing has grown significantly in recent years.

ABI Research says sales increase to $3.4 billion this year from $1.4 billion in 2009. (internetretailer.com)

Even if your prospects don’t have mobile data but most likely has a phone and texting option. Texting is an alternate option to follow up and stay in touch with your prospects faster.

Not everyone reads their emails right away and sometimes they end up in the spam folder.  Texting is another option to reach your prospects in addition to emails or phone calls.

Reaching people by phone can be time consuming and some people don’t like being called on. I prefer getting a text or email to remind me of any upcoming event than a phone call.

It’s convenient and saves me time because most of my time I’m not at home which means you’re more likely to reach me on my mobile.

There are so many ways to use your mobile/texting to build your business while on the go. You can quickly text a message to remind your hostess about an upcoming party or your potential recruit about an opportunity call. More companies are adding shopping apps to make mobile shopping even easier.

You can either use your smartphone to kill time or use it productively to build your direct sales business while on the go.

’til next time,

Janette Stoll

P.S. Would love to know how you’re using your mobile phone to build your business.

There are many rewards for doing your direct sales home business well.  What drives people to succeed isn’t always easy to pinpoint.

But there’s no doubt we’re all motivated by rewards whether it’s external or internal.

If you work in a job the external rewards can be promotions, pay raises, titles, status, corner office, and so forth.

Similarly, the external rewards in your direct sales business can be paid vacations, monthly gifts, free products - which are based on your sales and recruiting efforts.

To some extent, we only have so much control with external rewards. Your pay raises depend on the profits of your company and other factors. As for selling and recruiting, you can do everything right and not necessarily close the sale, or sponsor that new recruit.

Your potential customer didn’t like the product sample; had a bad reaction to the ingredients; or got sick from the vitamins. There are reasons beyond your control. But no doubt the setbacks affect the outcome of your business.

This is why it’s important for your sanity not to become attached to the outcome of every situation. You should always do your best, ask questions, and look for ways to improve, but there’s only so much you can control from the outside.

Instead of driving yourself nuts by taking things personally and getting hung up on all the x’s and o’s on why so and so didn’t buy your products – focus on what you can control and that is your internal rewards.

Your internal rewards is a reward in and of itself because your success is based on the values that are most important to you. 

Internal rewards, to me, is the most rewarding because you are rewarded for doing the work because it’s meaningful to you.

Now, I know *meaningful* can be a catch phrase because sometimes people don’t even know why they’re in direct sales, much less what it means to do work that’s meaningful to them.

Sometimes people just want to have fun; do a few parties; make a few extra hundred bucks to pay the bills. Other times, people really do find value and meaning in what they’re doing. They’re on a mission to change lives.

When this is the case … you’ve found your internal rewards which is a powerful motivation to doing your business well.

At the risk of sounding like a Mastercard moment but internal rewards are “priceless” because you’re doing the work because you love it.

Your internal drive can be your compass that guides you through the ups and downs and many cycles of your business. It keeps you grounded and help you maintain your *truth* which is based on your internal rewards.

The message here is you need to find a balance between internal and external rewards so you can stack the odds in your favor for achieving success.

Rather than seeking external rewards as the primary motivation, focus on your internal rewards, and dig deep on what really drives you?

This isn’t to say money isn’t a powerful motivation that drives people to succeed but if that’s your only reason, your motivation will be short-lived, when you’re faced with challenges.

As the saying goes … do what you love and the money will follow right? Or am I being a “pollyanna” here?

Your thoughts?

’til next time,

Janette Stoll

P.S. Speaking of doing what you love. I recently started an article writing and internet email coaching that is coming along with paying clients .

Creating content for my blog and promoting it using social media marketing has been my #1 go-to strategy.

By optimizing title posts and content that are keyword-rich in my target market, it has consistently delivered traffic and converted visitors into hundreds of leads. 

Which makes me wonder … why aren’t more direct sales consultants using content marketing to grow their business online? I’m partially biased because creating fresh content is working brilliantly for Marketing Direct Sales.

If you think about it- content is what makes the internet what it is.

People go online to find content to learn something new, research  before they buy, find business opportunities to start …  it’s where people go to find information.

This is evidenced in my family and probably yours too …

We look up restaurants and read reviews on Yelp. We order pizza online and have it delivered without having to talk to a live person. I read book reviews on Amazon before I buy. I can list more examples on how I use the internet to find content to serve my needs but you get the point.

An optimized, content-rich blog or website is what drives traffic to your business.

It’s the first step in your sales funnel. Traffic is the first point of contact before a visitor turns into a lead. But a visitor isn’t going to opt-in and subscribe to your email list if the content is irrelevant.

This is why content alone isn’t enough but optimized content combined with social media marketing are proven formulas in boosting traffic to your site. Leads are built on targeted traffic.

Without traffic, there are no leads, and no leads = no business.

If you’re in direct sales and think you don’t need a content marketing strategy, you might want to re-think.

The latest news on Google’s official blog is the impact social search results have on how relevant your brand is online. 

What does this mean to you?

In the past, social search results from your network showed up on the bottom of Google. Now, it’s mixed in through out the search results based on relevance. This means the search results could be moved to the top or in the middle.

This latest social search enhancement has significant implications for search engine marketers and website owners alike. Social media marketing as a part of your SEO strategy is more integral than ever. (searchnewz.com)

This is great news for small business owners and direct sales consultants.

With an optimized content-rich blog focusing on your niche market, your site can skyrock to the top of search engines. This is possible if your site’s content is geared to a specific group of people you’re trying to reach (target market).

The keys to your success:

Focus on creating content for your target market. I know “target market” gets thrown around online but some people have no idea to whom they’re trying to reach.

In the new world of content marketing online, focus is vital. That’s true both in terms of defining a niche and making sure that your website reflects that niche. (contentmarketingtoday.com)

Here’s an example from my new blog Janette Stoll: my target market is direct sales and my niche business is helping direct sales consultants generate leads with article writing and internet marketing.

With clarity on whom I’m reaching (direct sellers) and what I’m offering (article writing/marketing services) have helped me to create content for direct sellers on article writing, content, and internet marketing.

The point I’m hoping to drive home for you is that it’s an exciting time to get online, create optimized content, leverage social media and web 2.0 marketing, to build massive leads to grow your business.

Those of you that are already creating content on your blogs know the many benefits and probably can’t imagine not having a blog to build your business (like I do). But for those that haven’t … what are you waiting for?

Your thoughts?

’til next time,

Janette Stoll

P.S. Have you visited my new article writing and marketing blog yet? Love to hear your thoughts, comments, questions. Go say “hi” to me over there .

photo credit: freedigitalphotos

Just learned this week that Eiro Research – a once rising star in network marketing – is shutting down its network marketing business model. Eiro Research launched in 2009.

Statistically, it’s not that surprising considering most new start-ups fail in the first two years.

This article isn’t about Eiro Research specifically but what direct sales and network marketers can learn from the rise and fall of companies. It happens. 

In 2010, two companies I know of shut down its direct sales business model: eFusjon and Success University. 

If you’re a solo entrepreneur, I believe you should consider having more than one source of income, and always keep your options open. That also means thinking beyond your direct sales or network marketing opportunity.

Regardless of which company you represent and yes, even established companies, do go out of business. 

Another direct sales company Weekenders was in business for over two decades before going out of business a few years ago. It could happen to any company.

As I’ve said in my previous articles, the only thing you should bank on is investing in YOU. The person you should brand and promote vigorously is YOU.

This isn’t a knock on your company or a question of your loyalty by any means. But when you brand you such as having a main hub i.e. your blog or site, you’re marketing your own brand, which you control 100%.

You have zero control when it comes to the company you represent and truthfully, no one knows what goes on behind closed doors of these privately held companies.

Even one of the founders and top distributor was “surprised”. The lesson I got from Eiro Research shutting down re-affirms what I’ve believed for quite some time. That is … 

Work smarter, have multiple streams of income, be open-minded about new business ventures, explore your options, and always promote You, Inc. first, regardless of which company you represent.

What are your thoughts on Eiro Research shutting down?

’til next time,

Janette Stoll

P.S. Do you know what it means to brand you? Grab my free report and learn why you must in this competitive marketplace.