Direct sales is not easy. If it was, everyone would be successful in their business.
For every successful business there is a proper sales and marketing strategy and direct sales is one of them.
When people start a direct sales business, whether it’s selling cookware, insurance, Loans, telecom, or skin care products, they think their friends and family will love it as much as they do and they’ll have an instant network of customers that will keep them in business. Or, they get super excited about their business because they love the product. Then they have to get out of their comfort zone and
actually talk to other people about it. That’s when their business quickly becomes a hobby.
According to the Direct Selling Association, direct selling in the United States represented $35.4
billion in retail sales in 2018. It’s a large industry, operating with a sales model that has worked
for over a century. However, it’s good to keep a few things in mind when you start a direct sales
business.
Your friends and family love you. They don’t necessarily love your product or want to buy it.
Business from your friends and family isn’t going to sustain, much less grow, your business.
You are going to have to promote your business outside of your direct circle of friends.
Ok, now that we are clear on that. Let’s talk about what IS possible, and what does work in direct
sales.
Direct sales is about selling products directly to consumers and building a network of customers and sales representatives. At the heart of direct sales is the power of storytelling,leading with value and building relationships. The direct sales industry has evolved, but those principles have remained constant.
What has changed in recent years is how the direct sales industry has embraced the power of the internet and social media to give direct sales representatives the opportunity to expand their networks further than ever before.
Technology has made it easier to reach customers outside our local market. However, the basics of direct sales have remained the same for over a century. Effective direct selling requires finding a target market and meeting their needs, building relationships, and using stories to sell.
Those things haven’t gone out of fashion, as any successful direct sales leader will tell you. The vehicle we use may have changed, but the message is still the same.
So, how do you find your target market, develop relationships, and tell stories to market your direct sales business online? You use the power of inbound marketing.
What is Inbound Marketing and How Does it Work for Direct Sales
Inbound marketing is using the internet to attract your ideal buyers. It involves using the
following to attract customers who are looking for a solution to their problem.
– content (answering people’s questions)
– search engine optimization (helping that content get found in search engines)
– promotion of content (using social media and advertising)
Think of it this way; you are drawing targeted customers in rather than sending a message out to the masses.
Maybe you’ve been doing part of inbound marketing a while but didn’t even know it had a name.
My guess is that if you found this article you have been using social media, and maybe blogging, to build your direct sales business. You have been using parts of inbound marketing. But, you may not be using it to its fullest potential, in an organized way that will yield the best results.So, if you’re ready to grow beyond your current network of customers and expand your direct sales business, I’ll take you through the elements of inbound marketing that you can use today to see real results.
If you make a committed effort to use the approach that I outline below, you will stand out from
your competition. Most direct sellers don’t use all of these practices. They pick the easy one, social media, and think that blasting promotional images on their Facebook page will bring in the
sales. After reading this, you’ll know better and do better. Here we go!
How to Attract New Customers to Your Direct Sales Business Using Inbound Marketing
Determine Your Ideal Buyer
The focus of your marketing should always be on your customer. Not on your product. Focus on serving their needs and adding value to their experience, and you will set yourself apart from the crowd.
The first thing you want to do is create a buyer persona profile. Your buyer persona will determine everything in your inbound marketing strategy. This semi-fictional generalized representation of your ideal customer is your north star in determining the content and promotion strategy of your direct sales business. Getting crystal clear on your persona is crucial.
Ask yourself:
- Who is my ideal customer?
- Where are they online?
- What do they need?
- Why do they need it?
To help you figure out who your ideal customer is, it’s helpful to think about their daily life, their
problems, and their desires. Think about obstacles they face in their lives and how your product makes their lives easier.
People are motivated by love and status. How do your product and business opportunity specifically solve those needs? If you use that in your messaging, people will be compelled to use your products and join your team. Here are some examples:
My ideal buyer hates to cook. But she loves her family. Her family needs to eat. If she has an
easier way to prepare nutritious, tasty meals, then she will be showing her family that she loves them.
My ideal buyer hates to shop for clothes in stores. But she needs to look good when she has video conferences with clients. Looking professional helps elevate her status as a virtual assistant. If she purchases my clothing online, she will have professional attire that is comfortable yet stylish.
My ideal team member is a work from home mom who had a professional career before having children. She loves staying home with her family but misses the feeling of accomplishment, confidence, and status that she enjoyed when she worked outside the home. If she starts her own direct sales business, she will put her skills to use and once again have that feeling of accomplishment that she craves.
You can see that once you are clear on who you are speaking to, it becomes easier to craft a
message that resonates with your ideal buyer.
Brand Yourself
You’re clear on your buyer persona. Now it’s time to get clear on who you are and how you can set yourself apart from others in your company and your industry.
Answer these questions to create your brand:
- Who does your target buyer aspire to be?
- Who influences you and what draws you to them?
- What do you want people to feel when they read your content or view your images online?
- What are three objects that you love that you can use in your images that people will come to
associate with you? - What colors create the mood you want people to feel when they see your brand?
- How can you create brand imagery that works with your corporate brand’s imagery?
