The Best Known Ways To Sell Online - Part 3: Direct Sales
In the first two segments of this three-part series, you read about ebay and Affiliate Marketing – two well known ways to sell online. In this last segment, I want to tell you about “Direct Sales”. Like ebay, Direct Sales is talked about a great deal. Unlike eBay, it is often dismissed because it is misunderstood.
As with the other two, we will take a look at direct sales, how it works, what it costs, and how to use it for the biggest return. Then, I’ll rate it, and tell you why I scored it that way. Here is the list of ratings, just in case you’ve forgotten:
Business for the Hobbyist
Good but Not Great
Opportunity for Financial Freedom
Direct Sales
As I said above, Direct Sales is often misunderstood. When the average entrepreneur hears the words “direct sales”, they may envision a used car salesman pursuing customers across the parking lot with slick words and a wet handshake.
Let me just say, that is not direct sales. Direct sales has its roots with Zig Ziglar, an honest, hard working guy, who lifted himself up out of poverty by building great relationships with customers and selling directly to them without a storefront.
How it Works: Direct sales has changed a lot since the Internet was created. While direct sales used to mean “cold calling” (calling on strangers without an invitation), and soliciting friends and family – today’s direct sales entrepreneurs have it a lot easier. They rely on their Web site to attract and “pre-qualify” customers – and much of it is automated.
They only contact the potential customer “directly” if and when the client asks to be contacted.
Time and Money investment: With any direct sales company worth its salt, there will be up front investment. Depending on the company, it could be as little a $1K or as much as $2K or $25K. You’ll also need to invest in marketing and Web site creation (which is no different than eBay and affiliate marketing).
The big difference is in what you get in return.
A good direct sales company will take care of all the “busy work” (shipping, product development and support) so you are free to focus on making money!
How to Best Use It: Direct is made to work with a “Sales Funnel” (if you haven’t already learned about the sales funnel, read what I have here, and then read more). It is the fastest, most sure-fire way I’ve found for an entrepreneur to make big profits, while reducing the amount of time and effort she puts into selling. The sales funnel is a simple system that relies on outstanding products and return customers. And here’s why it works so well for direct sales.
Direct Sales is about creating relationships. Before a customer buys, they have received free tips and advice from the direct sales site. They have very likely signed up for an e-mail newsletter that keeps them informed and connected to the direct sales entrepreneur. And they’ve probably exchanged e-mails or phone calls.
Then the customer buys an outstanding product that is WORTH MUCH MORE than the money he spent. And the relationship continues.
Here’s the key. When the customer wants another outstanding product or amazing experience, he will turn to his direct sales pal. And because this particular entrepreneur has a sales funnel (a complete product line where the products get bigger and the product experiences get richer), the customer will buy from that familiar person. And KEEP BUYING from her.
Rating: Opportunity for Financial Freedom
The reason Direct Sales earns the “Opportunity for Financial Freedom” rating is because it is custom made to work with a sales funnel. And once a customer starts buying products within the sales funnel, the amount of time and money you, as the entrepreneur, spend gets smaller and smaller – while the profits get larger and larger.
Choose your Direct Sales company wisely. Make sure there is a sales funnel in place (chalk full of marvelous products). Learn how to market it. And you can work as little as 20-25 hours a week – with an earning potential of multiple 5 figures every month!
About the Author:
To receive a FREE 42 pageSpecial Report:The Wealth Funnel, a must read for anyone who wishes to earn $100,000 or morefrom home, visit www.yourhomebusinessguru.com Zenaida Lorenzo is one of the top home business entrepreneurs in the country. If you would like to contact her about this article, visit www.yourhomebusinessguru.com
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