If you have ever been in Direct Sales, you will know exactly what I’m talking about. Sometimes business is booming. Customers seem to be falling from the sky. Parties or appointments come easily and you may even be adding people to your organization.

And then for no apparent reason…

Nothing. Everything seems to stop. You feel like you have failed. Leads don’t pan out. People won’t call you back. Sales drop…
Sound familiar?

If not, I am so glad to hear it! If so, welcome to the wonderful world of Direct Sales. It is completely natural for you to have highs and lows in your business. The important thing is what you choose to do about it. Do you sit on your couch moping and hoping? Do you get out and pound the pavement and look for new people to talk to? Do you sit home and wonder what you are doing wrong or do you read new books, listen to tele-classes or take trainings to improve yourself?

The truth is, no matter what happens, you are going to have times of plenty and times of …not so plenty. Sometimes it is because of the season, a move, a life change (like a baby, graduation, death, etc.), or even just the time of the month. The difference is, those who survive these down times are the ones who push through it and get to work.

So which will you do- push through the tough times or simply give up?

www.Time4Felt.com

www.Time4Felt.com

Here are some great tips I’ve found online this week:

How To Create A Celebrity Status For Your Online Business!

Why your Small Business needs a Blog

Search Engine Optimization Strategies (Good SEO Strategy)

WordPress.com VS WordPress.org

www.Time4Felt.com

www.Time4Felt.com

While shopping the other day, I saw the most shinning example of Direct sales! We were in the baby section of our local store and there were 2 other women shopping in the same area. Woman #1 is a direct seller. Woman #2 was a working mom in the fast food industry and was wearing her work shirt as she shopped.

Woman #1 approached #2 and complimented her, introduced herself and then asked her if she had ever given any thought to Direct Sales. Woman #2 said she had not. After a few more minutes of visiting, #2 gave her information to #1. The fantastic Direct seller told her that she would follow up with her the next day and they could visit some more about what they had just talked about.

My reaction- How cool is that?! It is so wonderful to see the power of the direct selling industry change lives and empower women. Even if this mom joins up and makes $200 a month working her business part time, she is still making $200 a month that she wasn’t before. Maybe it will help her spend more time with her kids or even quit her job altogether at some time in the future.

Lesson I learned- I should have approached woman #2 first. I was in the same area and it didn’t even occur to me. In the future, I will be more aware of others and the possible impact I could have on their life just by taking a second to share.

So for today, I award Woman #1, whoever you are, with the Direct Sales Diva award. You are a great example of what we should be doing and you did it with such class. Thank you for teaching me even when you had no idea I was watching.

www.Time4Felt.com

www.Time4Felt.com

There is always something you can be doing in your business.  Are you more of a paper-pusher or a people person?   Would you rather be on the phone connecting with prospects or booking your next show or recruiting someone new or filling, reworking documents, ordering new address labels, sorting inventory, etc.?

I tend to fall into the 2nd category.  I love to do the work behind the scenes and the thought of getting on the phone will convince me to do even the most disgusting of household chores to merely avoid calling.  This has been a downfall of my business and one that has hindered my progress long enough.  I am seizing the day and determined to get on that phone.

A saying that has helped me lately has been “I call because I care”.  I care enough about people to follow up and follow through.  While it may not be eays, I WILL succeed with this.

So, my advise to you…examine your To-done list.  What things are you completing regularly in your business and what are you putting off.  Are the things you are putting off costing you?  What can you change to get those items completed that you are avoiding?

Get those ToDo’s in order and then get ‘um done.

Awnya Boam

Time4Felt.com

www.Time4Felt.com

Would you like to shed some extra inches and/or pounds? Do you feel like there is a happier, healthier you hidden behind some extra weight? SlenderMargo is here to help!  While this blog is still really new, I have known Margo herself for years and years and I am amazed and truly impressed with her journey.  She has been trying for years and years with many other diet plans with little or short lived success.  But now, she has found Take Shape For Life.

As and independent representative, she has lost an impressive amount of weight for her son’s wedding last year and continues to do wonderfully as she is shrinking almost daily.   At one point, I went to visit and didn’t even recognize her because she had lost so much!

On her blog, SlenderMargo she will be talking about her weight loss journey.  It will be a place where you can find support and encouragement as well as a solution to any extra pounds that you may have in a safe and effective way.

Go visit now and see what you think!

Awnya Boam

Time4Felt.com

www.Time4Felt.com

Here are a few tips I’ve learned over the years on how to may your Direct Sales Party a Success:

1. Don’t lecture. People came to PARTY so play games, award prizes, be silly. If they wanted a lecture they could have stayed home and listened to talk radio or the news. They want fun, so make it fun.
2. Details don’t matter – at least at first. If you give a detailed description of each product, you will loose the group. highlight 3-4 of your favorites or ask which products they are DYING to see. Later on in the evening they can ask you any questions they have about the specifics of the product.
3. Have commercials. During my home shows, I announce that I am doing a commercial. 30 seconds to talk about joining my team or having their own party. I do 3 commercials per party to keep it light and fun.
4. Have a cheerleader. I choose a super-fun gal to cheer-lead for me. When I say commercial time, her job is to say “yeah!!” If a guest participates, she cheers for them. This keeps the excitement level up and fun time rolling.
5. Have the guests tell about the products- this is a fun way to involve the guests and keep you from talking the whole time. I simply hand out catalogs and let guests choose a product from my display. They then become the expert on their product and take turns telling the group about it. It is neat to see who is really trying to sell it. At the end you can even vote on who did the best job and award a prize. (this also works great because they are grabbing their favorite product that they see, so you can get an idea of what they want to buy)
6. Publicly thank your host/hostess.  Give them praise and sincere thanks for inviting you into their home and introducing you to their guests.  You can even give her a small thank you gift.
7. Keep it short.  People are busy and don’t have time to sit and listen to you for 3 hours.  Keep your formal party time to 30-45 minutes.  Then they can visit, eat and leave when they need to and you are being respectful of their time
8. Close the party quickly.  You want to respect those who ordered the night of the party.  If you keep it open for 2 or 3 weeks, the odds of other orders coming in is very low and the people that DID order want their stuff.  I usually allow 2-3 days after the party to close it, but have also closed it the same night the party was help.  Either way, close it quickly to honor those who did order.
9. Offer value – more than usual.  This is a fancy way of saying go the extra mile.  Add something of yourself to what they are buying.  You can do this by  teaching them how to “coordinate outfits more effectively”, “how to get your house smelling like a 1,000,000 bucks” or “picking the jewelry to accent your face shape”.  Find a way to add value to what they are buying.  Plus, this is a great way to get guests to the party in the first place.
10. Take a deep breath and have fun.  Don’t be afraid to be a little silly.  A lot of times we get hung up on looking so professional that we loose the fun factor.  So what if they think you are strange.  Studies show that if the guests have a good time, they will spend more money.  AND if they have fun, they are more likely to host their own party or join you in your business.   So relax and enjoy yourself.

Follow these simple tips to have more enjoyable and profitable parties and you will truly find Direct Sales Success!

Awnya Boam

Time4Felt

www.Time4Felt.com

I have a friend who has written the book “The Woman’s Millionaire Club”. Her name is Maurene G. Mulvaney (MGM) and she is amazing.

In her book, she interviewed several woman in the Direct Selling industry who have made a million or more and discovered some similarities. The secrets are in the book, so I can’t tell you here though! ;o)

The book is scheduled to be released on March 17th and you can get your copy on Amazon.com. For a discount and other great offers, visit http://www.WomenJoinTheClub.com. This is MGM’s special gift to us!

Check it out…you will be SO glad that you did.

Awnya Boam

http://www.time4felt.com/

www.Time4Felt.com

“When you infuse fun into you way of doing business, you increase your wattage and attract more customers and prospects. People today need more fun in their lives. Fill that need, and ou will be modeling a way ofliving and doing business that will draw others to you.”

-Build It BIG Workbook, pg 57

Awnya Boam

http://www.time4felt.com/

www.Time4Felt.com

Hi everyone! Sorry if I have been a little out of it…we just moved to Utah! Crazy I know!

Well, We have been here now for 6 hours and here I am to blog about it… ;o)

I am SO thankful for Direct Sales in my life because when my husband got this new job, I am able to pick up with him and move our family to a new state! Sure, I’m not there in person, but that’s where my website comes in handy. Then when I got here and finally had a chance to get on the computer, I had 3 (!) orders! (thanks Cory, Susan and Cheryl!! ) So not only am I able to take care of my growing family and their needs, but I am also thriving in my business all at the same time.

Just another reason why Direct Sales is only the best job EVER!! Come and see if it is for you!

Awnya Boam

http://www.time4felt.com/

www.Time4Felt.com

Something that I have been trying out for the past 5 months or so are postcards to thank my customers for their orders. It is something short and simple and the cost is about 30 cents each after postage. I get them from Vistaprint.com from their free section, so I’m only paying shipping on them. There are a lot of designs to choose from, so I just pick the one I want and then type my message on the front and my address on the back.

It has been fun to hear what my customers have to say about it. Mostly positive responses or none at all, but how often is it that you get a special card in the mail thanking you for your order from anywhere? It is a little something extra that may make the difference between a return customer and someone who uses your competition next time.

Try it out and see if it works for you! Going the extra mile to say thank you can only make this world a happier, better, and more grateful place, right?!

Awnya Boam

http://www.time4felt.com/

www.Time4Felt.com