work smart NOT hard

I am seeing more and more internet based/direct sales options. Everywhere we look, we have an offer to join and become part of something amazing. Everybody is interested in making extra money. We just don’t want to get “scammed” into something that sounds great but isn’t. We don’t want to have a lot of investment because “what if I can’t make my money back? What if I’m not successful? I don’t want to be penalized if I decide to stop”.

Because I know that there are people out there, looking for the perfect fit, I’m sharing this with you! Maybe you’re considering partnering up with a company or maybe you’ve tried direct sales before and hated it. Maybe you aren’t a good “sales person” (me either). Maybe you don’t want to host parties (me either) or maybe you have no idea what you want. The truth is, there is something out there for you and if you want it bad enough, you can make it work for you. Do the research and find your fit.

The following is from a R+F business partner, Elizabeth Guess. Worth the read!

It's hard to be in the direct selling business without being told, time and time again, that it’s a risky proposition. Indeed, statistics reveal to us that a huge percentage fail. I see people dropping left and right to the WRONG companies in this fantastic industry. So let me educate you a little. These are the things you definitely want to consider as you pick the right direct selling company for you.

1. The brand HAS to have credibility. Why? Well because there are a lot of copy cats...and as soon as somebody stumbles upon something great, 100 companies are going to try their hand at it as well. To stay above your coming competition, you have to have a trusted brand behind it with science and technological innovation that is going to keep you at the front of the pack.

2. Obviously your business should be built on the selling of the offered product. Our company (Rodan+Fields) has a staggering 60% of pure sales (product that is consumed by NON distributors) which is unheard of in this industry. Having a monthly cost of doing business is really an important element of this business! Paying $100/month might sound daunting at first and you MIGHT be tempted to go with a company that doesn't require a monthly cost, but DON'T. This is not a business savvy decision. The nature of this business is passive/residual income. When your organization is growing then ALL those people's monthly overhead goes into YOUR paycheck and then their teams $100 goes into their paycheck. What do you think that looks like over time? Huge profit.

3. What is the demand for what you are offering? Do a little market research. Our target demographic is EVERYONE with skin. Everyone is looking to take back their youth and we are offering REAL solutions to diminish the appearance of wrinkles, brown spots, redness, sensitivity, enlarged pores. Which means our products are not a luxury, they are a must. With a $3 BILLION Anti-Age market and a $3 BILLION at home skin care tool market, that puts us in a $6 BILLION market!

4. The price of your products is a BIG consideration. You don't want to be selling popcorn and chocolate for $10 a pop. I promise. You don't want to be selling tchotchkes. There is no money in it. Also, the great thing about our products is that it targets many different types of people. The people who choose to spend money on themselves, and the people who can't afford to but would love to make an extra stream of income. Again. This makes our target market EVERYONE.

5. A CONSUMABLE product with an AUTOSHIP option. You want to be representing something that washes down the drain. When we run out of toothpaste, we don't stop brushing our teeth, we go get more. Representing non-consumable products are really difficult because you have to keep reaching out to people with the "latest seasonal line" of totes, bags, wraps. You want to have a flexible AUTOSHIP program option. People purchase once and are optional auto-shipped every 2 months. That means you make a ONE time sale and are paid on it automatically every two months! What do you think that looks like for residual income?!

6. You don't want to be a part of a company that forces you into their way of marketing (i.e. you can only do parties, or you can only do Facebook closed groups, or you can only do trade shows etc...). You joined this industry for the flexibility and freedom it provides. Those constraints don’t provide freedom.

7. You don't want to be dependent on a "home parties" model or a "Facebook group party" model. This requires you to ask your market for "favors" and access to their contacts. People don't love this, and in my opinion this is VERY difficult to sustain.

8. What kind of training and support are you going to have not only with a certain company, but also a certain team. We want to train you to be "system dependent" so you are not relying on the people you joined to be successful, but at the same time, you want to be a part of a group with the culture that won't hang you out to dry. You work for yourself, but not by yourself.

9. On that same note, I have unfortunately heard of other's making it all about them. They talk about how they are trying to "help" their sponsor achieve a certain goal. While the culture on the team should naturally be one that evokes this emotion, it should be the other way around. Your up-line should be helping you to hit YOUR goals. They should not be asking you to achieve to hit their goals. TINY acronym stands for "their interest not yours."

10. There is NO such thing as easy money. You have to work for what you get. But the beauty of this industry and said auto-ship program and said "monthly overhead" requirement is that it creates residual. So while you have to work, if you are doing it right, it should be working for you. The fact that our team put the Guess family in Million Dollar Circle in less than three years (with Elizabeth giving this 8-15 hours a week) sounds totally absurd, but that is the power in partnering with THIS brand and learning how to work smart not hard! Think it over.