Nicole Dean from EasyPLR.com was kind enough to answer a few questions about how direct sales consultants can use private label rights (PLR) articles for their business.

PLR articles are basically article drafts that are sold to bloggers and online business owners. You can purchase these articles very inexpensively and then use them on your website, in your customer newsletters, or even in team training. (We’ll get into that in a bit.)

My favorite thing about using PLR articles is that you can change the articles and customize them (since you get the articles in Word format as a .doc) and in many cases even put your own name as the author.

Here’s what Nicole had to say about PLR for direct sellers.

Prefer video? Click here to watch.

Hi Linda! Thanks so much for asking me for an interview. I’m glad to help.

Does EasyPLR offer content specifically for direct sales?

Yes. My site, EasyPLR does offer articles regularly just for direct sales. We create those packs for team leaders to use in recruiting members and training their teams.

Article titles that we’ve had in the past are:

• Direct Sales Beginner’s Dictionary
• Avoiding Last Minute Cancellations
• Do You Have What It Takes To Succeed In Direct Sales?
• Things to Look for In a Direct Sales Recruiter

As you can see, the potential is truly limitless with this type of content. Not only can you use the articles to recruit new members and to train your existing team, you could create an ebook or even a printed book and sell it on amazon.com and lulu.com – becoming an instant expert in your field.

All for the price of a pizza.

It’s pretty powerful stuff.

Can PLR content about other topics be easily adapted to direct sales or to a specific product line (like jewelry or gourmet food for example)?

Absolutely. My sister site, YummyPLR.com offers all kinds of cooking articles that a Tupperware rep or another gourmet food rep could easily incorporate into their business.

And, at EasyPLR.com we have plenty of content that can be adapted to a direct sales business – fitness and diet, parenting, holidays, debt, pets, and home interior. Plus, if you need content and we don’t have it on hand, just ask. We oftentimes can create an article pack if you provide us with the titles that you need.

Can the PLR content be used for printed material like recruiting brochures or training for team members?

Absolutely. In fact, I highly recommend that you repurpose the content in several ways to get the most bang for your buck. (Repurpose simply means to use the content in multiple ways.)

For instance, post the training on your own training blog, then send it in an email, and use it in printed materials, as well. You can also read the articles after you’ve tweaked them a bit, and offer audio or video training, too.

Does EasyPLR offer any training or help on how to use the PLR content?

Definitely. First you can sign up for my notification list at EasyPLR.com where you’ll receive more information and a free report – as well as notices for free and discounted PLR. Also, every article pack includes additional bonuses that will help your online business.

Just swing by EasyPLR.com and YummyPLR.com to see what we currently have available.

Again, thanks, Linda, for having me on your blog! If anyone has any questions, just ask them below and I’ll be sure to answer, if Linda would be so kind as to let me know so that I don’t miss any.

If you’d like to learn more from me, check out my Internet Marketing Success Podcast & Blog.

Please note: Links to EasyPLR and YummyPLR in this post are affiliate links (Why tell?)

According to an article at Reuters.com last year’s big surge in the number of new direct sales consultants did not translate to more sales. Hopefully the 2009 figures, which aren’t yet available, will show better results, but direct sales revenues have been dropping over the past couple of years according to DSA reports. In 2006 direct sales were $32.18 billion; in 2007 the figure was $30.8 billion, and sales dropped again last yer to $29.6 billion.

The full article, “Avon calling: More workers try direct sales” can be found at
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BF55A20091216

Does that mean people shouldn’t start a direct sales business or should drop the one they already have? I don’t think so. What I think it means is that direct sellers should adjust their marketing and their approach. Market what your customers are want to buy and focus on providing extra customer service and amenities. When you can’t compete on price, compete on a more personal level.

People would still rather buy from someone they know and trust. When you go the extra mile to provide personal attention they can’t get elsewhere you often gain a customer for life.

Because any direct sales consultants and other home business owners start out with little or no marketing training or experience, marketing your business is hit or miss. Your budget is usually limited and you don’t want to waste money on poor results. And free marketing methods require a time commitment and your time is valuable too.

To get the most from your marketing efforts, it’s important to make sure you deliver your message to your target market – to the people who are your ideal customers and team members. Even the most well written advertisement is completely wasted if it’s not delivered to an interested audience.

For example, if you sell high-end baby clothes, you’re not likely to gain a lot of customers on a website for frugal moms. Even though many of the moms there have babies, they are looking for ways to save money and aren’t likely to indulge in designer or expensive baby clothes. You’ll get much better results with an article or ad placed on a site for professional moms on maternity leave or a nanny referral service.

Take some time to figure out who is most likely to buy your product or service. Are they male or female? How old are they? How will your product or service help them? Take a look at companies who sell products that are similar to yours to determine if their market is your market. How and where to they advertise?

By making sure your message gets in front of your target market you’ll start to see a much better result for the time and money you put into marketing.

If your teenager is having trouble find a part-time job, you may want to explore online options with him/her. Definitely be on the lookout for schemes and scams that aren’t worth the time and effort, but there are plenty of legitimate ways for teems to earn some money online.

(Be advised that I normally advise against thinking of paid surveys as a real business, but teens may be able to make a little pin money by completing surveys. As cautioned in the article, don’t pay for information about surveys; you can join all the survey sites for free. As you begin to research survey sites, you will probably also come across “paid to read emails” or “paid to surf the web” offers. Those types of opportunities typically pay pennies and in my opinion are not worth the time and effort.)

The article below by S McIntyre includes suggestions for several other ways teens can earn online.

7 Job Ideas For Teens To Earn Money Online
by S McIntyre
More teens are turning toward the Internet searching for online jobs to earn extra money from home. Despite the age requirements, teenagers can find real money making opportunities. If your teen is looking for ways to work at home online discuss with them their interests, commitment and goals.

All of these work at home job ideas will require some help or involvement from either parent. Here are seven online job ideas for teens looking to expand their wings and or to explore their entrepreneurial side.

1. Surveys and focus groups are simple, fun and one of the easiest things to do. It doesn’t require any experience, just a teenager’s opinion. The types of surveys vary from topics about video games, movies, fashion, music, and other teen interests. Your teen may be compensated with money, Amazon or retail gift certificates, or points redeemable for cash or products. Signing up is always free; don’t ever pay! Monetary payments are usually paid out to a PayPal account or by cheque.

2. Many teens have their own blogs and they can use it as a way to promote their affiliate programs or get referrals from survey companies they have joined. They can sign up with Clickbank, a marketplace with merchants who offer digital products for people to sell. These commissions are set anywhere from 1% to 75%. LinkShare and Commission Junction are other affiliate marketplaces.

3. If one or both parents have their own home business, you can hire your teenager and delegate some of the monotonous and time consuming tasks. These simple tasks could be typing and printing out address labels, submitting articles to article directories, link checking and so forth. Parents can also help their teenager get the word out to others who may have limited budgets, but need to outsource some work.

4. Some kids like to follow in their parents’ footsteps, so if your teenager is interested in owning their own home business, you as a parent will have to be a co-signer.

5. Teens are very computer literate and savvy. Many are also artistic and creative. Becoming a web designer is a lucrative and rewarding career. Your teenager could be designing websites, creating blog templates, designing Twitter and MySpace backgrounds, buttons, logos etc. for anyone who can’t or don’t know how to do it themselves.

6. Open a lemonade stand; not a traditional one anyway. At Lemonade.com your teen can create an e-commerce online lemonade stand by recommending products that they love like music, sports, clothing, food, movies, video/electronic games and more.

7. If your teenager enjoy making crafts or he builds model airplanes, with the help of a parent they can open up their own online store at Etsy.com.

These are all worthwhile job ideas for teens who are interested in working at home and earning an income online. With a little help and support from you, your teenager can start earning their own spending money and maybe even put some away for college.

Find jobs for teens at WorkAtHomeSpace.com, a free work at home resource focusing on work at home companies, daily telecommute job leads, articles, business resources and other work at home related topics.

Sophia co-owns WorkAtHomeBusinessOptions.com, a comprehensive work at home business resource focusing on helping others who are looking for opportunities and ideas to work from home. You will also find tips and articles on how to balance work, family and play in your daily life.

For some direct sales consultants it becomes difficult to maintain a steady schedule of sales parties. Direct sales business coach, Lisa Young shares some of the secrets to staying booked.

In Direct Sales – 5 Secrets to Fill Your Calendar Without Overcoming Objections
By Lisa Young

With the grim economic outlook, some direct sales consultants are pulling out their hair trying to secure bookings and keep their calendar full. Some of the most experienced consultants are scrambling, buckling down, and “getting back to basics” in an effort to fortify their fading calendar.

But the savvy direct sales and home party consultants are still holding a consistent book of shows, with calendars that are full and steady. As a business coach, I work with consultants with many different companies, and the successful consultants are revealing their dirty little secrets to massive success – even during the economic slump we’re facing today. At first blush, these “secrets” are common sense ideas that will make you roll your eyes into the back of your head. Before you get dizzy, however, ask yourself how well you are implementing these secrets.

1. Create a schedule and stick to it. Top direct sales consultants will tell you that they work when they want to, and fill their work calendar around their life calendar. This is a critical component for any successful consultant. You need to know WHEN you want to (and are able) to work. Mark it down and do your work when you’re working. By scheduling and utilizing time that is set aside to work, you’ll be a million miles ahead of the consultant that prays for bookings to fill the empty white space on her calendar. When you know your next two or three available work dates at a moment’s notice, people take you and your business more seriously. And if you don’t have a show planned on a day you have scheduled to work? Work anyway! Practice your demo, download a teleclass, read up on product knowledge or network. Do SOMETHING to grow your business.
2. Desperation stinks. Customers and clients can smell desperation a mile away. When you need shows, and start doing “Crazy Eddie” antics to get them, people stop taking you seriously. You don’t see Bill Gates jumping up and down on begging people to buy Windows. Neither should you. This is where most consultants develop their fear of “being too pushy”. You should ALWAYS present the opportunity to join, host, or buy, but once a client says no, and you’ve answered her questions, leave it alone. I can’t count the number of recruits I’ve signed at a later date because I was patient and didn’t sit on their doorstep waiting for them to join my opportunity. Attraction marketing (aka gravitational marketing) helps you create an identity, establish yourself as an expert in your field and draws interested, like-minded people into your circle of influence. They naturally gravitate to you and, ultimately, choose to do business with you – no desperation required.
3. Touch your business daily. While you can bet that Donald Trump isn’t sitting in the office every day making deals, he is touching his business in SOME way every day. Be it a public appearance, speaking engagement, television episode, or contract closing, he’s busy being an entrepreneur and making sure that his delegates are tending to business in his absence. Likewise, you as a consultant need to be making contact with your business on a daily basis. Your store is essentially “closed” any day you’re not working. Working doesn’t mean doing parties. It means preparing hostess packets, making coaching calls, holding recruiting interviews, doing customer care and follow up. You don’t have to work all day everyday, but you should make a point of doing SOMETHING connected to your business that propels you and your company forward. By the way, YOU are the CEO of your own company as an independent Direct Sales consultant. Legitimate networking, travel and mastermind groups all count as toughing your business. Organizing your desk, socializing on the phone, cleaning your stapler and vacuuming the floor do NOT count.
4. Keep in touch. Regardless of the method, hostesses, customers and recruits want (and need) to hear from us. A Hostesses number one complaint is that their consultant didn’t make enough contact with them. Most coaching programs recommend ten different times to contact a hostess before, during and after a party. Customers should be contacted at least once every two months – and preferred customers at least monthly. Attraction marketing pros use ezines, conference calls, and newsletters to keep in touch, automatically and en masse, with a personal feel. These lead generating, rapport building tools are only part of the arsenal that propel the big money earners to the top of their company rankings.
5. Be “REAL” and talk to everyone. This is not exactly the same as the old-school 3-foot rule, where you would talk to anyone that would listen about your “amazing, ground floor opportunity.” Rather, this is an invitation to release inhibitions and strike up conversations with anyone and everyone about anything and everything. Be friendly. People like and gravitate toward friendly. Opening channels of communication help you to discover common interests, and open doors to natural conversations about booking, sales, and recruiting. When you are likable, and easy to talk with, people enjoy your presentations more. Enjoyable presentations lead to more bookings, more sales and more recruits – without having to beg for “just one more host” at any party.

As direct sales consultants around the globe are waking up to the power of the Internet, and the potential of automating contact with their prospects, more leaders are growing into powerful, marketing savvy machines. These attraction marketing whiz-bangs are raking in recruits, selling up a storm, and breaking booking records – without ever having to overcome a single objection, because people are seeking THEM out for their expertise and professionalism. They have become the hunted, instead of the hunter. Begin implementing these five secrets today and watch your business soar. Who knows? Maybe YOU’LL be the next top achiever at your company’s National Conference.

Tired of trading hours for money, Lisa Young gave up her 8 to 5 for a direct sales career that now spans over 10 years. Lisa’s blog, Real Life Marketing, reveals the realities of what it takes to be successful in the eyes of your customer, using real-life examples you can learn from today. You can visit Real Life Marketing at http://lisamrobbin.blogspot.com

Unlike other industry writers, who left direct sales to pursue speaking careers, Lisa is still in the trenches, running her direct sales business and leading her teams to success. Her book, Home Party Solution is a step-by-step method to harness the Internet to boost bookings, sales and recruits. Read the first chapter free and subscribe to the monthly business boosting e-zine, “PartyOn!” at http://www.homepartysolution.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Young
http://EzineArticles.com/?In-Direct-Sales—5-Secrets-to-Fill-Your-Calendar-Without-Overcoming-Objections&id=1268425

—————-
For more home party tips, visit Direct Sales Assistant.

Many of us who start a business from home have little or no marketing experience, especially with online marketing. We learn as we go. Here are a few common marketing mistakes that if avoided will save time and money, and spare you some disappointment.

1. Not having a marketing plan.
   A marketing plan is simply a blueprint for how you will go about promoting your products or services. In the same way that a business plan provides focus, goals, and tasks for your overall business, a marketing plan provides a road map for your promotions and advertising. It’s best not to approach marketing without one.
2. Putting all your eggs in one basket.
   This old saying seems to work in a lot of situations and marketing is no exception. Diversification is the key to success and growth. You may find one or two strategies that work particularly well for your business, but don’t base your entire marketing plan on just those methods. Explore other options to avoid being stalled at a certain point.
3. Ignoring the power of networking
   Business networking is invaluable. When entrepreneurs get together to brainstorm and exchange ideas, all sorts of beneficial relationships are formed. In your business networks you will form joint venture partnerships, referral networks, and find mentors and friends.
4. Working alone to “run the whole show.”
   Most small businesses start out with one person working alone. But as your business grows there will come a time when you’ll need help to keep things running smoothly. Your time can best be spent marketing the product in new and creative ways. Someone else can take care of designing your web site, answering emails, and handling the bookkeeping. Use your expertise where it will increase profit the most and hire others to take care of the everyday details.
5. Cutting the budget.
   When business is slow is natural to want to cut expenses. But it’s especially important to keep marketing and advertising during a downturn. A better choice is to beef up marketing to reach a new or wider customer base.

If you’ve already made some of these mistakes, don’t panic. Take a good look at what you’ve been doing, keep doing what works and drop what doesn’t, and begin again with more knowledge and a marketing plan for success.