Cookie Lee Jewelry consultants sell fashion jewelry and accessories at home parties, office shows, and using other direct selling methods. The companies namesake, CEO and Chief Designer, Cookie Lee began selling her jewelry designs in 1985 and launched the direct sales opportunity in 1992.

Things consultants seem to especially like about selling Cookie Lee Jewelry:

• Customers take home their jewelry the night of the party so consultants receive their proceeds immediately
• The incentive programs, including trips and cars
• The jewelry is very reasonably priced

 


Get more information and contact a consultant to find out how to start your own home business direct selling jewelry by visiting the Cookie Lee Jewelry company page in the InternetBasedMoms.com Direct Sales Directory.

In her blog post this morning, “Direct Sellers, Cut the Crap,” Jennifer Fong asks direct sellers, network marketers, and MLMers to “stop being so desperate to recruit that we stretch the truth.” She wants truth in recruiting. And I agree 100%. There are so many benefits to becoming a direct sales consultant that there’s no reason to use untruths to recruit.

But in my opinion, the only way the nonsense will stop is when people stop responding to outrageous claims of instant riches.

I want to be very careful here and not blame the victims. None of us are immune to being duped by some of the very sophisticated frauds, con artist, and scammers out there. But for the most part, I don’t think the direct sellers using these less than honest recruiting methods fall into the category of scammers. Many are simply misguided marketers who continue to use these types of methods because they work.

Many of us want to believe. We ignore common sense and allow ourselves to think that it is possible to get rich quick or that there’s easy money available. Just look at state run lotteries. Despite slim odds of winning, people in the U.S. spend more than $50 billion a year on lottery tickets. They’re hoping to hit it big for overnight riches. It’s the same mentality that makes claims of overnight success in MLM attractive.

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the possibilities. But as Jennifer said, the reality is that while there is the potential for big earnings, “it’s a lot of work, and it takes time.” Jennifer and others have been teaching that reality for years, and I think that’s the message we need to keep in the forefront. A bit of skepticism can be a good thing when evaluating an opportunity.

Still Jennifer’s plea for truth in recruiting is important to reach that group of misinformed and misguided direct sellers. Perhaps they’re using the same methods that they responded to or they’re just doing what their upline teaches. Again, everyday Jennifer teaches direct sellers how to become successful by conducting themselves with honesty and integrity. Lister to her!

The truth is most of us don’t need to be rich and that’s not what we’re looking for. We just want to live comfortably, take care of our families, and have a few extra dollars to indulge ourselves once in a while. Direct sales can help achieve those goals. Recruit with that reality.

When Roy van Broekhuizen returned home after helping with relief efforts following the 2004 earthquake and subsequent tsunamis in Indonesia, he was driven to do more. So he and his wife Louise formed Laga Designs International to provide employment and hope for survivors.

Tsunami survivors and others in need handcraft Laga’s embroidered handbags and travel bags, natural fiber bags for the Tasik Collection, and beaded purses. Independent consultants sell the bags at home parties and through other direct sales methods.

Get more information by visiting the Laga Handbags website or find information on this company and many others direct sales companies in the InternetBasedMoms.com direct sales directory.

For some direct sales consultants January and February can be very slow months. Your customers may be anticipating an upcoming tax bill, or perhaps they’re still recovering from holiday overspending. Or perhaps your marketing efforts took a back seat in December and the results are catching up with you now. Whatever the reason for it, Laurie Ayers has some great tips to help you out of a rut.

7 Steps to Get Out of the Direct Sales Rut

by Laurie Ayers

Business not flowing as well as you would like? Did you have a great holiday rush and now your direct sales business appears to have come to a screeching halt? Here are seven steps you can take to get out of the rut.

1. Direct mailings with your company catalog. Pick a market or two, such as assisted living facilities; nail salons or real estate agencies to name a few. Mail no more than ten catalogs to each market; there’s no sense waiting catalogs and postage without testing the waters first. Be sure to include a sample and/or special offer. Increase chances of having your catalog opened and read by placing a relevant sticker on the front. Highlight what’s in it for them if they open it.
2. Develop a Valentines Day marketing campaign and get it out to the masses NOW. February 14th will be here before you know it. Men will be particularly grateful for gift giving made simple. Think where you can find a group of men – barber shops, auto sales, auto repair, gyms, pro-shops, etc.
3. Create a special offer for Groundhogs Day, February 2. There’s one people don’t see everyday.
4. Call all of your customers, leave voice mail if necessary and merely say, ‘I’m putting in an order and wondered if you were ready for more …”
5. Hire a business coach or join a Mastermind group. Find the right one and your investment will pay off ten-fold.
6. Commit to asking for referrals from three people each day. Not covert dropping of cards and catalogs but actually speaking to strangers. Go into the gas station to pay, instead of using pay at the pump. Hand the cashier a catalog and a sample and say, “If you know of anyone who likes (candles, jewelry, makeup, etc.) could you please pass this along?”
7. Hold an open house. Who cares if you’ve been in the business two years or nine months or anywhere in between? Call it a mid-winter shindig. Pick a theme – Superbowl, Chocolate Martini, After Holidays Rest and Relaxation or Chick Flick Movie Night.

Sometimes there’s no secret to getting out of a rut other than to go back to basics. Remember when you first started your business. You were excited; you were pumped and you definitely were not in a rut. Shake it up a bit; think outside of the bowl. Remember if you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’re going to keep getting what you’ve been getting!

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan. She started her first home business in 1988. As a single parent, Laurie has supported her family by working at home as an Independent Consultant and Star Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping others start a candle business. You can find Laurie at http://www.thrivingcandlebusiness.com/ and http://www.Scentsy.com/LA

There are more ways than ever to connect with family and friends electronically, but Ivette Muller knows that we all still enjoy and appreciate the thoughtfulness of receiving and sending printed greeting cards through the mail. She’s so sure of it, that last year she signed on as an Independent Distributor for SendOutCards.

According to Ivette, “the SendOutCards system has over 13,000 greeting cards for all occasions – cards that are ordered online and personalized and sent for less than the price of store-bought cards. SendOutCards prints and mails the cards. Customization options include the PicturePlus service which allows customers to upload any JPEG file to create a card, the option to add your own handwriting, the ability to include a gift along with the card, and a contact manager that reminds you of birthdays and special occasions.”

When I asked Ivette what attracted her to the SendOutCards business opportunity she replied, “The system is easy to use, the cards are high quality and low cost, and the income opportunity is unlimited. Distributors earn a commission on all sales in their downline regardless of how deep it is (most companies limit commissions to 6 or 7 levels).”

When asked about customer support, Ivette explained that “both she and the company provide exemplary customer service. Customers can call me or the company to get help with using the system, and there are videos online for them to watch to learn how to use any part of the system.”

Distributors who join her team are offered “great resources to learn how to build a business and learn what you need to do to increase income and self-promote. Basically if someone wants to build a business, we are here to help them succeed in any way we can.”

To purchase a card or to contact Ivette to start your own greeting card business, visit her website at http://www.remembergreetingcards.com/ivette

In catching up on email this morning I read a recent lesson from Bob the Teacher titled “Pick a Lane.” In it, he talks about the importance of focus in business. Too many people try to build two or more businesses at once and end up struggling with them all.

All too often direct sales consultants will respond to a struggling business by adding a second or third business. If you aren’t earning enough from your current business, resist the temptation to offer your customers another product line in the hopes that the more things you offer them the more likely they are to buy from you. Before you add a second business, learn how to make your first one a success. Or if it wasn’t the right business to start with, switch businesses. But don’t make the mistake of adding additional businesses to struggle with.

Nearly five years ago I posted about this same topic in “Is joining another direct sales company the right answer?” You might find that article and the linked resource helpful.

As I said in that earlier post, I think it’s a good idea to have multiple streams of income. But to succeed at any of them, you have to get one running smoothly and successfully before adding another.

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.

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

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For more home party tips, visit Direct Sales Assistant.

Ask any experienced business owner how important their customers are and they will tell you that customers are the lifeblood of their business. Because of that, many direct sales consultants believe that the key is to constantly find new customers. Successful consultants know that it’s just as important, perhaps even more important, to develop long-standing business relationships with existing customers and to keep them coming back.

There are many benefits of repeat customers.

First of all, when customers come back for repeat purchases, you will not need to spend as much time finding new customers.

Your business income will be more consistent with purchases coming in regularly, instead of always having to chase down new customer orders.

It is also a more cost-effective way to do business. You won’t need to invest as much in marketing and advertising campaigns.

Happy, long-term customers are also more likely to send referrals to a business. If a satisfied customer runs into a friend or colleague needing what you offer, they will give that person your contact information resulting in a new customer you didn’t have to chase after.

If you like the sound of enjoying repeat business with your current customers while spending less time and money attracting new clients, here are some tips on how to keep your customers happy and coming back.

• Offer quality products
  Without a quality product, there really no reason for your customers to come back.
• Provide exceptional customer service.
  This is one area where direct sales consultants really have a chance to shine by providing the personal attention that is often missing from the big box stores. A general rule of thumb is to always treat your customers the way you would like to be treated. That simple statement will ensure you will have customers coming back time and time again.
• Practice effective communication.
  Stay in touch with customers and keep them informed of new products, special offers, and notify them of any problems like delivery issues or back orders.

Keeping your existing customers happy is one of the most effective and efficient ways to build your business.

California based Chartreuse is a young direct sales company offering earth-friendly products such as shopping bags, organic personal care and cleaning products, recycled paper products, and more. With the increased awareness of the importance of protecting our environment and natural resources, consumers are more and more interested in purchasing green products.

Independent consultants market products at home parties, online, and through other direct sales methods.

Learn more about the company and contact a consultant to start your own home business by visiting the Chartreuse Products company page in the InternetBasedMoms.com Direct Sales Directory.