The next great opportunity pops up.

You know… the new product that is supposed to revolutionize the health industry. And, because you’re “who you are”, you have the inside track to it. According to your sources, it’s THE product and your company, because of your great field sales force, is perfectly positioned to capitalize on it.

It doesn’t seem to matter that you sell a service and don’t currently offer nutritional products at all. You’re IT — the chosen one. All you have to do is say “yes” and your field “will take off”. Continue Reading »

Ok, that may sound a bit harsh. The “stupid” part is a reminder to me – — not an insult to anyone reading it. This is not a new topic but it is a crucial one. We talk to companies every day that believe they have the next great idea, product, comp plan… something… that will vault their business into unforeseen heights of success. And, they spend tons of time and money creating a variety of communication tools that will help them with this quest. But, all too often, the idea of creating a systematic approach to building the business is never considered. And, usually, the results they hoped to achieve are never reached. Continue Reading »

As crazy as it sounds, some people really believe there are secrets to success in direct selling. The truth is, this industry is the most open, caring and willing-to-share group of people that I’ve ever been associated with. Generally, the seasoned executives are more than willing to share everything they know about succeeding in direct selling…even with their competition. Ok, they may not share upcoming promotions, product launches, etc. but, the basics of how to succeed in direct selling are shared freely – even with “newbies” to the industry. Think about it, what other industry REALLY wants to share “how to” information with people that are considered competitors? Why are so many “competitors” willing to talk about their hard-earned successes? My theory — I think the most experienced and successful executives in the industry are as adamant about helping THE INDUSTRY succeed as they are about making their own company successful. Continue Reading »

I had an interesting discussion recently with a very successful independent distributor – Someone I respect and consider to be a friend. First of all, without naming names, let me set the stage for who this guy is. He has been in the industry for several decades. He’s earned 10’s of millions of dollars from the industry. His entire family is involved. It’s a way of life. One that he enjoys and wants to continue. He likes to work. He’s not ready to retire —- although he could at any point. He really likes helping others succeed. I know this to be true — he’s as genuine as anyone I know. Continue Reading »

Over the past two weeks, my interview with Darren Hardy, Publisher and Editorial Director of SUCCESS Magazine has revealed ideas about success in direct selling that most executives never even consider. Last video in the series is below. Often, we’re focused on the “nuts and bolts” of what we want people to do but, clearly, we have to be more aware of the insecurities of people as they enter into direct selling. Continue Reading »

Last week, I promised some insights into one of the biggest and most concerning statistics in all of direct selling and judging by the number of people that read and watched the blog, I think we hit a hot button. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that it’s a serious problem when LESS THAN 20% of the people who sign up in a direct selling company actually do something with their business. This week, Darren Hardy, Publisher and Editorial Director of SUCCESS magazine continues to describe why this happens and what you can do to help with this chronic problem. Continue Reading »

I’ve heard it so often that I guess I’ve just accepted it as an unchanging fact of life in direct selling. 80% or more of all new distributors do little or nothing with their new business. I think we can all agree, one of THE biggest challenges of the industry is the fact that so many people sign up in companies and don’t take the first step toward success. The big question is why? My good friend, Darren Hardy, Publisher and Editorial Director of SUCCESS magazine agreed to sit down and talk with me about this major concern for direct selling executives. Continue Reading »

A few times a year, we try to attend conferences where we can learn from others. It’s always good to hear what’s working and what’s not from other people’s perspective. The DSA Marketing Communications Conference last week was no exception. Congratulations to the Direct Selling Association for hosting a terrific conference and providing a great opportunity to catch up with many of our friends in the industry. When I sit through conferences, whether it’s the DSA meetings or our own VideoPlus University, I always try to find common themes, trends, challenges and successes and what those mean to the industry as a whole. Continue Reading »

This is not a new topic but it’s such a frequent discussion for me that it seems like it is worth digging into a bit more. When a company comes to us and explains all the things they’re doing right – message, system, tools, training, personal development, etc., we quickly ask about “buy in” at the highest level of the organization. Is there anyone at the corporate level or highest distributor level that DOES NOT support the key initiatives? HUGE IMPORTANT CRITICAL NOTE – (hope that gets your attention) We’ve learned over the past 20+ years that you can create the best-of-the-best of anything but if the top leaders in the organization are not aligned, it can be a complete waste of time and money. Continue Reading »

Since we’re all in direct selling, it seems appropriate that the topic of selling comes up every once in a while. Usually, it’s because the company we’re talking to is convinced that they have to provide sales training to their entire field organization. I’ve been through so many sales training seminars, I can’t even remember most of them. Most were not very good. They teach a hardcore scripted response to virtually every objection known to man. It works for some people but not me. It doesn’t sound genuine. It sounds scripted. I can explain virtually every close in the book and I won’t use any of them. Continue Reading »