If you do independent sales

[Hillargh]

Scentsy, Pampered Chef, Avon, etc. What were some ways you got it all going? (Besides the obvious bug friends and family thing.) I started selling Thirty-One recently, and I'm really bummed with how it's going so far :/ Hit me with some tips and tricks!

[Katie180]

Make a list of 250 people you know (google memory jogger) and start calling. Do you have an upline that will help you? In our business the team we are on provides TONS of training to help you launch your business and your upline mentors you until you are on your feet.

Sorry that it isn't going as fast as you would like.

[aemarques]

I am doing the same with a new business and it is hard if you don't have a large group of friends. Everyone makes it seem so easy and look at me like I'm stupid. I literally have family and that's it. I haven't kept in touch with friends and none were ever that close to begin with. I didn't ever see friends outside of school or work, so when I graduated or left I never saw or spoke to them again.

The idea really is to call everyone you know and tell them about what you are doing because it is just Ohh so exciting!

I'm joining a mom's group to meet new people and open new doors. I really truly love the product I promote, it is just definitely hard to get people thinking beyond that you are just trying to SELL them, even if you really think it will turn their life around.

Please let us know what you figure out works for you and about your success. I sure need it

[alice_hallett]

Try to get out of your circle of friends by finding craft fairs, boutiques, vendor events, etc. It may cost a little for the booth, but it will be worth it to get new contacts. I have not had luck with people purchasing or booking parties then and there but i do get contacts by having a drawing for a free item. Here's what works for me. I do Thirty One as well so as people walk by, I ask if they want to enter my drawing for a free bag. That way I have their contact info. I always follow up by calling and saying something like "this is so & so with 31, I met you at ____ and I would love to help you get a bunch of free items by helping you host a party with your friends."

Hope this helps a little. Good luck!

[ohgirlohboyohno]

Yeah...botths at fairs and events at school (private and day care too).

During our livestock show some ladies that sell Avon entered our parade and handed out books...that was interesting.

I have seen ladies at our local McDonalds sitting at a table with a bunch of their books and handing them out/talking to people.

I think mostly you have to be willing to approach people and talk to them and sell them on your product

[CherryPie]

I do events to get my name out there and I get repeat orders from them. I wear Scentsy shirts, have a vinyl on my van, have my info in my sigs, have a FB "like" page.

[justsamma]

i found my scentsy rep [& many others] via twitter.
follow hastags and tweet lots of people, answer questions and such.

[TwinKristi]

I sell Tupperware and have for almost 6yrs now. I have a website and I link that on Facebook and other sites. I have business cards with the website on it and pass them out when people ask about it rather then giving them a catalog. I sign up for fair booths through my director and donate things from time to time at fundraisers/silent auctions and include a catalog with my info. I have a lot of hits from my website because I'm the only English speaking person in my town.
It's hard! At first it's easy to tell all your friends and family and maybe get them to have a party but once your inner circle is tapped you have to start stretching. Make sure you tell everyone you know too! Maybe put up a flyer at your local grocery store, consignment shop, health food stores, preschools, etc if they have a bulletin board. Our Ped's office has one too!

[Hillargh]

Originally Posted by aemarques I am doing the same with a new business and it is hard if you don't have a large group of friends. Everyone makes it seem so easy and look at me like I'm stupid. I literally have family and that's it. I haven't kept in touch with friends and none were ever that close to begin with. I didn't ever see friends outside of school or work, so when I graduated or left I never saw or spoke to them again. The idea really is to call everyone you know and tell them about what you are doing because it is just Ohh so exciting! I'm joining a mom's group to meet new people and open new doors. I really truly love the product I promote, it is just definitely hard to get people thinking beyond that you are just trying to SELL them, even if you really think it will turn their life around. Please let us know what you figure out works for you and about your success. I sure need it

That's very similar to where I'm at. No family contact besides my mother (who doesn't carry purses), and my sister (who is my next try sometime this week, but I doubt it). I have the website, a FB group that's decently active, an online party going on. No sales. I have an event in March at my school where I got a table for free, but I don't expect anything beyond maybe some networking honestly. I'm meeting with a girl Tues to discuss a fundraiser for her, but I'm not sure how that will go; it's a bit complicated and I think she may not quite understand how it works.

I just started school this semester, so no friends there. No IRL friends at all really, certainly not locally. The few mom's groups I'm part of have all been hit up by new 31 consultants (like, literally a week or two before I joined up).

I leave the mini catalogs around, I'll have business cards soon. But I don't really know where to go from here. I've done a giveaway on my group page that got good repsonse, for a gift certificate, but even that didn't result in any orders.

I just want to make back what I put into it and after that, it wouldn't be a big deal, more of a hobby I enjoy. But until I at least get one sale, I have nothing to pull from for morale lol. Frustrating :/

[Hillargh]

I'll definitely try some of the ideas here I hadn't thought of yet. Fliers sound like a good idea. Twitter, too.

Katie - I have great support from my team, but most of the things they do to increase business start with some kind of foundation of contact base. I probably should've thought about how well an anti-social hermit with no friends would work out in personal sales before I bought the kit LOL. Not that I can't be sociable, I just haven't really in years beyond work or something like that. So my potential client base is nonexistent atm.

I don't even want it to go fast, I just want /something/ so that I can use that to push me forward and motivate me. If that makes sense.