How to Get Sales for Your Direct Sales Business

Direct Sales is a way to bring in extra income into the home. It can be a tricky business to get into and requires the use of common sense and savvy.
I have been in the business for about a year and I have come to learn some ways to help you get the word out about your affiliate business. Most of them are very easy and free. The one key to affiliate success is not to give up on your business prematurely. Expect it to take at least 6 months for you to get a steady stream of clients ordering from you, in some cases it could take longer. The key to the business is to learn how to get sales. Here are a few steps that I have found to get sales.

1.) Create a blog or website with your personalized affiliate link being available for your customer. Many direct sales companies have banners that you can post on your site and then you will need to link your affiliate link to it to ensure you get the sales that are generated from it. Make sure that your URL link is easy for the customers to type in to look at.

2.) Create a flyer telling about the products and offering a home or online party. Make sure that you offer hostess gifts or bonuses to entice someone to want to have a party. Make sure to put your URL link to your blog or website so that they can view the products. Online party rooms are all over the internet. Most of them are cheap to use. It is just like a chat room.

3.) If you are friendly with a tanning, hair, or nail salon ask if you can leave flyers at the front desk or by the nail dryers for others to see. I personally have mine at a nail salon near the nail dryers and have gotten sales from it. Some of them are regular customers.

4.) Check at your local library and see if they have a bulletin board where you can post a flyer, most have them.

5.) If you have a direct sales business that sales things that are for the home such as food, candles, or home decorative items send a letter to your local home builders or real estate offices with an introduction of the company and tell them what kind of products the company sells. I also offer to make baskets for them for an extra fee. Most home builders or real estate agents leaves a basket for home buyers as a thank you for their business. I also have made up some address labels with my website address and put them on the bottom of the items that I put in the baskets that I create for them and have gotten business from that.

6.) Do you know an owner or manager of a company? Offer him a discount on gift certificates to your site around Christmas time if he buys over $100 worth. I create a gift certificate from a template on Microsoft Works and laminate it with laminates that I found at Wal-Mart. A friend of mine does this with me for birthdays and rewards for his employees. To do this you will need to be very organized. I keep a record of all gift certificates by writing a unique number in the bottom left corner of all gift certificates that I give out. This way when someone uses a gift certificate then can give you the unique code on the certificate so that you know how much they have. If they don't use it all then you will need to keep up with their balance. When they use a gift card they will have to give you their order through email or by phone. I prefer email because that shows a hard copy of the order.

7.) Is there a local flea market or expo in your area? If so, rent a booth. This will only work if you have money to rent the booth and get some product to show at your booth. I have done this a few times and I had my flyer's that I created and had items to show the customers that are offered. I also had a small amount of stock of one main item that I sold that day.

8.) Use free ad sites on the internet to advertise for sales of your product. You can simply Google "free classifieds" and post on any that you find your URL link with an ad that will get visitors to your site.

9.) I also use Yahoo Groups to advertise my business. Most groups have a day where ads are allowed each week.

10.) If you have money to spend for advertising, go to forums or websites where the discussions is geared toward the type of product that you sell and inquire about advertising. I have one right now that I get some traffic from it.

11.) If you have the money get business cards printed that have your URL on it and give it out to every cashier you checkout with.

12.) If you have some product on hand, place it on a EBay. I did this once and the customer is still ordering from me.

12.) Get button's or T-shirts made that advertise your business. There are sites on the internet that can do this for you for cheap. Check out the resources for a site that does this.

12.) Offer a free online newsletter. Most websites have an option in the widgets or extras for a signup feature. This gives you a way to do advertising of any sales or contest that are offered.

13.) If your direct sales product is baby or mommy-to-be related, contact the local Lamaze classes and ask them if you can place your flyers or business cards somewhere for the new parents-to-be.

14.) If your direct sales product is offering personalized products, contact the local florist, wedding attire stores, and planners and ask them if you can place your flyers or business cards somewhere for the new bride's-to-be. You will also want to pitch the products to the planners (if possible offer a sample to them) since they are the ones to convince the brides to use different services.

15.) Final Idea is if you belong to a site that offers link exchange or Paid-to-Click services, post your banner to get visitors.

If you are researching ways to get more sales, you have probably realized there are a million more ways to get business. It is important for you to be diligent and find what ways work for you. If you do spend a little money to advertise your direct sales endeavors, make sure that you are putting your money toward something that has a good chance of getting you business. Remember, don't expect immediate success, direct sales is something that you have to work at.