So you decided you dive into the world of direct selling. You’re nervous and aren’t totally confident that you’ll be successful, but the hope of the future has kept you moving forward. There’s only one problem. You want to start growing a team, but you aren’t sure exactly how. And this is a struggle for you because you have giant goals for yourself AND you want to help others do the same. You see others doing it and know that it can be for you too. You wouldn’t have started in direct sales if you didn’t think you could do it. But now, the doubt is settling in and you’re wondering if it’s even possible?
Alas, you want to prove it to yourself and everyone else that you CAN do it. Therefore, today I am going to show you How To Start Growing A Direct Sales Team to build the community and business you desire.
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How To Start Growing A Direct Sales Team
First, I want to start by sharing that I understand how you feel. I have dabbled in direct sales since 2009. But, direct sales found me full time when I joined Nu Skin in 2017. Starting with a simple tube of whitening toothpaste exploded my business unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. I built a team steadily with on the fly training and tried to figure it all out as I went.
As a result, I have climbed high highs (like earning an all expenses paid trip to South Africa), losing my team completely, and building it up again. One thing I learned that I feel is extremely crucial to share with you right off the bat is this: You HAVE to commit to your company long term and not quit.
So many people dive in, have success, and when the ebbs and flows of business set in- they quit. Riding the business wave as it goes up and down is essential to building a direct sales team. Not everyone you recruit into the business will want to change their lives. People will come and people will go. If you love the company the products enough, and you have a reliable and ethical system to help you build your business, then keep going!
You can’t build a solid team by company hopping. Sorry, it’s true.
But, I do know how it feels to build and build and build and to feel ALONE in it all. To see the vision and the bigger picture and to wonder if anyone else will ever join you again. Trust me, I understand.
I believe in Nu Skin and have committed with my whole heart. So, when things got really challenging, that’s what kept me going. The goals I have to grow with Nu Skin are a part of my career as a professional direct seller and affiliate marketer. You have to start by knowing what you’re a part of, digging in, and committing.
Like, you have to.
Now, let’s talk more about How To Start Growing A Direct Sales Team. Here are a few tips I recommend as you begin to grow your team in direct sales.
1. Only Sell What You Genuinely Use And Enjoy
Listen. I understand wanting to jump in on a product or business that seems groundbreaking. But, before you decide that you’re all in- you HAVE to make sure that you genuinely love what you’re trying to sell. Your audience can smell it from a mile away if you’re only offering it for the money. If you would share it even if you were NOT making money on it, you’re that jazzed about it, then it’s a GO.
Don’t force it. If you love the company you’re with, you don’t have to promote every single product they offer either. Find what resonates with you and step into sharing about it. If you’re excited, you’ll be able to get others excited about it too.
2. Identify Your Ideal Target Audience
Believe it or not, everyone is not your ideal audience. Of course, you likely won’t turn many people away if they’re interested. But, you have to know who you’re speaking to. Wanting more income is not a target audience. Working from home is not a target audience. A target audience is a group of people who all have similar needs, problems, and desires. And YOU are going to speak to them specifically. A lot (A LOT) of people get this wrong. They want to help everyone but in turn it looks like desperation to get ANYONE on their teams.
Building a team in direct sales isn’t about YOU. It’s about serving others and help identify the problems that they have and solving them. But, solving them in an organic and authentic way. Not in a foaming at the mouth kind of way. No matter what kind of business you are running, you need to know this information. Don’t skip this step just because you’re in direct sales.
3. Know Where Your Audience Is
This is important. We’ve all seen people jump in and throw all their info our there on every platform they’re on. And while it might work in the short term, it’s extremely self serving. Knowing where your audience is means you have to slow down long enough to learn about THEM. We should not be in the business of throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.
Your audience is on one or two platforms more heavily than others. Do you know where they are? And once you get there, do you know how to enter the scene and bless them? If not, you have to take the time to learn. Every social media platform is different and serves a separate purpose. Depending on where your audience is, will depend on how you approach them. Don’t miss this step!
4. Sell By Story Telling
Slow down a little but and figure out what the story of your product is. Better yet, really map out what YOUR story with the product is. If you just started using it, take a minute to explain what your struggle was and why this has been the best solution. Stories sell because they speak to the heart. And when you’re serving the right audience with the right product and the right motives, magical things can happen. But, you have to tell the stories over and over again in order to be effective in this.
READ: Not quitting when it gets a little hard or repetitive.
5. Distinguish Yourself With Unique Branding
You are partnering with a direct selling company. You aren’t BECOMING the company. And while they will have certain do’s and don’t in their code of conduct, you want to make sure that you’re partnered with a company that gives you branding freedom.
This is one of the main reasons that I joined Nu Skin.
When you build a brand, it’s again, not really about you. It’s about the mission and the community you’re designing. You step into creating a vision that’s bigger than you and that others can see themselves truly a part of. If you want to be a serious direct seller, you have to position yourself differently than anyone else in the industry.
And that means you’re not just offering a product but running your brand as an actual business would. It sets you a part and distinguishes you as the expert in your field. Even if you’re brand new, you can be seen as an expert and someone to be taken seriously by the right kind of branding and commitment.
6. Talk To As Many People As You Can
This does NOT mean spam everyone you see and be an annoying walking billboard. It does NOT mean cold messaging people so you can find the “right one”. I’ve made this mistake too. And I’ve learned.
Talking to as many people as you can actually has more to do with listening. It’s setting up coffees and asking a thousand questions until you can introduce the topic of your business. When you are in direct sales, the only way the word is going to get out about your business, is if YOU share about it. However, talking to people doesn’t mean berating them into buying or doing something they don’t want to do. Overexcitement can really quickly turn into annoying spamming that no one wants to be a part of.
Talk to everyone. But really, LISTEN to everyone and see how you can serve them. IF you can serve them. Your business and products won’t be for everyone, and that’s totally ok.
7. Always Follow Up With Prospects
There is fortune in the followup. It’s TRUE. However, you have to know and understand HOW to follow up. Check in with people and see how they are enjoying your products. See if they need refills. Inquire about any sales that you have going on to see if it could be a good fit for them. Create a regular follow up schedule that gives you an organized look at where each of your customers are in the process.
I feel very lucky that Nu Skin provides a smart app that does this for us. It’s genius and has been a game changer for my business. Following up has never been easier and more life giving!
If you’re following up about the business, make sure you’ve asked permission to follow up. For example, if you ask someone if they’d like to look at the business and they say no, it’s ok to ask if you can follow up with them again in six months. I have never had someone say no to this! Then, you need to make sure to go put that date on your calendar and then wait to follow up with them until then.
If they want your business sooner, they will ask.
Waiting six months gives both of you the space you need to build a friendship without the annoyance of your business looming over their heads. Reach out in the six months, but invite them to coffee or to dinner. Engage with their social media posts. Check in and ask how you can be praying for them. BE A HUMAN.
Then, on the six month mark when you follow up about the business, it won’t be so annoying because it hasn’t been the basis of your friendship. Plus, it shows that you are an actual professional in the industry and not someone who’s just try to build a team for yourself.
In conclusion, learning How To Start Growing A Direct Sales Team is a balancing act. It’s a skill that needs to be developed. When you’re with the company you’ve chosen for the long haul, you will learn these skills and ride the waves. Your team will grow and it will decrease. The ebbs and flows of direct sales are not for the faint of heart. But, if you believe in what you’re selling even when you’re alone, it will be all the sweeter when your team finally does show up.
It’s all about timing. And if you’re willing to dig in the trenches every day while you work on the timing of your future team, serve others, and keep going, magic will happen. It won’t be an overnight success but it will look like one. Things like this usually grow fast when the timing is right. But, if you quit you’ll never know what could have been! So, keep going!