Direct selling is a challenging, yet rewarding career that is based on selling goods directly to consumers. Through one-on-one sales to group interactions, the key to success is to get your name out to as many people as possible throughout your interpersonal communication. While direct selling is traditionally done in person, the Internet has changed this industry in many significant ways. Take a look at the top five ways in which the Internet has changed direct selling.
Door-to-Door Sales
Gone are the days when your local Avon lady made door-to-door calls. Most neighborhoods have become more private and discourage such forms of solicitation. At the same time, with the busy lives that families lead nowadays, there’s no telling when people will actually be home to sell goods to. A website builder now helps people in direct selling contact potential customers directly online in place of door-to-door sells.
Less Physical Work
Walking around all day used to be tiring for the direct seller. With selling goods through the Internet, you no longer have to lug your products around town in hopes that customers will buy your items. Instead, you can market to your friends, acquaintances and strangers from the comfort of your own home. This doesn’t make the selling process easier by any means, but the physicality is less burdensome.
Clients Contact You
One of the best changes in direct selling is that clients can now find and contact you on the Internet. Whether it is through a basic online search or through a company affiliation, you have the opportunity to secure clients that seek your goods without having to fight for every client in person like the old days. Just make certain that customers can contact you easily through your website, otherwise you may not get those sales.
Around-the-Clock Services
The downside to the Internet is that direct salespeople are sought after around the clock. Due to the competitive nature of this industry, it is ultimately in your best interest to follow up with all leads, including new people who contact you through your webpage. This means that you might end up working late at night or on weekends just to make sure that your orders get filled and that your customers are happy.
Challenges Still Persist
While the Internet has changed direct sales in many good ways, it has also made the industry more challenging for newbies. As a new salesperson, you are put up against more experienced professionals in the business. In order to succeed, you will need to come up with creative marketing strategies to help distinguish you and the products you sell from your competition. In an effort to increase traffic to your business website, you might consider adding a blog on the side. This will help generate new traffic based off of keywords within your articles so you might attract a completely new sect of clients to your business. Despite the challenges, direct selling is a rewarding career that carries a lot of potential, thanks to the Internet.