Starting A Home-Based Business
Another month gone by and the recession and subsequent recovery are still looking pretty anemic. The U.S. economy only added 69,000 jobs in May, dropping precipitously from just a few months ago. These discouraging figures have led many households to consider other options. From night jobs to clipping coupons, belt-tightening is still a common practice for many families. For stay-at-home moms interested in adding income, disillusioned downsize victims and other ambitions folks, selling products out of the home has become a popular way to make ends meet.
But before you can start the perfect at-home business, you need to perfect the art of the sales pitch. Whether you choose to sell herbal face wash, knives or Tupperware, you have to put on a great show for your customers. From promotional prize wheel games to quick anecdotes to cold, hard facts; giving your potential customers and ironclad reason to either buy or sell with you will make your business a success. Here are a few tips on how to get started.
Make Your Case: Whether you are selling or trying to recruit new members, the most important thing to remember is to always have your mind on the sale. No matter how likeable you are, each interaction should end with one of two things: either you sell them or they sell you on a reason they can’t. If you keep this in mind at all times, it allows you to pepper in language that makes it clear you are interested in getting a deal done, being casual but always keeping a foot on the accelerator.
Make It Fun: No one wants to go to a party where they are obligated to buy something at the end. But by sticking to traditional party themes—food, drinks, festive décor—you can create a casual atmosphere where people feel more comfortable. In order to get the information across, you may need to sweeten it up a bit. Promotional games are a great way to accomplish this. Adding a scoreboard or a promotional prize wheel can add an air of professionalism to your presentation that will increase the comfort level for your potential customers. Creating ways to include everyone and allowing them to not only win prizes but learn about your products is a win for everyone involved.
Make Contact: After hosting a personal networking event to showcase your products, be sure to follow up. Compile a mailing list, get social media information or find some other way to keep the lines of communication open. Even if you don’t make as many sales as you would like, having a network of people interested in what you do can open up new opportunities in the future.
Jesse Dugan and his team of expert writers guest post for sites all over the web in several different categories. Follow him @JesseDugan.