The direct sales industry is terrific.
It can be life-changing—I’ve seen it happen many times in my organization and experienced it myself.
Yet, I also see far too many people fail. And I hate to see people fail for avoidable reasons.
So let’s have a look at the top 3 reasons why people fail in direct sales so you can avoid it and if you’re a leader, you can help your new team members to avoid failure!
Reason #3 Shiny Object Syndrome
I know many people who have left a fabulous business to go to a new ‘shiny’ opportunity again and again. They flit from direct sales company to direct sales company without persisting in one business and never staying long enough to make it a true success.
In other people ‘shiny object syndrome’ manifests as not not giving enough of their focus and attention to a direct sales business to get it properly off the ground. They then add on another direct sales business, scattering their focus even further.
People with ‘shiny object syndrome’ assume the grass is greener elsewhere but here’s the rub: the grass is greener where you water it!
If you feel that the direct sales business you’re with isn’t a good fit for some reason, I caution you to examine your motives so you don’t make the ‘shiny object syndrome’ mistake and leave a successful business just because you assume the grass is greener over there.
I’ve seen many a consultant being wooed by a new opportunity only to discover it wasn’t everything they hoped it would be. And in some cases the new company closed up shop and these consultants went back to their previous company, but now they had to start from scratch again.
I also know many direct sellers who represent four or five different brands without being successful in any of them as they can’t give so many businesses their full focus and attention. Pick one (or two, at the most) and focus your time and attention on there if you want to be truly successful.
Reason #2 Failure to Launch
Some consultants just never get their business off the ground properly in the first place. There are many factors that play into this, but this is what I see:
- They ask one or two people to host a party for their launch but get “No’s”. They don’t a get a party after asking only a couple of people and they give up.
- They put a post on their social media announcing their new business. But when nobody rushes to them to order products or book a party, they assume no one is interested and give up.
A failure to launch is a real shame because with a bit of persistence (and sometimes a bit of training by their upline) they could make a success of their biz.
If you want to know how to do a great (re-)launch, check this article.
Reason #1 Being Too ‘spammy’ and ‘salesy’ on social
The main reason I see people fail is that they are far too spammy and salesy. They signed up to be ‘social sellers‘ but no one told them that the most important bit of that is the ‘social’ part.
Many direct sellers that only operate on social media (as opposed to also doing in-home parties or demonstrations) have been sold on the opportunity with promises that it’s easy, that it won’t cost you much time and that you could do it from your bed if you wanted.
However, you’re running a business and you should treat it as such. Yes, you can work in pockets of time and work around other commitments or family. But that only works if you know what to do with that time – doing things that further your business.
If you want to be a social seller, you must learn how to be great at attraction marketing. Don’t be product dumper and post picture after picture of your products and hope someone places an order. It won’t work. You want to be a magnet and attract people to you instead.
Don’t let your business or your new team members become a failure statistic. Do a proper launch, be consistent with your activities that actually work and don’t keep looking for new and shiny opportunities.
Persist and it will pay off.
Using the principles in this book, I built a global $20-million direct sales business.
In ‘Growing Your Direct Sales Team,’ I share my tried and tested methods from my 20 years in the industry.
My book comes with dozens of worksheets, checklists, and templates to get you on your road to success.
Unlock the full potential of your sales strategy with GenieChat
The all-in-one CRM solution designed to make your life easier and your profits higher.
The cutting-edge platform simplifies customer relationship management with personal reminders, ensuring you never miss an opportunity to connect.
Did you know that 50% of sales happen after the fifth touch? GenieChat helps you effortlessly nurture those crucial relationships, maximizing your follow-up average to convert more leads into loyal customers.
Unleash the power of the Magic Message Generator, featuring integrated, unlimited AI-generated replies, answers, and invites that take the guesswork out of communication. But that’s not all—GenieChat’s unlimited duplication and team-sharing capabilities allow you to impart super-seller powers to your team. Share content, scripts, videos, and more with just a click. Say goodbye to missed opportunities and hello to seamless, effective selling with GenieChat.
Explore GenieChat here
