You’ve heard me talk about whether or not direct sales “really works” before on this blog. Here’s a hint: yes, it works, but only if you’re willing to do the work and do it right.
(Wait a second… that sounds a lot like the advice you’d get for any job, doesn’t it…?)
Without going on a rant of why direct sales is a completely legitimate and lucrative way to earn a living, let’s talk about why many people don’t find success in this industry. There are basically three reasons, and today I’m going to explore all three of them.
Mistake #1: They Quit
Okay, maybe this is incredibly obvious, but someone had to say it! I’ve made an incredible career out of WineShop at Home. It helps feed my family and secure our future.
And guess what? I’m not the smartest, I’m not the hardest working, I’m not the best at sales, I’m not the funniest, and I’m not the skinniest. I’m not the best at very much. But I am the best at not quitting.
I may get all the way to the brink of throwing in the towel – and believe me, I have been there (and I have quit other direct sales businesses before, too) – but I made the decision when I started with WineShop that I was not going to quit unless it was because a better opportunity came along (if you are reading this and you’re on my team DO NOT freak out and think I’m looking for something else or gasp… leaving…! I’m pretty well over the moon with what we’ve got here).
I will never, ever utter the words, “Well, this didn’t work. I quit. I’m not good enough and I don’t know how to do it. It works for other people but it doesn’t work for me.”
I’ve been successful in this industry because over the last 11 years, other people have quit. They didn’t want to ride out the unique challenges that direct sales presents, but I stuck with it, and I’m the one who’s reaping the benefits. Well, me and Mickey Mouse (more on that in a future blog).
Mistake #2: They Never Get Over Mental Blocks
The hardest work you will do in this business is the work you do on yourself. I don’t love calling customers to ask for sales. I don’t like it when I look at my calendar and it’s empty – that means I have to pick up the phone and call people!
We each have some version of a mental block that stops us, at least initially. I’m just like everyone, only my flavor of mental block sounds something like this, “Nobody wants to book a tasting with me. They’re just doing it to be nice to me. I’m bothering them. Am I really good at this? Everyone else is better at follow-up…”
At some point you have to walk away from the mental dialogue and change the story you tell yourself or you’ll end up quitting. Every consultant goes through this. Heck, every person at every job probably does too!
When you’re willing to turn the mirror on yourself and examine your mindset blocks and push beyond them, your business will begin to grow. The consultants who aren’t successful are unwilling to examine these mindset blocks and do the work to change them!
Mistake #3: They Don’t Cultivate a Support Team
From the day I decided to join WineShop at Home and make this a huge success I had a support team. It was as important to me as buying my business kit, ordering business cards and stocking my wine rack.
Now, 11 years later when I find myself stuck in a mindset block, I still have to reach outside myself to get past it. Sometimes that means calling a business mentor, leader or coach, sometimes it means calling a friend who has seen how great I am at running a tasting. Sometimes it means calling up another direct sales friend and saying “I just need to vent for a minute!” or role-play though a situation or idea. The bottom line is I have a team of support. I have a starting lineup of people behind me.
The most successful consultants have people around them who support and encourage their business.
Friends, family, other consultants, business coaches and mentors are all great support team members. These people are key to creating success because it’s inevitable that you will, at some point, need someone to remind you why you started the business in the first place.