Tips to Expand Your Direct Sales Reach
Nothing worth pursuing comes easily.
Some people can easily jump in with both feet to any new venture without fear of consequences. Others may experience crippling anxiety and get thrown into a tailspin at the idea of trying something new. But no matter who you are, it takes time and effort to learn new skills, master techniques, and harness the confidence to perform.
For direct sellers, it’s important to be able to step out of your comfort zone when growing your business. You need the confidence to approach customers and utilize new skill sets to achieve your goals.
Direct sales companies, like USANA Health Sciences, are instrumental in giving sales associates the skills and training to break through and reach new customers. And with the company’s encouragement, USANA direct sellers learn and gain the confidence to engage potential and existing customers and make the sale.
Here’s how partnering with USANA can help you connect with others and find the confidence to step beyond your comfort zone.
The Zoning Committee
You don’t need to go to city hall to find out what zone you’re in. Collectively, most people exist in three shifting zones:
- Comfort
- Stretch
- Panic (or stress)
The comfort zone is where you feel most at ease. There’s little to no fear or discomfort, and you feel in control of the situation. This is a natural state and where you should exist throughout the day.
At the opposite end is the panic or stress zone. Instead of using your energy to connect with others, you’re trying to keep it together and calm down as your fight or flight response engages.
Nothing good comes from staying in the stress zone.
Growth comes from spending time in the stretch zone. You’re not satiated and calm, but you’re also not stressed and feeling overwhelmed. Here you can learn new skills, explore your surroundings, and enhance possibilities. This is the mindset where you’re safely challenging yourself while trying new things, but you’re not incapable of performing.
Finding the right headspace is crucial for direct sales. And the best way to tap into confidence is through work, repetition, and recognition. In USANA’s case, successful distributors are the ones who learn about the company and the nutritional supplements, practice engaging with and educating potential customers, and take the time to recognize every victory.
Through learning the business, pushing forward despite setbacks, and acknowledging even small successes, USANA sales associates can sell with enthusiasm and excitement.
Let’s explore how they find confidence and success outside of their comfort zone.
Do Your Homework
No new venture is easy. For every great musical performance you’ve heard, you missed the thousands of hours of rehearsal. Athletes have innate abilities in their sports, but practice, competition, and coaching are how they reach the highest levels.
Direct sellers are both sales associates and private entrepreneurs. And while USANA makes it easy for direct sellers to focus on customer service and reaching customers, direct sellers need to know what they’re talking about to provide an incredible customer experience.
It starts with learning about the products. Nobody is expecting you to become an expert overnight, but there is a baseline expectation of competency with direct sales. In USANA’s case, don’t try and master the chemical composition of every single product—just learn something about the products you take, like what they do and why they’re different than what other companies may offer.
For example, USANA’s fish oil supplement, USANA BiOmega, is a very popular product. Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids which support a variety of natural health processes, and BiOmega is a top-selling product. To step out of your stress zone and into your comfort/stretch zone, take time to learn.
How is it collected? Processed? Why does USANA manufacture one of the very best fish oil supplements in the world? As you master each product, your natural confidence will grow. And as you experience the health benefits, you’ll want to share what you’ve learned and encourage others to try fish oil too.
Success is built upon success. As you do your homework, you’ll gain the confidence to engage potential customers. And the best way to get excited is to study with a friend. Working together, you’ll be able to share your experiences and encourage one another as you grow.
Practice, Practice, Practice
First-chair violinists don’t just get the top seat. They have to work at it—a lot. It takes a lifetime to master the violin, and it would be ridiculous to think you could sit in on a performance without practice.
Whether it’s playing a sport, flying a plane, or working in direct sales, you need to practice your skills to become competent and comfortable. Even natural-born salesmen still need to practice their pitches. Don’t get discouraged if you stumble over your words, misspeak, or get nervous. Practicing helps smooth your language and gives you a foundation to share without fear of criticism or rejection.
Start by writing out your sales pitch. Look at the pacing of your speech. Try recording yourself on your smartphone and listening to it. In time, you’ll have the confidence to try your sales approach with new people.
And if at first, you don’t succeed, try again. Overcoming rejection—and the possibility of it—comes in time, and once you understand that a no is not an attack, you’ll move on, keep talking to potential customers, and eventually get a yes.
Celebrate Your Wins
All work and no play is no way to build a successful business. Too often, people transform every new experience into a life-or-death situation. It’s not. Direct sales should be fun! As you sell, keep things in perspective and try to enjoy the moment.
If you’re afraid of being yelled at, judged, criticized, or belittled, you’ll never get close to the level of confidence you need for success. Know the difference between a setback and a failure—chances are most discouraging moments are only setbacks—and learn from each encounter.
But most importantly, when you do have success, celebrate it! No matter the size of the sale you make, it’s worth acknowledging you’ve risen above and achieved a goal. And as you continue to grow, you’ll have the confidence to aim higher and achieve bigger goals.
If you’re looking to become a direct seller, check out USANA and discover world-class products and business opportunities by partnering with the very best.
