Are there any business owners out there?

Fighting4Healthy

I recently started working for myself in direct sales, but it feels like it isn't going anywhere. The more I see that nothing is going the way I need it to the more I start to lose motivation. I have been trying to "reel in" the customers but I feel like a failure at it, especially when I got to my weekly sales meetings and hear about people who have been doing this for like 2 weeks and they are already making a 4 figure monthly salary. How many of you fellow business owners have felt this way before. What can I do to keep my motivation up? I am brand new at this so I can use all the advice I can get.

Etienne54

What kind of product are you selling?

kittyhasclaws

I'm not sure what "direct sales" you're in, but if it's a multi-level marketing, I can only say GET OUT NOW. If you're having to reel in customers, that doesn't sound good. Working in retail, I hated having to try to talk people into getting things they really didn't need- and I didn't get a commission or anything but that's what had to be done. My husband's business is pretty specialized, so the most marketing he has to do is his ad in the yellow pages and a tour of his shop to show his work.

YolieCreator

My husband and I have a security company, and I make and sell jewelry. Neither has been very profitable lately though. Chirstmas was a good time for me, but not selling anything now. Our security contracts are mostly with apartment complexes and several have changed ownership in the past few months. Working with new owners to renew our contracts and they are dragging their feet. Ugh. So stressful

Fighting4Healthy

What kind of product are you selling?

Cosmetics and skincare products

Fighting4Healthy

I'm not sure what "direct sales" you're in, but if it's a multi-level marketing, I can only say GET OUT NOW. If you're having to reel in customers, that doesn't sound good. Working in retail, I hated having to try to talk people into getting things they really didn't need- and I didn't get a commission or anything but that's what had to be done. My husband's business is pretty specialized, so the most marketing he has to do is his ad in the yellow pages and a tour of his shop to show his work.

With the company I cannot advertise in the yellow pages or even the white pages. I have to have face time with people and talk to people and that is ok because I am a people person, But sometimes I feel like I sound desperate and I don't take rejection very well, but I am a passive person. I get 50% commission of everything I sell. and most of the customers I get come from referrals of current customers and invites to parties and events.

Fighting4Healthy

My husband and I have a security company, and I make and sell jewelry. Neither has been very profitable lately though. Chirstmas was a good time for me, but not selling anything now. Our security contracts are mostly with apartment complexes and several have changed ownership in the past few months. Working with new owners to renew our contracts and they are dragging their feet. Ugh. So stressful

I think Christmas will be better for me too, at least I hope it will be.

Dogwalkingirl

I own my own business but it is very different then yours. I am a full time dog walker and pet sitting (cat and dog sitting mainly in peoples homes when they are away...also some of my clients have donkeys, goats, parrots etc). I work full time during the day with my walks then spend my evenings doing cat sits or sometimes spend 1-7 days in my clients homes.

Sales is not my strong point so I am not really about to help with any advice but I can tell you I have had my ups and downs and every new business owner does. I luckily have a very devoted group of clients now but it took a lot of time to get everything going....licensing, insurance, websites, marketing etc. Now my main issues are scheduling in order to make everyone happy, scheduling to make sure I am making a good enough profit. I do a lot of "work" without pay. I meet prospective new clients and their animals and some of the go 2 hours long and I do not get paid but its the price of generating business.

All I can say if this is what you want to do, what makes you happy and something you have a passion for then push on. On the other hand if you are struggling and not happy and its causing you stress then.....move on!! There is no point in doing something in life that doesn't make you happy.

The best thing I have ever done is find a job I LOVE (believe me I had some bad ones)...I no longer have a boss breathing down my neck, I get to be outside all day, I meet wonderful people and most importantly I get to spend my day with my animals...my passion!!!

hellokittymaui

As a small business owner for the last almost 20 years, you need to have pasion for what you do and sell. If you don't 100% believe in your product(s), it just won't work.

My advice (for what it's worth): Take a step back and re-evaluate if this is the right occupation for you. If you truly believe it is the you need to look at your approach, your target customers, your sales materials, etc and see if you need to alter something.

Fighting4Healthy

As a small business owner for the last almost 20 years, you need to have pasion for what you do and sell. If you don't 100% believe in your product(s), it just won't work.

My advice (for what it's worth): Take a step back and re-evaluate if this is the right occupation for you. If you truly believe it is the you need to look at your approach, your target customers, your sales materials, etc and see if you need to alter something.

I do believe in the products, I love the products. I do feel that it is the right occupation for me. Maybe I just need to be a little more assertive, but I don't want people thinking that I am aggressive.... I need to find a happy medium.

Etienne54

As a small business owner for the last almost 20 years, you need to have pasion for what you do and sell. If you don't 100% believe in your product(s), it just won't work.

My advice (for what it's worth): Take a step back and re-evaluate if this is the right occupation for you. If you truly believe it is the you need to look at your approach, your target customers, your sales materials, etc and see if you need to alter something.

I do believe in the products, I love the products. I do feel that it is the right occupation for me. Maybe I just need to be a little more assertive, but I don't want people thinking that I am aggressive.... I need to find a happy medium.

I own a franchise, which is a lot more secure. The problem you're encountering is the fact that you're competing against big names industries that uses millions in advertisements, that has TEAMS who individuals to sell the products. Companies like Avon or Arbonne are Pyramide scheme companies. Which is bad and you need to get out of it ASAP. The highest ranked members makes their money not by selling it to customers but selling kits to people like yourself.

In anyway, that is my two cents and good luck with it. I strongly advise you to research that company in depth before you get in too deep.

Sublimely_Self_Righteous

I'm in the business of selling my body. Unfortunately, business is not good and I'm about to go bankrupt.

Fighting4Healthy

I'm in the business of selling my body. Unfortunately, business is not good and I'm about to go bankrupt.

Okay I am not in that business...

NutellaAddict

I'm in the business of selling my body. Unfortunately, business is not good and I'm about to go bankrupt.

Well if you were more adventurous and willing to do blumpkins or cleveland steamers you wouldn't be bankrupt.

ammp

my husband is an NRA instructor and I'm the unofficial marketing director - because I have to be To be successful we often have to find people that don't know they need us, then convince them they do.
Not everyone wants a concealed weapons permit, many of the people I start talking to realize having one is a great idea, wither or not they will actively carry. That parts on them, my job is to get them to want it.
Then there's the follow through, I spend a lot of my own time following up - arranging dates for classes, rescheduling those same classes, and yes, part of it is a waste of time because the people never show up.
There is a lot of failure, and a lot of "no thanks", but you can turn those into something - when someone tells me no, I'm still nice to them, and offer them a card telling them "if you change your mind, you let me know, or if someone you know wants to take a class, send them my way. If you refer them to me, I'll give you a discount when you take yours" (implying they will, because they may not want to take the class at $85, but if I offer it to them at $75 suddenly they want it).
Take the bad with the good. Practice your sales pitch to your best friend so they can tell you what sucked and what was good. Lastly, be confident. Nothing turns me off to a salesperson faster then someone who is meek, or unsure.

Cre8veLifeR

My hubby and I both are business owners. He's a structural engineer and I am a graphic designer and brand strategist, and am starting a new publishing company doing interactive book apps. We both work about 14 hours a day, 5 and sometimes 6 days a week. There are up times and down times. The key is you HAVE to be passionate about what you sell, and believe in what you sell 100%.

If you sell skin care and beauty products then you need to approach it from the angle that you are passionate about helping people look and feel better about themselves. Your never selling a product - you sell a story, an idea, and above all (well for me anyway) the end result your customer is looking for.

Here's what I do:

Have a five year goal
break that down into yearly goals
break that down to monthly goals

THEN PLAN! I plan my months ahead of time and set goals for myself. Then that becomes daily tasks that steer me in the direction I want to go.

Plan for failure too. I do, so in the event I fail at something, it's not catastrophic -- it's a set back.

Love what you do. Be good at what you do. Make people feel good. Network. Be patient and stick to it, if it's something you love and believe in.

Derpes

If you enjoy face to face conversations, maybe you can look at outside sales, but instead of business to consumer you could shift to business to business.

Many offer a base + commission and some are commission only.

I have worked in sales for some time, and the key is asking the right questions and listening to the customer/client. The customer should do 70-80% of the talking.

Sometimes your product is a good fit and other times it is not.

mlb929

Your sales manager should be giving you training and leads. She/He should be working with you on things like cold calls. IE, seeing the pretty girl in the grocery store that would benefit for your line of cosmetics. Unfortunately, good sales people are pushy in a polite and friendly manner. Send emails to friends family and previous coworkers. Put out a basket at a local beauty shop for a drawing for something free. Work with schools on their fundraisers to make donations to auctions to get your name out there.

AmberLee2012

I sell mark. and I started in March of 2011. It took me until now to have a good customer base. DS isn't easy. There are people that are great at sales that do rake in the money, but most of the time, I believe it's the reps actually buyin for themselves that makes the most money for the companies. I like my DS business, but I could never live on my sales. I also work full-time.

The main thing that I have found that helps me is to have an assistant. My close friend loves the products and she just went back to school. She dropped off a ton of mags for me all over campus and I had a woman add me on Facebook and place a $54.00 order who I have never met in my life. I give her my rep discount on orders here and there for helping me out. She also works in a salon and her co-workers have purchased from me too.

smanning1982

It sounds like Mary Kay. I "sold" Mary Kay for 3 years and had over $1000 in product on my shelves when I finally gave up. Yes, it works for some people and the directors making a decent amount have been doing it forever.

If you want to work from home and actually make money I have several places that you can work from home taking inbound phone calls ( you take calls, not make calls) for actual real companies. I don't do it anymore because I have 4 kids at home but I used to and loved it, most companies you pick your own hours. Some pay per talk minute (your considered a contractor) and 2 companies you are an actual employee and get paid hourly. PM me if you want the companies' info

Now I have my own very successfull business making my own products and selling on etsy for a high demand market

mattschwartz01

Being a good salesperson is about getting people to know you, like you, and trust you. You've begun to get your name out there. The next step is to offer some freebie advice, sample, positive remarks about a person's beauty. Once you show them products that they feel makes them beautiful, your customers will trust you to have their best interests in mind. Check out SCORE at http://www.score.org. SCORE is an organization dedicated to helping the small business owner become successful.