The five tips below are extra steps you can take to help ensure more traffic and more sales to your table or booth.

1.  Free: Have lots of FREE signs.  People love the word FREE. Many will take something just because it’s free, even if they don’t initially think they are interested in it.  This can work both for and against you. It can work against you if you are far too liberal with costly marketing collateral and product samples.  But it can also work in your favor if you have a take-away that they can put in their hands and later visit your website.  Most customers won’t ask “Is this free?” No one wants to look like a cheapskate. So if you have samples that you want them to take, make sure you have signage on your table that reads FREE samples, please help yourself.

2.  Call to action:  Do you have a product you want them to try?  Have signs that are professionally designed, not handwritten scribbles, that read: Open and Sniff.  Or Try it Before You Buy It. I saw a beautiful wickless candle display that had candles packaged in plastic clamshell cases.  Her intent was to have the customers pop open the cases to smell them. Yet without the instruction to do so, no one did. They viewed it as opening a package that they may not purchase. Be clear how you want your customers to behave.

3. Forms of payment:  If you accept credit cards make sure you clearly display that you do. Many craft show vendors are small home businesses or hobbyist and customers do not expect them to have the ability to accept credit/debit cards. I’ve heard customers walk past tables saying to their shopping partner “I should have brought more cash.”  If they had known plastic payment was an option, the vendors likely would have sold much more.

4.  Product details: Your product may seem self explanatory to you, but to shoppers who are not familiar with it may be confused or have a false impression of what your items are or what they do.  If you have a product that warms wax with the heat of a lightbulb – have a small sign that simply says “It’s a lightbulb!” It’ll either make perfect sense to the customer or it’ll be intriguing so they’ll pause long enough to ask questions. If your product looks like soap or lotion but is actually anti-bacterial foam, then put a placecard next to it so that the customers understand it’s not just a product they can pick up at the dollar store.

5. Don’t hover. Yes engage your customers with a simple Hello. But don’t ask them forty questions. Don’t start yammering so much that potential customers can’t get away fast enough.  Allow them time to soak up what you are selling and give them an opportunity to express interest, either verbally or nonverbally. You don’t like to be attacked by salespeople and neither do others.

Follow these easy to implement tips to have a more productive vendor event. You have an excellent product that you’re proud of, so don’t make simple mistakes that could be costly. It’s difficult to determine the cost of lost business that you never received because of inadvertent self-sabotage.

And most importantly, have fun – else what is the point in doing it.

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan and a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping others start and maintain a candle business in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Deutschland and the UK. You can find Laurie at http://la.Scentsy.us or http://www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com

The answer is All of the Above –  you may give, sell or loan a warmer to your basket party host.  It’s your business and you are free to choose which option works best for you.  Take a closer look at possible alternatives:

Give: You may choose to offer your hosts a free warmer if they host a qualified party. This may be an enticement to encourage hosts to collect orders.  This demo warmer would be entered as a business expense in your accounting.  The downside to this is that giving away warmers cut into your profit margin and may send a message that our fantastic host rewards aren’t all that fantastic. When in actuality, we offer a generous host benefit program as it stands. You should be able to find hosts who want to have a basket party without needing to throw additional bones.

Loan:  Offer the use a warmer for a specific period of time. Customers are much more likely to order if they can experience Scentsy. It is reasonable to offer to leave it with the host for a week along with some wax to melt. Then when you collect the orders and payments you pick up the warmer and then offer it to the next host to borrow during the duration of the basket party. The upside is that it’s a low financial investment to maintain a few loaner warmers.

Sell : If you choose to sell the demo warmer to the host do you sell it at full retail? If you are looking for hosts who want to collect orders so that they can earn free and half off Scentsy, it may be a real turn off if you offer to sell them a warmer at full retail. It could backfire if they think “First he wants me to collect orders for him and now he wants to sell me one too?”  You could offer to loan it to the host for a week and then if she wants to keep it, offer it to her at a discount since it’s already been used and you couldn’t sell it as new anyway.

Footnote:  If you opt to offer any personal specials or discounts make sure you  comply with Scentsy advertising policies on marketing your business (Section 6) since you cannot publicly advertise your own specials.

The options are plentiful. There’s no one way to work a basket party other than the way that works best for you and your situation.

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan and a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping others in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Deutschland and the UK start and maintain a candle business. You can find Laurie at https://la.Scentsy.us or http://www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com

Scentsy Basket Party: Method of collecting Scentsy orders; generally consisting of a host, catalogs and scent samples presented as an alternative to home parties.

Taken directly from the Scentsy consultant websites: “Scentsy Basket Party: If your guests can’t make it to your party, bring the party to them! While it may not offer the full social experience of a home party, the Scentsy basket party is the perfect alternative for guests-on-the-go. I will provide you with a beautiful display basket full of Scentsy product samples, order forms, and all the information you need. You’ll have 10–14 days to share it with as many people you can at as many locations you like. Then you’ll return the basket—and completed order forms—to me to be processed.”

The most important thing to keep in mind about a Scentsy Basket Party (BP) is that there is no one way to conduct one.  There are so many options in how you choose put a BP together.  The options are limitless.  Below are some choices to consider:

What to use as scent samples?

Some consultants choose to use the party testers that were included in the Starter Kit.  Other Scentsy consultants purchase the optional Mini-testers that are available under Business Supplies. Still others opt to make their own samples.  There are pros and cons to each type of scent sample.

Party Testers:  Starting in January 2011 the starter kits now include “slim testers” which are less cumbersome than the original ones. Pro – No extra expense needed as you already have them.  Con – Size and space may still be a factor; the need to get them returned to you in good condition; many hands and noses on them could present a germ factor.

Optional Mini-testers:  These are tiny miniatures of the party testers.  You may purchase these as an entire set or in sleeves of five of all the same scent. Pro – They’re small and don’t take up much room; inexpensive to purchase.  Con – Because they’re so tiny, some consultants don’t believe they hold the same amount of scent or that the scent doesn’t last as long; while relatively economical to purchase, it’s still an added expense and because it is a business supply they do not count toward volume nor pay commission; the need to get them returned to you in good condition; many hands and noses on them could present a germ factor.

Make Your Own Samples: More Scentsy consultants are starting to make their own samples to include in their BPs. There are a couple of different ways to make them. One method is using candy molds as shown here. Pro – You don’t need to worry about getting them returned or germs. It’s also something that the host can actually keep and experience vs. the plastic testers which are just loaned scents to sniff.  They’re quick to make and the wax you purchase to make the samples does count toward volume and does pay commission. Con – you have to make them.

How many scent samples to include in the Basket Party?

There are basically two schools of thought on this. One is including them all – the more choices, the better. The other idea is that all 80+ plus testers/samples are too many for a basket party. Guests/Customers usually place orders on the fly – while at work or during a quick break and don’t have time to sniff over 80 testers. Giving them just those from the Favorites category or perhaps just a dozen samples to keep is a more realistic number.  You decide or ask the host what he/she would prefer.

There are yet more choices in developing your Scentsy Basket Party. In upcoming posts I’ll discuss options such as: What kind of container to house your BP; Local or long distance; To include product samples and if so, which ones; Online or Offline; How long to keep it open; Party orders to the host or to the consultant and some other factors you may not have considered.

Stay tuned…

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan and a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping others in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Deutschland and the UK start and maintain a candle business. You can find Laurie at https://la.Scentsy.us or http://www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com

However, working an outdoor event in the heat presents some interesting challenges if you sell a product that could melt or discolor – such as candles. Below are a handful of tips to help you survive the doldrums of summer and still work your business in the warm open air.

1. Make sure you have a system, such as coolers and zip lock bags, to keep the wax (or other product that could also get soft) from melting. Without the ziplock bags the labels will get soggy as the ice melts.
2. If you have access to a generator or other power source, bring a fan, it’ll help keep you cool and customers will love it and want to stick around your booth longer.
3. Bring plenty of water for you and any helpers. Don’t underestimate how dehydrated you can get working in the sun all day.
4. A tent or canopy is a must. Not only will it protect your product from fading but it will also product you from becoming a red lobster at the end of the day.
5. Freeze your product the night before your event. Even if it is still frozen in the morning, it won’t be for long.
6. Don’t forget chairs. It’s a long day and while it is good to stand up as you talk with customers, you’re still going to want to sit down for a portion of the day.

Don’t shy away from outdoor events because of the heat. Just work smarter, not harder. Follow these six outdoor vendor event strategies and you should have a productive and profitable summer show season.

Stay cool!

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan and a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping others start and maintain a candle business in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Deutschland and the UK. You can find Laurie at http://la.Scentsy.us or http://www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com

I attended a vendor event as a customer last week. I am fairly certain the consultant lost her shirt by participating in this one.  What do you think?

• It was a first time event. It was advertised mildly on Facebook and there were yard signs dotted around town.
• It was $7 just to get in the door as a customer.
• Vendors were charged $750.00 booth rental for this three day event.
• The consultant had quite a bit of marketing collateral that she liberally handed out, at least $300 worth.
• She also had a medium size amount of inventory (medium meaning not spectacular and not nearly enough for a show of this caliber, but at least a showing.  It wasn’t a totally pathetic display; I’ve seen worse.)  She had approximately $1,000 or more in inventory.
• The consultant also had ancillary expenses such as business cards, samples, company logo zip lock baggies, table cloths, tables, garland and other display fuufuu.
• Her set up was horrible. She had four tables set up in a square.  She was standing in the middle along with an assistant or two. She had inventory along the far back table and also along the sides.  All she had on the front table, the only one where customers had access to, had nothing but paper products/marketing brochures, scent testers which were not for sale, and a basket full of wax samples, only the samples were paper thin and smaller than the size of my pinky finger nail, basically useless.  There was no company logo, no signage and basically those unfamiliar with the company would have zero knowledge what it was.  Her biggest mistake was that customers had zero access to experience or purchase any of her inventory.

To review: She had at least $2,000 in expenses for this event. That is a conservative estimate. In order for her just to break even she would have had to sell $6,667.00 worth of product.  That amount of sales would not have put her in the black; that would just be the breakeven point.  That doesn’t include her time for three days, and all the time involved in getting ready for the event; it doesn’t include her meals and parking while she was there or any other incidental expenses such as a babysitter for kiddos while she was working those three long days.

The other problem with this formula is that she only had approximately $1,000 worth of inventory.  She didn’t even have enough to break even, even if product was flying off the shelves.  Based on her set up and approach (or lack thereof) to customers, I would have been surprised if she sold $200 that entire weekend.

Some would argue that she collected leads.  Can you pay your mortgage or buy groceries with a stack of names on a piece of paper?  Can you pay off your credit card that you rang up to fund this event with drawing slips?  Maybe you could just tell Visa that you’ll pay the bill in a few months because someone just might want to sign up later or maybe they might contact her and buy that $6500 worth of product that is still needed just to break even.  What? It could happen.

I was bummed that I forked over $7.00 to get in this event.  It was very poorly attended with not nearly as many vendor booths as I would expect for a $7.00 cover. I made the entire circuit in less than 15 minutes. At least I just kissed $7.00 good bye and not $2,000.

Perhaps the other vendors did the math and realized it wasn’t going to be terribly profitable unless they could safely invest $10,000 in stock so that they could make a profit during their stead at the expo.

Be smart before agreeing to participate in a vendor event.  Also see 7 Common Vendor Event Mistakes. Do the math or enlist the aid of one who is good with numbers.  Make good choices with your business.  You can’t afford not to!

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan and a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping others start and maintain a candle business. You can find Laurie at http://la.Scentsy.us or http://www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com

‘Tis the season for vendor events. I went to a couple of craft shows this weekend. It’s always good to keep up on what the competition is doing; plus I might see some treasures I have to have.  Some of the vendors stated that things were “a little slow” (translate: they weren’t selling much of anything).  Sure we can blame the economy and I will acknowledge that may have some bearing on it, but I venture to guess that those most affected by the current economic situation likely just stay away from craft bazaars. So if there were people and they weren’t buying, it’s time to take a deep look at the root cause.

I didn’t have to look far to find a number of common vendor mistakes that were likely the culprit for their low or no sales. If you’re going to participate in a vendor show, avoid these seven costly errors:

1.       Little or no inventory for sale. Facts are most people go to vendor events to buy things. They want to take it home on the spot. They don’t want to order it. If they wanted to order they’d likely just stay home and order online.  Most people are not (or shouldn’t be) comfortable giving money or a credit card to a complete stranger in hopes they will receive their product in three weeks.  If you don’t have ample supply and variety of inventory to sell, don’t plan on any sales during the event.

2.       No signage.  I walked up to more than a few tables that didn’t have the company logo anywhere. I should have known before I even reached the table what vendor was at that booth.  Then once I reached the table there was no price list to be found anywhere and none of the products had any price tags.  Do I assume those were all display items? Or were those vendors just waiting for me to ask “How much?”  You know the saying – ‘if you have to ask, you can’t afford it’.

3.       No business cards.  Who would take the time and financial investment to set up a booth and then not have a way for customers to contact you after the event?

4.       Product not labeled with vendor contact info.  What if I wanted to reorder more?  If I was buying this for a gift the recipient would have no way of reordering.

5.       Vendors attacking shoppers.  No not literally attacking – but the moment I came within ear’s shot “Have you heard of XYZ?” “Do you want to sign up for our drawing?”  “Why don’t you book a party and get some free?!”  Eek – back it down tootsie.  There is a fine line between engaging the customer and attacking them.  Perhaps a simple “Hello” or “How are you doing tonight?” or “Is it cold enough for you out there?”  Get their attention, let them know you’re not a total slug, but allow the customers to look in peace.

6.       No samples or catalogs.  I know that some people will take anything if it’s free, regardless of any genuine interest.  So as a vendor, you do need to be careful not to give away the farm and gouge your profits too much.  Yet free samples have been proven to bring a wonderful return on your investment.  People need to smell, touch, feel, see, or hear – before they’ll be really engaged.  If your catalogs are expensive at least have a stash set farther back on the table and offer them to those who pause long enough or look semi interested.

7.       Total lack of involvement.  Just the opposite of the attack vendors are those who sit behind the table talking on their phone or texting or chit chatting with non-customers.  When I said don’t attack passers-by I also wasn’t suggesting that you should act like they’re an intrusion on your time.  Use common sense and find a happy medium.

One last note about lack of inventory; some would argue that it’s ok to attend these events if your intent is to simply take orders.  Sure, if you have absolutely nothing better to do with 4-8 hours of your time or can’t think of a better way that you could potentially get new customers or recruits, then I say go and have a grand old time.  Otherwise, experience has told me that you’re setting yourself up for disappointment if you are not prepared and if you don’t put your best foot forward at these types of events.

Happy holidays – enjoy the busy gift giving season while it is here!

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan and a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping others start and maintain a candle business. You can find Laurie at http://la.Scentsy.us or http://www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com

I work my business entirely online. It’s possible to be successful with direct sales if you have internet marketing knowledge and experience. Without these two vital components, it’s definitely going to be quite the challenge unless you supplement it with offline activities as well.

I have always worked my current candle business online when I started in 2006.  I have never done a home or basket (catalog) party with Scentsy. I’ve facilitated plenty of those over the last 22 years I’ve been in direct sales, but none with Scentsy wickless.

With regard to whether or not there is too much online competition with all the consultants trying to work their business online, it depends on how you look at it. There certainly are far more consultants out there than when I started almost five years ago, but there are also so many more leads out there than could ever be satisfied by all the consultants. Also now Scentsy has brand recognition in many sectors, I’m more sought after online today. Initially no one had even heard of Scentsy flameless candles. People tend to be much more leery when they have no idea about the product or company.

I don’t pay for any advertising, but plenty of consultants do – either in Pay Per Click advertising, sponsored ads or a number of other advertising opportunities to rank high or drive web traffic. Nor do I pay for the services of a SEO expert. I know for a fact that some consultants are paying literally unbelievable and astronomical fees each month for their ranking/traffic. To be successful online you need to be prepared to invest a great deal of time or money or a combo of both.

I’ve achieved my ranking and success all organically which means I’ve invested human resources (me time) into employing various internet marketing techniques. I’m also self taught in internet marketing (read: I had no idea what I was doing), I just started reading and reading and learning, and studying the “art” of internet marketing. That’s also part of the time investment. It’s also very dynamic, so what I did or learned 18 months ago is old school now. I don’t know anyone personally who could help me learn it or even do some of the work necessary, so for me it is a large time investment.

I don’t mean to sound so ambiguous, but it’s just that learning IM is much like learning a 2nd language. It’d be if someone said that they really want to target the Hispanic community … but they don’t know how to speak Spanish. It’s certainly possible to learn but it just takes time (or good connections to people who already know what to do and have time to invest in your online business!)

It’s easy to teach someone how to do a home party or a vendor event or how to set up a display. Those are very task oriented activities. But teaching someone a second language takes a lot of work and time.  Also parties have a beginning and an ending date. You set it up, you do it, and you close it. Internet marketing is ongoing. You can’t just do it a little and expect favorable results (just like exercising!)

The short answer to the question “How do you work your business online?” is simply: Internet Marketing. If you know IM, then you know what that means and what it entails.  If you don’t know what that means, then perhaps working your direct sales business online isn’t the right platform for you right now.

You can still work your business offline while you learn internet marketing, just be prepared to view it as being in college to earn a degree or learning to speak a foreign language and you’ll have to work your homework daily.

Unfortunately a lot of consultants and prospects don’t get that above concept and needed time commitment. I can’t tell you how many prospects have contacted me and asked if I could teach them IM. I explain that I can certainly HELP them in their IM efforts, but it’s not realistic to expect a sponsor to have the time to “be a college professor to teach this degree program.” Internet Marketing coaches get paid big bucks to share their knowledge, skills and abilities. It’s a full-time business for coaches. I certainly can’t mentor my team/group full time and teach IM too.

I’d rather be authentic and upfront about that than tout unrealistic promises just to get them to sign on the dotted line.

I’ve lost a handful of prospects to other sponsors because apparently other consultants have “promised to teach them internet marketing.” Though, those same people are still Escential consultants after a year. So I guess it didn’t necessarily work out as they had hoped.

I encourage everyone to shop around for sponsors to find a good fit before joining. But I would also caution anyone who gets a promise from a potential sponsor that they’ll be taught IM.  Contact other existing consultants in her/his downline and ask them how much internet marketing coaching they received from their Sponsor.  That’ll be the true litmus test.

Lastly, I am often asked for suggestions or recommendations on how consultants can start learning about IM.  Some names you may want to search out are: Kelly McCausey, ClickNewz and BuzzBlogger. That should give you a good start.

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan and a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping others start and maintain a candle business. You can find Laurie at https://la.Scentsy.us, http://www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com or http://www.Twitter.com/thrivingcandle

You’re not alone.  I hear this sentiment echo’d on a frequent basis.  But hang with me, I can dispel this myth and show you why it is a great business to be in.

Oh, Is It One of Those?

Let’s face it, direct sales doesn’t exactly have the best reputation as far as being a bona fide business. Sure some of those who are in a direct sales business may speak highly of it, and the top portion of those making decent money may think it’s the best thing since avocados were discovered. But by and large, it’s looked at as ‘One of Those’.  ‘One of those scams; one of those where you pay for the business opportunity; one of those with over priced products; one of those where your family and friends pray each time they see you that you don’t ask them to join or host a party; one of those where you never make any real money.’

Yikes! Yes I did just say that.  I didn’t say that I believe all of that.  I’ve just been in direct sales for 22 years and I’ve heard it all and I’ve received objections and flack that goes along with it.

I Confess.

Yes I am embarrassed to say that I’m a direct seller. There. I said it. I admit it. I love what I do and don’t have a problem with it, but rather than say that I’m a direct seller, I say that I am a business owner. I don’t want people to think that I do “One of Those.” I want to break through the stigma.  I am successful with my business. I’m a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. I do offer a great product, that is affordably priced and of excellent quality. I’ve been with the company since 2006.  There are so many alternatives to running your business than the traditional home party that many of you have shunned over the years. I run my business like a business and not like a cheerleading club or tee-ball league.

It’s not that I think I’m better or above doing “One of Those.”  My college education and experience is in Business Administration and in Homeland Security and here I am hawking wax. Life took an interesting twist for me within the last 24 months and for now; I know I am just blessed to have an income that supports my family as a medically disabled single parent.  Scentsy offers that opportunity to me and to many others.

Personally I think it’d be easier to be loud and proud about what I did if it didn’t have such a weak reputation; though we’d need a major paradigm shift to change the opinions of others about the industry.  I’m doing my part to change the reputation that direct sales is and can be a genuine business, even the name sounds um, less than corporate “Superstar Director.”  I have a hard time saying with a straight face “I’m a Superstar!”  It sounds like I think I’m Mary Katherine Gallagher (Molly Shannon’s Catholic schoolgirl character on Saturday Night Live who dreams of superstardom).  Don’t get hung up on the titles – not the title direct seller and not the title of the ranks.  They’re just words.

I run my business like a business and employ corporate techniques and methodologies to my business.  I don’t get into rah-rah and silly s-p-i-r-i-t. Some people do, and that’s great, it’s just not for me. But if you do like things, you can certainly get that with direct sales, if you choose to.  I just don’t happen to fit in with many of the other more traditional direct sellers.

So Where Am I Going With This?

There actually is a point here… and it’s sharp! Someone once said that direct selling is about Making it Simple and Duplicatable.  I do like simple. But duplicatable, no thanks, not for me.  I say Make It Your Own.  You may totally disagree with me on this one, and I respect that.  I’m just saying that based on conversations I’ve with a whole segment of people who haven’t given direct sales a try based on some misconceived notions.

In spite of the less than respectable reputation that direct selling has in some circles, you can be successful as a direct seller. If you’re willing to work within the boundaries that the parent company gives you; and willing to be creative, you can have a great business where you can earn a decent income. Don’t necessarily poo-poo the idea simply because you don’t want to do One of Those.

Because of my medical disability, I work my business online. I would love to get out more, but limitations prohibit that.  When someone asks me what I do, I respond that I am a Business Owner or an Internet Marketer. Maybe you don’t have the knowledge, skills or abilities to work your business online, but now that you know there are many alternatives to the traditional home party, you should maybe give direct sales a second look.  You could say that you’re “in sales” or you could say that “you have a candle (or gift) business.”

Perhaps now that you know that we don’t all make a list of 100 people we know and we don’t all advocate contacting everyone within a three foot radius to buy, host or join, it might be time for you to take a serious look at Direct Sales.  I think you’ll be pleasantly be surprised.

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan and a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping others start and maintain a candle business. You can find Laurie at https://la.Scentsy.us, http://www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com or http://www.Twitter.com/thrivingcandle

Many direct sales companies also have someone(s) at the corporate level who is responsible to attempt to shut down these prohibited auctions.  Sometimes they are successful, sometimes not. If some consultants want to sell on eBay badly enough it’s not too difficult to have a friend list the items or to conceal their true identity.

All too often I see forum posts and hear consultants complain and whine about the eBay sales.   These very consultants spend far too much time trying to bust eBay sellers and not nearly enough time concentrating on selling their own products to their own customer base.  If these very people would invest as much time and energy in their own business as they do into the eBay sellers, they’d have more time to figure out all the places to spend their commission checks.

Consultants should really stop worrying about eBay sales and consider all the reasons why eBay is not a threat:

1. eBay bidders shop there to get a bargain; not to pay full retail.  Direct sales customers typically don’t mind paying retail; and if they don’t want to, most sign up to become a consultant. Ebay shoppers are not our customers. They will likely never be our customers and therefore eBay is not taking away our sales – they never were our sales.
2. Consultants who sell on eBay typically lose money, or at best, break even.  Consider all the costs involved with the initial cost of goods sold. On average, consultants get items at roughly 25% less than retail.  Then there are eBay and PayPal fees to consider.  And don’t forget that many items sell for less than retail anyway on eBay.

To illustrate, let’s look at a $30 item. And let’s assume that it sold for $20 on eBay (which may be generous depending on supply and demand).  Based on our assumption of 25% discount/commission, the consultant was able to purchase it for $22.50, but let’s just round up to $25 to include tax and shipping the consultant paid.  The consultant would need to pay $.25 basic insertion fee if the starting price was $9.99 or less, and 8.75% final value fee of $1.75; plus don’t forget PayPal fees of $.88.  So now the consultant has $27.88 invested into the $30 item that sold for $20. The consultant lost almost $8.00 by listing it on eBay.

Tell me again why consultants are worried about these folks?

But… but… it’s just not right! We’re not supposed to sell on eBay and she’s doing it and it’s just wrong; she out of compliance and corporate better do something about it and and and …

Knock-knock
Who’s There?
Scot
Scot who?
Scot nothing to do with you, so go sell your wax (or jewelry or kitchenware).

Men, hear me out.  Before you stop reading, proclaiming, “I’m not peddling any sissy girlie stuff”, consider why it’s such a viable option for those with higher testosterone levels.

1. It Fits Into Your Schedule

You’re already putting in 40+ hours at the office or on the site. You work hard to support your family. Leaving one full time job to go work a second part time job is one of the last things you want to do; but you do what you gotta do, right?  With direct sales you work the business when it’s convenient to you.  If your regular gig keeps you on the road commuting to and from work or in between appointments, that’s an opportune time to work in phone calls and make contacts.  Instead of playing Mafia Wars at night, just do a little Internet Marketing and let your online community know what you’re offering.  Doesn’t that sound better than 14+ hour days working a second job?

2. Let’s Face It, Men Aren’t Natural Gift Givers

Birthday, Anniversary, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Sweetest Day (3rd Sat. in October, BTW) – you pick.  Many men dread the idea of having to pick out something special for their lady. Most Direct Sales product offerings will make excellent gifts for women. As much as we women would love it if the men in our lives were as great of gift givers as we are, genetics simply doesn’t allow that to be the case a majority of the time.

Men are more comfortable buying a gift for wife, girlfriend, mom or sister from another man. Guys, wouldn’t you rather say to your buddy or coworker, “Hey Bob, I’m in the doghouse with Sandy. Can you hook me with a gift to get me off the hot seat?”  Rather than wander around aimlessly trying to find something in a store?  That will likely fuel the fire anyway instead of make things better. Male direct sellers can fill in the gap.

Also, there’s no law prohibiting men from enjoying facial cleansers, gadgets, nutritional supplements or candles. Many men do, just some are in the closet about it. Another man endorsing that their office, den, house or apartment can smell great or that they have a kitchen utensil that can make Sunday Taco night even more delicious – and it’s nothing to be ashamed of, can be another great selling point to the untapped customer base.

3. And Then There Are The Ladies

Would it really be so bad if you were referred to as the Wax Man or the Purse Guy? There are plenty of women out there who like all the products that direct sales has to offer. The women you come in contact with every day will be an easy sell.  Consider all the women you encounter each day – if not at work, think of your wife, sister, girlfriend, mom and then all of their friends.  There is no shortage of potential customers. When women encounter a male direct sales representative, she’ll be thinking, “There’s something to be said if he’s getting behind this company. I better check out what he has.”

Contrary to the fact that women in direct sales are the majority, if you put two people in a room, both with samples of some direct sales company to hand out, one a man and one a woman, it’s almost guaranteed that the man will get more attention.  Your male gender is one thing that sets you apart from a plethora of other independent sales consultants. Further, many of the current male distributors have a proven track record of success.  Generally speaking, y’all tend to have thicker skin than we do and plow through the inevitable sales rejection easier.

Men, if you’ve never seriously considered working with a direct sales company, I highly encourage you to give the industry a look. It’ll provide you the freedom to continue to work your regular job or to give you something to do if you’re retired or unemployed. Your direct sales income can fund private schooling, uninsured medical expenses, home improvement, college tuition, wedding expenses, your boat and aging parent(s) that may be staring you in the face.

For more information about becoming a direct seller, you may research many different opportunities at the Direct Selling Association.

About the Author:  Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan and a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles.  She enjoys helping others start and maintain a candle business.  You can find Laurie at http://la.Scentsy.us or http://www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com