When you are new to direct sales, you are also very excited; It’s human nature to want to jump on the phone, call everyone you know, and try to explain everything about your business to them. But since you’re completely new, the best thing to do is make a list of everyone you know and put it in the Booking Lead Notebook.
You can keep your notebook on a physical sheet, on a document in your computer, or in an organizational app like Evernote. You know a lot of people. And they probably fall into more categories than you might think. Here are some ideas for your list:
- All the places you’ve lived before: think about current and past neighbors, acquaintances, people in communities, landlords, landlords you’ve worked with, etc.
- All the places you’ve ever worked: Consider co-workers, colleagues, former bosses, ex-employees, employees of other companies you’ve worked with, customers, and suppliers.
- All the places you’ve ever been to: This can include elementary school, middle school, high school, community college, and university. Think about old friends from the classes or seminars you’ve attended, and people you’ve met in swimming, yoga, scrapbooking, or cake decorating classes. Don’t forget the teachers, managers and former employees.
- Friends and family: This is the easiest category to think of, but ironically, these are the people who may not be eager to help you. So, when your best friend for life decides not to throw you a party, skip it and move on to the next party. Those who make the best hosts are the second and third level of friends. (The people you don’t see often but who are on your holiday card list.)
- Organizations, committees, and affiliations: These can consist of acquaintances or members of your church, people from recreational activities such as bowling and/or softball leagues, and people at the gym or fitness center where you exercise. You may know people from children’s sports, such as soccer, junior league, dance, or gymnastics. Think about the committees or groups you belong to, such as the Boy Scouts, political organizations, women’s groups, leaders’ clubs, or women’s business groups.
- Contacts related to children: parents of children’s friends, coaches, educators, doctors, educators, etc.
There are two ways to organize your list. Next to each name, you can label them as 1s, 2s, or 3s – the 1s are the people you think are most likely to have a party (what you would normally classify as your friends and family), and the third are those you think might be least interested. You may be inclined to start with ones because you think it’s likely to help you, but that’s not always true. Sometimes your closest friends feel more comfortable shutting you down and rejecting you.
2s and 3s are actually the best candidates. These are your second class friends, old friends from high school, etc. This group of people is actually happy to hear from you and is more likely to say yes. So consider starting with those first.
Another way to organize your list is to write a C, H, or R next to each name. C is for those likely to be clients, H is for those likely to host, and R is for recruits, those who might be a good fit for the job. This list will help you be more assertive in your conversations when you make it to your list.
Whatever your ratings for potential customers, your goal is to get them to see the product in person – or if you run your entire online business, to send them a video or share photos of the product. Then, your goal is to schedule the party within your first 30 days.
For first parties, it is important to create several business chains – this means having people from as many different categories as possible. Doing so exposes you to many different circles and areas, making for a healthy and varied start to your new business.
Think in a hurry. The spokes on the wheel represent different classes of people you know. If your first parties are with your sister, mother, aunt, and cousin, this may sound like a lot, but all of those are still one person speaking at the wheel (I spoke “family”). With just one spoke, a wheel collapses.
Alternatively, if the first parties include a family member, a friend from church, a neighbor, and a co-worker, you will expose yourself to a much larger group of people. Your pins will spread, and the wheel will continue to roll successfully.
Once you have your six bookings locked and dated on your calendar, you must continue to refer to your original list in the Booking Lead Notebook for Ongoing Bookings. Don’t forget to add to this list as you go along with the people you meet.