Okay, I have your attention, right? You are probably thinking “Who does she think she is?”. “What makes her the best?” Although, I have some great skills and have received a few awards for my work – I wouldn’t say that I am the best. “Doubtful Debbie” always lurks in the corner when I think I have built my confidence up to where it can’t be shaken.
In direct sales, as in most businesses, self-promotion is important but we need to say it without actually saying it. I mean, isn’t that part of the key to growing our business and our brand? Not always an easy task, right? I am guessing that I am not alone in this since Entrepreneur magazine did an article about it. Here are some tips:
1. Identify what you’ve done and and what you’re good at. For a long time, this was difficult for me. Believe it or not, I didn’t think I was good at anything. I was that behind the scenes person who let everyone else get the fame and glory. I am learning to share my achievements including the things that I worked hard on and failed through blogging.
2. Practice your communication. I LOVE these key phrases to help – “I’m passionate,” and “I did [this]” or “I worked hard [at that].” Especially when I am talking about my passion for Thirty One, people respond. They get excited and want to be a part of this exciting adventure.
3. Tell everybody. This is definitely hard for me but I am getting better. I mean if we worked hard and built an AWESOME business – shouldn’t we be able to share it with the world? I mean when people meet me and they ask what I do, my answer is “I am a blogger and a Director with Thirty One Gifts”. This starts the conversation rolling and allows me to share my passion with them.
4. Be prepared to prove it. Don’t just talk about how awesome your product is – make sure you are using so that they can see it. I had a consultant tell me once that no one took her business seriously. Then I realized that she had LOTS of Thirty One bags at HOME! She never carried one with her. Now that she is, she is getting sales and parties. I always have product with me and I include my blog on all of my business cards.
5. Get creative. For me, sometimes it is tough to get creative. I offer my customers great service – I try to remember birthdays and key events in their lives so that I can celebrate them. My VIP customer page offers some fun without promoting sales. I haven’t found an unusual way to promote myself except by blogging so maybe that will catch some attention.
6. Be generous. Promote and encourage others who are doing a good job and offer your help to those who ask for it. This is how my team continues to grow. I love to CELEBRATE – ENCOURAGE – REWARD them for all that they do – big or small.
Are you “THE BEST”? Brag a little… tell us what you are the best at!
Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!
Hope Wissel 