How Direct Sales Can Be a Launchpad for Other Opportunities

Within nine months of joining a direct sales opportunity, Deb Bixler built a sales team and cash flow which replaced her corporate business salary of $80,000 per year. Today she uses her direct selling experience and knowledge in her coaching and direct sales education business.

Read on to see how her entrepreneurial journey began.

Tell us about your entrepreneurial journey.

As a culinary trained chef, I had a successful 30-year career in the hospitality industry but found myself burning out and getting tired of going to work for someone else.

At that time, I joined a party plan company and used my skills in public speaking to generate leads. I incorporated all the business skills that gave me success in the corporate world and was then able to quit my full-time job. My party plan business became my total household income for the next seven years.

As a healthy-living, good-for-you food geek, I continued to teach healthy living alongside my home party plan business and soon found myself in popular demand as a speaker in both healthy living and sales education.

Direct sales can be your dream come true or the path to take you there …

For me, it was a path to greater things.

I now teach direct sellers how to create consistent cash flow in their home businesses. Create a Cash Flow Show is a direct sales resource center with hundreds of pages of FREE recordings, videos, articles, and other tools and resources. As a leading authority in the party plan industry, working with startup companies as they launch their new party plan company is one of the most rewarding and favorite parts of my business.

On the food and healthy side of things, I will always be a food geek. With school programs, corporate education, and live cooking classes I am all over the map when it comes to healthy living education.

How can direct sales consultants get more bookings without being pushy?

It is called attraction marketing, not attack marketing.

When you understand the value of what you have to offer and sprinkle that value into your conversations you will attract people who want what you have.

What are the top 20 reasons why someone would want to host a party with YOU?

Sales literally come from a Scandinavian word meaning ‘to serve.’ A direct sales business has many services to offer and the distributor who focuses on serving the needs of their clients rather than trying to GET them to do something will have more business than they can handle.

Keep the focus on serving others, offer every service your company provides, utilize every marketing opportunity available to you (not just family and friends), sprinkle value-added one-liners into your conversations, and you will always have a full calendar!

What advice would you give to a new consultant on how to build a thriving direct sales business?

Treat your business with professional respect! When you treat your business with the same professionalism that you would a job or career, then you will get the same results!

People never fail; only systems fail. If you are not getting the results you want, then find a new system. The only way to fail in direct sales is to quit, so find systems that work and stick with your business long enough to achieve success.

What should aspiring consultants look for when they’re scoping out new direct sales opportunities?

When picking your direct sales company do extensive research! Create a list of questions to ask and seek out companies that fit your passions. Once you have a few brands in your niche that seem like a great fit, do some more in-depth research.

Consider:

• Kit cost and value
• Inventory requirements
• Compensation plan
• Sales averages
• Active and inactive requirements
• Support materials
• Website
• Policies
• Company financial stability

When joining a party plan company, you should treat it like a major life decision because it is! Visit this page on how to start a home party business for a full list of questions to ask.

What’s the biggest mistake that new direct sales consultants make? 

At the Cash Flow Show, we provide new subscribers with a list of eight of the biggest mistakes most direct sellers make, so it is tough to pick out one only but … Most direct sellers talk too much. If you are doing all the talking, you are not focused on the needs of your client.

How can direct sellers create a consistent cash flow in their business? 

Work your business consistently, and you will get a consistent cash flow! This is what the Cash Flow Show is all about—creating a consistent cash flow in your home-based business. If you want a part-time income, consistently work your business part-time, and you will get a consistent part-time paycheck.

If you want a full-time income, consistently work your business full-time, and you will get a consistent full-time paycheck.

What are some of your favorite time management tips and tools for direct sales consultants?

You cannot manage time. You can only manage your commitments. Prioritize your greatest assets, and the rest will fall into place!

Your health is your biggest asset, and you should all treat it as such.

Thanks, Deb for sharing your direct sales wisdom!

Are you interested in direct sales? Wonder if you have the right personality for it? Check out these articles to start your own direct sales journey.

Originally published on February 20, 2010. Content updated on April 24, 2017.