Dear Archive Visitor, I just returned from the DSA (Direct Selling Association) meeting and can hardly contain my excitement. I met CEOs from some of the newer direct selling companies and was so impressed. Just as you willing share ideas with other consultants from other sales units, when you attend your company conference, these CEOs from the direct selling companies share their ideas with other CEOs from other direct selling companies. This is truly an amazingly industry! There were many reasons why I attended this particular meeting. This morning my youngest daughter asked me if it doesn't get boring listening to people speak from 8:30AM until 6:30PM (yes, this conference was jam-packed!) I shared with her that one of the things I've learned over the years is to have certain intentions before attending any conference. Then NEVER decide ahead of time how that intention will be fulfilled. Because that belief is ingrained in me, I have no trouble giving my full attention to each speaker and patiently awaiting the time my intention is fulfilled. At this meeting, the CFO of Princess House (Did I just hear my Princess House subscribers cheering?) gave an outstanding presentation and unexpectedly gave the answer I needed to fulfill my intention. I never thought that a presentation on "Business Plans" by a Chief Financial Officer would give me the clues I needed, but that is the beauty in letting go deciding how things have to happen in your life. Sometimes the answers to what you seek are where you would least expect them. Today's article is a repeat of the very first article I wrote for The Sales Refinery Insights a year ago. I thought it would be fun for the many new subscribers to see how it all began...

Building an Empire in Your Direct Sales Business (Listen right now) is one of the most rewarding things you may ever do Ñ you can earn an outstanding income, you get to decide your work schedule, you can earn world travel, and you meet the best friends of your life... all while running a business out of your own home. However, building a successful direct sales business requires intriguing prospects quickly, leaving them hungry to know more, and knowing how to use the telephone effectively. This jam-packed-information AUDIO covers 3 simple ways to accomplish all of that. Listen right now at your convenience via live streaming or download.

What Happens When You Badmouth Your Competion? By Tammy Stanley A while back, my husband and I went to check out a newer timeshare in town. We already own a timeshare, but the sales person we spoke with described this place in such a positive way that we thought it would be worth investigating. And the added benefit was that we could observe their sales process, which is always a learning opportunity. This time we were both anything but impressed. I could go on and on about the things that the different sales people did that only damaged the relationship they were trying to build. But the ultimate blow came at the end of the day. I have only been to a few timeshare presentations. At this one, they began by grouping about 8-10 couples and taking them to a boring little room with a salesman, who delivered an hour-long talk about all the reasons you "should" be a timeshare owner. I wrote, ÒshouldÓ because he truly said, Òyou shouldÓ this and Òyou shouldÓ that throughout his presentation. This is probably one of the biggest No-Nos in sales. As adults, we like to be spoken to like adults. No one prefers to be treated like a child. As soon as anyone says, Òyou should,Ó he/she is using the language of a parent, not an adult. Who wants to take their time to go to a sales presentation and be told what they should be doing? Oh, but I digress. After that "sweat box" presentation, each couple met with another salesperson, who then tried to close just that couple on buying a timeshare. If the couple said, ÒNo,Ó as we did, the supposed Big Kahuna, the ultimate sales guru, was brought in to close the deal. I have to admit, I was expecting some great salesmanship from him. But once I saw him in action, I understood why his whole sales force was anything but persuasive. His means of building rapport consisted of bashing his competition. And here is the kicker... he KNEW that we owned a timeshare with the company he was bashing! I hope you know thatÕs just foolish. In so many words, he told us that we were dumb to have invested with that company instead of his. I can think of better ways to build rapport with one's prospects, how about you? On the opposite side of the spectrum is the company with which we own a timeshare. To begin with, the sales people there did not group all of us together and send us to a sweat box. Instead, each couple was greeted by a sales person, who took each individual couple somewhere beautiful and comfortable at the resort. The saleswoman who met with us spent her time asking us question after question about ourselves and our family. After thirty minutes or so of a truly fun "Kaffee Klatsch," this woman really understood our challenges and our desires. Instead of telling us what we should do, she empathized that our schedule did not allow much travel time, although it seemed like we wished it did. She then suggested that we take advantage of the special offer they had going on by getting the smallest timeshare unit, until our schedule could allow for more travel time. Hmmmmm.... which one would you by from, if you wanted a timeshare? When you bash your competition, you run the risk of insulting your prospects, who have potentially bought from your competition. You don't ever want to run the risk of bad-mouthing a company with which your prospect previously was a consultant or currently is affiliated with as a customer. You also do not want to run the risk of bashing a product or service that your prospect might actually like. Let your prospects do the bad-mouthing, while you just listen. In addition, if the only way you can talk about your company or your products is by bashing another's, what you actually broadcast is that you do not have many beneficial things to say about your own. Sit down and decipher the most beneficial benefits of your company and its products. Prospects find acclaim far more convincing than slander. It's good to remember the old saying, "If you sling mud, you are bound to get it on yourself." It never benefits you to belittle or defame your competition. By doing so, you donÕt make yourself look better than it; you make yourself look worse. WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE? WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Author, Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker Tammy Stanley publishes the propelling 'Sales Refinery Insights' weekly ezine for direct sales professionals. If you're ready to jump-start your direct sales business, make more money, and create more value, get your FREE tips now at www.tammystanley.com/ezine/ezine_offer_ds.htm

This April 1st, Only a Fool Would Miss My STEP-BY-STEP BOOKING AND PROSPECTING SYSTEM Tele-seminar Series! Imagine having the secrets to skyrocket your telephone results, the keys to having bookings galore, prospecting techniques powerful enough to generate interest in minutes, and the strategies to maximizing customer sales and retention! Starting April 1, you can stop imagining that and learn exactly how to do it in my STEP-BY-STEP BOOKING AND PROSPECTING SYSTEM Tele-seminar series. This series includes four tele-seminars delivered every other week for eight weeks. To learn more about this incredibly content-rich program, click here to read all about it. If you want to arrange this series as a private tele-seminar exclusively for your sales unit or company, just give me a call at 480-775-4866, and I'll tell you how simple that is to arrange.

Tammy Stanley, founded and directs The Sales Refinery, a sales training company that assists sales professionals to generate more business and build long-lasting sales teams through powerful marketing, selling and leadership strategies.

Tammy has been coaching and training since 1994 and has a deep understanding of the challenges and needs of the independent sales consultant. While raising four children, Tammy built a multi-million dollar direct sales organization, reaching her company's Circle of Excellence 7 consecutive years in a row. She earned numerous sales and leadership awards, world travel, and promoted 11 offspring managers.

The Tammy Stanley Sales Refinery
Tempe, AZ 85283
Call Today: 480-775-4866
tammy@TammyStanley.com

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