Are You Outlining For a Career In Direct Selling Industry?

by DR. DEBASISH DUTTA Business Consultant

Anyone who elects to embark on a career in direct selling had better be able to sell. A person who chooses sales, even as a last resort, is making a tough decision to depend entirely on his/her own effort, pride, and willingness to practice long enough to succeed. It’s tough not to be able to hide behind a corporate security blanket at back office, make excuses, or blame the product, the boss, the company, or anybody else. When they choose sales, they accept the risk to their egos, some people’s derision, and the fears of those not brave enough to stand up to that kind of heat.

But when they succeed – not just because they were smarter or luckier – the reward is twice as sweet. Successful salespeople develop the confidence of independence. They are their own bosses. They set their own goals. They claim their own rewards. They go to bed very tired, but well satisfied. They work hard when it’s needed, but they’re proud of it. And all because they learned, mostly on their own, the few key laws of successful sales.
I personally interacted and researched successful and unsuccessful salespeople for last twenty years in my sales career of nearly 100,000 salespeople whom I have tested and tracked. From this database, some critical success factors are identified that account for success in direct sales.

However, it is important to note that the attributes and skills required in any sales role are dictated by the needs of buyers, not sellers. So the needs of buyers of Life Insurance may be significantly different to buyers of cosmetics or cleaning products.
For example, somebody buying an insurance policy may require more hand-holding and “technical” input than, say, somebody buying dishwashing liquid. So these two product lines may require different types of salespeople or salespeople who are capable of adapting their selling style to suit different customer needs. The two golden rules of selling are:-
Rule 1: Identify what kind of salesperson you are. In one study, it was tested among 1000 direct salespeople to determine which attributes present in the superstars, but absent in the total failures. These were:-
• Effective networking
• Problem solving
• Qualifies prospects with standard probes
• Commits time and effort to ensure success
• Closes through logical incremental steps
• Opportunistic
All of these are measurable and any individuals’ prospects of success in a specific sales role are predictable.

Rule 2: Segment your customer base. All customers are not the same, and top salespeople are skilled at determining different customers’ needs. “Relationship” customers, for example, do not respond well to “in-your-face” closers who push hard to close on the first call.

So, if a career in direct selling beckons, ask yourself the tough question – “Am I suited for a career in sales?” Not everybody can do this, as the high failure rate in many sales roles testifies. Sales are a skill (i.e. based on both talent and practice) and, for those who lack any talent, sales may be a poor choice. For those who do, it can be a fulfilling and rewarding career.