The longer I am in direct sales and work with consultants and distributors it becomes more and more clear that success in building a direct sales business has more to do with personal development than sales techniques.
Sales techniques are skills you use to make sales, recruit people and prospect with. Those are valuable tools to have. There are many websites, books and people to teach technique. But what I have found is that until you are ready to learn and use the techniques that the skills alone are not enough to bring success or drive you to action.
All of us come into direct sales with different life experiences. Some bring with them the talents to build from day one. But most who join a direct sales business need to grow in a number of areas. That is one of the great things about direct sales, if it be a party plan business or a network marketing business. MLM is more about interacting with others and that is where personal development comes in.
We need to first work on us. We need to grow inside before we can really grow outside. Yes some people who have not developed inside sometimes make a lot of money in network marketing. But what I have seen is it is sometimes short-lived because of missing qualities in their personal lives.
It has been said many times that sales is first and foremost a people business. That it is. While you are building your business invest in yourself. Ready books, listen to audio’s, go to seminars on how to improve yourself. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. You just need to have a great desire to improve as a person.
Live your life as an honorable person. Try to overcome traits in your life that hold you back. Give up an addiction. If you are shy do more with people. If you are angry with people learn to love people more. If you are not a good reader then read more. If speaking in public scares you to death then speak on subjects that you are interested in. Face your fears. You can become better. When you do you will start to see your business grow.
I had a strong leader in direct sales tell me once to focus on the things that were hard to do. He said this is when your business will start to grow. He was right. Most people only do the easy things. But it really is the things we don’t want to do that will help us the most.
So as important as sales and recruiting techniques are it is even more important to learn to develop ourselves so we can conquer our fears and move beyond them.
Focus on improving you.
