When you begin a direct sales business, one of the best ways to get it moving is to get bookings in your calendar during your first month of business. Why is that? It's the easiest way to get your business going in the right direction.



If you had five hostesses who held shows for you, you would immediately expand your business because each hostess would introduce you to more people. Even if each of those five hostesses had only three guests at her show, you'd have the opportunity to sell your product to 20 people (5 hostesses + 15 guests) instead of only five people.

Now if I offered you fifteen dollars for every five you gave me, would you take me up on the offer? Of course you would, and it wouldn't even matter which day of the week I offered it. A hostess is someone who is likely to present you with a scenario quite similar to that. So tell me, why isn't your calendar flooded with bookings? Only because you might not know who would consider being a hostess. Of course the reason you might not know that is you haven't asked.

Oh, I've come to the scary part now haven't I? Asking. If that is tough for you, it's time to get out a big piece of paper and on it write this quote by Mohandas Gandhi, "If you don't ask, you don't get." Then put that piece of paper in a place where you will see it everyday.

Years ago, I made a sign that I put in the middle of the big blackboard in my office. That sign says, "A Quitter Never Wins, And A Winner Never Quits." I may not consciously look at that sign everyday, but I can tell you that I've had MANY days where I felt like quitting, but even then, I can be found working away in my office. I believe that quote has become part of my subconscious. No matter what I might say or think consciously, subconsciously I know that winners keep on keeping on.

Winners in the direct sales business ask. There are different ways to do this; some involve better marketing. But today I want to get you started on the easiest way. That way is simply asking people you know to help you.

Fairly recently a new friend of mine called me and left me a message that she had enjoyed meeting me at a particular event and to give her a call. I made the mistake of not calling her right after hearing her message and then completely forgot all about returning her call. A few weeks later she called again. I apologized profusely for having forgotten all about her previous message. Then she said, "Oh I'll forgive you, if you'll host a party for me." She truly did this in a humorous way, but when you get right down to it, she saw an opportunity and asked.

When I started my direct sales business, I had no trouble recruiting but I did have difficulty getting bookings. Then one day I made a list of about 10 very casual acquaintances. I called each of them that day and said something very similar to this, "Hi Cindy, the reason I'm calling you is because I have a business that I've never told you about. Through home presentations, I market a line of clothing that allows you to create over 21 outfits with just 8 garments. I set a big goal this month of having 10 presentations and was wondering if you would consider being one of my hostesses?"

Hey, it may not be the greatest script in the world, but guess what? It worked. By the end of the day I had 7 bookings in my calendar and from those 7 bookings I built a million dollar sales unit within two years. Hmmm... Maybe, just maybe, asking has its benefits.

Today, not tomorrow, make a list of 10 casual acquaintances. Then write out a little script similar to the one I used. When it comes to describing what you do, think of an intriguing benefit. Then take a deep breath and pick up your phone, and start calling those acquaintances. And above all remember this, "If you don't ask, you don't get."