The best close for a shopping club membership

I am in the direct sales business dealing in consumer goods and would love some feedback on your best expericences closing customers in this type of industry. Long story short, I am signing people up for a small fee in a catalog shopping club where they recieve a discount for purchasing better quality consumbable products and making a commitment to shop monthly.

Thanks so much! -lisamom

I don't know exactly what you're offering, but my dad used to shop the newspaper for coupons or sales. I MAKE my wife shop with CASH ONLY. My wife used to take my dad around to the places he found what he was looking for at the best price or in rare event, places had what he wanted that others didn't.

Will what you are offering save time, save money overall, give me access to stuff that I can't get locally?

Aloha shds; ;bg -rattus58

Do you sell in person or on the phone? Closing is a process, so there is no "magical close", but your goal should be to create sales momentum throughout your sales interaction and then a compelling closing action that will overcome automatic resistance.

If you tell us a little bit more about the dynamics of your selling situations and a few more details maybe some of us could provide some suggestions!

Thanks,

Skip Anderson -Skip Anderson

Who is a typical customer for you? Where do you find these prospective customers? -Seth

Yes, yes & yes! That is the whole idea behind the company. They offer money savings on products everyone already uses, better (and by better, I mean natural & non-toxic) products than you can get at any grocery store, better for your health (quality of the product) and even a time saver because the products are delivered. -lisamom

Hmmm, that's hard because a typical customer could be anywhere. I signed up the mgr at the starbucks I frequent, for example (married with no kids- I originally approached her on the business aspect of what I do) and then there's my neighbor who is insterested in finding out more (married with small kids- interested because of safer, non-toxic products). Customers are everywhere and anywhere, but my real growth and residual income will be in finding people to duplicate my efforts and I have none so that's where I have been concentrating my efforts in finding people. I am looking for people who are looking for the extra income, but the reason is the products. So while I am cold-calling people and prospecting people on the business end of things, I do tell them a little about what kind of company it is because if they can't get behind the products, the business won't work. The business only exists because of the greatness of the products.

I find people by cold-calling (real estate, insurance, small businesses), asking for referrals, talking to neighbors, talking to people in line at the grocery, people I work with, it really could be anyone and everyone but not everyone sees the big picture. -lisamom

I do both, I do more over the phone. I find myself much more uncomfortable trying to present and close in person. I know that there is no magical close, but I can just tell that is my weakest point. My numbers are not what the should be, even with people that I have repoire with.

I can tell you more about what I do, the dynamics of my selling are such that I give people aproximately a 45 min presentation (the only difference in person is a few product examples) that is put together by the company a DVD with 5 video clips explaining the products, the company background, the compensation plan and the options on how to be a customer (lvl 1- just a customer, lvl 2- part time business bulider lvl 3 - full time business builder). There are 10 or so slides between the clips that I read through, give a little of personal product expericence or history on my self (i.e. how long I've been a customer, why I got started) and that's it. When I do presentations in person, I have people look at list of products that is very generic and have them check off what they use in thier home currently. The whole idea is that they are switching stores, I am showing them a catalog that they can shop with and get better, safer, less expensive products than they are already using and if they want to earn some money, I can help them do that too. I have signed up plenty of customers, but no one who wants to make a business out of it and lately, even the customers sign ups have been harder. I know it's a numbers game, and that will increase my odds.

Thanks for all the help & feedback!
Lisa -lisamom

Your answer to Skip answered someof my questions too... and now have to change my answer... :)

Much Aloha.... -rattus58

That sound similar to Amway and they have a very successful business and sales model. Have you looked at that before? -Seth

What is your answer now? -lisamom

Seth,

I have, but not recently. I thought it was a great business model and was too young to enroll myself but got my mom to sign up. I couldn't really purse it much though because I was 16.

My business does have similar aspects, but they are a more personal company; a bit smaller but still did $850 million US last year and they continue to have incredible growth. I know Amway has since evolved into Quixstar for whatever reason and there are a lot of aspects to Amway that I don't like such as product pickup, the volume requirements, breakaways, etc. those things make it hard to be truly successful although people have had success. -lisamom

Hi Lisa.... I'm on my out the door right now but I'll be able to get back to you this evening with my thoughts now I have a more clear understanding of your operation. I think you have great opportunity. thmbp2;

Much Aloha shds; ;bg -rattus58