How To Build a Relationship with Your Team that Lasts

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How To Build a Relationship with Your Team that Lasts

The secret to bigger profits in direct sales often resides with your team of sales representatives. While team members will come and go as life changes, a team that feels respected, supported, and has fun is a great way to build a long lasting relationship.

Here are a few steps to building a relationship with your team that lasts.

Welcome each team member. Getting off on the right foot is incredibly important. As each new member joins your team, create a special welcome for them. It may be something as simple as a team wide announcement; it may be a welcome gift. The choice is yours.

Provide a good beginning training and offer regular trainings to keep skills, and interest fresh. Consider asking team members to host trainings and even contribute. For example if you have a team member that does well with online sales, ask them to host a training on online sales. Including your members in team building is a great way to acknowledge them and grow as a team.

Keep in regular contact. One great way to accomplish this is to have a team newsletter. In the newsletter you can address important dates, tips, tools and more. Blogs and chat rooms are also a great way to connect, commiserate, and support each other.

Contests and incentives. Motivation is the key to keeping folks jazzed to sell. Hold monthly contests and offer incentives, monetary and gifts, for top sellers and contest winners.

Acknowledge members. It is important to not only provide recognition when team members do well it is nice to acknowledge them personally. For example, send birthday cards, days members joined the team, and recognize your team on special holidays. A personal touch goes a long way toward making members feel special and a part of a great team.

A team is only as good as their leader. As the leader of a direct sales team connecting with them on a personal and a professional level, providing tools for success, and incentives that make being a direct sales representative fun and engaging is a great way to build a team that lasts.

How to Advertise Your Business Online

Advertising your business online is more than just throwing up a website. It also doesn’t matter if you want to run a business strictly online or if you’re bringing your brick and mortar business online. Both types will benefit by doing the same type of advertising online.

Many people want to put their offline business on the Internet but don’t know how to go about getting people, outside of their current local customers, to visit their site. This is basically the same with those starting a business strictly online. You want your site to get noticed by people all over the world, not just those you’ve told “Hey, we’ve got a website now.”

Here are just a few ways you can advertise your business online.

1. Networking with like minded business owners.
2. Advertise on other sites who attract your target customers.
3. Visit forums and blogs that your target customers would frequent. Comment and lend your expertise and advice in your field.
4. Don’t SPAM anywhere.
5. Learn search engine optimization (SEO) and apply it to your website as you build it.
6. Write press releases and submit them to various sites that accept press release submissions.
7. Create Google AdWords campaigns.
8. Continually add quality, relevant content to your site that your visitors would be interested in.
9. Write articles and submit them to article directories.

These are only a few of the ways to help get people visiting your site, but remember that you can’t possibly get the word out with just one form of advertising, so broaden your horizons, don’t be afraid to learn something new. If you don’t have the time to do all these things yourself, find someone who specializes in the areas you aren’t as strong in. Some examples of this are search engine optimization and press release writing. There are lots of qualified individuals who do those things for a living and would be more than happy to help you get the exposure your business deserves.

How to Advertise Your Business Offline

The possibilities for getting the word out about your business are endless. These opportunities are only as limited as your imagination. Here are a few ideas that will help you advertise your business out in the “real world.”

1. Get business cards.
This may seem like a no brainer, but many people, especially those with online businesses, skip this basic step. You don’t need anything extremely fancy and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune either. You can get decent business cards printed at VistaPrint.com and only pay the shipping cost on your first order.

Here are just a few places you can leave your business cards:

Your local post office.
Local merchants whose customers may require, or be interested in, your products or services.
Grocery/Convenience store bulleting boards.

2. Create one page flyers.
You can do this with basic word processing software, but if you have, and know how to use, more detailed software, you can easily create compelling flyers or pamphlets.

3. Write, or have written, a press release.
Once you have a quality press release written, submit it to local television and radio stations along with any local magazines and other publications. Remember however, that there are specific guidelines in how you submit them so be sure to do your homework and send it in the way they ask in order to get better results.

4. Join your local Chamber of Commerce.
Yes, you will more than likely have to pay an annual fee, but it can be worth it. The networking opportunities alone in some areas will help drum up business. There are also various publications that go out to new members of the community, businesses, etc. with a list of all the businesses in the Chamber.

5. Word of Mouth
Sometimes, the best form of advertising, especially for those in service based businesses is word of mouth advertising. Be sure to offer your customers a discount or other special when they refer others to your business. Don’t forget to hand out a few extra cards to your current clients and ask them to give them away to anyone they feel may benefit from your business. When you do a good job, others will naturally refer you. But, remember on the flip side of the coin is if you do a horrible job, they’ll be more apt to tell people about it as well. So, give your current customers the best service!

6. Direct Mailing
Don’t be afraid to mail information about your business to potential customers.