More Customers In 30 Days, Part 1: Vendor Events and Expos

Note: This is Part 1 of a 5 part series, More Customers in 30 Days: 5 Awesome Strategies to Book More Parties and Attract Motivated People to Your Direct Sales Business

Has anyone ever told you to launch your direct sales biz with your warm market, because that’s who will support you? So, you  get started by making a contact list of at least 50 people to launch your new business, including friends, family, co-workers, neighbors…”everyone you know!” Sounds easy, right? With an enthusiastic heart you start reaching out to “the list” to share your exciting news: “I’ve started a new (fill in the blank) business and I’m giving away free shopping sprees! Who wants one?!” Then the reality sinks in. Mom said no, home parties are not her thing. Your sister said no, she’s too busy. Your best friend doesn’t reply to your Facebook message, but you can see she read it. And, oh, your spouse told you to get a ‘real job’. Ouch. Within the first month of launching your new business, you might already be thinking about throwing in the towel. Such is the reality for many direct sellers, including Yours Truly. How could everything that sounded so good go so wrong, so quickly? The answer lies in your contact list. Your mom and sister might have said no because they are not your ideal client. That’s ok. There are thousands of people who are your ideal client, and guess what? They’d love to buy from you. And book a party with you. And maybe even quit that day job they can’t stand and be part of your awesome direct sales team.

This blog will help you find each other by getting out of your warm market to make new connections.

 
VENDOR EVENTS AND EXPOS

First, The Good News: vendor events and expos have never been more popular. You can probably find one today for this weekend, which means you can find the people that are looking for you quickly.

How To Use Facebook To Find A Vendor Event Right Now:

Vendor Groups: In the search, type > vendor events + your geographic area (county, region, city). Join the group with the most members to get access to more events. Search the posts to find an event where your ideal client might be looking for you, and contact the organizer to get all the details.

Wall Post: Chances are, some of your friends are organizing a vendor event for a charity or school. Ask them to help you by posting on your wall, “Hey FB peeps, I’m expanding my biz in (area). Anyone know of a vendor event coming up where (product lovers) might be hanging out?” Increase engagement and get creative with a fun selfie pic of you holding a sign that says “looking for vendor events” or “help a girl out” – or whatever fits your personality. The best part about this post is that you might get a few new customers (even parties & recruits) + vendor event leads by sharing that your biz is so awesome you’re expanding. Bonus tip: This is an example of a social vs. a salesy Facebook post.

Networking Groups: In the search, type > women’s networking groups + city or area. You’ll find free online-only networking groups in your area, as well as paid membership networking groups that also have a public Facebook group page. Look for the Facebook group that fits the profile of your ideal client and request to join. Important: Before you get flagged as a spammer, read the group rules. Focus on how you can help others and build relationships so members will naturally want to learn more about you.

Public paid-membership groups: Anyone can join the group, but you’ll need to be a paid member to have posting privileges. Paid-membership networking groups typically require you to attend one or two events (and/or become a member) before you can post. Instead of posting about you and your biz, comment on existing posts, get to know members and look for vendor opportunities at upcoming events. Non-members will typically pay more for a vendor table, but I recommend you “date” the group before you go all in and pay for an annual membership.

Free online-only networking groups: Posts in free online networking groups might require approval from the admin, but that’s a good thing. Approvals keep out spammy “buy my stuff” and “join my team” posts. Instead, you’ll find resources for events, vendor opportunities, motivational posts and connections. Tip: Get to know the admin by commenting and liking her posts, or inviting her to meet for coffee so you can see how you can help each other – she’s a key influencer in your community.

And, The Bad News: The majority of direct sellers and party plan reps do not have a focused vendor event strategy because few leaders teach it, mainly because they’re not getting results, either. I’ve been tweaking the strategies I created over the last two decades+. They work for me, and they work for the consultants who use them. So, if you feel like you’re throwing away money on vendor tables, are frustrated with the lack of results, or have no clue what to bring and how to set up an awesome table, check out my free resource: The Complete Guide To Vendor Events. Share it with your team members who need vendor event help, too.

And, if you need a vendor event lead form with built-in follow-up read my blog about using Google Forms: Possibly The Most Amazing Direct Sales Lead System

Read the entire More Customers In 30 Days series >>> Part 2: Killer Booking Script Part 3: Social Selling Tips Part 4: Using Samples Part 5: Collaborate with Small Business

Ready to really rock your direct sales biz?