A Must Do List for A Successful Fall Selling Season

You've been hearing it for a few weeks now, like the theme song from "Jaws"playing in your head…Dah dum…dah dum… dahdumdahdumdahdum…getting faster and faster. The fall selling season for direct sellers is sneaking up on us and you better be ready! Take a deep breath. There's still time to get set up for success in your direct sales business before the crazy holiday selling season hits you right between the eyes. Here's a must-do list that should help you get ahead of the game and be prepared to take advantage of all the momentum you can during the 4th quarter of the year: Make a plan – This is the place to start if you're serious about your business. I'm getting ready to sit down and create my quarterly plan next week, so when October hits, I have a step-by-step vision and clear projects I know are planned. Take an hour and set your goals for the 4th quarter of the year. Click here to download my "Goal Setting Worksheet" taken from our "Powerful Tools for Your Direct Sales Business: Leader's Edition." It will help you make a strong plan.   Create a contact list Include people you haven't contacted recently – I guarantee, there are at least 50 people with whom you could follow up but haven't. Think about your customers, guests from your parties, previous hosts, and any other leads that may have fallen through the cracks. Make your goal to actually come up with 100 names and 50 will seem easy.   Throw your own celebration party You have lots to celebrate th is time of year in your direct sales business (and lots of awesome new products to share). Invite all of those people on your list of 50 and everyone else you can think of. Choose a fun theme and offer lots of great give-aways to compel people to want to attend.   Think about who needs help This time of year, as we head into the holidays, people are wracking their brains trying to come up with great gift ideas. If you've worked with someone they need to give a gift to, you've got some great ideas! If you don't have contact information for spouses or significant others, contact your customers and let them know what you're up to. They'll be happy to provide the information for you. Consider setting up a special "shopping" night in your home for husbands, have the gifts shipped to you, and deliver them wrapped and ready to give once they arrive.   Give back This is a great time of year to do fund raisers, which also generates greater interest in your business. You can make a difference while growing your business.   Make sure your customers know they can shop with you online If you don't have an e-mail list with your customer's information, work on that now and then be sure you e-mail them at least once mid to late November with clear instructions about how they can "shop from their chair" with you on your webiste. Julie Anne Jones is a direct sales corporate consultant, coach, and trainer, and the CEO of Julie Anne Jones, Inc. She is known for her authentic and easy-to-use scripting and specializes in specific language and tools for success in direct sales. To learn more about Julie Anne and her products and services, and to read her weekly blog posts, visit her at www.julieannejones.com