By Using Some Common Sense, You May Find That Your Goals Aren't as Far Away as You Think.
By Paula Demers
It's my firm belief that everyone has a talent. I also believe that in business we can use those God-given talents to their fullest extent. With that in mind, your first step should be to come up with a product or service of your own--the more unique, the better.
Then you make that product or service available for others to sell for you. Become a prime source. You don't know what you can do? Start by reading the various publications out there. See what others are doing and get some ideas from that. I'm not talking about stealing someone's idea and putting your name on it. I'm saying you should create something of your own.
Over the years I've been in business, many people have copied me. A friend of mine told me that it's the highest form of praise. I guess that's true, but I would have rather have them take my idea and create something different with it.
After you've decided what you want to create, decide how you want people to sell it for you. For example, you can have all the sales come to you directly and you send out commission checks. Or you can have your dealers take the money, keep their commission and send you the rest with the name and address of the customer. Then you fill the order.
Either way, people are selling for you. You may make less money per order that way, but they're spending their money on advertising and mailing. I do both. I have my own products that people are dealers for and I'm also a dealer for others. I want a well-rounded business and I want to give my customers a variety, along with ways to help improve their own business.
As you learn more about the industry, you can develop other products or services for people to sell. Some ideas are mailing lists, books you have written, and ad designs. I've never seen a business succeed that has only one product or service. Even a company that sells makeup has more than one type. You want to be able to reach as many people as possible, so keep that in mind as you develop your products and services.
I'm not saying that you should join every "money-making opportunity" out there. Pick and choose what you want to add to your portfolio. Anything you're a dealer for will have your name on it also. So only sell what you can be proud of.
When you receive an order from someone, send them back a related offer with their order. If you are a dealer for someone else, make sure you send them a confirmation that you have received their order and have forwarded it to the prime source. I always put the prime source's name and address. You can include another one of your offers with the confirmation. You have a buying customer who may be interested in another of your offers.
Keep track of all your buying customers and what they have purchased. You know their interests and if you have a similar offer, you can send it to them. Put some type of cover letter in with any promotion you send out. You're trying to separate people from their hard earned money. They'll want to know why your product or service is so great. If you're making money selling it, let them know that also.
I can never stress this enough. Make sure that everything that comes out of your office looks professional. You need to show your potential customer you know what you're talking about. Everything should be crisp, clear and easy to read. Your cover letter should be direct and right to the point. Sometimes people think if they use a lot of words in explanation that will sell better, but that's simply not the case. What I want to know is the bottom line. If the cover letter is written like that, if I'm interested, I'll read the details on the circular.
When you have clear cut goals, a plan for reaching them, and some common sense, it isn't difficult to make money in business. Best of luck.
Paula Demers has been running a successful business since 1990. She publishes "The Scam Bulletin," which exposes companies who are rip offs. It also gives tips in running your own business. For a sample copy, send $3 to:
Paula Demers P.O. Box 280 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549
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