Top 10 Sales Tips

I have been a consultant since November of 2010, and my first party was a huge flop!  I spent months having a REALLY hard time sharing these products with others without feeling like I was pressuring them.  It can be a tough balance!  But over the last few years I've gotten a lot better and sharing has become much more natural for me.  I've come up with a few tips that I use myself, and recommend that you try as well!

1.  Attitude is EVERYTHING!

If you are excited, that will rub off onto others.  Don't apologize for sharing something incredible that you love and that can benefit everyone!  This is not a product only a few will love / use.  It is food!  High quality, healthy, non-GMO, easy to use, time and money saving food.  Be excited about that!  If you had discovered a really great recipe for an amazing healthy and delicious dessert, you would not be apologetic about sharing it even if it required your friends to go buy a few ingredients.  Think of this the same way!  You are sharing some wonderful!
others!  You have something

2.  Make Eye Contact

Eye contact is huge!  It allows others to feel that you are confident, honest and trustworthy.  It also allows you to better tell when people are understanding what you are saying or if they are unsure and you need to clarify something.

3.  Ask Questions

Before you jump into a big discourse on why YOU love THRIVE, spend a few minutes asking questions of your potential customer(s).  This is useful with individuals or at a class.  That way, instead of overwhelming them with everything great about THRIVE, you can focus on the things that are most important to them.

• Ask why they came to the party class.
• Ask what they wish was different about mealtime in their home.  
• Ask how often they eat out.  
• Ask if they like "convenience foods" such as frozen pizza and hamburger helper.  
• Ask what most concerns them about the food their family currently eats.  
• Ask how long they could feed their family without going to the grocery store.  
• Ask if they want to be more prepared than they are now.
• Ask if they like washing and chopping veggies or browning / shredding meat.
• Ask if they'd like to involve their kids more in meal prep.

Ask, Ask, Ask!

4.  Listen

This goes along with asking questions, but is worth highlighting on its own.   Nearly 100% of the people you meet will initially have a concern about purchasing products from you.  If you don't ask questions and then really listen to their answers, you simply won't be able to resolve their concerns.   You, and they, will assume these product aren't for them and you will lose a customer.
But if your listening is artificial and insincere, they won't trust you.  You must learn to really listen, and to really care about finding a solution that meets each person's individual needs.   Remember, each person you meet will be interested in and use this product for varying reasons.  No two people are exactly alike.  Find out what is important to them and address that!

 

5.  Provide Solutions

Once you've asked lots of questions and sincerely listened to a customer, provide solutions for things they may have expressed dissatisfaction with in their life.  If they eat out a lot, mention the THRIVE
Express.  Talk about the no-prep needed veggies and meats you offer.  If they are concerned about GMO foods at the grocery store or additives and preservatives in their food, make sure they know which (most) of our foods are non-GMO, and that our fruits and veggies are fully ripened, retain all their nutrients and have no additives / preservatives.

But again, this must be done sincerely.  Don't provide every solution in the book.  Provide just one or two based on how they answered your questions and what you heard when listening to them.

 

6.  Practice Being Brief

People tend to get overwhelmed if you provide too much info (I almost always provide too much info....so I'm still learning this the hard way!)  You will be more likely to do this if you are not prepared.  Practice answers to common questions & concerns at home in front of a friend, spouse, or even the mirror.  You can even call me and we can roll play if that is helpful!

 

7.  Share Personal Experiences

You will be much more real and believable when you have your own experiences with the product.  So, USE IT!  Make it a goal to use THRIVE every day.  That way, when someone asks you about the cheese or the sour cream or the chicken, you can tell them from your own experiences what it is like.  Also, share experiences at classes that show how THRIVE saves money, time and effort in the kitchen.  If you were able to save dinner after forgetting to thaw out the meat b/c you used your freeze dried meat, share that! 

 

8.  Don't Be Easily Offended or Overly Sensitive

I promise (really, after years of this I know this to be 100% true) that most of the "no's" you get are really just "not right now's."  I have had so many people come back to me after a year or even two

ready to purchase when they said no at first.  So, share away!  Even if people say no right now, there is a good chance they may say yes later.

Also, don't take the no's personally.  If a friend says no and you pull back from the relationship b/c you are afraid you've offended them, that will only make things worse.  Just keep on keeping on....act as you always would have and they will learn that your friendship won't change whether they say yes or no.  Then, they will be more likely to trust you and listen to what you have to say in the future.

 

9.  Confidently Ask for the Sale

Asking for the sale can be intimidating, but you need to remember that it is a critical step in the process.  After you have discovered your customers’ needs and wants, they will expect you to ask for a sale.  Not doing so will create awkwardness for both of you.  Not asking will actually be more awkward than asking.   A simple and non-pressured way to ask for the sale is to mention the items you know they want, re-interate how those items will solve a problem for them and then tell them when you can place their order and what info you need from them.  Something like this:
them to make a purchase.   If you don’t confidently ask for the sale, it

“I know you are going to love the onions, carrots and zucchini, especially in your soups.  They will really save you lots of prep time!  I can place your order tonight.  I just need you to fill out your address, phone number and payment info right here on this form.  You can list the items you want right here.”

When you ask for the sale, you will usually get it.  Remember, you are not being pushy; you are helping them solve their problems.

10.   Followup

Since many no's are just "not now's," (see tip #8) followup is very important.  I highly recommend following up with anyone that attended a class you conducted, but did not purchase within 24 hours whenever possible.  If they still don't purchase, add them to a "cold contacts" list.  Let them know when there are big specials and give them a call every few months or so.  I've had many "cold contacts" turn into great customers simply because I kept in contact with them and they knew who to call when they were ready to purchase.

 

Bonus: Support Your Customers!

Word of mouth is POWERFUL!  If you support your current customers well, they will tell others about you!  Pay attention to when your customer's orders are delivered.  Give them a call a day or two after to make sure everything went well.  Email them recipes they can make with the items they purchased.  Send them tips and videos to help them use the products they are buying.  If you support them well, they will be loyal to you and talk to their friend and family about you!  You can find (and copy into an email) tips for many products here on my public website.  You can also find videos in the back office under "Tools" and then "Video Library."