If You Have Two Thumbs You Can Build a Direct Sales Business

When I was first introduced to the industry, the duplication process was heavily dependent on hotel meetings, powerful presenters, and large enrollment packages. With the advances in technology, it seems that everything has changed. Now you can build a business from your smartphone, from anywhere in the world. In this edition of the Direct Sales Masterclass, I discuss this topic with Stu Finger and Michael Swilling of CTFO.

You can view the full Masterclass video here.

The System Has to be Duplicatable

When I was introduced to direct sales in the 1990s, our company was a cassette duplication company. We would set up tables in the back of rooms and sell prospecting tools to help people to build a business.

The enrollment cycle seemed to work like this:

• The distributor shares a cassette tape with someone to invite them to a hotel meeting
• Leader flies in and pays for a room to share a presentation for a couple hours on the company and the opportunity
• Enrollments would take place at the meeting (or a follow-up meeting would be required)

Fast forward 30 years, and the process has simplified. It is now much more common to see the enrollment cycle work like this:

• The distributor texts a video or sends a sample to their prospect from their app
• The prospect views the video and tries the product
• The distributor is prompted by the app on next steps to follow up
• The technology aids in enrollments and follow-up

“If you have two thumbs, you can build a direct sales business.”

– Stu Finger, Founder CTFO

The simplicity of the modern system has made the duplication cycle so much easier. Not everyone can afford to set up a hotel meeting, nor does everyone have the skills to be able to present for 2-3 hours. However, everyone has a phone and the ability to send a text, share a sample, and utilize the technology to improve the follow up and the likelihood of successfully building a business.

Creating a Business that Drives the Correct Behaviors

Driving the right behaviors in the business builder and customer journeys are critical to your company’s success. Here are some simple takeaways that have helped CTFO achieve success in these two areas:

  Business Builder Journey  

• Corporate/Field Leader Synergy: Create communication and systems that allow the corporate leaders and field leaders to synergistically work together
• Corporate Execs with Field Experience: If your corporate executives have experience building in the field, it will greatly help understand the systems required for success.
• Compensation Plan Trends: Ensure you are rewarding success to the average person, as well as the full-time builder
• Win/Win: Understand that if you don’t help the field succeed, you can’t succeed. You have to create win/win opportunities.

  Customer Journey  

• Product Efficacy: Provide products that are experiential and make a difference. Your products have to work!
• Affordable Pricing: Price your products in a way that the masses can afford them.
• Shop to Save: Provide a rewards program to create customer loyalty.
• Reward New Customers: CTFO provides a lifetime 30% discount to Preferred Customers and an additional 10% discount if they order in the first 10 days.
• Product Guarantee: Back the products—guarantee they work. Customers expect this!

Sampling Levels the Playing Field

A recent study showed that a large portion of Americans would like to take a CBD product, but they would like to try it first. Regardless of the product, most customers prefer to experience the product first—to try it before they buy it. Sampling makes for an extremely effective customer acquisition tool for your field.

“We found that the probability of a customer ordering increases by 2000% if they sample it first. Providing this in the app makes for a powerful business-building tool.” – Michael Swilling

Key Benefits of the Verb Sampling System:

• Combining Physical and Digital Tools: Sending a prospect a physical product sample and engaging them with automated follow-up combines the best of both worlds.
• Create an Experience: Give the prospect a first experience with your company’s products.
• Simplify the Process: In three taps in the app, your business builders can send someone a sample.
• Increase Conversion Rates: Prompt your business builders to follow up with in-app notifications based on sample orders, sample shipments, and sample deliveries.
• Remove the “heavy life”: Your leaders can go to the post office and create their own samples—but they shouldn’t have to. It isn’t effective and conversion rates without automated follow-up are extremely low.