Scentsy is one of the biggest work at home gigs on any military base these days. While Avon isn’t as popular as it once was it is still one of the go to direct selling gigs many moms and wives turn to when they are in need of some cash. As of lately the most popular work from home gig is those who are trying to get military spouses to enroll in “Meditech” programs by promoting the use of MYCAA and who (from what I have been told) get paid based on if they sign up an enrollee. I know various military spouses who sell for these companies and who do pretty well but for the majority the luck is not so good.
The reasons are really simple.
1. To many people are hawking the same products at the same time. Think about the number of Scentsy invites you get on your facebook page. Think about how many events you have went to on post and there were several Scentsy or Avon reps there. Think about how in the last week just on the Army Wife 101 FB fan page alone, there were endless postings to enroll or become a college rep for Meditech. Everyone is doing the same thing and creating a saturated market super fast for what are actually good products.
2. Frequent over marketing of products causes it to be looked over. I mean how many cake bakers or candle reps do you really need in a few square miles? I never knock anyone’s hustle but what’s the point of investing your time and money if you’re not going to market right . While I am no expert I consider myself to be *ahem* a “milspouse social media guru” of sorts and think I have a few ideas that can help you take your business to the next level.
Solutions and Ideas:
1. Be Creative- When you are running a business and want to see growth or profit you have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone a bit. Think about the time I received that email two hours before I was scheduled to be on “MSNBC”, do you really think I was totally prepared? No! Had I ever been on a national tv network before? Hell NO! Yet I knew that by doing this not only would I be a voice for military wives all over but I knew that doors and more opportunities would come open for me. In your case if your selling Scentsy why not make some videos showcasing how you use Scentsy in your home. Showcase how you matched the decor with your home furnishings. Break out the digital cam and record a Scentsy party you had. You may be shy and you might not want to go on video but being a great business owner sometimes means stepping out of your comfort zone.
Another example is folks who sell makeup such as Avon or Mary Kay. How can you sell these products if you yourself don’t look the part. Avon is beyond saturated and with the invention of the Internet and online shopping, people aren’t so quick these days to hand over cash for products they can easily order online. It is because of this that you need to give potential customers a reason to want to buy from you. Look the part or pick an item that you really like and wear it. Many spouses will say “well I am not the dress up or makeup type”…well then what are you doing selling beauty products? Beauty sells and people are more apt to buy from you if you look like you are truly into the product and know what a majority of the products do.
Consider blogging about your experience selling the product. Share photos of items that you really love and showcase you and your family using them. If the company has products that cater to moms on the go show how you yourself use these products and how they fit within your lifestyle.
Many folks are visual and get bored really fast with the corny sales pitches. Standing out from the crowd is essential.
Market Properly Online- The internet is your best friend when it comes to running a business. Facebook for example is easy instant access to thousands of people for FREE! That being said how you market your business makes all the difference in the world as to what kind of results you will see.
1. Stop posting random sales pitch on random facebook pages. The truth is no one will most likely see those posts because FB now hides post off of fan page walls that appear to be spammy. Consider asking a Facebook page admin if they will post a specific special your business maybe having. In addition to this when you are creating a Facebook page make sure it is a “LIKE” page so that folks don’t have to go to the hoopla of requesting to join a group. That is a definite deal breaker and can and will deter people from joining your page.
2. Many people shy away from Twitter thinking it’s just some stupid site where all you do is type statuses when in actuality it is a way for you to reach thousands of people and create relationships. Also, because so many everyday folks shy away from it , it’s not flooded with everyone selling the same product.
3. Lastly Remember this is a business and sometimes you have to invest to see a profit. This may mean holding a giveaway, giving away samples and advertising on blogs or websites that cater to the people you are trying to reach.
These are just a few ideas that if implemented properly can really work in your favor of making you stand out from the rest.
What are some creative ways you have marketed your work from home business? Share your ideas in the comments section below.
Comments
Powered by Facebook Comments
Army Wife 101
Krystel is the mom of two and an Army Wife. In addition to Army Wife 101 she is the Co-Founder of SoFluential.com a digital media agency that connects brands with the military market. She has appeared on MSNBC ,FOX LA and formerly was a weekly contributor to HLN's "Raising America". She has written for various outlets including Sheknows and Lifetime and is a big fan of cupcakes and french fries.
Krystel is the mom of two and an Army Wife. In addition to Army Wife 101 she is the Co-Founder of SoFluential.com a digital media agency that connects brands with the military market.
She has appeared on MSNBC ,FOX LA and formerly was a weekly contributor to HLN's "Raising America". She has written for various outlets including Sheknows and Lifetime and is a big fan of cupcakes and french fries. 14 Comments on Do You Sell Scentsy, Avon Etc? How Military Spouses Can Have A Better Work At Home Business.
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Great Advice, expecially the “random sales pitch spam”. I love shopping on facebook but I usually use an auction page. I would love to see ladies get more creative and maybe make a military wives auction page etc. Its all about networking and banding together to help each other out.
And one thing that wasnt mentioned was “specials/discounts/promotions” People love deals and free samples. I probably wouldnt use someone that wasnt offering an incentive of some sort to go through them when there are literaly hundreds to choose from.
I totally agree with you 100%, but I can say that I myself have been guilty of falling in this category from time to time, but for me it’s not so much of a career path or to make extra money. It’s just something to do to kill time. I do like to sell it at times or at least host a party to receive the incentives and/or money off for things I would like to purchase, but other than that I never really quite stick to it because it requires so much time and work. Thanks for sharing all of your tips! :)
Well said! Where I live there are SO many Scentsy consultants. I think there are 4 of us on my street alone. So while I do sell to friends and have an open house every once in a while, the majority of what I do is online. Especially Twitter. You really do have to think outside the box with direct sales these days.
Yes always think social media, not just where you are stationed. :)
Another great company to work from home is Thirty One Gifts. If you are not familiar, check out the products at http://www.mythirtyone.com/ctaylor. I love this company because the products practically sell themselves. They are functional and affordable. Depending on where you live, there may be a huge market to become a consultant. Most consultants live in the South.
I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU THANK YOU FOR THE AWESOME INFO! I sell both products do most of it online and I love your site too by the way! I have fun selling it but I agree there is a lot of reps for sure every time you turn around you find one and that does make it hard but I love your ideas. I ran accross your page and love it thanks so much again. be sure to come check mine out:)
Thanks so much for stopping by. I definitely will be sure to check yours out.
wonderful advice …I am staring a mobile beauty products business and I really needed these tips to add that special touch to my business..love the part on “looking the part” if I am going to go door to door promoting beauty products ..I had better look the part ! Thanks…
I LOVe your site as well and LOVE how honest you ca be. I sell scentsy and LOVE it, I will never go back to traditional candles and you are right, there is A LOT of reps of all kinds out there and you differently have to stand out. So one of my tips in “getting out there” is supporting start up businesses, If you handmade Jewelry, cupcakes, clothes, etc. I LOVE to feature businesses at my parties! So in that way I am supporting others as well.
First off I would like to say awesome blog! I had a quick question which I’d like to ask if you do not mind. I was interested to find out how you center yourself and clear your mind before writing. I’ve
had a difficult time clearing my thoughts in getting
my ideas out. I truly do take pleasure in writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are
usually wasted simply just trying to figure out how to begin.
Any suggestions or tips? Many thanks!
What you published was very reasonable. But, what about this?
suppose you added a little information? I mean, I don’t want to tell you how to run your website, however suppose you added something to maybe get people’s attention?
I mean Do You Sell Scentsy, Avon Etc? How Military Spouses Can Have A Better
Work At Home Business. – Army Wife 101 is a little boring.
You might glance at Yahoo’s front page and watch how they create news headlines to get people to open the links. You might add a video or a related pic or two to get readers interested about everything’ve written.
In my opinion, it could make your website a little bit more interesting.
Anyone interested in scentsy check out kristinabirkett.scentsy.us and join my team scentsy If you have any questio s feel free to email me or s truly an amazing company and they off so many great products. A scentsy starter kit will cost you $99 yeah I know it sounds like alot just to sell their products but it really isnt because you get a set of products, catalogs, over 100 scent testers and much more to get your business started….. if you love the product but are not the type to Go out and sell the product you can go to my page and order I will ship directly to you….
In your query letter, give a bare bones solution to a problem the editor needs to have.
You will need to browse through many commpanies to choose the one that suits your need, liking and budget perfectly.
Currently,with rivalry becomiung more complicated pous thhe need to be observed becomes imperative, just about every firm
desires tto credate a successful web-site thbat won’t only show its goal, but is
also exceptional in every single feature and gives a professional representation.
Have you ever thought about including a little bit
more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is fundamental and all.
But just imagine if you added some great photos or video
clips to give your posts more, “pop”! Your
content is excellent but with pics and clips,
this site could definitely be one of the very best in its niche.
Fantastic blog!
Here is my web-site; Cheap Hotel rooms in Cardiff bay