7.
Re: Direct Selling . Jan 17, 2008 5:26 PM
This reminds me of the story of two famous American shoe manufacturers who relied on direct selling (door-to-door) to sell their products in the 1950's. Each company sent a representative to remote Africa to explore the market potential there.
The first rep telegraphed his boss: "Market TERRIBLE. Nobody wears shoes."
The second rep telegraphed his boss: "Market FANTASTIC. Nobody has shoes!"
Direct Selling is the sale of a consumer product or service, person-to-person, away from a fixed retail location. It's about building a relationship with a customer, finding his or her need, and then filling that need. In the U.S., Avon is an excellent example of a business that was built on direct selling.
Your success at using that method will likely rely on choosing one of two strategies in the beginning: 1) beginning with people who already know the product and know how to sell, and they will go out and build relationships one-to-one with potential customers, or 2) beginning with people who already have one-to-one relationships with potential customers, and you'll go out and build their product knowledge and sales skills.
Which strategy do you think would fit best given the product, market, and resources you have in mind?
