If you've been around the Internet for more than a week or so you know that everything is hopping and moving fast and that using audio, webcasting and podcasting are where it's at. Most direct sales representatives are content building their business using the traditional means and supporting their downline with phone calls and emails. But, let me tell you, if you're not exploring the use of audio with your direct sales business you're missing out not only on profits, but also on FUN! Here are some quick ideas for making use of audio with your direct sales business: 1. Recruiting - Record a 4-5 minute audio about your career opportunity. Load the audio up on a one page sales letter or onto a voice mail for potential recruits to dial in and listen. You can even turn this into a weekly or monthly podcast and update the general information with specific company recruiting specials, interviews with top sellers in your company or with the company founders. 2. Customer service - Have a weekly audio newsletter for your customers. Do product spotlights from your catalog, talk about monthly specials and have customers call in their testimonies on how your product has worked for them. Do customer contest drawings and get your listeners involved. 3. Bookings - Create a hostess hotline audio series where hostesses can listen to tips on getting ready for your home party and load that up on a password protected webpage. Don't let this replace personal contact with you, rather make it a convenient way to communicate all those things that you always need to tell your hostess and a fun way for her to listen to it uninterrupted at midnight when all her kids are in bed... and you are too! 4. Downline - Do a weekly or monthly podcast meeting for your downline. Celebrate accomplishments, talk about products and specials, update them on any corporate news and do new recruit intros or interviews with top producers. Have a series of audio trainings for new recruits that include how to book a party, how to conduct a party, recruiting ideas, how to use the company resources, etc. Make it fun and involve others in your group as well. This is especially helpful when you have a large group of out of town downline who might feel neglected if you're having only local fact to face meetings. This list is just a start of all that you can do with audio for your direct sales business. It really is fun and not too difficult either. You can go as simple as just purchasing an inexpensive MP3 player/recorder up to getting a full system to record via your computer. Help and resources abound on how to take it from recording to the point of getting it to the listener. Start simple, play with it and then expand into more as your time and budget allows, but just do it! You and your business will be glad you did!
