Direct sales is getting a product to the consumer without the use of a middle man.  This clear channel puts more money in your pocket as a retailer because you don’t have to share any of the income that is generated with anyone else.  A digital product is the best to market in this manner.  To help out your bottom line, you don’t have a physical inventory, your supply of data files is unlimited, and there is no cost of materials.

Here is a quick list of 10 secrets to success in direct sales that you must consider before beginning your journey for you pot of gold:

You need a great profit.  This is what you are after.  Digital products cost nothing to get more of.  Never on back order due to materials shortage.

You need a strong mentor.  Look to people in the industry.  See what qualities they possess that you value.  Follow those role models.

You need to utilize Web 2.0 technology.  Messages are stronger when they involve more of the senses.  Make videos to publish as commercials on social networking sites or YouTube. Write articles for submission to directories. Provide demonstrations.  Do anything to get your prospect’s mind spinning its gears.

You need to get free traffic to your website.  Continue with ideas from number 3.  Free classified ads.  There are 1000’s of places to put ads, videos, and articles.

You need an affordable product.  Likely, your target audience is one that needs an extra $5000 to make Mr. Visa go away.  Do not ask a broke man for a lot of money.  He doesn’t have it to give.  A couple of hundred dollars is not unreasonable, however.

You need to replicate what works.  A proven system should be in place to get the prospects to the table.  In the digital world, this would be an eye-catching website and marketing message.  This is along the same lines as learning from a strong mentor.  Do what she does.  You will probably have the same or similar results.

You need emotional endurance.  You will not make $4000 every day.  Discouragement will rob you of your dreams.  Keep plugging away.

You need to brand yourself.  Become the expert in your field in the mind of the prospect.  In your neighborhood, there is one mechanic’s shop that you think of when you need a transmission.  Everyone knows that place is the best.  It doesn’t have to advertise anymore.  Its quality is well established.  Embody that same success.

You need to think like your prospect.  Going back to number 5 above.  Do not ask for too much money.  Appeal to the needs of the consumer.  He needs solutions.  Identify the problem and offer a way to resolve it.  Become the customer that you want to attract and move accordingly.

You need to plan for success.  When you start making money, get out of debt.  You see any number of internet guru’s leaning on expensive cars and sitting by swimming pools at swanky houses.  If you are just beginning, you want to make the credit cards, the car note, the overdue cell phone bill go away.  When you behave responsibly, you will find that your successes will multiply.

Direct sales is indeed a proven mechanism to get your prospect to the table, share your message with him, and get money from his pocket if you can solve his problem.  Another benefit to direct sales over other methods of generating income is that you have no trailing responsibilities.  Once you recruit distributors in a multi-level organization, for example, they are yours for life, essentially.  Being able to complete a transaction, exchange money for goods, and move on is a simple, workable business plan.  This allows you to continue your journey along the path of prosperity without the hangers on wanting you to build their businesses for them, as often happens with network marketing.

Direct sales is not a complicated business model.  It takes diligence, perseverance, creativity, and plain dumb luck from time to time to get you where you want to go.  And really, luck does not play the biggest factor.  “Luck” is opportunity meeting preparation.  If you choose wisely, you will have the preparation when the opportunity presents itself.  The good thing is that opportunity presents itself everyday.  The challenge is seeing it for what it is.

The loud and proud consultants came over and introduced themselves, they told me what company they were with. They were wearing nametags with their company name on them, their purses reflected their business in a stylish and appropriate way and they gave me their business cards and asked for mine. They were great communicators, good at creating rapport and good listeners.

Then there were the closet consultants. They did not go out of their way to meet new people. You wouldn’t have known by their appearance that they were in a direct selling business. In fact, in most cases it was another direct seller that told me they too were in the business.

Do you or people on your team say they want to build their business in private and yet are a closet consultant in public?

If you call the phone number on one of your team member’s business card does the message not mention their business? Do you know beauty consultants who do not appear “put together?” Have you met jewelry consultants who are wearing no jewelry or clothing consultants that are wearing clothes from a department store?

Make no mistake. These are all examples of closet consultants. If your team is not steadily growing, then you have some closet consultants on your team.

Of course, if you are in the home interiors, kitchen goods or nutritionals business you cannot wear these items around your neck—you have to be more creative. That is not hard for successful consultants.

Carol who sells candles carries candles around in a basket and gives a mini candle to everyone she meets. Natasha is with a pampering company. She gives a mini lotion sample with her business card to everyone she meets and the side of her purse displays her most popular items.

Then there is Kelly, one of the participants in my Business Breakthrough Group Tele-Coaching Program. Kelly is loud and proud about her business. She has a blog that she sends out to her friends, customers and everyone in her network each week.

She has car magnet signs on both sides of her car that let the world know about her business. These signs have brought her bookings and sales.

When she is away from her car Kelly is always wearing her nametag and carrying her tote bag both with her company name prominently displayed. When she goes to the bank to make her big deposits she has her company name in bold letters on her deposit bag.

Now that you have gotten some ideas ask yourself: are you loud and proud or are you a closet consultant? What will you do to create more direct sales success? Will you be more loud and proud? Ask everyone on your team the same question and watch your team sales, booking and recruiting grow with ease.