Q: Hi Nancy! I’m new to direct sales. And while I find the networking part of it very easy (I’m a High “I” after all) I find that it’s difficult to switch from the “getting to know you” part of an appointment to the “do you want to sign up?” part. It seems awkward to go from personal to business. Is it just me? ~ Julie Tasker, Niagara, Ontario
A: Hi Julie. First things first, no it’s not just you! Many women have difficulty with the transition. We’re great at the interaction, bad at the transaction. While I could on and on as to why this is (and why men have less difficulty with this than women), I’m just going to give you what’s worked for me.
Since I too used to find the transition awkward, I now let people know at the front end how our conversation is going to go. It sounds something like this, “Hi Julie, since we only have an hour together, I want to make sure we cover everything. I want to learn a little about you, your specific challenges in business, and how I might be able to help. If it makes sense, I might even recommend a specific solution. How does that sound?”
For you, it might sound something like this: “Jane, since we have a short time together, I want to make sure we cover everything. I want to learn a little about you, your current work situation and if my business opportunity might be of interest to you. How does that sound?”
Once you’ve let them know you may be offering something, it’s not weird to turn the conversation to the “transaction” when it’s time.
