How do you succeed in home sales?

Home sales: knowing where you're going

Determining your "why" is essential if you are to succeed as an entrepreneur. Ask yourself the right questions to avoid having to improvise, not being able to organise yourself, and having a difficult rhythm of life. The questions to ask yourself when you want to set up as a home seller could be as follows:

• What do I want from my professional life? What are my values?
• Where do I see myself in 5 years' time? In 10 years' time?
• What is my vision of professional life, and what impact does it have on my life?
• What is my motivation?
• What means and how much time do I have to devote to my VDI activity?

With these answers, you'll have a sort of roadmap so that you know where you're going and how to achieve your goals.

Making the right choices when creating your status

How do you start a home-based sales business? How do you go about selling clothes from home? These are the questions that independent sellers ask themselves before offering their services to companies in the sector. First and foremost, it's important to get off to a good start when you set up your business and choose your status. As a self-employed entrepreneur, you have the option of registering with the Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés (RCS) or the Registre Spécial des Agents Commerciaux (RSAC), if you wish. While this choice may not have a significant impact on the success of your business, the type of contract you sign with the companies you wish to work with can. There are two types of contract for VDIs: the agent contract and the buyer-reseller contract. The agent presents the products at meetings and takes orders from customers, transferring them to the company. The company then supplies the agent with the items in the quantities requested. The buyer-reseller, on the other hand, first buys a stock of products from the company and then resells them at the price he wants. It is therefore preferable to have an agency contract to avoid having to invest a large sum of money from the start of your business.

Setting priorities

Now that you've defined your objectives, you can set a number of priorities that will help you organise your day-to-day activities. Be careful not to overdo it, or you'll get burnt out. Instead of being everywhere at once, concentrate on a few communication channels rather than trying to spread yourself too thin. A Facebook page, a mailing or telephone canvassing are all you need: there's no need to go to every trade fair you can find. To help you get organised, draw up a schedule and an action plan over a few weeks.

Please note that your sales targets will inevitably be different if your work as a VDI is only a secondary job. Many salespeople do this to supplement their income. Not having a full-time job means you need to be more organised, both personally and with your customers.

Continuous training

If you're wondering "how to be a good home seller", the answer is often to continually update your skills. Self-employed home sellers should never neglect training, as it's an excellent way of developing their skills. At the start of their business, VDIs must receive full training, during which they will learn how to organise a meeting, how to canvass, and so on. This is also an opportunity for the team to present the products and for them to start working on their sales pitch.

As the months and years go by, the VDI can ask to take further training courses, as can an employee in a standard company. They will then be able to improve their knowledge of marketing or direct sales techniques. These courses can be online or face-to-face. A consultant can also use learning tools, such as the company blog, which can be a source of many tips and information about the VDI profession.

Be patient!

Results as an independent home seller will not be immediate. You can't become a successful home seller overnight. You'll need to build up a loyal customer base, which will take time, energy and a lot of perseverance. To optimise your results and gain self-confidence, set yourself short-term goals. Work on your marketing over time to create a network of loyal customers that you will gradually expand.

Don't overthink the financial aspect

Your objectives are not just financial. In fact, although the salary is essential, it's not the main reason why you decided to become a VDI, is it? Keep in mind all the other reasons why you decided to become a freelance door-to-door salesperson, such as ease of organisation, independence, meeting new people... And above all, maintain your enthusiasm for the long term, long before the financial rewards kick in.

To avoid stress, it's a good idea to set aside part of your income so that you can pay your tax when the time comes. What's more, in many companies you can ask more experienced advisers for tips on how to generate more sales and thus increase your income.

Staying true to yourself

Share sincerely on social networks and with your customers, but be careful not to overwhelm them. Avoid taking too direct an approach. Keep the number of messages you send and the number of reminders to a minimum! This could have the opposite effect to the one you're looking for and encourage your network to stop using your services. Learn to let your customers come back to you.

If you don't feel comfortable presenting your business to your customers, don't hesitate to get some training on the subject and find out more about your company and your products.

Putting your customers before yourself

The key to success as a VDI is the ability to manage your customer portfolio. Over and above the commercial aspect, having an ongoing customer relationship is essential for creating a human and lasting bond, enabling you to meet new people, but also making them want to buy from you. Social networks are an excellent way of building customer loyalty. In fact, it will help you to succeed more quickly as a home seller. Creating a friendly atmosphere at a meeting is also a good way of building a relationship with your customers, so that they talk about it later.