By Neil Phillips.

What do you do when you run out of friends and family who want to purchase? Are they starting to avoid you? Not returning your calls?

This is not an unusual scenario that you have fallen into. Every direct seller growing a business will eventually hit a rough spot as they build their customer base. Part of your problem is that your business is consuming your life (at least temporarily). You are also getting desperate as your deadline looms and your desperation shows.

One solution that sometimes comes up with the leaders I am coaching is how to grow a client base with people you haven’t met. The answer is to serve and not sell. Put yourself in places where potential clients can find you. While this won’t get you customers quickly, you will build an endless supply of customer evangelists if you start by serving them. Here’s how.

First, assess your knowledge. Ask yourself, “What have I learned besides selling my products?” Make a list of at least five. These DO NOT require your product. Examples might include:

  • Getting it all done (Time management)
  • Getting to the ball games (Calendar control)
  • Sending your Christmas letter before Easter (Organizing your contact list)
  • How to never forget your husband’s birthday again (Duh)
  • Twinkies are not a food group (Smart shopping for food)
  • Style is more than plaid socks (Quick and inexpensive business clothing tips)

Second, make public service contacts. Most churches have a young moms group. Check around your fitness center. Maybe you can ask some favorite customers who they know who might be interested. Do your bank’s tellers eat lunch together? How about school aides or doctor’s assistants?

Third, serve. That’s it. Give your presentation. Tell stories about how you were an idiot but learned some lessons.

Fourth, repeat. Keep working on this. If you do one presentation a month, I guess you will meet around 50 or more people you never knew before, AND you would never meet any other way. You will feel good about helping others. And your business will always be rock solid.

People will start to seek you out because:

  • A prospective customer hears you strike the perfect note in your speech.
  • Some of the things you touched on directly hit on an issue they’re struggling with
  • You get a call for someone to get more details, and they end up a customer
  • Someone gives you a business card and wants you to bring your products to their office at lunchtime.
  • Someone wants what you have and signs up to sell. You are not selling. You are giving away what you learned along the way. You are doing your part to help other people find a better life even though they might not buy your products or join your team.

Give it a try. I’d love to hear your success stories. More importantly, I’d love to hear how you feel about it.

Want to learn more about building a customer base?

Being a leader is more than managing sales and recruiting. Being a leader tests your self-concept and relationship skills. The Direct Selling Leaders Network is the Facebook group known as a safe place to share questions and answers about growing your business. Leaders are curious. This is a great group to find out some answers.

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