There’s no question that today’s world is more mobile than ever. In fact, we are past the tipping point in terms of digital media—the number of global mobile users now exceeds desktop users, and the average adult spends almost three hours a day on a mobile device. So, how has an industry like direct sales, which has thrived for decades on belly-to-belly, in-person efforts, adapted to this increasingly digital world? The key is having a fully stocked toolbox of mobile sales tools. The industry that long has been described as a home-based business, has evolved to become a phone-based business.
From high-quality videos that instantly grab a prospect’s attention to digital presentations for on-the-fly meetings and digital magazines that provide an interactive, immersive experience, mobile tools can help your company achieve unprecedented growth. As a leader in mobile content enablement, we’re here to share some of the most important categories to focus on as you develop a mobile-first sharing strategy for your distributors.
Digital Kits
Whether you’re looking for an easy method to on-board and train new distributors, a home party planning system, or just a way to encourage others to keep building their business, there’s a kit for that. Kits can educate new distributors, generate excitement in your field, and maintain professionalism and consistency while making a great first impression.
While your baseline welcome kit might include many of the same pieces as a traditional, physical kit—like a welcome letter or an introductory presentation—there’s no reason these have to be boring. Instead, consider racing the digital medium and creating fun, interactive ways to share this information. For instance, you could replace a letter from the CEO with an interactive video that includes a link to a distributors-only promo code. Rather than a stale PowerPoint, you could craft a presentation that integrates heartfelt video testimonials, interactive quizzes, and powerful music to show what your company is all about. Above all, your focus should be on creating a visual-first experience that can drive excitement and build rapport.
Social Media
If you’ve had any exposure to pop culture or business in the past ten years, you probably recognize that social media has become an integral part of effective business communication, especially within the network marketing industry. In fact, many direct sales leaders argue that to achieve any meaningful level of success in the current direct sales space, you have to implement and actively utilize social media as a critical component of your business-building efforts. Just a few years back, social media was an “either-or” in the world of network marketing. Not anymore.
According to SmartInsights, “More than half of the world uses social media (58.4%) 4.62 billion people worldwide now use social media, 424 million new users have come online within the last 12 months. The average daily time spent using social media is 2h 27m.”
Mobile direct sales solutions allow you to harness that power by providing your field with pre-written and designed social media assets, compliance solutions, and sharing tools that will enable distributors to expand their online reach.
Sampling
Sampling is a strategy that is being successfully used by many retailers in a myriad of industries. Why? Because there’s no better way than a sample to allow prospects to experience your products and the benefits they deliver before they buy them. A sample system can lead to significantly more customers and product sales.
Through digital sampling features like those provided by verbCRM, distributors can send product samples directly to their interested prospects from within an app. This eliminates obstacles like sourcing, compiling, and shipping, and assists follow-up efforts through tools like automated email campaigns and detailed analytics.
Onboarding, Training, and Education
One of the best ways to maintain a motivated field of distributors is to ensure that they’re adequately trained. Luckily, technology has made this a relatively easy task. From instructional webinars and podcasts to support email drips, you can ensure that every one of your distributors are familiar with your system—and knows exactly how to get it done. How? By using an LMS.
Verb’s mobile LMS, verbLEARN, combines gamification with education in a way that is both engaging and effective. We’ve seen the evidence that an educated customer is a continuing customer, so our product courses are built to inform customers (and distributors) about the benefits of currently used products and offer an introduction to additional product lines. Additionally, the transactional links in each lesson provide instant purchasing opportunities.
verbLEARN utilizes gamification, making it both educational and fun. Studies have shown that gamification has a significant impact on retention and increased knowledge. Part of that gamification is a rewards system (in addition to badge-type awards) that allows users to earn promo codes for product discounts, providing another incentive to make a purchase.
verbLEARN also provides another layer for communication, as the upline/enroller will receive notifications upon completion of the lesson—providing an opportunity for applicable follow-up.
Are you looking to get started with one (or more) of these tools? Or simply want more information? Then, contact us today to learn more!