Direct Selling: Testing The Methods Over Twenty Years

By Leigh Spittel

Direct Selling: I am certainly no stranger to the concept. In its
infancy, I began as an Avon Representative in the Summer of 1982, a
young woman, fresh out of high school and eager to make new customers
in my assigned sales territory, which just happened to be my
neighborhood. It was door to door cold calling at first, then visiting
in my customer’s homes: regularly for most, and occasionally for some,
on a two week campaign format. After two years, your customer’s needs
and preferences become very familiar and friendships form. You become
more than just a salesperson or neighbor, you become a trusted friend.

In the Summer of 1984, I moved on to direct sales with a different
product and a different sales environment.With over half of my
Interior Design degree courses finished, I became an Interior Design
Consultant in the Custom Design Studio at the immense Montgomery Ward
department store in downtown Baltimore, MD. As a consultant, I worked
both in the store studio, greeting interested customers, answering
questions and arranging appointments for future in home consultations.
Once in their home or office, I was sharing my newly formed knowledge
of custom made window treatments, bedspreads, upholstery and carpeting
as was applicable to their individual needs. Designing products to
solve individual needs while meeting aesthetics became my new method
of direct selling, and personal trust was the bridge to success again.

In early January of 1985, I tried another form of direct selling, in
home party sales as a Beauty Consultant for Mary Kay Cosmetics. I had
attended an in home party of a close friend, and with my sales
experience as an Avon Representative with similar products, I decided
to give it a try. In home beauty parties offer a unique direct selling
climate: a captive audience that is testing out the products before
purchasing them. The key to success here is to know the products so
that you can apply them to individual skin care needs, teach proper
and successful application techniques, and convey confidence in both
your knowledge and the customer’s ability to repeat the application
techniques satisfactorily on their own.

During this same time period, I began working part time at another
Interior Design firm in the Columbia Mall. This was a design store
most noted for their wallpaper trade, decorative accessories, custom
made floral arrangements and support Interior Design services. As
part-time sales personnel, I was limited to helping customers in the
store setting, or the full time design staff with their design
customers projects. After graduation in June 1985, I set my sights for
full time design opportunities.

The years of Fall 1985 to Fall 1988 were filled with the experiences
of working full time in two design firms between Baltimore, MD and
Fort Wayne, IN. At both firms, I was the “ Girl Friday”, and handled
everything at each firm from the Interior Designer who visited homes
and businesses with Custom Design Products to Office Manager and
everything in between!. One firm had a public studio with store hours
and the other was a private studio. What remained the same was the
vast amount of design experience,knowledge and passion for my
profession. Trust in your consultant is the key to a successful
working relationship, friendships are forged, personal referrals and
“word of mouth” advertising becomes the model.earned. I even gave
advice to a recently widowed gentleman for tie and suit coordination
after his sofa upholstery was complete!

The twenty years since have been filled with raising four children ,
managing a household, and being the family of a clergyman. Direct
sales and business skills were kept fresh with door to door sales of
Boy Scout popcorn and Girl Scout cookies with four children. Almost
two years ago, I became a Consultant for La Bella Baskets and began a
gift basket business of my own from home. I wanted to return to sales
and customer service while not sacrificing my family’s needs. While I
leaned on my direct selling experience from the past twenty with
offline sales and marketing , it has been the online marketing which
has produced the biggest learning curve for me in my entire life and
the most satisfying challenge ever! Learning new computer skills,
creating interesting social media marketing applications and writing
creatively to an online consumer base has intrigued, challenged and
sparked passion for a old form of direct selling with a new medium.
Still, no matter how different the format, the audience and the
technique, the enabler to success remains the same: Trust

My name is Leigh Spittel, also known as La Bella Leigh on blogs and Twitter. I am an Interior Designer, Lutheran pastor’s wife and mother of four. I became an independent consultant for La Bella Baskets in July 2010 and own and operate my gift basket business from home. I enjoy reading, creative writing, spending time with my family, baking, dancing, taking long walks with my dog and playing board games. I enjoy the creative freedom to market my business and build a rapport among the popular social media sites with interesting photographic displays featuring gifts from across my website. www.leighslovelygiftbaskets.com