Your Questions About Direct Marketing Companies

Jere answers:

Give them an incentive hun! Party planners, Mums at home, etc would love the chance of doing something like this, and you would probably find word gets round much quicker this way. How about putting up a notice in your local job centre, supermarket, doctors surgery, sell the agents job on ebay for £0.99 and ask them not to bid et al, and if this brings nothing, you can place an ad in Thursdays Daily Mail. Marketing is expensive, but there are other ways, it just takes effort and resoucefullness. Good Luck

Jere answers:

Direct selling is the marketing and selling of products directly to consumers away from a fixed retail location. Peddling is the oldest form of direct selling. Modern direct selling includes sales made through the party plan, one-on-one demonstrations, and other personal contact arrangements as well as internet sales. A textbook definition is: “The direct personal presentation, demonstration, and sale of products and services to consumers, usually in their homes or at their jobs.

Jere answers:

Two of the best guides to developing a new sales force are these short articles here: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/ara_howtohireawinnin and here: http://www.nationalsalescenter.com/2009/04/how-to-hire-great-sales-reps/

Two key elements they mention that I find most valuable are:

1. Seriously consider getting a recruiting service to help you, especially when you need talent in cities where you don’t live. They may also be able to offer advice on competitive salary and compensation needs.

2. Ask your top customers or distributors who are the salesmen they most admire or are impressed with. Then contact them to know if they’d be willing to work for you or, if not, whom they may know that would be as good as they are.

Best of luck!

Jere answers:

I donate to Save the Children and find it really rewarding. You’re able to pick both the region of the world where your child lives, as well as the gender. You’re then assigned a child and given basic information such as where they live, their age, favorite activities, and their immediate family they live with, as well as a photograph. You also receive extensive information about the country and specific region where your child lives so you can better understand the living conditions you are faced with. You’re strongly encouraged to start a correspondence with your child, who will respond with letters and possibly pictures they’ve drawn. These letters back and forth are something so valued by your child, I often feel they are more important than the financial donation that accompanies it all.

It costs $28 per month, and you have the option of direct withdrawal from your bank account; this was pretty helpful for me, as it’s one less bill I have to worry about and I know my money will make it to Rosa and her village every month. The donations do not go directly to your child, but rather to the community to support schools and projects such as setting up farming and providing clean water. You receive information about the specific work Save the Children is doing where your child lives, and how much of a difference your donation alone can make. 92% of your money goes directly to your child’s village, which is very high compared to many similar charities.

I personally enjoy really being able to see what my donation is doing, as opposed to donating to a cause in general. I don’t wonder where exactly my money’s ending up each month, I know that I’m helping ensure Rosa can go to school full time by funding programs to make school available based around the times she and most other girls have to perform their daily chores. This along with funding more school supplies and teachers will help the 40% of children in her village who currently cannot attend school at all. I love to see her drawings hanging up in my kitchen alongside those that my siblings and when we were younger, and i’m always so happy to get an envelope in the mail with a mozambique postmark.

Anyway, as you can see I’m really passionate about this, and I haven’t really been big on donating to charities in the past, I’ve really only ever donated my time. If you’re looking to make a financial donation Save the Children is a great way to also get involved in the cause you’re supporting.

Jere answers:

The logo is most likely trademarked and you’ll run afoul of The Trade Marks Act if you use it without permission. Suggest you check to see if it is trademarked and if so, obtain permission to use. Otherwise, you’ll potentially find yourself a lot poorer after you’re sued.

Http://www.cipro.gov.za/2/home/