The Field Guide to Direct Sales

Diane Vawter Warner is currently accepting short sales stories to be added into one of either of her latest projects. The first book is entitled “Sales Stories That Inspired” and the second book is “Sales Stories Rib-Ticklers”

Each true story is to be 1 – 1 1/2 typed pages long and must have something to do with a direct sales experience. (No company names are to be used) Your first and last name along with City and State will be printed at the top of your published story which will be edited for content and length. Each accepted submission will receive one free copy of the project upon its completion.

NEW We will promote you and your business through this project. The back of each book will have a section where the page number of each story will be listed, followed by your name and company and website! Get your information in print! What an amazing opportunity for you to share your story and you business!

Email submissions along with contact information to: famous@thefieldguidetodirectsales.com

I had been involved with a skin care and cosmetic company for a number of years and had grown comfortable in my role of helping women in both areas. I was so self-assured I would stand at the head of a table and scan the group of women sitting there and give myself an educated guess as to the amount of money I was going to make that night. I had lost sight of why I was doing what I was and that was about to change on this particular night.

One of the invited guests had brought a friend with them. The friend was a young girl in her early twenty’s with an interesting background. It seems the girl’s mother had passed away when the girl was very young and she, along with her three brothers had been raised by their single father. Dad owned a lawn-care business and the girl just like her brothers, worked for their father.

This young lady wore jeans with a green tee-shirt, pony tail and green ball cap to work every day only to come home and shower and put on clean jeans, colored tee-shirt, pony tail, and a different ball cap. She was no different from her brothers.

The friend who brought the girl had bribed her with a free dinner at her favorite restaurant if she came along. It was clear from the beginning of our time together that skin care and cosmetics were unfamiliar territory to her, yet she listened and participated.

The girl had plain features and relatively good skin. We promoted sun protection as her top priority as she spent most of her time out in the elements. We also chose modest shades of neutral colors for her to try. She admitted she had never even tried mascara before. Lip balm was the only “cosmetic” she ever purchased or used.

Each person at the table grew fascinated with the girl’s transformation as she became an eager student. This was the most time she had ever spent with herself and a mirror before. It was her innocence that caused us all to be drawn in by her and we each grew anxious to see the end results.

That is when it happened. It was something you could never plan to have happen. The young girl held the mirror up to her face and stared intensely at her reflection. After several minutes in a silenced room she spoke softly. “I look pretty,” she whispered. Three simple words brought tears to my eyes because I knew she had never felt that way before. She never saw herself as pretty.

A life was changed and I had made a difference. I knew at once that it didn’t matter if I ever made a dime again; this was what I wanted to do.

When I find myself growing frustrated in my business, I think of that young lady and I am reminded again why I do what I do.

I was relatively new at my career as a skin care and cosmetic salesperson when I got my first appointment with a group of women that I have never met. As luck would have it, the appointment was also in a part of town I was unfamiliar with, but knew it to be an area I wouldn’t want to find myself alone at night. The good thing was it was summer and it could stay light up until ten at night and the appointment was to start at seven. I would have plenty of time.

I had no problem locating the home of the woman who would be hosting the event. I introduced myself and began to set up the table for her guests. Soon there were several ladies sitting around the table and we began our get-together on time. Just minutes into our little party, one of the guests spilled her drink and in a matter of seconds a full blown screaming match started with every person there being a participant. Soon fists started flying and guests began pushing each other out the door! I know I was left standing there with my mouth hanging open in shock. I had never seen adult women act this way before. They were actually hitting each other.

Now what do I do? Do I pack up and leave. No, that won’t work as my car is out front right in the middle of all of the excitement. I can’t remember a more uncomfortable time in my life. I didn’t even dare look outside for fear I’d be accused of taking sides and find myself in the middle of the mess, so I waited.

After several minutes; (it seemed much longer to me at the time) the entire group came back in and reassembled themselves around the table in the same order they had previously been sitting and looked up at me waiting for me to begin. I couldn’t believe it. What choice did I have? At the time I saw no choice but to pick back up where we left off and move on.

I don’t recall how the sales were that night, but I do remember that once everyone learned the benefit of concealer to hide bruises, I sold one to every woman there in her shade.

I packed up and left without any other incident and without asking about future bookings or sales. I’ve never had another experience even close to that again, but I’ve never been able to forget it either.