I am a part of a Social Retail Company, and I sell my products mainly on my social media accounts. I know I can see the eye rolls from the other side of that phone, my friend! Unfortunately, direct sales has a bad rap. This is from several different things that I won’t get into here but I get it! I used to feel the same way until I got into it. Now I see how amazing they can be if done right.
Let’s face it–everything is going online anyway, so when your friend announces that they are now selling something, please give them a chance. Don’t dismiss it! It takes a lot of courage to tell the world what you are selling. For me personally, I have seen this business change lives. It is possible to make a living and provide your family with a second income stream. Now how can you support your friend who is launching a new business, well it’s really easy and doesn’t always require money!
Try out their products
Of course, the old fashioned way is to go ahead and purchase from them. I promise you that this will make your friend very happy! When you purchase from a friend, remember that you are supporting a business and supporting a dream. Your friend has high hopes for her new business and wants to succeed at all costs. So when you purchase from them, you aren’t just supporting them, you are helping them pay a bill this month. You are allowing them to send their children to another after school activity or allowing them to buy an extra Christmas present for their kids.
Like, Follow, Share on Social Media
This doesn’t cost you a penny and it is nice! This helps your friend get more exposure on social media so that they can sell more products and make more money. For me this is almost just as good as seeing an order pop up on my phone. I know that finances are tough right now so being mindful of that friend who is trying to make some extra cash is very much appreciated.
Ask questions about what they are doing
A lot of times we rush to judgment about the products we are seeing or why our friends are selling these things. Ask your friend about her company, products, and why she decided to get into this side hustle. The answers may surprise you and you may learn something too! And now you know how you can support your friend in the best way possible.
Offer to host a get together to showcase the products
This can be done in person or virtual and let me tell you they can be very successful and FUN! By just having a short get-together for a few hours on a Saturday can provide a rep several hundred dollars in commissions. Plus it gives you an excuse to have the girls over without the kids and maybe even have some cocktails!
Ask for samples
Most companies provide their reps with samples that they can purchase. If for some reason they don’t provide them I can promise you your friend will figure out how to get what you want.
Don’t ignore them
Depending on how close you are to this friend they may reach out to you to tell you about their new adventure. If this happens please don’t ignore them! They could be reaching out to you for numerous reasons. Maybe they know you are a nice person and just need practice trying to pitch someone, maybe they genuinely think you would like the products, maybe they just want to start a conversation with you and get to know you. Whatever the reasons, don’t ignore them and please be kind.
Life is tough right now for everyone but it is getting harder for so many financially. I personally have had many panic attacks thinking about the holidays and how to manage them. So this year try to help out a friend’s side hustle. 
