As a home sales Fashion Consultant, you will probably encounter objections related to recruiting new consultants. How to recruit VDI? What are the most common obstacles? We share all our tips to convince your potential recruits to embark on the VDI adventure
Why recruit VDI?
Before answering the question "How to recruit VDI?", it's important to look at the different reasons for doing so. Recruiting VDI is interesting for several reasons.
- Grow in your career
Some VDI feel the need to diversify their roles after spending some time in sales. Recruiting VDI allows you to discover a whole new side of the sales sector and develop new professional skills, especially in management. Building and leading a team is ideal for ambitious profiles who want to grow in their careers.
- Contribute to the company's growth
When you love the brand you work with, you usually enjoy seeing it grow and spreading its values. Recruiting VDI is a way to contribute, on your own scale, to the company's growth. The more the brand develops, the more the product range expands, and the more resources are dedicated to improving its environmental impact (as is the case with Elora).
> Also read: Becoming a great leader
How to target your recruitment?
Now, let's look at the question: "How to recruit VDI?"
The first lever to activate is your family and friends. There are always people around you who are looking for an additional source of income or searching for a new job.
You can then expand to:
- former colleagues;
- neighbors;
- former clients;
- leisure companions met at the gym or an art class;
When it comes to reaching out to the different people you’ve identified, there are various solutions:
- informal conversations;
- presentation meetings;
- cold calling
- posters and flyers in local shops;
- social networks…
In short, when it comes to targeting and sharing information, there’s no shortage of marketing tools and techniques. Create your own action plan to proceed in an organized way.
The answers to objections
A big part of the answer to the question “How do you recruit VDIs?” also lies in how you respond to the questions and doubts of potential VDIs you meet. Very often, to complete the recruitment process, you need to know how to reassure, encourage, and convince. In short, you need to listen.
Below, discover the answers to the most common concerns expressed by people interested in home sales but still undecided.
Find the answers to objections
1 - She doubts her ability to become a VDI consultant
Doubts about the ability to become a VDI will certainly be one of the first objections you encounter. Start by understanding where your contact’s doubt comes from. Is it a lack of self-confidence, or is it simply because she doesn’t know the job?
If she has never worked in sales, you can easily reassure her by talking about the home-based ready-to-wear sales training. She will never start from scratch and will always be supported.
Also try to get to know her a little better, to learn more about her professional career. Has she ever had a job with responsibilities similar to those of VDI consultants (called Fashion Consultant at Elora)? If so, don’t hesitate to reassure her by saying that she will be perfectly capable of taking on this role in the commercial field, given her previous experience.
If the recruitment objection is linked to a lack of self-confidence, talk it through with her to understand the situation. Then, turn the negative into a positive. Here’s an example: she thinks she’s too reserved and not outgoing enough? Explain that this actually makes her well-suited to listen to clients, put them at ease, and encourage them to open up. In short, find THE quality (or rather, the qualities) to highlight in every potential Fashion Consultant.
2 - She has a false image of direct sales
Sometimes, the VDI activity can be misunderstood.
- Direct sales, pyramid selling?
It can sometimes be confused with pyramid selling, which raises questions about the legality of direct sales. Explain to her what pyramid selling is (prohibited) and detail the VDI activity (legal). This will help her realize that direct sales as an independent is a real, legal, and regulated activity.
- Is VDI just a hobby?
Direct sales are sometimes seen as just a “hobby.” If your potential recruit tells you she’d like a serious job, that’s great! It means she truly wants to invest in her activity. Show her that VDI is a real profession and she can turn her passion into a rewarding career.
- The influence of her circle
Her circle might also have a negative view of direct sales and discourage her from taking the leap. It’s helpful to talk with her directly to understand why. Plus, you can absolutely schedule a meeting with her loved ones to reassure them and explain that being a VDI is a real profession like any other.
3 - She’s afraid she won’t be able to grow her market
You’ll often meet a woman who thinks she can’t build a network or believes her circle won’t want to take part in her sales. Sit down with her and help her list all the contacts she might have: family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances from the gym, other parents at school…
Her network might be bigger than she thinks. The more active she is, the wider her network becomes. Among her circle, there will always be a few people interested in her activity. Showing her that she truly has networking potential will reassure her and help her regain confidence.
If she’s worried about having a small network, talk to her about marketing through social media. There’s real potential to tap into on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. For Facebook, tell her she can join clothing sales groups, chat with people who share her passion for fashion, and discover new people interested in the VDI opportunity. On Instagram, it’s more about posting photos with the right hashtags, tagging the brand, and creating engaging stories with the clothing collections.
> Also read: Being a VDI in the digital age: which digital tools should you use?
If she’s not a fan of social media, you can explain the hostess concept: women who host private sales at their homes, with their own network. This way, she’ll enter a new circle of potential buyers.
However, if your potential recruit tells you she’s really shy, introverted, and doesn’t like meeting new people, maybe this isn’t the right fit for her. Explain again what the VDI role involves and invite her to reflect on her motivation.
4 - She’s wondering how much time to dedicate to her VDI activity
For time-related recruitment objections, it’s up to you to do a little investigating. Talk with your contact and ask her directly how much time she thinks she can dedicate to being a VDI consultant. Review her daily schedule together and you’ll quickly see if her project is realistic or not.
If you feel she can organize herself for direct sales, then explain to her that it’s all a matter of organization and that she’ll be supported if she needs help. Being a VDI should be a "pleasure job," meaning it shouldn’t become a burden. VDI consultants choose when to hold their sales.
Tell your future recruit that she can absolutely organize sales whenever she wants. Give her concrete examples:
- weekends;
- Wednesdays;
- evenings.
Anything is possible as long as her network is available to join her private sales.
5 - She wants reassurance about the financial, legal, and accounting aspects of being a VDI
When it comes to all things accounting and finance (compensation, margins, etc.) for independent sales consultants, your advisory role is very important. You’ve likely already shown her that being a VDI is a legal profession. However, you can’t promise she’ll earn a great living right away, but you can listen to her and assess whether her expectations are realistic or not.
Share your personal experience to start the conversation: how you got started, your goals and results, how you see your future, etc. You can also mention other consultants you know who make a living with direct sales.
Also tell her about the brand's sales system you work for, to be completely transparent and build total trust. There are two possibilities:
- purchase and then resale of products with prices set by the seller;
- intermediary seller between the brand and buyers, with commission set by the company.
Also, if your contact already has a job and doesn't want to leave her permanent contract, you can reassure her by explaining that it's possible to combine her activity as a direct sales consultant with her current job. However, some clauses in her employment contract may prohibit it, so advise her to read her contract carefully. Since you can't replace specialized organizations, the best solution is to recommend she consult these organizations for the best advice.
As a direct sales consultant, the most important thing is to listen to your contact to understand her objections. That way, you can answer all her questions and reassure her. You'll have a better chance of getting a positive response to your offer.
Recruitment methods for direct sales representatives
Recruiting new direct sales representatives should be the result of your daily visibility, both online and in person. Recruitment can't come from one-off communication actions: to inspire new Fashion Consultants to join the adventure, your recruitment efforts need to be frequent.
To be visible and build your reputation, you can use every means to get your name out there and communicate about your activity. In the digital age, many communication tools can help you reach your goals and find new recruits.
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Internet: your best ally for recruiting
With digital marketing, the ways to recruit home sales representatives have multiplied. Blog, website, emails, social networks… all these prospecting tools help you build a team of sales representatives.
Become a visible Fashion Consultant online, sharing about your direct sales activity in various ways. For example, you can:
- Announce your next home sales meeting date
- Recruit new clients
- Talk about fashion and showcase your distributor's trendy products
- Express your satisfaction in working as a Fashion Consultant by sharing the benefits of being an independent home sales consultant
- Recruit new VDI
- Unite your team of consultants
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The sales session: an opportunity to recruit VDI
The home sales session offers a fantastic opportunity to recruit VDI. At the end of the session, always dedicate a few minutes to recruitment. If the company you work for is actively looking for new consultants, take advantage of these friendly moments and the time you have to talk about your VDI profession to your clients.
Explain to them how to become a VDI thanks to the training and guidance provided by the company, and how to find clients for home sales.
If interested clients are wondering how to start a home sales activity, answer them by providing clear information about:
- The VDI status in France
- The compensation paid by the company
- The organization of the work schedule for an independent home sales consultant
- The training offered by the distributor and the support that every new VDI receives
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How to stay in touch with your network?
You have built a network of clients, some of whom are potential future VDI. To preserve the precious bond that unites you, Elora offers you all its advice.
To maintain a quality relationship with your clients and carry out regular prospecting actions, stay "connected."
Indeed, prospecting for VDI cannot be effective without a frequent and lasting online presence:
- Create your own blog or website, where you share your Fashion Consultant secrets. Regularly update your website/blog pages with fashion tips, for example. Showcasing your passion for the profession online is a powerful prospecting tool
- If needed, invest in digital marketing campaigns: for a very reasonable price, you can reach many potential clients and VDI
- Send invitations to your sales sessions via social media or email
But regularly organizing home sales sessions to maintain in-person contact with your network remains essential. More friendly and welcoming, these sales sessions create a bond that no online tool can ever replace.
