When buying direct sales software you first need to determine what kind of a direct sales company you are. For the purposes of this section we will consider two models. Network marketing and party plan. Both of these models have MLM compensation plans.
So that is not the main differential. The main difference between these two as it pertains to software is primarily order entry, order fulfillment, hostess rewards, and reporting. In a network marketing model there is a one-to-one ratio between the order and the individual. Either a distributor is ordering or a customer is ordering. A distributor may place an order either for retail or wholesale.
They can do this from a shopping cart or through auto-ship. A customer can also order through auto-ship or just place a single order online. The order is generally shipped directly to the person who ordered the product. In the case of a party plan the entire order entry and customer relationship is much more complex.
Everything done with orders in the network marketing model can be done in the party plan model. But here is where things change. The party plan model has what is called a party. This is a gathering of primarily women in a home of another woman called the hostess. Orders are taken from each of the women at the party.
Generally, this is done on paper and then later that night or the next day entered into the software application by the consultant. The orders can be consolidated into one larger order to be delivered to the hostess or consultant. Guests can also have their orders individually shipped to them. This is determined at the time of the order. Credit cards, cash, and checks are accepted for orders.
If a check is written, it is made out to the consultant. This means when the order is being entered into the software, a box needs to be checked to identify the form of payment—check, credit card, or cash.
At the end of the order all of the checks and cash orders are paid for by the consultant in the system since the checks were made out to her and the other non-credit card orders were cash. This is sometimes referred to as a summary or consolidated order. In addition to these orders the hostess may have earned free product and half-priced products based on the sales volume of the party orders and future bookings committed to that night.
Once the guest orders are entered, the system calculates how much the hostess has earned and then her order is placed. As you can see order entry in the party plan model is much more complex. There are other features in the party plan model that are different too. Reporting on parties, information on guests and bookings are needed so consultants can get a better understanding of the activity in their downlines.
Our book will tell you when and why then. Have you ever wondered what you can do to be a better client? You may be wondering why an MLM consultant would write about how to be a good client of a software company. If I were you, I would wonder. The reason I am writing on this topic is because of my first life. I can tell you from firsthand experience, it is not easy to anticipate the needs of network marketing and party plan companies, many of whom intentionally try to run their businesses differently from their peers.
In my first life, as a Business Analyst for a software company, one of my assignments was to work on a project for an older network marketing business. There were lots of things he and his company could have done differently, which would have been good not only for the software company but also for their network marketing company. Knowing how to be good is good for your business.
Our book tells you exactly what you need to do to be a good software client. You need them both, but if you have neither yet, which should you acquire first? The answer may surprise you. The sequence matters. The software you acquire needs to not only calculate commissions and bonuses accurately each time, but it also must support the reporting needs of your compensation plan for your company and its independent representatives.
Just as there are differences in the features provided by each software provider, not all software providers provide the same support for all types of compensation plans. If this happened, you would either need to change software providers or change your compensation plan. Both options could be expensive. Whenever possible, have your compensation plan designed before you become a client of an MLM software company.
As you can see, the sequence matters. Shopping for MLM software is, in some ways, like shopping for a spouse. To choose the right one for you, you need to ask the right questions to get on the same page. Our book will tell you when and when not to do it. The first step is to decide exactly what to convert. In our book, I share the questions I ask my clients to help them with their data conversion decisions and I begin with an explanation of data conversion basics.
Included are the 5 data conversion questions you must answer to have a successful data conversion. For more information about Sylvina Consulting or our consulting services, contact us today at Office: Designed for those who are starting such businesses, it helps with everything from inventory to distribution to marketing and more.
While you could conceivably run a multi-level marketing business without the use of such software, you would find the process to be much more challenging. Due to the hierarchical and ever-expanding nature of multi-level marketing networks, they can be difficult to track. This software offers a suite of features, assisting in every aspect of running an MLM business. MLM software goes a long way in handling sales, assisting in everything from invoicing to product orders to sales tracking and more.
In doing these things, it helps the user to maintain control over his or her enterprise. When the user has control of the enterprise, he or she is able to optimize its performance and make as many sales as possible. Another capability of MLM software is customer and distributor management.
This software can assist in everything from storing and accessing contact information to drawing up sales reports and key performance indicators and metrics. What would any business software be without marketing capabilities? After all, marketing is the straw that stirs the drink in terms of landing customers and making sales.
Naturally, MLM software assists in the realm of marketing. A modern MLM software can help you integrate with all types of marketing systems, including email campaigns, drip campaigns, SEO campaigns, mobile applications, and more. This will not only assist in reaching to consumers but in those interested in joining your network marketing company. All businesses must keep meticulous books.
But no type of company must keep more meticulous books than the network marketing company. MLM software provides accurate accounting through several means.
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