The holiday shopping season is a great time for consumers to find great deals on the products they want to wrap and put under the tree, and this is a great time of year for mass retailers to move merchandise and end the year in the black (hence the term “Black Friday” for the official holiday shopping season kick-off day). But for direct sales businesses and individuals, the holiday shopping season can be an especially stressful time of year. Dedication and effort is required at all time for direct sales, but you need to double up your efforts during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, since this is when consumers won’t be as interested in what you have to offer.

First, consistently market yourself throughout the year. All year ’round your business cards and flyers should be in circulation, and you should be regularly maintaining and updating your websites. Like Cydcor YouTube and other companies who regularly post to social media sites, you need to make a name for yourself by being consistent in your efforts to promote. After all, how will you be able to convince your customers that they should put off their holiday shopping in favor of ordering products from you when they’ve never heard of you? Get your name out there all throughout the year, and you’ll be remembered at the holidays.

You should also consider special holiday promotions. If you sell fudge, cookies, or other delicacies, make sure you dress them up for the holidays! Offer catering packages to make your treats irresistible to people who have a sweet tooth and a party to plan.

Whether you sell cookies or candles or beauty products, offer gift wrap or pre-wrapped holiday gift packages. By making it easy for people to take care of buying a present and getting it presentable for Christmas morning, people will be a lot quicker to say yes. After all, there’s a lot to be said for not having to deal with glittery wrapping paper and tangles of ribbons after a long day at the mall.

Try to get repeat customers, but go after them long before the holidays start. Offer subscription-like services, or discounts for regular orders (such as a one month or three month supply of facial cleansing products). Chances are you customers will be too busy during the holiday season to care that they’re still receiving products from you.

After the holiday season, follow up with products and services that relate to resolutions. The promotion of candles for relaxation, body wraps for an improved figure, fitness shakes as a way to power up and re-fuel before and after workouts, etc.

Help out follow direct marketers. Tap into each others’ markets, or partner together and offer discounts if both products are bought together. This may take a bit of coordination, but in the end the potential for a high pay-off is definitely there.

It can take persistence and creativity to figure out how to market yourself during the holidays, but it can be done successfully!