The Power of Direct Selling. Direct selling is not an industry per se nor is it merely a go-to-market business model and channel to reach consumers. It is bigger than any of this - direct selling is people. The ability for people with entrepreneurial spirit to build a successful business, whether it be from the ground up or by representing a company's product, is at the heart of direct selling and it is people who made (and continue to make) direct selling the successful marketplace that it is today. The direct selling marketplace is comprised of mission-driven and socially responsible companies offering a wide variety of product and services, and the list of direct selling companies is abundant with entrepreneurs who built their businesses by utilizing an independent salesforce channel to market and sell their products or services directly to consumers. Possibly one of the most prominent of these entrepreneurs is Mary Kay Ash, a legend as a glass-ceiling breaker and a woman who built a very successful business with a go-to-market strategy of direct selling. Unlike Mary Kay Ash, however, not all aspiring business owners are willing/able to invest their savings and time on a start-up business. These micro-entrepreneurs desire to have the economic and social benefits of managing their own businesses but do not want the startup costs and demands associated with traditional business planning. As such, becoming a direct selling distributor offers a low-risk, low-cost pathway to micro-entrepreneurship. The traditional barriers to small business ownership are removed when a micro-entrepreneur builds a direct selling business that is backed by established brands. These established brands, several of which are featured in this book, offer the micro-entrepreneurs quality products, business training, and technological resources to achieve a self-determined metric of success. Framed within the context of entrepreneurship and an historical overview of the long-term sustainability of this business model, this book is intended for practitioners who want to read about the breadth and depth of direct selling. Importantly, this book provides considerable depth in terms of three particular issues associated with direct selling: Compensation, Ethics & compliance, and Global reach. For scholars, this book is built on a strong foundation of valid and reliable research endeavors. The authors have published research on direct selling in high quality, reputable and peer-reviewed academic and practitioner journals. Thus, this book can add foundationally to the research efforts of academics who are conducting research in a wide variety of topics (such as sales, women empowerment, business strategy, ethics, distribution models, gig economy, and global entry - to name a few), as well as to members of the press who want reliable and valid content upon which to build their stories. The book's content is also particularly informative for policymakers at the local, state, national, and international levels. For students, reading this book will offer a variety of insights, particularly related to the intricacies of channel selection and design. Direct Selling: A Global and Social Business Model is a collective project from eight academics and practitioners who have dedicated much of their careers to understanding direct selling as both a go-to-market strategy and a channel of distribution and to capturing the people who are the foundation of direct selling. The pages of this book bring together a wealth of research and knowledge that can inform a broad spectrum of constituents about the economic and social benefits of direct selling, while also providing detail and clarity on key issues related to direct selling as a sustainable business model.

This is the resource you've been waiting for. Tailored specifically to those in "party plan" direct selling businesses, Social Media for Direct Selling Representatives is the first volume in a series of books to help you accelerate your business using social media marketing as a vibrant part of your overall marketing plan. Based on 18 years' experience in the field and working with companies, this book was written by someone with the technical expertise to know what works, and the industry knowledge to explain it in a way that makes sense.

Become a direct sales success story with this insider guide to making it big Direct Selling For Dummies is the perfect resource for anyone involved or interested in direct sales. Written by a 35-year veteran of this booming industry, this useful guide teaches you everything you need to know to achieve and maintain lasting success. You'll learn the insider tips that only the pros know, and how to structure your business, your time, and your customer relationships to optimize sales and achieve your goals. Compare party plans, multi-level marketing, and hybrid models to see where your talents fit best, and discover the most effective ways to promote your products and get people interested. You'll leverage social media as one of the most powerful tools in modern sales, and gain new ideas for recruiting, booking, and time management. With clear guidance and a fun, friendly style, this book gives you the strategies you need to be a direct sales success. The direct sales industry is going strong, with more participants now than any time in the past, yet with less face-to-face engagement. Businesses are operating online, people are shopping online, and more people are recruiting through platforms like social media. If you hope to be a direct sales success, now is the time to get up to speed on what that means today. This book shows you everything you need to know, and gives you the tools you need to put your ideas into action. Choose the right direct sales model Secure bookings and manage your time Recruit and drive interest in the product and company Harness the power of social media to make sales Direct sales can be your ticket to independence. Stop punching the clock and become your own boss — and watch your income grow. With Direct Selling For Dummies, you'll have the skills and information you need to be a success.

Here is the first book to examine direct selling--the distribution of consumer products and services through personal, face-to-face sales away from fixed business locations. Direct selling has long been a major marketing channel for companies around the world. In the U.S. alone, by the start of the present decade, direct selling accounted for $12 billion in sales volume produced by almost five million independent direct salespeople. In this fundamental resource, leading authorities who have spent years studying direct selling channels provide in-depth insights, analyses, and research findings on such key topics as customer response patterns, sales motivation, personal selling methods, minority participation, multinational direct selling, and directions for future research in direct selling. This marketing channel continues to thrive and grow and Direct Selling Channels prepares readers for the challenges of the twenty-first century by providing the latest and most in-depth thought, analysis, and research on direct selling that is not available from any other source. The breadth and depth of coverage of direct selling found in this volume will help readers gain knowledge, insight, and practical wisdom about an area of marketing where superficial, stereotypical myths have so often been passed off as truth. The material presented is directly relevant to both long-range strategic planning and day-to-day management issues so it can be put to immediate use for managing direct selling channels more effectively. Direct Selling Channels represents the state-of-the-art thought and research in this area. Reader’s understanding of direct selling channels will be enriched by chapters that explore: the salient issues facing direct selling today research findings on consumers’attitudes toward direct selling methods the reasons why people become direct salespeople innovative concepts such as trust-based relationship selling the relationship between sex-role self concept and sales performance how to identify international markets for new products sold through direct selling channels

Kennedy dares marketers to dramatically simplify their marketing, refocusing on what works. Updated to address the newest media and marketing methods, this marketing master plan — from marketing master Kennedy—delivers a short list of radically different, little-known, profit-proven direct mail strategies for ANY business. Strategies are illustrated by case history examples from an elite team of consultants—all phenomenally successful at borrowing direct marketing strategies from the world of mail-order, TV infomercials, etc., to use in ’ordinary’ businesses including retail stores, restaurants, and sales.

Studies the direct sales industry, the social and cultural factors that have given rise to direct selling and the dynamics of its organizational life.

Quick Steps to Direct Selling Success tells you everything you need to know about direct selling, including network marketing. Discover how Jimmy Smith, a former butcher of 40 years earning $10,000 a year, at age 74, transformed his life. Now, at 82, Jimmy earns $15,000 a day and has a downline of 400,000 people growing at 400 plus people a day. In Jimmy’s rags-to-riches story, you learn Jimmy’s secrets of network marketing success that has made him over $5 million per year and over $20 million in the last 4 years. You are shown step-by-step how he followed the same path of other top successes. What you’ll hear will tear down conventional wisdom on how to make money, especially in direct selling. Gary Spirer, the author, compares Jimmy’s strategies and techniques to other great wealth builders, revealing how achieving wealth is predictable and achievable. Discover the steps to the 7 Steps to Wealth all successful entrepreneurs take, Choose the right direct selling company, Implement top distributors’ secrets, Reach a worldwide audience who wants to buy what you have, Expand your downline using the Internet, social media, and vague connections, Pick 5 superstar sellers who’ll explode the growth of your downline, Choose companies with the best compensation plans, and Master the Jimmy Smith 3-Step System to close any sale.