Direct sales is a tool-driven business. Kinda.
It’s actually a people-driven business. The tools just help the people share the message consistently and confidently.
As you can imagine, much of my career working on the corporate side for direct sales companies has been spent focused on all kinds of tools. Magazines, mail-outs, emails, websites, social media, video, flyers, etc. I’ve done ‘em all.
Sure, I’ve launched some really bad tools. But I’ve also watched some great tools get so misused and misunderstood that they never get the credit they deserve.
If you’re a direct seller, you need to read this article I recently posted at Jen Fong’s blog, titled “6 Reasons Your Online Tools Don’t Work (and How to Fix Them)”. I go into great detail as to the reasons I typically see a distributor failing at using their tools. The great news is you can easily fix it.
Read the post now, and subscribe to Jen’s blog while you’re at it. It’s one of the best for direct sellers.
There. I said it. This is what most people outside of network marketing (and even some inside) think of the industry.
The stigma that the industry has taken huge strides in disproving and changing over the past couple decades is, well, still there. Maybe not to the tune of what we saw in the ’80s, but network marketing still has a horrible reputation.
And this battle is showcased beautifully in an exchange recently from Mr. UnMarketing himself, Scott Stratten and a good friend of mine and social media expert for the direct sales industry, Jen Fong.
So what could Jimmy Carter know about running a direct sales company? A lot, actually. Could your attitude use a little Jimmy?
I’m sick of claims that you can build your network marketing business strictly online. It doesn’t work. Start using the web the right way as a network marketer.
I guess the stars were simply aligned. The last week of January this year (yes, I know I’m way behind here), three different network marketers on three different occasions asked me how they should be using social media to help grow their personal business. You have to understand this is the equivalent of the high [...]
Dave Sattler of Scentsy talks about what it means to have a democratized brand. His summary of what corporate and independent direct sellers should do is excellent.
This list highlighted in Direct Selling News lists the top direct sales companies with at least $100 million in revenue.
4 Amazing Fundamentals of Marketing for Direct Sellers, by Brett Duncan.
How do direct sellers use the Internet to succeed in the direct sales, multi-level marketing industry? Includes comments and feedback from successful network marketers, direct sellers, multi-level marketers and party planners on how they integrate Internet Marketing into their direct sales business.
The greatest feature, advantage and benefit of any direct sales company is the direct seller. The most important feature is the direct seller. The person talking about a product and an opportunity to another person with similar likes and dislikes. The indepedent rep with the drive and dream to take care of their individual market.
