The World of Direct Selling

Are You Doing the Math for Your Distributors? (Because They Probably Aren’t Doing It For Themselves)

February 18, 2019

This article is from Brett Duncan, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Strategic Choice Partners. Brett has worked in direct selling since 2002, holding titles that include Vice President of Global Marketing and Sr. Director of Online Solutions. He works directly with direct selling companies as a strategic facilitator and corporate consultant, specializing in leading marketing, communications […]

6 Common Reasons Behind Direct Sales Startup Failures

February 11, 2019

The initial ideas sounded great to all involved so the expectations were quite high… The first reactions from the field were also very promising: In fact, products were moving out and the sales force was happy as the members were receiving increasing commissions… A familiar story, right? It is not uncommon for a startup in […]

The Climate is Changing in Direct Sales

February 4, 2019

This week’s author Steve Jamieson is the Strategic Advisor and Director of Business Development at Exigo, a company that delivers access to the data that drives businesses, from CRM to transactions to commissions. Steve has a 20+ year career in direct sales that included working as the CEO at three prominent network marketing companies and as the CMO […]

Market Insights: The Retail/Direct Sales Confluence

January 28, 2019

Sebastian Leonardi is President & Chief Business Strategist of DSXgroup, a strategic growth firm that implements innovative channel strategies to drive competitive advantage and new market opportunities. He is a recognized expert on omnichannel strategy, social commerce and aligning technology initiatives to accelerate revenue and market share. Aside from working with forward-thinking direct sales and technology companies, he’s frequently engaged […]

Without Trust You Can Kiss Success Goodbye!

January 21, 2019

Guest author Alan Luce is Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Strategic Choice Partners (SCP), a consulting firm that provides strategic support and services to help today’s direct selling companies thrive. Alan is a US DSA Hall of Famer, and member of the DSEF’s Circle of Honor. He’s served in executive roles at Tupperware, PartyLite, DK Family Learning and other companies, […]

What Direct Sellers Can Learn from the Corporate Training Industry

January 14, 2019

Vince Han is the founder and CEO of MobileCoach and a frequent speaker at conferences such as Training Conference, DevLearn, FocusOn, Online Learning, ATDTK and others. He holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. Vince is an industry thought-leader for learning and learning technology with an emphasis on artificial intelligence and chatbot […]

A Year in Review: 2018 in the News

January 7, 2019

This week’s article is a brief compilation of important global industry news from 2018. As you read, I believe you will agree with me that it was most certainly another exciting year for the industry with all the positives and the negatives. I have also included articles from The World of Direct Selling that attracted […]

In 100 Words: Looking Ahead to 2019

December 31, 2018

As we have left another year behind, I asked some of the prominent figures of the global direct selling community what they saw coming in 2019. “What will be the most important issue, whether it be an opportunity or a threat, in the direct selling industry that will need a closer focus Next Year?” was […]

9 Resolutions for Direct Selling Companies in 2019

December 24, 2018

This week’s guest author is Brett Duncan, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Strategic Choice Partners. Brett has worked in direct selling since 2002, holding titles that include Vice President of Global Marketing and Sr. Director of Online Solutions. He works directly with direct selling companies as a strategic facilitator and corporate consultant, specializing in leading marketing, […]

A Page in the History of Direct Sales: Opening Up the Gates of Eastern Europe

December 17, 2018

It all started in 1967 when two brothers teamed up with a friend to set up an “Avon-like” company in Stockholm, Sweden. Oriflame would sell Swedish natural cosmetics. The brand’s promise was the natural beauty that the world had been associating with Sweden. The founders also insisted on not testing their products on animals, a concept that […]

Recognition: Are You Doing It Right?

December 10, 2018

Motivation is crucial for success in direct selling. A well-thought rewarding mechanism boosts morale and motivates the field organization members towards further achievements. As obvious these might have sounded so far, there are a few critical issues that need to be addressed to benefit from recognition the most, that are sometimes totally ignored. As a […]

Understanding Pyramid Schemes, Ponzi Schemes and Network Marketing

December 3, 2018

Countless articles have been written on this subject and numerous speeches have been given. Yet, borders between these three concepts have generally remained fuzzy in minds. This lack of clarity is important because it leads to unfair criticisms on legitimate businesses. Below I will explain how I differentiate these three ways of making “business” and […]