| Facts About Direct Selling |
Worldwide, annual sales from the direct selling industry currently exceed $100 billion. A direct selling business is:
- A business opportunity based on the sales of a product or service direct to a consumer.
- An exciting opportunity to own your own business with a small start up investment.
- An excellent opportunity for women. About 75 percent of those working in direct sales are women.
- A growing industry: More than $100 billion worth of goods and services are sold annually through direct sales.
- A way to achieve balance in your life. You can set your own hours, become your own boss and earn according to your own ambition and efforts
Who is involved in direct selling?
An estimated 15.2 million people are involved in direct selling in the U.S., and more than 59 million worldwide. Most are women, though nearly a third are men or two-person teams such as couples. The vast majority are independent business people - they are micro-entrepreneurs whose purpose is to sell the product and/or services of the company they voluntarily choose to represent - not employees of the company. Approximately 90 percent of all direct sellers operate their businesses part-time.
Are U.S. direct sales increasing?
Yes. Direct selling is a rapidly growing industry. U.S. sales totaled $32.18 billion in 2006, up from $26.7 billion just five years earlier, with more than 74 percent of the American public having purchased goods or services through direct selling. Worldwide sales are also strong with more than $109 billion in sales.
What products and services are marketed through direct selling?
Virtually every consumer product or service can be purchased through direct selling. People who purchase through direct selling cite product quality, uniqueness and money-back guarantees as the top reasons for shopping through direct selling.
What is the difference between direct selling and direct marketing?
Direct selling is selling a product or service in either a person-to-person or party plan method. Direct marketing is catalogue sales.
What is the difference between direct selling and multilevel marketing?
Direct selling refers to a distribution method, whereas multilevel marketing refers
more specifically to a type of compensation plan found in direct selling. A direct selling company that offers a multilevel compensation plan pays its representatives/distributors based not only on one's own product sales, but on the product sales of one's "downline" (the people a representative/distributor has brought into the business, and, in turn, the people they have brought into the business).
What is the difference between single level and multilevel compensation plans?
Single level compensation plan means a representative/distributor is compensated based solely on one's own product sales. In a multilevel compensation plan, representatives/distributors are compensated based not only on one's own product sales, but on the product sales of one's downline.
Consumer Information
Direct salespeople can sell you products or services, or show you how to become a salesperson yourself.
Why do a Home Party, i.e. use a direct selling method?
There are many advantages to buying from direct salespeople associated with legitimate companies. Direct sellers can arrange their calls to fit your busy schedule and can deliver your purchases directly to you. Direct salespeople are knowledgeable about their products and take the time to personally demonstrate and explain their products to you.
What should I expect from a ethical direct seller?
- Tell you who they are, why they're approaching you and what products they are selling.
- Explain how to return a product or cancel an order.
- Respect your privacy by calling at times that best suit your convenience and wishes.
- Respect your right to end a sales call.
- When you make a purchase - Accurate and truthful information on the price, quality, performance, quantity and availability of their products or services.
- A written receipt in clear language.
- Their own name and address and/or the name and address of the company they represent.
- A complete description of any warranty or guarantee, limited or full or where it is available.
Information about direct selling came from the Direct Selling Association - www.dsa.org |
