If you are like many direct selling companies, you may be offering choices to your independent representatives. If you do, make sure they are good ones! Good Choices A good choice is a choice that can be made easily, with no bad feelings afterward. For example, if you offered two starter kit options, one for…
Ask Victoria: Why Should Direct Selling Companies Send Newsletters?
In these days of instant communication, you might be wondering if newsletters are “old school” and if your direct selling company should stop creating and sending them out. The answer is absolutely not.
Ask Victoria: How much does it cost to start a direct selling company?
This is a good question to ask, but a difficult one to answer because there isn’t a single magic number to give you. I can tell you that our clients have launched their businesses for as little as $20,000 and as much as $2,000,000. To help narrow the cost, here are some questions to answer:…
Merchant Accounts 101
Merchant accounts are needed to accept credit card payments. Signing a contract is to be expected when you obtain a merchant account.
Ask Victoria: What Should I Do First?
If you have an idea for a new direct selling company, you may be asking this question. It’s easier if you have some steps to follow. Here are 12 of them: Chinese proverb: “The palest ink is better than the best memory.” Write down your idea to help give it clarity and as the proverb…
Benefits of DSA Membership
Do you have all the knowledge and resources that you need to operate and grow your direct selling company? Dreams and vision can only take you so far before you need outside help and information. Whatever your current challenges may be, the Direct Selling Association (DSA), its member companies, and its network of experts can…
Ask Victoria: What Is Rapport?
Rapport is what we all seek. It can help bring harmony and balance into our daily lives. Rapport is part of the foundation on which we build our success in life and in business. What exactly is rapport? rapport (noun) Definition: friendly relationship: an emotional bond or friendly relationship between people based on mutual liking,…
A Balanced Compensation Plan
A balanced compensation plan is a compensation plan that rewards new representatives, business builders, and leaders appropriately for the specific behaviors it is designed to motivate. Specific Behaviors All multilevel compensation plans should motivate and reward these specific behaviors: Personally purchasing your products or services Selling to customers (non-participants of the income opportunity) Introducing the…
Ask Victoria: Why Is MLM Software So Expensive?
Unlike Microsoft Office software which is used by millions of people, MLM software is used by a relatively small number of companies. Our estimate is that 1,000 companies are using MLM software in the USA today. Supply and demand are some of the reasons for the high cost of software, but it isn’t the only…
Visit With Oxyfresh and Scentsy!
Join us on March 17th and 18th in Boise, Idaho at the Direct Selling Association’s “Companies in Focus” Seminar for a close-up, personal look at how three direct selling companies – Melaleuca, Oxyfresh, and Scentsy – each operate. The agenda features company facility tours, educational sharing sessions with company leadership, and plenty of Q &…
Ask Victoria: Do I Need A Business Plan?
If you are thinking about or are in the midst of creating a new party plan or MLM company, you may be wondering if you need a business plan. A business plan is like a road map to a specific destination. You’re more likely to get to your destination if you have a map (or…
Social Media Turns Direct Selling Upside Down
When I attended the Direct Selling Association’s “Communications and Internet Marketing Seminar” last month in Las Vegas, the focus of the conference was Social Media and its impact on direct selling businesses. This was a timely topic, as evidenced by the seminar record of 300+ attendees. In their policies and procedures, direct selling companies have…