It is now more important than ever before to have customers buying products who are not independent representatives of direct selling companies. One of the questions Sylvina Consulting was asked recently may be a question you’ve asked as well….
If having customers is good for business, why can’t I see all of the customers of my downline representatives?
Watch our video to learn more.
Agree Or Disagree?
Most independent representatives would agree with the following statement:
The identities of my customers are my business, not the business of any other representative.
Do you agree or disagree?
Real Customers
In the eyes of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a “real” customer is a consumer who is not pursuing a business opportunity. The Herbalife order identified two such classes of people:
- retail customers who simply buy products from Herbalife distributors and do not have any direct connection to the company
- preferred customers who have registered with Herbalife as customers and do not participate in the business opportunity
Under this order, there were a number of requirements that were intended to ensure that preferred customers represented a genuine class of discount buyers and were not simply business opportunity participants under another name. For example, under the order, preferred customers were not permitted to resell products, recruit, or receive multi‐level compensation.
Independent representatives (most of whom are customers themselves) will sell to customers and recruit other independent reps who will do the same. Unlike other marketing plans where the cost of customer acquisition is unknown, the cost of customer acquisition will be determined in advance and will be paid through a multilevel compensation plan.
The fastest way to grow a customer base is to do so using customers themselves. Most direct selling representatives are customers. The personal relationships that were built when a customer was acquired can be used again later to sell the customer additional products or services.
Direct Selling Startup Guide
Learn What You Don’t Know
Are you building a party plan or network marketing company, or seriously thinking about it? Your greatest challenge is that you don’t know what you don’t know. We can help you with that.
In addition to consulting with companies in the USA and around the world to build and improve their direct selling businesses, Sylvina offers an insightful 250-page “how-to” book for new and young MLM and party plan companies. First published in 2008, Start Here: The Guide to Building and Growing Your Direct Selling Company is available now in its 4th edition.
Save Time, Money & More
Our book will do more than just save you money and time. It will tell you what to do, what not to do, and teach you what you need to know to have a successful direct selling company. Without our book, you may make big mistakes that could cost you thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of your time. At $299 plus shipping, our book is a great value.
BONUS: Each book includes one hour of consulting time for your business, a $200 value.
Start Here: The Guide to Building and Growing Your Direct Selling Company
Building and Growing Your Direct Selling Company
Take a look at what’s inside our book to see what you will learn.
Chapter 1 – Start Here!
- Using This Guide
- Answering Your Questions
Chapter 2 – Direct Selling
- Home Party Plan and Network Marketing
- Multilevel Marketing (MLM)
- Direct Selling and Internet Businesses
- Affiliate Programs
- Direct Selling Products and Services
- The Ideal Products for Direct Selling
- Three Success Stories
- Qualities You Like
- Stages of Business Development
- Pilot Programs
- Part-Time, Full-Time
Chapter 3 – My Dream
- Telling Your Story
- Establishing Company Values
- Next Steps
Chapter 4 – My Team
- Building Your Team
- Team Assignments
- Interviews of Team Members
- Business Building Tasks
Chapter 5 – Goals
- Personal Goals
- Business Goals
- Next Steps
Chapter 6 – Products / Services
- Building Your Image
- Trademarks
- Your Primary Products
- Branding
- Pricing Strategies
- Sales Methods
- Selecting Your Sales Methods
- Autoship
- Your Suppliers
- The Multiplier
- Number of Products
- Product Introductions
- Your Second Product
- Training and Tools
- Income Opportunity Options
- Distribution
- Next Steps
Chapter 7 – Customers
- Product Customers
- Income Opportunity Customers
- Motivations to Join
- Attributes of Successful Independent Representatives
- Repeat Customers
- Retention
- Your Best Customers
- Next Steps
- Initial Recruiting
- Four Stories
Chapter 8 – Initial Recruiting
- Local, National, or Global Launch
- Fifteen Ways to Recruit
- Next Steps
Chapter 9 – Competitors
- Competitor Profiles
- Overall Assessment of Identified Competitors
- Next Steps
Chapter 10 – Software
- Startup Options
- Selecting A Solution Provider
- Software Shopping List
- Questions You Should Ask
- How To Be A Good Software Client
- Next Steps
Chapter 11 – Legal
- USA Regulations
- Canadian Regulations
- Don’t Do List
- Legal Advice
- Defining Your Legal Entity
- Sales Tax Decisions
- Managing Your Finances
- Forms
- Legal Details
- Next Steps
Chapter 12 – Business Plan
- Purposes of a Business Plan
- Business Plan Elements
- Additional Business Plan Considerations
- Compensation Plans
- Forms of Recognition
- Hostess Rewards Programs
- Leadership Development
- Next Steps
Chapter 13 – Money
- Costs to Launch Your Company
- Post-Launch Cash Needs
- Money Sources
- What Do Investors Want?
- Next Steps
Chapter 14 – Timeline
- Major Task List
- Constructing Your Timeline
Chapter 15 – Checklist
- Checklist of Assignments
- Next Steps
- The Sylvina Difference
Start Here: The Guide to Building and Growing Your Direct Selling Company
Reviews
Here are some of the comments people have shared with us about our book:
- This guide was the only place where I could find an A–Z assessment of how to start up a direct sales business. The guide was concise and thoughtful, and the one hour of consulting was the most effective hour I spent starting this business.
- I love the worksheets! You can write everything down. There is so much in here that I hadn’t considered.
- You were right there coaching and encouraging me all the way through.
- The book has opened my eyes to a lot of things that are going to need to be done to do this correctly.
- The major task list and the timeline alone were worth the price of the book.
- The Direct Selling Guide was a very useful tool in getting fast answers to the many questions I had.
- I liked the scope of the book, it made sense. It showed me from a company standpoint things I just did not know, and it reinforced in a better way things that I did know. I believe it is worth every cent and more.
- The points you made about the thought process to set prices were very helpful. The insight you gave me led me to package my products differently. I’m excited about my new packaging!
- It was an eye-opener for both of us.
- It explained things that I had never even considered.
- The StartUp Guide was exactly what I needed.
- This is an incredible source of valuable information for both startups and existing companies.
What You Don’t Know
Our 250-page guide will tell you:
- how to build a direct selling company
- where to begin
- what are the tasks that need to be done
- when should you do them
- why it’s important to have a good plan
We developed our guide in response to the hundreds of calls taken throughout the years by Sylvina Consulting asking these and other questions:
- “How do I start a direct selling business?”
- “What are the tasks ahead of me?”
- “How can I find my first independent representatives?”
- “What are good products for direct selling?”
- “How do I write a direct selling business plan?”
- “What are my sales tax obligations?”
- “What type of compensation plan should I use?”
- “What are my options for initial recruiting?”
- “What should I know about Autoship?”
- “What do I need to know about MLM software?”
- “Do I really need an MLM attorney?”
- “How long will it take to launch my company?”
- “How much will it cost?”
- “What do investors want?”
- “What should I do when?”
and, most importantly:
- “What other questions should I be asking?”
In 15 information-packed chapters, Start Here offers answers to these questions and many others.
Our guide contains the essential information that you need to have a well-grounded start to build and grow your MLM or party plan company.
If you have already launched your company, our guide will answer another important question:
- “What did I miss?”
Start Here: The Guide to Building and Growing Your Direct Selling Company
Inside Our Direct Selling Guide
Each chapter includes vital information, business building tasks, thought-provoking questions to direct you to action, examples, and suggested next steps. Topics covered include:
- About Direct Selling
- Telling Your Story
- Building Your Team
- Positioning Your Company
- Product & Income Opportunities
- Compensation Plans
- Assessment of Competitors
- Initial Recruiting
- Legal Issues
- Sales Tax
- MLM Software Options
- Business Plans
- Money
- Major Task List
- Business Building Checklists
- Pilot Program Considerations
and many more.
For more details, view the Table of Contents.
Would you like to know more about what others think of our book? Browse our Guide Comments.
While there are common elements between network marketing businesses, party plan businesses, and other types of businesses, our guide addresses the need-to-know differences.
This extraordinary guide offers not only important reading material to teach you what you need to know but also groundwork activities at the end of each chapter to give you clarity, focus, and a path to take you to your goal.
Start Here: The Guide to Building and Growing Your Direct Selling Company
Conclusion
If you are building or growing a home party plan or network marketing company, this guide was written for you.
The price is $299. Included with each guide is one hour of consulting for your business, a $200 bonus value.
Learn what you need to know and do to be successful. Avoid mistakes that may cost you thousands of dollars. Save valuable time and money. Grow faster.
Start here. Start now. Click below to receive your copy by US Priority Mail.
Start Here: The Guide to Building and Growing Your Direct Selling Company
For more information about our guide or our consulting services, contact us today at 503.244.8787 or submit our information request form.
Jay Leisner, the President of Sylvina Consulting, is a top compensation plan and direct selling expert, a trusted adviser to new and established network marketing and party plan companies. For more than 30 years, Jay has enjoyed assessing and improving network marketing, party plan and referral marketing companies across the globe.
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