Have you heard about direct sales and wondered whether it could be a good way to begin working from home? Direct selling involves marketing a product to clients without selling it through a retail location. Obviously, the fact that direct selling does not involve renting or building and maintaining a retail store can make direct sales seem attractive to people who want to start their own business but do not want to open up a bricks and mortar store.
When you think about direct sales, the names of certain companies may come to mind – Mary Kay, Avon, Amway, and let’s not forget Tupperware. If you decide to look into direct sales as a home-based business, you will find that there are many, many more companies to choose from. Of course, being associated with a brand that is trusted and has been around for a long time could help with your sales volume. That said, though, if you choose a direct sales opportunity simply because it is an established name in the business and ignore the fact that you have no interest in the products that you are selling, you may find yourself unhappy with your choice. For example, I would not make a very good representative for any direct sales company that sells cosmetics. Why? Because I do not wear makeup, and have not for years. I would not be able to sell the products effectively because although I could read about how to use them, I might not be able to show my potential clients how to use them. I would make a much better Pampered Chef representative because I love baking and entertaining. It would feel natural to prepare a bunch of delicious treats to share with my party guests and I would be comfortable demonstrating how to use the cookware.
Since there are so many direct sales companies to choose from, there is sure to be one out there that features products that you could see yourself selling. That is the very first question that you should ask yourself before you even pick up the phone or fill out an online form to learn more about that particular opportunity. Once you find a couple of companies that have products that you like, then be sure to learn everything that you can about working for those companies including how and when you will get paid, how much you get paid, and what your up front costs will be. Also, be sure to ask whether recruiting other sellers is a big or a small part of what you will be doing each day – it is much easier to sell products than it is to recruit new sellers.
Have you been involved in direct selling? How has it worked out for you?