Direct Sales: The Misunderstood Industry?

October 24, 2012

There are definitely a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions out there about the Direct Selling Industry, but lets face it, the industry continues to grow every year and has become a viable and easy way for moms to run their own business and contribute to their families bottom line.

In fact, several of Inc’s Top 500 are direct sales companies like Stella & Dot, Uppercase Living, Scentsy, Mary Kay and more. In fact, one Direct Selling company – Ambit – topped the Inc. 500 list in 2010!
According to an article in Inc. magazine…

multi-level marketing—building a network of agents who sell, and get commission from both sales and signing on more agents—is a proven formula for exponential growth. Ask Warren Buffett, who counts Pampered Chef as one of his best-ever investments. Today, there’s a new wave of savvy entrepreneurs bringing MLM back to the mainstream.

I too had my own misconceptions about the direct selling industry until I got to know some amazing women who have become very successful and live very happy and balanced lives such as Meagan McPherson of Stella and Dot (One of the Top Star Stylists in North America), Garcie Wong of Norwex (who is a lawyer by day), and of course Jennifer Levers of Mary Kay (a Mary Kay Millionaire).

Some of the benefits of working with a Direct Sales company:

1. Work from home – decrease or eliminate your day care costs, say no to commuting, and spend more time with your kids

2. Contribute to the family finances – With the cost of living at record highs in the Lower Mainland moms can contribute to their families bottom line and more!

3. Work Part Time – network marketing/direct sales is one of the few businesses that mom can work when she has some spare time in the day and build it up into a full-time income.

4. It’s supportive – you are often provided with top notch sales and marketing training and are supported by a huge network to assist with your growth.

5. Great supplementary income – moms who have to work outside the home can invest a few hours a week into an their business and work towards replacing their job income so they can be their own boss for once and for all

We decided to profile some moms who are working in Direct Sales to see what the appeal was for them, and why Direct Sales in making a huge comeback this decade. Meet Pamela Bermejo of IT Works Global…..

MIM: Why you chose to work with IT Works?
Pamela: I chose It Works for the flexibility, I would love to work from home as at the moment I am expecting my second child. The money and the product is a great incentive, I can use the products on myself and show my future clients how it works.

MIM: How has working from home improved your family life etc.
Pamela: I am still working towards being able to work from home, but I am excited to be able to spend more time with my family, to be able to set my own hours.

MIM: We have heard a lot about IT Works lately – How does it work? (mind the pun)
Pamela: My clients are very excited with their results. Some have been able to heal their stretchmark’s after babies, some of them have lost their “baby pouch” that they have been trying to loose for a long time. Two of my clients have tried the mask wrap and they have love all the comments from their friends, my sister in law actually was asked if she had been to the salon that day. Many other of my clients have seen great results from their wraps, inch loss and wonderful soft skin.

MIM: How has working in a team oriented and collaborative environment helped your business prosper?
Pamela: My upline has been a great resource, from my first expo to everyday stuff. They have a facebook page that help us to ask questions and get answer right away. They also provide calls every week to keep us in the loop of what the corporation is doing. The corporation has lots of incentives as well and they have weekly calls to helps hear success stories to keep us motivated. We are also able to see our corporate updated on facebook and weekly emails from the company. I have provided my downline with all the information that I have, pictures, emails and forms that have help me to achieve a level of comfort. I have also been able to book some expos that will help us get the word out there about these wonderful products.

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