Archives for July 2010

It is ironic that I am writing for “Top Desk,” or any desk at all. My philosophy as the leader of MonaVie is to get out from behind the desk and get into the sales field organization. You have a far better view of how your business is working if you observe it from the other side of the desk.

Look again! Once floundering, Discovery Toys gets an infusion of fresh energy to usher in a new generation of parents and children playing together. Somewhere along the way, Discovery Toys lost their spark. Their flame is growing in intensity now, after many years of near-darkness. But there was a time when their candle was flickering, teetering on extinction. And yet, before it was completely snuffed out, a small band of renegades swooped in and fanned the flame. Now, what has emerged is tantamount to a young startup—but with the added benefits of being a seasoned pro. Today, Discovery Toys shines as a beacon to guide others who have lost their way.

Category creator XanGo has been a pioneer in so many areas that it could rest on its laurels. Instead, it’s rejoicing in a new wave of vigor, enthusiasm and growth.

Even before she founded Tastefully Simple Inc. in 1995, Jill Blashack Strahan, now CEO of the company, was already practicing “giving with gratitude.” Her simple philosophy to recognize the abundance in her own life, and in gratitude to give back to others, became the foundation on which she built Tastefully Simple.

One half of another year means so many different things, depending on one’s perspective. The discussion about the economy continues and is often one of much debate. While some success stories have emerged in the first six months of the new year, challenges remain, and celebrating the economic recovery appears to still be on hold in most mature markets. These times call for careful analysis of the editorial calendar for publications like ours, as “content relevance” becomes even more important with so much uncertainty.

Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” No finer words can be used to describe the evolution of your association over the first 100 years of its life. Challenges identified and met. Opportunities shared and nurtured. Relationships created and valued. All hallmarks of the DSA.

It’s official. Direct selling today looks little like the party planning business of the past. The digital age has brought with it powerful social networking tools, mobile technology and readily available content, all of which are ways for consumers to connect with large brands on a new level. The advent of social media alone has fashioned a different world in which we communicate. Connections can be initiated and fostered through social networks, extending our abilities to engage and enhance those into more personal relationships.

It’s simple—when the salesforce grows, your company grows. And there’s only one surefire way to make that happen: consultants sharing the opportunity. Making recruiting the foundation of the company and the culture of your business from the inside out is what will grow the company and the salesforce.

Today more than 15 million people in the United States are engaged in a direct sales organization. While statistics from the Direct Selling Association show an annual increase in the overall salesforce growth rate over the past decade, the reality is that many of these first-time entrepreneurs will fall short of their dreams and disappear.