A New year is a fresh start. As we learned at Vision 2022, DSA’s Sales and Marketing Conference, direct selling companies are preparing strategies that promise growth and innovation. DSA members are at the forefront of creating transformational eCommerce experiences while maintaining the core values of relationship-based businesses. Many of the most innovative programs were highlighted during the Digital Awards ceremony.
As I think about what’s next for education in 2023, I marvel at how many of the most eye-opening insights emerge from the one-on-one roundtable sessions, virtual and in-person retreats and DSA events. So many have shared how the lessons from these conversations will have a positive effect on their 2023 plans. We certainly heard executives consistently describe a post-pandemic economic normalization that’s akin to the retraction being felt across so many U.S. industries.
But leaders also shared how the Great Recession has revealed new growth possibilities and DSA’s 2022 Growth & Outlook Survey supports these impressions.
Together with Americans’ 70 percent favorable or neutral view of the channel, a broad desire exists for the modest supplemental income opportunities and the increased flexibility that direct selling offers. Talent acquisition and building strategies for expanding our salesforces were repeatedly cited as priorities. Clearly, DSA’s data reveals fertile ground from which to grow.
As DSA shapes its educational initiatives for the coming year, we are heading “back to basics.” Content will build upon members’ investment in their brands, products and research to attract a new generation of direct sellers to our modernized channel.
Case studies featuring the channel’s commitment to customer-centricity with a “distributor-first” focus will be presented, and we will also create forums for conversations that seek new ways to safeguard our businesses as issues such as the Business Opportunity Rule, earnings claims guardrails and independent contractor status gain increased prominence among regulatory officials.
To kick off 2023’s learning, the DSA General Counsel and Compliance Officer Retreats are scheduled for January 31–February 1 at Arbonne International’s headquarters in Irvine, CA. We have already received a strong response for speakers and topics for DSA ENGAGE 2023 to be held in Scottsdale, AZ on June 14–16.
In response to popular demand, the virtual DSA Social Media Day will be held once per quarter in 2023, with registration fees waived for all DSA member company executives. The first will be held on everyone’s new luckiest day, Friday, January 13. The Direct Selling Certification Program (DSCP) will continue in 2023, especially since the 300+ 2020 class who were among the channel’s first to go through the program are due to renew their professional certification. Of course, DSA will continue to offer installations of the DSA ENGAGE Webinar Series to share research and other insights among channel executives.
2023 DSA Legal & Regulatory Conference is scheduled for September 21-22 in Washington, DC, and VISION 2024 Sales & Marketing Conference dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
We are looking forward to engaging with you during the coming year!
Melissa K. Burton is the Senior Vice President, Education & Meeting Services for the Direct Selling Association.
From the January/February 2023 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.
