It doesn’t matter how powerful the direct selling message is when the language we use gets lost in translation.
In last month’s issue of Direct Selling News (DSN), the cover story took a deep dive into how we define our industry. Specifically asking if our opportunity seems to check so many boxes for people looking for supplemental income, why are we not growing?
It’s an interesting question—one that requires us to challenge our beliefs and long-held traditions. I think one incredibly important way we are currently missing the mark is with our messaging.
We’ve used the same direct selling language for so long that it’s deeply ingrained in our culture. But—quite frankly—it no longer serves us or our sales force.
I gave a presentation at DSU Europe where I unveiled the results of our generational survey of that region. It replicated the methodology of what Bridgehead Collective did in the US last year in gaining generational insights for direct selling. And it clearly shows that the traditional language of direct selling turns people away from rather than towards the opportunity.
Do you remember a series of books from a few years back…Eat This, Not That? It offered simple food swaps that could drastically improve your health. In this article, I’m going to give you a few Say This, Not That options for your messaging with simple swap outs to help you better reach and retain your sales force.
Side Hustle vs. Owning a Business
Here’s an incredibly encouraging stat—68 percent of Europeans would like to own their own business in the next three years. And 49 percent of Europeans consider gig economy jobs as starting their own business. Of course, that means 51 percent don’t. Which means that over half of the people who want to participate in the gig economy don’t consider direct selling to be a part of that. When we as an industry say “start your own business,” they’re thinking, I don’t want to start my own business. I want a side hustle.
Instead, use different language like side hustle, additional income stream, participation in the gig economy—those are the phrases that resonate. Especially with Younger Millennials.
The Age of Affiliates?
One surprising result in the survey revolved around the term “affiliate marketing.” It did not test well. That’s the language many direct selling companies have adopted, but it doesn’t perform as well as other terms. What term does score highly? Interestingly, direct selling seems to hit the mark pretty well with Gen Xers with a very high favorability rating. Younger generations prefer digital marketing and influencer marketing.
Hiding in Plain Site
What’s one of the biggest non-starters in terms of word choices? It might surprise you—it’s “join.” Younger generations don’t want to join you. They don’t want to join your team. They don’t want to join your movement. They don’t want to join your cause. They don’t want to join anything ever. But most direct selling companies have a big old “JOIN NOW” button at the top of their website. What language would work better? Something more understated like “Let’s Get Started” or “Start Today.” A simple, impactful shift you can make immediately.
And train your leaders to make the same key language shift. Train them to rephrase “join my team” to something like “get started on your journey.” It may seem silly, but at Bridgehead Collective, we’ve seen radical changes in terms of engagement at companies that have put this into practice.
And Now a Word about Sponsor
That word is NO. Younger Millennials associate “sponsor” with a 12-step program. They do not understand or recognize why they might need a sponsor. Mentor is okay. But when you dig deeper into their feelings about mentors it becomes clear that everyone wants one, but only about one fifth of Gen Zs and Younger Millennials think of themselves as being skilled enough to become one. So, if duplication is important in your business (and it better be), “mentor” should be avoided as well. The best option is “guide,” as in a trusted guide to walk with you through your journey.
Leaders, not Team Builders
Another strong trend we saw revolved around “leadership.” The research shows that 96 percent of Younger Millennials want to be a leader, but only 21 percent want to build a team. What exactly does that mean? When they say they want to be leaders, it means they don’t want to be seen as followers. So even though Younger Millennials may express interest in leadership, they do not have much interest in building a team. It’s time for us as direct selling companies to redefine that term for the next generation.
Freedom from What Exactly?
Pitching financial freedom and flexibility is truly a cornerstone of direct selling. And it’s still a powerful driver as our language evolves. But that doesn’t mean the messaging doesn’t need to change with the times. Direct selling companies tend to focus on how the opportunity can offer an escape from the daily grind of a job. Control your time. No more 9-to-5. No boss breathing down your neck.
But this next generation—they don’t have traditional jobs to escape from. What they are running from is single income streams. Remember, this is the generation that films themselves on TikTok being fired to highlight how insecure their income streams are. To them, flexibility means not having all their eggs in one basket. So, when we start to shift the language here, it should be in terms of providing an additional income stream, not replacing a job.
The Path Forward
All of this can seem encouraging and discouraging at the same time. Some of us have been at this for a very long time. We’ve done the research. We’ve carefully crafted how we pitch and when. We believe in traditional direct selling because we have seen it in action. So, letting go of the methods that we’ve used for so long can seem counterintuitive and downright scary.
But all this experience that we have, all the years that we have put in—all that does is help us understand the world we live in now. It doesn’t help shape our future. For that we must turn to data. And the data is now here that will help us navigate our fields, especially the next generations, to reach and teach them in the best possible way.
Hot Takes
Language isn’t the only thing we need to update. Here are a few key insights pulled from the European survey results.
- The biggest barrier to starting a business is the high cost. The tipping point in US dollars is $115. Anything more than that is considered too much of a risk.
- What amount of money EARNED makes direct selling “worth it.” The sweet spot for making direct selling worthwhile is $250-$499 US monthly.
- Direct selling companies’ Fast Start programs are useful as roadmaps to what the journey can look like, but they can create disproportionate expectations of what ongoing earnings will be. Make sure your Fast Start programs teach behaviors that will get new distributors close to the $250-$499 threshold.
- Because direct selling is for most a supplemental revenue stream, distributors of every generation aren’t interested in working more than 15 hours a week. Younger generations don’t want to work it more than 10.
- Seventy seven percent of Europeans are more likely to work with a company that supports a social cause that they’re passionate about. This is the one stat that completely blew the US out of the water. That number in the US was only 27 percent.
- We think that Younger Millennials and Gen Z want everything online, and they do. With one key exception. They want a physical starter kit. They respond to the confidence and legitimacy that comes with that.
- If you’re not doing an incentive trip of some kind, you’re missing out. But the key here is shorter trips with more frequency. You’re better off not doing the great big international trip for the Top 25—do three or four smaller regional kinds of destinations where they can get content more frequently. You’ll probably spend the same amount and get more bang for your buck.
With 20+ years of cross-functional experience in direct selling, Heather Chastain brings a solid understanding of sales, marketing, technology, manufacturing, operations and C-Suite challenges as well as a strong collaborative and relational style of leadership to the table. Heather has held executive roles at Shaklee, Arbonne International, Celebrating Home and BeautiControl. Heather is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Bridgehead Collective.
From the October 2024 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.