Direct selling companies are realizing that cause marketing can make a big difference in the bottom line.

Direct selling is still strong around the world. Seventeen countries now have more than US$1 billion in sales annually through this channel of distribution.

It started as a catchy phrase, a marketing mantra. “Working smarter, not harder” is a term that began to be tossed around in the late 1980s to encourage people to be more efficient at the office so that they could then spend more time doing what they truly enjoyed. Now it has come to mean so much more.

Think back about 30 years. It was 1980. Unemployment was high, interest rates were higher, and we escaped to the movies to see E.T., Star Wars and Batman. It was also the last time direct selling experienced a decline in sales.

It’s a spin on the well-known commercial. Sales? Can’t do without ’em. Recruiting? It’s the future of the business. Informed, experienced opinions? Priceless.

Direct sellers, especially those with nutritional products, have long counted athletes as some of their biggest fans. By landing high-profile sponsorships with Major League Soccer teams, Olympic gold medalists and IndyCar drivers, direct selling companies are enhancing both their businesses and their brands.