One Voice
Financial Analysis
Public direct sellers: China issues have direct selling stocks starting 2019 off slowly; rideshare unicorn IPOs banged up in the public markets. China Issues Plague Direct Selling Stocks Our proprietary index of Direct Selling stocks continues to lag the S&P 500 so far this year through mid-May, down 3 percent versus +13 percent for the…
Read MoreBuilding a Distinct, Emotionally Connected Brand
Since 2004, Direct Selling News has been privileged to work with hundreds of direct selling companies in the course of interviewing for our cover story and other feature articles. What we’ve learned is that companies with a great culture lead the way in terms of revenue, growth and retention. In our research, we’ve learned that…
Read MoreThe Way Forward
In 2011, the Houston Astros were a struggling franchise with a new general manager, Jeff Luhnow. Some thought he was an unusual choice—he had more of a business background than a successful baseball resume. Jeff introduced high-tech tools and analytics and combined data with baseball IQ. In four years, they played in the post-season after…
Read MoreDeveloping a Modern Compensation Strategy
Today’s direct selling climate demands companies establish a compensation strategy, rather than just a commission plan. In the world of same-day shipping, the gig economy and instantaneous communication, you want to know where you stand in the direct selling industry and how to stay competitive. The landscape is shifting, and it will soon become apparent…
Read MoreThe Experience Advantage
What form of non-cash incentive is compelling to your workforce? Consider an experience. For many direct sales companies, the challenge of how to attract and retain the best possible people remains a head-scratcher. In the March issue of Direct Selling News, Courtney Roush dove into the world of compensation plans and examined how companies are…
Read MoreThe numbers are in! And they are…
Well, I can’t quite say yet publicly, as they are still being refined and digested by the Direct Selling Association Research Committee. But we will be revealing and discussing industry performance at the upcoming DSA Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas June 3-5. And it will be a hot topic. Direct selling, like many businesses, and…
Read MoreWelcome to our 10th Annual Global 100 edition!
Each year, the direct selling news team works with companies around the world on this special project, and it has become our signature research endeavor. The goal from the outset of the project 10 years ago was to foster a greater level of transparency within the direct selling community, in turn supporting its growth as…
Read MoreTalented, People-Loving People
Editor’s Note: The following is an exerpt from The Core Principles of Successful and Sustainable Direct Selling Companies. You don’t have to be an off-the-scale extrovert to be successful in this industry—but it helps if interacting with others raises your energy level. Direct selling is a social business. You can master the technical, logistical elements…
Read MoreAnnual Meeting and the Way Forward
It feels like opening day! Or a Broadway premiere. Or the first day of a new job. The excitement is there, palpable. It’s the future— the potential, excitement, fear, danger, and thrill of something new and unknown. That is what I am hearing from direct selling executives across the country as we take the next…
Read MoreA Season of Channel Evolution!
The direct selling channel has been working overtime the past few years to meet changing customer and market expectations without losing sight of what makes it unique. The Amazon Effect not only has posed challenges from a retail market and customer experience perspective, but what caught so many off guard was that some distributors would…
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