Everything rides on this—that’s a common quote heard about the outcome of the November election. The idea is that what happens in a few short weeks will not only dictate the next two or four years but potentially the next twenty or more.
Not agreeing or disagreeing with that point of view, I prefer to focus on what DSA and direct sellers across the country are doing to ensure we are heard.
The most obvious tool we can use is mobilizing millions of direct sellers across the country to cast their ballots and play an instrumental role in our democracy. In an environment when national elections come down to a few hundred thousand, remember the impact we can have as a business. Even if you’ve voted before, voting in
November will look very different for most of us. That’s why DSA released the Get Out the Direct Seller Vote tool, which will help people register and vote by absentee ballot if they cannot access a polling place or don’t feel going to a physical poll location in the current health crisis.
One approach people in our channel might take when choosing the candidate to support is to gauge the individual’s support for our channel. The 2020 DSA Voters Guide was recently released to inform executives and salespeople of the federal candidates who have taken definitive action to support our business. Many factors go into voting, and we hope this is one of them. We encourage all companies to share this resource among its employees and salesforce members.
When the dust settles after November, where will this leave the country and our businesses? We cannot say with certainty now, but we always stay committed to the association’s core role—advocacy of the direct selling business model.
Regardless of the election results, DSA will continue working with regulators and policymakers on all levels of government to ensure our two main priorities are supported—a mutual understanding of legal compensation structure and that our salesforce remains independent contractors.
DSA is proud of the role millions of direct sellers could have next month. It may not be immediately apparent that everything rides on the outcome, but its importance shouldn’t be understated as this is a critical time in our businesses from all sides.
We will ensure that our role in those conversations remains strong, and our voice is united, so direct selling has a favorable regulatory environment to thrive for many years to come.
BRIAN BENNETT is the Vice President, Government Affairs & Policy for the U.S. Direct Selling Association
