HOPE HAS NEVER been—nor ever will be—a strategy. It will only get you so far before real work has to be done. In this month’s cover story, we tackle we talk about how our channel is at a crossroads. It can either stay on its current traditional path or evolve to what Gordon Hester, author of Positioned Right, calls the Next Generation Path, one that is more in line with the marketplace. “Our industry must resist marketing hope for something that most people won’t reach,” he says. “Hope is only valuable if it leads to results. We need to set realistic expectations if our goal is to keep them in the industry.
Just as many industries have taken a page from what our channel does best, our next feature story takes a look at how other industries grow their customer base. It starts with creating superfans of your company and product. The great Sam Walton said it best, “Exceed your customers’ expectations. If you do, they’ll come back over and over. Give them what they want and a little more.”
Next up, we are excited to have Boise, Idaho-based Damsel in Defense as our company spotlight this month. CEO Mindy Lin understands how paralyzing the statistics surrounding violence against women and children can feel—from the 1 in 10 children that will be sexually abused, to the 1 in 3 women who will experience violence at the hands of a partner. “We find that if your story and your trauma can give you an opportunity to go out and prevent what happened to you from happening to one person, then it was worth it,” she says.
Lastly, CEO Gaya Samarasingha of two-year-old Kalaia, shares six lessons and strategies she has learned to help any direct selling through the startup phase and on a path to profitability. Since its launch in February 2018, the company has been able to build a solid foundation that allowed them to expand internationally; create consistent growth in the United States, and reach profitability within their first year.
We hope that your year is off to a great start, and we look forward to bringing you great content over the next few months that will help you do your job better. Have an idea for a feature story? Send it to us! We would love to hear from you.
DSN Global 100 Nominations Now Open!
As you close your books on 2019, don’t forget to submit your data for the Direct Selling News Global 100 list. This will be our eleventh year producing this list, which has become a benchmark for the channel, recognizing those select companies that hold a leadership position in the direct selling community worldwide.
Next, mark your calendar for April 1 and secure tickets for you and your team. This year’s Global 100 Celebration will take place at the Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas (Dallas), a wonderful venue in which to celebrate the achievements from the past year and to recognize each of the companies making the list.
All the best,
Todd
