So several years ago, pre-Jett, I tried my hand at direct sales.  I actually did pretty well for a while.  I ended up having a good downline, and I even advanced really quickly a couple of levels.  Then, I moved, and shortly after, I found out I was pregnant with Jett, and life just got in the way.  I ended up having to quit, because I was way too far from my upline, and I changed territories.  Not to mention the fact that I turned to full time blogging.

Direct Sales - Find the right company for YOU!

So… here we are.  Four years later, and I’m trying to my hand at it again.

I’ve found out that I’m actually not as good at it as I’d hoped, but I’m working on it.  My goal this time is to raise money for the Teenager to go to Europe next summer.

I like to deal with companies I believe in and I can stand behind.  First an foremost, you want to research the different direct sales companies you’re in which you’re interested, especially if you’re investing ANY money into a company for startup, stock, or promotional materials.

6 Tips for Finding the Right Direct Sales Company for YOU!

  1. Quality Products – Make sure you like and can use the product yourself.  It’s not easy to sell a product that you’ve not used or don’t really like.  It CAN be done, but it’s not likely.
  2. Start Up Cost & Fees – Find out what you get for your start up cost.   If you have to pay for a “Rep Kit”, do you receive any product, samples, brochures, website, etc.?   If a company has free, open enrollment for a while, get in on it if you like the product.  You’re not out any money, and you might like it.  If a company costs to enroll, make sure you find out if it’s a one time cost or if you have to continue to pay a monthly fee for things like website, directly listing, supplies, etc.  Will your commission outweigh the fees? What you do with your earnings after joining (advertising, promoting, samples, etc.) is up to you, but make sure you know what you’re getting for your money before sending it directly do a company.
  3. Business Ethic and Model – First of all, you want to find out how long the direct sales company has been in business.  If they’re just starting up, they may be great to work with, but you have to come to the realization that there will be lots of bumps along the way.  More established companies will already have tried and true policies in place whereas newer ones will still be working out the kinks.  Check their ethic and business model.  Does it fall in line with what you want out of a business?  Do you have the same business belief?  What about structure?  Do they have the potential to advance within the company, and if not, are you cool with that?  Do they have a back end so that you can easily keep a record of your sales and taxes?
  4. Commission Structure – Check out the commission structure before you put all of your eggs in one basket.  If you’re only getting 30% commission on a unique $20 product, you’ll make more money than you will getting 30% commission on a $20 product that can be easily purchased elsewhere for half the price.  With this kind of company, you’re going to have to work twice as hard to make a few dollars at a time. If you want to earn more, you can learn investment tips for the best investment platforms uk.
  5. Upline – Make sure you choose your upline carefully.   Are you joining because you really want to work this business, or are you joining because your friend needs people in her downline?  If you’re new to direct sales or if you’re not really sure about direct sales businesses, the right upline can (not always, but can) make or break your success.  A good upline is very helpful!  After all, chances are, (in most companies) she’s making a commission off of your success, too.
  6. Payment – There are two main reasons we get into direct sales.  The first one is to make money, and the second one is to get a discount on products we love.  How do you get paid as a representative?  Is there a payout bi-weekly?  Monthly?  After each sale?  Do they offer credit or monetary payment, or do they offer whichever you choose?  How do they pay?  Check?  Paypal?  Are you able to accept either form?  How do you get discounts on the products?  Do you pay full price and then receive a check, or do you get an automatic discount on any orders you submit?
  7. Bonus Tip from a Reader — Make sure you research what a company expects out of it’s representatives before signing up.  You may want to choose a company that does not require you to make a high quota for payout or is going to support you in reaching your own financial goals before pushing or requiring you to recruit a downline.  If you, as a representative/distributor, are pushed or required to offer product incentives to recruit your downline or reach your payout quota, you’re looking at a lot more work and a lot less profit.  Not to mention, being an leader to downline is not something to take lightly.  Yes, it’s extra income if they succeed, but it’s also extra work.

I am currently involved with two pretty awesome and straight forward direct sales companies.

AdvoCare (founded 1993)

We chose AdvoCare because we really like the product, and the company is very stand up.  We’ve lost 15-16 pounds each in about a month and a half, and we’re eating so much better than we were.  AdvoCare is a necessity in our lives.  We’ve found that we feel better while using the products, so we continue to use them.  My upline is a friend up mine, and she’s really helpful when I have a question.  If she doesn’t know the answer, she finds out for me.  At the time, the special startup cost was $59 (now, it’s $79) and we received free product, literature, ecommerce store, and access to lots of training materials and promotional materials.  Off the bat, we received a 20% commission/discount, and we worked our way up to 25%, 30% and finally a 40% commission/discount for life plus other perks.  We immediately get a discount when we purchase products, and we receive a paper check in the mail for purchases made through our website.  The price point of the product is expensive up front for the average person, however, the products really do sell themselves.   We have to pay a yearly distributor renewal of $50.

Jewelry in Candles (founded 2013)

The other company is just flat out FUN!  I started with Jewelry in Candles at the end of June, and it’s extremely addictive!  I lurve it!  The 100% natural soy wax candle or tart has a piece of jewelry of your choice in each one!  The candles smell great, and the jewelry is SO much fun to look forward to finding.  I have a great upline, and a fantastic downline started, and I’m really excited to get going with this company. Absolutely, positively a necessity (haha) for me and my sanity!  I got in on open enrollment, so it cost me nothing, but a Rep Starter Kit is currently $30!  You get an ecommerce website (that has no monthly fees), lots of resources in your back office, 30% commission on sales at sign on and an additional 6% commission for your 1st tier downline’s sales, and another 4% commission for your 2nd tier downline’s sales.  They do have samples and brochures available, but you’re not required to purchase them after purchasing the initial kit (an you can actually download and print your own brochures).    They pay via paypal or bank transfer twice a month for commissions via website sales, and as a rep, you get an immediate discount on all of your own orders.  There are no additional fees – ever.

One thing I’ve found is that I can’t rely on Facebook alone to help me sell my products!  I look forward to slowly building inventory so that I can start taking stock to expos or selling out of my home.  I find that people tend to buy if they don’t have to wait on a product!

To take a quick peek at what’s so fun about Jewerly in Candles… check out my sister site – Between the Candles.