Direct Selling and Technology

Direct Sales has always made good use of the most current technology. Whether it was a horse and buggy, a steam train, or a car, Direct Sales has harnessed whatever was available to connect with customers wherever they might be to deliver the goods they needed when they needed them.

Modern Direct Sales is no different; although, undoubtedly, the technology has dramatically changed since Mrs. Persis Foster Eames Albee set out with her perfumes and is more far-reaching even than Brownie Wise ever dreamed her party plans could be. Today’s Direct Sales companies, their representatives and consumers each have unprecedented access to information via the Internet and the smart devices that put this world of information in their pockets and at their fingertips.

Modern Direct Sales is no different; although, undoubtedly, the technology has dramatically changed since Mrs. Persis Foster Eames Albee set out with her perfumes and is more far-reaching even than Brownie Wise ever dreamed her party plans could be.

Customers

Modern consumers are more informed, savvy, and as a result, finicky, than ever before. The Internet has also made it possible for consumers to shop whenever, wherever and however they like. Timely and accurate delivery service is now the norm as are hassle-free returns. Customers are also aware how easy it is to move on to the next company or product if they are not satisfied. It is a tall order to fill, but one that Direct Selling has long specialized in. The Internet makes it more possible than ever for Direct Sales distributors to reach out and connect with consumers, discover their unique needs, and satisfy them quickly.

The Internet makes it more possible than ever for Direct Sales distributors to reach out and connect with consumers, discover their unique needs, and satisfy them quickly.

Email newsletters and texts also allow the parent company to communicate more easily and quickly with their distributors regarding new products and promotional materials. This in turn means distributors can more easily and efficiently relate this information to consumers. They can also tailor their message and methods of communication for existing and potential customers alike.

Smart Devices

A handful of years ago some experts predicted the rise of the smart device – phones, tablets, and other handheld devices- that would eventually supersede the desktop computer and give even the laptop a run for its money. According to the Pew Research Center, by 2015 87-percent of the population in developed economies used the Internet or had a smart phone while 54-percent in emerging economies did. While it has revolutionized daily life and communication habits, smart devices have also done wonders for the Direct Sales industry.

According to the Pew Research Center, by 2015 87-percent of the population in developed economies used the Internet or had a smart phone while 54-percent in emerging economies did.

Parent companies create special apps that allow their distributors in the field full access to sales data and tracking, premade social media messages, and promotional materials that can be tailored to customers. They also make it easy for distributors to create their own websites, set up buyer clubs, feature demonstration videos, and showcase full color catalogs. As a result, distributors have at their fingertips a variety of materials and means that allow them to connect with and inform their customers. In turn, customers use their devices to shop whenever and wherever they like, often via social media.

Social Media

If smart devices put the Internet at a customer’s fingertips, then social media puts the community there, too. The Pew Research Center reports that 76-percent of Internet users use social networking sites, and of those 40-percent do so via their smart phones. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn are just a handful of the social media avenues available to customers, distributors and companies alike. All three groups employ them to network and share information.

If smart devices put the Internet at a customer’s fingertips, then social media puts the community there, too.

Social media is the modern equivalent to an old-fashioned downtown. If a store offered poor service or poor quality goods, word naturally spread among neighbors and townsfolk. Today is no different, except the medium has changed. Shopping online means online reviews and many of those occur on social media. A consumer’s network of friends are potential customers, which is exactly how Direct Selling has always worked and the kind of system it has always relied on. Companies that carefully invest in those networks and foster those relationships will find themselves well placed for future success.

Younger Generation

The Internet and social media have made it possible for Direct Sales distributors to reach out to both the next generation of shoppers and distributors. In 2015, those aged 18-34 were more likely to say they used the Internet or a smartphone, according to the Pew Research Center, including those in emerging economies, than other age groups. The ability to rub electronic elbows with this set means that Direct Sales companies are able to find passionate new recruits as well as cultivate the next generation of leaders and even executives.

The ability to rub electronic elbows with this set means that Direct Sales companies are able to find passionate new recruits as well as cultivate the next generation of leaders and even executives.

Direct Selling, though, still comes down to the personal relationship. Technology helps forge the connection, but ultimately it is the ability of the distributor on the ground to work closely and personally with customers that sets Direct Sales apart. Whether that interaction occurs via email, Skype, or Facebook chat, it all hinges on that person-to-person relationship for trust to be built. Some things will never change.