What Direct Selling Offers that the YouEconomy Doesn’t

While it is clear that the YouEconomy and Direct Selling are a good match, there are a few things that this channel’s long history, global presence and best practices can teach this new economy.

The YouEconomy has discovered that the person-to-person model of doing business is an effective and efficient way to deliver a service or product. Customers are happy and a business is able to turn a profit. However, what is missing is ongoing, personalized service. Direct Selling at its core is about building relationships. Distributors work within their community and get to know people while providing a service or delivering a product. By not making that personal connection, the YouEconomy misses the opportunity to build a stable relationship that will foster the organization’s growth and sustainability over the long-term.

By not making that personal connection, the YouEconomy misses the opportunity to build a stable relationship that will foster the organization’s growth and sustainability over the long-term.

Entrepreneurs are motivated and not risk adverse. The YouEconomy provides abundant opportunities for them to take a chance on something they are passionate about. There is no denying how exhilarating it can be for budding business people to try their hand at running their own operation. For those who live where jobs are scarce, the YouEconomy allows them to create work for themselves, generate an income, and inject those funds back into their community. Direct Selling distributors often choose their work for the same benefits that YouEconomy workers seek: flexible hours, an ability to be their own boss, and to earn extra income. However, one of the things missing in the YouEconomy, and which they are just learning the hard truth of now, is the importance of employee support.

Direct Selling companies know that without distributors in the field, they have no business. Supporting those distributors then becomes paramount. Trainings, mentoring programs, and assistance with goal setting and getting started are standard for Direct Selling firms. These are all part of the distributor’s experience from the moment a customer decides to take on this new role. The product is important, as are sales, but at the end of the day keeping distributors happy and motivated with a wide variety of incentives lays the foundation for a long and sustainable future.

The product is important, as are sales, but at the end of the day supporting distributors, keeping them happy and motivated with a wide variety of incentives lays the foundation for a long and sustainable future.

Perhaps most importantly, people choose to become distributors because they feel passionate about their product or service. Many producers selling on Etsy and Craftsy or freelancers offering their services possess a creative zeal for their work, but what is often lacking is the sense of community and camaraderie that Direct Selling naturally fosters. Distributors are usually former customers who feel compelled to share their positive experience of a product or service with others. They believe that by doing so they are improving their corner of the world, and that they are part of something larger than themselves. It isn’t just about a connection to a company, but to an ideal, a goal, and a group of people working toward it together.

Undoubtedly, these are exciting times for entrepreneurs and customers alike as the YouEconomy continues to expand and change how we think about doing business. Direct Selling understands after more than a hundred years of trial and error honing their skills in the field that real success starts in the community.

Top Photo by Kenny Louie