A direct seller is a person who sells products and services on a person-to-person basis. This usually means he does not set up shop in a retail establishment, choosing to focus on one-on-one sales instead. A person doesn’t usually need formal education to become a direct seller. Typically, an individual can simply choose a product or service to market and sell or find a company with a selection of products and services he is interested in selling. Many of these companies offer training materials, seminars, coaching, and marketing aids to help people get started in direct selling.
A person who wants to become a direct seller should spend at least some time learning how direct selling works. Usually, people who become direct sellers are not considered employees of the companies that manufacture and supply the products or services they sell. Instead, they are typically self-employed, working as independent contractors who market and sell a company’s offerings. This means a person who wants to become a direct seller cannot expect a steady or guaranteed paycheck. He will usually earn commissions, and his sales may depend on not only his efforts, but also on the interest others have in the products or services he’s offering.
Once a person understands how direct selling works, his next step is finding products or services to sell. There are many companies that specialize in direct sales, signing direct sellers on as consultants. They allow their consultants to focus on personal selling, marketing products and services through catalogs and demonstrations. Some people who work in direct selling also sell through home parties and set up tables at events, fairs, and flea markets. Many also accept orders by phone or direct customers to a website on which they can place orders.
Since there are so many companies from which to choose, a person who wants to become a direct seller may focus on comparing companies based on reputation, products offered, and acceptable sales methods. A person who wants to become a direct seller usually chooses a product or service he has some interest in and feels reasonably sure he can enthusiastically sell to others. He may also check on the reputation of the company he plans to sign on with and determine whether it has a healthy financial track record. An aspiring direct seller may also consider the methods of sales that may be available to him, the commission percentage the company pays, and the marketing aids and training it offers.
Once an aspiring direct seller has chosen a company and products to sell, he’ll usually have to sign up to become a sales representative or consultant. He’ll typically have to complete an application to do so, and there may be a fee to pay as well. In some cases, he may also have to purchase marketing aids or an initial stock of products or samples to get started.
