Direct selling companies offer a significant opportunity for young professionals. They enable a chance to start a business and build a network. While direct selling is not a new industry, technology has expanded its reach by leaps and bounds. However, this technology has also opened the door for direct selling myths.
It’s common for people to glorify and spread myths and lies on social media platforms. After all, these are attention grabbing headlines and help people get their numbers up. The sad truth is that many people on social media aren’t interested in a satisfying story about a successful business.
And for the most part, that’s what direct selling is. It’s a network of independent businesses selling products and services to consumers around the world. What sets it apart from standard brick and mortar business is the flexibility it comes along with.
Direct selling offers not only business opportunities, but complete control as well. Naturally, this requires a level of discipline, and because of that, the business model is not for everyone. It’s for go-getters who want to set their own hours and build a clientele.
If that sounds like you, then direct selling is worth checking out. Unfortunately, there is a lot of disinformation about direct selling. The flexibility of the industry has many people confused. And many then assume the worst.
But this isn’t fair to young professionals who might find the industry to their benefit. It also isn’t fair to consumers who want to trust the products and services they are getting.
That’s why we’re here to dispel the myths about direct selling. We have been tackling direct selling lies for some time, and will continue to do so. We feel it’s important to stand up for our industry. And we feel that our business partners and consumers deserve to be stood up for as well.
Read on to learn more about the myths about direct sales that you need to stop believing.
Direct Sales Myths
While this is far from a complete list, this gives a high-level view of some of the more common myths.
1. Direct Selling is a Pyramid Scheme
First and foremost, pyramid schemes are illegal. Direct selling entities, on the other hand, are legally recognized organizations. In fact, pyramid schemes often pose as direct selling entities to gain some form of credibility. This is troubling, because it lumps their illegal tactics in with our legitimate business model.
In direct selling, an individual makes money by selling a product or service. This is standard with most industry practices. When it comes to pyramid schemes, on the other hand, people tend to make money by recruiting others beneath them. Hence the “pyramid” structure of the enterprise, in which those on top make more from those beneath. This myth about direct selling is harmful and should be avoided at all costs.
Any legitimate business should have a reputation as such. This is for the sake of those who rely on the business, both internally and externally.
2. Direct Selling Leads to Overnight Success
People often conflate “flexible” with “easy.” To be clear, direct selling is not an easy profession. It takes hustling and self-driven attitudes.
Entering the direct selling world means being responsible for building a client list and selling products. Those are not things that are simply handed to you. While it’s true there are networking opportunities and connections to be made, this won’t drive your business alone.
Direct selling requires discipline, and maybe more importantly, accountability. Accountability for your business and also for yourself. You have to work out the kinks in your workflow and find a schedule that meets your needs.
If direct selling guaranteed instant success, there would be no myths about it. This is because everyone would be doing it! In reality, this is a competitive industry that requires focus and determination. That being said, those who do have these qualities can do very well for themselves.
3. Direct Selling is a Scam
The idea that direct marketing is a scam comes from the false notion that the industry uses people. This could not be further from the truth. In direct selling, a young professional builds a client list of people to do business with. This is no different than any other business industry.
What sets direct marketing apart is the personal aspect of it. Direct marketing often uses marketing tactics to reach clients directly. Anyone who uses social media understands the importance of modern marketing techniques. And direct selling has been at this model for a long time.
As mentioned previously, technology has made this process easier for those in the industry. But when people see a marketing ad that seems too good to be true, they assume the worst. Most times, they assume it’s a scam. And this, like the other myths on this list, is unfortunate.
Dealing directly with a person (as opposed to a large company) should not feel like a scam. Perhaps it’s a bit old fashioned, but a scam? Hardly. Direct selling is a sales industry that relies on the faces of our direct sellers.
This personal presentation is what our purchasers rely on.
Learn More
There is always more to learn about the direct selling industry because it is a vast network. There is an abundance of information available. And if you are getting that information directly from us, you can trust that it is the real deal.
Don’t listen to the myths about direct selling. Direct selling lies are harmful to everyone, and it’s a shame they persist as often as they do. In fact, they happen so often that we have created a place to report disinformation.
Our goal is to provide top quality service to our customers, but also a safe working environment for our professionals. And this means ridding the chatter of lies and myths. If you read or see something that you know isn’t true, tell us about it.
There are so many advantages to a thriving direct selling industry. By helping promote the truth, it can benefit all of us.