Welcome to the first episode of direct sales and social selling with me, your host, Lisa Mustard. I’ve been in the industry for 9 years and truly love this business model. I’ve mainly built my business using social media but have been experimenting over the years with other forms of marketing. I’m excited to share with you all the direct selling marketing strategies I've used that have worked and the ones that have flopped. 

We're going to cover some basics on this episode, mainly questions I get from my social media network and circle of friends when it comes to direct sales.

I'm going to discuss what is direct selling, how to choose a direct sales company if you're not currently with a company, the money you can make, how to market your business and 5 different ideas for marketing.

This is taken straight from the direct selling association website: Direct selling is a retail channel used by top global brands and smaller, entrepreneurial companies to market products and services to consumers. Companies market all types of goods and services, including beautiful jewelry, cookware, home decor, nutritionals, cosmetics, housewares, clothes, essential oils, energy and insurance, and much more.

The direct selling channel differs from broader retail in an important way. It isn’t only about getting great products and services into consumers’ hands. It’s also an avenue where entrepreneurial-minded people can work independently to build a business with low start-up and overhead costs.

Direct selling consultants work on their own, but affiliate with a company that uses the channel, retaining the freedom to run a business on their own terms. Consultants forge strong personal relationships with prospective customers, primarily through face-to-face discussions and demonstrations. In this age of social networking, direct selling is a go-to market strategy that, for many companies and product lines, may be more effective than traditional advertising or securing premium shelf space.

Direct Selling Companies sell directly to the customer, with no fixed retail location or a retail outlet. Most of its product is sold via independent salespeople. Direct sales refers to selling directly with clients without any intermediary or middleman like a brick-and-mortar retail space. Typically, sales are conducted online or through a website, and they're usually conducted through direct interaction with customers in unconventional settings. 

Product sales go directly to consumers instead of through retailers and can be done through email marketing, blogging, social media platforms or online shopping platforms. 

Social selling is one way to market your direct sales company or business. It is a lead-generation technique where direct sellers directly interact with their prospects on social media platforms. I'll spend a lot more time on social selling in upcoming episodes. If social selling is a way you want to market your products and services, stay tuned for episodes to come on this hot topic.

There are hundreds of direct selling companies available in the market. It is essential for anyone choosing a direct sale business that you're excited about their product. You need to really love the products you are selling. I love my products; I use them daily. Think about what you're passionate about. For example, makeup isn’t for me. I wear it but I’m not passionate about it. I’m passionate about living a fit and healthy lifestyle so I’m drawn to products and services that would help me live a healthier and fitter lifestyle.

Unfortunately, I cannot give a number in this...