Sell Diamond Earrings - In slow economy, a direct approach to sales

Source - http://www.thespec.com
By - Press Relesed
Category - Sell Diamond Earrings
Posted By - Cashgold Buyer

Sell Diamond Earrings

In 2009, Currin hosted an in-home show for a consultant who sells the company’s kitchen wares. But Currin declined the invitation to start a Pampered Chef business herself.
She changed her mind five days later after her husband lost his job.
“I called up my consultant friend and said, ‘Tell me more,’ “ said Currin, now an independent director with The Pampered Chef.
Currin, who lives in Raleigh, N.C., is one of millions of entrepreneurs who have turned to direct sales as a way to start their own business.
About 15.6 million people are involved in direct selling in the U.S., according to the Direct Selling Association. In 2011, U.S. retail direct sales totalled about $30 billion, up from $28.5 billion in 2010, according to the association.
The median income for direct sellers is about $2,400 a year, and most people work less than 10 hours a week on their business, said Amy Robinson, the Direct Selling Association’s chief marketing officer.
The median income for a direct seller working 40 or more hours a week is $34,130, according to the association.
Currin and others who sell everything from kitchen products and skin care to jewellery and energy drinks, praised the direct-sales process, which they say makes it easy to build a flexible, at-home small business by selling an established brand with an approachable sales infrastructure.
Direct selling is the sale of a consumer product or service marketed through independent representatives who are referred to with titles such as consultants or distributors. Sellers are not employees of the company they sell for; rather, they are considered independent contractors who market and sell the products or services of a company.
Direct sellers may direct or work with a team; however, each team member is generally considered an independent contractor — not an employee of a director.
Direct sellers should set goals and create a plan to accomplish them, Robinson said. Some sellers want to earn a full-time income or buy products at a discount, but most want a supplemental income.
Individuals make money by selling products, recruiting, training and motivating others.
Under a single-level compensation plan, which is offered by cosmetics company Mary Kay, distributors’ return is based solely on sales, according to Direct Selling News.
Multi-level plans, used by companies such as Pampered Chef and Amway, offer compensation based on sales and a consultant’s “downline,” a group of people that a consultant brings into the company to generate sales and recruit others.
Some companies, such as Avon, offer single-level and multi-level plans.
Pampered Chef consultants earn a percentage of product sales. A consultant’s cut starts at 20 percent, but increases based on sales and the number of people in their downline, Currin said.
Many people start their direct sales businesses by reaching out to friends and family and using those connections to meet new customers.
In 2011, 64.59 per cent of direct sales were achieved by selling person-to-person, while about 30.9 per cent were attributed to a party or group selling strategy, according to the Direct Selling Association.
Before getting started, newcomers should examine three things about the company that they are considering representing to ensure they are not entering a pyramid scheme, Robinson said.