As mentioned in my previous post, “Better,” I spent 2020 working on personal growth. Part of that was centered around my direct sales business. I felt like I needed to have a better mindset so I could better serve my customers. This is not the first direct sales company I’ve been with, but it is the one I’ve been most passionate about. I have seen first hand how the products work, and being with this company has bettered my life. However, I was losing my passion and was not feeling comfortable with how I was being told I SHOULD run MY business. So I joined a few Facebook communities that have shown me the error of my ways.

There are so many wonderful attributes in direct sales. For the most part, with most companies, you have the flexibility to work as much or as little as you desire. If you want it to be a side hustle, wonderful. If you want to go to the top, fabulous. There are plenty of people who are “making it big” in direct sales to prove that it can be a lucrative business.

Direct sales businesses get such a bad rap though. I have heard so many people say so many bad things about the business and the consultants. All these consultants want is to help people with a product they believe in, and make some money to help support their family. What the negative people don’t understand, that consultant wants to do everything correctly to succeed. All she or he knows is to follow the suggestions and examples set by their mentors.

As direct sales consultants, we are told to contact everyone we have ever met in our life. We are told to stop everyone, with whom we come in contact in day-to-day life, to exchange contact information. We are given challenges to text 50 people and post on social media. We are getting graphics thrown at us to post on social media. We are told to not worry about bugging our customers because we truly aren’t bugging them. Our customers and potential customers want all the information. They compare our marketing strategies to the big chain stores’ marketing strategies, and tell us if those stores can do it, so can we. We are told to get out of our comfort zones and just do it.
While I understand this is how it can be done, and this is how most of our mentors have succeeded in direct sales, it makes introverts like me cringe and want to quit. It also makes many of our potential customers cringe and want to run in the opposite direction. It makes our friends roll their eyes, ignore our texts, and keep scrolling on by on social media. It makes us lose some of our friendships. So while, yes, we may gain some customers and maybe even some consultants on our team, how much did we lose to get those?

I got into this business to help women with their self-assurance. I wanted to guide them to the life they deserve. I wanted to help give them the tools and information that will help build their self-confidence. I wanted to show them it is selfless to take time for themselves, not selfish. The absolute last thing I want any person to do, when they see or hear me, is to roll their eyes, cringe, and run the other way. I don’t want my friends to not want to talk to me because they are afraid I’m going to sell them something or try to get them to join my team.

If in the last year and a half if you have felt I was been pushy or spammy, please know I was just trying to do my “job.” You will never know how much I have very much appreciated your support. There are some things I will continue to do and there are some things I will no longer be doing. I will continue to reach out and check-in. I will continue to share some wonderful tips and other helpful information. I will continue to keep you informed about all the wonderful products our company has. I will continue to offer in-home and virtual parties. I will continue to do my best to make your life better. I will continue to be passionate about this company, its products, and my customers.

Remember, I’m still a work in progress, but if there is anything you want to see more of (or less of), I welcome any and all feedback! As always, if there is anything I can do to help make your life better, please let me know.