As I inch closer to the age of 40, I have realized that I am finally settling into who I am. At the age of 30, I knew I felt better about myself than when I was in my 20s, but I am pretty sure that my 40s will be amazing. I am a mom of four, a labor and delivery nurse, an anxiety warrior, and a running addict.  My life is busy, and it demands flexibility. I never thought I would be working towards building an income in direct sales. I always viewed people in direct sales as “spammy,” desperate, and brain-washed. That’s not to say everyone was like that, but mostly the people who would message out of the blue in some indirect creepy way and then disappear when I was like, “no, I don’t want your waist wrap.”  

In March of 2019, I took the leap and joined the direct sales company in which I currently am growing. I fell in love with the product first and was immediately drawn to the fun it looked like everyone was having who was part of the company. With our busy lives as moms and working professionals, having something on the side, that benefits you financially and can provide a creative and social outlet is key. I wholeheartedly support this business method and understand how these programs work. It is important when you get started with a direct sales company to consider the following items:

1. Is the compensation plan fair? 
Meaning do you have to work even when you recruit new people to the team? A fair compensation plan allows the mentor to get paid to mentor new people and also to sell products or services. It is also fair if you can outrank your upline, get paid commission without a sales minimum, and is easily understood and read. Before joining a company, don’t be afraid to ask for all the details on how you will get paid.  

2. How is the company’s overall culture? 
Do the people involved support each other? Or are they in competition? For me, I am all about collaboration over competition. Ask others in the company at different ranks and find out their experience. I know our company is amazing because I’ve personally met our CEO, and it was like meeting someone I had known for years. She is genuine and unscripted, and that’s extremely important to me.

3. Can people buy a similar product of the same quality somewhere else? 
This one is tricky. For instance, joining a clothing company might sound lucrative, but I know that I am the type of person who loves to find dupes for different types of clothing. So, I know that I would not thrive or be able to sell clothing from a direct sales company because it would not seem genuine to me to present items that would be too costly for the everyday person to afford. Make sure you believe in the quality and uniqueness of what you are offering if you truly want to grow and scale with a service-based mindset.

4. Are there any sales minimums, and do you have to keep stock? 
Lots of negativity began around direct sales because companies would require you to sell a certain amount of product each month and keep stock of that product to sell. This is a slippery slope and leads to a lot of disappointment and debt. Look to join a company that does not have sales minimums or stock requirements.  

5. Is the product a consumable? 
In other words, people don’t need refills on books and clothing often. A consumable is something that is going to deplete and, therefore, will need to be replenished. The perfect consumable type company for me is one that has a low refill cost and no auto-ship. Personally, I have a problem with auto-ship because I am bad at canceling and always end up with excess. If you join a company that does auto-ship, a tip is always to let customers know when their shipment is coming and let them know to make adjustments.

Hope you find these tips helpful! I know that direct sales can be lucrative for so many people! If you sell something that you truly believe will improve someone else’s life, you are serving. If you are on the fence about finding somewhere you can join to “make money from WIFI,” take these tips as you review the pros and cons! Let’s continue to keep the honesty in direct sales and support the thousands of amazing men and women who work these businesses the right way. Share any thoughts you have on direct sales below; I’d love to hear your feedback!