Choosing The Right Direct Sales Company For You

With hundreds, if not thousands, of direct sales companies out there for you to choose from, it can be overwhelming when you're first starting out. There are a lot of questions you should ask before investing either your time or money with any company.

How to Get Started

Choose only the companies and/or products that really catch your eye. This is going to be your career, or at the very least a hopefully lucrative side-line for you, for a long time. Pick something that you are passionate about. Ask yourself if you'd buy the products if you weren't selling them. If the answer is no, don't do it!

If at all possible, try out the products as a customer first before signing any consultant agreements.

Take your time deciding. Think long-term. This is going to be your business that you're building. If it's a legitimate opportunity, it will not disappear overnight. If your "sponsor" or "up-line" is very high pressure and wants you to sign right away, think twice about it. Some people just have that personality because they're so excited about what they're doing, don't dismiss them just because of that. Just let it raise a "red-flag" about the opportunity, or at the very least, that representative.

Ask questions. Make sure they all get answered completely and to your satisfaction! Ask about the company, its leadership, the products or services, start-up fees, realistic costs of doing business (are there any hidden fees?), average earnings of distributors or representatives, return policies, any "objectionable" products it might sell other than the ones that attracted you to it in the first place, and anything else you can think of or are concerned about. If the person trying to recruit you doesn't directly answer these questions to your satisfaction, a red flag should go up.

Get copies of any and all company literature used for recruiting and to pass out to customers. Read all of it! Take notes. Ask questions.

Talk to others about the company and its products. Find out from others what general feedback is about the company. Red Flag: Make sure that there are actual goods being sold to customers! If you can't "track down" the actual goods that are supposed to be changing hands, it is most likely a pyramid scheme.

Investigate and verify all information you come across about the company. Don't assume that because a company has a "glossy" brochure or catalog that they're legitimate.

If you need help evaluating a company, you can check with the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov), the Direct Selling Association (www.dsa.org), the Better Business Bureau, state attorney general, or your local consumer protection office.

Direct Sales Companies The following is a list of Direct Sales Companies. This is not a complete list!!!

PLEASE NOTE: If you are a part of or know of one that I've missed, please email me (address at bottom of article). I update my articles periodically and like to keep on top of these things!

4Life Research

A Better Universe Accentz ACN, Inc. AdvoCare International, LP Aerus Electrolux LLC Alfa Pet Products Amazon Herb Company American Home AMS Health Sciences, Inc. Amway International Arbonne International, Inc. Artistic Impressions, Inc. Assured Nutrition Plus, Inc. At Home America Avalar Real Estate & Mortgage Network Avalla Avon Products, Inc. Azante Jewelry

BabyCrazy BeautiControl becoming Big Enough, Inc. Big Planet (division of Nu Skin Enterprises) Binney & Smith Bittersweet Candles Body & Soul Elements (The) Body Shop at Home Body Wise International, Inc. Bright Minds - The Critical Thinking Company at Home Brown Bag Gourmet

Callie's Fashion Jewelry CandleWreath International Celebrations by Lillian Vernon Charmelle Jewelry Cherish Designs Chic Pursenality Claire Grace Gifts Claudia Jean Close To My Heart Coffee by Candlelight Coffee Fair CoffeeFirst (The) Comforts of Home Conklin Company, Inc. Cookie Lee Jewelry Country Bunny Bath & Body Creative Memories CUTCO/Vector Marketing Corporation

Daisy Blue Naturals Dan's Chocolates Demarle at Home, Inc. Destinations by Mava D. DeTech, Inc. Discovery Toys Do-Re-Me & You! Doll Gallery Dream Impressions Dudley Products, Inc.

Echo Candle Company EcoQuest International Elements Home Spa Enchanted Potions Enchanting Scents Designs ENJO California, LLC EonDeck.com, Inc. Essentially Yours Industries, Inc. Etherea Aromatics EverydayWealth Excel Communications

F.A.I.T.H. Company Fantasy Lady Fantasy World Fifth Avenue Collection For Your Pleasure ForYou, Inc. (The) Fragrant Lemon Peel FreeLife International (The) Fuller Brush Company Funky Diva Shop (The) Furnished Garden

Gabby Goodies Gano Excel GemCap Equity Management, Inc. (The) Gift Shack (The) Glass Bracelet Global Health Trax Global Online Systems GNLD International Gold Canyon Candles, LLC Goldshield Elite Good Books & Company, LLC (The) Good Nature Company Gourmet To Go (The) Greeting Cake Company

Harvest Home Candles Health-Mor (an HMI Industries Inc. Company) Healthy Pet Net Heartfelt Gifts & Gourmet Heavenly Sweets HENN Herbalife International of America, Inc. Highlights-Jigsaw Toy Factory, Ltd. Home & Garden Party Home Interiors & Gifts, Inc. Homemade Gourmet, Inc. (The) Homemaker's Idea Company Hsin Ten Enterprise USA, Inc. Hy Cite Corporation

I Luv My Pet I Remember When Innovage (formerly DS-MAX) Inspired Aroma, Inc. Integris Global, LP Isagenix International

Jafra Cosmetics International, Inc. Jewels by Park Lane Jockey Person to Person Joielle Fine Jewelry JSHomestyle Just Add Guests

*Kat's Coffees & More* (please see my sales site at www.TheCoffeeNut.com) Kidzworxx Kingdom Treasures (The) Kirby Company Kitchen Fair (Regal Ware, Inc.)

L'Bri Pure N' Natural Lady Emily Natural Bath & Body Products Lady Remington Jewelry Latasia & Company Leaving Prints Lexxus International, Inc. Lia Sophia Jewelry Life Force International LifeMist Home Products, LLC Linen World Living Scriptures, Inc. (The) Longaberger Company Longevity Network, Ltd. LRL Books by You

Mama's Shoppe Mannatech, Inc. Mark Market America, Inc. Mary Kay Cosmetics Meg's Gourmet & More Megan's Pantry Melaleuca, Inc. Mia Bella Soy Candles Milano Direct Misty Valley Botanicals Misu Design Jewelry Mother Nature Spa Mother of Eden My Magic Memories My Precious Kid Mystical Sensations

National Companies, Inc. Nature's Own Nature's Paws Nefful U.S.A., Inc. NestFamily New Vision USA, Inc. Nexx, LLC Nice Custom Jewelry Nikken, Inc. Noevir USA, Inc. Northern Lights at Home Nouveau Cosmeceuticals, LLC NSA Nu Skin Enterprises Nu-Med, Inc. NutriHealth USA

Oasis LifeSciences October Trading Pearls Once Upon a Family Oriflame U.S.A. Our Own Image Oxyfresh Worldwide, Inc.

P. S. I Love You (The) Pampered Chef Pampering U PartyLite Gifts, Inc. Passion Parties Personality Scents Petra Fashions, Inc. Pharmanex (division of Nu Skin Enterprises) Picture Perfect Scrapbooking Company PlantMakers Pola, Inc. Premier Designs Jewelry Pre-paid Legal Services, Inc. Primerica Financial Services Princess House, Inc. Pro Monde Travel Purely Gourmet LLC

Quiet Places Quixtar, Inc.

Ravenwood Aromatherapy Regal Ware, Inc. Reliv International Inc. Rena Ware International, Inc. Rexair, Inc. Richmont Direct Royal BodyCare, Inc.

Saladmaster, Inc. (Regal Ware, Inc.) Salt City Candles (A) Sandy Clough Tea Sarah Coventry Fashion Jewelry SaVi Fashions Scrap Booking Seaborne, LLC Seasilver USA Self Indulgence SeneGence Cosmetics Sensaria Natural Bodycare, Inc. Shaklee Corporation Share the Wealth Sherry's Baskets Shopping in the South Shure Pets, Inc. Silpada Designs (jewelry) Simply Delicious Gourmet SMC Specialty Merchandise Corp. Southern Delites Southern Living at Home (The) Southwestern Company Spa Destinations Spa Girl Parties Sportron International, Inc. Stampin' Up! Stamping Supplies Stanley Home Products Staying Home & Loving It (The) Story Teller Suds 'N More Sunrider International Sweet Berry Fields Swiss Skin Care Products Symmetry Corporation

Tahitian Noni International Take Shape for Life, Inc. (MediFast) Tanner Companies, LLC Tarrah Cosmetics, Inc. Taste of Gourmet Tastefully Simple, Inc. Tealightful Treasures Thirty-One Three Girls Who Tianshi Health Products, Inc. Time to Celebrate Tina's Goodies Tomboy Tools, Inc. Tomorrow's Treasures/Memory Bank Top Line Creations (The) Traveling Vineyard Trim International Tristar Enterprises, LLC Tupperware Corporation Two Sisters Gourmet

U.S. Safety & Engineering Corporation Unicity International, Inc. Unique Baby Boutique, Inc. USANA Health Sciences, Inc. Usborne Books at Home

Vantel Pearls in the Oyster Vision for Life International Vita Craft Corporation Viviane Woodard Vorwerk USA Co., L.P.

Warm Spirit, Inc. Watkins International We Make Perfect Scents Weekenders USA, Inc. (The) Wellness Company Wild Tree Herbs, Inc. Wine Shop at Home World Book, Inc.

XanGo LLC

Yankee Candles Yoffi Fine Jewelry Your Affordable Gifts YourNetPlus.com, Inc. Yves Rocher Direct Selling

ZEDORA Italian Jewelry Zermat International

Once You've Decided on a Company, Make Sure You

Know all of the guidelines of the companies you're interested in (where you can advertise, who and how you can recruit, the commission percentages, etc.)

Have the time needed to "work" the business.

Have the money/bartering tools needed to advertise your business and to purchase products/supplies.

Are comfortable with both the commission structure and the payment schedule.

Can stand behind the company's policies, procedures, regulations and philosophy.

Understand what is expected of you as a company representative (behaviors, wardrobe, quotas, etc.).

Use the products/services for everyone to see. You are your own best advertisement.

Don't mind talking to strangers, in passing, with the intent of handing out your business card.

Enjoy hosting or demonstrating at parties for your products, if this is required by the company.

Feel comfortable and are knowledgeable discussing the products/services with customers and potential recruits.

"Click" with your up-line and they're available to answer any questions and guide your success.

When first starting out in direct sales, you may have to "try on" a few different companies to find the one that's your "perfect match." Make sure you're comfortable with every aspect of how the company is run, how the other reps interact, how customers are treated, and the integrity of the product or service you'll be selling.

Once you've found your perfect company, promote it whole-heartedly. Let everyone in your family know that you're in this new company and where they can purchase the products that they're sampling/smelling/seeing all the time at your house! Have fun with your new endeavor!