So, I think many still don’t quite understand what direct sales really is and therefore don’t feel the need to support it.
I am happy to share with you what it is and what it means today… right here on this blog!!!
I have been in direct sales business for over 7 years with a clothing, swim, athletic wear and intimate apparel company called Ruby Ribbon!
I joined Ruby Ribbon December 18th 2013 as the very first stylist in the entire state of WV
I worked so hard everyday promoting my new business sharing with everyone… to my surprise no one seemed interested to listen to my commercial but I kept pushing on and a little less than 1 year later I promoted to leader, the youngest leader in the small but growing company!!!
In April of this year, yes in the middle of a global pandemic I joined Park Lane Jewelry as an area leader and stylist.
Why did I join as such a time, you may be wondering?
Well for starters the global pandemic never really crossed my mind, I wasn’t really looking for an opportunity, but it found me and I could not pass it up.
I love the quote by Sheryl Sandberg
If you are offered a seat on a rocket ship don’t ask what seat, just get on!
And that is pretty much what I did with both companies,
With Ruby Ribbon it was all so very new, I mean the company was around 1 year old and the opportunity to grow and flourish building a business and earning money was just too good to pass up.
With Park Lane, they have been in business for over 60 years(65 actually) but the opportunity was too great to pass up… I mean the opportunity to earn $1500 worth of jewelry every month, the opportunity to build a business and earn income, the opportunity to earn 2 all expense paid vacations per year and the opportunity to drive a white Mercedes…yea to good not to pass up.
I am very discouraged when I see or hear people talk about direct sales negatively and say they wouldn’t support it.
I am to the point now I think it is ignorance (not knowing what direct sales truly is) rather than being intentionality mean.
So what is direct sales?
For me it is a creative outlet for me and a turnkey business where I can make an income immediately without any overhead or additional business expenses
When you are single and almost 34 🙋♀️ you really have to do what you can to bring the money in, with no help paying bills or extra money to help put food on the table like you have when you are married, it can be quite stressful at times worrying about paying bills and making it to the next paycheck all while eating, surviving.
Direct sales helps to cushion that and helps to alleviate the financial burden or stress.
When you are married but perhaps a stay at home mom, your family is in the same situation as mine with one income coming into the home, direct sales can allow the mom to make some additional income for her family all while staying at home doing the most important job anyone can do, raise children.
Whether you are single, married, dating, engaged, mom, single mom, foster mom, adoptive mom, or even widowed Direct sales can work for you.
Just like you get up everyday and go to a job whether you stand on a sales floor, sit at a desk or work construction 🚧
We too get up everyday and go to work, we work hard at booking shows, personal one on ones, and vendor events, promoting our businesses through social media and blogs just like this one, we take continuing education and go to national conferences just like you do in your traditional 9-5 job.
But unlike you, knowing exactly how much your paycheck is going to be we don’t really have any control over that some months it may be thousands and the next month(s) it may be zero.
So when you see a direct seller promoting her/his goals and trying to hit a certain goal… just remember they are trying to make an income just like you!
Direct sellers will sell a variety of items
- Jewelry
- Apparel
- Purses
- Accessories
- Exercise equipment
- Vitamins
- Diet supplements
- Makeup
- Nails
- Skincare
- Crafts/supplies
- House supplies
- And so much more
If you can but it in a store there is a really good chance you can get the item through a direct seller.
Buying with direct sales supports the person not the corporate America group sitting at the top(who really could do with less)
Direct sales supports families, supports individuals, supports dreams, supports kids
It may cost you a bit more but more than likely the quality is a bit better too!!!
Ruby Ribbon you can’t find any of our products anywhere else, yea you can find shapewear and swimwear and leghings anywhere but nothing will compare to Ruby Ribbon and that is a fact… I encourage you to give it a try
You can buy jewelry anywhere but does Kohls, Macys, Charming Charlie give you an unconditional lifetime gaurantee? Park Lane does!!! Go check it out, you can even create your own sale everyday of the week!!!
When you walk into a department store you may receive really good customer service and then again you may not.
With direct sales you receive one on one service and your stylist/consultant should, I do at least make you feel like you are the only customer, makes you feel so special and important like a VIP. I roll out the red carpet for my customers I treat them like Royalty, good luck getting that in a department store.
Think about this… have you ever wanted or needed support of others? Selling your homemade crafts, or fundraising for your children or you can fill in the blank… well how did it feel when people wouldn’t support your cause? Not very good I would imagine!
Direct sales isn’t all fun and games although it is a lot of fun getting to play dress up(I feel like I am in a constant game of pretty pretty princess 👸 🤣) and getting to help women rediscover her confidence and sparkle on the outside, yea I would say this is the most fun I have had in a very long time. With that being said, this is very hard sometimes harder than my day job(which is not easy) it is like an emotional roller coaster I can’t get off of
Your company sets forth an incentive then your team gets you pumped up as you watch your teammates crush the goal with what seems like ease and you struggle because everytime you reach out you hear…NO, I dont, I can’t, I’m sorry, I won’t, NO, NO, NO
With each passing day and no is said one more time you wonder what you are doing wrong you wonder if you just aren’t cut out for this business if maybe you aren’t good enough.
Everyday you must keep going, keep working your goals because eventually you will hear that YES, you will hear I would love to, sign me up, I can do that, I will, YES, YES, YES
I am not going to cover this topic in great detail but many think direct sales is a pyramid scheme which is the crasiest most insane myth out there. Number one in order for me to make money with Ruby Ribbon or Park Lane I have to work, I have to sell… Think of the makeup counter the designer purse section and shoe dept of Macys those sales associates work on commission so a portion of the sale of your bag, pair of shoes or eye shadow goes in their pocket, the more they sell the more commission they earn… it is the same with direct sales.
With a pyramid scheme the person makes money off their downline without doing any work all the people in the downline work and the leader makes the big bucks… okay think about the owners of a major dept store they are making the big bucks while the associates and workers are working hard for little money… this woukd be like shopping at Target, Macys, Walmart, Kroger…any major line of stores. The corporate management is making huge paychecks while the associates are barely making above minimum wage, the executive management team making large bonuses while the worker bees of the company rarely see bonuses.
I am in no way saying that Macys, Walmart, Target, Kroger or any other major dept store is a pyramid scheme I am just trying to show you the difference between commission workers and regular workers and corporate America and direct sales. Direct sales should be thought of as commissioned sales because that is what it is.
Just giving you something to think about the next time your friend asks if you would like to host a show or order a product?
Direct sales is not a game, direct sales is a real way to make an income and by supporting it you are supporting your friend/family members as well as getting a good quality product to call your very own.
There are many ways you can support your friend/family members with their direct sales business without spending a penny.
I encourage you, I beg you the next time you
- Need lipstick or mascara find a Mary Kay girl
- Want a new handbag find a thirty one or initials inc girl
- Need jewelry for an upcoming event find a park lane girl
- Need vitamins or a diet regimine consult with a health coach
- Need a cute matching outfit for mommy and me look find a Matilda Jane girl
- Need a fun different… on trend outfit find a lula Roe girl
- Need some shapewear or a great swimsuit find a Ruby Ribbon girl
- Want your nails done without going to the salon, get you a color street girl
- Want some fun athleasure wear find a peach girl
- Want to downsize your wardrobe but expand it all at the same time find a storyline collection rep
- Need to spice up your kitchen and cooking find a tastefully simple girl
- Want to clean your house without the toxic chemicals find a Norwex rep
- Need some craft supplies like stamps find a stampin up! Rep or Close To My Heart rep
- Want your house to smell fantastic get with a pink Zebra rep
- And so many more
Give direct sales a try, remember you are supporting real people, real dreams, real goals all while getting excellent customer service and great high quality items!!!
Host a show, buy a product, join a team, share posts, comment on posts, like posts , refer friends/family
Support direct sellers❤
Starting soon I will spotlight a different direct seller each week… stay tuned☺