Publisher’s Note

Direct sellers incorporating virtual tools to improve the person-to-person experience

Hello friends!

Remember the early days of the internet? I sure do. The beeps and chirps associated with “logging on” through a phone line will be forever ingrained in my memory. I recall the amazement, and also the confusion, as I tried to navigate the world wide web for the first time during my freshman year of college. 

I also recall the realization that I was participating in something that would change…everything. The frustrations of slow connection speeds and rudimentary browsing options were balanced by the excitement of being able to glimpse the vast potential for this new technology.

Insightful tips for sticking with our resolutions

Hello friends,

I hope that everyone is having a great start to 2023! How are we doing on our resolutions? This seems to be the time of year that our improved habits either begin to take hold or fall by the wayside. I have been thinking about my own resolutions lately, both personal and professional, and challenging myself to not only improve in certain areas but also think about the reasons why some improvements are easier to maintain than others.

I recently came across an interview in Scientific American with some fascinating insights into why we stick to some resolutions but not others. The author, a professor who studies behavioral change, interviewed a social psychologist about setting and meeting goals to make it to the “finish line,” whether that be hitting goals or completing large projects.

An invitation to the Direct Selling Leadership and Compliance Summit

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone had a relaxing and rejuvenating holiday with your family and friends and stayed warm during that holiday arctic blast. Brrr! With the ups and downs of a volatile 2022 behind us,

I know that direct sellers are eager to capitalize on the energy and positivity of a new year as companies prepare for success in 2023.

Speaking of energy and positivity, I am excited to tell you that Social Selling News will once again be the media sponsor for the upcoming Direct Selling Leadership and Compliance Summit that will take place in Salt Lake City on Feb. 22-24.

CEOs and executives of the direct selling channel will join attorneys, compliance experts, and industry thought leaders for three days of highly informative and engaging talks, demonstrations, and panel discussions about navigating the compliance and regulatory realities facing the channel.  

Expert panelists will discuss topics of critical importance to the direct selling companies such as important legal updates, field engagement, the alignment of EU and U.S. regulators, influencers, live streaming, removing unauthorized sellers, and more.

I can tell you that the energy of this conference and its focus on the critical issues facing direct sellers is something you don’t want to miss. The last day to register is Feb. 3.

I encourage each of your executive, compliance and legal teams to consider attending! You can view the event and purchase tickets at www.dslcsummit.org.

I want to thank each of you for reading Social Selling News. We look forward to bringing you the important news stories affecting the channel in the coming year with insights and inspiration from the leaders of direct selling.

With appreciation, David Bland!

Direct sellers adapt and innovate in the face of persistent challenges

Hello friends,

I am very happy to share SSN’s 2022 Year in Review edition with you. It is hard to believe that December is upon us, but I believe that, in the years to come, we will look back at 2022 as the year that the direct selling channel began to fundamentally adapt, both in vision and in practice, to new socioeconomic realities that have either directly or indirectly impacted the practice of social selling.

While the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is, hopefully, behind us, the lasting impacts of this event on the world economy and global supply chain were profound. The pandemic also created significant and lasting effects on the psychographics of both direct selling distributors and consumers. The role that secondary income plays in the near-fully employed but volatile U.S. economy of today is quite different from just a few years ago. Similarly, the spending habits of American families have shifted as significant inflation continues to affect household budgets.

The convergence of these social and economic shifts have led many direct sellers to do what the channel does best—adapt. Over the past year, we have seen network marketing companies explore new avenues of social commerce through affiliate marketing platforms. Other companies are refining ways to make the Amazon marketplace work for them and their field. More brick-and-mortar experience centers are opening to allow consumers the ability to touch, sample, and experience the unique products this channel has to offer. Some major companies are even experimenting with partnerships with major retailers.

I am excited to see the results of this forward-thinking and fearless innovation in the new year. While the past several quarters have yielded lower top-line sales and profit numbers for many of direct selling’s largest companies, these companies’ willingness to pivot and experiment with novel marketing strategies will no doubt open the doors to future growth for the channel. Even amidst the downturn, the energy and optimism coming from company leadership will have their representatives primed for future success once external pressures such as inflation and the war in Ukraine begin to ease.

Finally, I would like to thank my team here at SSN for their hard work over the past year. As with any endeavor, the final product is a reflection of the passion of the people who create it. I could not ask for a better group to work with as we endeavor to keep you current on the important news, trends and opinions affecting social selling.

I wish each of you a happy and safe holiday season ahead, and I look forward to hearing from you in the new year!

All the best, David Bland!

Recognizing the generosity and goodwill of the direct selling channel

Hello friends and Happy Thanksgiving!

I am very happy to share with you our second annual Philanthropy Issue. This is my favorite issue of the year, as we get the privilege of speaking to so many of you—both direct sellers and suppliers—about the life-changing projects, donations, volunteering, and foundation work all over the world that you and your teams have accomplished over the past year.

In times of economic uncertainty, volatility or recession, there is one thing that remains constant—and that is your commitment and dedication to giving back. Whether it be the humanitarian disaster in war-torn Ukraine, the constant fight against hunger and malnutrition or environmental and conservation efforts, the causes supported by the direct selling channel are as diverse as the companies working all year long to make a difference.

Renewing the call for your feedback, updates and news to share with the channel

Hello friends!

I have said it before, and I will say it again – the best part of Social Selling News is the contributions, input and insights from YOU, our readers. As we enter the last quarter of the year, I want to sincerely thank everyone who has shared their time, their experiences and their wisdom with SSN’s writers, editors and me over the past several months of a very challenging year. Your thoughtful insights about what is working for network marketing in 2022 as well as your candid ideas about ways the channel can improve are an invaluable resource for our readers.

With this in mind, I want to encourage each of you to reach out to me in the coming months. I want to know what topics, stories and trends YOU want to share with the channel or that you want to see covered in future editions.

CEOs and COOs — what type of information and insights from other company leaders helps you and your teams the most?  How can we be an even better resource for you in the coming year?

Marketing execs – the digitalization of your sales platforms and field tools is one of the most rapidly evolving aspects of direct selling.  How can SSN help you navigate this modernization?

Information officers – I started the Social Tech Update to keep direct sellers up to date on the latest technology trends affecting social commerce. What tech topics would you like to learn more about?

In-House Counsel – Our Risk Roundup feature is dedicated to bringing our readers information on the critical legal, legislative and regulatory issues affecting your company’s operations.  What risks are on the horizon that the channel needs to know about?

Sales Directors – Managing your field and staying up to date on the strategies that are working best for them is a critical role in a social networking company. I would love to hear from you and report on your experiences and insights.

I wish each of you a rewarding and successful Q4 and a wonderful fall season with your families. Thank you again for reading SSN and for your input, suggestions and engagement that helps us to help you.

With appreciation,
David Bland.

Hello friends,

I hope everyone is looking forward to enjoying a relaxing and well-deserved Labor Day holiday weekend in the days to come. As we celebrate the achievements of our fellow American workers to start this month, I am particularly inspired by the passion, positivity, and grit that is on display in this country as we face so many concurrent challenges—the global economic downturn, geopolitical upheaval affecting trade, and the continuing pandemic.

As many of the second-quarter earnings calls recently revealed, direct selling companies have not been immune to the hardships brought about by worldwide inflationary trends, COVID-19 disruptions and lingering supply chain issues. However, this business channel has demonstrated over the past several years a remarkable ability to adapt and respond to problems with ingenuity and forward thinking. This creativity inevitably leads to a renewed excitement for the brand that is passed from the C-suite to the business partners to the customers.

A perfect example of this can be found in our report on Q2 earnings calls. Tupperware CEO Miguel Fernandez laid out plans to counter the company’s sales decline with an omnichannel expansion and began testing new pricing and merchandising approaches on certain products to gauge customer response. I admire the company’s resolve to meet adversity with creativity and outside-the-box strategies.

Likewise, Herbalife CEO John Agwunobi announced what he called the “single most significant investment in the company’s history,” a $400 million investment in an AI-powered data platform that will serve as the cornerstone of Herbalife’s digital strategy to “supercharge distributor growth and elevate customer experiences.” A bold and exciting move!

I was also excited to see Pampered Chef honored by the Direct Sellers Association of Canada with the 2022 Industry Innovation Award for its implementation of a virtual party platform that gives consultants the ability to combine a virtual kitchen with social interaction and live video engagement. While ingenuity such as this provides obvious benefits during the pandemic, I know that these innovations will be utilized for decades to come.

I love the quote from American inventor, businessman and founder of Learjet, Bill Lear. He said, “The best of life is the exercise of ingenuity—in design, in finance, in flying, in business.”

As the direct sellers continue to navigate the turbulence of 2022, let us not lose sight of the ingenuity that fuels so many of the success stories in this channel, even in the most challenging of times.

I wish each of you a successful and rewarding month ahead.

A thank you to the companies that are a part of the solution

Like many of you, I was amazed and inspired by last month’s release of the first images from the James Webb Telescope. The vivid and colorful snapshots of deep space reveal countless galaxies, each one containing hundreds of billions of stars and planets.

For me, personally, viewing these images is a humbling experience—not only because of the incredible genius of the telescope’s designers and engineers, but also because these views of the incomprehensibly vast and inhospitable expanse of space are a stark reminder of the fragility of life on Earth and the environment that sustains us.  

As people across the world endure yet another record-breaking heat wave, and as many regions suffer from devastating droughts, water shortages, and wildfires, we simply must redouble our efforts to, as astronomer Carl Sagan put it, “preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”

Channel sees global growth despite economic and pandemic challenges

Hello direct sellers! I hope that everyone is having a great summer, staying safe and making wonderful memories with your family and friends. It is hard to believe that the year is now half over, but time flies when you are gathering the news and trends for this energetic and dynamic business channel.  

It was a thrill to see so many of you last month in Boca Raton, Florida, at DSA Engage 2022. The time I spent conversing with executives, suppliers and representatives of direct selling was truly invaluable to me. And for those that I did not get a chance to visit with, I look forward to catching up and learning about your endeavors at the next event.

A sincere thank you to our contributors, advertisers and readers

Hello friends,

Happy fourth anniversary to Social Selling News! I am thrilled to present you with our special Anniversary Edition. We have more news, contributed content and rankings than ever before in this expanded edition, and I would like to thank all of the channel executives and suppliers who contributed their expertise and insights to bring this together.

I would also like to convey my deepest thanks to our incredible advertisers. It goes without saying that this endeavor would be impossible without your support. Collaborating with you to achieve our respective goals, getting to know your teams and meeting many of you in person over the past year has been one of the highlights of my time here as publisher. As H.E. Luccock said, “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.”