Continuing the conversation is the best way to move forward.
April: A month closer to our June one-year anniversary. It’s hard to believe how fast the year has flown by. With ten issues of Social Selling News now published and circulating out in the world, I feel like we are making a significant contribution to the conversation in our channel.
At least, that’s what I hope for—to spark some of the discussions that need to take place in order to protect the very best of what we have to offer to people seeking alternatives in their lives.
I love the spring and all its rebirth imagery. Brown turns to vibrant green, flowers burst forth in beauty, and best of all, the weather warms up. It’s increasingly clear to me that our channel needs to think about rebirth, and I am actually starting to hear more of these sorts of conversations happening all around me.
Innovation has always been a part of the direct selling model, and it will be again now as current pressures force us to reevaluate our approach to some aspects of the channel.
I hope you don’t think I’m being overly critical—that’s not my intention at all. There is so much to love about this channel and it’s precisely those aspects of opportunity, community, recognition, choice, freedom and flexibility that we should all strive to protect.
It’s just that I can see the vultures circling—those who would like to see the industry close down all together. And I can see the encroaching opportunities of those outside the channel who are creating great value for our same audience. And I can definitely see the regulatory environment increasing its oversight in impactful ways.
The next opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations as a group, and in person, will be June 2-4 right here in Texas at the DSA annual meeting.
I hope you all are making plans to attend. I know I’ve missed my share of annual meetings, but it truly is a great place to get together with like-minded people who are facing similar challenges, and have conversations about where we should be headed.
Let’s keep talking and sharing, and create the energy and innovation that this channel and its people deserve.
Warmly,
Teresa Craighead