Direct sales is when a salesperson sells products that he or she owns. It is the converse of indirect sales, where a salesperson tries to sell products that his or her employer owns.
A direct sales position is not a way to get rich quick. Indeed, it involves taking on a lot of risk as the salesperson borrows or purchases products from a supplier; if he cannot sell them on, then he has to eat the cost himself. However, a talented salesman or woman can make a decent living as a direct salesperson.
Direct Sales Job Description
Direct sales are generally done in person, through parties, demonstrations and door-to-door cold calls. They are direct sales because the owner and salesperson are the same person; rather than be a conduit between the customer and the owner, the salesperson himself is the owner. He is a direct connection between the product and its end user.
Direct Sales Qualifications
A direct salesperson does not need to have any particular formal qualifications, but he does need to have people skills and motivation. Direct sales are a person-to-person business, both one-on-one and in groups as a salesman pitches to individuals and runs demonstrations, shows and parties.
Motivation is equally important because the amount a direct salesman makes has a direct relationship to how much he sells. If he takes a sick day, has a bad day, or just doesn’t feel like working as hard for a few days, these will impact on his income. This means that there is no ceiling on his income, but there is also no floor.
Risks of Direct Sales
The risks of direct sales are essentially the same as the risks of starting any entrepreneurial venture. There are startup costs, floating costs, and fixed costs, just like any other business. Even if a batch of products is free or sold against future sales, the salesman still needs to use his time, which could be turned into money by working for someone else.
Direct Sales Working Hours
A direct sales job can be part-time to supplement income from another job, or it can be a full-time business venture. It is entirely at the discretion of the salesman.
Direct Sales Outlook
Since direct sales jobs are essentially just people going into business for themselves, they will always be around, regardless of the state of the economy. Their success rates, of course, are a different story, but as long as there are products to sell there will be direct salespeople selling them.
References
Direct Sales Offer Recession-Proof Jobs: USAToday
