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About Direct Selling

About Direct Selling

Direct selling is an entrepreneurial sales channel, where independent sellers market consumer products or services to their personal networks, typically away from fixed retail locations. It is a retail channel used by large, global companies and small, entrepreneurial brands to sell all types of goods and services, including:

  • Nutritionals and healthcare
  • Cosmetics
  • Jewelry
  • Housewares
  • Food and beverage
  • Giftware
  • Utilities
  • And much more

The Direct Sellers Association of Canada is the recognized voice of the industry in Canada. DSA Canada members focus on maintaining the highest levels of integrity and trust in all their business interactions.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The direct selling channel isn’t only about getting great products and services into consumers’ hands. It’s also an avenue for entrepreneurial-minded Canadians to work independently and to build a business with low start-up and overhead costs – there is no need to rent retail space, purchase a franchise or hold a large amount of product on hand. These Canadians also develop important business and life skills, including marketing, networking, finance, and relationship management.

Independent Sales Consultants (ISCs) work on their own, but partner with a direct selling company, retaining the freedom to run their own business. ISCs create strong relationships with potential clients, through face-to-face discussions and demonstrations, as well as utilizing social media and the internet to showcase their products and to grow their customer base.

OPPORTUNITY & FLEXIBILITY

Over a million Canadians, from every province, are involved in direct selling, to create personal income and because they enjoy a company’s products or services. They purchase products or services for their own use and also offer them to friends, family and others, thereby earning commissions for their sales. The most successful of these consultants can decide to expand their business by building and training a team of ISCs.

A majority of ISCs work part-time, and the flexibility to set your own hours provides many busy Canadians with an opportunity to achieve work-life balance. Direct selling has a long history of both substantially contributing to the economy and supporting the Canadians involved.

DIFFERENT FORMS OF DIRECT SELLING

There are several sales models within direct selling, all of which concentrate on the sale of products or services to consumers:

  1. Single-Tier Sales
    In Single-Tier Sales, ISCs get paid a commission based on their sales and report directly to the company. In this form, there are no sales teams to build and lead.
  2. Multi-Level Marketing (MLM)
    Multi-Level Marketing is a form of direct sales where ISCs can build their own sales teams by sponsoring new ISCs. On top of being paid commissions for sales of the company’s goods or services, ISCs who sponsor others generally receive additional income to compensate them for leading a team of salespeople.
  3. Party Plans
    Party Plan is the term used to describe a form of direct sales where an ISC helps their customer plan a home party, where products or services are showcased. Attendees view a demonstration of the goods and have an opportunity to buy them. The host generally receives some sort of product bonus as a reward for their efforts in organizing the party.
  4. Affiliate Marketing
    Affiliate Marketing is a simplified version of direct selling, where individual affiliates or partners broadcast links to a company’s product website, typically via social media or a personal website. If the links generate traffic and sales for the company, the affiliate can be compensated with a commission fee.