Factoids about Direct Selling

Those on my team know I am a numbers junkie.   I’ve always enjoyed analyzing data. I firmly believe that if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.  It’s been said before that “In God we trust, all others bring data!”

The information contained below was snagged from DSA’s Direct Selling 411 Website.  I found some of these statistics interesting – and hope you do too.

• 77% of sellers have been with their company 1+ years
• 80% of sellers say direct selling meets or exceeds their expectations
• 85% of sellers report a good, very good or excellent experience with direct selling
• 74% of US adults have purchased products from a direct seller
• 15.1 million people in the U.S. are involved in direct selling
• $29.6 billion in total US sales
• $114 billion sales worldwide

What is the primary reason you became a direct seller?

• To earn supplemental income (51%, 4,231 Votes)
• To earn full-time income (34%, 2,768 Votes)
• To buy the products at a discount (9%, 729 Votes)
• I like to be recognized for my accomplishments (4%, 292 Votes)
• I like to meet other people (2%, 208 Votes)

Direct sellers report a positive experience with direct selling:

• 82% of direct sellers have been with their current direct selling company for one year or more, and 34% for five years or more.
• 88% of direct sellers rate their personal experience in direct selling as excellent, very good, or good.
• 85% of direct sellers say that direct selling meets or exceeds their expectations as a good way to supplement their income or as a way to make a little extra money for themselves.
• 91% of direct sellers say that direct selling meets or exceeds their expectations as a business where the harder they work the more money they can make.

The average annual turnover rate of direct sellers was 56%, compared to 53% for the retail industry.

If I become a direct sales representative, how much money will I make?

The earnings one can expect to make in direct selling are different for each individual based on a number of factors, including your personal goals and the amount of time you plan to dedicate to your business. The median gross income for a direct seller is about $2400 per year, or $200 a month. This figure is consistent with one of the major motivations for getting involved in direct selling – supplemental income. About 8% of direct sellers earn more than $50,000 per year.

What do you think about these numbers?   Did anything surprise you?   Or did you have a different view of direct selling before reading this?