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Direct selling

technology Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Direct selling is a special way to do business. It does not happen in a big shop. Instead, people buy goods from a main company. They then sell these items directly to other people. This method relies on person-to-person selling. It can happen in many different places.

You might find it on social media. It can also happen in a person's home. Some sales happen at a customer's job. This way of selling connects people and products.

There are two main ways this business works. The first way is single-level marketing. In this way, a seller makes money only from their own sales. The second way is multi-level marketing. This way has a few more steps. A seller makes money from their own sales. They can also earn a commission. A commission is a small part of the money from a sale.

They earn this by sponsoring new sellers. These new people are called sponsors.

People have studied how this works for a long time. Researchers look at how different parts of the world do business. Bill Merrilees and Dale Miller wrote about this in 1999. They looked at selling in the West and the East. Their work was in the Journal of Business Research.

They studied how products and relationships drive sales. They used the word Guanxi to talk about relationships. This shows how people connect to sell things.

Many different styles exist in modern direct selling. Some people use a party plan to sell goods. Others use one-on-one demonstrations. This means showing how a product works to one person.

Internet sales are also a big part of it now. The US Federal Trade Commission uses a broad term for this. They say it covers many different business forms. It includes any selling that is not in a retail store. This helps define how the business is organized.

Direct selling is like a bridge between companies and people. It uses personal contact to move goods. You might see this when a friend shows a product.

It can feel like a social event. Some people use social media to reach their friends. Others might visit a home for a meeting. This makes the sale feel more personal. It is a very direct path from the company to the user.

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