From Doorbells to Digital … Been There, Done That!
And … the love affair continues!
Introducing … THE basket … the Avon product basket I carried, literally ringing doorbells in a double 200 resident territory in the late seventies. My first two-week Avon campaign introduced the groundbreaking product Envira! A superb, albeit not flashy, “natural” personal care product, which came to market two decades before “eco-friendly,” “non-toxic” or “green” were embedded into the consumer lexicon. Product innovation … a direct selling hallmark!
THE Avon Basket
Avon trained in person at monthly district sales meetings attended by a handful to hundreds of representatives. The meeting content featured segments of recognition, product training, motivation (personal development), company news, recruiting and leadership development strategy. Now we have Zoom! And, oh yes … an amazing sisterhood that transcends, even today! Relationships … it’s how direct sellers roll.
This system worked for my time as an Avon Rep. I thrived, stepped into Avon management and thrived again … Circle of Excellence. To continue to learn and grow, I knew I needed to return to the sales field. I’m thinking that’s familiar to many of you too, eh?
The Original Influencers
Next up for me: Princess House. At the time, the company sold mostly crystal décor and tableware via party plan in the home of a “business partner” we called our Hostess. The Hostess used her influence to gather her friends and family to experience the demonstration of products. For Princess House, that was the ambiance/style of table setting. The Hostess, as a product enthusiast, was rewarded for her efforts with unique complimentary products and discounts. Today, we now have Influencers and all things social that certainly expands just the home.
The Shift to Omni-Channel and Beyond
But wait … there’s more! As the President/COO of a highly successful fashion collection, I was tasked with taking this $150M brand from the traditional department store venue into multiple retail platforms … party plan direct selling, online shopping via the Home Shopping Network (HSN), outlet stores to reduce inventory backlog and a joint venture with a sister direct selling company that included creating products and cataloging. Voila … omni-channel marketing.
This tale is much bigger than I am … it’s about building trust. It’s the story of collaboration and communication with you, my colleagues and friends and the thousands of independent sales field representatives I’ve worked with over the last 50 years. Every success (and a few not so much) was a collaborative effort with internal and external teams supported by communication at every turn, always crafted to clearly define “what was in it” for every constituency.
Here, I would insert that this all happened pre-1994 and the gift of the internet. Ergo, it was traditional mail, the phone (one-on-one, “phone trees” and group calls) and a whole lotta flying coast to coast to “howdy & hug” and share the opportunity wherever the distributor base took me. Whew!
Strategy, Commitment, and the Art of the Pivot
Yes … this required a strategic plan prepared months in advance. Hmmm? Thinking out loud … that depth of planning in the mid-90’s timeframe required absolute commitment to the initiative and its objectives, i.e. sales growth, recruitment, leader development, other desired bottom-line behavior drivers, etc. with detail to address all the possible “what ifs and pivots,” until we could evaluate/assess the success of the initiative, right?
The underlying reality here is “new” is not really new … rather, the fundamental relationship building business of direct selling now flies on the wings of digital technologies that allows us … make that compels us … to pivot, and/or layer digital solutions at the blink of an eye.
Here’s where you ask … still love direct selling? You bet I do … with concern!
Which brings me to share a thought for your consideration … are we smothering the direct-to-consumer sales model with a little too much love? Tech stacks, wraps, injections, API’s, layers, bolt-ons of cool and uber-functional tech all aimed at supporting the activities of our distributors and customer acquisition, and all well-meaning. But what is the real impact? Is the field engaged or confused? Is business up?
Until next time …
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