Network Marketing: Don’t Sell Yourself Short
Obviously, in network marketing, no one starts at the top. On the other hand, it is truly the equal opportunity business channel, and networkers, who sometimes don’t realize the value in the opportunity, often sell themselves short.
Take the case of two ladies from Kansas and their 10-year run in the MLM business.
A Tale of Two Ladies from Kansas
In July 2010, U.S. newspaper readers were surprised to wake up to a story of two ladies from Kansas, Bonnie Kelly and Teresa Walsh, selling their barely 10 year old network marketing silver jewelry business, Silpada Designs, to the direct selling giant Avon for $650 million.
The two ladies started their fledgling business in 1997 and during their first year felt lucky to build the business to $95,000 in sales, 14 distributors and three employees. Hard work and networking paid off. After a little more than ten years, Silpada had grown to 232,000 distributors and $230 million in sales. Avon was understandably rightfully impressed and planned purchase Silpada, leaving its sales force intact.
Can it happen today? The answer is obviously yes for the two ladies from Kansas. Welcome to America and Network Marketing… where economic dreams can come true.
Avon…Door-to-Door Bibles…
Avon’s story, itself, is just as impressive. The founder of Avon, David McConnell, wasn’t even in the cosmetics business in 1886. He was selling Bibles door-to-door in the South, and giving away free perfume samples as a way to get into the homes of prospective customers. As it turned out, his customers showed such attraction to the perfume samples that he started the California Perfume Company, later renamed Avon. Today, Avon, trades on the New York Stock Exchange, operates in more than 100 countries with more than six million distributors and sales in excess of $10 billion; Avon is one of the largest sellers of cosmetics in the world.
Welcome to Network Marketing
And so, the answer is yes! You may be starting at the bottom, but try to imagine where you could be in ten years… Maybe, time to move to Kansas?
Read more about achieving success in the direct selling industry in the article “How to Build a Successful Direct Selling Company” or register for our MLM Startup Conference (for executives of MLM, network marketing and direct selling companies): Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference.
Leading MLM Attorney, Jeffrey Babener, has provided an extensive series of educational videos for both distributors and MLM executives.
The company profiles of Avon and Silpada Designs are also available on our website.
Or, read the story of Tupperware, another successful giant in the MLM industry.
