The Direct Option - Hardcover

Bartlett, Richard C.

 
9780890965832: The Direct Option
Hardcover
ISBN 10: 0890965838 ISBN 13: 9780890965832
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press, 1994

Synopsis

Party plans, individual calls, customer lists--this hands-on guide to a career in direct selling introduces readers to one of the fastest-growing sectors of the American economy. Companies such as Avon, Mary Kay, Shaklee, Amway, and Discovery Toys offer careers--part- or full-time--to millions of Americans, nine out of ten of whom are women. The beauty of direct selling is the ease of entry: low cost, no educational requirements, no age, ethnic, disability, or other barrier to achieving success.

This book, written by a professional with forty years' experience in different aspects of direct sales, tells the stories of real people from various companies currently making excellent incomes in the field. It also presents the basics of deciding whether this is the right career move, choosing a direct sales organization, setting up a business, and following through to success. The role of direct sales in the larger economy, the ethics of direct selling, and the prospects for international expansion are all explained.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author

RICHARD C. BARTLETT is vice-chairman of Mary Kay Corporation; chairman of the Direct Selling Education Foundation; past chairman of the Direct Selling Association; and member of the advisory boards for the Center for Retailing Studies, Texas A&M University, and Center for Retailing Education and Research, College of Business Administration, University of Florida. He is also active in the governing organs of various conservation and environmental groups. His experience in direct sales encompasses forty years of practical, hands-on work, including helping to pioneer two global Fortune 500 companies.

From the Back Cover

Party plans, individual calls, customer lists - this hands-on guide to a career in direct selling introduces readers to one of the fastest-growing sectors of the American economy. Companies such as Avon, Mary Kay, Shaklee, Amway, and Discovery Toys offer careers - part- or full-time - to millions of Americans, nine out of ten of whom are women. The beauty of direct selling is the ease of entry: low cost, no educational requirements, no age, ethnic, disability, or other barrier to achieving success. This book, written by a professional with forty years' experience in different aspects of direct sales, tells the stories of real people from various companies currently making excellent incomes in the field. It also presents the basics of deciding whether this is the right career move, choosing a direct sales organization, setting up a business, and following through to success. The role of direct sales in the larger economy, the ethics of direct selling, and the prospects for international expansion are all explained.

Reviews

Direct selling is a fast-growing phenomenon providing an independent and flexible occupation. Bartlett here examines direct selling as a positive choice for full- or part-time employment nationally and internationally. He uses profiles of individuals and selected companies to exemplify the process of choosing a company, developing a business, and even becoming a successful leader. While Bartlett attempts to present the material objectively, his positions as chair of the Direct Selling Education Foundation and vice chair of Mary Kay Cosmetics may make this impossible. The result is an almost Pollyannaish approach to the topic. However, with the present level of economic uncertainty, direct selling provides a viable career choice. A few related titles have been published recently (e.g., Direct Selling , Haworth, 1993; Joyce M. Ross's Direct Sales , Pelican, 1991), but this book should be of interest to public libraries needing coverage in this area.
- Kathy Shrimpock-Vieweg, O'Conner-Cavanagh Lib., Phoenix, Ariz.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Publisher
Texas A&M University Press
Publication date
1994
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0890965838
ISBN 13 
9780890965832
Binding
Hardcover
Edition number
1
Number of pages
304

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780890965849: The Direct Option

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  0890965846 ISBN 13:  9780890965849
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press, 1994
Softcover