The Direct Option

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.

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.