Direct selling is not just simply a go-to-market strategy and sales channel to reach consumers. At its heart, it is the people who made, and continue to make, direct selling the successful marketplace it is today—those with entrepreneurial spirits who want to build businesses, whether from the ground up or by representing a company’s products.
Still, there remain many misconceptions about the channel among its critics, the general public, and policymakers. In a new book co-authored by seven DSEF Fellows, along with a veteran direct selling executive, the direct selling channel is framed within the context of entrepreneurship, and an historical overview shows the long-term sustainability of the business model.
In Direct Selling: A Global and Social Business Model, the authors share their insights on the business model and its success in today’s marketplace. Co-authors include Dr. Sara L. Cochran, Clinical Assistant Professor, Indiana University; Dr. Anne T. Coughlan, Emeritus Professor of Marketing, Northwestern University; Dr. Victoria L. Crittenden, Professor of Marketing, Babson College; Dr. William F. Crittenden, Professor of International Business and Strategy, Northeastern University; Dr. Linda K. Ferrell, Roth Family Professor of Marketing and Business Ethics, Auburn University; Dr. O.C. Ferrell, James T. Pursell Sr. Eminent Scholar in Ethics, Auburn University; Alan Luce, Senior Managing Principal, Strategic Choice Partners; and Dr. Robert A. Peterson, John T. Stuart Chair in Business Administration, University of Texas.
The book is based on the valid and reliable research conducted by the authors, who have been published in high-quality, reputable, and peer-reviewed academic and practitioner journals. It will be of interest to scholars, students, the media, and policymakers.
For scholars, it can add foundationally to the efforts of academics who are conducting research on a wide variety of topics (such as sales, women empowerment, business strategy, ethics, distribution models, gig economy, and global entry, to name a few). For students, the book offers a variety of insights, including the intricacies of the direct selling channel. The book’s content is also particularly informative for policymakers at the local, state, national, and international levels.
Importantly, the book provides considerable depth in terms of three particular issues associated with direct selling: compensation, ethics and compliance, and global reach.
Direct Selling: A Global and Social Business Model is published by Business Expert Press. It will be available November 5, 2021. Copies can be pre-ordered here.