A View from the Digital Divide W

HAT’S KEEPING you up at night? That’s the conversation I’ve had with leading direct selling executives these past few weeks.

From re-engaging the field and enhancing the customer experience to growing sales in a down economy and safeguarding against regulatory actions, the recurring themes shared focus on engagement.

This feedback reminded me of a news article in the Wall Street Journal in late February. The piece reported the research findings released by DSA research partner Ipsos that revealed that three out of five American remote workers surveyed believe that remote work has allowed them to continue engaging with colleagues while achieving a greater work-life balance.

That Americans have found a pathway to enjoy family time even as they connect professionally to accomplish work goals is heartening news. But what’s even more compelling are the implications of Ipsos’ findings: that this newfound balance has been powered by society’s embrace of the new technology platforms that continue to enable this more robust and effective engagement.

DSA has been attuned to this trend for a while. After our first two DSA Social Media Days, we are leading the way to lead the industry conversations that will reshape the norms by which social sharing and digital commerce transact.

As a benefit of membership to DSA member company executives, DSA Social Media Day has engaged a range of professionals—from digital marketing managers to C-Suite executives—in discussions that explore how the channel can

MELISSA K. BRUNTON Senior Vice President , Education & Meeting Services, DSA

compete even more effectively in the digital marketplace as Americans gain increased comfort with technology platforms.

At our most recent Social Media Day, we launched the DSA Social Media Guidelines to explain how to get independent direct sellers to engage as social sharers and help DSA member companies adjust to a world where more and more sales are made online and through social media.

DSA helps companies encourage distributors to share their own stories as part of their journey in a way that follows the advice given by regulators and other consumer protection leaders. It does this by encouraging companies to train independent direct sellers on best practices, such as how to build a strong personal brand.

No longer is it about posting products and links which could be seen as spam, potentially leading to social account restrictions or removal. Trust is personal, and developing an authentic online persona capable of creating personal relationships is essential to winning in the new world of social selling.

Visit www.dsa.org to get details and register for DSA’s next Social Media Day being held on May 8. Also, register for DSA ENGAGE 2023, scheduled for June 14–16, 2023 at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in AZ. Early bird registration ends on April 21—act fast to take advantage of DSA’s special $259 room rate and reduced resort fee.

The conversations and networking in Scottsdale will help propel our community forward as we seek new ways to innovate and thrive. DSN

Directory Squire

1329 South 800 East Orem, UT 84097 801-515-0977 squire.com

For nearly 50 years, Squire & Company has provided financial excellence and NetSuite expertise for clients in the Direct Selling industry. We offer personal service, responsiveness, and expertise in all areas.

Payquicker

400 Linden Oaks, Suite 320 Rochester, NY 14625 844-258-3006 payquicker.com

PayQuicker is the leading global payout provider to direct selling organizations. Instantly make secure and compliant payouts to your field in local currency across the globe with our award-winning solution that provides the largest selection of flexible and modern spend options.

Miner Group Llc

11905 Sara Road Laredo, TX 78045 956-712-8842 minergroup.net

Miner Group LLC offers solutions for the Mexican Market! For over 30 years, we have helped companies expand to or optimize their operations in Mexico. We offer product and ingredient evaluations, customs clearance, regulatory compliance, label translations, and logistic services for the Mexican market.

I-PAYOUT

540 NE 4th Street Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 866-218-4668 discover@i-payout.com i-payout.com

Since 2007 i-payout has been the leading payment choice for pay out and pay in solutions. We pride ourselves on exceptional service paired with integrated and customized solutions.

CP & KRELL GROUP

Keller, TX 817-697-4321 cpkrell.com

Landing a more sophisticated brand of talent takes a more sophisticated recruiting partner.

Bringing 25 years of Direct Sales executivelevel experience from around the world and with a Team speaking 5 languages we know what it looks like to have success in a diverse and international environment. Our goal is to become an extension of your brand.

Complete Merchant Solutions

727 North 1550 East 3rd Floor, Orem, UT 84097 877-267-4324 cmsonline.com

Complete Merchant Solutions (CMS) is a full-service US merchant account provider representing multiple banks. CMS safely and securely supports many types of payment processing for direct selling companies.

Lacore Payment Technologies

900 Wilmeth Road, McKinney, TX 75069 Info@lacoretechnologies.com lacorepayments.com

LaCore Payment Technologies is a payment platform designed to support direct selling companies globally. Our services include: Global connectivity to 150 countries in 50 currencies, including direct connectivity to most alternative payment types, secure tokenization, customized fraud solutions, including our proprietary Fraudhawk™, advanced reporting tools, and online dispute management.

Strategic Choice Partners

2201 Long Prairie Road, Ste. 107-316 Flower Mound, TX 75022 407-891-9265 strategicchoicepartners.com

SCP offers the most holistic consulting services specific to direct selling companies today. We’ve worked with more than 70 companies over the last three years alone, and served more than 250 years collectively in the industry.

METRICS GLOBAL, INC

1160 N. Town Center Drive, Ste. 100 Las Vegas, NV 89144 702-757-9600 info@metricsglobal.com metricsglobal.com

We are the industry’s leading payments partner, long-established advocate, and problem-solver. Our unified commerce & payments platform will connect you to a global marketplace, enable your international expansion strategy, and fuel your exponential growth plans. Let us show you how.

Nexio

727 N 1550 E, 3rd Floor Orem, UT 84097

1-877-551-5504 nexiohub.com

Nexio manages the chaos of payments offering:

• Faster roll out for distributors or partners

• Simplifies payment processing for corporations

Nexio does this by being integrated with the majority of back-office software solutions in the Direct Sales Industry.

Amware Fulfillment

4505 Newpoint Place Lawrenceville, GA 30043 866-888-2999

Sales@amwarelogistics.com amwarelogistics.com

Handle fulfillment for many direct sellers. DSA member with 15 fulfillment centers, nationwide, for 1–2 day ground delivery to 95% of U.S. population. Offer comprehensive B2C fulfillment services, including complex kitting, plus discounted parcel shipping based on our large volume of freight.

Canada Cartage Logistics Solutions

1615 Clark Blvd. Brampton, ON Canada L6T 4W1 905-564-2115 x2 canadacartage.com

CCLS is your gateway to turn-key e-commerce sales and distribution in Canada. With fulfillment centers across Canada, our pick, pack and ship options, and real-time inventory visibility, we will help your business grow. We are NHP Site Compliant, Health Canada licensed, and GMP Compliant.

Deliverzen Fulfillment

1551 Corporate Drive Irving, TX 75038 214-233-6790 deliverzen.com

Deliverzen’s mission is to provide the best service in the order fulfillment industry.

Quickbox

Denver (HQ)

11551 E 45th Ave. Unit C. Denver, CO 80239 720-990-5642 quickbox.com

“Whether your products are headed direct to your end customers’ doorstep, to a big box retailer, or to an Amazon warehouse, Quickbox will help you deliver a seamless experience that keeps your customers coming back for more!”

Global Access

2889 Ashton Blvd, Ste. 350 Salt Lake City, UT 84070 877-811-8108 globalaccess.com

International expansion expertise and technology and logistics solutions that grow clients’ businesses and brands around the world.

Katapult Events

5840 Red Bug Lake Rd, Ste. 140 Winter Springs, FL 32708 407-915-9060 katapultevents.com

Fresh. Exciting. Bold. Your field deserves the best and we help you deliver. Out-of-the-box creative production with experienced show management. We execute on budget and make you look AMAZING!

Lacore Logistics

900 Wilmeth Road, McKinney, TX 75069 214-817-4802 lacorelogistics.com

LaCore Logistics provides distribution and order fulfillment services. Our highly automated distribution center provides both domestic and international direct-to-consumer shipping solutions. We offer omni-channel fulfillment solutions ranging from marketplace fulfillment for leading marketplaces to businessto-business fulfillment for leading retailers.

Multi Image Group

1701 Clint Moore Road Boca Raton, FL 33487 800-523-2682 mig.cc

Founded in 1979, Multi Image Group (MIG) is a women-owned, family-run creative event production company fueled by innovators, strategists, and technologists who craft custom live, hybrid & virtual experiences for some of the world’s biggest brands.