A Review of the Direct Selling Association DSA

What is the Direct Selling Association (DSA)? It is a trade association of the top manufacturing firms that distribute services and goods to consumers. This is a national association of about 200 companies, many of which you may know since they are top brands.

Their promise to always maintain business practices that are honorable as well as consumer oriented is the basis for their ‘Code of Ethics'. Standards determined by this code are promised to be followed as a prerequisite to becoming and continuing to be a member.

Direct selling has been in use for many years. The early version of these sellers - those that went door to door and peddled their goods - were part of direct selling as a way to exchange services and goods. Bartering at one point was the major way of trading for the things needed.

Being a part of the Direct Selling Association DSA includes two types of membership. One is the direct selling members and the other is the supplier members. Direct selling is the companies that are responsible for the services or goods that go to the consumer via a salesman. Supplier members are those who provide the services or goods to the direct sellers.

Those who sell services or products using a brand that belongs to someone else are individual direct sellers. They are not a candidate for membership to Direct Selling Association presently. If the company decides to become a DSA member that can be arranged.

In 2007, the U.S. sales force size numbered 15 million and U.S. direct sales were $30.8 billion. The strength of direct sales has consistently gone up in the last few years. At the present the south seems to have the strongest market for direct sales. Followed closely by the west, the sales are strongest in clothing and personal accessories.

There are approximately 66 million people globally who have chosen Direct Selling Association for their personal business. At the present, most of these people are female, but the male population as well as partners of both sexes are becoming more interested in the direct selling market. Most are also the owners of their own business and 90% only work part time.

According to a tracking survey conducted by Burke Marketing Research, the public's opinion of direct selling is good. The creation of loyalty among the customers and the direct sellers is thriving. The technology available today with the Internet is a boon to the direct marketing niche. The traditional methods are still working, but the ability to reach more people is beginning to become a strong advantage for this business.

As with any business marketing, there may be scams that take advantage of legitimate companies. Do you know how to tell the difference? The Direct Selling Association DSA wants you to know the difference between their legitimate business and pyramid schemes or unscrupulous companies. Therefore they have prepared a few facts for people to help them to discern the difference. How many companies do you know that do this?