by Vic Pfefer

The lives of educators can be rewarding and frustrating. Most entered the field because of their interest in helping people, especially children. Unfortunately, the pay scale of educators tends to be be in the lower quartile of the  salaried occupations (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics), especially when you consider the amount of time that is required for lesson planning, grading, etc, that tends to take place after “working hours”. This situation is compounded by the fact that school budgets are being slashed and many teachers feel obligated to pick up the slack and buy supplies out of their own pockets.

Direct Sales is a perfect way for educators to generate additional income for themselves and can also be a great way to raise funds to help support their school, if that is a motivator.  Many direct sales products ( jewelry, handbags, cosmetics, etc) are well positioned to take advantage of the demographics of both the teacher/seller and the buyer/parent, which tend to be dominated by women. The majority of direct sales take place in the evening and on weekends which also works well for their schedules.

Besides earning a commission on personal sales, many direct selling programs also provide for commission “overrides” on the sales of other individuals who are sponsored.  This team building can provide a stream of income to supplement individual sales commissions.

Whether you are looking for a summer job or something you can do year-round that is extremely flexible and will work around your schedule, direct sales may likely be your best bet!

Besides teachers, there are other professions that lend themselves nicely to direct selling – such as those that revolve around relationship building, interacting with the public, etc.  We’d love to hear your thoughts on those who could be benefit from the income building opportunity that direct sales provides.

What are some of your greatest simple pleasures?

I recommend asking the following questions when you are doing your search.

1. What makes the product different than other similiar companies?
2. What makes this opportunity stand out from the rest? Explain the compensation plan, quotas (if any) and recruiting requirements(if any)
3. Who is responsible for collecting taxes?

4. What type of support or training does the company offer it’s consultants? Are there weekly/monthy webinars or teleseminars?

5. How much are the kits and are there any other ongoing costs such as catalogs, order forms, annual fees, business cards?
6. What is the company guarantee on its products?
7. Does the company drop ship to each customer or is the rep./host responsible for distributing the products?
8. Are the commissions deducted at the time of sale or paid out on a monthly basis?
9. How many consultants are in your area? How many leaders?
10. How often are new products introduced and how often are there new catalogs?

Good luck with your search! I welcome any of your feedback!