If you're looking to increase your income, direct sales is a thriving sector that offers many advantages. Choose a company whose values you share, that offers attractive compensation, and supports you with genuine care.
The best reward is loving "your" products
Your success depends on your ability to organize friendly gatherings, where you'll showcase the product or products you offer. For a VDI activity that really takes off, it's essential to choose quality product lines that inspire your trust and enthusiasm—products you'd be tempted to buy yourself.
The more inspired you are by what you sell, the more convincing you'll be with your clients!
Choosing a motivating compensation system
As a VDI, you'll earn a percentage on your direct sales. This is usually proportional to your sales volume, and can even increase when you surpass certain thresholds... which is much more attractive than a capped salary.
So, before you get started, consider the real criteria of the profession:
- The percentage-based compensation offered by the companies you're targeting should be attractive... compare it to a sales salary!
- You need to feel confident selling enough products to make a profit, and don't forget to factor in the cost of the starter kit if it's not provided for free
- Your earnings will differ depending on whether you do this full-time or as a side activity alongside another job,
- Being part of a supportive team and benefiting from on-the-ground coaching from a VDI mentor will give you a great boost at the start,
- Finally, you can achieve a rewarding status and higher income if, in the medium and long term, you develop your own team of direct sales consultants.
Choosing a company that aligns with your values
When looking for a company to become a direct sales consultant (VDI), it's important to reach out to brands whose approach resonates with you. As a personal shopper, you'll be credible when promoting the products and services of a company you truly appreciate. Get in touch with the companies that interest you, by email or phone at first, and try to meet your future colleagues. Some VDIs share their bios and experiences on blogs, especially at Elora...
It's important to see if you connect well with the team, and if you share the same vision of work and client relationships.
At Elora, we always work in a spirit of friendliness and kindness! It's a people-focused profession, and it's important that you feel comfortable in your relationship with the company.
Join our team and become an Elora Fashion Consultant (fashion advisor).
The types of training offered by the company
Make sure the direct sales company you're interested in truly supports you from the very start of your journey. It's important that they offer training to help you discover all their secrets and learn how to highlight their products, as well as master targeted sales techniques.
Elora offers several comprehensive training sessions for our direct sales consultants: in person, via Skype, or by phone. Even though no diploma is required to sell fashion as a VDI, you'll be more successful in your new role as a personal shopper after receiving training. You'll feel more at ease, more confident, and more credible right from the start.
Elora provides your starter kit free of charge
When you start as a direct sales consultant, you'll need to build an initial stock to have a foundation to work from. A range of products, order forms, catalogs... all of this comes at a cost. The amount varies by company, but it can represent a significant investment that you might not be able to afford without cutting into your future earnings. Before you get carried away, do the math to see how many sales it will take to recoup your investment.
To help you get started as a direct sales consultant at Elora, we automatically lend you a complete collection.
Thriving sectors in direct sales
The VDI status offers more freedom than a traditional job, but it's important to carefully choose the direct sales company you sign with. From the start, this choice determines your status, the range of products you'll market... and therefore your earnings.
But how do you start a direct sales activity without knowing all its secrets in advance?
In France, the direct sales market generated around 4.5 billion euros in revenue in 2021. This figure confirms the growing appeal of direct sales among consumers.
Elora helps you choose a company that suits you, in a thriving field. So, which direct sales sectors are booming right now? Unsurprisingly, the same major consumer trends as in stores are present, with a few unique twists. Follow the guide!
-
Home and living: the #1 sector in direct sales
About 30% of sales are for products or services related to home and decor. "Feeling good at home" remains a top priority for direct sales clients in France, and cozy products are more popular than ever.
-
Gastronomy and culinary arts: on the podium
Nearly a quarter of direct sales are made by companies in the gastronomy and kitchen sector. This performance confirms the current sales trend in France: clients love gourmet products and baskets (coffee, honey, organic fruits and vegetables...) and all kinds of services that aim to enhance their daily lives. That's why brands that make cooking easier, better, or even magical are so successful.
Note that these two sectors alone account for half of the direct sales revenue in France. If you're looking for a company that's hiring in direct sales, you now know where to knock to easily find a VDI job.
-
Fashion, lingerie, jewelry, or cosmetics: feminine worlds highly valued in direct sales
If your passion leans more toward products in the fashion and beauty sector, know that these areas are also leaders in direct sales. In fact, ready-to-wear found in stores is losing ground to more creative and personalized fashion.
When choosing their clothes and creating their look, clients love being supported and enjoying a unique, personalized experience... In short, they want to experience a private sales event as a magical moment, whether it's during an amateur fashion show or over a coffee.
What's more, digital marketing tools (from online shops to social media) are especially well-suited to promoting products in this sector. Fashion products (clothing, accessories, jewelry...) are trending on social media and online. Some brands even make all their sales thanks to digital marketing.
Discover how to boost your VDI career in a thriving sector.
-
Positioning and quality of the direct sales company's products
How can you be a great direct sales consultant, a true ambassador for a company, and work as a personal shopper with conviction and passion?
The appeal of the company's products, the sector, the compensation, the contract, and the status offered are all key motivators for independent direct sales consultants.
Attentive to consumers, for whom they organize private events, VDIs primarily seek brands that offer their clients a higher quality and more sustainable product range.
Indeed, client expectations have risen in France and worldwide, with greater sensitivity to ethics, organic and fair-trade practices, and, more generally, respect for the planet. And not just in restaurants, cafés, or markets! When it comes to clothing, lingerie, cosmetics, etc., eco-responsibility is now front and center.
To grow your network and organize attractive sales events, it's best to fully understand the values of the brand you represent!
A company's ethics are therefore an increasingly important criterion to consider seriously—sometimes even before looking at the details of the various independent direct sales contracts.
