Direct selling, explained by someone who's actually sold it.
Before you buy a starter kit, join a team or recommend a product to your neighbour, understand how the products, prices and compensation plans really work. No rankings, no "top 10" lists. Just the questions a practitioner asks.
- Practitioner-written, every article reviewed
- Sources cited to regulators
- Affiliations disclosed
What are direct selling products?
Direct selling products are goods sold person-to-person by independent sellers instead of through shops. The common categories are wellness supplements, skincare, cosmetics, personal care and home cleaning. Sellers earn a retail margin, and in most companies a commission on sales made by people they introduce.
Three things that make them different from shop-bought products
- Price layers. There's usually an MRP for customers and a lower distributor price, plus "points" (PV/BV) that drive commissions.
- Demonstration selling. Products are chosen because they can be shown working: a skin test on the back of a hand, or a cleaner on a stained kitchen tile.
- Repeat use. Healthy companies rely on consumables people re-order monthly, not one-time gadgets.
Four ways into the subject
Every guide sits in one of four sections, so you can go deep on one question rather than skim a hundred listicles.
Choosing a company
Checklists, red flags and the documents to ask for before you sign.
- Pyramid vs direct selling
- Income disclosures
- Buy-back policies
Product categories
What's actually sold, how it's priced, and what to read on a label.
- Wellness & supplements
- Skincare & makeup
- Home care
How the money works
Comp plans, PV/BV, taxes and the law in each country.
- Binary vs unilevel
- India 2021 rules
- FTC guidance
Selling well
Field-tested habits for finding customers without losing friends.
- WhatsApp & Instagram selling
- Product demos
- Year-one mistakes
The red-flag checker
Thinking about joining a company or a new team? Tick what's true. It won't name names. It only shows the pattern.
Guides people are reading
How to choose a direct selling company: 9 checks
The order I'd check things in today, after 12 years and two companies.
Direct selling in India: rules, cities and buying habits
From Okhla to Indore: how the market really behaves under the 2021 rules.
Direct selling in the USA: FTC rules and real expectations
Why Utah County matters, and what an income disclosure really tells you.
Direct selling by country
The same product sells differently in humid Chennai, a Dallas suburb and a Kuala Lumpur condo. The law changes too.
One practitioner, written down
This site started as answers to the same questions I kept getting by email: Is this company legit? Why is the price so high? How do points work? After 12+ years in direct selling, including several years with Amway and my current work with Vestige, I've seen what helps people and what costs them money.
I don't rank companies and I won't tell you a product is "the best". I'll show you how to judge for yourself.
Full background and how I work →Questions people ask first
Short answers here. Each one links to a full guide.
Is direct selling legal?
Direct selling is legal in most countries, including India, the USA, the UK and Malaysia. What is illegal is a pyramid scheme, where income comes mainly from recruiting people rather than from selling products to real customers. India regulates the sector under the Consumer Protection (Direct Selling) Rules, 2021. The difference, explained →
How is direct selling different from MLM?
Direct selling is the broader term for selling products directly to consumers outside of stores. Multi-level marketing (MLM) is one way of paying direct sellers, where they also earn on the sales of a downline they recruited. All MLM is direct selling, but not all direct selling is MLM.
Does this site recommend specific companies?
No. We explain features, structures and how to evaluate a company, but we do not rank companies or rate products as good or bad. The founder is associated with Vestige and was previously with Amway; this is disclosed on every page. Our disclosure →
What are direct selling products?
Goods sold person-to-person by independent sellers rather than through shops: mostly wellness supplements, skincare, cosmetics, personal care and home cleaning.
Take the 27-point checklist into any meeting
Five groups, 27 points. Tick each one when you have the answer in writing, then print it or save it as a PDF. Free, with no sign-up.