Thinking of selling in direct sales or with an MLM (multilevel marketing) company? If so, you are probably wondering how much you can expect to make in direct sales.
We’ve all heard of the success stories with MLM companies and direct sales. I think everyone knows someone who makes $100,000 or more a year, but how common is that? What can you really expect to make? How much time do you have to put into it?
I have true stories from 10 different women to tell you what they are making in direct sales. This way you can get an idea of how much you could make. The underlying theme with all of these stories is that you get out what you put in. The potential to make money is there, you just have to figure out the fit for you!
This isn’t the first time I’ve blogged about direct sales. A few years ago I did a series on direct sales that was pretty similar to this post. To this day, it is one of my most popular searched terms on my site. Why? Because people want to know what they can expect to earn. It’s not enough to hear the success stories, we want to hear it all- the good, the bad, and the ugly.
I’m doing this because I’ve finally found a direct sales company that I am excited to join. I recently joined Norwex, a company that sells green cleaning products. I joined last month when it was only $10.99 to join with no sales expectations. Basically, I had nothing to lose! With my joining fee I received these awesome products (a $35.98 value) and have the ability to make money selling something I love.
I don’t have an income story yet, but if you are interested in Norwex products, please visit my Norwex shop and check it out!
Real Earning Statements in Direct Sales
Olivia Deiches | LuLuRoe
$5K-8K a month working 40 hours a week
Olivia’s LuLuRoe Facebook Group
From Olivia: I started LuLaRoe to have something for ME and to bring home $500 a month to help pay bills! It cost me $5k to start and I currently make around 5k-8k profit a month working 40hrs/weeks. And from what I can tell, I’m on the lower end of income for that much work.
Patricia Garofalo-Hilligoss |Norwex
$350-1,000 a month working 5-25 hours a month
From Patricia: I never thought I’d do direct sales because it’s just not my personality to sell directly to people. I also didn’t like being “sold” to. I didn’t want to be THAT person especially that I have a professional career as a Physician Assistant. But, I joined a friend’s Norwex online party, and in support of her, I made a purchase. Well, there is where the love and passion for Norwex came about. I was beyond impressed with the product, did my own online party, and signed up as a consultant. I make anywhere from $350-$1000 a month doing it part-time. I do it minimally and mainly with all online parties. I put about 5-25 hours per month into it and do it when I have free time in between my professional job, kids, and my hubby. I love Norwex and my Norwex community. It’s all about doing what you are passionate about. Find your passion and you’ll find your success!
Anita Morin | Premier Jewelry
~$1,000 a month doing 3-4 parties
From Anita: I have a unique story with my business. I’m actually a physician assistant. When I graduated with students loans from PA school I needed something else but never imagined direct sales was the way to go as honestly I have my masters in medical sciences… I thought using my degree would be more profitable. But I took a jump and found I was making more an hour doing premier than I did with seeing patients. I make 50% of everything I sell plus 10% of the sales of those on my team. The first year and a half I sponsored 11 people and was making about a $1000 a month doing between 3-4 parties a month. I think Premier is honest in their estimates. They say the average party is between $400 and $600 a month meaning I would make between $200 and $300 a party. I chose to take a break from premier and there was no penalty for me to do so. I restarted about 2 months ago but in a different way…now after having a baby I’m building my business through Facebook live parties rather than in home events. I had 3 Facebook parties in June and made about $786.00 not leaving my house.
Sarah Rohrkasse Charles | Rodan + Fields
$750-1100 a month working 5-10 hours a week
From Sarah: I invest 5-10 hours a week and currently make $750-1100 per month, with lots of growth on the horizon (domestic and international). My goal is to replace hubby’s income in 2-3 years.
Meagan Wristen | Take Shape for Life
$350-1,000 a month working 1-5 hours a month
From Meagan: I never expected to become a Health Coach and help people lose weight, but I found myself heavier than I wanted to be and getting divorced in the middle of 2015. I knew I had to make a change. I lost 36 lbs in 6 months doing Take Shape for Life. My friends and family wanted to know how I did it. I loved the program and was so happy with my results I would freely share. Eventually I realized I could help others do the same thing.
Rachel Wilkinson | Young Living
Just started and is making $120 a month for 4-6 hours a week
From Rachel: I am just starting out, so I am basically making enough to cover my personal order of oils/products every month- which is SO cool! This month I have sold two kits (making $50 each) and will make some money from commissions off of my team’s total sales. It has only gone up each month. This month, my check was for $147.33 and I have worked 4-6 hours per week. But! Being a stay-at-home mom, those hours are here and there- send a message to someone, change a diaper, go back and look at some more oily stuff. I LOVE the flexibility and the fact that it’s up to me how much money I want to make. The more time and effort I put into this, the more money I make. Plus, I am building a business that will last forever and only keep on growing.
Tracie MacLaughlin | Perfectly Posh
$400 a month working 7-14 a week
From Tracie: In all honesty, I don’t put much effort in right now, but have had $700 in sales (since starting), so about $400 to me. I work about 1-2 hour a day. It’s hard with a 9 month old!
Start Up Costs
Check out these stories from women who recently joined a direct sales team, MLM, or network marketing company. They share the start up costs behind getting started!
Megan James | SeneGence: LipSense & ShadowSense
Start Up Cost: $55 for the kit
Grace and Gloss: Makeup with Megan
From Megan: For years, my first reaction to direct sales or MLMs was definitely “not for me!”
That recently changed after trying LipSense about three months ago. I bought a LipSense kit (1 gloss, 1 color and 1 Oops Remover) from a friend before my trips to Disney, Mexico and the beach. I was blown away by the color options and how the lip gloss never rubbed off! Not on cups, not on my sweet children! I also loved applying the color in the morning and then not worrying about it all day (not even in the heat).
After purchasing a few additional colors, my friend asked if I would like to host a party. There was a great incentives for hosting a Facebook party so I went for it (with low expectations). I was blown away by the response! Close friends, family members and friends I haven’t seen in years all ordered products.
Additional tips for Getting Started with SeneGence
-Be sure to sign up with a sponsor who is available to give you quick, honest answers to your questions. A good sponsor also provides the tools needed for success (invitations to Facebook distributor groups, graphics, steps needed for a successful launch, etc.)
-Watch for hidden fees (especially shipping and tax)
-Budget additional startup costs. Here are a few examples:
$67.50: Startup fee (advertised as $55 but that does not include shipping and tax)
$10: Apps to manage social media content
$20: Packing and shipping supplies (envelopes, bags for product, etc.)
$20-40: Marketing materials (business cards, instruction postcards, design fees, etc.)
Elizabeth Hedgepath | DoTerra
Start Up Cost: $35 for the kit
From Elizabeth: Hi everyone! My name is Elizabeth Hedgepath and I am a Wellness Advocate with doTERRA, a leading essential oil company. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be working for a Network Marketing Company. Never. Teach classes and try to persuade friends and family to buy things just so you could make money? No thanks, that sounds awkward, I’ll pass. And then enter doTERRA.
So what were my start-up costs? Easy, it was my enrollment kit! To become a wholesale customer there is a $35 fee or you can sign up with an enrollment kit and have the $35 turned into product. At the time, I didn’t know that my oils would turn into my “inventory” and that I would be giving samples out to those who were interested! How neat! I am new to the business side of doTERRA, so I’m only seeing minimal income at this point. Most of my income comes from my new enrollees at 20% commission for their 1st 60 days. I also receive a $50 bonus when me and 3 of my team members have a monthly order of 100 personal volume (PV) and my team volume is at least 600. This bonus is called The Power of 3 and can eventually go up to $1500 as my team builds! The only thing doTERRA requires for you to be paid commission is a monthly order of 100 PV (product value). And let me tell you, it’s hard to keep it down to 100! doTERRA is such a generous company! I am currently receiving 10% back of my monthly PV order and can reach up to 30%. So, when I reach my one year anniversary I will be getting back 30 product points for every 100 PV I spend! Not to mention that I receive a free product every month with a 125 PV. I usually use the free product of the month and my reward points for my enrollees and team members. It’s a great way to give back to those that are helping you build!
As of right now, since I am so new, I am being paid through doTERRA’s Fast Start at 20% PV for each new enrollee. This 20% lasts for 60 days per enrollee and is paid on a weekly basis. Once I have an established team and am able to hit specific ranks, my commission will become more steady. Here is the list of my checks since I started from week to week:
20/2017 $20.00
21/2017 $68.40
23/2017 $30.15
24/2017 $93.35
25/2017 $70.00
26/2017 $04.70
27/2017 $116.05
*As you can see my commission fluctuates. It is completely dependent on how many signups I had in that particular week and the PV orders of my established team members. You can find more information on doTERRA’s compensation plan at the following link: http://media.doterra.com/gb/en/flyers/compensation-plan.pdf
I didn’t sign up with doTERRA to start a business, I signed up to better my family. At the end of 2016, I was getting pretty frustrated with my family’s health. My husband struggled with migraines on a daily basis, my daughter had very bad eczema, and I battled with anxiety and panic attacks. All 3 of us were on medications trying to fight these things and I just thought there had to be a more natural way. In January of 2017, I decided to pray and let God show me. I prayed for many things that month and had no idea He would answer them all through doTERRA. Thanks to doTERRA, my family and I can live a more natural lifestyle, I have found a wonderful community to connect with, and God has given me a day-to-day purpose. To say I’m in awe is an understatement! My family and I can now reach for our oils instead of the medicine cabinet. We know how to aid our bodies when we’re feeling off or ill. It is so empowering to take control over your own health! I struggle with anxiety and depression and before doTERRA I felt alone in the fight. Now, I have these amazing tools under my belt to fight with me! What are you fighting? What tools are you using?
If you are interested in learning more about the power of oils, business opportunities or you even just want to hear about what we use on a daily basis to combat migraines, panic attacks, and even eczema please reach out to me! I implore you to empower yourself, and if God calls you, to help empower others too!
Blessings!
Just for the Perks
Some people join direct sales and MLM companies just for the perks or to try it out for a while. Read these two experiences.
Kelly Ann Jenkins | Dream Trips
I just joined in March, and I’ve been waiting to see the value of the product before I started selling. I literally just started selling this week. I’m saving so much money on our vacations! I saved $100/night on a hotel in Boston over St. Patty’s Day. I saved $65/night for a room in Key West. I just booked our 10th Anniversary trip to New Zealand and Bora Bora, and I saved $300 per person on a one way flight and $70/night for the hotel in Queenstown that 4 other booking engines said was already full. They have this technology called RateShrinker too. If you book something and the rate is lowered before your trip, the company refunds the difference!
Kathryn Barrie | Jamberry
Kathryn’s Jamberry Facebook Page
From Kathryn: I decided to become a consultant after only trying that first sample. I knew I loved the product and would be purchasing them often for my own personal use. The starter kit to join was almost the same price as I would have spent on wraps and supplies for myself to start out anyway. I was so excited about the idea of being able to purchase my nail wraps at a discount and being able to fund my own little obsession with any sales that I made. To be honest, I didn’t plan on becoming a consultant to make money. I was going to put everything I made back into buying wraps for myself (and believe me – most of my commissions do go back into Jamberry because I can’t get enough) but surprisingly I have been able to use the extra commissions for personal use as well.
What about you? Are you ready to sell something too? Already sell? Please share your experience in the comments!
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