Hello! I wanted to introduce myself & our (40) year old family-owned company, Linen World & More.
My name is Michael Chavanne and I am the President of Linen World (www.LinenWorld.com) and like most business, we had to figure out how to be relevant in the digital era.
For those of you who have been in direct sales, home party plan, on-line marketing, for a long time, I am sure the changes you have seen have been mind-boggling over the last several years. Industry giants such as Home Interiors, Celebrating Home, House of Lloyd, Loganberger and more are simply gone.
My name is Michael Chavanne and I am the President of Linen World (www.LinenWorld.com) and like most business, we had to figure out how to be relevant in the digital era.
For those of you who have been in direct sales, home party plan, on-line marketing, for a long time, I am sure the changes you have seen have been mind-boggling over the last several years. Industry giants such as Home Interiors, Celebrating Home, House of Lloyd, Loganberger and more are simply gone.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TRADITIONAL IN-HOME SHOW?
For 35 years, the core of our business was in-home shows. About 5 or so years ago, you could feel a fundamental shift in both show attendance & hostesses wanting in-home shows. Personally, my wife used to get invited to 2-3 shows a month for a variety of companies. I cannot recall the last time she received an invite to a traditional show.
There are many reasons for this (schedules, the way people shop, etc,etc) and while we still do in-home shows, it is a small fraction of what it once was. Our business has taken the direction of online ordering, catalog shows & vendor events.
SHIPPING COSTS:
Our NUMBER ONE expense is shipping costs (partly because our product line tends to be larger items (think quilts, blankets, sheets, etc. as opposed to smaller items like jewelry or cosmetics. Amazon, unfortunately, has the entire world shipping is free. Two years ago, because of the dramatic shift to all things online, we introduced a free shipping option for orders over $49 and a flat rate $6.95 for orders less than $49 (please keep in mind that there are very few items in our line that we can ship for less than $8+ our cost).
FEES, CHARGES, EXPENSES, QUOTAS, MINIMUMS, ETC.
"Back in the day" it seemed every company would charge consultants everything from annual fees, website fees, back office charges, quotas, etc. I personally never understood this approach as I believe the business should be a partnership between the Company, Consultant, Hostess and Customer. Since 1979, we have NEVER charged a single penny for any of the support, technology, etc we provide.
PROMOTION / MARKETING SUPPORT PLATFORMS
Remember the days of putting up posters and leaving business cards on cork boards? As part of our redevelopment into the internet era, we invested heavily on (free) digital marketing & support tools so our sales force can focus on promoting their business on-line thru Facebook, Email, Text & Other Social Media.
SUMMARY:
If you have experience in direct sales, marketing and/or are looking to earn extra income on a schedule that fits your life, check out Linen World at: https://www.linenworld.com/be-a-consultant
There are NO Fees, Charges, Minimums, Quotas or Expenses, EVER. We are successful when our people are successful and we provide the platform and support to assist in building your business.
Disclosure: This is a contributed post.
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