Women and Network Marketing 6 Trends of Influence

by Linda Locke

It's no secret that women make up the majority of the network marketing industry (about 82% according to the Direct Selling Association). But it's not always clear just how big that influence is since it's the guys who are often the ones in the spotlight.

So just how do women influence the network marketing industry? Here's some of the major trends that I've been noticing over the past few years that clearly show the powerful influence that women wield in the $30.47 Billion plus network marketing industry.

Trend #1 - Explosion of New Products and Services

The huge explosion in new network marketing companies is a reflection of our niche-based society, but it's also driven by the fact that women make most of the buying decisions in their families. And they like having choices - and lots of them. They want products and services that fit their interests and fast-paced lifestyles. And the emergence of so many new products and services in the network marketing industry is a direct response to what these women want to buy.

As a result, more companies now see network marketing sales as a viable way to offer their products and services, prompting more retail companies to start using network marketing sales to reach new markets. As an added benefit, more women, and in particular young women have been attracted to network marketing, bringing new growth and opportunities to the industry.

Trend #2 - Focus on Customers, Not Recruiting

The success of the network marketing industry depends on sales - and customers equal sales. In the past, many successful network marketers trained their downlines to focus primarily on recruiting and not retail sales, which generated a lot of negative criticism for the industry. But women have generally rejected this practice, instead choosing to focus on their customers and building a retail sales base as the foundation of their business. Women have found that recruiting from within their customer base is a much more stable and positive way of bringing people into their business, rather then the old method of recruiting everyone and waiting to see who sticks.

Trend #3 - Social Networking Is HOT!

Social networking is all the rage right now, and Party Plan companies are back big time because of it. Why? Because women love to socialize and build relationships, not just sell. And Party Plan companies are enjoying a new renaissance because of this and are changing with the times by offering an easy startup, low-cost business option to women. The Party Plan concept is very appealing to younger women (especially single moms), who need a part-time income, but want more flexibility and a less restrictive option to a regular 8 to 5 office job.

Party Plan selling also offers women the convenience of buying quality products in a fun, relaxed environment - it's what social marketing is all about. And best of all, party plan sales generate immediate income for women (a huge plus!) -- there's no waiting for a minuscule commission check that's in the mail.

Trend #4 - Part-time Business Income

Many women only want a part-time business with part-time income, they don't want to build a million dollar business and the huge time commitment it takes to generate that kind of income. And the industry is moving towards favoring these part-time women who make up the majority of the industry. As a result, more companies (if they are smart) are offering better compensation plans that reward the part-time seller and not just the full-time heavy hitters. Also more companies are offering all their representatives the chance to get health care benefits, a big selling point for many women who have no coverage elsewhere.

Trend #5 - Just the Facts

Women love to do research before they buy something. They want to get the details, facts, and opinions about a product or service first before making a decision. This need has helped drive the profusion of information now available online and off about the network marketing industry and its products and services. We now have magazines, videos, blogs, podcasts, teleconferences, web conferences, web sites, search engines, newspapers and the media providing information about networking marketing companies at an unprecedented pace. Having all this information readily available has also helped to broaden the appeal of the network marketing industry, which brings us to our final trend.

Trend #6 - Network Marketing Goes Mainstream

The Network Marketing Industry has finally caught the positive attention of the mainstream media and women have a lot to do with it. From morning talk shows to local newspapers, the media have been focusing on all types of women in network marketing -- moms who work from home, women who start network marketing or party plan companies, women starting a business after retirement etc. For example, CBS's Early Show recently did an interview with moms making money at home and only featured moms in direct selling companies like Pampered Chef and Creative Memories. This kind of positive publicity from the media is a huge leap for the industry and women are leading the way.

I think it's abundantly clear from these trends that women have had a huge positive influence on both the image and the substance of the network marketing industry and that they will continue to do so in the future.

About the Author
Linda Locke is the Editor/Publisher of the MLMWoman Newsletter and the MLM Marketing Blog. She has been involved in the networking marketing industry for over 10 years and enjoys mentoring women in the business through her website, discussion forum and blog. http://www.mlmwoman.com -- http://regentpress.typepad.com/mlmmarketing/

Comments

[Anders Gustavsson]

Great trend report.

I am curious about the future, will the statistics stay like they are today?

Due to social networking, people wanting more freedom, and the rising dismay of industrial ways of doing business, I think young people will be jumping to network marketing.

I think that many more men will be getting involved, especially as the younger people start jumping onboard.

Lets see...

[Melissa Gerdes]

I've been active in the industry for about a year now and I'm still amazed at the variety of products and services that are distributed this way. The truly amazing part of the industry, though, is the education. The best network marketing organizations provide the personal and business education that can take an entrepreneur to success in the industry of their choice. As I encounter successful entrepreneurs, I can't count the number who "confess" that they got their start in network marketing. I think we are just beginning to see the power of this trend and women are going to be a huge part of it.