DIRECT SELLING
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n some circumstances it might be prudent to, as Lewis Carroll says, not go back to yesterday. There is power—and comfort, perhaps—in solely focusing on the here and now. Of maybe allowing fleeting thoughts toward the future, but certainly not spending time dwelling on the past. It goes beyond Carroll’s assertion that we were different people then; that we had changed. In this circumstance, it simply reflects the fact that 2020 was a year most people would like to forget.
direct sellers and met customers where they were in the new normal. The call for racial equality and social justice was answered by renewed efforts for inclusive diversity in the workplace. And polarization of politics was a stark reminder that to survive, in both business and life, cooperation is key. How direct sellers conduct business, engage with customers, and treat each other moving forward will long have the echoes of 2020.
It’s hard to celebrate what an important year it was for direct selling when considering the pain experienced by so many Americans. Business closings and lost jobs. Social unrest brought on by racial inequality. The loss of the hundreds of thousands of lives to COVID-19. That’s not to say that direct selling companies did not struggle in 2020. Many did. But what came of the collective struggle was, in the eyes of many, a much stronger channel. Company executives lifted each other up, offering guidance and encouragement on the transformation needed to stay in business. Corporate leaders helped their fields engage with customers in new ways. And the business model itself proved once again that during tough economic times, it is resilient and enduring.
The COVID-19 Pandemic In January 2020, the US direct selling channel was coming off a year in which sales had slightly declined—$35.2 billion from $35.4 billion in 2018. Leaders were focused on increased competition from the gig economy and online retail technology disrupters.
What changes us ultimately moves us forward. The global pandemic forced the acceleration of new technology that created new online celebrations for
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January 2021
Just two months later, they were strategizing how to keep their businesses going. The coronavirus was a full-blown pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of people were affected. Hospitals were overwhelmed, schools were closed, and non-essential businesses shut down. In March and April more than 22 million Americans lost their jobs. John Agwunobi, the former Assistant Secretary of Health for the US Department of Health and Human Services was less than ninety days into his new role as CEO of Herbalife Nutrition when he joined
