DSEF FELLOWS MAKE THE CASE FOR DIRECT SELLING How the Foundation’s Work Is Mainstreaming the Channel Over the last four years, nearly 170,000 undergraduate and graduate students across the US have been introduced to the direct selling channel by university and community college faculty participating in the Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF) Fellows Program. DSEF Fellows help to expand the knowledge and understanding of the direct selling business model by creating compelling classroom content focused on practices within the channel. Direct selling research has been published in notable peer-reviewed academic journals and is included in widely used Fellows-authored marketing, ethics, business, and entrepreneurship textbooks. Case studies are just one of the ways Fellows teach students about direct selling. Developed with DSA member companies, case studies typically focus on issues faced by all businesses but are presented through the lens of direct selling. For the participating member company, a case study can have lasting effects: provide greater insight into the practices of the organization; instill a sense of pride in the salesforce; and promote positive brand awareness among academics, students, publishers, and key civic influencers.
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January 2021