Direct sales, also known as “party plan,” have offered people a work at home opportunity since the 1950’s. Companies such as Tupperware, Mary Kay, and Avon, partnered with women across the country, pioneered this industry over a half century ago. Today, direct sales offers men and women the opportunity to sell many different types of products in traditional one-on-one or home party sales as well as through online sales.

Direct selling is exactly what it sounds like: one person selling directly to another. The seller will sign up with a company as a representative or consultant. They will be independent business owners but will have company support and training resources. They will sell the company’s products to other people for a commission.

If you do not choose to work this business via the traditional party plan way, you can work online. Most companies now provide websites which you can pay a monthly fee for. Customers can find you by searching through the company’s main page and place orders directly from your site.

Some companies make it easy for their consultants to market their products online and allow them to advertise their business through signature lines in forums, through email, or by buying ad space on other people’s websites. You can use these advertising methods to gain new customers as well as recruits.

Not all companies want their representatives to advertise online, so make sure you check out this policy before you join a direct sales company if you want to work your business this way.

Thanks to technology, you can now have a “virtual party” in a web conference room. Your hostess and you can decide on a date and time. You then give the hostess the link to the web conference room and she emails that to her guests. You can upload pictures of the company’s products and give out a great presentation using your computer’s microphone. The guests can listen through their computer’s speakers, and hear your excitement and energy.

You can play games and designate prizes for the winners. If the guests have questions, they can type them to you in the conference room. Depending on your company’s policies, the online guests may be able to enter their orders online or they may need to send the hostess an order form and payment, like they would for a standard “book party.”

There are many direct sales companies today that offer everything from kitchenware and gourmet food to pet products to craft supplies. If direct selling sounds like a fun and interesting way to make money from home and you enjoy working with other people, you may want to start looking at various direct sales companies that offer products you enjoy.

Ask lots of questions and compare the various companies before you choose one to sign up with. It may take a bit of hunting, but it is important to find one that you are truly passionate about. The happier you are with the company and the products, the more effective your presentations will be and the more money you will make.