The

Direct Selling Edge Conference

The Direct Selling Edge is a two-day school for new and established direct selling, network marketing, party plan, social selling and affiliate companies.

Hosted by top compensation plan expert Jay Leisner of Sylvina Consulting and leading MLM attorney Kevin Thompson of Thompson Burton, this conference has been held several times yearly since 2011.

In addition to the subjects taught, we include private consultations with our faculty members at the end of each day.

15 Reasons To Attend The Direct Selling Edge

Understand what you need to do to grow your company smarter and faster.
Get the information you need to make better business decisions.
Collect buckets of wisdom to be used now and in the future.
Improve how you operate your company.
Learn what you don’t know, that you need to know.
Relearn what you once knew, but forgot.
Find out what you haven’t yet done that you need to do right away.
Identify specific steps you will take now and later.

Discover what you have done wrong, so you can fix these things right away.
Learn what to avoid doing that would harm your company.
Build relationships with top industry experts.
Network with other direct selling company owners.
Just one great idea can change your world. Get ready for many.
Invest in yourself because you’re worth it, and you deserve it.
Now is the time to work on your business.

Print 15 Reasons

“This conference was jam-packed with practical information on how to start or improve a direct sales business.”

Private Consultations Included

To get your private questions answered,
we have also included scheduled consultations with faculty members
from 5 PM to 7 PM at the end of each day.

Thursday, Sep 29
Friday, Sep 30

9:00 AM – 7:00 PM

What Is Direct Selling?

Speaker: Jay Leisner
Direct selling is different from other business models. Understand the differences and similarities between network marketing companies and party plan companies. Find out why both are MLM.

Conference Preview

Speakers: All
In this fast-moving session, you will hear a few minutes of wisdom from each of our faculty members. Enjoy a taste of what you will learn from each of them.

Compensation Plan Design 101

Speaker: Jay Leisner
Compensation plans are designed to motivate specific behaviors. Discover the building blocks and understand the behaviors to be motivated by field compensation.

Demystifying MLM Law

Speaker: Kevin Thompson
The industry has developed over the past few decades through a myriad of state statutes, regulatory actions and class action lawsuits. Gain a deep understanding of the current status of the law after tracing decades of fascinating history. You will also learn about the September 2015 Vemma and the July 2016 Herbalife FTC actions, and what they mean for all direct selling companies.

Nine Things You Need Before MLM Software

Speaker: Jerry York
Before selecting a software provider, get prepared by addressing the nine core operational areas (merchant accounts, paying commissions, and seven more) that every company must tackle. When you do this before obtaining software, the technology implementation process will go smoother and you’ll lose less hair.

Recruiting and Building Your Field Force

Speaker: Jeff Jordan
In the beginning, it’s your company’s responsibility to recruit. It’s faster when you have your initial leaders in place. Learn what to spend on initial recruiting, and how and what to do to find them.

Distributor Compliance

Speaker: Donna Marie Serritella
Compliance is one of those things that many companies don’t think about until it is too late. For example, a handful of income claims can generate large, full scale investigations from regulators. This presentation will help you evaluate your current distributor compliance efforts and needs. You will learn why it is so important to implement your Compliance Department before you open. And, you will recognize the role that every distributor plays in keeping your company clean of regulatory issues.

Direct Selling Operations: Launching Your New Business Efficiently And Effectively

Speaker: Emily Barr
Operational excellence depends on being efficient and consistently meeting strategic goals within established timelines and cost constraints. Come prepared to learn the best strategies for a successful new company launch through project planning and project management.

There is more on Friday, Sep. 30.

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9:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Compensation Plan Design 201

Speaker: Jay Leisner
Discover the science behind compensation plan design. Avoid the common pitfalls faced by others. Evaluate your compensation plan in light of wisdom you’ll learn here.

Regulatory Spray

Speaker: Kevin Thompson
Learn ten specific strategies to keep your MLM or Party Plan company safe from federal and state regulators.

How to Avoid the High Cost of Miscommunications

Speaker: Troy Dooly
The most recent studies state that leaders who discount soft skills like communications, training and storytelling do so at their own peril. The cost to a company of 500+ employees is approximately $6,253,000 per year in reduced productivity, brand degradation, employee retention and lost business. As a startup, midsize business, or Fortune 500 direct sales company, can you afford the high cost of miscommunication of your brand story, new product launch, or compensation plan? Learn about the gaps that lead to miscommunication in hybrid and remote working models of a direct sales company, the three costly assumptions about communication, and more.

Strategic Execution: Making Your Initial Vision Not Just A Reality, But A Success

Speaker: Emily Barr
Sometimes envisioning the “next big thing” for your business is the easy part, but how do you take that idea from concept into a successful reality? The go to market strategy of an initiative for direct selling companies can be complex but absolutely necessary to be successful. In this session we will identify the key elements of a strong go to market strategy and walk away with a template you can apply to new concepts for years to come with your business.

How Your Sales Force Can Make Your Good Comp Plan Bad

Speaker: Donna Marie Serritella
You’ve done all you can to design a legal compensation plan. Is that enough to protect you from violations of regulations? The answer is “no.” You need to monitor what members of your sales force say about your compensation plan. Your good plan needs to be protected from bad sales force behaviors. Learn how to do that in this session presented by a Compliance Expert.

Better Business Decisions With In-Depth Analytics

Speaker: Jeff Jordan
The future is analytics. The winners in a competitive environment are the ones who use analytics to make better and faster business decisions. Data driven decisions don’t rely on guessing, it is all about hard facts. You will learn about the latest analytics technology in the direct sales industry and how you can apply it to your company’s growth.

Speaker Panel

Speakers: All
This is a great opportunity for you to get fast answers to your questions on any of the topics presented or any other areas of interest. Submit your questions on chat. We’ll answer as many as we can for you.

20 Secrets of Successful Direct Selling Companies

Speaker: Jay Leisner
Discover these secrets now and use them to be successful.

There is more on Thursday, Sep. 29.

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Drury Plaza Hotel Franklin in Franklin (Nashville), TN

Off I-65 near Cool Springs Galleria, Drury Plaza Hotel Nashville Franklin is just south of Nashville.

The friendly staff welcomes guests to relax in clean, comfortable rooms and to enjoy free hot breakfast served every morning and free hot food and cold beverages every evening at the 5:30 Kickback®.

A complimentary corporate shuttle is available Monday-Friday to take you within five miles of the hotel.

Book your room now at our discounted rate while it is still available.

Reviews

In the first five minutes, this conference had turned everything I knew on its head. It made me ask questions I didn’t even know were topics I needed to know.

– Nikki Lewien

I learned more in 2 days than I have in 25 years selling MLM.

– Karrie Mattia

I would have loved to have attended this seminar 11 years ago when I began my company. It would have saved me hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of work.

– Bernardo Fernandez

Taking the time to fly out for this convention was the perfect decision for myself and my business at this time. I have learned so much amazing info and the connections I have had the opportunity to make are something that will be a total game changer. Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity!

-Liz Silver

For what it costs to attend this seminar, it could be the most valuable investment you’ll ever make if you are planning on or have already launched a direct sales company. The legal knowledge and regulatory knowledge alone is worth a lot.

– Dave Austin

Every second was worth the time! I’ve learned more in 2 days that I’ve learned the last 18 months as a president of an MLM. Thank you!!

– Guy Douglas

The 15 minute one-on-one sessions were invaluable. I was able to get my specific questions answered by the industry experts with no sales pressure.

– Legretta Lee

I came to this conference two years later than I should have. Had I come two years earlier, I would have saved over $100,000 AND two years.

-Thomas Baker

This is the third DS Edge Conference that I have attended. I continue to learn more each time.

– Rodney Brandt

I feel that we were given real guidance that was not overly optimistic, but real and presented in a way that was not overwhelming. It was certainly a lot of information given in a well thought-out pace and a friendly professional manner.”

– Karen Bogdan

The things we learned here have been key in preventing us from making some costly mistakes.

– Adrian Alvi

Jay, you gave the best presentation and overview on the different types of compensation plans I have ever seen by anyone in my 30 years of being a part of MLM.

– Mary Lou Venable

Excellent overview of key elements of the industry, and a solid review of the tripwires and pitfalls of an industry that is rapidly changing. Definitely worth attending!

– Robb Heering

More Reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the Direct Selling Edge?
A: This 2-day conference is a unique school for new and established direct selling company owners and employees to learn how to better operate their businesses. The Direct Selling Edge Conference is offered by Direct Selling Education, Inc.

Q: Who is this conference for?
A: If you currently are, or will be, an owner, executive, or employee of a network marketing, party plan, direct selling, social selling or affiliate company, you should attend this conference.

Q: What will I learn there?
A: From the top direct selling experts, you will learn what you need to know, do, and not do to be more successful. Just one great idea can change your world. Get ready for many of them.

Q: What topics do you address?
A: We focus on the most important subjects to companies of all sizes and ages. These include direct selling business models, compensation plan design and improvement, legal regulations, software, compliance, recruiting, field leadership, company culture, and operations. Every Direct Selling Edge Conference includes private consultations with faculty members.

Q: What kinds of reviews have you received from attendees?
A: Excellent ones. You will find all of our 120+ reviews here.

Q: How long have you been offering this conference?
A: The first Direct Selling Edge Conference was held in September 2011. Since then, we have held 24 live conferences and 3 webinars.

Q: What makes your conference different from others?
A: We focus on delivering pure educational content. Instead of delivering sales presentations, we teach wisdom and actionable steps. Attendees tell us we provide a unique learning experience. Find out what they tell us by taking a look at our 120+ reviews.

Q: Can you give me just one reason to register for this webinar?
A: No, but we can give you 15 reasons.

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