In my direct sales business, back in the day, I was selling children's books, and I was volunteering with a nonprofit to spread literacy in schools in our neighborhood. And after volunteering with them, I realized, gosh, I have this opportunity. I'm selling children's books. How do I get more books in the hands of the kids that are taking place in the programs that this nonprofit is offering? And so I had a really outstanding, ongoing partnership with them where we did fund fundraisers, when people gave donations and donated those books back to the kids that really needed them. And I got my customers involved. I brought them more visibility in our community about their mission and what they were all about. And, I mean, it was something we did do a couple times of year. And it was just a ton of fun. It really kind of filled my cup. And I know they appreciated it because I showed up with a handful of books for them every time we did a fundraiser, and they were able to get those to kids in their neighborhood. So that's a very specific example. But there's so many different ways, depending upon the nonprofit and the direct seller and really what their passion is to give back in a meaningful way in the community. – Becky Launder

In this episode, we are joined by Becky Launders, the co-founder and CEO of Modern Direct Seller, a company that is focused on empowering both new and seasoned pro direct sellers to reach their goals and find success in direct sales. Becky has also authored 52 Tips: Build A Thriving Direct Sales Business and is the brain behind the Modern Direct Seller Academy, Modern Direct Seller Box, and the Direct Sales Insights Survey. 

Join us as Becky shares some fun ways on how nonprofits can partner and collaborate with direct sellers to fundraise and reach out to donors.

What You'll Learn

• About Becky Launders
• Becky’s background in direct sales
• Fun and exciting ways to fundraise for organizations
• The goal of direct sellers
• How organizations can support direct sellers
• Who should make follow-ups during the events?
• Lessons about partnering with non-profits
• Finding the right company to partner with
• Key takeaway
• Becky’s final words

Want to skip ahead? Here are some key takeaways

[07:55] Fun ways to fundraise for organizations. Corporate giving programs where the company donates a portion of its proceeds back to the nonprofits. Some other easy ways include organizing bingo nights and popup events.[13:46] The goal of direct sellers. Building relationships and finding the opportunity to nurture and build upon those to gain exposure for the organization.
[14:34] How organizations can support direct sellers. Collaborate and get involved. Showing up by responding to comments, sharing about themselves on social media, and thanking the donors.
[26:56] How nonprofits can find the right company to partner with. Through research to ensure the product is aligned with what the organization is doing.
[32:24] Gain credibility and a new social network. Relationships create collaboration. Find a direct seller or direct selling organization that resonates with you and it will benefit everyone.

Resources

52 Tips: Build A Thriving Direct Sales Business. Book by Becky Launders

Full Transcript

Sami Bedell-Mulhern Hello, hello, everybody Sami here, your host, the Digital Marketing Therapy Podcast back for another one. And this one has a little bit of a twist to it. So I have been running my business for a little over four years now. And I'm a big fan of diversifying and having multiple streams of income, slowly, don't do it all at once. 

But I have a lot of different things that kind of run behind the scenes to help me generate income. And I've done podcasts on this before. But one of the new ones that I added to my list in March was direct sales. So which is very different from what I typically do as far as consulting and working with businesses and nonprofits and helping you guys grow and get more visibility. But I was invited to a party with one of my dear friends and fell in love with the product and just really was like, you know, what, this could be something that I can lend my experience to, to help me generate long term revenue, be in it for the long game, right. And so it's been great. 

And through that, I have been working alongside Becky Launders program, who is a guest, my guest today. And I knew her inside of another coaching program that we're both in together. But it was great to kind of work with her and this capacity. And as I've been working through this, it just really kind of dawned on me that there's such a great opportunity for nonprofits and direct sellers to work together to bring awareness and visibility to both sides of the organization. And to really participate in raise awareness for the things that nonprofits are doing. And so I wanted to have her on today to talk with you guys about some ways to go about it, how to think about it. All the things as it relates to potentially partnering with a direct seller, and your organization for a fundraiser and some brand awareness and there are companies that do everything from fitness to beauty products to kids books to clothing to makeup, you know like it's, it runs the gamut, so you can absolutely find a company that can support you, and your goals and your mission.  

Becky Launder is the CEO and co-founder of modern direct seller, author of 52 tips to build a thriving direct sales business. Brain behind the modern direct seller Academy, modern direct seller box, and the direct sales insights survey. Becky is known for modernizing the direct sales industry with her modern direct seller framework, which is being adapted across companies worldwide. She and her husband Jeremy deliver training, tools, and courses for direct sellers on topics ranging from email marketing, website development, and personal branding. Becky's usually running from one kid activity or biz meeting to the next, trying not to spill her coffee. I mean, come on, are we not all trying to do all the things all at once, I love it so much. And she's so real and honest, such great stuff.

I really hope that you enjoy this episode. And even if you don't go after a direct sales company to potentially partner with you, I hope that it will inspire you to think about some ways that you can fundraise and raise awareness for your organization in a new and fun, exciting way. 

But before we get into all the goodness, this episode is brought to you by our new Patreon account, you guys, I am having so much fun interacting with our patrons. It's such a blast. And really what it is is a way for you to take more action on the things that you learn from this episode. So and all the other episodes. So when you sign up to be a patron, you will get different perks based off of kind of the level that you sign up for. But at a minimum, you'll get a worksheet that goes along with every episode to help you take action and you get that worksheet at the beginning of the month. So you'll also kind of get a sneak peek at the episodes that we have coming for you. And there's some good ones coming I can't even tell you all the way up to opportunities for you to join us for asking me anything's and maybe even a guest speaker or two will show up that you can ask them questions as well. So I really hope that you'll head on over to thefirstclick.net/Patreon to learn about all the perks and benefits that you can get and join us so that you can take more action and get more results from all the amazing things that you're learning on this episode. Okay, let's get to it.  

[INTRO] You're listening to the Digital Marketing Therapy podcast. I'm your host, Sami Bedell-Mulhern. And each week, I bring you tips from myself and other experts, as well as hot seats with small business owners and entrepreneurs to demystify digital marketing and get you on your way to generating more leads and growing your business.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Hey everybody, please join me in welcoming Becky Launder to the podcast. Becky, thank you so much for coming on. 

[Becky Launder] Thank you for having me Sami, I’m excited to be here. 

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Yes, it's a little different conversation because we're talking a little bit about direct sales and how it kind of can intersect in the nonprofit space. So I'd love for you to share kind of direct sales, how you got into it, why it's your passion? All the things. 

[Becky Launder] Yeah, let's see me I just realized you probably don't even know this about me. But I have a master's in nonprofit management leadership. 

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] I love it!

[Becky Launder] I probably should have put that in my notes before hopping on the podcast. 

So my background is working for a nonprofit educational institution, I was in our marketing strategy, Department of the leadership training organization operated a lot like the University in many ways. And I stumbled into direct sales when I had my first baby. And I was looking for a little bit more flexibility. And honestly, in the beginning, I just joined because I wanted that I wanted the kid it was a great kid. And it was a great deal. And I wanted a discount for my family. And didn't that evolve into a lot more. So shortly after that, I, you know, built a very large team with that company, and started into the direct sales training world. So I spent the last few years training direct sellers across different companies and supporting them as they're working to build a profitable direct sales business. 

So it's been quite a ride, we have an amazing Academy of students that are learning new skills and growing their business in an authentic and genuine way and not doing any of those spammy, direct sales tactics. I love my group coaching program, I have a podcast, we have a subscription box for direct sellers. So we have a lot going on over here a software project that we have underway, and it's just been quite a ride. So I love the direct sales industry. And I love the nonprofit industry because that's where we really are. And so I'm so looking forward to this conversation. 

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Yeah, me too. I did not know that about you. And that's I love that we continue to learn things about each other all the time. That's so great. Fun. Yeah. So I started in direct sales earlier this year as an additional stream of revenue for my business. And I'm a part of kind of, of Becky's program. And one of the things that kept creeping up and creeping into a lot of our conversations was a lot of people talking about ways that they can, you know, do fundraising events for organizations and ways that they can support the organizations they care about within their company and how they can partner and do that. And so I just thought it'd be a great conversation to talk about some of the some of the fun ways, maybe it let's just kick it off with this, like, what are some of the fun ways that you've seen people create partnerships with nonprofits, to kind of raise awareness and raise some money?

[Becky Launder] Yeah, I mean, there are so many fun ways. I think direct sellers can really partner up with nonprofits in a big way. You know, sometimes it's actually built into a direct sales mission, right, they have a corporate giving program, where the company is either matching or donating a portion of proceeds back to a nonprofit. So some are really established organized partnership-type programs. And then on the flip side, you also see a lot of direct sellers that are just really passionate about that organization and their community. And they're coming up with fun, new ways to raise money for them, increased visibility for the cause, but then also, you know, help them build their brand to get out there and connect and network with new people as well. So I just seen bingo nights, I've seen pop-up events where a portion of the proceeds are being donated back. I've seen, you know, different ways to partner with a direct sales team. So there's a whole team that is working together to fundraise for a specific nonprofit. So there's just been lots of really, really fun ways that I've seen direct feller have connected with the nonprofit industry, to really help them fulfill their mission and make it kind of a win-win partnership.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] What the beauty of it is, is opposed to partnering with a corporation. You're partnering with a person who has a personal relationship with your organization or personal connection to the mission and so you can be a little bit more creative and think outside the box. Because you're not necessarily you're kind of dealing with the backing of corporate marketing, but on an individual basis.

[Becky Launder] Absolutely. You know, in my direct sales business, back in the day, I was selling children's books, and I was volunteering with a nonprofit to spread literacy in schools in our neighborhood. And after volunteering with them, I realized Gosh, like I have this opportunity. I'm selling kid’s books, how do I get more books in the hands of the kids that are taking place in the room, you know, the program is that this nonprofit is offering. And so I had a really outstanding ongoing partnership with them where, you know, we did fundraisers, and people gave donations and donated those books back to the kids that that really needed them. And I got my customers involved, I brought them, you know, more visibility and our community about their mission and what they were all about. And, I mean, it was something we would do a couple of times a year. And it was, it was just a ton of fun. And it really kind of filled my cup. And I know they appreciate it because I showed up with a handful of books. You know, every time we did a fundraiser, and they were able to get those two kids in their neighborhoods, that's a very specific example. But there's so many different ways that, you know, depending upon the nonprofit and the direct seller, and really what their passion is, to give back in a meaningful way in the community.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern]  So you talked about, I think, with that example, what's great is there is such a connection with what you were selling to what the mission of that organization was doing. So that makes it such a natural fit. And so one question I have about that is, when you were running some of those fundraisers, where people in your customer base giving, even if they weren't in that same physical location where those books were being received?

[Becky Launder] Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, I had customers all over the country, even though I'm based here in San Diego, California. And, yeah, I had customers all over. And even though it was benefiting kids in San Diego, I mean, part of it was that they wanted to support me, right. And it was something that I was passionate about, and my family was passionate about. And so they got on board with it. And they knew that it was gonna make a difference in the lives of a child, even though you know, they might not be in their neighborhood specifically.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] And so I think this is I hope on collaboration all the time. And that's what I think is so great about this is by you have a personal connection, or any direct seller has a personal connection for their own personal, whatever. I like this organization, I want to figure out a way to support this organization, I can do it through my direct sales business. You are immediately than being introduced to their entire network of people who already trust this person that you're talking to. So it's like am giving you like a megaphone to kind of amplify your message. whether or not those people choose to purchase and have a donation, you're still really getting an opportunity to talk more about who you are and who you serve.

[Becky Launder] Absolutely. And I have another example, a good friend of mine, every month, she picks a new charity to support. And she, she doesn't necessarily partner with that charity, she decides this month, I'm going to donate 10% of my profit to this organization. And she'll make a post about it in her social media groups. And she'll talk about why she loves the organization, what they're all about. And then at the end of the month, she cuts a check to them. And so it's a way for her to, you know, put more eyes on the cars that she cares about, but also using her business as a vehicle to give back, which is huge.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Yeah, I think that's wonderful. And it goes back to the goals of what we're trying to do. So, um, I know, you've seen this in your marketing side of your business, and all of that, but how you know, really putting to the event or to the fundraiser the purpose behind it. So it might not raise you 1000s of dollars, but it's going to give you access to a whole new group of people that you then have the opportunity to nurture and build upon. 

[Becky Launder] Yeah, 100%, right. direct sellers are all about building relationships. That's how they do. Right, and the only way they're gonna do business is because their 100% revenue is coming in based on their commission and their sales volume. So they are out there, they're connecting, they're meeting new people and getting in front of new audiences. And so I think direct sellers are a fabulous partner and the sense that, you know, they usually have a really strong social network, and they're, they have good connections, and they want to get out there and they want to meet new people. And, and so it is a completely new audience that you could potentially have your organization exposed to, that you wouldn't have otherwise, and use that direct seller and the platform that she or he has to share your mission.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Okay, so let's talk partnership and let's talk relationship because I think these are two really key elements. And I think a lot of nonprofits tend to take advantage of some of those. I mean, we've all been in those situations, right? Where you've partnered with the nonprofit and they don't hold up their end of the bargain or they don't support right. So I think, to be successful in this kind of situation and to really take those new contacts that Get those new eyeballs that you get and take them to the next level, the nonprofit really needs to step up and do their part, which isn't time consuming or crazy. But, you know, like, what kinds, what kinds of ways did the organization you partner with kind of support you and really make those fundraising events kind of more successful?

[Becky Launder] Yeah, and I think that this is such a good point because I've definitely done partnerships that are a little bit more one-sided, which is totally fine. Like, we know that that's how things go sometimes. But I've also, you know, worked with nonprofits where it's super collaborative. And from the beginning, we have a meeting, and we established how we're going to promote the fundraiser together, and what kind of support I need from them in order for it to be successful. So, you know, do I need marketing assets? Do I need them to join my Facebook group and answer questions as it comes up about their mission? And what they're all about? Or, you know, how are they going to really, you know, foster these relationships and connect in a meaningful way, with my audience, or my donors that are supporting what they're all about. So, you know, I've kind of seen it go both ways. And I definitely think the most successful is where, you know, it's really a true partnership and collaboration. And there is an opportunity for the nonprofit to really be involved. And it doesn't mean like involved like you're spending hours and hours, right, exactly, you know, tons of money on the fundraiser, it's like you just kind of show up, you got to respond to people's comments, when somebody makes a donation comment and say, thank you so much, we're so happy to have your support. You know, if you’re educated on your mission, and your programming is also a great opportunity, or even hop on like Facebook Live and share a little bit about what you're all about. And so, again, you're getting that visibility, and you're making those connections and maybe a new social circle that you haven't been in before. So I think setting up some of those ground rules from the beginning, but also participating throughout the fundraiser. And then, of course, the follow-up is huge as well.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Well, I think also understanding that the more that you do that the more long-term, you might not switch somebody to a donor right away. But the way that you treat people throughout the event might be the thing that kind of pushes them to say, Okay, well, I see that they're actually they're showing up for me like this, and they must show up for their audience like this, too.

[Becky Launder] Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. So important.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Okay. And then, I mean, so kind of to switch to the direct seller side, I mean, like this, these types of things can be long term Win-win. So you talked about follow-up. And so the follow-up is key. And so who should be doing the follow-up posts in events like this?

[Becky Launder] Yeah, so I mean, it can kind of go both ways, right. So as a direct seller, I like I would coach my direct seller to you know, give shout outs to anyone that's donating thank them for their purchase, thanks for their involvement. And then I think also on the nonprofit side, being able to recognize that direct seller, even a simple little shout out on social media, Hey, thank you so much, Becky, you know, you donated 250 bucks to our fall reading program, or whatever it might be, you know, kind of giving, giving them a little bit of visibility back. I know, in one of my previous partnerships was that we really co-promoted it. So it was going into a newsletter. And all the donations were coming indirectly through the nonprofit versus me taking them as a direct seller and then writing a check at the end. And so that that worked out really well too because then anyone that was donating we've on their email list, and they can nurture those leads, in touch with those donors. So I think at the bare minimum, at least, you know, being able to give a thank you letter to anyone that donated and how they can connect and learn more about the organization would be so so valuable in terms of bringing in new followers, and donor for the nonprofit?

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Well, and I think too, it's also about, obviously, the nonprofits going to provide their mission, whatever some information about the impact they're making on the community. But I have seen nonprofits that have partnerships with whatever it might be different retailers, it could be anybody, right, where they're giving a percentage of their proceeds from the sales that day to the organization. And then you see the typical Facebook post from the nonprofit that's like, hey, go here on this day, they're giving us money. I mean, it's more than that. But that's basically the gist of what they're saying. Right. And so I think there's a missed opportunity there with that too, in that if, if the direct seller can provide a little bit more lifestyle and more impact statements on their side to also then encourage the existing audience, the nonprofit has to participate and the direct sellers need to provide that information as well.

[Becky Launder] Yeah, absolutely and, you know, if direct sellers can put together a little summary of what they're doing and provide even graphics or, you know, some messaging around it, then it makes it really easy for the nonprofit to kind of spread that word to their audience as well. So, again, I think it goes both ways it can, it can definitely be a win-win. And establishing kind of what role each person is going to play from the get-go, I think makes a huge difference in that success.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Yeah, and I think if you're a nonprofit, and you don't have some of those kinds of bullet points written out for all of those types of relationships you have, that's a great starting off point, too, whether it be direct seller, whether it be Corporation, whether it be events, whatever, like that's a great, just a great reminder for people to put those SOPs, yes, systems are all about the systems. And I know I have I've given everybody a long laundry list of systems to do lately. Oh, well, what I mean, what else just from your experience, maybe good, bad, ugly? Otherwise? What kind of things have you learned? That might just be things people aren't thinking about when it comes to entering in this kind of relationship? 

[Becky Launder] Yeah. So a couple of things that come to mind, for me is to really think about what the actual fundraiser is going to look like, right? Are you donating back product? Or is this a cash fundraiser, we're looking to actually raise funds through it, or even a little bit of exposure, right? So nonprofits are putting together events all the time. So is there a way that you can have a vendor area where direct sellers can come and pop up, and they can either pay a vendor fee or donate back a percent of their sales to your organization? So how do you kind of like tack on a little bit of community involvement and direct sales action on to existing events that you have going on? I know, I loved doing events like that back in the day, those were some of my most favorite, because people were already in a giving mood, they were ready to make some purchases, but it was also able to get in front of new audiences myself. And so if you're able to involve direct sellers in any events you have going on, that's fabulous, or even virtual events these days, are pretty versed and virtual events, and could probably share some tips, even with the nonprofits on how they're running a successful event through social media. Let's see what else you know, I would say, if you are entering a partnership with the direct seller, I would also ask if they have others on their team that would be excited to participate as well. So in the world of direct sales, that's not a competition at all, that's actually fabulous of collaboration, right? Like, you're gonna go enter the fundraiser, and create a bunch of assets for it and share it with my community. I would love to have 10 others on my team doing the same and really amplify that voice. So that's, that's a quick idea. If you are having a conversation with someone, you know, are there anyone else in your direct sales team that would like to be involved on this level? Because that's just more people that you're getting in front of as well.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] That's such a great point. I think. The more the merrier. And I guess that's for me, one of the things that I love about being in the direct sales side, that I think I'm going to hope on the floor on the nonprofit side a little bit. But one of the things that I love about the direct sales side versus the nonprofit side is that I feel like the direct sales side community is so much more collaborative and comes from a much more abundant attitude. And the collaborations are great. And whether that's because it's a team setting. And so we all kind of can win together or not. I mean, you could have your own opinion about that. But I think creating as many collaborations and as many people is just going to bring more awareness, bring more funds to the organization and make it a bigger win win for everyone.

[Becky Launder] Absolutely Absolutely. Yeah. And I think also, you know, looking at it as a long-term partnership, right, like if Sammy and I just kind of got done talking about this offline, but really thinking about direct sales as you're in it for the long haul. So if you're partnering with a direct seller, you know, I would say great, we're going to do a fall fundraiser, can we pencil in our spring dates as well, right? So thinking about it as an investment to get back in front of people and know that you know, When spring comes around, and it's the second time that you're promoting that fundraiser or that event to that audience, they're going to be even more inclined to donate because they're learning more about your organization. And, you know, we hear in the world of marketing over and over, but how many times does it oh my God Put your product in front of somebody for before their money. I know I think that's like the new stat, it used to be seven. Now I think it's like 32 times, right. But really like, you know, that's more visibility. And if you've already established a partnership, you figured out what works like go ahead and replicate that year after year season after leaving, and continued to build that relationship in a way that, you know, the direct seller and her community really look forward to it. And really, you know, it's an opportunity to improve from the last event to the next event, to really help get the word out about your organization,

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Well, to your point, you've created the graphics, you've created the system, like all, then you already have the template in place. So each subsequent time you do it is actually less and less work.

[Becky Launder] Absolutely. And that's why, like the organization I partnered with, here in San Diego, for the books, it was perfect, because anytime I had a teammate that was looking to reach a promotion goal, there were certain sales expectations she was working to reach. And if she was like, gosh, I don't know how I'm gonna do it. My go to was always like, fundraiser, you're gonna do a fundraiser, and I'm going to give you all the graphics, and you're going to reach out to your community, and you're going to tell them how they can get involved. And at the end of the day, my nonprofit over here is going to love you and love us more than they ever have before, because we're showing up with more product for them. And we know that they're gonna benefit from it. No, it's a great tool for direct sellers to have under their belt, especially if they feel like they've kind of tapped things out in the sales route. Like we all have those days where we're like, oh my gosh, like we were, you know, we're in a little bit of a rut or we feel like we've talked to everyone that we know about it, or we only really need that month in Polish to boost up our sales are a very great way to do that.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Yeah, and we've talked about diversifying income, you know, outside of this too. And I think that that's another way just to kind of build in that funnel and have multiple streams of things coming in that you can then continue to pull from on both sides, right, like you're getting in front of new people that you can nurture grow and turn into potential other corporate sponsors turn into potentially long term donors if you have no idea. One of the last things that I want to make sure we touch on before we kind of wrap this up is if we're a nonprofit, and we're like, okay, I like what I'm hearing here, I think this is a good idea. I think this would fit for our organization. You know, what are some thoughts or ideas you have, as far as finding the right company that might be the right, fit for them? 

[Becky Launder] That's a good question. You know, I think that there's obviously, you know, you want to make sure that the product is aligned with what you believe in. So I would do a little bit of research and I would look up a couple of different companies that may have a product that's complementary to who you serve, and or your audience is interested in, too. I mean, that would be the other part of it. Right is if not, maybe it doesn't tie back directly to your programming that you're offering as a nonprofit. But, you know, who do you? Who is your audience? And what are they interested in? What are they like, you know. If there's any kind of vendor event type of activity in your community, you can kind of go scout things out, and look and see what kind of products are being offered, how the direct seller is presenting themselves because obviously, you want to align with somebody that's super professional, that's going to represent your organization and nonprofit in a way that you want them to. Absolutely. It gives you an opportunity to, you know, connect with somebody local and have a conversation with them. So if there are events in your area that you can kind of like scope out who's there and what they're offering, I think that's a really great place to start. And then if you do have a product in mind, you can always reach out to corporate and ask if there's a representative in your area that they would recommend for you to partner with on that type of initiative. And in all likeliness, they probably would refer you to somebody that's a little bit more seasoned, and probably has experience doing bigger events. And of course, nonprofits are great at this, but you know, word-of-mouth+ referrals to win direct sales? Who do you know, with this company? Can I get an introduction, have a conversation, make sure that you feel like you're getting the right vibe from them, and but they're also aligned with your mission, because you want somebody that's going to be passionate about the fundraiser, and not just doing it for the sake of doing it. You want them to be really aligned with your mission and what you're all about. So I bet if you ask around in your nonprofit or the community that you already have, there's probably a ton of direct sellers that you don't even realize they're direct sellers that are already involved on a personal level. Yeah. 

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] And you know what this is just making me think of and I totally didn't bring this up ahead of time, so I apologize, but even thinking about like your big galahs or like donor Thank you, items or items you want to put in your VIP bags or goodie bags or things like that like direct sellers could be a great opportunity for product donation and things of that caliber as well. So not necessarily thinking about it as a straight cash thing. Or maybe if it's not, as you know, great of a connection is I'm going to donate books for kids that don't have books, which is like a perfect alignment. Yeah, it could also be partnering with people that can provide benefits and perks and some fun prizes and giveaways and goodies for your donors as a thank you

[Becky Launder] 100%. Yeah, and, and I can't tell you how many times I donated a raffle basket, just for the sake of the visibility of like, Okay, I'm in the program, and oh, like somebody walking by that table is gonna see my basket, oh, my business cards are sitting out in front of it. And so that's a great place to even just kind of ease into a partnership with another direct seller is, you know, to ask for a donation or even discounted product to see if they're able to help you out. And that can kind of, you know, maybe spark something bigger as well.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] I love it. And I don't know why that had never occurred to me before. Sometimes the things that are right in front of your face, you don't think of it and I just I mean, I don't want to hit it too hard. But it's like, you don't have to worry about going to too many levels like you just go to the person they make the decision, or they don't. So it kind of removes a lot of that paperwork in politics around like what corporate-like what bigger businesses have the ability to do and not do in that moment.

[Becky Launder] Exactly. And you probably will have a direct connection to their audience. You know, if you're doing a corporate partnership, you may, you know, on some level connect with the members of that company. But I think especially in direct sales, they're going to be eager to show you off and tell their followers and tell their community how great you are and why they believe in your mission. So they give you that credibility and that access to a brand new social circle of connections that you can cultivate.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Oh my gosh, okay, so this is so good. I hope that you guys will consider taking a look at some of your favorite direct sales companies. I mean, there are so many different ways that you can build on that relationship. And I think the key takeaway from today for me is relationship and count collaboration because really creativity and the sky's the limit for how that relationship can bloom and grow. Are there any final words, Becky, that you might want to leave with nonprofits when it comes to entering into a relationship with a direct seller? 

[Becky Launder] I think I mean, just go for it. Yeah, give it a shot. See how it goes, the first time around might be a little bit Rocky, but like anything, you'll learn from it, you'll fine tune it, you'll find the right partner. And you'll maybe even find kind of a system that works that could even align with multiple direct sellers or multiple direct sales organizations in a way that is gonna be a win-win and will really benefit you and benefit them as well. So I think it's just it's such a great opportunity and a natural collaboration. Thank you.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Well, I'd like to say, well, there's a lot of people out there that we don't even know our direct sellers. A lot of us have them as side hustles. So if any of you are out there in the nonprofit world and also run a direct sales business, definitely check out Becky. Becky, how can they find out more about you and your Academy and your podcast and all of the 50 million things that you do?

[Becky Launder] You can find all 50 million things over at moderndirectseller.com. So that is our website. I'm over on Instagram @moderndirectseller. You can find us on Facebook, all the channels, all the places doing all the things.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] It's wonderful and amazing. You are well Becky, thank you so much for joining me today. I really appreciate it. 

[Becky Launder] Absolutely. Thanks for having me.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] I just love Becky is so much. And I'm so thankful for her time to come on this episode and share her passion with you guys to allow you guys to share more about your passion. All the great stuff we talked about will be in the show notes at thefirsclick.net/podcast. I hope that you'll check it out. And, you know, let us know if you're going to be partnering with a direct sales company and which one that is because we'd love to hear some of the unique things that you're doing and maybe pass it along to other direct sellers so they can help organizations like yours in their own community. 

So for now subscribe where you listen so you don't miss an episode and I will see you in the next one.