Your Questions About Direct Marketing Jobs

Jere answers:

If you’re looking for a work from home JOB (not a home based business), there are lots of companies who hire for call center type

positions. And don’t listen to the nay-sayers who say work from home and telecommuting jobs are all scams or that there aren’t real jobs.

There are. You just have to know where to look and how to avoid the scams.

Do NOT pay for a list of jobs or pay to get a job. There are a few of the legitimate companies that, after you have qualified for the job, ask you to pay for a background check if you will be handling sensitive information like credit cards. It’s usually $20-$30 and from legitimate companies is a legit fee to pay. Other than that, there is no reason or need to pay anything if you just want a job. Some of the call center jobs, you are an independent contractor (IC) and some you are an employee.

If you want to start a home based business, there will be fees involved and business expenses. There are many legit business opportunities out there in direct sales, multi-level and network marketing. There are great companies to work with, but having a business isn’t for everyone.

For info on jobs, you can check out this comparison chart from RatRaceRebellion.com – it shows a huge list of companies, their requirements, pay, where they are etc. Http://www.ratracerebellion.com/CS_Comparison.html

Also, check out the telecommuting forums at WAHM.com and WorkPlaceLikeHome.com

Jere answers:

“CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY is the study of human responses to product and service related information and experiences. Many responses are important, including beliefs and judgments, emotions, purchase decisions, and consumption practices. A broad range of product and service related information is also important, such as advertisements, package labels, coupons, consumer magazines, and word-of-mouth communications from friends and relatives. The goals of consumer psychologists are to describe, predict, influence, and/or explain consumer responses.

Consumer psychologists are educators, researchers, and administrators. They get direct feedback from their work and they see how it changes things. It is not easy to understand why some people buy and others do not. Nor is it a simple matter to discover the trends and predict where things are going in the next few years. The majority of business executives and managers are well educated and trained in their field, but few are also all that familiar with the behavioral sciences. This is where consumer psychologists step in. The consumer psychologist’s job is not easy. Once a Coke was a Coke. Today’s consumers have more than brand preferences. Some want regular cola, some decaffeinated, some sugar-free, and some both decaffeinated and sugar-free. And there is still more: New formula and Classic; cherry-flavored, too.”

Jere answers:

Creative Memories, Stampin Up, Passion Parties (adult toys), Scentsy (wickless candles).

Most of those require a start-up “fee” that usually pays for the first round of supplies and training material.

You have to put out a lot of your own money for advertising, products, parties, etc and then when you sell the products you keep a percentage and pay the rest to the company.

If you can sell a lot of products you can make decent money. You’d have to work pretty hard to make enough to really live on, and you could possibly end up paying more than you take in.

With Avon and Mary Kay you have to buy products and use them, have testers, and have knowledge of the products that you can demonstrate.

For creative memories and stampin up you have to buy products to make sample cards to advertise the materials.

You need business cards, flyers, you have to go door to door, get your friends involved..and trust me, nothing is more annoying than when my friends pester me to come to their scentsy party (I’m a military wife and scentsy and passion parties are like gold to some of them).

I wouldn’t say they’re scams per say, and they’re certainly more legit than Amway or Market America, but you’re essentially starting your own business and that requires a cost and time output before you even start seeing much of any income.

Jere answers:

Excellent question. Although very specialized. And not the cup of tea of all who read these columns. You have heard recently that Milton Friedman passed away (g-d bless his soul) he put the nation into the right course by his monetarist views. As an answer to your direct question — you obviously realize and are in agreement that “keep gold standard” is not very logical since gold is a finite material (i.e. It is not endless) and we need the monetary unit for indefinite growth given the explosion of our own populations and those of other countries (see china, etc.) once you understand those simple facts of life you realize that on no gold standard we need a good government that will keep the monetary supply in good check and balance too. If we have a government that overspends, and prints its way out in printing more money without the equivalent growth in the economy then we have trouble which leads to the ills of inflation, stock market bumps, and insecurity in the job market. Hope it answers your question. From a professor of economics.

Jere answers:

Hi LV,

Experience in both professional life and personal life is overall key. Ask yourself:

Is the location truly detrimental to you staying at the job?
Does the company have other locations closer to your preference?
Do I like this job enough to commute, or do I want to roll the dice and find something with a better location? Possibly something I might not enjoy as much…..

My .2 cents, is that you are upfront on your resume, by simply stating the location move reason and explain further to the companies that call you back and want “you for you.”

Obviously things happen and positions change, and no one wants to be looked upon as the flake who jumps around. But always remember that it is better to me forthcoming about yourself to a company, rather than worry about something ever coming back around to you even in the slightest.

Please feel free to email me direct if I can help:
Lou@attainmentlife.com
www.attainmentlife.com