Key Takeaways from 2022 European Direct Selling Conference

PayQuicker was thrilled to sponsor and attend Seldia’s annual European Direct Selling Conference last week.

The PayQuicker team attended the two-day event in Brussels, Belgium where they had the opportunity to connect with peers and hear from industry-expert panelists on various issues concerning the direct selling industry.

Crystal Holtzendorff, Vice President of Global Sales, shares her key takeaways from the 2022 European Direct Selling Conference below.

The Infinite Evolution of Direct Selling

Executive panelists Angela Cret of Avon, Melodie Nakhle of Amway, Beatrice Nelson-Beer of PM International, and Michael Cervell of Oriflame shared the key take-aways and pivots from the past two years and objectives moving forward.

The panelists agreed that the top focus for direct selling organizations has been leadership. Gaining new leaders both internally and externally to grow the business has been a priority over the last two years. This has been a challenge as the industry competes with the rapidly growing Gig Economy, which has companies like Uber being the employer of choice for individuals across the world.

During the past two years, daily work has shifted from in-person to remote, and conferences have shifted to virtual experiences. Although this have given the industry the opportunity to adapt during challenging times, in-person gatherings help to build community which is an integral foundation of direct selling. Now, we must take the best of what we have learned in the past two years and bring it forward to a better future. One outcome is the rise of a hybrid environment, which provides efficiency across multiple time zones, helps facilitate faster decision making and enables agility in business.

How to Lead and Thrive in Times of Disruptive Change

Keynote speaker, Rahaf Harfoush, is a strategist, digital anthropologist and New York Times best-selling author who focuses on the intersections of emerging technology, innovation and digital culture.

Within social media there are geo-agnostic micro communities, which can be a significant avenue to communicate information. These communities can include the following:

• Real life proximity, such as friends, family, school mates
• Interest-based, such as books, knitting, quilting, etc. Within these communities, there is a rise of private groups which have exploded into in-app group chats that become a place of sharing tips and recommendations across all interests. This creates access to a highly targeted audience that is not public.
• Algorithmic communities, created by platforms such as Facebook or Instagram based on various behaviors.
• The Metaverse, or virtual experiences, virtual reality

Harfoush also spoke about how technology plays into building cultures. Technology now comes with social context and is leaving a significant mark on cultures today. When a person clicks, whether it be on their computer or by tapping their phone screens, the brain releases dopamine. The question is, does technology support or distract us from our work? According to statistics shared by Harfoush, employees are interrupted every 11 minutes. After the interruption, it takes an average of 15 minutes to get back on task. Those 15 minutes account for $650 Billion wasted in just the United States alone.

The valuable insights presented at the 2022 European Direct Selling Conference reinforce the key ideas behind PayQuicker’s digital solutions that serve as tools for direct selling organizations to keep up with important market and salesforce requirements. Understanding the trends and challenges of the direct selling community helps us to better meet the needs of our clients and their field.

Crystal Holtzendorff

VP of Global Sales

About PayQuicker

PayQuicker is the largest global payout provider for direct selling organizations, revolutionizing payments for hundreds of businesses ranging from growing global enterprises to emerging startups. An innovative financial technology company, PayQuicker offers secure and compliant instant global payouts in local currency via secured bank accounts with prepaid debit cards, virtual cards, and mobile wallets all through a single point of integration. Click below for a free demo to learn more about our customizable solutions.

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