A Sponsored Blog Post by Rodger Smith from Association Sponsor, Exigo.
Direct selling in the UK is a major force in the European economy. With retail sales reaching £908 million last year, the industry is a powerful opportunity for people to earn extra income. Many people in the UK and Ireland are exploring direct selling to supplement their earnings, driven by the rising cost of living and the need for flexible work. But money is only one part of the story. People also join for community, personal development, and the chance to build a business on their own terms.
For a direct selling company, this growth presents both a huge opportunity and a clear challenge. When a company expands, leaders can feel pressured to build new technology from the ground up. I know this from experience. But technology should never distract a company from its main purpose: connecting people with great products and building real, lasting relationships.
Here are three core lessons from my time building a direct selling company as an independent distributor, now focused on what they mean for the UK and Ireland.
1. The Technology Must Scale with You
The UK market is one of the most established direct selling markets in Europe. Your technology needs to handle that scale from day one. Do not build an in-house commission engine. It is expensive and takes time and resources away from your products and distributors.
Instead, find a proven software platform with a track record of supporting companies as they grow. Your chosen technology partner should already have a back end built to support complex commission structures and handle international expansion, including multi-currency and global payment options. That platform should be able to support a company with 50 distributors just as easily as it can support one with 50,000.
2. The Back Office Needs to Serve the People
Most people join direct selling in the UK and Ireland for a simple reason: they need a side hustle that makes financial sense. But once they join, they find the other benefits, like community and personal growth. The technology should support these things, too.
This is why your back office technology must be clear and simple. A good back office provides distributors with meaningful data without overwhelming them. It should show them exactly what their next step is to make more money. It should also help them feel like a part of the team. It should answer questions like:
- How much did I sell this week?
- How close am I to my next rank?
- Which of my customers are due for a re-order?
- What is my team’s next goal?
The data should be actionable, not just a spreadsheet. Your back office should give distributors a clear path forward, empowering them to grow their business and build their relationships on their own terms.
3. Technology Must Support Existing Behaviors
The modern direct seller is digitally savvy. They are already using social media to connect with friends and family. Your technology should support this behavior, not try to replace it. It should help them build their community.
An ideal software platform has a modern app ecosystem with simple tools that help distributors share products and content. It might include AI features that suggest content for them to share, but the distributor should always be in control. The goal is to make it easy for them to talk about your products and business opportunity in a way that feels authentic to them. It is about giving them a tool that fits into their life, not forcing them to learn a new way of working.
A fitting example of this is a product-sharing tool that allows distributors to create a link to a specific product. When a customer clicks that link and buys, the sale is tracked back to the distributor. This simple tool turns every social media post into a selling opportunity, while helping them grow their network.
Conclusion
Exigo was built with these lessons in mind. We believe that technology should be the dependable backbone of your business, empowering you to better support your products and people.
One final and critical point for the UK market: partner with the Direct Selling Association UK. They provide Codes of Conduct that give your business and your distributors credibility. By building your company’s technology to align with their standards, you can ensure your business is built for long-term success.
Get in Touch with Exigo
You can learn more about Exigo, and contact us, via our page in the Direct Selling Association Supplier Directory, which is available here.