Direct selling refers to the selling of a product or service directly to consumers, away from a fixed retail location. The EU Directive on Consumer Rights (Directive 2011/83/EU) defines "direct selling" as contracts concluded between traders and consumers with the simultaneous physical presence of the trader and the consumer, in a place which is not the business premises of the trader. These products or services are marketed face-to-face by salespeople who, depending on the company, may be called representatives, consultants, distributors, etc. These sales people in most cases are working as independent sales agents or resellers but some direct selling companies may also utilize employees.
Direct selling is interesting for consumers because of the convenience and service it provides, which includes personal demonstration and explanation of products, home delivery, and satisfaction guarantees.
Direct Selling represents also an opportunity for individuals looking to start a business due to the low investment necessary to work as a direct seller.
Direct selling should not be confused with terms such as direct marketing or distance selling which may be described as an interactive system of marketing that uses one or more advertising media to generate a measurable response and/or transaction at any location, with this activity stored in a database. Some commonly known types of direct marketing and distance selling techniques are telemarketing, direct mail, and direct response.