As a prominent direct selling company with customers and distributors in many emerging economies, QNET understands its responsibility toward creating awareness, education, and information about the industry, which has been rife with misconceptions. The company goes the extra mile in being transparent about its own business and also focusing on helping people understand what the direct selling business model is and how it differs from pyramid schemes and other dubious financial scams. In addition to extensive information provided on QNET’s website and social media, the company also regularly publishes informational articles in the media, produces videos, and provides a detailed set of FAQs on its blog. If QNET aimed to be a scam, it wouldn’t go to such lengths to make so much information easily accessible to the public.
In 2023 the global e-commerce-based direct selling company launched a podcast offering a behind-the-scenes look at the industry through the eyes of its independent representatives. Listen to “Real Talk With QNET” on major platforms, including QBUZZ, Apple Podcast, and YouTube.
Host Trevor Kuna chats with guests about their experiences becoming successful entrepreneurs. Independent representatives reveal what worked for them and discuss what they learned from their biggest business failures. In addition, the podcast offers insight into the direct selling industry. New episodes are scheduled to be released monthly.
The first episode of “Real Talk With QNET” starred siblings Shipra and Oneal, both top distributors of the company serving in the rank of Associate V Partners. The brother and sister duo shared stories from their childhood in Uttar Pradesh, a state in northern India. They also discussed how they faced challenging family dynamics on their path to creating a successful business powered by a dynamic e-commerce platform.
Shipra understands the company isn’t a scam; it takes hard work and commitment to succeed in the direct selling industry. “I realized that business had a huge potential. I understood the business,” she said. “People said yes. People said no. It was mixed. My best friend said no to me, but that was their choice. I didn’t stop. I moved on.
“I wanted to do it for my parents and my son. There was nothing that could stop me. From the day I started this business, it was always about working hard, making money, and helping others make money. And I think I’ve lived my life with the same thought process.”
She’s among the many driven independent representatives that will be sharing their success stories on the exciting new podcast.
Podcasts Pay Off
The podcast is an effective way to positively market the direct selling company and dispel misinformation. According to Statista, in 2021 more than 82 million people in the United States listened to podcasts. By 2024, an estimated 100 million-plus will listen to them. The largest demographic of listeners comprises millennials and Gen Z, two generations that can use their tech knowledge to their advantage in the direct selling industry.
The new podcast allows the company to spread factual information about the direct selling industry, which could help reduce misinformation. QNET is not a financial scam or pyramid scheme, and the podcast allows it to communicate its knowledge and expertise, which helps it build more credibility.
The direct selling company celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2023. “How many scam companies manage to survive this long?” asks CEO Malou Caluza. “We have hundreds of success stories from people who have changed their lives.”
Why Is QNET Mistaken for a Scam or Pyramid Scheme?
QNET, headquartered in Hong Kong, is one of the earliest adopters of e-commerce in the direct selling industry. It offers independent representatives the opportunity to create a borderless business.
The company has expanded into new markets, allowing interested entrepreneurs to promote unique products that are only available on the e-commerce platform and grow their own independent sales business. “I strongly believe that micro-entrepreneurship is the future,” Kuna said.
Direct selling companies are commonly misunderstood or mistaken for get-rich-quick scams and pyramid schemes. This is especially true in emerging markets where the direct selling industry is less regulated by consumer protections. The challenge is the lack of awareness and the necessary legal framework to help people differentiate between genuine companies and pyramid schemes.
The direct selling company has always been clear that there are better choices for someone looking for immediate success. “The top leaders started with nothing and built their business slowly and steadily,” said Caluza. “It took them years to get where they are today, and they are the company’s best ambassadors for the message that success takes hard work.”
The enterprise uses social media channels to communicate the realities of what to expect from the direct selling concern. As a result, people interested in building a long-term business by working diligently and following the company’s guidelines for best business practices have the best chance of success.
Independent representatives “are present in many different regions around the world,” said Caluza. As a result, the company offers a diverse portfolio to suit different demographics. “We work with international vendors to design unique, high quality, and advanced technology products that are only available at QNET,” Caluza said.
She credits the direct selling company’s founders for having the foresight to merge the concept of direct selling with the idea of e-commerce. “This definitely disrupted traditional direct selling, which at the time was all about personal, face-to-face interactions and establishing retail shops. So, the company experienced some challenges but also had a lot of excitement, passion, and belief in what we were doing,” said Caluza.
The company tapped into the rise in micro-entrepreneurship. “And the experiment paid off,” said Caluza. Listen to the new “Real Talk With QNET” podcast to learn more about the direct selling industry.
