With opportunities in Canada as diverse and vast as the country itself, its direct selling industry—with total retail sales of more than $1 billion—is a dynamic segment of the Canadian economy that offers close proximity and relative similarities to the United States but with a flair that is all its own.

In the second of our three-part series on technology, we look at how new devices and applications are affecting the customer service experience for distributors and consumers.

When we published the DSN Global 100 ranking last year, it was the first time in the history of the industry that a comprehensive list of the top 100 revenue-generating direct selling companies ...

Technology is greatly impacting the direct selling experience—from how companies present their messages and products to how distributors employ new tools, to how consumers react to the speed of delivery on services.

Just the phrase “energy deregulation” is enough to make the average consumer’s head spin. In the simplest terms, for energy customers it means a choice in energy providers. Usually, though, consumers are filled with questions about this process: How is this possible? If I switch, will my lights stay on? Who will take care of me in a power outage? How many bills will I have to pay? Why not just stay with my same, reliable company?

The story of direct selling in 2009 and 2010 is much the same as it was worldwide for all industries. Developing nations continued to rise, and China and India were standouts for significant growth. More people were clamoring for additional income opportunities, but overall direct sales numbers were generally lower than they were a few years ago. In short, less was more around the world.