Source: Social Selling News
Constant innovation and stability are the keys to Jenkon’s 5th decade of success in global direct selling. JoT™, for the ‘Jenkon of Things,‘ is a modular suite of digital commerce and sales performance technologies for multinational direct selling. JoT delivers a state-of-the-art user experience to customers, affiliates, influencers and our independent representatives. Jenkon’s newest digital solution is JoTLive Shopping. This easy-to-use technology allows representatives, influencers, and even the company to live-sell their products through video streaming with just a couple clicks by a guest shopper. JoTLive is modular, designed to integrate with any enterprise, and is extremely cost effective.
What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in the last 5 years?
The mainstream online and consumer goods markets have begun to leverage relationship marketing. The other fundamental disruption, for all industries, is the incredible pace of change in digital commerce. Consequently, we see:
– mainstream consumers being given new opportunities to grow and evolve their relationship with product providers
– consumers’ ever-changing expectations of a fast, state-of-the-art, shopping experience
Amazon, EBay, Shopify, Walmart, Home Depot, EBay, Bestbuy, Dell and many other giants in retail and online marketplaces,
are now offering affiliate programs. Their affiliate and partner programs are not simply an ability to earn points for your next purchase.
They are paying cash commissions for your referral-based orders. Many of these mainstream market leaders are now offering a commission for recruiting other affiliates. Sound familiar?
While these programs create competitive offerings to direct selling, the bigger view is that the core values of our industry are being mainstreamed.
For direct sellers, the biggest challenge and opportunity is to position themselves to take advantage of these powerful shifts in consumer markets. The nuance for direct sellers is to maintain their direct selling assets, while presenting themselves in a new way to this new world of massive opportunity.
Can you share your “elevator speech” or what sets you apart?
Our innovations in digital commerce and affiliate relationships, not simply e-commerce, is what separates our customers from their competition. The world judges direct-selling companies by their online marketplace presence. Our newest innovations with consumer empowerment, Live Commerce and affiliate-influencer relationships are vaulting our clients into mainstream communities.
With Jenkon solutions, our customers can now thrive alongside the new mainstream marketplaces, while preserving their direct selling organization.
What products and services are you most proud of?
Modernization of enterprise technologies in direct selling is a very specialized skill. We are making very large investments into digital commerce technology specific to direct selling. Just one example is in the arena of live commerce.
Jenkon’s newest digital solution is JoTLive Shopping. This easy-to-use technology allows representatives, influencers, and even the company to live-sell their products through video-streaming with just a couple clicks by a guest shopper.
JoTLive is modular — designed to integrate with any enterprise, and is extremely cost-effective. It’s an example of innovation and efficiency at the right time in history.
We’re very proud of our unmatched 4 decades of service stability in direct selling. In a time where technology vendors are selling their businesses under duress, making large layoffs, or being part of private-equity ‘quick-flip’ strategies, we remain constant with our innovation and stability in service.
Direct sellers need technology partners who not only withstand turbulent times, but elevate innovation. We have many clients who are in their 3rd decade of relying on Jenkon products and services.
What would people be surprised to learn about your company?
A common perception can be that Jenkon is only for “the big guys and gals.” With our latest release in 2021, called JoT, Jenkon is able to provide cost-effective, cloud-based solutions for companies in even their earliest stages.
While it’s true we have decades-long clients that have grown to billions in annual revenue, the majority of our clients are more ‘mid-range’, operating in a handful of countries.
We provide them with technologies for sales management, sales tools, digital commerce, compensation and recognition. However, our customers can choose the specific solutions of value to them, or they can consider an enterprise platform.
Please describe your company culture regarding training and advancement.
Much of the Jenkon team has been with us for more than 20 years. This is especially true of team members who interact and collaborate with our customers. We feel it is vital to partner with our clients by providing unmatched experience and industry domain.
People stay at Jenkon because we make our business about the team and the individual; the same holds true for our customers. Direct selling empowers individuals and changes lives. Our mission is for Jenkon to be the same for our team members.
Although we value the experience of our team members, at the same time we aggressively recruit development professionals from many nationalities and ethnicities. We feel this approach speaks to the inherent values of direct sellers and creates a culture of awareness, sensitivity and growth in our business.
What should direct selling leadership be thinking about next year?
Digital commerce, affiliate-relationships and consumer shifts are part of an overarching theme which remains powerfully relevant – the user experience. The ongoing need to enhance UX for all stakeholders is constantly expressed by both Jenkon clients and executives we converse with internationally.
The corporate team’s ability to access real-time data to make educated decisions, model against historical performance and have AI based communications is pivotal for management to drive growth.
For entrepreneurs, the visibility and transparency to maximize moments within their organizations and track progress of accomplishments on the go remains paramount. And for the educated consumer – engaging with product enthusiasts and opportunities in digital environments needs to be quick, simple and enjoyable. Holistic approaches to the experience will be central in 2023 and beyond.
