President Clinton Endorses Network Marketing & Direct Selling

I am delighted to have this opportunity to talk to so many of the salespeople who help our economy grow and help keep the American dream alive for millions of Americans. In America if you work hard and play by the rules if you take responsibility for yourself and your family you should have all the opportunity you need for a better future. That's America's basic bargain. It's what I worked to promote as president and it's what the work of direct selling helps to promote each and every day. You strengthen our country and our economy not just by striving for your own success, but by offering opportunity to others. You're also part of a global movement that promotes enterprise in rewards individual initiative and you've seen remarkable growth both at home and abroad. last year there were more than 7,000,000 Americans in the direct sales industry. An average of 69,000 new distributors and salespeople join your industry every week. In addition to providing opportunity you build our American community. Americans from every walk of life, every race, every creed, are seizing the opportunities of direct sales. More than 300,000 of you are over the age of sixty-five, more than 500,000 of you have some kind of disability, three quarters of you are women, trying to strengthen your family's and strong children without the fear that a glass ceiling will hold you down. In a very real way your work promotes our values all around the globe. There are now more than 21,000,000 direct sales people worldwide, doing business in 125 countries. I've followed your industry's growth for years now and even I was amazed to learn that there are more than 100,000 direct sales people in Russia, and over 600,000 in china. But we need even more of the kind of opportunity direct selling represents. Your industry gives people a chance after all to make the most of their own lives and to me that's the heart of the American dream. I thank you for keeping it strong, for so many millions of people and for expanding it to more people every day. Thank you for your work, god bless you, and god bless America.