FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions About Smart Circle

FAQs

What is Smart Circle?

Smart Circle is a broker of outsourced sales that designs and supports face-to-face marketing and in-person customer acquisition campaigns. We connect brands with our network of independently owned and operated sales companies that execute customer acquisition campaigns through direct, in-person channels. Our approach combines the authenticity and impact of in-person sales with the scale and experience of a nationwide network, delivering measurable results for a diverse range of clients, from Fortune 500 companies to emerging brands.

Who leads Smart Circle and how long has it been in business?

The seed for Smart Circle was planted in 1981 by Larry Tenebaum. Since then, the company has operated for more than four decades. Today, Larry serves as Chairman of the Board, where he continues to help shape our strategic direction and reinforce the cultural foundation of our organization. Michael Meryash currently serves as Chief Executive Officer. Throughout our history, we’ve built and refined a robust nationwide network of independent sales and marketing companies, that work diligently to serve our clients in-person customer acquisition needs.

How does Smart Circle operate?

Smart Circle takes a strategic, partnership-driven approach to customer acquisition. We work closely with clients to understand their unique goals, target audiences, and market challenges, and create customized in-person sales and marketing campaigns tailored to their specific customer acquisition needs. These campaigns are executed by our network of independent sales companies, whose own employees include qualified sales representatives that engage customers in markets, channels, and retail environments across the nation.

Who are Smart Circle’s clients?

Smart Circle partners with Fortune 500 companies, nationally recognized brands, and emerging growth companies across multiple industries, including telecommunications, energy, home services, consumer products, and retail services.

Our campaigns operate across multiple markets throughout North America, allowing us to adapt to regional audiences while maintaining consistent brand standards. We focus on delivering measurable performance and building long-term partnerships grounded in accountability and results.

Who employs the sales representatives that execute in-person sales campaigns?

Each independent sales company that contracts with Smart Circle is the sole and exclusive employer of the sales representatives they hire to provide in-person customer acquisition services. Accordingly, each company is solely responsible for all employment decisions, including hiring, training, supervision, compensation, classification and management of their own employees, in accordance with applicable law.

How does Smart Circle’s business model differ from multi-level marketing models?

Smart Circle is not a multi-level marketing company. Unlike traditional MLM models, Smart Circle does not require inventory purchases, starter kits, or mandatory participation fees for business owners to join our sales network.

As an outsourced sales broker, we connect independently owned and operated sales companies within our network with Fortune 500 companies and emerging brands, creating opportunities for business growth and customer acquisition. We also partner with brands to help them acquire customers through various in-person channels, including door-to-door and retail customer acquisition. Our sole focus is to deliver measurable sales results for our clients, while also supporting the growth and development of the independent businesses within our network.

Is Smart Circle a pyramid scheme?

Smart Circle is not a pyramid scheme. Pyramid schemes are illegal business models where participants are primarily compensated for recruiting others rather than for the sale of legitimate products or services.

By contrast, the independent sales companies that we contract with earn revenue by delivering sales results for client campaigns, and the sales representatives they employ are compensated for the sales they personally generate—not for recruiting others.

We take legal compliance seriously and recognize that questions about business models are important, especially given legitimate concerns that do exist in some areas of the sales industry. Not all business in the direct sales industry operate under the same structure. For individuals considering opportunities in the direct sales industry, we encourage you to connect directly with individual sales and marketing companies to understand their specific practices, culture, and compensation structure.

Are all companies in Smart Circle’s sales network under the same ownership?

All companies in Smart Circle’s sales network are not under the same ownership. Each company in Smart Circle’s sales network is independently owned and operated. At Smart Circle, we pride ourselves on the diverse nature of our sales network and the over 900 small business owners that we contract with. Our network includes business owners from a wide range of professional backgrounds and experiences across North America.

While these businesses share a commitment to delivering sales results for our clients, , they are responsible for building their own business, establishing their own workplace culture, and pursuing their own growth goals.

How does Smart Circle ensure that companies in its network follow ethical sales practices?

Smart Circle ensures ethical sales practices across our network through a combination of clear standards and active compliance support. While each independently owned and operated business is responsible for its own operations, we play an active role in setting expectations and reinforcing ethical sales practices across every campaign.

Smart Circle maintains rigorous contractual standards across its independent sales network and is committed to ethical sales practices across every campaign. Each independent business in Smart Circle’s sales network is contractually required to adhere to, and ensure that each of their employees adhere to, all applicable laws and regulations, including without limitation the Federal Trade Commission Act, laws and regulations pertaining to door-to-door solicitation, and related consumer protection and marketing laws.

Beyond these requirements, our dedicated teams focus on communicating clear standards, investigating potential issues, and ensuring our clients’ expectations are consistently met.

We take compliance seriously and review any reported issues. If you have specific concerns about practices of a sales company within our network, we encourage you to contact us directly [email protected].

Why do some companies in Smart Circle’s sales network receive mixed reviews?

The independent sales companies in Smart Circle’s network are independently owned and operated businesses, each with its own management, culture, and practices. Like any performance-based industry, experiences in the direct sales industry will vary across different companies. As a broker of outsourced sales contracting with hundreds of independent sales companies across the nation, we work diligently to ensure their compliance with our standards, our client’s standards, and all applicable laws and regulations.

We take compliance seriously. If you have specific concerns about practices of a sales company within our network, we encourage you to contact us directly [email protected].

Does Smart Circle own the independent sales companies in its network?

No, Smart Circle does not own the independent sales companies in its network. Each business in Smart Circle’s sales network is independently owned and operated, and Smart Circle contracts with these businesses to execute client campaigns. Each of these small business owners and entrepreneurs manage their own operations, hire their own employees, and make their own business decisions. The businesses in Smart Circle's sales network are not subsidiaries of Smart Circle.

Working at Smart Circle

How does Smart Circle’s team support clients and the independent businesses in its network?

Smart Circle’s corporate team supports both client partnerships and the independent businesses in its sales network and serves as the bridge between them. We employ individuals across many departments in our company including Analytics, Operations, Retail Services, Information Technology, Accounting, Corporate Communications, Legal and Human Resources—all working to ensure successful campaign execution and network support.

For clients, we provide end-to-end campaign management, from strategy design through execution. For the independent sales companies in our sales network, we provide support in securing and maintaining major brand partnerships that they may not otherwise be able to secure independently. Our team ensures that our clients receive quality campaign execution and that the small businesses we work with have the support and connections they need as they build their operations in this industry.

For current corporate opportunities, please visit Smart Circle’s official Careers page:

CAREER PAGE

Does Smart Circle employ sales representatives to do face-to-face sales?

No. Smart Circle employs corporate staff only; all sales representatives that provide customer acquisition services for Smart Circle’s clients are employed by independent companies in our sales network. Smart Circle does not recruit, employ, supervise and/or manage any sales representatives who conduct in-person sales and customer acquisition services. Each independent sales company that contracts with Smart Circle is the sole and exclusive employer of the sales representatives they hire to provide customer acquisition services.

What is Smart Circle’s mission and values?

Smart Circle’s mission is to provide meaningful growth opportunities for its clients through customized face-to-face customer acquisition campaigns and connecting them with a network of independent sales companies that deliver those campaigns in local markets.

The company is guided by core values including entrepreneurial spirit, integrity, teamwork, and citizenship, which help shape how the team collaborates internally and supports its clients and network partners.

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