Network Marketing?

[ThinkWrite]

a good friend of mine is exploring this and asked me what I knew about it, which is very little.

Are there any network marketers on here? and if yes, what companies have you been successful with. (PM's are fine if you would prefer) Thank you.

 

[silverwhisper]

i don't even know what network marketing is. is it perhaps known by another name? ah, i see that it is better-known as multi-level marketing.

thinkwrite, no offense, but what i've seen of the people who get involved with MLM and are successful at it are not the kinds of peple w/ whom i would ever choose to associate. so even if i did have useful information, i would not feel at all good about providing it.

however, i would absolutely encourage you to get more opinions than one random, opinionated guy on lit. i might be a statistical outlier.

ed

 

[SweetErika]

i don't even know what network marketing is. is it perhaps known by another name? ah, i see that it is better-known as multi-level marketing.

thinkwrite, no offense, but what i've seen of the people who get involved with MLM and are successful at it are not the kinds of peple w/ whom i would ever choose to associate. so even if i did have useful information, i would not feel at all good about providing it.

however, i would absolutely encourage you to get more opinions than one random, opinionated guy on lit. i might be a statistical outlier.

ed

Maybe, but I doubt it. I haven't known MLM to truly work for anyone either, and those I've known who have gotten into it are gullible, kinda slimy, or both. After all, most of the schemes rely upon making the new recruits believe they're THE path to fast cash and/or working less for more pay.

I have a family member who gave up a great job to do "network marketing." He's a perfectly nice, smart guy, but he's somewhat gullible. After first trying a vitamin/health products program, then a financial services deal over the years, all he succeeded in doing was irritating a lot of friends and family with his pitches and losing his steady income with good benefits. He's finally ditched the MLM idea and now he has a legit business that requires a lot of hard work to just make ends meet.

I'd suggest advising your friend to look into more secure "opportunities," especially since consumers don't have a lot of disposable income to spend on MLM products and services right now. If s/he insists on trying the MLM deal, s/he needs to find a program that doesn't require a cash outlay, if one even exists - that's how these schemes often hook people and take them for a ride, and things usually look VERY different from the inside.

 

[Eilan]

I haven't known MLM to truly work for anyone either, and those I've known who have gotten into it are gullible, kinda slimy, or both. After all, most of the schemes rely upon making the new recruits believe they're THE path to fast cash and/or working less for more pay.

Whenever I think MLM, I think (Sc)Amway.

An acquaintance tried to get my ex and I into that. It's a cult, basically, and when they do their little sales pitch (showing The Plan) they don't let you know that they're hawking Amway right away. We asked too many questions, and I don't think our would-be sponsors liked that. Plus, in terms of our political and religious views, we wouldn't have been happy with those folks, anyway.

We were "recruited" in 1998, and I've noticed that our acquaintance still hasn't quit his day job.

 

[bronzeage]

a good friend of mine is exploring this and asked me what I knew about it, which is very little.

Are there any network marketers on here? and if yes, what companies have you been successful with. (PM's are fine if you would prefer) Thank you.

When you are looking at a sales job, or a sales distributorship, it's a bad sign if the first thing you are suppose to do is hire people to compete with you.

The business model seems like a gold mine. You sell a consumable product, such as soap, one time, and your customer continues to buy more, as they use it.

One sales call, a year's sales. Walmart sells soap, too.

Then you recruit salesmen to work for you. They then recruit salesmen, also.

A true outside sales job always comes with a territory. You have exclusive right to a certain area. In network marketing (multi-level marketing has gotten a bad name), there is no limit to the number of sales agents in an area.

If only a tenth the people who sign up, stay with it and are successful, in a year, everyone in the nation would be selling soap. There would be no customers, just salesmen.

 

[sxyoldguy]

I have an acquaintence who after 8 tries found one that he makes a boat of money from. He was an early adopter and built his "network" early.

He is the exception not the rule.

He's an acqwuaintence because quite frankly I don't want him as a friend. He's braggard, overbearing, and pushy. That see's to be the recipe for those who truly succeed in those.

He did it bcause he couldn't be work for anyone else (including me).

Are there good programs out there? Yes

For every good one there are 100 bad ones. If its in any way affiliated with Amway, run don't walk away.

The basic problem is that they make it look like you can make a lot of money without a lot of work. Nor true. The successful ones in good programs work their ass off.

There is no free lunch. What these programs offer is unrealistic at best.

I could go on but I won't

 

[TypicalDeviant]

a good friend of mine is exploring this and asked me what I knew about it, which is very little.

Are there any network marketers on here? and if yes, what companies have you been successful with. (PM's are fine if you would prefer) Thank you.

This scene from "Go" contains a great scene about multi-level marketing.

Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJzLI0_il1M&feature=related

Let it load and fast forward to 2:50 if you're short on time. You'll know when to stop.

 

[SweetErika]

We were "recruited" in 1998, and I've noticed that our acquaintance still hasn't quit his day job.

Heh.

Well, at least he earns high marks in the 'Perseverance' category. That, or he's just really, really slow to catch on.

The last time I watched commercials, I saw how hard Amway's parent company was trying to re-brand itself as an incredibly stable, legit business, rather than a MLM scheme. So much for Amway "selling itself," eh?

If only a tenth the people who sign up, stay with it and are successful, in a year, everyone in the nation would be selling soap. There would be no customers, just salesmen.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like 99% of these schemes rely on the idea that the "Independent Business Owners" are also the main consumers of their own products.

At least the whole, "I was going to buy it anyway, so I figured I'd become a business owner and make money off of my purchases," has always been one of the main pitches I've heard with these schemes. Then again, maybe that's just a sales tactic that's strongly suggested by the company's "Business Support Team."

 

[Ironton7]

Regarding MLM...

Take a look at my store. www.kachingkaching/dannythomasenterprises
Then go to www.showmekachingkaching.com
If you buy online, why not buy from your own store? Call my toll free number and leave your name and phone number after the message and I will give you a store of your own, just like mine...for free.

 

[SweetErika]

Take a look at my store. www.*******.com/*******
Then go to www.********.com
If you buy online, why not buy from your own store? Call my toll free number and leave your name and phone number after the message and I will give you a store of your own, just like mine...for free.

Is this a joke?

If it's not, are you actually dumb enough to put your real name and/or phone number out here? If you are, I'd suggest removing it immediately.