MLM/Network Marketing - What are Your Thoughts?

What are your thoughts about MLM/Network Marketing? Is it a legitimate industry? Is it sleazy? Is it a "pyramid scheme"? Does it turn you on? Or off? Has anybody ever tried to recruit you into their "downline"? Have you ever tried MLM? Were you (or are you) successful at it?

What are your thoughts about multi-level marketing?

My neighbor tried to recruit me to Quixtar. I wasn't interested.

09:04 AM

I know people who consider financial advisors, real estate agents, and most salesmen and women to be people you want to avoid at all costs - lawyers too. An example from financial advisors - wealth counselors or financial planners - many people see them as people who take advantage of other people using their money for their own gain with the promise they will manage their money for them better than they can themselves. AND when it half or more goes bye-bye it's the economy, stupid!

Of course there's always truth there - bad people and bad companies hurt people. So do bad people and bad companies in direct sales/multi level marketing/network marketing hurt people. Every industry has its crooks as well inept people.

I've been with a company eleven years and it's been a very solid business experience as well as one of financial profit. I can understand why many people fail including people from the sales industry: wearing so many hats - marketing, promoting, advertising, selling, training - is more than they can handle. They just don't have the skill or ability or motivation to master all that. There are other reasons also.

Direct sales/multi level marketing/network marketing is a product or service supply chain to the end user - it's a distribution network. In the best of them they are totally product driven with unique products and people you recruit or sponsor can out earn you which is true for our company.

I'm successful - with my wife and I working together - and will continue to work NOT in what's called "the industry" but with my company. Having worked from coast to coast and spent time living in Malasyais and Singapore - five months to be exact - and having new business in Bermuda has been an exciting and challenging experience.

Working from home since 2002 also has it's rewards and totally fits our lifestyle and ability to manage time and organize our business/lifestyle activities - those are also areas people have trouble and fail but they would also have them in commission sales with lots of freedom on their hands.

I love what I do and love the chance to work with new distributors - selling is relatively simple and easy for us. Recruiting or sponsoring and training a good person is more challenging and the part I enjoy the most.

MitchM

i have been recruited by several mlm guys but always said no. i don't know why i would want to pay another guy money just so i could go out and recruit other guys to give me money just to be part of my organization as they call it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobSales

i have been recruited by several mlm guys but always said no. i don't know why i would want to pay another guy money just so i could go out and recruit other guys to give me money just to be part of my organization as they call it.

It takes a certain kind of person to buy in to the whole MLM idea. I'm not one of them either.

You have a limited perception, BobSales which is probably not your fault. I never paid anyone to go out and recruit to make me money going out to recruit to make them and me money. It doesn't work that way at all.

What I did was more like starting a franchise only it was from home - I ordered a small inventory of products, sold them, made a retail profit on that inventory, and had the beginning of a business.

As I sold more I made more money. Also, some people I recruited or sponsored began and like any food or end user chain or supply chain because I was training and working with new recruits the company gave me commissions on the volume of business, on the products sold.

If new recruits couldn't or wouldn't sell or I couldn't train them no money came in - so that's how it works: retail, recruit, and train to do the same.

A local friend who put a lot into her real estate business started with nothing but an expense of just over $1,500 - at least I had inventory. The same for another friend who put some of him money into training, now he's with an insurance company, and if he recruits and trains well he can earn comissions on the people he recruits' sales - only one level. I can earn on multiple levels which I like.

MitchM

Okay, we've heard from Bulldog, MitchM, BobSales, and Houston -great! Is there anybody else who wants to contribute?

There is not many businesses that do not recruit. I find that in many companies we work for the company and its success. Our own success is put on hold. I taught in the public school system for 31 years and I noticed that they get a steady source of recruits (students) and each year there is the next grade moving up. With jobs moving out of the United States, we need to get in the business of dreaming and getting involved in living our dreams and it seems that we can do a better job if we team up with others and go forward together. We are in business for ourselves but not by ourselves in MLM.

I've made a broad and specific study of multi level marketing and conventional sales over the past fifteen years - back when I began looking at multi level marketing - from the structural, distribution, training, management and compensation points-of-view. There are differences and similarities at every point.

I also look at either conventional or multi level sales situations from a pragmatic and objectivist perspective rather than the "what do you want fulfilled in your dreams" perspective. BUT dreams and goals are important because they drive motivation - vision drives motivation.

Freedom - autonomy or independence - are big motivators in either situation as is having the ability increase income through personal efforts. BUT so is doing something that is meaningfully fulfilling with a purpose that is other directed. It all fits together.

MitchM

I work in an MLM company in the financial field.
I entered it with 0 capital, training was free, and it is free for my own team too.
It is tough, and I definately had to do a lot of "getting to know myself", especially because I had no idea of how to sell, and had to learn it.

I think the rewards are massive though if you can hang in there and keep fighting. Having your own team that you built from scratch is a very good feeling, seeing them develop etc. I don't do it for the money at all (of course it is very good money), it is all about being the best and being number 1 in performance.

I think if you only want to be a salesman MLM might not work for you. If you are more of an entrepreneur, and want to build a business in an extremely tought environment with massive rewards, then I definately recommend it.

	#1
Skip Anderson "Top Sales Expert"	MLM/Network Marketing - What are Your Thoughts? What are your thoughts about MLM/Network Marketing? Is it a legitimate industry? Is it sleazy? Is it a "pyramid scheme"? Does it turn you on? Or off? Has anybody ever tried to recruit you into their "downline"? Have you ever tried MLM? Were you (or are you) successful at it? What are your thoughts about multi-level marketing? __________________ Skip Anderson Selling To Consumers \| Sales Training to Sell More™ Free sales training newsletter. Subscribe!

	#2
Bulldog	My neighbor tried to recruit me to Quixtar. I wasn't interested.

	#3
MitchM	Multi Level Marketing I know people who consider financial advisors, real estate agents, and most salesmen and women to be people you want to avoid at all costs - lawyers too. An example from financial advisors - wealth counselors or financial planners - many people see them as people who take advantage of other people using their money for their own gain with the promise they will manage their money for them better than they can themselves. AND when it half or more goes bye-bye it's the economy, stupid! Of course there's always truth there - bad people and bad companies hurt people. So do bad people and bad companies in direct sales/multi level marketing/network marketing hurt people. Every industry has its crooks as well inept people. I've been with a company eleven years and it's been a very solid business experience as well as one of financial profit. I can understand why many people fail including people from the sales industry: wearing so many hats - marketing, promoting, advertising, selling, training - is more than they can handle. They just don't have the skill or ability or motivation to master all that. There are other reasons also. Direct sales/multi level marketing/network marketing is a product or service supply chain to the end user - it's a distribution network. In the best of them they are totally product driven with unique products and people you recruit or sponsor can out earn you which is true for our company. I'm successful - with my wife and I working together - and will continue to work NOT in what's called "the industry" but with my company. Having worked from coast to coast and spent time living in Malasyais and Singapore - five months to be exact - and having new business in Bermuda has been an exciting and challenging experience. Working from home since 2002 also has it's rewards and totally fits our lifestyle and ability to manage time and organize our business/lifestyle activities - those are also areas people have trouble and fail but they would also have them in commission sales with lots of freedom on their hands. I love what I do and love the chance to work with new distributors - selling is relatively simple and easy for us. Recruiting or sponsoring and training a good person is more challenging and the part I enjoy the most. MitchM Last edited by MitchM : 11-25-2007 at 09:04 AM. Reason: add words for clarity

	#4
BobSales	i have been recruited by several mlm guys but always said no. i don't know why i would want to pay another guy money just so i could go out and recruit other guys to give me money just to be part of my organization as they call it.

	#6
MitchM	Limited Perception You have a limited perception, BobSales which is probably not your fault. I never paid anyone to go out and recruit to make me money going out to recruit to make them and me money. It doesn't work that way at all. What I did was more like starting a franchise only it was from home - I ordered a small inventory of products, sold them, made a retail profit on that inventory, and had the beginning of a business. As I sold more I made more money. Also, some people I recruited or sponsored began and like any food or end user chain or supply chain because I was training and working with new recruits the company gave me commissions on the volume of business, on the products sold. If new recruits couldn't or wouldn't sell or I couldn't train them no money came in - so that's how it works: retail, recruit, and train to do the same. A local friend who put a lot into her real estate business started with nothing but an expense of just over $1,500 - at least I had inventory. The same for another friend who put some of him money into training, now he's with an insurance company, and if he recruits and trains well he can earn comissions on the people he recruits' sales - only one level. I can earn on multiple levels which I like. MitchM

	#8
clarence	Mlm There is not many businesses that do not recruit. I find that in many companies we work for the company and its success. Our own success is put on hold. I taught in the public school system for 31 years and I noticed that they get a steady source of recruits (students) and each year there is the next grade moving up. With jobs moving out of the United States, we need to get in the business of dreaming and getting involved in living our dreams and it seems that we can do a better job if we team up with others and go forward together. We are in business for ourselves but not by ourselves in MLM.

	#9
MitchM	Differences & Similarities I've made a broad and specific study of multi level marketing and conventional sales over the past fifteen years - back when I began looking at multi level marketing - from the structural, distribution, training, management and compensation points-of-view. There are differences and similarities at every point. I also look at either conventional or multi level sales situations from a pragmatic and objectivist perspective rather than the "what do you want fulfilled in your dreams" perspective. BUT dreams and goals are important because they drive motivation - vision drives motivation. Freedom - autonomy or independence - are big motivators in either situation as is having the ability increase income through personal efforts. BUT so is doing something that is meaningfully fulfilling with a purpose that is other directed. It all fits together. MitchM

	#10
dsm56	I work in an MLM company in the financial field. I entered it with 0 capital, training was free, and it is free for my own team too. It is tough, and I definately had to do a lot of "getting to know myself", especially because I had no idea of how to sell, and had to learn it. I think the rewards are massive though if you can hang in there and keep fighting. Having your own team that you built from scratch is a very good feeling, seeing them develop etc. I don't do it for the money at all (of course it is very good money), it is all about being the best and being number 1 in performance. I think if you only want to be a salesman MLM might not work for you. If you are more of an entrepreneur, and want to build a business in an extremely tought environment with massive rewards, then I definately recommend it.

MLM/Network Marketing - What are Your Thoughts?

General Sales Discussion