Views on MLM-ers (multi-level marketing)

Introduction
Multi-level marketing, or pyramid marketing, basically involves strategies in which members earn commission largely based on the number of people ("downlines") they recruit to join a certain program / company. Most of these companies have products or services as well, but the largest earnings usually come from the referrals of new members.

Some of these companies have many products, such as Amway and Melaleuca; others provide blogging or investment services such as Empower Network or Millennial Holdings. Most of you might have heard of the famous Sunshine Empire that has fallen to its death sometime ago?

Some of these programs require you to purchase a product or use their services; others just reward you for bringing in downlines.


Credibility
While some of the MLM companies or pyramind scams have been exposed, rest assured that not all of them are crooks.

Some companies really do offer rather good products for home use, such as detergents and toothpaste; or supplements for health and good skin. As such, there is nothing wrong with members benefitting from these products, or introducing them to their own circles of contacts.

Some companies really do offer opportunities for people to make money such as Empower Network, which is a blogging website and members have been known to earn very good passive income from it.

As long as it is not a company that asks for a large sum of initial investment - with no interest returns or tangible proof (products) or intangible proof (services), do not sign up.

I know people who have invested monies into such schemes before, and never earned anything back.

"Remember NTI? The aromatherapy scam? My brother lost thousands of dollars in it, and wasted lots of time!:" Sean* divulged. "In the end it is merely another branch of the sinking Sunshine Empire."

Adeline*, another ex-member of an MLM company shares her frustration herein, "I was still very young then, a fresh grad who'd just started working, My good friend's cousin was in Omega-Trend, this Australian company. Kept inviting my good friend and I to join their activities and attend their seminars- where we met many members who hold diversified professions. Everyone promised to train us like family members, so we signed up. I paid $200 which supposedly consisted of membership fees and a small package of cosmetics products - in the end I stopped getting invites to attend events or trainings , and never reeived my product pack!"


The Real Turn-off Points
To be fair, and as mentioned above, not all MLM companies or pyramid schemes are bogus or bad. Majority of the people we spoke to, do not detest or feel repulsed by the MLM companies themselves; rather, it is always the members that create bad impressions for the organisations they are representing.

Instead of being truthful and forthcoming of the meeting agenda (i.e., to introduce their products or programs), the members always ask their friends out on the pretext of "catching up" or "just have coffee together?" So the friends happily come out for coffee and catching up with long-lost pals, only to be stunned by a scripted presentation.

A financial consultant, Felicia* recounts some bad experience with MLM-ers. "In our line, we meet many people. Some of them readily come out for appointments feigning interest in financial advice, only to spend the entire meeting talking about their products!" Felicia exclaims, rolling her eyes. "One of them was even more extreme! They market sanitary napkins that were supposedly anti-bacterial or something like that. When I turned up for the appointment, this guy was telling me all about the female reproductive organs, menstral cycle and proper sanitaryware! I felt so outraged!"

Adeline* also recalls an incident similar to what Felicia* went through. "I met this guy at a networking function, ok, he is the friend of a client of mine. So he mentioned doing some plastic-related resources business, and are working on a new project currently, looking for a key partner to join. He invited me to attend a meeting and project viewing, so I agreed." Adeline* rolls her eyes again, and smiles in exasperation. "When I got to the address, I realized that there was a small group gathered. The moment they played the DVD and explained the concept of 'switching monthly household products', I knew I had definitely heard this script before, and excused myself politely. In my heart, I was seething at the deceit."

Understandably so, after all, a dishonest appointment causes the attendees both to waste their time and resources, and the parties involved will feel cheated since the meeting agenda was not what they expected.

MLM-ers, just be truthful when you set your appointments- at least you give your potential customers the freedom to choose whether they are interested in spending time listening to what you have on hand. If not, they will feel angry / disappointed when they come for the meeting  only to be stunned, and this in turn makes them unwilling to listen to what you have to sell, no matter how good your products or services may be.

Being honest also helps you filter out disinterested customers. Though, bear in mind, they may refer you friends or relatives simply because you are honest with them, and they come across someone whom they feel may need your products or services.

There is no need to use gimmicks to score an appointment. It makes you appear almost sneaky, and people start to wonder if you are ashamed of what you are doing or who you are representing, that you need to resort to such measures to set up meetings.


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