Comments on: Pyramid Schemes, Sales Parties, and the Home Business

By: Gary

Gary — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:55:00 +0000

I don’t believe it is possible to promote or sell a product you didn’t like whether it was an MLM or not. As I said, the company my wife and I became distributors for is all that and more.

We joined because we love the product, and because there is no real competition. Where else can you send a greeting card for about a buck, and from the comfort of your own home and computer?

By: Craig

Craig — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:26:03 +0000

@TheDebtDarling
I think you are exactly right when you highlight the question, ‘would I buy it?’. To promote a product you don’t really completely belief in will not bring must joy and probably not much money either.

By: TheDebtDarling

TheDebtDarling — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:52:11 +0000

I think some MLM businesses are legitimate. I have joined a couple, but have not really been successful. For me, my heart just was not in selling the product. I can only sell something that I see value in for myself and others. I did not see that with the companies I joined. So, if you do decided to commit to an MLM, make sure you are selling something that you are not afraid to put your name on and stand behind. If you saw it in the store, would you buy it? That’s the true indicator if you will be successful or not because those types of business require a lot of work calling leads and selling. Anyone that tells you it is easy is not giving you the whole truth. It requires real work just like any other job.

By: Gary

Gary — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 13:00:08 +0000

As an idependent distributor I have the choice in how I manage my marketing plan. Yes, some people choose poorly in who and how they market their business. And yes, this puts a bad mark next to the companies name. This is just one of the hurdles you must get over as a distributor of a MLM.

But don’t throw the baby out with the bath water here. I don’t have a company representative forcing me to beat my family and freinds up about my business. In fact, I have just the opposite.

So I would encourage you to put blame where blame is due, and don’t blame a company that is doing so much right. Instead, blame the person that has NO business being in the business. They just wasted their money, and did more harm than good!

By: Craig

Craig — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 05:30:44 +0000

Ted,
Thanks for sharing this experience. This certainly puts a face on the dangers associated with these organizations.
Making money in a way that turns friends off is a bad idea.

By: Ted

Ted — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:27:05 +0000

My mom worked for one of these companies before and it was rough going. she made some cash in the beginning, but the problem was she kept hitting up her friends to buy expensive clothing until the no longer where her friends.

We also have a friend who just started with one of these companies, and her facebook status is always about buying something. I hate it when people pimp their facebook to buy things like this.

My advice would be find something you can sell to the masses, not to just your friends. Some form of juice or health products at your local farmers market or resell products online. Don’t hit up your friends! they only have so much cash and so much patience.
.-= Ted´s last blog ..The shame of debt =-.

By: Gary

Gary — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:24:27 +0000

My wife and I became distributors of a company that markets it’s products through the MLM system a few months ago. We have tried it three times before with other companies. We have learned that there are several types of MLM’s and that ALL of them are highly regulated by the government.

We joined this company for several reasons. First, we love the concept. Where else can you start a business for a few hundred dollars, with the potential to make a lot of money. We were able to break even in just a couple months. Do that with any other business. Second, We get to do this in our free time. Our life continues the same it did before, and we just redirect some time and apply it to our business. Third, The company we joined has NO competition, and the products cost about 25% of similar products found in stores. Fouth, We found that we would buy this product ourselves so it was a “no brainer” to look into as a business.

It is true that some people will do well, and some will not in everything, not just MLM. But with MLM, those who don’t really aren’t out much as long as they aren’t left with a garage full of unsold products. In which case, that was not a good company to join. With our company, everything is done over the internet, and we never touch the products, and they cost about $1.