Multi-Level Marketing

[Rain Man]

...or do I have a sign on my forehead that says: "Recruit me for MLM "opportunities"

Over the past 10 years, I have been recruited to participate in so many of these "entrepreneurial" opportunites, it isn't even funny.

Starting in college, some chick that I was a classmate with, that I didn't even know, recruited me for a company called "South Western", where they relocate college students to different parts of the country and have them sell encyclopedias door to door. Luckily my soon-to-be frat brother wrote a scathing article about their practices (his twin sister was virtually homeless having fallen victim to their schemes) in the Kent State University magazine Uhuru, and I dropped their opportunity like a bad habit.

Other business "opportunites" I have been invited to involved:

Amway
Primerica (by a frat brother and his wife)
ACN (American Communications Network)
Pre-Paid Legal (by another frat brother)
Melaleuca: I didn't want to be a distributor, I did sign up as a "preferred customer" for about a year, then dropped it b/c I had to buy $60 worth of merchandise a month or they would mail me a "manager's choice" packet of merchandise and charge me $70 for that month. I didn't use the stuff in a month's time and it got tougher trying to select items I didn't already have.

And it seems that Black folx have been buying into the MLM hype more than white folx have (or so it seems). I worked in a hotel one year and a Black colleague of mine told me (it was my weekend off) that a MLM seminar was being held in the hotel and a lot of fine Black sistas was trying to get him in on the "opportunity". The way he described all the sistas in attendance, it sounded like a "Dimes From Heaven" convention, instead of a MLM seminar.

I don't know. If I want to own my own business, I know what type of business it would be, who to contact for colleagues and customers, and the start-up capital I need to get it going. I don't need a bunch of soothsayers and cult tactics to guilt trip me into entrepreneurship.

ETA: Laidbackfella, has a fine-looking sista ever tried to use their feminine wiles to recruit you into their MLM "opportunities"?

Originally posted by Rain Man

ETA: Laidbackfella, has a fine-looking sista ever tried to use their feminine wiles to recruit you into their MLM "opportunities"?

Hell yeah and I ignore em.

I made up my mind a few years ago that I would not be nice to females any more. Anything that I do now for a female would be because she asked politely AND I wanted to do it under the assumption that I wasn't gonna get anywhere with her

Once I truly found out that you really don't ever earn Brownie Points for being nice. I stopped being nice.

[Kimmie1913]

In my experience, all MLM companies are a crock of $%*(. The only people who make money are those at the very top who got in when the company started. Many are scams and many end up in litigation with the poor folks who bought in getting nothing. While some do provide a worthwhile service (pre-paid legal for example) it is not what people expect and usually they do not understand how super limited their benefits are. Most often they seem to be a waste of money and the loss of your initial investment. If you want to start a business, start a legitimate business, not a get rich quick scheme.

[Eclipse]

Originally posted by Rain Man
[BOther business "opportunites" I have been invited to involved:

Amway
Primerica (by a frat brother and his wife)
ACN (American Communications Network)
Pre-Paid Legal (by another frat brother)
Melaleuca: I didn't want to be a distributor, I did sign up as a "preferred customer" for about a year, then dropped it b/c I had to buy $60 worth of merchandise a month or they would mail me a "manager's choice" packet of merchandise and charge me $70 for that month. I didn't use the stuff in a month's time and it got tougher trying to select items I didn't already have.

[/B]

Man, we must know the same people because except for Pre-paid legal, people have tried to get me and the hubby involved in all of these.

I do know someone who is quite successful doing Melaleuca though. A girl who was at Spelman with me (who, BTW, is an AKA) and her husband were sales people of the year for Melaleuca in 2002 or 2003. According to other friends they are living large. She quit her job and he is about to quit his. I also thought about buying some of the products until I heard you have to pay to get the lower prices, then you have to committ to buying so much stuff a year. Rainman did they do that "look at this dishwasher soap eat through the alumnium foil type thing for you?

I think the reason Black folks get into this kinda stuff is that we have always had a hustle on the side. Hair in the kitchen, shade tree mechanic back in the day, now it the MLM stuff.

[abaici]

Originally posted by Eclipse
I think the reason Black folks get into this kinda stuff is that we have always had a hustle on the side. Hair in the kitchen, shade tree mechanic back in the day, now it the MLM stuff.

Ain't that the truth! lol

[Rain Man]

What's Wrong With Multi Level Marketing

GREAT SITE, excellent points explained thoroughly, and even a detailed FAQ section and of course, links galore. The anti-MLM hog heaven.

Also, the Rip Off Report (do a Yahoo Search to find the site).

Rule of thumb if something is a MLM: Is the emphasis on all the $$ you will make if you join or on how great the product/service is?

If it is the former, is is an MLM. RUN!!!!!

[Rain Man]

Originally posted by Eclipse
Man, we must know the same people because except for Pre-paid legal, people have tried to get me and the hubby involved in all of these.

I wish these folk would leave me alone soliciting all that mess.

Rainman did they do that "look at this dishwasher soap eat through the alumnium foil type thing for you?

No, just the usual graphs, charts, contracts, and large mounds and unbreathable stench of get-rich-quick bulljive.

I think the reason Black folks get into this kinda stuff is that we have always had a hustle on the side. Hair in the kitchen, shade tree mechanic back in the day, now it's the MLM stuff.

Perhaps. But it seems that in my experience the sistas are the most aggressive of the bunch. But they do it in such a way (semi-seductive tone, form fitting businesswear, etc.) that if you sign the papers, you get the drawz (yeah, right )
LBF, any stories of such experiences you wanna share?

[moe.ron]

Amway is one shaddy business. Went to one of their "marketing seminars" thinking that they would be giving out pointers on marketing. instead, it felt like something religious. Very weird. I was expecting the Kool Aid to comeout at the end of the meeting. Plus, the products they were selling was way too expensive for the locals (South Africa) to purchase. Got out quickly.

[Rain Man]

To those of you who are "hip to the MLM games" that folk play:

1. What signs do you use to alert you that something is an MLM?

2. How do you defend/fight/refuse MLM "opportunities"?

[aephi alum]

I have been approached by a couple about an MLM "opportunity". He does it full-time, and I think she helps him out as a sideline to her own job. They sent me a recruiting tape about how wonderful it is to run your own business, set your own hours, be your own boss, etc. I laughed through the whole thing. I know firsthand about the benefits of working for yourself, and selling someone else's $h!t is not how I plan to make my millions!

I know a couple of people who participate in MLMs as a sideline to something else. One guy did it for some extra cash while in school; another woman is a SAHM who spends a few hours a week selling stuff. I think if you keep it on that level, where it's a sideline, not your whole life, you're not quitting your day job or other responsibilities, etc. - it can be a good thing. But, of course, that's not what the guys at the top want you to do. They want you to go to all the meetings and seminars and spend lots of money in the hopes of becoming a big dog. And most participants don't realize that if they didn't get in at the beginning, they will never be a big dog.

[Conskeeted7]

Originally posted by Rain Man
To those of you who are "hip to the MLM games" that folk play:

1. What signs do you use to alert you that something is an MLM?

2. How do you defend/fight/refuse MLM "opportunities"?

I ask questions. If you notice, they rarely vary from the script they have to use. So, if you ask a question, they try to make you wait until later to ask it or say they'll get to that later in the presentation.

I hate for people to waste my time and if you can't give me the answers I want or need, then you are wasting my time. So, I'll ask the questions and just leave if they aren't answered in a timely fashion.

[BirthaBlue4]

Heard of them and actually went to a couple of meetings with my mother. She actually got caught by a couple, and was stuck with this credit card machine, but the guy is being investigated big time, so its all good.

The thing that bothers me is when they take FOREVER to tell you what the product is. That's my problem. I went to one about Pre-PaidLegal, and it was FULL of negroes. They came in and preented their speil *sp* about how the scheme worked, then they answered questions, but you could tell they were giving roundabout answers. THEN when they finally got to the Pre-Paid Legal video, it was like OHHH, let me go home now LOL. My thing is, it doesn't make any sense. How can you get paid by bringing in people to the business, then they bring people and so forth. It just seems dumb to me.

Oh, and don't go and say NO, oh they turn into wolves. Its sad what sales will do to people lol. Most adds that say anything about "work from home", "be your own boss" and those kind are full of crap, so RUN AWAY!

[Rain Man]

Any new stories, thoughts, or comments?

BTW, the more I think about it, the more I think MLM businesses do function like cults, in more ways than one.