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Let me start off by letting you
know that I am NOT involved in any MLM programs - I am only
speaking from a "consumers" point of view. This is important
because I won't spend time cramming multi-level marketing down
your throat and people who are already involved in multi-level
marketing will appreciate the opinion of the general public.
A couple of days ago when I was reading through my mail. I came
across a plan called United Dental Plan of America. Everything
sounded great and wonderful! I wanted to get involved right away.
I was ready to write a check and send in my application! The only
problem was that it was a MLM (multi-level marketing) plan!
What's so wrong with that? Well, there are a lot of people who
don't get involved in MLM plans. It's not to say that I dislike
them - I just lack the deep down enthusiasm that's needed for the
long term in a MLM environment. Besides, I didn't want to sell
their plan to others - I just wanted to purchase the product!
There are lots of people like this. My mother likes to order Avon
products because she likes certain things that they sell. At
82-years of age, she has no interest in having parties at her home
or running around town trying to be a representative to earn a
car. She just wants a tube of hand cream once in awhile.
So why don't MLM businesses advertise their product and have less
emphasis on recruiting their downline? In fact, I never see
advertising for products - just the invitation to join someone's
downline. It's because most MLM organizations are set up with
"money" being the deriving force in their business. They make more
money by recruiting people into the program and the purchase
of marketing materials and sales aides. While this is not true
with all MLM companies - it is true for most of them.
Did you ever get one of those announcements in the mail for free
tickets to a seminar that claims to set you up in business? Have
you ever attended one? Well let me tell you - the speaker is
trained to push and motivate their audience. Most people are hit
with such a sales pitch that they almost run each other over
buying the starter kit for $349.95 at the end of the meeting.
Then, when they get home they want to shoot themselves for buying
something that still doesn't put them in business. It's sad for
the average guy or gal who really just wants to make some honest
money in a business of their own.
Wouldn't it seem logical - if someone put together a catalog of
products that other people could purchase WITHOUT joining into a
MLM program? In fact, they could generate some sales for their
products instead. What holds them back from doing so? It is the
fact that the organization wants people to sell the $349.95
package today because the $5.95 order for the product itself
doesn't make them any money?
Please understand that I'm not talking about every company out on
the market. Watkins, NuSkin, Nutrition for Life and Golden Pride/Rawleigh
each have catalogs of products you can buy without joining their
program. The only problem is that you don't see very many ads for
them. Instead you find ads that state "Make money with me and
increase your income." or "Earn a new car within the next
24-hours!"
Back in the 1940's if you picked up a mail order magazine you saw
REAL products you could order from REAL people. If you wanted a
saw blade for your saw, you sent in a check and ordered one. You
didn't join downlines to sell the saw blades to others in your
area. Now - if you want a blade for your saw you'd have to either
wade through so much hype and bull that you may never find one.
Instead, you just rely on Montgomery Ward or Sears.
See people - money is being lost in the regular world of mail
order simply because their are no REAL ads being run for REAL
products. Pick up a mail order tabloid and you'll see immediately
what I'm talking about. Why is everyone selling everyone else's
stuff? What happened to our individual creativity? Most of
the answer lies in the fact that so much hype is being pushed on
the general public it is ridiculous. People come on TV and tell
you that you can make millions of dollars by running tiny little
classified ads. They show you scenes of people relaxing on their
yachts and making huge bank deposits. Society makes the mail order
business world look like something easy, carefree and
non-tiring!
But perhaps, if I purchased a REAL product and loved it so much I
might be enthused enough to join the MLM concept later on down the
road. Wouldn't the ultimate goal of building a downline be
accomplished also while at the same time selling the product?
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