What do you think of MLM business?

WendyTerry420

Bottom line: unethical business model. Any company that engages in it is a scam, and any person involved in selling the stuff should be run out of town on a railroad.

You want to deprive people of buying things as they choose? I like my Avon and Mary Kay, especially. Some of us *appreciate* having a person that we know come to our home rather for sales rather than traipsing from store to store and dealing with judgmental strangers. If you would rather go to the mall, then enjoy. I certainly would never suggest shutting down the malls just because I prefer an alternative.



Good thing that you aren't the consumer sheriff! :laugh:

Where did I say that having people come to your house to sell you stuff was wrong? I said the business model of MLM companies was unethical, as is the pressure put on friends and family to buy and host parties. You could have at-home shopping without the scams.

Oh, "so running them out of town" and "unethical" means "economic freedom" in richardland? :laugh:

Huh? Do one have to be unethical to have economic freedom?

Voluntary exchanges are NOT unethical.

WendyTerry420

You could have at-home shopping without the scams.

So if it's an "at home shopping" MLM it's NOT a scam but if it's any other MLM it IS a scam? :huh: What's the difference then?

As with any business yes, there are models of MLM out there that ARE scams and promise the world without delivering however there are others -- I believe I mentioned tupperware, Mary Kay, Avon in my previous post -- that have been around for years that are perfectly fine MLM businesses. AMWAY is the one that gave the entire business a bad name.

You don't have to "shove it down your friends and families" throats. You just don't. I was involved in one and I never once shoved it down any one's throat. If someone asked me about it I explained it and if they weren't interested or wanted to think about it fine. I had no problem with that.

Again, if someone is thinking of getting into an MLM company they need to do their research because there is no such thing as "unlimited earnings".

^^ Exactly!

Claiming that they are ALL the same or that they are ALL unethical is absurd.

Fullsterkur_woman

Well, they are a legitimate business model if that is what you're asking. But if you want to be very successful, you have to get in early and work very hard at recruiting, because in reality it is a recruiting business.

THIS. It's NOT about the product or service, it's about recruitment. That's where the big money is.

So... pyramid scheme. Got it. :drinker:

DamePiglet

Many years ago, I sold (ahem) adult novelties by doing home parties. The company was technically MLM, but there wasn't a huge benefit to getting "new recruits" and the company didn't really push it.

The nature of the product made it easy to sell and there was pretty much always a demand for parties (I'd get calls from people I didn't know all the time)

That was the one and only time that I got involved in MLM...otherwise, I run away screaming.

That is the only MLM party/product I have ever sought out. lol

A lot of women do them as bachelorette parties and a group of us where I used to work decided to have one. We contacted the company who put us in touch with a rep. We drank and ate (not just some crappy, miniscule stuff that most people have at MLM parties, either) and had an awesome time. And boy did we BUY.

It's the only time I ever had fun at an MLM party. But you have to have the right group of people (we even had guys there).

I would *much* rather buy toys at a home party with friends than to venture into a seedy retailer with some creepy guy at the register staring at me.

I tell ya, though, it's got to be the right friends. I went to one with people I didn't know as well and a lot of them were really uptight and uncomfortable about sex. It sucked.

Yeah, uptight people would be just as bad as creepy people.


ETA: But then again, I tend to have a talent for getting people to open up.

This.
I think that the fact that I resemble a slightly deranged kindergarten teacher somehow puts people at ease with sex toys.

And yeah... "Open up"... I see what you did there, and I approve.:drinker:

SunofaBeach14

Bottom line: unethical business model. Any company that engages in it is a scam, and any person involved in selling the stuff should be run out of town on a railroad.

You want to deprive people of buying things as they choose? I like my Avon and Mary Kay, especially. Some of us *appreciate* having a person that we know come to our home rather for sales rather than traipsing from store to store and dealing with judgmental strangers. If you would rather go to the mall, then enjoy. I certainly would never suggest shutting down the malls just because I prefer an alternative.



Good thing that you aren't the consumer sheriff! :laugh:

Where did I say that having people come to your house to sell you stuff was wrong? I said the business model of MLM companies was unethical, as is the pressure put on friends and family to buy and host parties. You could have at-home shopping without the scams.

Oh, "so running them out of town" and "unethical" means "economic freedom" in richardland? :laugh:

Huh? Do one have to be unethical to have economic freedom?

Voluntary exchanges are NOT unethical.

In for soliciting

WendyTerry420

Many years ago, I sold (ahem) adult novelties by doing home parties. The company was technically MLM, but there wasn't a huge benefit to getting "new recruits" and the company didn't really push it.

The nature of the product made it easy to sell and there was pretty much always a demand for parties (I'd get calls from people I didn't know all the time)

That was the one and only time that I got involved in MLM...otherwise, I run away screaming.

That is the only MLM party/product I have ever sought out. lol

A lot of women do them as bachelorette parties and a group of us where I used to work decided to have one. We contacted the company who put us in touch with a rep. We drank and ate (not just some crappy, miniscule stuff that most people have at MLM parties, either) and had an awesome time. And boy did we BUY.

It's the only time I ever had fun at an MLM party. But you have to have the right group of people (we even had guys there).

I would *much* rather buy toys at a home party with friends than to venture into a seedy retailer with some creepy guy at the register staring at me.

I tell ya, though, it's got to be the right friends. I went to one with people I didn't know as well and a lot of them were really uptight and uncomfortable about sex. It sucked.

Yeah, uptight people would be just as bad as creepy people.


ETA: But then again, I tend to have a talent for getting people to open up.

This.
I think that the fact that I resemble a slightly deranged kindergarten teacher somehow puts people at ease with sex toys.

And yeah... "Open up"... I see what you did there, and I approve.:drinker:

Some_Watery_Tart

Bottom line: unethical business model. Any company that engages in it is a scam, and any person involved in selling the stuff should be run out of town on a railroad.

You want to deprive people of buying things as they choose? I like my Avon and Mary Kay, especially. Some of us *appreciate* having a person that we know come to our home rather for sales rather than traipsing from store to store and dealing with judgmental strangers. If you would rather go to the mall, then enjoy. I certainly would never suggest shutting down the malls just because I prefer an alternative.



Good thing that you aren't the consumer sheriff! :laugh:

Where did I say that having people come to your house to sell you stuff was wrong? I said the business model of MLM companies was unethical, as is the pressure put on friends and family to buy and host parties. You could have at-home shopping without the scams.

Oh, "so running them out of town" and "unethical" means "economic freedom" in richardland? :laugh:

Huh? Do one have to be unethical to have economic freedom?

Voluntary exchanges are NOT unethical.

In for soliciting

What took you so long? Your beer was getting warm, so I drank it and ordered you a fresh one. :drinker:

WendyTerry420

Bottom line: unethical business model. Any company that engages in it is a scam, and any person involved in selling the stuff should be run out of town on a railroad.

You want to deprive people of buying things as they choose? I like my Avon and Mary Kay, especially. Some of us *appreciate* having a person that we know come to our home rather for sales rather than traipsing from store to store and dealing with judgmental strangers. If you would rather go to the mall, then enjoy. I certainly would never suggest shutting down the malls just because I prefer an alternative.



Good thing that you aren't the consumer sheriff! :laugh:

Where did I say that having people come to your house to sell you stuff was wrong? I said the business model of MLM companies was unethical, as is the pressure put on friends and family to buy and host parties. You could have at-home shopping without the scams.

Oh, "so running them out of town" and "unethical" means "economic freedom" in richardland? :laugh:

Huh? Do one have to be unethical to have economic freedom?

Voluntary exchanges are NOT unethical.

In for soliciting

:drinker:

:smokin:

SunofaBeach14

Bottom line: unethical business model. Any company that engages in it is a scam, and any person involved in selling the stuff should be run out of town on a railroad.

You want to deprive people of buying things as they choose? I like my Avon and Mary Kay, especially. Some of us *appreciate* having a person that we know come to our home rather for sales rather than traipsing from store to store and dealing with judgmental strangers. If you would rather go to the mall, then enjoy. I certainly would never suggest shutting down the malls just because I prefer an alternative.



Good thing that you aren't the consumer sheriff! :laugh:

Where did I say that having people come to your house to sell you stuff was wrong? I said the business model of MLM companies was unethical, as is the pressure put on friends and family to buy and host parties. You could have at-home shopping without the scams.

Oh, "so running them out of town" and "unethical" means "economic freedom" in richardland? :laugh:

Huh? Do one have to be unethical to have economic freedom?

Voluntary exchanges are NOT unethical.

In for soliciting

:drinker:

:smokin:

:bigsmile: :drinker:

richardheath

Voluntary exchanges are NOT unethical.

The business model of an MLM is to get you to sell to, and recruit, friends/aquiantences/colleagues etc. It is taking advantage of people's good nature - their very friendship with you - to get them to buy something they probably would not have bought in the first place. Look at the comments upthread about people have had to disown friends/sisters-in-law etc because they get too pushy trying to sell their product. The parent company knows this - their entire business model is built on it. I don't like it, and I consider it unethical.

Further, it distances the company from the claims the salesperson makes about the product, allowing for a person to make false claims in order to make a sale. The parent company knows full well this is going on, but can claim they never instructed that salesperson to say that. Again, I consider this unethical.

A whole lot less honorable than prostitution, that's for sure.

WendyTerry420

Voluntary exchanges are NOT unethical.

The business model of an MLM is to get you to sell to, and recruit, friends/aquiantences/colleagues etc. It is taking advantage of people's good nature - their very friendship with you - to get them to buy something they probably would not have bought in the first place. Look at the comments upthread about people have had to disown friends/sisters-in-law etc because they get too pushy trying to sell their product. The parent company knows this - their entire business model is built on it. I don't like it, and I consider it unethical.

Further, it distances the company from the claims the salesperson makes about the product, allowing for a person to make false claims in order to make a sale. The parent company knows full well this is going on, but can claim they never instructed that salesperson to say that. Again, I consider this unethical.

A whole lot less honorable than prostitution, that's for sure.

Taking advantage of someone is called coercion, and is not considered vountaryism.

geebusuk

I was an investor in a startup mlm, can make millions if it works. Ours did not. If you start in the beginning stages and it's a good sales pitch you can make millions, if you are on the tail end, it will be very difficult to be a success due to everyone has tried it or heard of it and it has burnt itself out. Gotta get in on the ground floor.

I think this says it all to me.
You make money at the start - and that of course is because as it fizzles out, the people at the end losing money are the ones that have supported the initial investors and creators of the company making their millions before they skedaddle.
There are some long term ones with ok 'real world' products that have been going for a long time - tupperware I believe.
However, even with these - all lose 'multileves' means the people buying the products are getting paid more and the people doing the hard work selling aren't generally getting a great deal for the effort they put in.

aNewYear123

It can get awkward if it is your friends or family but other than that, it's a job, if you can do well at it, more power to you.

I like pampered chef stuff, but when I am invited to any of those types of parties I always figure buying at least one item (however expensive/cheap) is the cost of admission - like buying a ticket when you go to the movies. You had a fun afternoon with your friend and move on.

Other sales people with their "sign up now and I can give you a discount" (car, windows, heaters, air conditioners, fences, etc.), are basically doing the same thing; the only difference is that you usually called them first for an estimate.

tiffd1000

I sell Scentsy on the side of my other jobs(ANG and Civil Service) and I certainly am not pushy because I cannot stand when people are like that w/ me and their Mary Kay or 31 ect..so if someone tells me they are not interested I do not try to continue to sell it to them. I am really not the salesman type anyhow - it is uncomfortable-- I let it sell it's self (ie house/car/gym bag always smells good or the warmer I have on my desk at work -which I had before I even started selling) I am not one of those people that blow up peoples inboxes or phones asking to join their team blah blah blah -- I only sell b/c I actually do love the products and a little extra spending money each month is nice ... Not everyone involved in the MLM business is pushy LOL People know I sell it and I keep it separate for the most part from my Personal FB page and only make posts on the page I made specifically for the business.

KrysBlaze

I have done door to door, business to business, retail, network marketing and "MLM". Realistically, by most people's definition ALL of them are Pyramids/MLM.

The person on top gets the lion's share of profits? CEO. CFO. COO. President. VP. VP of Marketing. trail down, your boss makes more than you!! smh
You get bonuses for recruiting? Refer someone to work during the holidays and get a $200 bonus!
Hit a certain number in sales and referrals get a promotion? Uh-- hello??? Hit a certain number in sales and repeat customers...

What's funnier still is, I have worked with GAP and Limited Corporations, and at least 4 times a year they have us hit up our families and friends by offering 10-30% off products/merchandise.
So of course you tell your friends and family about, guess what they base hours worked on in companies like these? How many sells you get!! More sells under ID# J123 = more hours for J123.

I have had friends who did direct/mlm whatever you want to call it and not be pushy. I guess some people are just better at building a rapport than others. There are people who have to be sold when they are in mood, in need and in want. I'm guessing the people who "drop their friends" were in none of mindsets when approached.



I can count one friend that I stopped talking to when I started one business, but that was actually a prayer answered.