Re: Wallach Dead Doctors.... query - MLM

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/3/03 6:26:24 PM Eastern Standard Time,

slethnobotanist@... writes:

> Becoming rich and the discipline to do so is not for most folks and

> never will be, and these companies would probably attract a lot more

> qualified people if they simply stated that up front.

Next thing you're going to tell me all the time I've spent trying to become a

rock star has been a waste.

Chris

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/3/03 8:14:37 PM Eastern Standard Time,

filippa91@... writes:

> Didn't know that. I always wondered what the difference was between pyramid

> and MLM was. Now I know!

A true pyramid scheme is by my understanding is a company where there is a

hierarchy and sales but there is no actual product. MLM's are usually falsely

accused of violating laws about pyramid schemes; that's how I understand it.

Chris

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/3/03 8:58:47 PM Eastern Standard Time,

filippa91@... writes:

> I've never been interested enough to pay attention to the ins and outs of

it

> all but my brother-in-law was in one called Jewelway that was closed down

in

> Australia when the government decided it was a pyramid scheme. So I think

> they do overlap sometimes. They still had a product, namely jewellery, so

I

> don't know why they were shut down. But what I do know is that a lot of my

> brother-in-law's money went down the pothole. Now how did we get here

from

> minerals? because I started raving about MLMs. Apologies!

The one me and my mom tried selling a few years ago (the one that carried Ron

Teaguarden's stuff) also got shut down, but they didn't overlap with a

pyramid scheme at all. The just got shut down because some people didn't like

the

owner and they found a crafty way to claim the structure was illegal.

Chris

[Guest guest]

On Tue, 4 Nov 2003 07:44:30 +1000

" Filippa " <filippa91@...> wrote:

>Elaine - " i used to feel that way about MLM companies but have since come to

find some of them sell the best stuff. "

>

>That may be so, but the products are usually sold at a price you can only

afford if you do the business.

Filippa,

I know many people have strong emotions and beliefs about the subject of

MLM, and I don't want to get into competing " experiences " good or bad,

but from an objective standpoint, your statement above simply isn't true.

While many MLM products can be expensive, in today's regulatory

environment sales to people outside the " business " have to far outstrip

sales to people in the " business, " or the state will put said company

out of business.

And given the paltry amount of money most MLM folk make, and yet many

continue to buy their respective companies products even after leaving

the company, clearly people can afford them without doing the business,

since most don't do the business, and companies would be out of business

if they relied on such.

>My experience is that MLM people always focus on the business and the

>product is just a sideline.

It varies from company to company (at least today but maybe not back

then), but since the big money is normally made not by direct selling by

yourself, but direct selling with a bunch of other folks, it only makes

sense that many would choose this approach.

But success is difficult to achieve period as an entrepreneur, and MLM

companies are lying through their teeth when they say " anyone can do it, " or

" its easy, " or " all you have to do is recruit two who recruit two etc. " All

that is hype and lies.

Most people, whether MLM or not, are not cut out to be big time

entrepreneurs. Many, if not most, are not cut to be entrepreneurs period. Most

businesses fail within the first 5 years. Why people think it would be

any different among MLM folks is beyond me.

Becoming rich and the discipline to do so is not for most folks and

never will be, and these companies would probably attract a lot more

qualified people if they simply stated that up front.

>They're so hyped about the business that they rave about the products no

>matter how crappy they are! I think it's also that you're always a

>prospect. MLM is a great way to lose friends IMO! We've lost friends

>because we got tired of them only coming to see us when they had a new

>product/business to sell.

Yes there are definitely less than ideal approaches out there, but I

have been approached by lots of friends over the years who thought they

had the latest hula hoop and it wasn't at all related to MLM. So the

excitement approach is not limited to nor particularly unique to MLM.

There is woman who is a sales trainer whose tag line is, " how to build a

business with or *without* your family, friends, and neighbors. " I like

that, because the reality is for most folks if you are going to market

successfully you will have to do so beyond your own social circle or in

spite of your social circle. MLM companies are lying to folks when they

suggest otherwise.

> Anyway, that's not saying there aren't some good products out there.

>We got into NuSkin years ago in Japan. One of the things I liked (in my

>naivety) was that you supposedly cut out all the expensive overheads and

>this allows you to produce a higher quality product. So why are the

>products so expensive? OK, maybe they're higher quality but it more

>feels like you're actually paying everyone's cuts up the line.

This is true of all products you buy, unless you are buying directly

from the producer. If not, that product will soon be off the market.

> It's only ever the people who get in early that get rich - and believe

>me, I know people who became millionaires with NuSkin but loads of

>people who didn't.

This too is true of nearly all enterprises, MLM or otherwise. One of the

great failings of MLM is when mature companies tell potential recruits

that the opportunity is the same for a late comer as it was for an early

comer. That doesn't mean it is not good or even lucrative, but early

folks always do better than later folks, everything else being equal.

I happen to know one of the guys on the Forbes 400 list of richest

people in America (two actually - one is a high school classmate of mine)

who is worth about 2 billion dollars. His company used a MLM

compensation plan although it was not well known on the street.

While many of his associates have gone on to build HUGE fortunes, none

have come close to him, because he was the founder of the company and

thus reaped the most benefit (and he was smart enough not to sell out to

early).

No one in Microsoft is going to make as much money as Bill Gates and

, no matter how great the company does from here on out. Don't

you wish you had bought Microsoft stock way back when? Or would you

prefer to buy it now? Early folks ALWAYS have an advantage, and

rightfully they should, being willing to take a risk others were not.

> Funnily, the skin/hair care products I use now are MLM, I use them

>because they're certified organic but the woman who makes them used to

>be with NuSkin and she left when she found out the products weren't as

>genuine/great as they made out - it was all bs but we believed it. Well

>I won't rant on. It's just all the hype that goes with MLM - everyone

>attending these motivational seminars with all the amazing testimonials.

>They have this way of staring deeply into your eyes and raving - so you

>don't know if it's the person's genuine experience with a good product

>or just that they've been told it's great and it's going to create

>passive income for them.

MLM claims are no different from being on this list, you have to sort

the wheat from the chaff, and only YOU can do that, no one can do it for

you.

MLM is no different from any other enterprise competing for your time

and money in the marketplace. The onus is on you to discern its utility,

and no one else.

The Secret of Health

Stay away from the doctor, says Hein, MD.

http://tinyurl.com/td64

[Guest guest]

>That may be so, but the products are usually sold at a price you can only

afford if you do the business.

---> from an objective standpoint, your statement above simply isn't true.

Yes, true. It was a blanket statement. I just remember my sister saying that

was the only way they could afford to use Usana and it always stuck in my mind.

-->While many MLM products can be expensive, in today's regulatory environment

sales to people outside the " business " have to far outstrip sales to people in

the " business, " or the state will put said company out of business.

Didn't know that. I always wondered what the difference was between pyramid and

MLM was. Now I know!

>My experience is that MLM people always focus on the business and the product

is just a sideline.

---> It varies from company to company (at least today but maybe not back then),

I'm sure it does but every MLMer I've had contact with raves about the business

more than the products.

--> Most people, whether MLM or not, are not cut out to be big time

entrepreneurs. Many, if not most, are not cut to be entrepreneurs period. Most

businesses fail within the first 5 years. Why people think it would be any

different among MLM folks is beyond me.

Guess there'll always be rich and poor, employers and employees in the world for

this very reason. Some got it, some don't! Wish I did!

Filippa

[Guest guest]

A true pyramid scheme is by my understanding is a company where there is a

hierarchy and sales but there is no actual product. MLM's are usually falsely

accused of violating laws about pyramid schemes; that's how I understand it. -

Chris

I've never been interested enough to pay attention to the ins and outs of it all

but my brother-in-law was in one called Jewelway that was closed down in

Australia when the government decided it was a pyramid scheme. So I think they

do overlap sometimes. They still had a product, namely jewellery, so I don't

know why they were shut down. But what I do know is that a lot of my

brother-in-law's money went down the pothole. Now how did we get here from

minerals? because I started raving about MLMs. Apologies!

Filippa