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| "More Honest" MLM: Multi-level marketing with a serious product, and without becoming a hustling Frankenstein to friends and neighbors. |
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| For obvious reasons, "pushy" MLM companies promote "pushy" dealers who advise "pushy" sales tactics. But a soft sell approach is for many people a safer, more self-respecting, and more sensible option. |
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 Our sponsor: FOR A LIST OF TOP OPPORTUNITIES, don't miss our home page. ONE MLM OR SEVERAL? Posted June 6, 1999. my view: Several is often better for the average person. (1) BEWARE OF COMPETING LINES. I value the comments of outrageously successful MLM leaders who say "stick to one schtick." Certainly worth considering. I would even add: be cautious about representing competing lines----even in the tiniest way. MLM executives are not always angels and someone someday may be looking for an excuse to terminate your downline. But by the same token consider this: (2) WHY COUNT ON ONE BASKET? No MLM company is the Rock of Gibraltar. Amway or anyone can come or go. Then there is that "fine print" you probably had to sign, in essence: "You can be terminated at any time for any reason or for no reason." If this is their "loyalty" to you, don't show more than necessary to them. How stupid to fail to use your hard-earned contacts building up one down-line not to build some "safety net" with two more. Soft-pedal and don't get pushy, but do keep them in the window. (3) "TEAM SPIRIT" CAN COME FROM HONESTY, TOO. Certainly, if you are making $25,000 per month dependant on a "clique" mentality, you risk dilution of the "team spirit" by offering other lines. I admit that this "clique" mentality is the status quo. I admit this may be the way to go----if you can. But what if you have no choice? What if (like me) you just are not very convincing at forming a mindless "clique"? Therefore, what if you decide that instead, your reputation will be founded on honesty? Every company has shortcomings, even Billy Graham and the Vatican. What if you do not get defensive about the imperfections of your MLM company, and lo and behold, some people respect you for it? What if you then say, "There are other relatively outstanding product lines out there..." What if this just happens to be the truth? If the truth is what you are known for, and if you live up to the truth, then perhaps the truth that "nobody has everything" will not shake your temple walls. A "SOFT SELL" PHILOSOPHY FOR MLM. Posted April, 1999. Here is a letter I sent to someone who asked me my opinion of "Usana" and multi-level marketing in general.  In reply to your letters: I did look into Usana some years back, but cannot remember the details. Correct me if wrong, but I presume it is a full-line health supplement company similar to Shaklee, and presumably a little better in quality. I try to avoid multi-level companies because their so-called "wholesale" prices are no better than the "retail" prices of more reputable products in stores. If I were not part owner of a store, I probably would consider joining a company like Usana or Nature's Sunshine (good quality full-line herbal supplements). Sure, if you are going to use health products, why not use products that give you a potential kickback? Just be careful of the following: 1) Do not trust the company any farther than you can throw them. They are lying through their teeth in claiming to give the consumer "value" and "quality." They will stoop to the lowest levels of deceptive advertising. 2) The way they get away with this is by inflating your greed. "Sell our products and you will make money." Interesting what people are ready to convince themselves of when they swallow this hook. 3) Be careful what you buy. Do not prefer any of their products just because "you sell it." Always compare with what else you can get. 4) Above all, never tell people that if they become dealers, they are going to make money. They should only become dealers if they are going to use the product on its own merit. Then and only then do they in fact have a chance to be successful in selling to others--and even then, only a chance. The multi-level products that I represent are: a) Cell Tech "Super Blue-Green Algae" . There is truly nothing like it in stores. But their basic algae only--never mind their other products. Their sales tactics are outrageous. But this is a hot money-maker. b) Art of Better Living "Secretagogue HGH". An oral "growth hormone stimulator" for the state-of-the-art in rejuvenation. Truly the best product in its field. Dignified sales tactics. c) Life Science "Nature's Biotics." A new type of "soil based organisms" to rejuvenate the digestive flora. This supplement also contains a full-spectrum of standard acidophilus, bifidus, etc. Again this is a truly unique product not available in stores, with a dignified sales philosophy. I consider all the above products to be unique and basic to a complete health program. However, not one of them is "bargain priced." You have to accept the fact that you are in essence "buying a lottery ticket with each bottle"--that is the "chance to make money" by being able to recruit an active downline. So long as you understand it as such--a kind of lottery ticket--"multi-level" is in fact a great bargain as far as lottery tickets go. You have a much higher chance of "striking it rich" and can substantially increase the odds by taking more sales initiative. Just don't sell your soul by claiming it is anything more than "increasing the odds." Not at all a sure thing. And do keep your eyes wide open about how well they maintain product quality. Shaklee, for example, began as being halfway-decent, but today is full of sugar, synthetics, etc, no better than the lowest grade products in a supermarket--well below the standards of any good health food store. As for Usana I don't know. After I start my Internet health forum (sometime this year) I will have a special section on "multi-level" products. So I will eventually want to be looking into companies like Usana, so as to list an evaluation of each company. WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM READERS. We will publish your comments both pro and con, and even give you free advertising space, if you so desire. Please find contact information on our FEEDBACK page. This page and every page in MoneyData: copyright  1999 by Christopher Oey, all rights reserved. |
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