If they make so much damn money, then why doesn’t everyone do it?
“Multi-Level Marketing”, “Fantastic Money Making Opportunities”, “Income from Home”, “Make some dollars on the side” and even the good old “Pyramid-Schemes”.
I have had the unique pleasure of having pitched to me. Lots of people with the way of “Reaching their Dreams” really giving me the hard sell with that desire just to “Take my Money” and run. Now before you think “Oh No, Ed is now attacking MLM”, I am actually not.
I have had quite a few friends with very reputable MLM products such as Nutrimetics or Herbal-Life (which at least to me seem quite decent). I am attacking the unethical practice of selling in which:
– They don’t tell you straight up what it is.
– They con you into a “Secretive” Meeting, suck you into the dream and then try and hit you up.
This really upsets me and I have been sucked into this several times. In fact, I even got dragged along to a “Very American”, “Motivational Night” whereby they even told us:
– Never tell new people you are from our company. Tell them you have a great means of “Making a few bucks”. If they ask if you are from our company, just evade the question.
Very misleading and unethical! These companies have no respect for people’s time whatsoever and the whole approach is to sucker people into a meeting, use a bunch of fake techniques to “Build Rapport”, suck them into a dream of Financial Freedom / Fluffy Clouds, hit them with the signup and ask for their money. “Positive Thinkers” using “Positive Thinking” to lie to you and manipulate you! Not Very nice!
I had a person recently try the same BS on me. Late on a Friday afternoon (which totally thrilled me), they ring me up – and say “Hey are you interested in a great business opportunity?”. I actually am not, as I am flat out right now – but I said “Oh Yeah?”. I then just asked “What is this about?”. The reply was “Well, I can’t really tell you over the phone”. They then fed me a line about “Wanting to get to know me and such”.
What do you mean you can’t tell me over the phone? Are the Federal Police listening in? The CIA tracking you? ASIO got a shadow on you? The person then tried to tie me into a meeting and my intuition said “No Way” so I politely said I will get back to them. Then, I sent them an email asking the straight question – sure I am interested, but firstly “What is this about?”. And you guessed it, no answer.
How does this make one feel or react? It’s a very sullen experience when someone tries to lure you to a meeting, but then acts in a secretive way as to what it is about. Besides not being very nice, it really lowers my credibility and respect for this person. Why don’t they just say:
– Hi, my name is Claire and I am from [X Company] and it’s really cool and I think you may like it. I would like to buy you a cup of coffee to present it to you?
Instead of this “Super Clever”, “Manipulative” approach, perhaps just an upfront question? I really think these days people are a lot smarter than they were 20 years ago and the fact some companies are still running like this tells me they are really out of touch! Man, I have been really sucked into these things a few times – you got to keep an eye on your wallet in this crazy world. Everyone wants a piece of it!
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