Got a great opportunity offered today ACN ! Please criticize

[MJ DeMarco]

The book move is a trick.

They let you 'borrow' the book for two reasons:

1) if you're reading the book, they are furthering their sales process on you, which in turn increases the likeliness that you will buy in. The book will always be pro network marketing (aka mlm) and support things they told you in the original meeting.

2) More importantly, they have given you something that you will have to return. This opens the door for them to draw you back in when you go to return it. He doesn't care about the book, he just wants another run at you.

I spent a few years in an MLM company, and the methods they use to deceive people could be straight from a grifter handbook.

To help cut through the noise:

Forget about the photocopies of checks they show you. This is what they call 'building a story'. I recruit you, I drive your downline for 30-60 days, and get you a respectable check. Then I photocopy it, put it in a flip book for you, and you now have a story that goes like this:

'When I started with ACN I was skeptical, like I'm sure most people are. However, I figured I had nothing to lose, so I gave it a try. 60 days later, not even knowing what I was doing, I made this check for $3,500 and I've never looked back. Now, 8 months later, I am making enough money that I was able to leave my $75k per year job; I have more free time than ever, and my life is on a completely different path. I am building a business, instead of working a dead-end job."

Sounds awesome, but all you really know is that I made $3,500 one time. You will want to believe that I said I'm making more than $75k/yr after only 8 months...but I cleverly left out the specifics of what I am actually making. All I said is I was able to leave my job. What does that mean? In the MLM world...nothing.

They are all about flash and 'act as if', but almost none of them are making what you would hope. In fact a lot of them are buried in credit card debt from trying to put up a believable front.

Cut through this noise by insisting on proof. Forget checks, and ask for income figures in annual numbers. These guys will notoriously quote their largest check ever as being 'the norm', and some will extrapolate that into annual income even though they were nowhere close. You wouldn't buy a business without having a look at their books, so treat this the same. Ask for a copy of his most recent 1099. In addition, ask for a look at the 1099's of his other successful recruits.

The #3 producer in the company I was in consistently showed checks for $10k his first month, $18k his third month, and $50k by his 7th month. I became close with this guy as I opened up offices, and when he finally quit he told me what he was making....$32k per year! He had everyone convinced he was making millions, and it was all smoke. The only people making money were the founders.

Read MJ's book, as it sounds like you haven't. He does the best job I've seen at spotlighting the fallacies of the MLM model. As MJ says, you aren't a business owner in an MLM, you are basically just a sales rep who can enlist a sales team.

Good luck bud.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Legendary post. Anyone thinking about diving into MLM should heed the above.

On another note; a lot of "gurus" will recommend MLM for one reason and one reason only: It's a great sales channel to move books. If you are pro-MLM, then suddenly, you can sell your books to millions of people in various downlines. It simply is an awesome sales channel.

When I wrote TMF , I knew I had a big decision:

1) Lie about MLM and say "It's great! The best thing out there!" just so I can exploit the sale channel and sell gazillions of books to the MLM channel. (Sound familiar? Most gurus aren't concerned with truth, but concerned about book sales.)

Or

2) Tell the truth and kill any chance of selling millions of books to hundreds of downlines.

Obviously, I chose #2.

 

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[mottdog]

My two cents. If was briefly brought into this group a few years ago by my cousin. The products were legit, phone service, heating and I think electric? My "adviser" told me to call all my friends and family with a sob story of how I needed their help and to come to my house at a certain time. I couldn't explain why or tell them I was selling anything. My "adviser" basically took over the meeting and hard sold everyone to "help" my cause. I was horrified and very embarrassed. I had some signups, but I didn't feel good about it. I stopped the whole process a week later. These programs make money for people who are slick salesmen. I wanted to sell things to help my family and friends. Not hard sell them to pay more than they should just to put a few bucks in my pocket.
The conventions get introverted people together and makes everyone feel like a family, but it's all a big game to have everyone pay dues and fees so the top brass get paid the bucks. Then you feel guilty about leaving the group since they are your friends. Most of them are great people, but there are ones that are tasked with keeping the team filled by whatever means.
So do your research and check it out, but I would be very leery.

 

[hedgehog757]

Legendary post. Anyone thinking about diving into MLM should heed the above.

On another note; a lot of "gurus" will recommend MLM for one reason and one reason only: It's a great sales channel to move books. If you are pro-MLM, then suddenly, you can sell your books to millions of people in various downlines. It simply is an awesome sales channel.

When I wrote TMF , I knew I had a big decision:

1) Lie about MLM and say "It's great! The best thing out there!" just so I can exploit the sale channel and sell gazillions of books to the MLM channel. (Sound familiar? Most gurus aren't concerned with truth, but concerned about book sales.)

Or

2) Tell the truth and kill any chance of selling millions of books to hundreds of downlines.

Obviously, I chose #2.

That's why you are always better off reading everything all the way through before making any decisions. In the end, you always have to make your own decisions. But it helps to have all the information. MJ always gives some great advice and gets straight to the point. I would read look up a lot of his posts and read them along with his book if I were you.

 

[PatrickP]

My understanding is the real money is made by the founders, NOT from selling the product and NOT from their underlings selling product but from selling Video courses and classes on how to sell MLM.

 

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[hedgehog757]

My understanding is the real money is made by the founders, NOT from selling the product and NOT from their underlings selling product but from selling Video courses and classes on how to sell MLM.

That is probably true. As MJ pointed out. A lot of "gurus" advocate MLMs but why are NONE of them involved in MLMs was something I always wondered? Donald Trump and Robert Kioysaki say MLM is a great way to make money and neither of them has an MLM company that I knwo about. Although I think Trump had an MLM Vitamin company a few years ago.

 

[PatrickP]

I believe that Kioysaki wrote his first book and it didn't sell.

That was until it was sold in a MLM company.

Sort of strange that he wrote a book on succeeding in business when as far as I can tell he never had a successful business.

 

[Rain]

I believe that Kioysaki wrote his first book and it didn't sell.

That was until it was sold in a MLM company.

Sort of strange that he wrote a book on succeeding in business when as far as I can tell he never had a successful business.

I'll be honest: if you can get away with that, then props... because most authors don't make any money. Making millions with books isn't any easier than making millions another way.

On the brighter side, to be fair, Kiyosaki still has some good info, despite his "global real estate business" consisting of a duplex in Mexico (or whatever the back-end story was).

 

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[itsme]

Thanks man, but damn I signed the application FML and put my card information. I will talk to my bank tomorrow first thing in the morning about it. Its funny how this damn guy had his nice condo and crap, and even got my dads boss into the ACN company as well.

With ACN, there is a 30-day money back policy. My best friend at the time told me about ACN about 5 years ago and he has been doing it ever since. He is the biggest ACN guy where I live and maybe pulls in $5-6k a month? We're not that good of friend anymore because I couldn't talk to him about anything without it involving me signing up in his downline. By the way, he has worked 80+ hours a week for 5 years in order to make that amount of money, which is not worth it in my opinion. $1k a month luxurious? Come on man =]

 

[21elnegocio]

With ACN, there is a 30-day money back policy. My best friend at the time told me about ACN about 5 years ago and he has been doing it ever since. He is the biggest ACN guy where I live and maybe pulls in $5-6k a month? We're not that good of friend anymore because I couldn't talk to him about anything without it involving me signing up in his downline. By the way, he has worked 80+ hours a week for 5 years in order to make that amount of money, which is not worth it in my opinion. $1k a month luxurious? Come on man =]

Yeah definitely not worth it, too much work for 1k a month

 

[hedgehog757]

I believe that Kioysaki wrote his first book and it didn't sell.

That was until it was sold in a MLM company.

Sort of strange that he wrote a book on succeeding in business when as far as I can tell he never had a successful business.

I never knew that.

How did he get so rich now then? or is he even rich? :huh2: lol

 

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[itsme]

I never knew that.

How did he get so rich now then? or is he even rich? lol

I think in one of his books I remember reading he made money selling Velcro wallets.

Robert Kiyosaki - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[PatrickP]

I never knew that.

How did he get so rich now then? or is he even rich? :huh2: lol

He got rich selling books telling people how to get rich.

He is not the first to do it.

His story really is full of holes. Just a couple such as there is no record of him ever serving in the military when and where he said he did.

There is no record of any rich dad living near where he lived in HI.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

I'll be honest: if you can get away with that, then props... because most authors don't make any money.

Very true. "He's getting rich selling a book about getting rich!" is really another excuse from people who attribute luck to success. Even if the assertion is true (He got rich selling books!) that accomplishment is NOT one small feat.

A lot of people think it's easy to write a book and sell thousands, let alone millions. The average self-published book sells 300 copies. The average publisher produced book fares really no better and much of the sales are through over-hyped "launches" by a bunch of "crony authors" (The publishing business's version of "crony capitalism" -- "you help push my book, Ill help push yours!" Nevermind that the book is below average and rehashed shit we already know).

That said, the act of selling MILLIONS of books is a business (Kiyosaki)-- and the guy that successfully does it (in my eyes) deserves respect in that sense -- millions of others TRY, and millions FAIL.

 

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[biophase]

I got tricked into going to an MLM meeting last November through a vacation meetup.com group. The MLM was a vacation MLM where it was $59/mo. The kicker was that if you got 4 people to sign up, you didn't have to pay the $59/mo fee anymore! So I'm sure the selling is pretty heavy to get your first 4 people.

The presentation started off with 20 minutes of how great these vacations are and 40 minutes of how you can make money and help your friends save money on all these vacations. He told his sob story about how he was a rei agent and the market downturn killed him income that this MLM saved him financially.

I looked at the crowded during this presentation and saw alot of nodding heads. Most people there were realtors based on the "show of hands" on what industry you were in. I could see that many were going to sign up after this presentation and I felt bad for them.

At $59/mo we are talking $700 a year for people who probably take one vacation a year. Who knows if it would be even worth it for the average person. I was actually thinking that for someone like me who travels alot that this might actually save me money.

At the end of the presentation the guy comes up to me and asks (I love this positive answer only sales question) , "So what part of the presentation was the best part for you?"

I told him that it wasn't for me and he proceeded into sales mode. After some back and forth, I just told him and the people at my table that if the vacations were so great, that he wouldn't have spent more time on the "make money" part of the presentation over the actual vacations.

Then I got in my Ferrari and left. :smug2:

BTW, I did look at the paperwork that they gave me. And these vacations have so many fees that I doubt you ever save any money. They talked about $199 cruises. But then you pay around another $500 in paperwork fees.

 

[PatrickP]

I attribute a lot of my success to luck.

 

[Rain]

While we can certainly do everything in our ability to maximize our chances for success, there is definitely a luck factor in everything.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell explains this very well.

 

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[DeletedUser394]

OP, I'm wondering how old you are? Just curious. Didn't read the whole thread in case it was mentioned.

 

[hedgehog757]

Very true. "He's getting rich selling a book about getting rich!" is really another excuse from people who attribute luck to success. Even if the assertion is true (He got rich selling books!) that accomplishment is NOT one small feat.

A lot of people think it's easy to write a book and sell thousands, let alone millions. The average self-published book sells 300 copies. The average publisher produced book fares really no better and much of the sales are through over-hyped "launches" by a bunch of "crony authors" (The publishing business's version of "crony capitalism" -- "you help push my book, Ill help push yours!" Nevermind that the book is below average and rehashed shit we already know).

That said, the act of selling MILLIONS of books is a business (Kiyosaki)-- and the guy that successfully does it (in my eyes) deserves respect in that sense -- millions of others TRY, and millions FAIL.

Yep, you're right, that is one way to do it

 

[Joehenny]

120k isn't a lot for a condo at all. You could get one of those on a 30k a year salary with good credit.

 

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[21elnegocio]

I got tricked into going to an MLM meeting last November through a vacation meetup.com group. The MLM was a vacation MLM where it was $59/mo. The kicker was that if you got 4 people to sign up, you didn't have to pay the $59/mo fee anymore! So I'm sure the selling is pretty heavy to get your first 4 people.

The presentation started off with 20 minutes of how great these vacations are and 40 minutes of how you can make money and help your friends save money on all these vacations. He told his sob story about how he was a rei agent and the market downturn killed him income that this MLM saved him financially.

I looked at the crowded during this presentation and saw alot of nodding heads. Most people there were realtors based on the "show of hands" on what industry you were in. I could see that many were going to sign up after this presentation and I felt bad for them.

At $59/mo we are talking $700 a year for people who probably take one vacation a year. Who knows if it would be even worth it for the average person. I was actually thinking that for someone like me who travels alot that this might actually save me money.

At the end of the presentation the guy comes up to me and asks (I love this positive answer only sales question) , "So what part of the presentation was the best part for you?"

I told him that it wasn't for me and he proceeded into sales mode. After some back and forth, I just told him and the people at my table that if the vacations were so great, that he wouldn't have spent more time on the "make money" part of the presentation over the actual vacations.

Then I got in my Ferrari and left. :smug2:

BTW, I did look at the paperwork that they gave me. And these vacations have so many fees that I doubt you ever save any money. They talked about $199 cruises. But then you pay around another $500 in paperwork fees.

I like the way you say you left like a G

 

[hatterasguy]

So basically someone dragged you to a crappy little condo and wasted your time with an MLM presentation? I'd be pissed if I fell for that. Next time make an excuse since you were on a bike you probably could have easily broken off and at least wasted your time at a bar or something while they listened to the presentation.

 

[keza]

You can get your money back if you ask for it within 10 days after you sign. I paid those $ 499 thinking that I will get people quickly and get my money back but I find out it was not easy, so on the 9 th day I asked and got my money back within 24 hours. They kept $50 for the package they gave me to explain their business untill I send back that package. It is a pyramid with Donald Trump on the top.
Good luck.

 

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[Jeremy]

Very true. "He's getting rich selling a book about getting rich!" is really another excuse from people who attribute luck to success. Even if the assertion is true (He got rich selling books!) that accomplishment is NOT one small feat.

A lot of people think it's easy to write a book and sell thousands, let alone millions. The average self-published book sells 300 copies. The average publisher produced book fares really no better and much of the sales are through over-hyped "launches" by a bunch of "crony authors" (The publishing business's version of "crony capitalism" -- "you help push my book, Ill help push yours!" Nevermind that the book is below average and rehashed shit we already know).

That said, the act of selling MILLIONS of books is a business (Kiyosaki)-- and the guy that successfully does it (in my eyes) deserves respect in that sense -- millions of others TRY, and millions FAIL.

If you want to get rich via My Two Dads, you need to do as he did, not as he says.

The content of his books is complete garbage. The method he used to market that garbage is genius.

Don't confuse one for the other (not the MJ is confused; but some readers out there are).

 

[21elnegocio]

Yeah thats why I didnt join them, and no I had no clue I was going to an ACN meeting. All I was told is by my dad was come with me to go talk to my boss thats it, and all he said watch come with me guys I will teach you how we make money.