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MJ DeMarco
I followed the science; all I found was money.
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Bernie Madoff "paid out" for 25 years.
Met the owner of a successful MLM recently. this guy came in a black Rolls Royce Phantom with a license plate that said "Easymoni" (which made no sense to me until I found out he's in the MLM game...marketing expense never looked so luxurious 
)
The second I heard that, I said to him "You know what...your the man. Why? Because you didn't take part it in one.. your started your own. Whole nother game your in."
Guy looks at me for a second, clear that he'd never heard anyone actually say that to him, leans in, smiles and quietly says "....I want to sit on the throne, not help other guys lift it"
On that note...
I feel I have to commend @MJ DeMarco for putting critical knowledge in so many peoples lives, don't know how long it would've taken me to figure it all out if you didn't lay out the fastlane path. Sincere Thanks, if there is anything..I mean anything.. just a message away
P.s. Jealous that this guy got to write off his Rolls as a marketing expense...gotta start doing my research lol
)The second I heard that, I said to him "You know what...your the man. Why? Because you didn't take part it in one.. your started your own. Whole nother game your in."
Guy looks at me for a second, clear that he'd never heard anyone actually say that to him, leans in, smiles and quietly says "....I want to sit on the throne, not help other guys lift it"
On that note...
I feel I have to commend @MJ DeMarco for putting critical knowledge in so many peoples lives, don't know how long it would've taken me to figure it all out if you didn't lay out the fastlane path. Sincere Thanks, if there is anything..I mean anything.. just a message away
P.s. Jealous that this guy got to write off his Rolls as a marketing expense...gotta start doing my research lol
Bump; we've hit the peak of MLM fail without crossing over into fully criminal ponzi territory.
Here, a woman uses a facebook timeline memory from around the time of her husband's death to hawk Plexus products.
Don't let this be you folks. Save your friends. Save your dignity. Save your self-respect. MLM: Not even once.
hahahahha EPIC. Some broke kid who just got back from a motivational talk is reading this right now and shaking his head furiously at us "haters" Lol
It's good to understand sales, learn communication skills, develop yourself, hey even hang around other motivated people rather than pothead drug-dealers.
But what I despise is, MLMs teaches alot of kids to be all image and no substance. Since social media is how they get most of their motivated "hires" they have to openly portray a great life.
This leads to incessant flaunting of rented/leased entry-level cars, talking down to actually successful people, and living through a false image.
In this is desperate desire to fulfill this image, they end up going in debt and buying the very thing that shackles them to mediocrity.
Instead of actually accepting circumstances, and working hard on creating a value-providing business, the lesson taught is work hard to develop a million-dollar image, and things will "come" when you live in "prosperity".
I've even seen a 19 year old kid in a suit making about $10,000 a year have a experienced Real Estate Investor bring his business plan and edit it with a red pen as a consultant. LOL I didn't know to shake my head or shake the Investors head
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Story time.
Today i was approached by an assistant in another suite that happens to work in the same build as i do.
She called me over so she can show me "something" -- at this point i was assuming she needed help moving something as they were moving their stuff to another level of the building (renovations & such) -- she tells me "no" -- she just needs me to watch something. I go to her desk and look at her screen, when she hits the play button on me.
5 Seconds into the video playing, and by reading the footer of the website (dream tours) - i knew this girl landed into some MLM funnel and is now trying to recruit me. I said "Oh this is an MLM, i'm not interested in this...." -- faster than i could finish my sentence, this girl starts demanding/asking me all sorts of questions about why i don't do it -- and why i wouldn't want to make more money -- and how much am i making now -- etc -- at some point she starts firing off tons of reasons why she's doing so great in this program and that she made her money back already.. i told her, im not interested in that because it's not a real business -- it's a pyramid scheme. She proceeds to tell me that if i joined i wouldn't be needing a job and that her boyfriend buys $400 pants and $600 shoes, and that she could quit her job at any moment, and that she's going to be rich... etc etc -- i just couldn't understand it -- how this conversation went soooooo off the deep end so quickly. I chuckled to myself because here we are - your promoting this "opportunity" to me, getting mad at me because i'm not interested, then have the nerve to make assumptions of my finances. And she's the one coming to work everyday as an entry level, part-time assistant.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time i've been approached by an acquaintance or friend about this. Yet here we are, many months later these people are still broke. MLM's only works if you're on top of the food chain. Period. There is almost no value in joining an MLM, unless it's to train you to get out of an MLM, and help you transition into a real business.
Today i was approached by an assistant in another suite that happens to work in the same build as i do.
She called me over so she can show me "something" -- at this point i was assuming she needed help moving something as they were moving their stuff to another level of the building (renovations & such) -- she tells me "no" -- she just needs me to watch something. I go to her desk and look at her screen, when she hits the play button on me.
5 Seconds into the video playing, and by reading the footer of the website (dream tours) - i knew this girl landed into some MLM funnel and is now trying to recruit me. I said "Oh this is an MLM, i'm not interested in this...." -- faster than i could finish my sentence, this girl starts demanding/asking me all sorts of questions about why i don't do it -- and why i wouldn't want to make more money -- and how much am i making now -- etc -- at some point she starts firing off tons of reasons why she's doing so great in this program and that she made her money back already.. i told her, im not interested in that because it's not a real business -- it's a pyramid scheme. She proceeds to tell me that if i joined i wouldn't be needing a job and that her boyfriend buys $400 pants and $600 shoes, and that she could quit her job at any moment, and that she's going to be rich... etc etc -- i just couldn't understand it -- how this conversation went soooooo off the deep end so quickly. I chuckled to myself because here we are - your promoting this "opportunity" to me, getting mad at me because i'm not interested, then have the nerve to make assumptions of my finances. And she's the one coming to work everyday as an entry level, part-time assistant.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time i've been approached by an acquaintance or friend about this. Yet here we are, many months later these people are still broke. MLM's only works if you're on top of the food chain. Period. There is almost no value in joining an MLM, unless it's to train you to get out of an MLM, and help you transition into a real business.
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MJ DeMarco
I followed the science; all I found was money.
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Because advocating for MLMs is great for book sales. Gates or Buffet don't care about selling books. If selling books over truth was my #1 priority, I would also have said "Network marketing is a great industry to be in." I'd immediately leverage network effects of MLM drones recommending my book. Advocating against MLMs probably cost me several hundred thousand dollars. I'd rather maintain my integrity than sell out.
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- Mar 24, 2014
- 343
- 780
I had my first taste of an MLM evangelist yesterday.
I got a message on LinkedIn from a recruiter referencing my day job skills.
A recruiter contacting me on LinkedIn. Not unusual. I'll hear the fella out, I suppose.
A phone call follows minutes later.
Introductions aside, he gets down to (pseudo) business.
"Our company helps other companies market their products and move their sales online."
Talking in vagaries. Responding to my inquisitions with mythical tales of "business partners" making a million a year over the last 30 years.
He's as evasive as a perp in an interrogation room without a lawyer.
This is feeling very slimey.
By now it's clear this is no ordinary business. It's one of particular geometric shape. And not the cool, flashing light up kind like Daft Punk's.
"But what is it your business actually does?" I press.
"It's hard to explain over the phone. Let's meet up. I'll bring my business partners."
Unless you're in the business of building hadron colliders, your business can't be that hard to describe over the phone.
"Ok. There's a video that explains it. I'll send you the link and give you a call back."
Sends me propaganda Goebbels himself would be proud of.
I hold myself together long enough to watch precisely 48 seconds of the video.
"No thanks, mate."
"But but....12 billion dollar business. Mentorship! Entrepreneurialism!"
Faced with my evident disinterest, the random recruitment catch cries slowly trail off. Saved for another day. Another sucker.
I got a message on LinkedIn from a recruiter referencing my day job skills.
A recruiter contacting me on LinkedIn. Not unusual. I'll hear the fella out, I suppose.
A phone call follows minutes later.
Introductions aside, he gets down to (pseudo) business.
"Our company helps other companies market their products and move their sales online."
Talking in vagaries. Responding to my inquisitions with mythical tales of "business partners" making a million a year over the last 30 years.
He's as evasive as a perp in an interrogation room without a lawyer.
This is feeling very slimey.
By now it's clear this is no ordinary business. It's one of particular geometric shape. And not the cool, flashing light up kind like Daft Punk's.
"But what is it your business actually does?" I press.
"It's hard to explain over the phone. Let's meet up. I'll bring my business partners."
Unless you're in the business of building hadron colliders, your business can't be that hard to describe over the phone.
"Ok. There's a video that explains it. I'll send you the link and give you a call back."
Sends me propaganda Goebbels himself would be proud of.
I hold myself together long enough to watch precisely 48 seconds of the video.
"No thanks, mate."
"But but....12 billion dollar business. Mentorship! Entrepreneurialism!"
Faced with my evident disinterest, the random recruitment catch cries slowly trail off. Saved for another day. Another sucker.
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Value/Post Ratio
74%
- Aug 20, 2012
- 658
- 484
- 32
The thing that is truly bothersome is the MLM superiority complex. When they say that they are their own boss, it enrages me. Do you decide on what their health benefits are, or set their hours? Shit, can you even fire them!? LOL. It's always the kids with the backwards hats posting them holding a bottle of Verve saying "Yeah bro, whoever does 9-5 is an IDIOT!". They brainwash these kids and have no humility while doing so.
It's not the product that I don't like, well, actually it tastes like shit and for the most part you're thinking "What product", since they never teach you how to sell it. It's the "I SELL VERVE! I'M BETTER THAN YOU! YOU'RE AVERAGE!", brainwashing bullshit that gets to me.
If they are making money for a short run and milk da F*ck out of it, good for them! That's not sarcasm, seriously, good for them. What is so crazy is that when I went to one of these meetings they told me something along the lines of
"We have the same advertising budget as redbull, and while they're doing commercials, we're making it more personal. We are involving YOU to advertise it, you are on the front lines of something HUGE! That no one else knows about!". I rarely curse but here I go. I know this may come as a shock, but Rebulls marketing works so well because I WANT to be like the dude jumping out a helicopter or doing backflips in a dirt bike. Verve hasn't sold me because I don't desire to be like the F*cking a**hole putting everyone else down who doesn't buy his product.
Clearly the owners of redbull are the idiots here. It's not like every single person has heard of their product. "What's a redbull? I only drink VERVE", said no one, ever.
It's not the product that I don't like, well, actually it tastes like shit and for the most part you're thinking "What product", since they never teach you how to sell it. It's the "I SELL VERVE! I'M BETTER THAN YOU! YOU'RE AVERAGE!", brainwashing bullshit that gets to me.
If they are making money for a short run and milk da F*ck out of it, good for them! That's not sarcasm, seriously, good for them. What is so crazy is that when I went to one of these meetings they told me something along the lines of
"We have the same advertising budget as redbull, and while they're doing commercials, we're making it more personal. We are involving YOU to advertise it, you are on the front lines of something HUGE! That no one else knows about!". I rarely curse but here I go. I know this may come as a shock, but Rebulls marketing works so well because I WANT to be like the dude jumping out a helicopter or doing backflips in a dirt bike. Verve hasn't sold me because I don't desire to be like the F*cking a**hole putting everyone else down who doesn't buy his product.
Clearly the owners of redbull are the idiots here. It's not like every single person has heard of their product. "What's a redbull? I only drink VERVE", said no one, ever.
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IceCreamKid
With Great Power Comes Great Electricity Bill
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Every time someone approaches me and uses the phrase, "I have an OPPORTUNITY for you", my brain instantly senses it as an MLM and I mentally check out. You cannot convince the zombies that they are wrong.
Lost one of my best buddies because he got sucked into an MLM and it completely changed his character. 5 years later, he's still saying that freedom is just around the corner for him.
RIP my sides, I hardly knew ye.
10 Largest MLM companies in the world:
1. Avon Revenue (not profits): $11.3 billion
2. Amway Revenue (not profits): 10.9 Billion
3. Mary Kay Revenue (not profits): 3.5 Billion
4. Herbalife Revenue (not profits): 3.5 Billion
5. Natura Cosmeticos Revenue (not profits): 3.0 Billion
6. Vorwerk & Co. KG Revenue (not profits): 3.0 Billion
7. Tupperware Brands Corp Revenue (not profits): 2.6 Billion
8. Oriflame Cosmetics SA Revenue (not profits): 2.1 Billion
9. Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. Revenue (not profits):1.7 Billion
10. Belcorp Revenue (not profits): 1.6 Billion
Total revenue (not profits): $43.2 Billion
Bill Gate's personal net worth (profit, not sales): $79.3 billion USD
Bill gates is actually worth more than the top 50 MLM companies worldwide sell in a year. Combined.
But I'm sure if he had to do it over again, he'd start a hard-sell supplement business.
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The line is different for different people. For me, I'm opposed to business enterprises that kind of make you a value vampire. I want the kind of product where people see the up-sell and spend more money, and leave thinking "wow, I got some great stuff." Sure, killer photos, killer copy, make it look as good as you can, but don't lie about it. The kind of product where they unwrap it and say, "yeah!" Not the kind of product where people leave the transaction thinking "Oh F*ck. Did that really just happen?"
In my opinion, the later is using pressure, psychology, tricky bait-and-switch (Just sign now, you have 48 hours to cancel; number to cancel doesn't work) and (in the case of MLMs) family ties, to cheat the grind: MLMs sell noncompetitive, low-value shit at high value prices . It's the same way that Comcast uses corrupt governments and agreements with other telecom giants to enforce monopolies, because they know that as soon as Google Fiber or even a smaller residential fiber provider moves in, the only customers they'll keep are those who are too ignorant/elderly to know better, because they provide shit value, shit customer service, shit product, and, as a result, their whole biz will go to shit the minute competition arrives.
MLMs are Taxis in an Uber world. They're Comcast in a Google Fiber world. To me, they transgress the very heart of honest capitalism, value exchanged for money, money exchanged for solving needs. Instead, they vampirize the value a person built up in their life via social contracts and blood relations and familial fondness, expending it all quickly (alienating friends and family) to make a few dollars. They add no value, they just use chicanery to extract from others the value that was already inherent in their relationships. Cutco and Vemma aren't in Target or Amazon because they couldn't compete in an open market on value proposition alone.
I mean, there are probably mega bucks to be made going the Nestle route and literally tricking women in the third world into buying their product or having their babies starve to death. Some things just aren't worth the money.
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IceCreamKid
With Great Power Comes Great Electricity Bill
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Nope. I was browsing his Facebook and it's quite clear to me that he's too focused on the EVENT and doesn't appreciate the PROCESS just yet. It's a huge red flag to me when someone litters their FB with pics of themselves at the beach, in front of exotic cars, and always wearing business suits. I like jeans and t-shirts. When you start making some money, you almost want to be invisible.
He's crazy enough to register his website domain under his personal name and home address so I'll be sending him a copy of TMF . I have a stack of the first editions with the Murcielago on the cover!
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These MLM owners selling a 'fat loss wrap' bought a $14.5mil island:
http://www.techinsider.io/is-it-works-legit-2015-8
With a company name like "It Works" who can say it's a scam?
That is such a shitty looking island. That is the KMart of islands.
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MJ DeMarco
I followed the science; all I found was money.
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Sorry but I had to edit your post as you can't copy an entire article and post it here as it is a disservice to the article author/owner.
I've deleted most of it and included a link to the source material so readers can read it in its entirety there. And yup, it's a great piece.
About twenty years ago I took a gap year after High School and went to live in Tuscany with my older brother. I ended up working at a restaurant with him in the evenings washing dishes and afternoons at a driving range (I've been playing golf since I was six). One day I'm hitting balls in my downtime and a guy sits behind me watching me hit. After a while we get to chatting and he asks if I can take a look at his swing. I do and give him a few pointers and he starts to hit it better. When he leaves he asks for my number and invites me to a round of golf (at that time I wasn't making enough to play on a private course) so I exchanged details with him to play the following week. We part ways. The following week he picks me up in a brand new BMW X5 (also not too common in that part of Italy i.e. more unique / exclusive) and we go to a private golf course, he picks up the tab for everything (around 20-30% of my monthly take home pay) and asks me if I would be interested in being his private golf coach.. I laugh and say "look it's about 35 Euro an hour so monthly it will be horrendous." He laughs and says "here's my address, put together a quote and your requirements and let's see if we can make it happen".
I go back to work and my brother who I was staying with told me to at least try (I think he wanted me out the house and off his couch!). So I put together a quote for double my monthly salary with a few extra requirements (paid travel and golf expenses etc) and take the bus into the next town where he lives. I get to this massive old Tuscan villa, private olive grove and some nice Bavarian cars parked in the driveway. He takes one look at the quote and says "That's fine, when can you start?". I started immediately. He happened to be one of the top 5 Herbalife salesman in Europe so naturally I
travelled with him to all his meetings and conferences. It was an eye opener - when he entered this conference room full of people there was inspirational music playing, the whole crowd got up and screamed and clapped and shouted. When he was on stage he was talking about how well his "downline" were doing and handing out special pins etc. Lots of photo taking and hugs and high emotion. When I listened to what these people were making monthly, I realized that they were making less than me! Just enough to cover living expenses and staying inside that hamster wheel of MLM. The majority of the attendees or salespeople where middle aged and older, completely fascinated and lured on by the expensive suit, shiny watch and diamond pin that my employer wore that day. People were asking to take pictures with me just because I was "close" to the guy they all came to see.
It was easy to see why people genuinely believe that just one more sale, just more recruit and I can make it up to the next level..
It was hard seeing people my parent's ages sitting there glassy eyed and hopeful and brainwashed like sheep.
Make no mistake, the guy I worked for made a lot of money (around USD250k a month) but he was one of a group of ten Herbalife people worldwide I think. The very apex of the pyramid. Since then I've been able to spot a MLM prophet miles away and do my best to avoid eye contact in case I give them the opening to pitch and then I have to stand awkwardly listening to the same story just with a different shiny object. I never felt like my employer provided "value" to anyone, merely inspiration and being an object of emulation. I never heard anyone say "thank you, this product and the sales I make have provided for my family and put my children through college!". The sale people were always..just there..about to breakthrough but never doing so.
"Businesses that solve needs win. Businesses that provide value win." - create massive value to gain massive rewards.
That close up experience with all the pretentiousness and the awed crowd made a life long impression on me to never join that crew and not let my later years be in the hands of someone in an expensive suit..
This quote is what drives me every, single day -
“If millions seek you, you will be paid millions.”
― M.J. DeMarco, The Millionaire Fastlane
I go back to work and my brother who I was staying with told me to at least try (I think he wanted me out the house and off his couch!). So I put together a quote for double my monthly salary with a few extra requirements (paid travel and golf expenses etc) and take the bus into the next town where he lives. I get to this massive old Tuscan villa, private olive grove and some nice Bavarian cars parked in the driveway. He takes one look at the quote and says "That's fine, when can you start?". I started immediately. He happened to be one of the top 5 Herbalife salesman in Europe so naturally I
travelled with him to all his meetings and conferences. It was an eye opener - when he entered this conference room full of people there was inspirational music playing, the whole crowd got up and screamed and clapped and shouted. When he was on stage he was talking about how well his "downline" were doing and handing out special pins etc. Lots of photo taking and hugs and high emotion. When I listened to what these people were making monthly, I realized that they were making less than me! Just enough to cover living expenses and staying inside that hamster wheel of MLM. The majority of the attendees or salespeople where middle aged and older, completely fascinated and lured on by the expensive suit, shiny watch and diamond pin that my employer wore that day. People were asking to take pictures with me just because I was "close" to the guy they all came to see.
It was easy to see why people genuinely believe that just one more sale, just more recruit and I can make it up to the next level..
It was hard seeing people my parent's ages sitting there glassy eyed and hopeful and brainwashed like sheep.
Make no mistake, the guy I worked for made a lot of money (around USD250k a month) but he was one of a group of ten Herbalife people worldwide I think. The very apex of the pyramid. Since then I've been able to spot a MLM prophet miles away and do my best to avoid eye contact in case I give them the opening to pitch and then I have to stand awkwardly listening to the same story just with a different shiny object. I never felt like my employer provided "value" to anyone, merely inspiration and being an object of emulation. I never heard anyone say "thank you, this product and the sales I make have provided for my family and put my children through college!". The sale people were always..just there..about to breakthrough but never doing so.
"Businesses that solve needs win. Businesses that provide value win." - create massive value to gain massive rewards.
That close up experience with all the pretentiousness and the awed crowd made a life long impression on me to never join that crew and not let my later years be in the hands of someone in an expensive suit..
This quote is what drives me every, single day -
“If millions seek you, you will be paid millions.”
― M.J. DeMarco, The Millionaire Fastlane
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MJ DeMarco
I followed the science; all I found was money.
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Famous last words from the drones of MLM. To bad reality didn't agree much with your "for the record".
I doubt you'll hear anything. When this forum proves any kind of "told you so", it's a lock that the user never shows their face again. Kinda sad because these failures are teachable moments, not moments to bury your head in the sand. Reminds me of the swing trade thread when I cautioned the "trader" on the risk he was taken and to post the moment WHEN a trade went south. After big losses.... Crickets.
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I love this bit of marketing, Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and several others all said the same EXACT things...crazy, right?
Ok ok, I'm done...
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I rented a million dollar house for a month on the coast of Honolulu a few years back. Beautiful place, with majestic acreage and a rock line of crashing waves on the Pacific. It was one of eight similar houses the owners had across the world. In the bathroom? Free samples of the owners NuSkin products. He was one of the several original founders.
I'm not opposed to owning a MLM. I am opposed to working in someone else's downline, and selling bullshit. The owners of NuSkin did neither.
I'm not opposed to owning a MLM. I am opposed to working in someone else's downline, and selling bullshit. The owners of NuSkin did neither.
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
76%
- Jan 30, 2012
- 655
- 497
Every once in a while I will get a call from someone that is a long time family associate or, friend of a friend that knows I enjoy freedom outside of punching someone's time-clock and the conversation is always strange and slightly insulting.
Usually the convo begins with a somewhat overly excited middle aged person on the other line trying to use old commonalities to ease into the real reason of why they actually called me in the first place. Then they either open the door with a question or the good old "I have a business proposition" line and it is at that very moment that I am scrolling through my phone to put this number on my list of blocked callers.
Sometimes if I am in a decent mood and have gotten my workout in I will allow them to mouth fart until they get to the part about how great this latest ripoff scheme has been for them and then (depending on how well I know them) I will kindly ask 1 or 2 qeustions I know they can't possibly answer then end the conversation politely. But I would love to say "Look dipshit! You barely know how to turn on a computer let alone be a successful affiliate marketer. Oh and by the way that hillbilly snake oil salesman that you just sent 10k of your 401k to, that you worked 40 + years in an asbestos filled factory to earn, is probably laughing at your gullible a$$ a lot harder than I am." .....
But I was raised better than that. So I just chill. But this latest scheme that I keep getting approached with is called zeek-rewards and although I haven't put the time or effort into figuring this Scam out people are sending these guys major money for promises of abnormal rates of return on their money. The only reason I even posted this here is because these people are using the guise of affiliate marketing and I suspect that once this blows up it will put a stain on the industry. I freaking despise businesses like this. Both people that have approached me thus far are in their 60s and I didn't have the heart to tell them they were being taken to the cleaners. Besides they wouldn't have listened.
Someone please check these guys out and give me your analysis or past experience with these charlatans. I smell a huge rat. Plus there are lots of negative comments about them on the web. ZeekRewards - The Rewards Program of a Lifetime!
Usually the convo begins with a somewhat overly excited middle aged person on the other line trying to use old commonalities to ease into the real reason of why they actually called me in the first place. Then they either open the door with a question or the good old "I have a business proposition" line and it is at that very moment that I am scrolling through my phone to put this number on my list of blocked callers.
Sometimes if I am in a decent mood and have gotten my workout in I will allow them to mouth fart until they get to the part about how great this latest ripoff scheme has been for them and then (depending on how well I know them) I will kindly ask 1 or 2 qeustions I know they can't possibly answer then end the conversation politely. But I would love to say "Look dipshit! You barely know how to turn on a computer let alone be a successful affiliate marketer. Oh and by the way that hillbilly snake oil salesman that you just sent 10k of your 401k to, that you worked 40 + years in an asbestos filled factory to earn, is probably laughing at your gullible a$$ a lot harder than I am." .....
But I was raised better than that. So I just chill. But this latest scheme that I keep getting approached with is called zeek-rewards and although I haven't put the time or effort into figuring this Scam out people are sending these guys major money for promises of abnormal rates of return on their money. The only reason I even posted this here is because these people are using the guise of affiliate marketing and I suspect that once this blows up it will put a stain on the industry. I freaking despise businesses like this. Both people that have approached me thus far are in their 60s and I didn't have the heart to tell them they were being taken to the cleaners. Besides they wouldn't have listened.
Someone please check these guys out and give me your analysis or past experience with these charlatans. I smell a huge rat. Plus there are lots of negative comments about them on the web. ZeekRewards - The Rewards Program of a Lifetime!
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There is a lady that I know who is always trying to get me involved with whatever MLM she is doing... it's really annoying since she switches every few months. I think the latest on is the Zeek Rewards thing, and she knows so little about the computer that she couldn't even explain it to me. The past pursuits have been HerbalLife, Organo Gold, some utility reselling company, Tahitian Noni, Monavie, Avon, and some that I can't remember).
But she promises that it only takes 5 minutes a day and that it is super easy.
Lol...
It's a frequent topic of discussion here, one recent thread:
https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/ge...-i-know-its-like-cursing-around-here-lol.html
My parents have some friends that do pretty well in an "acai juice company"... lol (I think they do $250,000+ each year)...
An example of what kind of people they have become:
Our area experienced a terrible, traumatizing natural disaster and my parents' house was almost 100% destroyed. Naturally, they cancelled their $200 autoship from that company. The "friends" only called after they cancelled their autoship and they were actually more irritated about them cancelling it. They barely asked about their house.
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I'm beginning to think you know nothing about business, rather you are visiting from the future and already know what will happen in all circumstances. Are there flying cars in our future Jack?
Recent events have necessitated a brief vent, so please bear with me.
MLM shit has been a scourge on my life in one form or another. I remember as a young kid my parents were friends with this suspicious lady who was involved with Amway. Yeah, she seemed rich and stuff and my mom bought some of the products but to me it always seemed off that she would spend money on this crap when there were cheaper alternatives at the supermarket, but hey, I was just a kid, what did i know.
During my university years another family friend mentioned ACN, and i thought it was the gayest product ever. I mean, come on, video telephones? We already have a proven technology with Skype, Google Hangouts and whatnot and you want to rope me in to sell this shit? The demonstration was equally tacky, and it didn't help that i was surrounded by a dozen glassy-eyed zombies.
After graduation from uni i somehow landed in a job doing door-to-door sales, trying to convince people to change their electricity billing or something. Every morning we would have our group sales pep talks, go through various techniques and scripts. This was where i learnt ABC, not some shitty speech Alec Baldwin made in some movie. Add to that the progression structure (make this many sales, become team leader, and get a bunch of team members under you!) and some brief research online, I soon realised what kind of shit i had landed into. The clincher was when I was going out one day and my "team leader" at the time was getting excited because we were going to some derelict neighbourhood - apparently poor people made better marks, you could bullshit about contracts and get them to sign anything as long as you claimed they would save $$$ with bad maths. I quit that job after a month.
So once again, a recent graduate and jobless, i handed out my CV here and there, hoping something would bite. Then some "recruitment agency" called and invited me to an "orientation briefing" with another crowd of young graduates. We were grouped up into rooms and ostensibly given exercises to evaluate our level. I was one of the "lucky ones" who got short listed. They then proceeded to give me a list of things to do, one of which was to draft a script for why I was a good candidate for "B2B sales". Sure, now i know it means business-to-business, but at the time i had no idea, thought it was a tech term and they were trying to get me into a tech company.
Again some quick research showed me how wrong i was. This "recruitment company" was just another shill using boiler-room tactics to get companies to hire impressionable young people for telesales jobs, on which they get commissions.. Lots of unhappy reviews from ex-candidates and ex-employees. This really shit me at the time - i was now a product.
Enough about me, back to the family. Around this time my mother made friends with someone involved with eCosway. Shit shop with shitter products. Thank god my mom didn't put down any money herself, but didn't stop her from volunteering (for free!) to help her friend with her shop.
And what happened today to trigger this vent? My mother discovered the miracle of Protandim, where a brief google search will reveal numerous legal issues and the fact that it is... wait for it... an MLM! Just at lunch today she was telling my dad how she was planning to buy a bunch of cheap USBs, load some videos and hand them out to friends!
I know various holy texts extol the virtues of honoring your parents, but sometimes i wish i could slap the shit out of my mother. And mother's day was only recently past too...
Because of this i now have a visceral, seething hatred of all things sales and MLM. I understand on a rational level how useful sales, marketing and copywriting techniques are but I cannot help but react with disdain at minimum or rage at worst during any discussion of the subject.
Phew. That's better. Back to building my fast lane.
MLM shit has been a scourge on my life in one form or another. I remember as a young kid my parents were friends with this suspicious lady who was involved with Amway. Yeah, she seemed rich and stuff and my mom bought some of the products but to me it always seemed off that she would spend money on this crap when there were cheaper alternatives at the supermarket, but hey, I was just a kid, what did i know.
During my university years another family friend mentioned ACN, and i thought it was the gayest product ever. I mean, come on, video telephones? We already have a proven technology with Skype, Google Hangouts and whatnot and you want to rope me in to sell this shit? The demonstration was equally tacky, and it didn't help that i was surrounded by a dozen glassy-eyed zombies.
After graduation from uni i somehow landed in a job doing door-to-door sales, trying to convince people to change their electricity billing or something. Every morning we would have our group sales pep talks, go through various techniques and scripts. This was where i learnt ABC, not some shitty speech Alec Baldwin made in some movie. Add to that the progression structure (make this many sales, become team leader, and get a bunch of team members under you!) and some brief research online, I soon realised what kind of shit i had landed into. The clincher was when I was going out one day and my "team leader" at the time was getting excited because we were going to some derelict neighbourhood - apparently poor people made better marks, you could bullshit about contracts and get them to sign anything as long as you claimed they would save $$$ with bad maths. I quit that job after a month.
So once again, a recent graduate and jobless, i handed out my CV here and there, hoping something would bite. Then some "recruitment agency" called and invited me to an "orientation briefing" with another crowd of young graduates. We were grouped up into rooms and ostensibly given exercises to evaluate our level. I was one of the "lucky ones" who got short listed. They then proceeded to give me a list of things to do, one of which was to draft a script for why I was a good candidate for "B2B sales". Sure, now i know it means business-to-business, but at the time i had no idea, thought it was a tech term and they were trying to get me into a tech company.
Again some quick research showed me how wrong i was. This "recruitment company" was just another shill using boiler-room tactics to get companies to hire impressionable young people for telesales jobs, on which they get commissions.. Lots of unhappy reviews from ex-candidates and ex-employees. This really shit me at the time - i was now a product.
Enough about me, back to the family. Around this time my mother made friends with someone involved with eCosway. Shit shop with shitter products. Thank god my mom didn't put down any money herself, but didn't stop her from volunteering (for free!) to help her friend with her shop.
And what happened today to trigger this vent? My mother discovered the miracle of Protandim, where a brief google search will reveal numerous legal issues and the fact that it is... wait for it... an MLM! Just at lunch today she was telling my dad how she was planning to buy a bunch of cheap USBs, load some videos and hand them out to friends!
I know various holy texts extol the virtues of honoring your parents, but sometimes i wish i could slap the shit out of my mother. And mother's day was only recently past too...
Because of this i now have a visceral, seething hatred of all things sales and MLM. I understand on a rational level how useful sales, marketing and copywriting techniques are but I cannot help but react with disdain at minimum or rage at worst during any discussion of the subject.
Phew. That's better. Back to building my fast lane.
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MJ DeMarco
I followed the science; all I found was money.
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Nothing like telegraphing to an old friend, "you're only worth my call when I can potentially make money off you!"
Thanks MLM!
Absolute brutal gem from this man:
http://davidjwbailey.com/2014/03/10/how-do-you-tell-your-friends-the-truth-about-mlm-schemes/
''Every couple of years a friend of mine asks me to an event to share some fabulous new opportunity or product with me that they are now “in business” with. Every time, without exception, I have ended up having a very unpleasant discussion with them about how Multi-Level Marketing really works, and what it implies about their judgment, financial acumen and lack of respect for their real friends and family.
The truth is that joining an MLM does make you a bad person, or at least reveals that deep down you already were one.
How dare I say this? Because it is true. Let me explain the key points quickly then develop them in more detail:
Vulnerability
My personal experience of people who take to multilevel marketing schemes is that either they are massively dissatisfied with the current employment or they are not currently in employment. In either case they are extremely financially vulnerable. That in itself is not a significant character weakness, because we’ve all been in that situation.
ARTICLE CONTINUED AT SOURCE LOCATION.
PLEASE VISIT
http://davidjwbailey.com/2014/03/10/how-do-you-tell-your-friends-the-truth-about-mlm-schemes/
http://davidjwbailey.com/2014/03/10/how-do-you-tell-your-friends-the-truth-about-mlm-schemes/
''Every couple of years a friend of mine asks me to an event to share some fabulous new opportunity or product with me that they are now “in business” with. Every time, without exception, I have ended up having a very unpleasant discussion with them about how Multi-Level Marketing really works, and what it implies about their judgment, financial acumen and lack of respect for their real friends and family.
The truth is that joining an MLM does make you a bad person, or at least reveals that deep down you already were one.
How dare I say this? Because it is true. Let me explain the key points quickly then develop them in more detail:
- You are vulnerable, and foolish enough to reveal this to predators
- You are lazy
- You are unable to do even basic web research on financial or scientific matters
- You are willing to lie to make money
- You are willing to steal from your friends to gain wealth
- You are dumb enough to spend every hour of your life on something that has a 1% chance of being profitable for you.
Vulnerability
My personal experience of people who take to multilevel marketing schemes is that either they are massively dissatisfied with the current employment or they are not currently in employment. In either case they are extremely financially vulnerable. That in itself is not a significant character weakness, because we’ve all been in that situation.
ARTICLE CONTINUED AT SOURCE LOCATION.
PLEASE VISIT
http://davidjwbailey.com/2014/03/10/how-do-you-tell-your-friends-the-truth-about-mlm-schemes/
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AllenCrawley
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Has anyone here created a company that used the network marketing distribution model? Or even considered to do so?
I wouldn't consider joining an mlm company these days but I admit... 20 years ago I was involved with an mlm company call Quorum but quickly realized the real money was owning the company that I was a distributor for. The owner of Quorum (Raymond Hung) owned his own private island. The top 3 guys in the company didn't even have an island, I mean come on, lol. MJ touches on this in the book so I was curious if anybody had considered this.
I wouldn't consider joining an mlm company these days but I admit... 20 years ago I was involved with an mlm company call Quorum but quickly realized the real money was owning the company that I was a distributor for. The owner of Quorum (Raymond Hung) owned his own private island. The top 3 guys in the company didn't even have an island, I mean come on, lol. MJ touches on this in the book so I was curious if anybody had considered this.
SEC just shut zeek down. 600 million ponzi scheme
http://www.forbes.com/sites/halahto...shuts-down-600-million-internet-ponzi-scheme/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/halahto...shuts-down-600-million-internet-ponzi-scheme/
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