Network Marketing

[Tophat Jones]

Anyone had experience with it?

I was being pitched by a coworker and her husband at a meetup in a Starbucks and didn't even realize it. They gave me a book to read, it was interesting but afterwards I realized what was happening.

We had another meeting planned and I had to postpone she called me and said 'it doesn't seem like your priotizing your financial independence' and all this other guilt trip stuff to the point that I had to point out what that first meeting was and how I felt silly for thinking she was just doing me a favor, and not realizing what was happening.

"We don't ever want people to feel like we're recruiting them, we just want to help people the same way *blank* and *blank* helped us"

She had a great speech to make me feel like I was throwing away a huge opportunity, and admittedly they were good storytellers/salespeople.

So please tell me your experiences and reinforce the fact that the whole point is to pitch it you that way, and make you feel bad for passing it up. Obviously many people get wealthy doing it, but it's not common, right?

 

[redcomet]

Sounds like a pyramid scheme/MLM pitch.

 

[staedtler]

Go for it. Everybody always has success with them plus it makes you feel good providing a needed service.

 

[Chopchop]

Sounds like pyramid scheme bullshit.

If it's full of all sorts of creepy and manipulative language like "why won't you take these great deals? You're so stupid for not seeing this great offer I'm making just for you" then it's definitely some scammy shit that you should stay away from.

 

[sooperkool]

You'll know it's truly bullshit as soon as they tell you how much it's gong to cost upfront.

 

[Tophat Jones]

Also called Multi Level Marketing I beleive

 

[I Don't Like]

she called me and said 'it doesn't seem like your priotizing your financial independence'

Click to shrink...

Me: "Lol shut the fuck up."

Friend, coworker - I don't care.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Want to lose money and annoy the fuck out of your family and friends? Go for it!

 

[FirstBlood]

"We don't ever want people to feel like we're recuruitng them, we just want to help people the same way *blank* and *blank* helped us"

Click to shrink...

"We don't want this to feel like a Pyramid scheme so please just focus on the humans in front of you before examining the business model because that's how we get you"

 

[Chopchop]

Also called Multi Level Marketing I beleive

Click to shrink...

Multi level marketing is the weasel/technically-legal term for pyramid scheme. It's the same fucking thing but just legal enough to not actually get the owners arrested.

Stay far away.

 

[Tophat Jones]

Thanks Era.

With your help I'll toil away 40 hours a week for 40 years at a mediocre job. Just need you by my side.

 

[Walter White Walker]

It's a scam and they're trying to fuck you over.

 

[ZackieChan]

Thanks Era.

With your help I'll toil away 40 hours a week for 40 years at a mediocre job. Just need you by my side.

Click to shrink...

Better than still doing that, but spending money on a business that won't make anything and takes a ton of time and pisses off all your friends

 

[Aselith]

It's a different company, a different quality of product

 

[I Don't Like]

Thanks Era.

With your help I'll toil away 40 hours a week for 40 years at a mediocre job. Just need you by my side.

Click to shrink...

MLM is worse in every imaginable way, so...

 

[Curler]

I mean, if they truly were successful with it, then they wouldn't even be your coworker, right?

 

[BDS]

Wow ERA, thanks to all of you for coming to this thread. I hope you're all interested in making good money and being your own boss. Now can I interest any of you in knives or energy drinks? The starter package is $500.

 

[Eggiem]

Wow ERA, thanks to all of you for coming to this thread. I hope you're all interested in making good money and being your own boss. Now can I interest any of you in knives or energy drinks? The starter package is $500.

Click to shrink...

Are you EA?

 

[Damaniel]

Not just a MLM, but Amway - the cult of MLMs. The couple pitching in a Starbucks, giving you a book to read, is their standard MO. They also usually talk about their 'mentor', who inevitably is a person who supposedly became financially independent in their mid-20s by slinging Amway crap.

It should go without saying, but MLMs are all bad news, especially Amway. Run far away.

 

[Fat4all]

Also called Multi Level Marketing I beleive

Click to shrink...

 

[Curler]

Not just a MLM, but Amway - the cult of MLMs. The couple pitching in a Starbucks, giving you a book to read, is their standard MO. They also usually talk about their 'mentor', who inevitably is a person who supposedly became financially independent in their mid-20s by slinging Amway crap.

It should go without saying, but MLMs are all bad news, especially Amway. Run far away.

Click to shrink...

One guy from there wearing a spiffy black rimmed hat and jacket tried poaching former retail coworkers one shift. You could sense the shadiness rolling off him. He tried me and I figured it was some kind of scheme. At one point I was like "may I ask which company you are from?" He said Amway and I let out s confirming "ohhh" outloud. He wondered if I heard of them and I was just like "....yeah I've heard of them online". He finally left.

I've never encountered these people at coffee places. Work? Check. Gyms? Check. Grocery stores? Doubke check.

 

[AMAGON]

 

[Tophat Jones]

I mean, if they truly were successful with it, then they wouldn't even be your coworker, right?

Click to shrink...

shes retiring within the year. Once her 'asset' is generating enough income.

I thought she was setting me up with some awesome investment tip or something 😐 I'm such a sucker...

 

[ZackieChan]

If the product was actually good, they'd be selling it in stores. They need to sucker people in for the same reasons as Scientology, really.

Being your own boss is great. I'm my own boss. But I sell a service that people actually want to buy. This MLM stuff is junk everyone hates.

 

[Curler]

If the product was actually good, they'd be selling it in stores.

Click to shrink...

I hear Cutco knives are actually amazing. Too bad they don't sell them in stores/online. Tjey prob make WAY more selling employees their $500 starter kits tho :/

 

[ZackieChan]

I hear Cutco knives are actually amazing. Too bad they don't sell them in stores/online. Tjey prob make WAY more selling employees their $500 starter kits tho :/

Click to shrink...

We had them growing up. They cut well, but they're oddly shaped and too small. Give me a chefs knife any day.

 

[moneywoes]

So I hate to bump an old thread but I just realized I'm being suckered into one of these. A guy recommended a book 'The Go Getter' for me to read and talk about it on our next meetup. How should I proceed with this?

 

[BladeoftheImmortal]

Also called Multi Level Marketing I beleive

Click to shrink...

Lol. You are fucking trolling

 

[Cocolina]

So I hate to bump an old thread but I just realized I'm being suckered into one of these. A guy recommended a book 'The Go Getter' for me to read and talk about it on our next meetup. How should I proceed with this?

Click to shrink...

Ignore him

 

[Aselith]

So I hate to bump an old thread but I just realized I'm being suckered into one of these. A guy recommended a book 'The Go Getter' for me to read and talk about it on our next meetup. How should I proceed with this?

Click to shrink...

Get paid, homie! This guy is on the level

 

[Keikaku]

So I hate to bump an old thread but I just realized I'm being suckered into one of these. A guy recommended a book 'The Go Getter' for me to read and talk about it on our next meetup. How should I proceed with this?

Click to shrink...

Tell him to go con someone else.

 

[whatsinaname]

So I hate to bump an old thread but I just realized I'm being suckered into one of these. A guy recommended a book 'The Go Getter' for me to read and talk about it on our next meetup. How should I proceed with this?

Click to shrink...

Ask him for a loan to start up the business. Say you will give him 50% of the profits but do all the work.

 

[DrKelpo]

Don't.... just don't .... you'll either be scammed or you will lose family and friends over this.

 

[entremet]

I still don't get how these things are legal.

 

[Walter White Walker]

These are 100% of the time a scam. You are not only not going to make money but will likely lose some.

 

[Keikaku]

If you're ever thinking of joining these pyramid schemes, watch this.

 

[Tophat Jones]

Lol. You are fucking trolling

Click to shrink...

Okay guy

 

[louiedog]

So I hate to bump an old thread but I just realized I'm being suckered into one of these. A guy recommended a book 'The Go Getter' for me to read and talk about it on our next meetup. How should I proceed with this?

Click to shrink...

Ask him to open up his books and show you how much he's making vs how much he's spending. Most of these people lose money. The "consultants" that get stuck in pyramid schemes are the primary customer.

The people you hear about who make livable money got in early and have to work hard hassling their downline. The people who make good money are the people who end up getting speaking fees for the events where they charge people to come in and learn sales secrets for this nonsense. They don't actually make much on the product.

The biggest red flag for these is the people trying to recruit you often won't tell you what it is upfront because they don't want you doing research. These companies have to disclose what their victims make, and for 98% of them, it's nothing. They don't want you googling the bad experiences. They want to get you into that first meeting and sign your name under the $500 (or $5000 for some of them) starter kit because you're the real customer and not an entrepreneur like they claim.

 

[corasaur]

So I hate to bump an old thread but I just realized I'm being suckered into one of these. A guy recommended a book 'The Go Getter' for me to read and talk about it on our next meetup. How should I proceed with this?

Click to shrink...

is he a close friend/relative? because multi-level marketing businesses are pyramid schemes that figured out how to do the bare minimum to be legal. if he's a stranger or distant acquaintance just ghost him because he's trying to fleece you

these things aren't businesses recruiting franchisees. their product is the dream of being a business mogul. the customers are the people who sign up to become the reps. you can only make a solid income if you get in early, and even then that income is based on ruining the lives of people in the lower layers of the pyramid.

 

[Deleted member 11637]

Ah, the old reverse funnel system.

IT'S A SCAM! Ask yourself why none of your other friends take it as a personal affront that you're not "prioritizing your financial independence."

*They* want *you* to make *them* money (and pay them upfront for the "opportunity", lol.)

 

[Serpens007]

Younger 21 yo me would've loved reading this thread. I got sucked into one of these shit, it's fun but you don't make money lol Luckily my friends knew what I was trying to do and didn't ditched me for annoying them. Later they said I was stupid, which I agreed lol

Son. Just don't.

 

[Acorn]

Had no clue what this is so googled.

hmm

 

[moneywoes]

Ask him to open up his books and show you how much he's making vs how much he's spending. Most of these people lose money. The "consultants" that get stuck in pyramid schemes are the primary customer.

The people you hear about who make livable money got in early and have to work hard hassling their downline. The people who make good money are the people who end up getting speaking fees for the events where they charge people to come in and learn sales secrets for this nonsense. They don't actually make much on the product.

The biggest red flag for these is the people trying to recruit you often won't tell you what it is upfront because they don't want you doing research. These companies have to disclose what their victims make, and for 98% of them, it's nothing. They don't want you googling the bad experiences. They want to get you into that first meeting and sign your name under the $500 (or $5000 for some of them) starter kit because you're the real customer and not an entrepreneur like they claim.

Click to shrink...

He hasn't talked about any of the business yet but I think that's what the next meeting is going to be about based on what I've read online. He hasn't said anything upfront besides talk about intrinsic motivation, building great leaders etc stuff like that.

is he a close friend/relative? because multi-level marketing businesses are pyramid schemes that figured out how to do the bare minimum to be legal. if he's a stranger or distant acquaintance just ghost him because he's trying to fleece you

these things aren't businesses recruiting franchisees. their product is the dream of being a business mogul. the customers are the people who sign up to become the reps. you can only make a solid income if you get in early, and even then that income is based on ruining the lives of people in the lower layers of the pyramid.

Click to shrink...

No, he isn't a close friend at all. Just was a customer at a temp event I was working at and we struck up a conversation and he took down my # and asked to meet. He seemed pretty affluent and very interesting to talk too ( I can tell he knows how to sell things / talk to people). Started talking about what I wanted to do in my life and then how a solid income is critical towards that.


I will definitely be upfront and ask him how much he makes if he mentions anything. He is being very vague so far and I can't help but feel bummed since I've never had a mentor figure in my life and the one time someone offers to do something like that, their trying to get me into a MLM scheme :/

 

[Voke]

MLM is dangerous. Unfortunately i have a friend that got sucked in pretty bad by it. He even dropped out of college in hopes that he find success in an obvious get rich quick scheme. They have this cult-like mentality where no negativity or doubt is allowed in the group, so my friend completely defies logic and stand by his "team" through anything. It's honestly disgusting and needs to be illegal here in the States.

 

[corasaur]

He hasn't talked about any of the business yet but I think that's what the next meeting is going to be about based on what I've read online. He hasn't said anything upfront besides talk about intrinsic motivation, building great leaders etc stuff like that.



No, he isn't a close friend at all. Just was a customer at a temp event I was working at and we struck up a conversation and he took down my # and asked to meet. He seemed pretty affluent and very interesting to talk too ( I can tell he knows how to sell things / talk to people). Started talking about what I wanted to do in my life and then how a solid income is critical towards that.


I will definitely be upfront and ask him how much he makes if he mentions anything. He is being very vague so far and I can't help but feel bummed since I've never had a mentor figure in my life and the one time someone offers to do something like that, their trying to get me into a MLM scheme :/

Click to shrink...

I guarantee if you look up the name of the company you'll find horror stories and disclosure forms that show almost no one making money.

And if he's hiding the company name from you? Even bigger red flag.

But yeah that feeling of being special is why the con can be so lucrative. I'm sorry. I know the emotional appeal is powerful.

 

[Salacious_Rhino]

So funny this thread exists. Rode the elevator with a couple just yesterday that tried to sell me on network marketing. We talked about how expensive the area is and how crushing student loan debt can be, and that's when they started going in pitching me this idea on my way to my car.

My advice having now run into 6 people like this and personally knowing a handful of people who've got sucked into it, STAY THE FUCK AWAY.

 

[DJ_Lae]

The best part about all these MLM companies is that they are required to disclose financial stats - and if you look at them you can see just how many people are not making money. But it's buried as deep as they can make it.

Social media has only helped these sort of scams, with cosmetics and food supplements being the biggest ones at the moment. And yet stuff like Amway and Avon are somehow still around too. Go figure.

I have a friend who was suckered into Rodan & Fields, and their breakdown is no different than typical MLM:

12 people were in the top tier. And as this is just earnings we have no idea how much they paid for the garbage they're peddling, so I have no doubt the people in the bottom two tiers are losing money in the end. And yet everyone is convinced they can make a living out of this shit.

 

[Alucrid]

So I hate to bump an old thread but I just realized I'm being suckered into one of these. A guy recommended a book 'The Go Getter' for me to read and talk about it on our next meetup. How should I proceed with this?

Click to shrink...

tell him you're illiterate and need him to read the entire book to you.

 

[moneywoes]

tell him you're illiterate and need him to read the entire book to you.

Click to shrink...

Honestly, I would but he shared an audio version too lol.

 

[brochiller]

So I hate to bump an old thread but I just realized I'm being suckered into one of these. A guy recommended a book 'The Go Getter' for me to read and talk about it on our next meetup. How should I proceed with this?

Click to shrink...

I just had the same experience. I did read the Go Giver and it was actually an ok book.

What got me was the other book I had to read. It was called Business of the 21st Century or something and the dude was pretentious as fuck. He kept name-dropping Donald Trump which was laughable especially with recent news about his tax returns.

What really got me was when he referred to any friends you have who might talk you out of it who work full time jobs "loser friends." That was when I stopped reading.