Overview
Basically multi level marketing companies encourage the distributors of their products and services to encourage other distributors to join, who then get a percentage of the sales that these newly recruited distributors generate. It can be a fine line between pyramid sales which is an illegal form of selling.
The Claim
Companies that promote multi level marketing claim that they are implementing a form of direct selling to the consumer, which relies on different levels of sales reps to take the sales approach. Some companies call their multi level marketing tactics a compensation program. There is a lot of controversy surrounding this type of selling, and it makes it difficult for the individual who is thinking of entering into this type of potential income producer.
The Hype
Companies that are into the multi level marketing schemes will promote their particular program as offering the best incentives for bringing in new recruits. They sometimes tend to focus more on this area of the business rather than the products/services they offer, and this is when there may be some need for concern.
The Cost
While you may be more interested in the money that you can make from MLM you also have to be vigilant at what it might cost you to become part of the company. For example, are there membership fees, or are you responsible for buying substantial amounts of inventory?
The Commitment
Based on the controversy that surrounds multi level marketing your commitment is going to be two fold. First you are really going to want to do your homework to make sure that the Company you are thinking of joining is not a classic pyramid scheme. You want to know that the company’s main interest is in selling their products/services and not in recruit building.
Evaluation
There have been several big companies in the US that have been involved in multi level marketing to make their company a success. There have been a lot of distributors affiliated with them that have made a good living as being part of their sales team. At the same time there are a lot of other companies that have found innovative ways of staying on the legal side of the fence for MLM and yet their goal tends to be that of the pyramid schemes.
We are going to give multi level marketing opportunities a try/buy rating, but
only on the conditions outlined in the above commitment. Ideally you want to go with a company that has been established for many years and is not under the scrutiny of legal authorities because of their marketing tactics.Our Recommendation
We recommend that you really educate yourself on the differences between valid multi level marketing and pyramid schemes so you will know what to avoid. When an employment opportunity sounds too good to be true, then it usually is. We have taken a look at some various business opportunities in the past that you may want to check out.
If you have problems with saving money and keeping track of your spending habits then…
When you are looking for space-saving multi-purpose shelving products, you may want to purchase the…
Today's innovative advanced technologies have created many conveniences. The ability to read on the go…
Experiencing the luxury of owning a wireless speaker is a favorite of many people. The…
Home decor is a very individual and personal choice. A new product like Chasing Paper…
Keeping track of events and goals may be difficult for some people. Purchasing a product…
View Comments
I appreciate this post being I've tried MLM's many times and I usually regret it. I'n my opinion if you don't have a huge network of people whether it be friends, family, co-workers or marketers that all or at least most of who will jump off a cliff for you, then you will most likely struggle. Know one like bugging there warm market (friends and family) to buy stuff. I'm 100% Italian, I'd be better off trying to sell to a poor homeless guy laying under a bridge, then to my family, and I consider myself a pretty good salesman. Truth is it's a numbers game that take persistence and persistence and more persistence. If I remember correctly, I was talking to one on the leaders of a MLM and he told me 80% will say no right off the bat, and 80% of the other 20% will kick the tires, and 80% that try it will quit, and 80% of whats left might succeed if that work really hard or you get lucky and find a great marketer. But still the payment structure can still be a confusing mess till you realize that all your efforts are for nothing. This has been my experience, I'm sure there are many people who have done very well with MLM's just not me! Nice article!