New to Multi-Level-Marketing

[HR Solutions]

So what's your experience of MLM, HR?
I know you're anti - just wondering what experience that's based on in your case.
(And you're welcome to share too if you want, Adrian )

Years ago there was a mlm "scam" called Uconomy ... or something like that ........... I was conned into buying it at around R2000 , then you had to resell it and you got all these discount vouchers etc etc etc. Never sold one and never used one voucher either.

And the second is Amway. I know they are apparently doing quite well, but the way people go about inviting you around for a "chat" etc - they never actually tell you WHY and WHAT they want to chat to you about and when you arrive it turns out to be Amway ! And sometimes they don't even tell you the products name before they want to talk crap in your ear. I have been suckered twice - the second time I stopped the person and asked exactly What the products name was that he was selling, if it was MLM and once I got his sheepish answer I got up and walked out. !!!

Another thing that really is quite irritating is when you meet a MLM person and they start talking to you either face to face or on a forum and they want to bring up MLM - the conversation normally starts with : "I have this brand new product on the market - you have never seen it before, and it really is not a scam "

Really .... FFS !!

[Vic Bonto]

Years ago there was a mlm "scam" called Uconomy ... or something like that ........... I was conned into buying it at around R2000 , then you had to resell it and you got all these discount vouchers etc etc etc. Never sold one and never used one voucher either.

And the second is Amway. I know they are apparently doing quite well, but the way people go about inviting you around for a "chat" etc - they never actually tell you WHY and WHAT they want to chat to you about and when you arrive it turns out to be Amway ! And sometimes they don't even tell you the products name before they want to talk crap in your ear. I have been suckered twice - the second time I stopped the person and asked exactly What the products name was that he was selling, if it was MLM and once I got his sheepish answer I got up and walked out. !!!

Another thing that really is quite irritating is when you meet a MLM person and they start talking to you either face to face or on a forum and they want to bring up MLM - the conversation normally starts with : "I have this brand new product on the market - you have never seen it before, and it really is not a scam "

Really .... FFS !!

Thank you very much HR Solutions for sharing to us your story. Do you think where is the problem, is it the MLM or the people who are involved in MLM?

There are really people doing that, i received invitation like that and I ignore them. They must a have a right training.

Very successful people in MLM, professionals, they don't do like that.
In my team, I always encourage everyone to be honest, and transparent, share all the information they know, use a tool like a website, video.
I always tell my team even myself, I share why I am doing the business, what are the opportunity all about.

My ultimate reason, why I am doing this is to have my own time and financially free not relying on anyone.
Currently I am learning how to become professional in network marketing and started to share to the industry what is the right thing to do based on what I have learned so far.

[Dave A]

Just clicked the thanks button the other day because things have been hectic, but I also wish to say - thank you for sharing your experience, HR. I'm sure it is one that many can relate to. And I fully appreciate it's not easy to trust a dog that's bitten you once, let alone twice...

Pretty interesting thread actually. A quick comment on one post so far before I share my MLM stories (there are three of them... )

i tried my hand at network marketing, and didnt make a cent. i then made a ton of money working hard at a steady job, and progressed to an sme owner and business manager.

I'm delighted it's all worked out for you, Leon. Unfortunately my traditional business story is a little different -

From 1985 I started slaving away at building a pretty successful traditional business. Then in 1997 I lost my business, all my investments, my (wife's dream) house, damn nearly my wife and family, plus ended up with a pile of debt to pay off as a bonus - due to a badly timed and poorly executed business expansion move. The biggest single factor that influenced my bounce-back from this crushing disaster was an MLM. But we'll get to that just now.

One of the things I learned in this (just one of many HUGE lessons) is that when things go wrong in a traditional business, for most people the stakes and financial consequences tend to be much higher than in most MLM's. It's also absolutely devastating on the psyche.
Can anyone relate to that?

@ Vic - this being a "new to MLM" thread, why don't we just stick to MLM stories for now. The people around here are pretty good at figuring stuff out for themselves.
So what's your story?

OK. My first brush with MLM.

About 1988.
Got invited to look at a business opportunity by a client.
Didn't even ask "what is it" or "tell me something about it."
Seemed like a nice guy. I was making good money and was investing in stuff already anyway. Just went to the meeting.
Turned out it was Golden Products, pitched by a crowd called The Eagle Team.
Some guy drew circles on a whiteboard and spoke about suppressed dreams.
I got the principle.
I understood the numbers.
I really liked the numbers.
I was not thrilled about the product.
I was way less than impressed by the rah-rah stuff (as an analytical, my cynical side is pretty well developed and at that point in my life, rampant to the point of being totally unbalanced).
And I didn't give a second thought to suppressed dreams. I was young, successful and pretty confident I was well on my way to achieving my dreams already - so I didn't have any supressed dreams. (Besides which, as an analytical I viewed that stuff as psycho babble only good for mental weaklings anyway).

But the nice guy did all the right stuff, and I left the presentation with a tape, some reading material, and a booked follow up (at my home).

The nice guy turned up on time, with another guy.
The other guy was apparently doing very well in this business.
I hadn't listened to the tape.
I'd read the cover of the booklet.

My wife hadn't gone to the presentation, so the other guy drew the circles for her and spoke of suppressed dreams.
My wife didn't understand the circles and she was married to her dream.
She hated the nice guy and the other guy, and dragged me into the kitchen to make sure I knew it.
She also pointed out that we had Super 10 in the house and if she ever wanted more, she could just buy it from the old lady up the road.
The old lady up the road was very nice and my wife was not interested in ... (with the benefit of hindsight) her dream husband selling soap like the old lady up the road.

And she made it clear that if I started selling soap, she'd be sleeping on the couch for the foreseeable future.
(My wife is sneaky. She never sends me to the dog box when I do something wrong - she gets into the dog box. Waaay more effective - at least in my case).

So while my wife stayed in the kitchen, I handed the nice guy his tape and booklet, and politely saw the nice guy and the other guy off the premises.
Sorry guys, not for me, but I wish you the best of luck in your ventures.

Never saw or heard from either of them ever again.

End of my MLM story one.
Story two is going to have to wait for tomorrow.

[Vic Bonto]

My story -

First time I met MLM was 2002, just after I graduated high school.
It was really good when I attended the presentation but I failed to do it, I was focus on my study as a scholar.

When I was in my college, I joined different companies, I am wondering many people are earning a lot even some of them are not able to go to school.
I want to be like them but I dont have the reason why I need to do that business, since everyone around me, even myself telling me I need to look for a good job since I am having a good grades.
I just lost my money in those MLM's I get paid once or twice then no more.
After I graduated my college, I found a good job in telecom industry since I am a telecom engineer. I forget and leave MLM.

2008 I got married, she was having an allergy, everytime she eat food with seafoods, her body become swollen, she was not able to breath so we have no choice we always rush to the hospital for some medication.
Then one day, my brother introduced this products to my wife, she started to use then until now we dont go anymore to hospital. She ask for my opinion then I found out it was an MLM, I know it was a good company. So I told her, yeah you can do that but for me, no, I'm busy with my work. I also use the products and it helps my health.
I leave that business opportunity to my wife. Then 2010, I lost my job, I started to attend business presentation for that, taking down notes.
I started to share to some people but I am still looking for a job, it was deeply engraved in my head to look for a job.
Later that year I found a another job, so I don't the business.
2012 I was assigned here in South Africa, i found out there big unemployment rate. I started again so share the business here in South africa but I'm not really that serious about it since I am having a good job.
Last year 2013 while here in South Africa I lost my job, so I do that business but still my mindset is look for a job.
Just after 3 months I found a new job, now working at CellC as a subcon.
I want to be successful but I dont know why I am not doing it. I even join another MLM, related to saving fuel.
I used it but it doesnt work in my car so I leave it.
One day while browsing the internet, looking for some trainings about the business. Then I met my first mentor Eric Worre, discussing how to be professional in network marketing.
I bought the training from USA, then I learned a lot. His mentor was Jim Rohn, so I google Jim Rohn and also listen to him.
Now I learned, in order for us to be successful I need to develop skills, That is what now I'm doing.
When I started to apply those principles I learned, I was earning 2000 as part time, it goes to 5000, I was surprised! Now looking forward to be like those people who are very successful people in the industry enjoying time and financial freedom.
Now I also learned to write down my goals, before I dont have any.

Here are some of the principles I learned
Profits are better than wages.

We can have everything in life if we help enough people get what they want.

“Working full time for my living
but working part time for my fortune (doing MLM)"


Now one of my mission is to bit by bit share my knowledge about network marketing to change the name or reputation of this industry thru education for free, I already started.
I had a presentation last Saturday in Joburg town, next will be in Lesotho.

That's my story.

[HR Solutions]

Vic what are you earning per month with MLM ? Im wanting to know what you are earning, not what is "possible" ...... Im sure this is not personal because it is MLM and you guys are always saying what you could earn.

[Vic Bonto]

like I mention, only this year I decided to do the business because I was trap by mindset to always rely on work, until now still working ;-)
last may I earned 3000+, June it goes up to 5000+, then this july production il be expecting 10,000+ rand as I do it part time.
the potential of the business is unlimited, there are already earning 6 to 7 figure a month, and now I decided to be with them, ask them what they do, how they get there. Now I'm on my way.

MLM business is not that easy, many people say it is very easy and most of the people join want to be a millionaire overnight, they have a very high expectation.
When they started to do the business, there are plenty of discouragement, they don't develop skills how to do invitation and presentation. they run out of prospect, then they quit. Then they tell everyone that MLM doesn't work ;-)

[HR Solutions]

So why don't you do it full time ?

[Leonp]

like I mention, only this year I decided to do the business because I was trap by mindset to always rely on work, until now still working ;-)
last may I earned 3000+, June it goes up to 5000+, then this july production il be expecting 10,000+ rand as I do it part time.
the potential of the business is unlimited, there are already earning 6 to 7 figure a month, and now I decided to be with them, ask them what they do, how they get there. Now I'm on my way.

MLM business is not that easy, many people say it is very easy and most of the people join want to be a millionaire overnight, they have a very high expectation.
When they started to do the business, there are plenty of discouragement, they don't develop skills how to do invitation and presentation. they run out of prospect, then they quit. Then they tell everyone that MLM doesn't work ;-)

the key is "mlm business is not that easy" yet its sold as an easy business. In the end, it only works if you run it as a business, thus the easy part is gone and you end up with the guys looking for an easy business falling by the way side and the guys prepared to run a business as a business, making a success. its the easy lie that's the problem.

its like saying building checkers from scratch is easy.

[Vic Bonto]

So why don't you do it full time ?

we have an agreement with my wife and I respect it, once my bonus is already more than my salary I'll do it full time ;-)
It is a personal and family matter.

[Vic Bonto]

we have an agreement with my wife and I respect it, once my bonus is already more than my salary I'll do it full time ;-)
It is a personal and family matter.

Aside from that, almost all my mentors who are very successful in the business, they started part time, like Jim Rohn, Eric Worre.
You can google them and watch some of their videos.