The MLM Revolution or Not

On December 12.08 I wrote here that I was gone and you could find me at my BeliefBusters weblog. As of now, that's half true. I'm back and you can also find me there writing about "the awesome power of beliefs" and belief.

What brings me back are a couple of things.

First, for more than 20 years I have been an "industry expert" and mlm "guru." Mis-called "The Greatest Networker in the World" because I wrote the book. Well, now, I'm becoming a real network marketer— on the phone, in the street, building a business.

I'm helping my wife start her business (because this is my life insurance policy for Katyusha and the girls). We're with the TRU Chocolate people, part of Youngevity. And I WILL speak about this and that... and my company and product... and what I'm doing and what works and doesn't... and what I love about it and hate about it... here in this weblog. And if you are afraid I will prospect your people if they come here and read what I write, then make sure they don't come here. Damn the torpedoes and stupidoes. Two and a half-weeks to diamond. Good start.

BUT, the other raison d'être is more compelling and propelling: This MLM Revolution going around like an early flu. Perhaps predictably, it is, for now, merely a common cold. But it has promise to become an epidemic.

Randy Gage didn't really start this incarnation of the revolution with his 1-minute past midnight 2009 "Manifesto." But credit where it's due, he had the ovaries to make it and take it more public than a blog here, forum thread and email there, and late night conversations leaders have their downlines never hear. I'll call him the mid-wife for the present (and Randy, Thanks for "the present.")

If you haven't yet, click here: The MLM Revolution.

Uncharacteristically, the outspoken, adult language aficionado Mr. Gage held back. And I mean really. Randy knows better than most all how to slaughter sacred cows, but he just opened Pandora's box a crack. I can only assume he means for you and me to throw the lid wide and run. So, I will.

I put together the book It's Time... for Network Marketing The most remarkable form of free enterprise ever created to celebrate what's best and right-est about this business. Book hasn't sold for schtan. Le Gage himself "hates it like poison." Such is life— and self-publishing. You CAN get a free 90-page extract off the front page of GreatestNetworker.com in ex' for your email address. (It's over on the right.) That's my part of the "What's right" side of this deal.

But the "What's wrong" part... I've avoided. Mea culprit. And man (and woman) there's LOTS of what doesn't work going around. NOT any more or less than any other business or endeavor. But that IS NOT an excuse.

The lack of truth telling, hype and bull schatan in mlm has reached (for me. You?) terminal proportions. Ex's from my own "deal":

"This is the greatest tasting chocolate in the world." Oh come on! I'm a chocolate snob. I KNOW what the best chocolate in the world is. It's Karuna, from Lithuania. (Surprised you didn't I?)  So what's the big deal? False expectations kill. Any relationship based on manipulation is doomed to fail.

Now, tell me (and I do tell them, all of my "them") it's THE greatest tasting no cane sugar, organically grown, lactose-free, super-low glycemic index (diabetics can eat it) chocolate that has natural carb-blockers and fat burns, so if you eat a piece before breakfast, lunch and dinner and drink a glass of cold water you can lose up to a pound a day and it even helps prevent cavities... that'd be true (Hence TRU Chocolate). But the greatest tasting in the world. STOP!

Enthusiasm is powerful! That's why I say you gotta' love your product. It's so much easier when you do. But over-the-top unbelievable statements are crap and turn people off. TELL THE TRUTH! It works great!

And some people say we have an "Infinity Bonus" aspect to our pay plan. Pays down to 8 levels of whatevers. Hello!?! Infinity or 8-levels, which is it? The only relationship to Infinity and 8-levels is laying the 8 on it's side. Infinity in schminity. It's a great pay plan. Show it like it is.

Now, I consciously used two things from my own product and comp plan so you know that I know and I'm more than willing to tell one, two or six on myself and mine own.

And oh is there more:

In his Manifesto, Gage picks on one (only one?) trainer who peddles his books and CDs then promos-prospects his audience (and later list) about his latest, greatest program to sign up. BUT he doesn't name him. AND he should. And although I don't know who it was for sure, I'm gonna' take a stab at the venerable Don Failla. The "Napkin Presentations" is a classic. So is the hustle and it sucks.

And oh is there more:

Barely 20 year old college kid waiting on tables buys a water filter and poof! becomes an mlm millionaire. Not to mention mom and dad's Herbalife group. Whiting out sponsor's names on distributor aps and writing in your own. "Cure's cancer." The arm-twisting high pressure of "massive action" mavens and bright red upline leaders. $40,000 monthly incomes are common-place. Ugh! Crap.

Absurd income claims gotta' rate HUGE on the list of To Be Done Withs. My sponsor, Sandy Elsberg, used to use the line, "If somebody tells you he can get you to $10,000 a month in three-months or less, put your clothes back on and go home!" Get and be real.

Enough for now. Save the promise of more to come and go.

Sincerious thanks to Randy for kicking the next phase off and running. (And again, if you missed it, it's here: The MLM Revolution.)

Thanks.
I appreciate you.

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Comments

[Des Walsh]

Well, who woulda thunk? JMF as a *real* network marketer. Every good wish for the success you (and we) know you will have/are having! Again.

[anonymous]

'Manifesto… You kidding?'

Isn't it long-since past time this business had a decent set of standards?

A public declaration of principles, policies and intentions… a 'we the people' variant drawn-up and adhered-to by those in the business… something that firmly fosters an ethical & effective stance which fairly considers the welfare of all participants—companies, coaches, distributors and customers.

And surely it begins with eliciting the viewpoints of all concerned, evolving therefrom into a vibrant conversation... encouraging people to express themselves and help shape something sensible to be widely published.

Heck, maybe it'll include stuff like:

GREAT QUALITY AND VALUE PRODUCTS
Whilst the quality is often good, overcharging is rife—most NM product doesn't compare favorably with store-bought alternatives.

WIDER PRODUCT RANGE
Why so much lotions'n'potions? If the business model is really so good, why can't we have other stuff?

FAIRER AND MORE EASILY UNDERSTOOD COMP PLANS
We don't need 'Starship Commander' bonues in which rewards are too often unrelated to effort.

LESS RECRUITING
We need less, not more, people in this business.

MORE RETAILING
More customers simply buying for their own use—rather than building a downline.

PROPER TRAINING
From the companies and the coaches. And how many distributors really understand what they're doing or bother to learn even basic business skills?

BETTER MARKETING
The corporations should do more to raise brand awareness. And most distributors ought to stop most of whatever they currently consider to be marketing.

DUMP THE HYPE—TELL THE TRUTH
Turn off the 'blast yourself to the moon' ultimate-opportunity hype and a whole new audience will stop laughing and start listening.

But… this is just one view—and that doesn't matter. What's important are the suggestions to be drawn from folk who care enough to speak their mind.

[g]

'Pardon me for seeming unduly cynical...' much as some of us might wish otherwise, chances of an outbreak of sanity in this business anytime soon are regrettably slim-to-none.

Albeit inspiringly useful in an appropriate context, the terms 'manifesto' and 'revolution' are largely wasted in NM.

Why? Because too many influential people want to keep things just as they are (thereby preserving the vast amounts of money they make) - a desire shared by many 'ordinary' NMers eager for their pie-slice. (And most of the others neither know nor care.)

It's a lot easier to recruit on that illusion of 'vast, fast and easy wealth' - as if big houses, flash autos and opulent lifestyles are the norm - than it is to present the reality. And, for coaches, there's far less money to be made from, instead of 'It's easy - I'll show you how', being honest about just how tough this business can be (and often is) and 'real work and sustained effort is essential (or at least advisable)'.

If we really told the truth about this business - about what really happens and just how hard it is for ordinary people to make good money, recruitment would plummet... thereby wiping-out the income-base of those many companies founded largely on the upfronts and 'encouraged autoships' of newbies, and taking with them many of the coaches too.

Big change? Unlikely... so the lesson here is perhaps one of personally seeing things as they really are and conducting ourselves accordingly.

The harsh reality is that Network Marketing can only ever work for relatively few of the many drawn to it. The key to success is - by educating yourself and working-smart - to become one of those for whom it does work.

On a side-note, whilst many still speak of 'coming boom' and how this is a recession-proof business, stats show a two-year decline in distributors and product - there's less NMers and they're selling less stuff.

Is that surprising? Not to those with their wits about them - to whom it's a long-forseen consequence of the lack of ethics and intelligence with which much of this business is undertaken.

So sure, 'with influence, comes responsibility' we need more people speaking-out and standing-apart from the business-as-usual brigade.

Whilst none of us want to dwell on the negative side of things, continuing to fail to address-and-fix appropriate problems (and, moreover, as is so common in NM - ignore or deny them) will get us more of the same - decreasing numbers.

So, 'we want this to be a cool place, to which cool people come'... who else is open to, supportive of, and contributing to meaningful reform?

[Sciennetguru]

:)