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December 6, 2004
Monday Reader Mail: 23
By QBlog in Reader Mail
Today's mail comes from an apparent MLM advocate. I'm assuming English is not the person's first language so spelling and grammar errors are understandable. As always, my comments appear in bold.
name: Haim A.
date: September 28, 2004
message: Dear (QBlog)
when i was reading, as you say, your thoughts i was wondering how this Quixtar harm you. i my self don't know this company but have interests in the mlm industry.i'm wondering? do you totaliy lost your faith in the mlm?
I'm not sure I ever had faith in MLM. I've always felt that it was a flawed way of doing business and don't see any evidence to convince me otherwise.
well i'm realy believe in the mlm concept as long as you
1. choos the right company for you (there is a risk of course)
2. understand that this is not a lotory it is real difficult business and all (almost) the business rules is needed here too.regards
Haim
How does one choose "the right company?" Theoretically this seems feasible but in reality, most who join MLMs aren't spending time doing detailed market analysis and research. Most in MLM join because friends, family or colleagues asked them to join.
And yes, business is difficult. Yet to the uneducated, many MLM businesses seem "easier" than non-MLM businesses because of the way they're marketed. I'm glad Haim understands that's not the case.
Comments
Market Analysis is important but to what extent? Most people havn't a clue as to how to do a good analysis. Most people don't know what is actually important and what is relativly important..
Yes, its true, most people (including myself) have NO clue how to research a company to ensure it is a viable opportunity.
With MLM in general, the industry would do itself a favour by telling people its a way to make a few extra bucks. Not as glamorous, but more honest, and people wouldn't leave with disgust.
When people leave after being deceived, that's when the bad PR starts. People don't say bad things about their suppliers or customers if their business goes under in a real business, it's either a poor market or timing.
Not so with MLM, especially Amway
"Most (all?) MLMers recruit prospects by telling them that their company is the best and that there is no need to do serious research on it because 1) you cannot believe everything you read, and 2) you should believe THEM and 3) THEY will help you to succeed."
PW, You just "Jimmed" us. All? Your experience is with one company. I wonder how many other companies you have seriously looked at or heard presentations from. MLM survivors have a certain point of view and I respect the fact that many were scammed, but I also believe that few of them did the real work it takes to build a business...mlm or otherwise. Some will say that they were taught to do the wrong thing and I agree, but not in all cases.
Frankly, I'm just sick of the "experience" line. I have no experience in the Ku Klux Klan but I know they hate black people. I have no experience in the Holocost but I know that 6 million Jews were slaughtered. Experience is an excuse. Research. Discussions. Historicial documentation. Legal rulings. Professional opinions. They all count. You can't discard those with the "you don't have experience" crap.
That's a lazy man's way of saying "I'm right because of my experience."
Bah. Take your experience and shove it.
QBlog, were you responding to a post that got deleted?
In response to the original blog, do your due diligence and make your decision based on your due diligence.
If the "uneducated" did not do his due diligence, but instead rely on the presenter "creditability", I don't know what to say. Obviously, putting your decision in somebody else hand is primed for your decision being bad.
jen: So Fraud is not a crime then?
That's right Jen, you don't know what to say.
Most of you don't when presented with the numerous negative aspects that burden the "system".
The only guy that could put a positive spin on these things is Chris. That guy could find a silver lining behind the Holocaust if he wanted to.
Chris is just too brainwashed. I hope you find the right direction in these debates and GET OUT !
"Do your due diligence".
Wow!! I'm one of the biggest fraudster. Lookie what I said--"do your due diligence".
You're right, I know not what I talk about. Don't listen to me. Just do as the A-thori-TAY tell you. Df, MO, et al know what they're talking about. Do as they say.
"Experience is an excuse. Research. Discussions. Historicial documentation. Legal rulings. Professional opinions. They all count. You can't discard those with the "you don't have experience" crap."
I can discard it because for the most part it relates to one company, not the entire industry.
I of course don't discard it, in fact I learn a lot from critics, much more in fact than I have learned from advocates.
Say what you want. Call it research, discussions, or anything else, it's mostly related to one company, that happens to be stuck in the 80's in the way it does business, not the industry as a whole.
Jen, I responded to whole post, not just one sentense. Spin it all you want, here it is:
If the "uneducated" did not do his due diligence, but instead rely on the presenter "creditability", I don't know what to say. Obviously, putting your decision in somebody else hand is primed for your decision being bad.
What does that mean? Many fraud victims don't do their due deligence I guess. They won't be victim then. Does that make fraud ok?
Ty wrote: I can discard it because for the most part it relates to one company, not the entire industry.
I of course don't discard it, in fact I learn a lot from critics, much more in fact than I have learned from advocates.
> You learned a lot more from critics than pros because critics know more, and thats exactly why they're not in, rather they're critics.
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
>>>Ty quotes QBlog -
"Experience is an excuse. Research. Discussions. Historicial documentation. Legal rulings. Professional opinions. They all count. You can't discard those with the "you don't have experience" crap."
>>>Ty Writes -
I can discard it because for the most part it relates to one company, not the entire industry.
I of course don't discard it, in fact I learn a lot from critics, much more in fact than I have learned from advocates.
Say what you want. Call it research, discussions, or anything else, it's mostly related to one company, that happens to be stuck in the 80's in the way it does business, not the industry as a whole.
>>>Cliff comments -
You may be correct Ty, but I would ask for a bit more verification of your understanding about more than one or two MLM(s). Jjust because you were in AmQuix and are now in Passport, or rather to be 100% accurate, associated with these companies, that doesn't mean that most all MLMs act properly. :-)
I would actually like to know your level of exposure or rather 'experience' with other MLMs so that I could understand your perspective.
I truly can say that I have been honestly exposed and connected with the following MLMs(in parentheses you will find who I was connected with and for how long): Melaleuca - (sister-in-law 3 years), Cutco (brother-in-law 1 year), Herbalife (personal and family exposure for about 2 years), Mannatech(aunt - 2 years), Market America(best friend - 1-2 years), AmQuix (self approx 10 years).
I will not say that this provides me with any great amount of wisdom or perceived expertise on these types of companies. I will say that 'all' of these required recruiting in some form or another from what I have learned. It tends to be a hallmark of MLM, maybe not all, but definetely a common factor.
To that end, I say that while you may find that your particular MLM does not focus on recruiting, many others do. Additionally, it might not be the best method to fault someone's observation and call it into question due to narrow experience, as it doesn't take extensive experience to understand basic facts.
I don't need to have experience with many types of Chruches to understand what they do or how they do it. The majority of any type of industry fall within expected norms. I won't try to justify this with numbers, as it will not prove anything. All the proof people need is just the common sense approach of going out and looking at what you will see in life.
After all, trying to belong to the one MLM and making it be 'different' than all the others, is similar to trying to be the one dog in the pack that doesn't chase the cat. If you are a cat and you see a dog coming, you know what is likely to be coming next. You won't even care if the dog tells you that it isn't like all the others and that it is nicer. It is still called a dog and operates basically like a dog. If you were the cat, who would you trust. Their words or your experience. I'd run first and ask question later from the safety of a very high tree limb.
Just my take on this.
Cliff
What an excellent comment Cliff! Now lets see how pros spin it. First they say your experience is with just one company. Now an experienced guy has spoken, they'll probably say 'But you weren't successful in any of them'. Why is that so predictable?
Oh wait. Cats will be cats, dogs will be dogs :D
TY:"I can discard it because for the most part it relates to one company, not the entire industry."
Much like you discarded it when you were in that _one company_? It wasn't _your_ LOS that did those things. It wasn't AmQuix that was a pyramid scheme. It was critics that didn't understand how the business really works because they've never seen the light.
As you now know, we were right about AmQuix. We are also right about the industry. There are exceptions, sure. But the MLM industry is a cesspool.
lawDawg
Most complete Due Dilligence on MLM you will ever find is at:
http://www.mlmwatchdog.com/MLM_DUE_DILIGENCE.html
To chase out creepy companies and ruthless people!
Rod Cook
Advice to "choose the right company" assumes that the individual is looking for something to join and completely ignores the fact that all MLMers, at one time or another, recruit. MLM is not MLM without recruiting. Most (all?) MLMers recruit prospects by telling them that their company is the best and that there is no need to do serious research on it because 1) you cannot believe everything you read, and 2) you should believe THEM and 3) THEY will help you to succeed.
Market analysis is completely discouraged, or more likely, replaced with phoney market analysis.
PW
Posted by: PW | December 7, 2004 12:51 AM