'Fess up...if you sell for mlm companies, give us the dirt

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, I used to sell Tupperware. I'd dress up in 50s dress and do the whole schtick at parties. I can tell you that I sincerely loved Tupperware! I could see the ridiculous aspect of it, but there was also something sweet and optimistic about this roomful of women oohing and ahhhing about the latest food-storing innovation.

I made a little bit of money, but mostly I had fun. I don't have much Tupperware anymore, but no regrets!

I love Tupperware and wish I knew someone who sold it. Instead, I only know Nerium, Mary Kay, Beachbody, and Jamberry. And all of the women who sell these are educated with good, well-paying real jobs. I do not get it. And some of them are always going away to conferences/trips/whatever. And the meetings that seem to happen almost daily in some cases. I worry about one friend whose MLM takes up so much time that I'm afraid her real job might be in jeopardy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why hasn't anyone fess'd up?

Apparently everyone is at a conference. Lets just keep bumping until they get back this week.

[Anonymous]

What does one do at these conferences?

What kind of training do these companies offer? My friends are always posting about their upcoming "training calls".

What makes BeachBody special or any different then going to the gym and buying a protein drink?

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who got involved with ignite/stream energy early on. She makes a 6 figure income and they just gave her a new Mercedes. She's aver at our country club- super nice and driven woman. It actually worked for her- I know she's a minority.

[Anonymous]

But how much does she have to spend to "earn" that six figure income?

[Anonymous]

I'm fascinated with the MLM industry, a few thoughts:
- Above all, positive thinking is pushed HARD in all of these orgs. It's going to be hard to find someone who is current to share the truth because it would go against the lawn of attraction/positive thinking/see and believe they are indoctrinated into.

- Spin is also a huge part of it. They will almost never acknowledge how much that trip "cost" them, the reality of the car leases, the minimum buy-ins, etc.

If you want some good dish, check out the forums on PinkTruth.com. They cover more than just Mary Kay.

As far as hard numbers on what people make, the best data I've found is here: http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4176

-The nonprofit Consumer Awareness Institute analyzed available data published by the MLM companies themselves. Of the companies surveyed, they reported the least successful was Amway/Quixtar where 99.99% of distributors lose money, and the most successful was Herbalife, where 99.42% of distributors lose money.

- In a Wisconsin lawsuit, the tax returns of the top 200 of 20,000 network marketing participants were examined by the Attorney General. The average income of this top 1% was -$900.

- On average, 99.95% of network marketers lose money. However, only 97.14% of Las Vegas gamblers lose money by placing everything on a single number at roulette.

Another good one: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100366687

These MLM companies are snakes and the only people who benefit are those at the very tippy top of the pyramid. Not even the local pyramids either. By the time a company has made it ou tto where you've heard about it, it's too late to be making any real money in it. You basically have to be the creator of the company or in the first two original levels to promote it.

[Anonymous]

I got sucked in to selling Arbonne years ago. Was a bored SAHM who used to have a "real job" before deciding to stay home for a few years while my DS was a baby/toddler. I missed working outside the home and earning money, that was my weakness and why I got sucked in. Add to that my team leader was raking in the dough in a huge way along with another girl that joined my same team the same day I did... so of course that was attractive to me as well. If they could do it so could I - HA!!

My experiment w/ MLM lasted about 2 months before I became so nauseated with myself for trying to lure my friends and family in to sell Arbonne under me. I just couldn't do it anymore.

I made $0, but spent about $700 on buying a few starter kits. I did get a lot of good quality skincare products out of it and do miss the products. didn't repurchase after my kits were gone because the prices are outrageous.

Never ever again will I get sucked in to any MLM. People have approached me to sell Stella & Dot, Worth and Nirium and I have flat out (and probably rudely) told them that I was not interested and never would be!

[Anonymous]

I've blocked every fb friend who shills for these companies. Makes for a much nicer newsfeed.

I've also noticed lately that fb allows you to granularly block only the mlm-related posts from a person sometimes, which means I can still see relevant posts.

I will never, ever buy any of this shit. What a gross and decadent example of consumerism -- "monetizing" people's friends and impoverishing them so your pyramid scheme can make a killing for a couple of the founders. They should be illegal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who got involved with ignite/stream energy early on. She makes a 6 figure income and they just gave her a new Mercedes. She's aver at our country club- super nice and driven woman. It actually worked for her- I know she's a minority.

Sure, you "have a friend" who did this. I definitely, 100% believe you.

[Anonymous]

I went to a Jamberry "party" where the sales lady bragged that she had made $3000 in six months...I felt sorry for her. She's one of the ones that is constantly switching to the new fad MLM. She's 50!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who got involved with ignite/stream energy early on. She makes a 6 figure income and they just gave her a new Mercedes. She's aver at our country club- super nice and driven woman. It actually worked for her- I know she's a minority.

Sure, you "have a friend" who did this. I definitely, 100% believe you.

Why would I lie? I don't sell it, have nothing to do with it? I played golf with her this week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is filled with the Stella and Dot "hoopla" in Las Vegas.

Mine also! The best part is all of the women saying things about how awesome their job is and look how much fun I'm having at work.

Be honest. Are you being paid to attend this or did you pay them to attend and pay your own way for tickets and meals? Because if the later is the case then you're being duped big time. Or you're not being honest.

I am a very successful real estate agent and other companies and agents try to recruit me. Last week I had a settlement with an agent who works for an MLM and the agent begged me to have coffee with her. The purpose of course was a pitch to join her 11 agent team. After a minute if drilling down, she confessed that her 11 agent team did about the same amount of business as I did last year as a sole agent.

The top agent recruited the first level of 2 agents and the other agents recruited others. Each if the agents takes a cut of the earnings of the agent below her. This agent told me she was on the third level. Last year she made about $20,000 from agents she recruited. After cuts and referral fees were taken from the commissions she earned, she made about $85,000. As an example, we closed on an $850,000 house and the commission to her company was $25,500. She went through the math with me. After her company took its 10% split, the team leader took her split (agent would not say how much) and she paid the person who recruited her, she would receive about $7,800.

Obviously if you st up one of these teams MLM and can persuade people that they need you money is easy to make at the too. But the ,owner level people are better on their own.

I do know that I was forced to go to a Stella/dot party and bought the least tacky necklace I could find for $150. I saw a very similar necklace at an overpriced boutique for $95. It depends on what the markup is between what the Stella/dot person pays for the necklace and what portion they have to give along the MLM ladder. IMHO it can't be much as it is small dollars

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But how much does she have to spend to "earn" that six figure income?

I'm in PA (just bought a house in DC- moving soon) but there is no product- it's getting people to switch their energy away from PECO to their lower cost energy or something- cheaper rates when they deregulated the state or something. I don't know. But I know it's her full time job and she's done well.

I have a ton of friends who sell Stella and dot, 31, r&f, Matilda Jane etc..... I don't go anymore. The new thing is Botox parties! But yes, this one woman absurdly just got a new Mercedes, absolutely travels all over and absolutely is doing incredibly well- it's a full time job for her at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who got involved with ignite/stream energy early on. She makes a 6 figure income and they just gave her a new Mercedes. She's aver at our country club- super nice and driven woman. It actually worked for her- I know she's a minority.

Sure, you "have a friend" who did this. I definitely, 100% believe you.

Why would I lie? I don't sell it, have nothing to do with it? I played golf with her this week.

I believe you. if you have the stomach for it and get in at the top of the that MLM's pyramid you stand to make a lot of $$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But how much does she have to spend to "earn" that six figure income?

I'm in PA (just bought a house in DC- moving soon) but there is no product- it's getting people to switch their energy away from PECO to their lower cost energy or something- cheaper rates when they deregulated the state or something. I don't know. But I know it's her full time job and she's done well.

I have a ton of friends who sell Stella and dot, 31, r&f, Matilda Jane etc..... I don't go anymore. The new thing is Botox parties! But yes, this one woman absurdly just got a new Mercedes, absolutely travels all over and absolutely is doing incredibly well- it's a full time job for her at this point.

But are those people who switch supposed to then go find others to switch? If not, it isn't MLM.