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

[Anonymous]

I used to be a Mary Kay "consultant." I wasn't successful--in the company's view--because all I really wanted was to get my 50% off on the products, which I really liked, and sell to other people without having parties. I had friends & family who were also fans of the products, so I just sold to them. I'm really good at figuring out what colors look good on people, so no manipulative "makeovers" necessary.

In the long run, I quit because I didn't like the sorority aspect--I already have friends and I don't have to wear a red jacket to hang out with them, thankyouverymuch--and the pressure to build the company. But I still buy the products from another consultant. There were a lot of people selling in my industry, so it wasn't hard to find someone!

I have a lot of acquaintances who sell 31 bags. I've started hiding their updates on FB. How many purses do I need? (Also read: how many purses can they pressure my mom into buying for me, since she doesn't need more either? She's bought me three of the same thing from three different friends, because she has a hard time saying no, and doesn't want more for herself. One is actually nice, as are a few other bags I have, but the rest have gone straight to donation.)

[Anonymous]

I had a friend quit a very successful full-time high-end vacation rental agency to sell Mary Kay. She had never sold before and quit her job with zero clients. That was 15 years ago. Right now, she is living with her parents in barely making ends meet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG is everyone else's FB feed inundated with hype from the big BeachBody conference in Nashville this weekend? Nauseating!

Yes! And Stella and Dot in Vegas. Damn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG is everyone else's FB feed inundated with hype from the big BeachBody conference in Nashville this weekend? Nauseating!

Yes! And Stella and Dot in Vegas. Damn.

And Silpada is in Kansas City.

[Anonymous]

I'd love this thread if we got real answers, but I think the MLM people are either too much in denial or too embarrassed.

[Anonymous]

I want to know how the R&F "levels" work. Seems like they get promoted every 5 mins. So embarrassing.

[Anonymous]

I believe that there are some people making real money off MLM sales. But you have to be at the very top of the food chain, so to speak. And even then, once you take into account all of your own business expenses (because you're an "independent contractor," not an employee!) and taxes and the cost of the product and traveling to seminars and crap, a top consultants "six figure income" is probably more like 40,000/year. And that's for the top people who are probably the top .01% in their MLM. Everyone else is making pocket change or losing money.

Btw the luxury cars are all leases. The MLM company pays your lease IF you stay at a certain production level. Otherwise it's on you to pay or lose your car. So people get "the car," but in a few months business turns south and the company stops paying. So now they're paying $600/month out of pocket to lease that Caddy, Mercedes, Lexus, etc.

[Anonymous]

Silpada is the worst. All the women at the conference look like tacky, wanna be real housewives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want to know how the R&F "levels" work. Seems like they get promoted every 5 mins. So embarrassing.

My friend's been selling R&F for six months and has been promoted five times. Of course, every time I ask her how her business is going, just to be a friend and show interest in what she's doing, she refuses to actually tell me anything and just tries to sell me on joining her team.

[Anonymous]

My cousin was selling Discovery toys a few years ago. After six months, she "won" a free trip to Hawaii with her husband. I was the only one to question her amazing success. A year later, she quit Discovery to sell Wildtree. I wondered why she quit when she was obviously so successful. I actually looked up Wildtree the first time she raved about it and discovered it was basically an $8 spice packet. I still had to buy the meat and veggies. DH calls it overpriced Hamburger Helper. But since she's been with Wildtree, she's "won" a free trip to Hawaii or the Caribbean every single year. I call bull - I suspect they're mandatory conferences that she can write off as a business expense. I mean, if it truly was this easy everyone would do it. So what say you, DCUM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My cousin was selling Discovery toys a few years ago. After six months, she "won" a free trip to Hawaii with her husband. I was the only one to question her amazing success. A year later, she quit Discovery to sell Wildtree. I wondered why she quit when she was obviously so successful. I actually looked up Wildtree the first time she raved about it and discovered it was basically an $8 spice packet. I still had to buy the meat and veggies. DH calls it overpriced Hamburger Helper. But since she's been with Wildtree, she's "won" a free trip to Hawaii or the Caribbean every single year. I call bull - I suspect they're mandatory conferences that she can write off as a business expense. I mean, if it truly was this easy everyone would do it. So what say you, DCUM?

So on one hand, the consensus is they're dim bulbed and naive, and on the other you think they're itemizing their taxes?

[Anonymous]

Itemizing your taxes isn't proof that you're not naive or dim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Id really like to see someone's paycheck. I know they aren't allowed to show them in real life but maybe someone could do it annonymously

Wait a sec, they're not allowed to show their paychecks? WTF? Why not?!

[Anonymous]

Cutco is the worst of all. Being the mom of a recent highschool grad, all my sons friends are selling cutco. It is such a scam on these poor kids and their parents' friends!

[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.

OMG, I would love to be invited to one of these so I could feign the huge offense. "WHAT?! Do you think I look wrinkly? What are you trying to say?" (Because I already get preventative botox, heh)