Okay, I have given this a great deal of thought and am now prepared to tell you what you already know.
Multi-Level-Marketing, otherwise known as MLM is the basis for the majority of home-based businesses. As long as you have or produce a product for sale it is not a "Pyramid Scheme." That should come as no surprise since all business is built upon a pyramid type structure. It starts with a single person who has a great idea, say Mr. Hershey and his idea for a chocolate bar. He drags all his family into this wild idea for selling what most sane people make at home. It's a hit! He starts his factory with friends and neighbors investing and people coming to work in his factory.
Now Mr. Hershey becomes the President and CEO (1) of his company and has Vice Presidents (2) to help with running the company. Then he has department heads (6) and supervisors (20) and then all the little people doing all the work. And guess what? It resembles a pyramid.
Pres/CEO = BIG BUCKS
Vice Presidents = Big Bucks
Department Heads = big bucks
Many Supervisory Staff = bucks
Lots of Workers (generally people like you and me) = wages
There are folks that have a problem with that structure and want everyone to be equally compensated regardless of technical know-how, experience, initiative, or investment. They are called Communists. Socialists are just those on the verge of becoming Communists or Capitalists. They are on the fence and want the ability to earn as much as one can as long as the government takes care of everyone. Neither of these ideologies work for long. Within 5 years most become dissatisfied, quit producing at capacity, and turn to apathy while consuming vast amounts of self-pity and spewing large quantities of hate and discontent or suffering in silence simply allowing themselves to be slowly dragged into the mire. And that concludes my political commentary for this session.
Back to the MLM of business.
If you have ever been in business for yourself (and that includes mowing grass or doing odd jobs for people to get money for a new toy) you know one thing. You discovered more than one thing, but one for sure. That thing is - YOU work for every penny YOU make! And the second thing you found out is - If YOU want more customers (therefore more money), YOU have to go rustle them up. The third thing you realize is - If YOU want to make even more money faster, YOU go out, find more jobs and pay other people to do the work while keeping a percentage for yourself for taking the initiative to find the work and make sure it gets done.
MLM works the same way. Amway, ViSalus, Mary Kay, Herbal Life, Le-vel, Rodan + Fields, and thousands of other companies already have a tried and tested way to promote (advertise and sell) their products. While there are variations on the theme, they are all basically the same. You pay for the kit. You learn from your sponsor, up-line, videos, conference calls, whatever they offer for training about the product and how to promote it.
They all show how great the product is and most hand out samples or invite you to parties to check it out. Then comes the money pitch. Almost everyone will at least listen to how you can make $1,500.00 per month easy. And if that is possible, then think about having invited 3 more people to do the same. By this time, your mouth is watering. After I tell you the new BMW sitting in the driveway is the result of just a little more effort, your heart is racing and your mind is trying to list all those people you know who need this opportunity. You get out your cash, your checkbook or your plastic, sign up and get your kit!
All good, right?
Hardly. That person who dropped by and showed you this great opportunity did not realize you took him or her seriously and really saw the opportunity. You were just a practice run and that was supposed to be it for you and that podunk town you live in. After all it's really too far to drive to help you with your new business. All the questions you have are basically going unanswered because you are waiting on someone else. Meanwhile, not wanting to do anything wrong, you wait. In spite of the wait, you become Rising Star Director! Before the 30 days ended, but little did you know, to keep momentum going you should have done that in a week. Who knew? Some people did. They just went out and did it. They did not wait on anyone.
Okay, Rising Star is done, next is the BMW. After months of promoting (pushing products on anyone who will listen) you qualify for the coveted BMW, but the next level remains elusive.
Almost 3 years later, an accident throws a kink into this ribbon of wonderfulness. Suddenly you are flat on your back with a literal broken back, broken wrist, some heavy duty pain medication and your up-line doesn't call. Well, one calls from another state. But, as far as there being that camaraderie, that overwhelming desire to make certain everyone in your team survives and thrives is only a fading mist within the ether of imagination and the stuff that on-line promotional videos are made of.
What becomes stark reality over and above all the pomp and circumstance of the infomercials and promotional literature is the irrevocable knowledge that your business is yours and yours alone. Your business lives or dies, thrives or tanks on you and you alone. It is, after all, YOUR business. And although your sponsor/up-line does benefit from your continued success, you are ill advised to depend upon their continued interest, much less their unwavering support.
People, in the MLM business, come and go like rain in springtime; like meteors flashing through the sky; feathers blown by the wind. There are many reasons why people become promoters or customers. They become customers first because they know you, like you, and want to support your endeavors regardless of the product. They stay customers because the products work and they like them. People become promoters for the same reasons as they become customers plus they see the potential of the business.
Why do people stay in any job or in any business? Easiest and shortest answer is they like it. It fulfills them. They like the products, the hype, the money, and it makes them feel good about themselves, about life. They have a purpose. When they stop liking it; when it becomes drudgery, they either quit outright or they just let their business or job die a slow, painful death while waiting for retirement.
Another reason people will quit a particular MLM is a more inspiring company or a more lucrative compensation plan. Loyalty is only as good as the money they can make. Product quality is somewhat of an incentive, but if their goal is strictly monetary, product is a non-issue. A great product is an asset, but an aggressive promoter can overcome a mediocre product.
The product is great. You have recruited several potentially great promoters. Your customer base is solid. But the money is not there. Why? Could be simply a matter of timing. The day of the week, monthly closing, product returns, maybe just a bad day, week, or month. Have you been consistent? Have you kept up with customer or promoter recruitment? Got any new customers lately? Or have you been depending solely upon the success of your own team?
MLM is probably the one place you can have the most effect upon your life and the lives of others, but it is not for the faint of heart. You must be committed to the nurture and welfare of your own business. Circumstances, the weather, accidents, illness can all play a part in the health of your business. But the doctor must ultimately be you.
If your chocolate bar is old and grey and you are excited about it, you will want everyone to see the medicinal properties of old, grey, fungi-encrusted chocolate. If you have the finest chocolate produced anywhere in the world but have no enthusiasm, you might get some folks to buy it and even sign up for auto shipment, but eventually those stalwart chocolate aficionados will find a replacement and move on.
I guess the shocking truth about ViSalus or any other home based business is that you can be your own worst enemy. You can kill a solid business pattern by a lackadaisical attitude.
If you want it, go for it. Just keep in mind that it is solely up to you. Be consistent. Stay for 5 years. If you cannot stay in for 5 years, you have little or no commitment to your own success. In that 5 years, give it your best. Overcome obstacles. Do your best to make it work for you!
Shalom! Pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem!