Let's look at what an MLM promises and the truth behind those promises. Some of the claims made are:
1. Network marketing is a way to make tons of money.
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2. MLM is the wave of the future. Eventually all products will be sold by MLM.
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3. MLM operations don't have huge advertising and marketing budgets so they can afford to pump a lot more dollars into developing their products, resulting in a higher quality product that can still be sold at a lower price than comparable items sold through conventional means.
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4. There are an endless group of recruits available to be down line distributors.
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5. It is easy to sell to your friends and family. They love you and want you to succeed.
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6. MLM can be done in your spare time. You make millions while you sleep.
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Many people liken what happens in many MLM companies to being brainwashed by a cult. Members mouth company mottos with no conscious awareness of how ludicrous the claims may be. There are families who feeling they have "lost" a family member to an MLM scheme, have initiated cult deconditioning to "rescue" their family member from the organization. While this is not true of most MLM organizations, do question all exaggerated claims asking for substantiation of facts. In suspect organizations, instead of facts, a smokescreen of counter challenges will be the usual response.
Are there good MLMs and is this a viable way to make a living? Of course. In sense, the success of the good companies is what has attracted so many scammers. But the scammers are so invasive and overwhelming in their sales pitches, it is difficult to dig down to the real gems in this field.
