Without mentioning ANY names whatsoever, I want to rant about my network marketing experiences this afternoon.
About 10 years ago I spent somewhere around $250 and got involved in a network marketing business. I worked very hard for about two years. I didn’t get rich, but earned enough to pay some bills and moved up to “director” level. Then I stopped completely.
At the beginning of my journey with this company, I spent far more money than I made! Hidden expenses you don’t think about when you’re full of enthusiasm as you’re leaving that hotel presentation. Things the presenters don’t tell you about, of course. My cell phone bill skyrocketed. There were business cards and forms and brochures to order (and pay for up front). I had to look professional, so add the cost of new clothing in there too. Then there was the almost mandatory “weekly meeting” to attend to the tune of $7 a pop, and even though gas wasn’t at $4 a gallon back then, the meetings weren’t always in the most convenient locations! Don’t forget those “super” events that are held, where all the higher up mucky-mucks who’ve all accomplished amazing things within the company get up on stage and tell their stories, supposedly to inspire you to do the same. Those events weren’t free! There were parking fees, attendance fees, eating out costs…again, all things I didn’t think about at the onset. (I suppose I would caution anyone considering any network marketing venture to tamp down the expectations of the initial “hype-you-up” presentation and be very realistic about what it will take, financially, to really accomplish your goals, regardless of what company it is!)
But it wasn’t the expenses that turned me off to this particular company. I allowed a few of those mucky-mucks to steal my dream! That’s really the bottom line of it. They were, quite frankly, snobs of the first sort! Rude to me and my guests. Demeaning in their responses to questions asked. So very transparent in their self-righteousness. I’m not the only one who had this experience with these so-called leaders, but after their shitty attitudes had turned off four or five of my guests, well……I’d had enough. I couldn’t stomach it any longer and simply stopped doing the business completely.
That was years ago now. I still can’t bear to think about exposing myself to many of those same people today, which is really self-defeating behavior. I shouldn’t let them (or anyone) keep me from doing something I’m good at, that I enjoy, and that earns me a decent income. But….I just can’t go backwards on this one.
So yesterday I stumbled upon another network marketing opportunity and met one of their representatives to learn more. Because I’ve had a bit of experience, I went armed with a list of questions, many of which went unanswered. Not a good sign, at least in my mind. This particular company has an actual product rather than a service, which made it slightly different. The rep explained that normally she charges $10 for the small bag of “samples” she passed across the table to me. Hmmmm…….that seemed odd. She didn’t pursue it, didn’t ask for any money, just gave me the bag of goodies to take home and try out. Because I’m allergic to this product, I solicited a couple of my neighbors to be the testers. They both thought it was a good product, but very expensive. Here’s the kicker…… well…. actually, there are a couple of them. For a small, one time fee, they can get the product at wholesale prices! I suppose that’d be great if you intended to actually use it all up yourself, because the tricky part comes next. In 4 weeks you’ll get another month’s supply, to the tune of over $100 plus shipping and handling! That’s the company’s insurance policy!!! In my case, I’d have to sell all the product since I can’t use it myself. Oh but wait…….there’s a company rule that states you can’t market it to ANY retail outlets, only to individuals who then, potentially, want to get it wholesale too. Or, in other words, buy into monthly orders arriving regularly. Amazing. Fairly genius, actually, and…….nope, not for me. Thanks, but no thanks. So today I met with the rep again to return some dvd’s she’d loaned me. By the time we’d met, she knew I wasn’t sold on the idea and as you may have guessed, politely said “Oh, I forgot to get that $10 from you yesterday for the samples!” Again, all I can say is “amazing”!
Don’t get me wrong. I’m still not opposed to network marketing at all. Many folks have gotten quite wealthy through network marketing. I remember when it was automatically referred to as a “pyramid scheme” and dismissed, but it isn’t that at all. With the right company, and a product you truly love, you might do extemely well, especially if you’re not afraid of sales and have an already established circle of influence. I just haven’t yet found the right combination of company AND product, but I’ll keep searching.
