Are there are any MLM business that really work. I've tried a couple when I was younger and never had any luck with it. I've heard of people making lots and lots of money at it, but never personally known anyone that did.

Gooddad,

What's MLM if I may ask? =)

It means multi-level marketing. I think Amway was like the first company to do it, but now there are lots of them. I've seen a lot of them that sell vitamins, but there are ones that sell long distance services and stuff too. Basically an MLM distributor gets paid for what he sells, but he recruits more sellers and gets paid a commision on what they sell. And when they recruit more sellers, he gets paid commision on their sales too.It keeps going like that down through a certain number of levels. I looked into this a lot, but decided it wasn't for me.

DanielX,

Thank you for explaining this to me. I recognized it now that I heard what the acronym stands for.

Yeah, you have to be the top dog to make any money... =)

They're just basically pyramid schemes under a different name, pyramid schemes in the UK have been illegal for some time.

I've not really seen any where the lower down members make any money at all.

I wouldn't touch these schemes at all.

i've actually met 2 couples that have made reasonable money out of mlm after years of persistance (both americans). but after watching them for an extended period of time (5 years) i came to the opinion that 99.999% of people were not able to attain their accomplishments (although not that fantastic for 1) One lady made reportedly several million, but the mlm company went bankrupt nevertheless.

its a scam for most, because the dream only becomes a reality for the fewest of few.

They're just basically pyramid schemes under a different name, pyramid schemes in the UK have been illegal for some time.

I've not really seen any where the lower down members make any money at all.

I wouldn't touch these schemes at all.Actually pyramid schemes and multi-level marketing are not the same thing. Unfortunately some pyramid schemes are called "MLM" by their promoters to try to hide the true structure of the program.

Pyramid schemes are illegal in all states in the U.S. and is also illegal to promote a pyramid scheme via the U.S. Postal Service (i.e. in a letter) or over wires (i.e. electronically or telephone).

It is NOT illegal to get a portion of the commission of agents you recruit. That is what MLM is and is actually a very good design for growing a company and rewarding people who grow the company.

What IS illegal is when you are not selling a legitimate product to the public, or if the only buyers of the product are the distributors. How most pyramid schemes are set up is that you make money every time you recruit a new member. The focus is on the recruiting only, and that is illegal. Sometimes they will have a token product, but all the money to be made is by recruiting new distributors. Don't sign up for any of these schemes. They are illegal and only those on top benefit.

MLM, on the other hands, is a retail company, selling products to retail clients through a network of agents. Agents can recruit other agents and make a commission on their sales, but if agents do not sell any product to the retail customer, no commission are made. The structure of commissions is based on product sales, not recruiting new agents. A person can generate a good income regardless of whether his recruited agents do anything, and yet he also gets commission on their sales as an added bonus. This is legal and can make you a lot of money, but just like any business, you need to pick a business that excites you and that you will stick to in the long haul.

Before joining any MLM, make sure its a business you want to go into. It's kinda like opening a gas station. You have to invest your time and money and effort to make the gas station work and make money. If you decide after 2 months to quit, you lost your investment. It's the same with MLM or any business. Chose your business wisely, and you will succeed. Chose poorly and you will lose you money.

Are there are any MLM business that really work. I've tried a couple when I was younger and never had any luck with it. I've heard of people making lots and lots of money at it, but never personally known anyone that did.
You better believe there is an awesome mlm out there. Haven't you heard of PFS or Primerica Financial Services? They are under Citigroup. I wrote 3 sales last month and made $13,000 and legally. In this MLM you are regulated by the state. :bonk:

Welcome to the forum kaisy! Congratulations on your success!!!

welcome Kaisy, i'd like to have you enlighten us all a bit further about what you sold to be rewarded so well. as it's mlm, i'm sure you'll have no problems taking us all under your wing & showing us how we can duplicate your successes, as it will reward you too.

You better believe there is an awesome mlm out there. Haven't you heard of PFS or Primerica Financial Services? They are under Citigroup. I wrote 3 sales last month and made $13,000 and legally. In this MLM you are regulated by the state. :bonk:
$13000 from three sales! wow thats awesome, please tell us more .

I don't know anything about them but I found this web site if that helps. http://ww3.primerica.com/public/

It's Extremely difficult to make any money in traditional mlm with traditional methods. Trust me I know from experience. It takes a lot of persistance before seeing any substantial monthly income with most mlm ops. In the meantime, you have to hope that the company doesn't go bankrupt or out of business due to bad management. Of course if this happens, the income that you persisted in building stops.

For anyone in mlm or thinking about joining an mlm company, I would suggest this:

One of the biggest keys to building a big downline fast is to look for people that are in, or have been in mlm before. Most people tell you to talk to your family and friends first.
THIS IS HOGWASH, and is the reason why most people fail. Why recruit people that don't know what they're doing? At least at first. This creates a huge "downline jam" of people that get frustrated cause they're not making any money, and you can't show them cause you went to them first.

However there is a better way....

All of the heavy hitters in the mlm business know that to build a downline fast, you look for other heavy hitters, or people that ALREADY know how to recruit people.

Where do you find these people you ask? Here's the big secret:

Look for prospect list from other mlm companies that have either gone out of business or is on the brink of doing so. These are fairly easy to find. Just do a search for "mlm list" or something like that. I do know of one guy by the name of Tracy Biller (I believe his name is) that sells these list.

If anyone wants to know how to contact people on these list, let me know.

This of course is just my opinion from my experiences. :bouncy:

I don't know anything about them but I found this web site if that helps. http://ww3.primerica.com/public/
i did go thru the url but i think it was more of a retirement and savings plan than an MLM plan

a good indication of any ethical business is 'transperancy'.

if it is not evident from the outset, if you feel laboured investigation has been required to find out the details which are important to you, maybe you should ask yourself the question, "if this is what it's like now, what's it going to be like down the track?"

i did go thru the url but i think it was more of a retirement and savings plan than an MLM planIt IS a financial MLM. You join, then have to pass your different levedls to be able to sell the increasingly rewarding securities and other offereings.

That Kaisy made $13,000 says alot about her goals in the company, and probably in life too! I have known many that would have been happy to make $1300. Even once!

It IS a financial MLM. You join, then have to pass your different levedls to be able to sell the increasingly rewarding securities and other offereings.

That Kaisy made $13,000 says alot about her goals in the company, and probably in life too! I have known many that would have been happy to make $1300. Even once!
Wanna know more! but have doubts that they have clearance an approval to run mlm in India

Wanna know more! but have doubts that they have clearance an approval to run mlm in IndiaI'm quite certin they are not authorized for dealings in India. Good luck in your search for a quality MLM.

Although not in India yet, Infinity2 is an excellent company with an excellent product and pay out plan. They have been doing really great for the people in Japan, Malyasia, Hong Kong & Indonesia. So it may just be a short time before we are in India.

www.Infinity2.com

I'm quite certin they are not authorized for dealings in India. Good luck in your search for a quality MLM.

Although not in India yet, Infinity2 is an excellent company with an excellent product and pay out plan. They have been doing really great for the people in Japan, Malyasia, Hong Kong & Indonesia. So it may just be a short time before we are in India.

www.Infinity2.com
it seems that you have tried every MLM under the sun. Any Luck
An indian company is doing great here. they have a current base of 1.1 million in india alone. check them out at www.modicare.com

Well .... the luck I had was the luck I produced. or didn't produce. I did OK in some, but overall, I don't like recruiting, and then essentially babysitting many of the people who signed. So I stay an observer to most, a distributor with a couple.


I'll look at the link. It's always interesting to see what is doing well in the rest of the world.

Thanks!

The MLM I am with is in 11 countries at this point and has doubled every month this year. :yippee: Yes, it is very hard to find poeple that want to work at it. They don't see it as the business opportunity that is and can be. If you work at it hard for six months you should really start to see what can happen in your business. The money will start coming and it will all be worth it. To many people will not put out the effert to make it happen. :hopeless:

Promotional links go in signatures or the Classifieds forum. Signatures can be created and edited in the User Control Panel (http://www.successvibe.com/usercp.php?).

The MLM I am with is in 11 countries at this point and has doubled every month this year. :yippee: Yes, it is very hard to find poeple that want to work at it. They don't see it as the business opportunity that is and can be. If you work at it hard for six months you should really start to see what can happen in your business. The money will start coming and it will all be worth it. To many people will not put out the effert to make it happen. :hopeless:

Kansas,

What MLM is this? Does it cost anything to join, and have you made any money on this yet?

Thanks!

Yes, on the money!

But, Tom tells me we can't talk about our businesses in the forums. If you would like to know more just left click on Kansas and go to my web site. You can email me from there and we can talk. :wave:

It's Extremely difficult to make any money in traditional mlm with traditional methods.MLM is just a tranditional business with non-traditional compensation scheme. If they tell you otherwise, they don't know what they are talking about or are lying. Basically true MLM (not the frauds that claim to be MLM but aren't really MLM) is direct marketing with a better compensation scheme.

One MLM I belong to, which costs nothing to join as an agent (unlike our competitors), actually discourages some people from join by telling them up front that they will have to work, they will have to sell, and optionally they will have to recruit. They tell them up front that this is a business and if you are not interested in building a business and doing what it takes, don't bother to join.

Now that is honesty. :D

You better believe there is an awesome mlm out there. Haven't you heard of PFS or Primerica Financial Services? They are under Citigroup. I wrote 3 sales last month and made $13,000 and legally. In this MLM you are regulated by the state. :bonk:

Welcome Kaisy,

Thanks for the info on Primerica.

Forgive me about my last post I read this one after posting and don´t know how to delete it.

Thanks for your compehension.

Best Regards

Daniel Cajiga

Does MLM works? I think so. Not only I have read many successful stories, I know a couple of friends who really did very very well from the business.

But is MLM suitable to everyone? Errrr..... I don't think so. MLM is very different from any other socially-accepatable marketing strategy that you have ever heard of. As pointed out by many in the previous notes, most ppl would drop off from this marketing campign... really... only a few would be successful

So, is MLM for me? No... personally I just feel strange about the marketing strategy and sometime I feel that this strategy doesn't align with my personal value system. I am a people-person and I am not against this method, therefore I have taken a close look at the marketing strategy sometime last year. My conclusion? I believe MLM works, but I also believe MLM only works for some ( whose value system is aligned to the campaign that they employ).

Erm.... so is MLM for you?? I suggest you learn about it (well, no harm spending a bit of time try to find out something that many ppl know), think about it and see if you are comfortable with the strategy they employ. Don't just shut the door and say MLM is no good before you truly understand how the system works.

From the system prospective, I feel that the pyramid strcuture MLM employs deserve some credits.

Does MLM works? I think so. Not only I have read many successful stories, I know a couple of friends who really did very very well from the business.

But is MLM suitable to everyone? Errrr..... I don't think so. MLM is very different from any other socially-accepatable marketing strategy that you have ever heard of. As pointed out by many in the previous notes, most ppl would drop off from this marketing campign... really... only a few would be successful

So, is MLM for me? No... personally I just feel strange about the marketing strategy and sometime I feel that this strategy doesn't align with my personal value system. I am a people-person and I am not against this method, therefore I have taken a close look at the marketing strategy sometime last year. My conclusion? I believe MLM works, but I also believe MLM only works for some ( whose value system is aligned to the campaign that they employ).

Erm.... so is MLM for you?? I suggest you learn about it (well, no harm spending a bit of time try to find out something that many ppl know), think about it and see if you are comfortable with the strategy they employ. Don't just shut the door and say MLM is no good before you truly understand how the system works.

From the system prospective, I feel that the pyramid strcuture MLM employs deserve some credits.

if someone will join a MLM and only relies on the recruitment system (like binary system) to earn money, then MLM is not for that person.

I have joined a MLM and i lost a lot of money. Sure there are those who succeeded in MLM, but most of them belongs to the first batch of people who joined in.

Most MLM has the same indoctrination techniques... their speech has the same pattern... start with a question of what is your dream? they employ testimonials of people who bought a house and lot, new cars etc., they will show you cheque, they will show you their earnings... and will speak of powerful success quotations.. show the beauty of MLM against traditional marketing... show the concept of big fish vs little fish... the power of leverage... the advantage of being self-employed vs employee... most often they are all true. But if it gets saturated and you are in the lowest level, your chances of earning like them is slim.

I don't know, maybe i just joined a bad mlm. But I think if the product or service they offer is of QUALITY and it is really marketable... why cover it up with mlm methods/process? Selling a cure for Aids does not need MLM. Only those low in demand product or service usually ends in having mlm.

If you are really investing your money why not invest on in demand goods/services? Or on a well diversified mutual fund etc.

Anyway, these are only my opinion. :rulz:

Welcome Kaisy,

Thanks for the info on Primamerica.

In my opinion, the big probel with MLM is it is a "sales" profession, and, frankly, most people aren't salespeople..infact most people HATE face-to-face selling(and even when most people don't sell face-to-face, but sell by other means, it still makes them uncomfortable.)

The problem is recruiters make the most money by recruiting the most people, and since most people hate to sell, they don't put the "selling" aspect in their pitch...they say things like "Just share the product and opportuniy with your friends and family." And most people, who aren't salespeople, have a hard time doing that...

Don't get me wrong...I love mlm...I don't do it and I don't promote, but I am not angrily against it either...If I have one problem with it, it's that mlmer's don't tell the truth about it being a "sales" profession like any other "sales" profession... :tiphat:

In my opinion, the big probel with MLM is it is a "sales" profession, and, frankly, most people aren't salespeople..infact most people HATE face-to-face selling(and even when most people don't sell face-to-face, but sell by other means, it still makes them uncomfortable.)

The problem is recruiters make the most money by recruiting the most people, and since most people hate to sell, they don't put the "selling" aspect in their pitch...they say things like "Just share the product and opportuniy with your friends and family." And most people, who aren't salespeople, have a hard time doing that...

Don't get me wrong...I love mlm...I don't do it and I don't promote, but I am not angrily against it either...If I have one problem with it, it's that mlmer's don't tell the truth about it being a "sales" profession like any other "sales" profession... :tiphat:

I am afraid that I have to disagree with you on the point that most people aren't salespeople. Everyone is a salesperson ... when they are passionate about something. I have heard people who are painfully shy tell others about a movie they recently watched. They were excited! They were animated! They were trying to sell the group on the idea of going to see the movie. The only problem here from an entreprenuerial standpoint is that they weren't getting a dime for their efforts.

Everybody sells! Parents try to sell their kids on cleaning up their rooms. Wives try to sell their husbands on why they need a new pair of shoes. Grandparents try to sell their neighbors on how they have the most adorable grandkids in the world. If you are passionate about something, if you are emotional or excited about something, more often than not you will sell it to someone.

If someone wants to be massively successful in MLM, they need to do one of two things:

1. Find a product that they really like, use it, get the results that it offers, and go tell everyone about it

- or -

2. Find a system that appears to be very promising and one that you believe you can make work, get involved with it, get some results and then tell everyone about your new way of making money. Just make sure that the product is still worthwhile because the system cannot stand on its own.

Now, if you can find a company where you can do both of these things, you will succeed twice as fast. A good example of this is my wife. I talked a bit at the success my wife has been enjoying in Mary Kay. (You can see that post on the $1,000,000 Ideas thread, post #22.) She has been using Mary Kay for years, but she never considered selling it until recently. Two major selling points that convinced her to get involved were the fact that the put Faith and Family, two of her primary values in life, ahead of Business and that by getting involved she could help other woman feel great about themselves and feel successful.

To reflect that, she named her business Pretty in Pink and gave it the tagline of "Helping make the ordinary you extraordinary!"

She loved the product and she loved what the business can do for women and their self-esteem. So she dove right in and is having fantastic results from it!

Here is a third tip on having fantastic success with MLM. Find a great product that people use regularly that is consumable. That is why Mary Kay and the health supplements are so outrageously successful. People use up what they buy, so they come back to you for more. It isn't a bad thing, it is just a fact of life. If they enjoy using the product, they will keep coming back to you. And the smart entrepreneur will keep them updated on the new products that come out so they can choose whether the old or the new will bring them the results that they desire.

Now, if you can do something as simple as that, you will not only be a successful salesperson; you will be a successful Director of successful salespeople where your downline will earn your paycheck for you!

So, if you don't feel like you are a salesperson, go find something that you can sell yourself on, something that gets you excited or brings the results you want in life. Then just tell other people what you found and why it has been so great for you. You do it with everything else that is good in your life, you may as well do it and make a little money at it ... or a lot of money! :thumb:

Yeah, you got me on that one. I can see your point about being excited about something...and again, I think your wife is doing a super job...

Thanks, h.s.richkid!

In my opinion, the big probel with MLM is it is a "sales" profession, and, frankly, most people aren't salespeople..infact most people HATE face-to-face selling(and even when most people don't sell face-to-face, but sell by other means, it still makes them uncomfortable.)

You can only grow as a person by getting outside of your comfort zone. :cool: Then is what pushing yourself is all about. Doing and getting more out of yourself then you ever thought possible.:rulz:

That is why it is better to try and fail then never try at all.:yikes:

Don't kid yourself about "sales" you are in sales all the time. Dating, job interviews, your business, or company porducts it is all sales in one form or another. Except it and have fun with it.:yup:

click on the link and check out the movie "The Great Warming"

You can only grow as a person by getting outside of your comfort zone. :cool: Then is what pushing yourself is all about. Doing and getting more out of yourself then you ever thought possible.:rulz:

That is why it is better to try and fail then never try at all.:yikes:

Don't kid yourself about "sales" you are in sales all the time. Dating, job interviews, your business, or company porducts it is all sales in one form or another. Except it and have fun with it.

Oh, I agree. "sales" is everywhere...my point is, the majority of people HATE to sell, it's right up there with "public speaking" as a fear they have...

But as was pointed out, if you're in love with your mlm product, it can take over and overcome any fear you have..

For instance, I know a lady in town who lost a ton of weight on Herbalife (she's turned into a real MILF!). She'll talk to anyone about Herbalife now, because she's so sold on the product!!!

Are there are any MLM business that really work. I've tried a couple when I was younger and never had any luck with it. I've heard of people making lots and lots of money at it, but never personally known anyone that did.


Anyone who is currently in an mlm should try their best to make it work. The effort will undoubtedly yield valuable experience in the overall scheme of life. If they decide to quit, I hope they don't spend too much time feeling as if they've failed, because the reality is that most who join an mlm will not become one of the top bread winners.

For those who are considering it, my long-standing advice is simply: don't.

Coach is right, not marketer the top income earners in mlm...

Also, in car sales, not every sales person is the top earner

In real estate, not every agent is the top earner.

Not every Doctor is the top earner...

Not every lawyer is the top earner...

ect, ect, ect.