Well... lets get something straight.
Some MLM is not bad... but many times, it is a waste of time, for the myriad of people that get sucked into it thinking they will make money. Unless you are in the very beginning, it just is not going to happen.
I have seen it too many times, from phone cards, to vitamin that can cure syrup, to telephone long distance, to products. Way too many times, and most of the time, the people that got into it are out within a year.
There is no doubt the biggest earners in any MLM are often those who did get in at the beginning, however Ron, you do not
have to get in at the beginning to be successful in MLM. Often times getting in at the beginning can and most often does impair your ability to succeed. It depends on the individual. As with anything else in life, a great deal does have to do with timing, and for
some most folks, joining an MLM at the beginning is definitely
NOT the right time to get involved. It depends on the individual, their goals, and their ability to overcome setbacks. I've joined companies that were brand new... and I can assure you the 'heavy lifting' required can be too much for someone who is not a seasoned network marketer. For those who have the intestinal fortitude for it, the rewards are definitely there, ...but so too are the challenges. It is simply because so many of the biggest earners in a company are usually those who have been doing it the longest that we have been given the false impression that you have to get in at the beginning. I've seen some people enter a company and outperform many who have been there for years. As long as people think all there is to success in MLM is getting in at the beginning, we will continue to see disappointed people and hopes of success dashed.
As for it being a waste of time, it's only a waste of time for those who lack an understanding of the word commitment.
People are not "sucked" into it. MLM offers an opportunity to accomplish something, to have more and to be more... for those who want it. The problem is... most really don't want it. They say they do, ...but they're not willing to do what it takes to get it. It's there, ...you just have to go get it, and be willing to do what other people won't, in order to have what other people will not.
There's a wonderful book called
"The Millionaire Mind" by T. Harv Ecker, that puts it into perspective.
Someone can
say they want a thousand dollars many times over,
...but do they really?
If they were standing right next to a money tree that grew thousand dollars bills, would they make the effort to reach up and pick a thousand dollar bill off the money tree? Some may.
Some may say,
I don't want to reach up, because I didn't shave my underarms, and someone might see. Some may say,
It's simply too much effort to reach higher, ...I'll just wait for the bills to fall off the tree."If by some fortuitous stroke of luck, or a strong breeze happens along, and the bills do fall off the tree, will they make the effort to bend down to pick them up? ...or will they then say:
"I don't want to bend over, ...it might make my derriére look fat, ...I'll just wait for a few of these thousand dollar bills to fall right in my hands." Of course that inevitably leads to the next obstacle in their path.... they have to make the effort to stretch out their hands to catch it.
As long as someone is unwilling to take the steps necessary to accomplish their goal, ...and to do it for as long as it takes to accomplish that goal, ...they never truly wanted it in the first place. They clearly place a higher priority on having their tush look tiny, or on giving the appearance that they are meticulously groomed, ...than on getting those thousands of dollars growing on the money tree. They clearly don't want them... though they may think they do, they're only fooling themselves... not to mention those who listen to them.
Some may make an initial attempt, but find they arms are too short to reach, so what will they do? Some may give up at that point, while others, will stretch themselves further, or if need be, get a ladder to lift them higher so they can access the bills.
It is like anything else in life, ...people quit and drop out of high school, people quit and drop out of university,
...countless thousands of people acquire a real estate license, and never go on to sell or even list a single property, ...people quit on their marriages, and even on their businesses. MLM is no different. The reason we sometimes see such a high attrition rate in MLM is because the entry fee or price of admission into the MLM industry is so low. It's easy to walk away from an investment of $300
.oo or less, if and when one comes up against any type of resistance, ...however, it's quite another thing to walk away from an investment of $3,000,000
.oo or more, which can be typical in a traditional brick n' mortar business.
Many people have unrealistic expectations and expect to make 6 figures overnight... despite the fact that they've spent 5 or 6 yrs in post secondary education, have 20 yrs of work experience, but don't even make 6 figures after all that... but they expect to earn 6 figures in MLM within 90 days? Does that seem realistic to you? That's ridiculous. Although I do know a few who have earned 6 figures within 90 days of joining an MLM, ...it's not typical, and certainly not typical of someone starting out for the first time in a brand new industry. For those with years of experience, who know exactly what to do, ...if they find the right company, with the right mgmt team behind it, the right product with mass market appeal, the right timing, and a simple duplicatable system that anyone can follow, ...they have the ability to hit the ground running. They know what to do, and they know who to contact, and if those people also hit the ground running.... well... So yeah, while it's possible, and I know people who are doing it... it's not typical.
As with any other business, or endeavor, there
is a learning curve involved. The more you learn, the better you become. The better you become, the faster and easier success will come to you. The big difference is, that in MLM, you can fail forward. By that I mean, you have all the room to learn, grow, make mistakes etc., and still succeed. The good news is, it is your own business, and no one is going to fire you for a lack of performance. At the same time, the bad news is, it is your own business, and no one is going to fire you for a lack of performance, so truly... only the self-motivated should apply.
If you're the type of person who
needs someone standing over you cracking a whip in order to do what you're supposed to be doing, which is typical in the population at large, ...your success will be very limited. In a typical job environment, most people will work only hard enough to keep themselves from getting fired, while most employers will only pay you just enough to keep you from quitting. MLM affords you the opportunity to build your business as big as you want, there is unlimited growth potential, ...and it affords you the lifestyle you want & deserve based on your performance. I can't think of any other legal and legitimate business that affords you actual profit potential within your first month, without any risk, without having to run an adult daycare, and with such an incredible upside, such freedom and such flexibility.
A typical business plan for a McDonalds franchise will have you operating at a loss for 5 yrs, and if fortunate... you might break even in your 6th. People don't throw in the towel and walk away from a 7 figure investment... they are committed. they will bail water as long as it takes, ...they are on that ship... sink or sail, ...and they will go down with the ship if that's what it takes, because to walk away from the business doesn't wipe the bank loan off their debts.... they will still owe the bank all that money. Walking away from $300 tho... that's easy. For most people... they drop more than that dining out in a restaurant in one night.
If you're going to join an MLM company, your commitment should be somewhere between serious & nervous.
by that, I mean, you should commit yourself at a level where you can be serious about what you're doing, ...but not so big a commitment that you cannot sleep at night for fear of a setback or of hearing the occasional no.
