Sunday is spiritual day.
One of my readers, Yeshe, emailed me today about my “MLM Do Not Call Registry” post:
“I was very sorry to see that you are promoting this. While it is true (sadly), that a lot of people are scammers, the face of network marketing is changing in my experience…”
Why promote criticism of our own industry?
I remember my first NSA meeting in San Francisco some 17 years ago, where someone in the audience asked what to do when a customer didn’t want the product (it was a water filter) and left it, wet, on the step for her to pick up. The leader in front of the room shushed her, and said “We don’t bring up problems like that here. Talk to your sponsor about learning to do it better. Next question.”
She was shut down because it was a criticism – the look of failure which the leader didn’t want any prospect in the room to hear.
I never forgot that. How can anyone get better if the problems real people have and the criticisms others make are just swept under the rug?
The leader might instead have taken the opportunity right then to let everyone know that there are ALWAYS those who won’t keep a demo, regardless of what is being demo’d. We all know that.
The MLM Do Not Call Registry is a response to the relentless recruiting and endless promising of financial freedom to anyone who will listen to “our amazing business opportunity.” We all know it is NOT amazing to most people since they drop out. So isn’t this a chance to examine our approach language and quit saying things that are not true for most people?
It’s better to be the first to acknowledge such criticism to anyone who checks us out. Before they hear it from someone else anyway. For one thing, we can prepare ourselves and make needed changes. Another reason:
“It takes away our [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][critics’] power to poke at your negative spots if you openly admit them,” says Robert Scoble, who advised Quixtar to do that very thing. “That turns throwing rocks through your front window into a boring exercise.”
We can only get better. Think?[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
The question I pose is, why be concerned with the ones who want to be on the list. Better to answer your critics head on than to experience what Amway or Quixtar has gone through. Are you worried that with all the people who put themselves on the list there won’t be anyone to talk to now? That sort of thinking may come from a lack mentality. It’s like a parent telling a child not to spill their milk. Focus on positive actions, the people who are receptive and willing to take a look at your products or your business. It’s only by raising the level of professionalism in this business that we will attain the credibility that business owners in general have. MLM is not for the masses. The masses may be customers but in general they do not have the entrepeneurial spirit of the heavy hitters. My 2 cents.
Charles Onuoha
“Happily Paying It Forward”
Are you sure this is for real? I read the Legal Mumbo Jumbo section and the entire thing sounds like a satire on Network Marketing. It isn’t a government-sponsored service, and it seems to be promoting the movie “Believe.” Could this be a promotion by the makers of the movie? And, is the movie for real? This entire site reads like some teenage spoof. Can it really be taken seriously?
Robert:
I had put on the post that it was a marketing technique that the movie makers said had taken on a life of its own…so it is not a federal program.
However, the larger point is this: Criticism of our industry is usually just ignored, or vehemently denied. This is not a good thing. I believe we can learn how to improve from our critics.
And in this case, given the front loading problems, and the relentless “amazing business opportunity” spiels being repeated over and over, this is a great reason to make changes in the approach, so the feds do not have to act on these ridiculous claims many people make – often without even thinking about them.
Think?
The MLM industry is booming and with it come the carpetbaggers…the frontloaders, scammers and the like…as with any othe industry. Those of us who are serious and play by the rules should welcome any and all suggestions that make our industry more bullet-proof.
I have been in eight MLM companies and have seen it all yet I still love the business and have finally found the right vehicle. If we are to stay around it is up to us to police ourselves. The days of covering up are or should be gone. There will always be scammers but I for one will work to change the face of the great industry we are in by respecting the wishes of those who have no interest in getting called.
Hi Kim.I enjoy your marketing and posts.Yes, lets continue to be
critical and boot out all of the
crooked and dishonorable companies
and people in our industry.This is
what the majority of our problems
are in America now.
Corrupt politicians and business
people who get a slap on the wrist
when they get caught and people
who make excuses and blame others
for their misdeeds.And if we are not critical of wrong doers in our
industry, the culture of lying,
thievery and other behavior from
HELL will choke our industry out!
Keep up the great work Kim.
Take care,
Raven
You are correct, Kim, valid criticism of our industry must be heeded. I have no argument with those who blast the recruiting evangelists, the front-end loaders and the income promisers. They are the ones who are creating many of the problems we face when we try to speak with people about our businesses and products.
But doesn’t the problem go deeper? Isn’t it the environment that the companies create that lets these troublemakers breed? There wouldn’t be a problem with front-end loading if company managements issued orders that it cease.
There would be fewer people quitting after three months if the anything-goes marketing people halted the practice of rewarding recruiting evangelists for dragooning them into the business just for the bounty per head they earn.
The income promisers would be out on their collective butts if companies told them they’d be held personally and monetarily liable for any complaints or lawsuits over promises they make as regards potential income.
Peter Mingils, a friend of yours and mine, and a very wise businessman, says the greatest management principle is this: be careful about what kind of behavior you reward people for. The point being that the behavior you reward is the behavior you’re going to get.
Is that not the core problem? And is it not the companies and company management who are doing the rewarding? We may be the ones who hear the criticism, but we’re not the ones who can easily effect the changes.
It has to start at the top, and those are the people who need to hear the criticism. Not just us.
“be careful about what kind of behavior you reward people for. The point being that the behavior you reward is the behavior you’re going to get. “
That rings so true for me!
When there is a bonus or award at stake, and there is a “short cut ” available which involves front-end loading, or similar, then it is very easy to justify the short cut by saying “I am just making best use of our payment plan”.
And it’s not only recruiting that is the problem – some company competitions/sales campaigns reward behaviour which does not enhance out industry.
MLM has its share of scumbags and scalliwags.The same goes for organized religion.That is no reason to give up on either one. Denying the reality doesn’t do anyone any good.
Xango would have no problems with
the FDA if only all the reps followed Kim’s advice on No Techno Babble, including naming diseases.
“If My product’s so great, How come I can’t sell it?” should be required reading by any rep, in any MLM!