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Multi Level Marketing Schemes

High school facebook friends who peddle Nerium/Neora, Thrive/Rodan and Fields.

JUST SAY NO!!!!
 
early in our marriage my wife and I learned that we're both susceptible to high pressure sales tactics, so now when we have to make a big purchase, we usually go in shifts to keep each other from getting screwed.

Its good you both realized this but the ability to tell people to fuck off is very freeing and cathartic.
 
As mid 1990s grads, wife and I knew a couple of people who got sucked into Equinox. I think they sold some sort of magic crystal laundry ball that got clothes clean without ever using detergent.
 
Had a mid twenties loser accost me at a hotel pool in Florida asking me if I wanted to retire in a year. I said "Amway, right?" He emphatically replied, "No! This is Quixtar!" Found out later that was Amway's new name.
 
Bigger question, how did Brasky not mention bkf’s “job” offer.
 
Bigger question, how did Brasky not mention bkf’s “job” offer.

Oh man I had totally forgotten about that. Give us the personal info of your 50 closest friends and relatives and we’ll pay you a waiter’s salary plus a tiny commission.

Fucking insurance. What an absolute scam.
 
Social media pitches are embarrassing. A woman will tout her products and the people commenting are just people in her “downline” or her “upline” saying things like, “tell me more!” Duplicitous.

What’s more awkward is when someone chats you up in a coffee shop, and you think it’s an innocuous conversation, and instead you realize they’re subtly referencing their financial freedom strategies or their “mentors.”
 
My bro in law sold Herbalife from about 1992-2003...just over 10 years. That was his only job. Made pretty good $$. He actually had a physical office space. He started when he was 19. If nothing else, he learned great sales skills. He spent more time the last 5 years with Herbalife doing sales trainings than he did selling. He has been a sales manager for a fairly big company the last 10 years.

That being said, I also know of several people who have tried various ones (Herbalife, the water filter one, Melaleuca, etc) who made nothing.

I'd guess if you did it full time you'd really need to hump it every day non-stop. A person with a salesman type personality could probably make it but not the average Joe.
 
In the 80's I worked in the warehouse at Service Merchandise. The warehouse manager also was a Dallas franchise owner of a Wedding DJ service. I did the DJ gig on the weekends. One day he asked if my wife and I could come over to discuss a business opportunity. I was thinking he might offer me some sort of DJ service partnership. We got there and he and his wife pitched Shacklee Products (basically the same as Amway). Much like a time-share it seems like a good deal when discussing it but fortunately we did not go for it.
 
I had a former student email me out of the blue one day last year. She talked about how much she loved my class, she loved having me as her tennis coach, and how I was so understanding when she had health issues and missed school. She said she was in school but had some scholarship opportunity that would expire soon and wanted help. Stated this was her last chance. I bit on the scholarship line and gave her a call; figured if she need a recommendation I'd be happy help.

Nope. She was selling knives. I told her no thanks but we have knives. She then asked about some other teachers in the building and wondered if I would give her their phone numbers. Said I didn't have them. I tried to explain to her what she had gotten into but it didn't register; as far as I know she is still trying to sell shitty knives to people.
 
I had a former student email me out of the blue one day last year. She talked about how much she loved my class, she loved having me as her tennis coach, and how I was so understanding when she had health issues and missed school. She said she was in school but had some scholarship opportunity that would expire soon and wanted help. Stated this was her last chance. I bit on the scholarship line and gave her a call; figured if she need a recommendation I'd be happy help.

Nope. She was selling knives. I told her no thanks but we have knives. She then asked about some other teachers in the building and wondered if I would give her their phone numbers. Said I didn't have them. I tried to explain to her what she had gotten into but it didn't register; as far as I know she is still trying to sell shitty knives to people.

Never cross a women with a car trunk full of knives.
 
Don’t worry, the knives probably won’t hold a stab-worthy edge for long if they’re MLM quality.
 
It really speaks to how we miss use human capital that such schemes exist. These schemes attract desperate people who have a need or feel a need to do something else.
 
Here's a story about how I am a moron who avoids confrontation.

After graduating from WFU and working in Boston for a few years, I decided to move back to NC to establish residency and eventually attend UNC business school (which I ultimately turned down for a full ride to UF, but that is another story).

I had saved some money and moved to NC without a job (not smart)... So I immediately had to start looking for work. One of the many jobs I applied to was for an opportunity in the golf business... The ad was pretty vague, but it seemed legit and I thought it might be with an equipment manufacturer or something. I landed an interview and showed up in a suit.

I showed up to the interview to find it was at a tiny, old office park (the type that just looks like a fancy, brick ranch apartment building from decades ago). I went in anyway. There were others there, as well. Nobody was wearing a suit. I met with a girl who was my age (early 20s) who was wearing a t-shirt and flip flops... She told me she was really impressed with my resume and that I should shadow an employee for the day. So I did.

The dude I followed around was super nice, but I immediately realized this was not for me. The gig was making telemarketing calls to people in order to get them to buy coupon books for discounts at local golf courses. They had a full script and everything. It was awful. I sat there in my suit and listened to this dude get turned down hundreds of times in the morning, and then we had lunch together. He told me about how much he and his wife were struggling, and that this job was a great opportunity for him. It was really depressing. I then listened to him and some others do some more calls in the afternoon (I can still hear the pitch in my brain almost 20 years later).

At the end of the day, I went back in to meet w/ the girl again... She was basically like, "Wow, I didn't think you stay here for the whole day!" I may have been the only person that showed up for the "interview" that stayed the entire time... Which is saying something considering I had a WFU degree and some real work experience.

Needless to say, I didn't take the "job"... I just told her I'd have to think about it and then I called the next day to say it wasn't for me. So basically, I wasted an entire day because I felt sorry for the guy that I was shadowing... I didn't have the heart to be like, "YOU NEED TO GET A REAL JOB!" I just sat there and tried to help him with his calls. It was really sad.

Such a weird day.
 
It really speaks to how we miss use human capital that such schemes exist. These schemes attract desperate people who have a need or feel a need to do something else.

Eh I think it also could speak to intellectual laziness and “get rich quick with little effort” mentality.
 
Here's a story about how I am a moron who avoids confrontation.

After graduating from WFU and working in Boston for a few years, I decided to move back to NC to establish residency and eventually attend UNC business school (which I ultimately turned down for a full ride to UF, but that is another story).

I had saved some money and moved to NC without a job (not smart)... So I immediately had to start looking for work. One of the many jobs I applied to was for an opportunity in the golf business... The ad was pretty vague, but it seemed legit and I thought it might be with an equipment manufacturer or something. I landed an interview and showed up in a suit.

I showed up to the interview to find it was at a tiny, old office park (the type that just looks like a fancy, brick ranch apartment building from decades ago). I went in anyway. There were others there, as well. Nobody was wearing a suit. I met with a girl who was my age (early 20s) who was wearing a t-shirt and flip flops... She told me she was really impressed with my resume and that I should shadow an employee for the day. So I did.

The dude I followed around was super nice, but I immediately realized this was not for me. The gig was making telemarketing calls to people in order to get them to buy coupon books for discounts at local golf courses. They had a full script and everything. It was awful. I sat there in my suit and listened to this dude get turned down hundreds of times in the morning, and then we had lunch together. He told me about how much he and his wife were struggling, and that this job was a great opportunity for him. It was really depressing. I then listened to him and some others do some more calls in the afternoon (I can still hear the pitch in my brain almost 20 years later).

At the end of the day, I went back in to meet w/ the girl again... She was basically like, "Wow, I didn't think you stay here for the whole day!" I may have been the only person that showed up for the "interview" that stayed the entire time... Which is saying something considering I had a WFU degree and some real work experience.

Needless to say, I didn't take the "job"... I just told her I'd have to think about it and then I called the next day to say it wasn't for me. So basically, I wasted an entire day because I felt sorry for the guy that I was shadowing... I didn't have the heart to be like, "YOU NEED TO GET A REAL JOB!" I just sat there and tried to help him with his calls. It was really sad.

Such a weird day.

Similar story. Moved to Raleigh in my early 20's for a girl and the first place to call me in for an interview was an office supply company. 100% commission based pay and your pay went up as soon as you had salesmen under you. The whole goal was to get your own "territory" with an entire team under your supervision. About 20% legit company and 80% pyramid scheme.

Guy from my hometown supposedly made over 500k in about 6-9 months for some MLM about a decade ago. He had bought a lake house, a boat and at least 2 sets of fake tits. He was broke and living with his mom in less than a year.
 
Maybe I’m missing something but why don’t these people who are even remotely successful just get a sales job? Is it that they aren’t remotely successful? I’d guess that’s it.
 
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