Let's talk MLM, pyramid, direct selling.

[JP4CY]

Is it me or is there a billion of these now a days? My wife tells me she gets Facebook invited to something almost every other day now.
Friends trying to treat their friends as customers, and also trying to get them to have "parties."

 

[Stewo]

THEY ARE THE WORST THING EVER. FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING HOLY, STOP PEDDLING YOUR CRAP ON FACEBOOK.

Signed,
Everyone

 

[wxman1]

My wife has done a couple (Lula Roe and Norwex) nice stuff but outside of LLR, Mary Kay and a few others it is very hard to get people to completely change their buying habits/get away from buying from a store. You will get initial almost pity purchases but that only lasts so long.

I do agree that it has gotten ridiculous and I would be curious to see the research/reasoning behind why companies go this route instead of getting in a store.

 

[CycloneSarah]

Late 20s female here. Yes, its ridiculous. It's been a recent topic to complain about at lunch with coworkers. The biggest thing that I don't understand about it is if the products are that great, why do they need "consultants" to sell them? Its 2017, set up a website and sell everything that way like a normal business!

 

[harimad]

Three of my FB friends are Rodan + Fields owners. Of course, two of them are good friends from high school and also ISU alums, so I occasionally make purchases. (It's expensive!!) The third is truly just a FB friend, so no dice for her.

 

[TykeClone]

 

[4theCYcle]

Between R&F, Scentsy, LLR, Advocare, Essential Oils; I'm not sure there are enough yet.

 

[Angie]

The MLM/pyramid scheme stuff really just drains me. It really, really bothers me when people just add me to their marketing groups and spam the crap out of me on social media. I haven't worn leggings since I was 9 years old because I don't think they flatter much of anyone, so don't guilt me into buying it. If I want to paint my fingernails, I'll just do that rather than buy $50 Jamberry nail decals. Everything is so damn complicated. And they all prey on the women who become "consultants" - they make them buy all of this crap up-front that they'll just never sell.

 

[jcyclonee]

Nobody's even mentioned Pampered Chef yet or any of the jewelry parties or the skirt parties or the key parties. I think she even went to a party that was just for scarves. Only one of these has my wife not attended and it's the one that would be fun for us.

 

[NickTheGreat]

This has been going on for decades now, but it's getting worse.

My favorite is when these people (women and men) paint themselves as "small business owners." No . . . you're a customer . . .

 

[amishclone]

I'm gonna play devil's advocate here. At what point does a MLM become a legit business? I own a commercial roofing company and we use Conklin products, which are only available if you enroll under someone else. I started my company from scratch and had zero clues about commercial roofing prior to getting into it. The only way I made it was with daily input from my sponsor. Yep, he gets a commissio on the product I buy, but I assure you it ain't free money--he earns it.

To be fair, I make my money mostly from using the products and very little from sponsoring others.

Maybe the answer to my question is it's legit if they make quality products others actually use?

 

[Cyclonepride]

The mark up is absolutely crazy on this stuff. Met with a business associate on my last trip, and he said his wife made more than he did (and he was well placed) selling at the make up counter at a well known (higher end) department store.

 

[IASTATE07]

This has been going on for decades now, but it's getting worse.

My favorite is when these people (women and men) paint themselves as "small business owners." No . . . you're a customer . . .

As an actual small business owner I laugh at their social media posts.

 

[Farnsworth]

Ugh my wife used to hate this crap but now she's selling lipstick. Her first party is tomorrow night but it's online in a Facebook group.


I tried talking her out of it buts it's basically to get free products. I told her no spamming and she can invote people that agreed and close friends.

Anyone need lipstick?

 

[IcSyU]

My aunt is a Rodan + Fields "consultant." (note: No one in our family cares for this aunt.)

My wife is a formulations chemist for a cosmetics company.

My aunt (UNI general studies grad) tried telling my wife (PhD in chemistry) she didn't have a clue what she was talking about with regards to the ingredients in each product.

That conversation was a treat to listen to and I'm hopeful I'll never have to speak to my aunt again.

 

[Bader]

This has been a thing forever, companies are just figuring out how to market to the current gen "I dont want an office job" female type. It was Mary Kay/Pampered Chef social group crap before social media. Years ago they would target stay at home women with "home typing" jobs (a Google search tells me this is still a thing?).

 

[coolerifyoudid]

I'm gonna play devil's advocate here. At what point does a MLM become a legit business? I own a commercial roofing company and we use Conklin products, which are only available if you enroll under someone else. I started my company from scratch and had zero clues about commercial roofing prior to getting into it. The only way I made it was with daily input from my sponsor. Yep, he gets a commissio on the product I buy, but I assure you it ain't free money--he earns it.

To be fair, I make my money mostly from using the products and very little from sponsoring others.

Maybe the answer to my question is it's legit if they make quality products others actually use?

Even though you use products that benefit your salesman, I think your relationship sounds different from the ones I usually associate with MLMs. It seems like more similar to a salesman schmoozing a client to get them to buy from them than anything. That's what salesmen do.

MLMs that require someone to purchase a bulk of their product and then shill it out to family and friends are just horrible to me. I liken most of them to school fundraisers. It's mostly overpriced crap nobody needs, but people buy something to help a friend. Once I stop being considered a 'friend' and become a 'customer' it's the ol' unfollow button from me.

 

[IcSyU]

I liken most of them to school fundraisers. It's mostly overpriced crap nobody needs, but people buy something to help a friend.

I can say no to a grown ass adult without a thought.

A 10 year old kid you've never met selling overpriced Butterbraids? Yep, give me a cherry, kid. Here's your $13.

(went to a Catholic school...hated selling crap because it was miserable...I'll buy at least something from every kid who shows up to our house selling **** I don't need just because I feel bad for them)

 

[coolerifyoudid]

I can say no to a grown ass adult without a thought.

A 10 year old kid you've never met selling overpriced Butterbraids? Yep, give me a cherry, kid. Here's your $13.

(went to a Catholic school...hated selling crap because it was miserable...I'll buy at least something from every kid who shows up to our house selling **** I don't need just because I feel bad for them)

Yeah, I should have clarified. I've bought way more girl scout cookies, popcorn tins, and coupon books than I could ever want. When those kids grow up and try the same tactic on social media or on my doorstep? Nope.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Y'all are YOUNG!!! It started with Tupperware, Amway & Avon.

I will cop to buying Pampered Chef products because both of us (PapaLew & I) like their baking products. Enough of my friends like their stuff that I see an online party once every 6 months or so. That's about enough.

Scarves, leggings, jewelry, accessories, baskets, yadda yadda - Nope. And those !(@(*&$)!#* Scentsy candles give me headaches (my DILs keep trying to talk me into them).