MLM How-To: Does Network Marketing Make You Loopy?

True story #1: I was in an ill-fated MLM venture about two years ago. One of my former upline leaders called me the other day with another fabulous “opportunity”. I could be in my own travel business for just a few hundred dollars, plus about 50 bucks a month. Company pays commissions mostly on these fees, and you only make pennies on the actual booking of travel services (Hey, what’s that ticking sound? Is something burning?).

Anyway, nice lady, but I wouldn’t join that thing in a million years. Told her so nicely, tried to let her down easy. She didn’t hear a word I said. She had 101 reasons why I should jump in anyway, mainly because SHE loved it.

I smiled and shook my head, still turning her down. I’m not looking for an “opportunity”. She wants to stay in touch with me, because that’s what you’re supposed to do when somebody turns you down, right? So I say OK, and goodbye.

True story #2: Last night, phone rings. Someone wants to talk to me about my business. Great! “How’d you get my number?” I ask. “Why, that’s one of the tricks I’ll show you when you get on this conference call!” He dropped the name of a very big guru in the industry who has admittedly never built a MLM downline, but getting on his call is gonna make me rich! I declined, so this idiot says to me, “OK, it’s your money!”

Yes. It is. And that’s how I’m gonna keep it.

At least the first lady was speaking from her heart. The second guy was reading from a script! Poor schmuck was so let down when I refused, I could hear it in his voice. I could feel it. His “system” isn’t working. He’s disappointed.

Maybe one day these people will learn. You can’t be successful persuading people who don’t want to be persuaded. They know what you’re offering, or they don’t. They care, or they don’t care. If they don’t, there’s nothing else you can do but keep it moving. Make it easy on yourself--- find the ones who care!