PSA, as we enter a recession (or are already in one, depending on who you ask)…
now is NOT the time to join a multilevel marketing business.
it’s never the time (because they’re pyramid schemes) but now is ESPECIALLY not the time, and they’re gonna be out in full force trying to recruit people, especially if we start seeing widespread lay offs
If someone wants to offer you a “job opportunity” but won’t tell you the name of the company, RUN
if a company requires you to purchase a starter kit, FUCKING RUN
if someone invites you to an “opportunity call” or otherwise pitches this “opportunity” to you, and it’s just a whole bunch of love-bombing and motivational speaking, RUN
if you cannot “rank up” in the company without recruiting more people to your team (aka downline), RUN
if you already joined one, cut your losses and quit now. seriously
if your friends/family join them, do not buy from them, even if it’s just to support them… buying from people who join MLMs gives them false confidence that they will succeed, and it keeps them in longer, and ultimately they will lose more money, and probably damage a lot of their relationships along the way
99% of people either make no money, or worse, LOSE money, in multilevel marketing. They’re scams and commercial cults and the “recession proof industry” marketing campaigns are already well underway, especially in MLMs that are currently on the brink of collapse (like Monat)
don’t be fooled. there is no opportunity. it’s not a job. it’s a scam
(also, watch out for their alternate names… network marketing and social selling are just synonyms for multilevel marketing.)
Eta: if you’re not sure if a company is an MLM, Google it. There’s an entire database online for this. Search “is [X] an mlm” and if it is, you’ll find a wealth of information about how their scams work.
thank you for coming to my ted talk
Know who you are dealing with. If they won’t give you a straight answer, you can’t trust them.
If a stranger DMs you asking you to be a partner and wants you to represent their brand, to be their partner or collaborator, don’t be flattered. If you don’t know or use their product, why are they asking you?
Are you a social media influencer with tens of thousands of followers? If you are, are you willing to throw it all away by risking your hard earned reputation promoting a scam? At the very least a reputable company will offer you a contract and pay you in money, not empty promises or free samples.
Do you have 50 or even hundreds of people in your contact list? Maybe even a few thousand you’ve attracted with your wit, creativity or humour? Don’t sacrifice your reputation with family, friends and contacts promoting a scam.
It’s one thing to tell your friends about a good product you like, and another to be suckered into shilling for fly by night matchstick men, helping them take advantage of people who trust you.
Sometimes a company you deal with, or one selling things you are already posting about, will approach you and offer samples they want you to test and review for your social network. This is not the same thing as a scam, but if you agree you’ll find yourself working hard for those “free” samples. If it takes you hours to write a review of a ten dollar product, are you really ahead of the game? Maybe, maybe not. Only you can decide.