Multilevel marketing. It scares me when old acquaintances or friends suddenly call me out of the blue for a request of dinner or yam char days or weeks ahead of the date. And it becomes rather perplexing when they keep insisting on wanting to meet while maintaining the rather sweet tone of voice. Gals do it better, though some do manage to sound really manja/flirty, all to my uncomfortableness. Heh, I should record those conversations the next time around for you guys eh?
Most of the time, they claim to have something very important to show, something that would change my life. At times I wonder if it's about the gospel, coz if it is, I'm already a Christian, and I do point it out to them vigorously that I don't need to be evangelized to again. By then, the whole gospel truth unravels itself. They're trying to sell me a dream, the multilevel marketing (MLM) dream.
I'm sure you've heard about it, those multilevel marketing programs. Amway, Elken, Shaklee and even our very own Malaysian company, something alike the Proton of MLMs, Cosway. Many with claims of being able to boost income levels sky high, with the ability to retire just before 30. Talks by them at hotels are buffeted with free and good hotel food, whereupon you'll be treated to success stories telling you how some apek made it big and is now driving a Mercedes. Enticing no? Heh, the S320 does get you the extra attention from them chicks though, who perhaps would be clamouring for a ride the 1st few months, heh.
Some of my good friends even tell me that joining a certain multilevel company is a Christian thing to do, as I would be earning legal cash in a certain Christian based MLM company and yet be able to serve God more. And when I've made it, I could retire well and be a pastor of a small church, while living comfortably. Hmm, and to encourage me further, they tell me that Pastors do join the company and well, there are lots of nice Christian gals in it too. Heh, talk about the gift of gab, I'm sure they have it. Too bad those chicks are driven by the wrong motives though, sigh*.
The whole problem with MLM as I see it, is that instead of being able to have more time for friends, church and family, I find my free time taken up trying to bug some auntie I know to buy an over priced tooth paste or fan with the promise that it'll deliver. Perhaps it does deliver, but at 3 times the original price I don't think I would wanna get them for long term usage.
And worse still, they've all these MLM planning meetings, whereupon it becomes like some commando planning meet, like those you see in 'Dirty Dozen', where we plan on which target to hit on what day and time. After all, everyone gains when I gain. Hmm, more likely my superior would gain the most eh?
It's a bit scary when MLM people start going aggresively in church, telling you that it's the way, the truth and the life. In the US, instead of doing MLM in churches, they even started MLM churches! Gasp! Heh, imagine, every new believer not only would be presented with the gospel, but with the MLM gospel package on how to make it rich. Hmm.
Now, MLMs and insurance are 2 totally different things. Insurance are absolutely needed by everyone, while people could survive without an overpriced toothpaste, gold coin that's not worth as much as you invest in, or even perhaps a rm 4k filtering system. Heh, insurance helps you save, while MLMs doesn't.
Heh, was just talking to John about the prospects of making MLM work for us. How about asking people to try evangelising the MLM way, whereupon you call your friends to makan just to tell them about something special they can't miss, and when they do take the bait, we bring out our bibles and share with them the benefits of eternal life. Certainly it'll be better than those MLM promises of money, no? (though, it most probably won't work, as people are always more attracted to promises of success. And yea, it's not easy to get people to listen to you in this postmodern world we're currently in)
MLMs? nah, give me Jesus anyday! :)
updates : Found this site while searching for Gold Quest-->MLM Watchdog, do check it out. Though I do not fully agree with everything the site says, they do point out risky MLMs if you do actually decide to plough through with MLM
Agree with you here. I was once one of em' too. Yup those toothpaste are kinda expensive. I would stick to colgate anytime :=)
ReplyDeleteNice thoughts
just sent u a link to a fren's blog who posted on the same topic!
ReplyDeletei hate the way some christians promote MLM as "a good news that's meant to be shared wif everyone". if only they could share the Good News as fervently as they do wif MLM, i bet our churches will be exploding wif growth!
I hate MLM people who were once friends. As I relate a story my girlfriend told me. She was invited by her friends to a yam char session, ends up going over to another friends house. What for?
ReplyDeleteTo pressure (not persuade) her and the other friend to sign up with him. I think these MLM people are getting low and becoming even lower if they're your friends coz they tend to take advantage of you.
Phbt..and to think these were once your friends.
I'm glad to see you writing this piece of article :) Many people thought this is THE tend-making job that gives you the position to be rich and be a servant of God. Obviously, that's wrong. Heck, since when we only serve when we're rich? since when we only serve when we're in a comfortable position? I don't see that comes anywhere from the bible. But for Ulf Ekman and his friends, this is the "good news".
ReplyDeleteJust some thoughts on it-
ReplyDeleteMLM is a business, like any other. It is perfectly possible to be not annoying and doing this business, but it is impossible to be succesfull in it without being annoying.
(as most of you know)The thing with MLM is, it is tough to make a living out of selling products alone, they got to sign you up. 1 product for 1 insurance policy? I think it doesn't sound like a good deal to them :)
I wouldn't disrespect a friend for entering the MLM path as long as there is a real useful product that they are selling . It requires a heck lot of courage. Just as long as they don't bug me too much :P
What I disagree with, is the mentality of "business first, honor God later". Not ALL MLM-er's do that, eh?
I'm a christian myself but I'm v ashame to hear all these so called "Christian" is actually doing this so called Christian MLM. Even the pastor is doing such thing. I truly think these aren't pastor but impostor. To me, they are just like a wolf disguising themself in a lamb skin.
ReplyDeleteHey, you have friends doing Amway eh? I thought Amway is so yesterday, nowadays all I heard is NuSkin, E-Excel and of course, the LB. I was told that Amway is the hardest to get rich in, and of course, if you have surfed www.mlmsurvivor.com, a site set up just to bash Amway.
ReplyDeleteAs a Buddhist, I would have to preach here is that Greed is the root of all evil! Don't go for the money!
And as a non-christian, I think christians should have one ultimate goal, which God have tried to instilled from Day 1, that is to go to Heaven! Too many have searched for happiness, and wealth, that they have done so many things that will send them straight to hell, but who cares what happens when you die?
This is frightening, God's heaven is not even as attractive as S320 or "more time with your family". Geez...
Is kinda amazing how many comments a post about AMWAY and COSWAY can spark!
ReplyDeletetehka : yea, expensive toothpaste! Makes me shudder when I brush my teeth using them. And then, I check my teeth again to see if they're whiter than normal, huh.
ReplyDeleteSnoflek : heh, they've went to the dark side, no? :P
dannyfoo : yea, the yam char sessions would turn out kinda intimidating. Sigh* When will they realise dat ppl are staying away from them? ~.~
kiawin : Sian Lerk! :) How've u been? Been awhile, no? heheh! National Conference this time around too? But, yea, MLMs are a bane when it gets overboard, sigh*
momo jojo : hahahaha! Was thinking of doing the same insurance for product trick as well! :D
killarkai : 'as long as they don't bug me too much', heheh! true! :) But they tend to bug too much ~.~
cosmoblogger : The Pastor's in it too? *gasp* He/She needs a talking to. Any numbers? :p
kiwlm : LB, Nu skin and E-Excel? Woah, nope, haven't heard of them before though :p But, no, a Christian's ultimate goal ain't going to heaven, wouldn't it be so selfish to just bother abt our salvation?
But a Christian's goal should be to make a difference at his/her workplace and family, to show Christlikeness, even in the face of persecution, gossips and hardship. Sadly, not all Christians practice that. We're all just human after all.. :(
someone : yea! amazing huh? heh!
Some few comments, I am speaking from my sales experiences.
ReplyDeleteIMHO, most people don't like MLM salesman who are hardball sellers. They insist very hard and go through all sort of uncomfort with you to get thru the sale. Worst scenario when people say no, they never listen, and they insist, hard. These are hard sellers. From a perspective of a salesman, it is good to be hardball since their final objective is to close a sale, and they have reached their objective. Judging from consumer point of view, it is never a long term relationship with the customer as the customer take it as a very bad experience. It will be thus called a hit and run sale.
On another note, not all MLM salespeople are like that. I think your comment on success stories of apek making it big is now driving a Mercedes is rude.
A point where you assume it gets you to the chicks is pretty much an insult to many others. On top of all that, I will understand why you have this dislike of MLM salespeople. I for one, respect some of the MLM people out there who started it from scratch. I admit it is not easy, and they might just be hardball sellers. I think they are pretty much to be respected. If you think of a lot of other salesman in the world, many of them are pretty much hardsell.
To digress, many of them I know do it because they need money to support their families. It is a clean and honest job. I do not want to put discouragement to anyone who join the MLM industry. But not to the extent where the salesperson has failed to live up to the integrity of a good & professional salesperson. MLM is a proven business model. It is the people in it who has made it into a culture of hardball sellers. (that's bad for a culture)
Corporate sales management has learned much from the MLM model and the techniques to direct selling, which is actually applicable to many MNCs in Malaysia and also worldwide. I would think it would be good for potential salespeople to stick with integrity. Do not mislead the rest with all sorts. A cannot be Z and neither can Z become A. MLM will tend to lose out retail branding, but there are always ways to upsell MLM products rather than being a hardball and putting a negative impact on end-consumers.
Vincent : True, the label on the apek dat made it big and drives the mercedes or the one on the chicks, well, I do admit, it's not the most polite way of putting it, but it's a style of writing whereby extremes are potrayed. The truth is, yea, I've encountered them, and no, though it doesn't happen everyday, it does happen, no? It's not meant to be a total insult to females in general, but just a way of writing, though I'm sorry if it doesn't sound too polite there. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteAnd about hardballing, thanks for enlightening all of us there. Guess that it was something we don't know. I do admit that some do need the money for the family, whereby in their previous job they would've just been a VCD seller or perhaps a low-income security guard, and it's a honest opportunity to achieve something. However, when fellow Engineers do MLM to a certain extent whereby a reunion dinner becomes a MLM product showcase, it gets a bit out of hand.
I guess the main issue would be that while MLM is an honest business, many tend to lose focus on the main thing while in pursuit of the 30% or the diamond level or stuffs like that and that becomes the bad thing. Personally, though a bunch of friends of mine lost focus, there are still some who gave God 1st priority and put MLM as just another free time hobby.
And yea, I've an aunt who has been in and out of various MLMs. Though it's good for her as she only has until form 3 education, it does get pretty tiring when every conversation with her inadverdently goes to money, how could I make more and the various opportunities her MLM could give me.
Thanks Vincent!