To ask for MLM success stories?

[TheLoudGobbyOne]

This is not a TAAT so please don’t report this for that. But its inspired by the ongoing MLM thread where a friend of the OP who is/was a teacher has/is giving it up to work for an MLM scheme.

And I was just wondering: does anyone know anyone who has had success from this? There are countless horror stories and warnings to make it obvious MLMs are more scams than successes but surely they are benefitting some people out there otherwise they would not exist?

I am not asking this because I am questioning joining one or remotely tempted or intrigued by it before anyone asks! Just purely wondered if there is anyone who knows someone who has been successful in these and how much work they put into it

I worked on the corporate side of direct sales for a while; they're a small (about 1200 active recruits) subsection of a much larger international food brand.

I know about half a dozen, maybe slightly more, people who make six figures out of it and probably another three or four who did, but moved into the corporate side.

They all have the same personality traits -- the ability to talk to anyone, about anything, and to do more than just parrot back the party line. They are very, very good at motivating people and they. never. stop.

They all know how to create an experience for customers and know how to teach that to the people they recruit -- that's where the real success begins. They understand that unless the people they recruit are successful, they aren't successful, since that is literally how it is structured. So they have figured out how to communicate the things that work for them to other people.

The successful ones all coach their downlines to have those same traits because in the MLM, no one becomes successful on the back of their own friend group, it's all about external networking.

But yes, I know a fair few people who go on the actual expenses-paid trips, drive the cars, and get cheques that were larger than mine! They do exist

My friend does the body shop and says she earns about £50 — £100 a month. She's a single parent and could not go out in the evenings to earn additional money, but earns while she d normally be sitting on the sofa anyway. She basically earns enough to buy some 'nice tonhave' stuff every month which she wouldn't usually prioritise

With MLM's, you are either being exploited or you are doing the exploiting. Neither of those screams "success" to me.

I can’t work out why I would buy something from friends of mine selling Body Shop which I have to wait for them to order, arrive then collect it somehow when I can just go online or to the shop (when it’s open).

Same with Younique, I could buy an over expensive clumpy mascara which I have to wait for and collect from work when they can drop it off, or I can just go to Boots.

@Misskittyfantastico85

Anne Summers parties?
relief person?

What exactly were your duties? Actually best not tell us...

It's a mug's game.

I'm very anti-mlm... However I do actually know one person who has made a success of it (asking with several people who have lost money). However she's found herself a niche spot... She sells sex toys & underwear and had got herself positioned as the sole seller in an online sex/swingers group. So she's doing well. Other people I've know who've done MLM haven't had quite such a positive outcome.

popsydoodle What do you mean by "Area Manager"? Does your company have a limit on how many reps can operate in one area, so each person has their own "patch"? If so, I don't think that's too bad. One of the things MLM gets (rightly) criticised for is the sheer market saturation - several people in the same street or school all running their own "businesses" in the same MLM - the only way they can succeed is by recruiting others.

@CoffeeRunner

I know of someone who has given up her day job & now just does JuicePlus. She claims to be making more than she ever did as a Medical Secretary.

She never talks figures and, of course, I’ve never seen her bank statements. She does appear to have been doing it as a sole means of income for around 12 months though.

You can get UC as self employed for the 1st 12 months After that they assume a minimum income

I know two who have done exceptionally well out of Arbonne (I’m talking earning thousands and thousands of pounds a month) I also know literally dozens of their recruits who’ve made absolutely naff all. And therein lies the secret. If you were ‘lucky’ enough to get in to an untapped ‘patch’ early enough and have enough susceptible individuals at your disposal, it can most certainly be done. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is, IMO, pretty immoral and sketchy and not a business model I would want any part in...

I got pulled into Forever Living a few years ago. I still have my account but only occasionally buy products here and there for me (their lipbalm is hand on heart truthfully my ride or die product lol I use it every single day)

The woman who recruited me is still successful with it. Its her sole source of income and she's got a lovely house and Range Rovers. But truthfully you have to be relentless and they're not kidding when you say you get out what you put in lol I just couldn't be arsed! Plus I felt like people were getting annoyed with me talking about it so I stopped.

Like others have said, it's the ones who started years ago I find who have the most success and have it as their only income source. The market is simply too saturated with these MLMs now and people won't fall for it (or buy into it) or hate the people who do.

@popsydoodle4444

I'm an Area Manager for a MLM.

I'm honestly sick to death of rude people telling me I'm being scammed or that I don't make any money or that I must work 24 hours a day etc.

It's pretty awful tbh;I don't criticise other people for their work roles.No doubt they'll be people on here who'll attempt to lay into me.

I left a part time job through Illness;my self confidence took a real battering.I'm better than I was but still have relapses;I'm unfortunately currently going through another.Going back to work isn't an option as I cannot take a day off work if I'm having a bad day.

I'm an woman in her 30's with a customer service background;I knew exactly what I was signing up for with a MLM.I've been successful enough that I work 2-3 hours a day and make as much as I did in my part time job.It's all about time management.

I schedule my Facebook posts on my private group have a power hour where I send/reply to messages and comments/place a once a week order on a certain day and then schedule time to sort that order when it arrives and arrange delivery.I also schedule in zoom meetings/training.

I'm happy;I get on well with colleagues,I've made new friends and have had some great experiences.

So you are in a salaried post? A manager must be salaried? That isn't the same surely?

Someone I know of sells Juice plus. Amily live in a countryside barn conversion. She's a horsey girl & has 2 cute children who ride & from the looks of things, she is promoting to Horse riders a lot. She has pictures of her children taking the "chewables" too. I stopped following her as it was all the normal 'aren't I/my family/my life super fantastic because of JP' more than once a day. Her husband has his own business so I imagine a good chunk of the lifestyle is paid for by that but if JP isn't working for her, she should get an acting job as it is portrayed as JP is the reason for her enviable life.

Sadly no success stories to share either.

A friend has done quite a few of them, going from one to the next.

Which really puzzles me; if the one you are doing is that good, why stop. And if it was bad, why think a different one will work out better? And think that, again and again.

It's really really odd to see someone be so brainwashed by the 'success' stories sold to them by the MLM, that in real life, don't seem to exist.

I do know someone that has done very well out of it and is very wealthy, but she got into it very early on and recruited a lot of people to work for her. She also invested in property with the money she made. She's in the minority though.

No because there are no success stories and anyone who says otherwise is either lying or wrong.

Yep, the deluded liars are already sprouting on this thread. 'Area Manager' my arse. That means made a bit of a profit last year.

Earning over 6k probably makes you 'Regional manager' and over 8k would be 'Country Manager'.

I knew someone who did well but it was about 20 years ago so things might have changed. She was selling perfume, you know the stuff that is "like" something else, can't think what you call it. She was 20, ended up with an office with space for stock and a team of people selling for her. She made money and moved on, don't know if she would have been able to sell it as a business but she had enough to set up a more traditional business. She has a lovely house, holiday home abroad, kids at private schools, flash car. She's a director of the business now but doesn't seem to have to work alot.

To think we told her she was a fool dropping out of uni to do it. She's a millionaire several times over and seems unbothered about not finishing uni.

It’s exactly the same as the drugs trade, exploitative but the people at the top earn a lot. A job gives you holiday pay, sick pay, pensions contributions etc. Lots of jobs offer company cars and discounts but their employees don’t plaster it all over social media. I’d be seen as very unprofessional if I bragged about my company car on social media or put a photo of my paycheque on there.
Look at what happened in Albania when the down line ran out - the economy collapsed.

At least in the MLM I worked with, the "manager" titles were based on how many downlines there were, and how many downlines THEY had under them. At "Regional" the post became salaried, but that is the highest it went.

It was a fairly vicious environment, too. Other MLMs would poach successful teams whole, taking the manager and all of the downlines. Sorry team, we now sell for X company!

I know two who sold that Younique stuff, one who was a nightmare pushing on her friends ended up giving up and the other who I know less well (neighbour) seems to do really well.

He sells via his own link, Facebook and YouTube he has become a make up ‘influencer’ and has a really large following, he does all the makeup on himself rather than models, seems to work for him? Probably because he is selling remotely, maybe.

There's a BBC documentary on iPlayer at the moment, which shows some people who have made a lot of money from MLM. Not from just selling products though...

@dottiedodah

There must be some I suppose! The problem is here that young Mums ,people disinterested in their jobs/been furloughed whatever are easy bait! I have never used them or got involved at all .Cant see why Body Shop is being used though ,surely can order online or high st shops(when open again of course).Seems a bit like a Mugs game to me .

I can't understand why Body Shop is used either. I went to a Body Shop party a year ago. Half the things I asked for were "out of stock" and she didn't have them. The things I did end up buying took about a month to get delivered!! I went to town about 3 times in that time to pass the Body Shop and see the things I'd ordered sitting on the shelves. Also the things that were "out of stock" were happily sitting in the shop, I might as well have just got the stuff from the actual shop .

It was a nice excuse to have a drink with friends but that was it!

I know two. Well three really as there is a couple I know who work together. They make a considerable of money from it and it is their sole job. Don't know how much they make but they have recently bought their first home and drive two nice cars.

The other person I know does it part time around her other job. She makes hundreds rather than thousands a month but it is very much a second income for her. Different product to the first two.

I have never bought anything from either of them as I dislike MLM!

I know a few people who've done okay for the first few months and then struggled after friends and family have all bought an initial few token items in support.

One former friend keeps trying different MLM schemes although last I heard she'd got a proper job again. I think it's sad that people get so excited about their future then it just doesn't work no matter how hard they try or how much time they spend. She must have wasted thousands on them.