To buy from MLM scheme because it’s a friend?

[HoppingHamster]

Inspired by a skincare thread yesterday which got me thinking (sorry if this has been done before).

A friend of mine recently started selling Tropic, she’s loving it and clearly loves the product. Very passionate, but not intrusive, I think she’s doing a really good job of getting the balance right between doing something she loves for her friends and being a salesperson. It works well in our area as we are quite rural so it’s a good journey to nearest department store for a experience with cosmetics, but I think she’s struggling to keep up her sales now that the initial novelty has worn off with family and friends.

However, having seen the reactions to MLM and read a bit more about it, I’m torn. I want to keep supporting her because she’s a good friend (over 20 years) but now I’m worried that it could all end badly for her and knock her confidence.

So AIBU to continue buying as she’s a friend (products nice but 90% of reason I buy is her)?

For those of you who are / have been MLM “ambassadors”, how did you find it? Were you treated well, did you make money, was it flexible, did it cause probs with friends and family, do you think it’s ethical? Are there any which are really good?

I didn’t realise Avon has been an MLM for years! I think the only ones I’ve ever come across really are Tropic and Arbonne, Arbonne I hated as the girl was really pushy. Although maybe Stella and Dot were the same? Also, why is it always targeted at women selling to other women, why don’t men do it?

Sorry for all the questions!

I strongly recommend listening to The Dream podcast - it's first season is all about MLMs and why they are so toxic.

I have seen a lot of men getting involved in Herbalife, not sure about others.

Herbalife current MO seems to be starting beginners walking/running clubs then they pounce.

If you look at ingredients it's far from as nice a product as the name sounds.

I have bought Tropic before at a party hosted by a friend and they were nice products, so if you like them, why not?

However a young relative of mine has just given up a decent ish junior manager post in a large chain to do another MLM so we are currently being bombarding with inspirational memes and invitations to join this group and that group.

It is truly excruciating.

This has really opened my eyes, thank you everyone for the honest feedback.

if it is so good, why is it using MLM model? I think this hits the nail on the head when it comes to my concerns.

People who say they make "a bit" of extra money on the side from MLM hardly ever seem to be able to break down how much is actually profit. Partly because of the blurring of what is "work" when you're selling to friends and family.

To make a profit or see money you could actually call an income, even part-time, how many regular clients would your friend need? Most people wouldn't buy every single month would they, even products you like? You'd need hundreds of very regular returning fairly well-off clients.

Hi @Bubbles1st, I was intrigued by your even-handed post in what is often (as this thread is becoming!) an incendiary subject.

What does "industry loved" mean? Where did you get that expression from?

This is a blog and a half about MLM

ellebeaublog.com/poonique/

I didn’t realise until recently that Tropic was MLM. I had some loose powder from a ‘Look Good, Feel Better’ session and really liked it. I only realised when I tried to get more. Such a pity that they chose this business model as some of their stuff seems really good.

@ThursdayWeld

Hi *@Bubbles1st*, I was intrigued by your even-handed post in what is often (as this thread is becoming!) an incendiary subject.

What does "industry loved" mean? Where did you get that expression from?

This is the kind of award we are talking about. No one I know in the ‘industry’ use it. I know people of all levels from regular sales advisors, through to MUA and some seriously influential bloggers, never known any of them to use it or even mention it. I just know school mums who like it. That is not to slate it but for the price, I buy different brands as do my industry peers. I believe if you like something, and like it’s effects then it is worth using.

YANBU because this is a reason most of us have bought from these companies. The companies are unreasonable.

@ThursdayWeld it seems open to interpretation and I certainly didn't claim to quote anyone or anything so it surprises me so many people are intrigued by what it means.

I would have thought it was self explanatory, the self care, beauty, make up industry love Tropic. Whether it's magazines, make up artists, beauty therapists and wellness coaches enjoy Tropic, celebrate Tropic and are not advertising it as we know this must now be declared. Therefore people in the industry love it. That's what I meant and as it doesn't seem to be phrase people are familiar with I am pleased no one will tell me otherwise.

I really like Tropic, a friend of mine sells it, she's never pushed us for sales or to start selling ourselves - she is by no means 'poor' and does this alongside her already successful career in mental health. In my personal experience, this does not compare to the grabby woman who kept trying to flog me Herbalife a few years ago.

People are loving tropic as it's being promoted and paid to do.

[quote Bubbles1st]@ThursdayWeld it seems open to interpretation and I certainly didn't claim to quote anyone or anything so it surprises me so many people are intrigued by what it means.

I would have thought it was self explanatory, the self care, beauty, make up industry love Tropic. Whether it's magazines, make up artists, beauty therapists and wellness coaches enjoy Tropic, celebrate Tropic and are not advertising it as we know this must now be declared. Therefore people in the industry love it. That's what I meant and as it doesn't seem to be phrase people are familiar with I am pleased no one will tell me otherwise. [/quote]
They only have to declare it if they are doing paid adverts. If they are just writing that they like it, it's not an advert. And I can't find anyone in any of those industries saying they love it? All links gratefully received!

Oh wait, you're saying that they love Tropic Skincare so much that they aren't writing about it, or even mentioning it, at all?

The MLMs that men do tend to be trading platforms, forex, and electronic currencies like OneCoin.

Tropic is usually propped up by a partner’s job or by another business (a beautician offering Tropic for example). This somewhat obscures the measurement of whether it’s a viable way to make a living wage on a consistent basis. The problem with MLM is that it requires you to monetize your friendships either as customers or as recruits. This is potentially hugely damaging. The problem with Tropic (as described to me by those that have done it) is that it’s at a high price point so unless your network is particularly monied you will be hard pushed to sell a 50ml £42 face cream regularly enough to the same c25 people to make any money. Even your most moneyed friend isn’t going to need these products that often. So you need a big (and replenishing) network and you need to be able to compete with other well known brands (and other similar MLMs). Even the beauticians I’ve spoken to just can’t sell enough to make money despite their personal and professional reach. The only person I know who is doing well out of Tropic has…you guessed it…built a team and benefits from their activities.

The thing is we all know lovely non pushy people involved in MLM but the question isn’t one of individual conduct. Nor is the debate about the products. It’s about the adoption of a business model that exploits the friendships and employment challenges of women to hook them into a system that is not transparent and one which leads around 99.6% of sign ups into financial loss. Anyone who signs up to run their business that way should have a big question mark over their ethics.

As I say, if you like it, use it.
I don’t know any industry colleague of any level ever use it.

Every time the local Tropic success story posts about 'my business' I think about those who she recruited who are financially or otherwise vulnerable and how her flaunting posts make a mockery of her friendship with these people, who signed up because they trust her

This is the kind of award we are talking about. No one I know in the ‘industry’ use it. I know people of all levels from regular sales advisors, through to MUA and some seriously influential bloggers, never known any of them to use it or even mention it. I just know school mums who like it. That is not to slate it but for the price, I buy different brands as do my industry peers.
I believe if you like something, and like it’s effects then it is worth using

Most of the product awards won by MLMs that I’ve seen are usually via customer not industry recommendation and come about because of a mass vote by the sellers who are also the customers. Legitimate brands can’t do that as they are not attached to their customers in the same way. Not possible for REN (for example) to trickle instructions down the pyramid that the huns (who are customers) should get on the voting lines and vote for the product they’re trying to sell, but it is possible for Arbonne (for example).

@ThursdayWeld I am no where near invested in this thread, Tropic or feeding into the haters to send you links.

All I can say is you're not looking very hard. Just this issue Glamour magazine were raving about a product, the independent newspaper listed sun cream as their Best Buy. Numerous celebrities rate their products in their routine, if you want to find it you will, if you don't you won't bother looking.

I used to occasionally buy stuff from MLMs because I felt I was helping friends but having read a lot of articles on the topic, triggered by a thread much like this in fact, I no longer do. I've come to the conclusion tbat the best thing that can happen to any of my friends who get involved in an MLM is that that they fail and leave quickly before they lose too much. Things that I used to previously see as supportive - joining their FB groups, liking their cheesy social media posts, buying the occasional over priced item - I now see as enabling behaviour and simply don't do any more.
I have seen claims that Tropic is different, and yes there does seem to be some evidence that it is a bit less bad than some of the others, but there's a massive leap from that to believing that it is a good thing to be involved in. I personally know several women who seem to have had fairly typical MLM experiences with Tropic and its not something I would encourage anyone I care about to get involved with.

Surely it just doesn't need debate- those in MLM are mugs, or using others as mugs, and those who buy from them keep the whole sordid thing going.

Stop buying. If she stops being friends, then you know she was only after your money.

If you like and want the products then fine. I bought a couple of bits from a friend when "Pampered Chef" was a thing - that's long gone but I still love my rice cooker.

I buy Tropic because I have loved nearly allthe products I have tried - I had never even heard of them but I was given a gift set of Tropic skin care last year, and they were all really good. I have found someone local who sells it so order through them but they never pressure me to buy, I just order when I want something. You can buy it direct from the website too.

My friend does FM world. I told her I am totally against MLMs so wouldn’t ever be buying from her I also advised her to read up on them and I’m worried she’ll lose money. She never bothers me (I’m not on social media so don’t see it anymore either) about it and we still see each other regularly with no problems, whereas others have been “too polite” to say anything and bought one product now she hounds them because her up line are applying pressure!
You have to be honest.