Business and friends

[Jane0123]

Hi,

I have a question for everyone regarding my friends reaction to something.

I have signed up as a Neal's Yard consultant and I introduced my friend to the brand when I gave her a thank you gift. She loves it and I spoke to her about becoming a consultant which she really wants to do.

We were chatting on zoom to the lady that signed me up and she asked my friend if she would like to join through me so that I get a bonus when she makes any sales. She said no and that she wanted to sign up under the other lady as because both her and I were just starting out she wanted us to be beginning on the same financial level.

This really angered me to be honest as she is supposed to be my friend but would rather give the bonus to someone who she doesn't know because she doesn't want me to benefit from her I guess. Now, if the shoe was on the other foot I would have signed up via her as why have someone you don't know benefit over someone that you do know?! My anger isn't about money, it's about principal.

I suppose my question is how would you feel/view your friendship after this?

Thanks :)

For anyone who has signed up to an MLM here’s a useful article: www.talentedladiesclub.com/articles/the-one-thing-every-mlm-recruit-should-do-right-now-to-avoid-losing-money/

This documentary is excellent too: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p076n2hg/secrets-of-the-multilevel-millionaires-ellie-undercover

I cant believe the amount of people whom i considered reasonably intelligent signing up to these scams......there is no excuse....there is enough info on the internet.
To any consultants....presenters....ambassadors etc.....you do realise everyone is laughing at you behind your back.

I can only imagine how desperate someone must feel to sign up for a mlm. I don't think that warrants the tone the OP has received from some PPs. It's all very sad. I wish there were honest jobs available for women, so vulnerable people don't have to get sucked into things like that.

There are thousands of 'honest jobs' available to women 🙄

There is plenty of honest jobs around if you are willing to do them....the trouble is these 'huns' want a get rich quick scheme....i have no sympathy for anyone getting sucked into one....like i said up thread there is more than enough info on the internet.

There are not enough jobs that offer flexibility. That's why I believe MLM present as appealing to so many predominantly women. So I stand by what I said.

If I was going to join a pyramid sales scheme I would want to be as near to the top as possible because everyone above you gets a slice of your sales (that's why prices have to be so high).

But I wouldn't join one because you have worse odds than in a casino. Way worse. And anyone who gets a friend involved in one is no friend.

It must take a really special kind of person to hard sell overpriced tat to their family and friends knowing they are only buying it to support you.....i'd rather be on the bones of my arse than rip off the people i love.

How come they aren't banned yet? MLM schemes clearly don't work or make money par those at the top, so they real work are they? They take advantage of people, so how come they are allowed to operate? We need to make efforts to educate people as they will only be taken for a ride and campaign for governments to do something. As usual, women are the targeted audience for these scams.

When you both lose money you'll be glad you didn't sign her up under you as you might be able to salvage a friendship

Well by being involved in MLM you will lose all your friends anyway.

And lose a lot of money.

It’s a sad life to be a keyboard warrior.

sad is joining up to some shit MLM and then posting on here to whinge about your poor friend.

No point being rude to other posters just because you can't get a proper job. HTH.

@Jane0123, quite aside from the business model of MLM which is flawed because it only makes money to the people right at the very top and everyone below 'pays to play'. Even those near the top lie about their success, here is a video from a successful rep who got to the top of her MLM but ultimately left...

.

I understand why your friend didn't want to get signed up under you and there are two reasons:-

1. She didn't understand that you would make money off her membership, any future sales she makes and any people she signs up.
2. She saw an (apparently) successful, experiences mentor on your Zoom and it was natural she would rather be under her rather than you, someone new and inexperienced.

Her decision was entirely practical, not a personal insult to you. In fact, I believe she would view it as the both of you working collaborately together in the new business, both being mentored by the experienced rep. I imagine she has no idea of the grim reality of MLM. Bus she's going to find out soon and then you will possibly lose your friend.

If a keyboard warrior is someone who shines a light on the insidious, exploitative MLM business practices of deliberately targeting family, friends, relatives, colleagues, neighbours and guilting them into buying useless, overpriced (but cheap) gloop (pity purchases) and questionable 'nutrition' supplements and even worse, signing them up as a rep, then yes, I am proud to be one.

It's not something you need to worry about because neither of you will make any money.

TBH being willing to screw your mates over is a core skill in MLM.

Yep as been said above, neither of you will make any cash so try and get out now so you don’t actually lose any or your friendship.

As with anything, there is profit to be made of you used to business x

Not you then

It’s really sad to see lots of people being sucked into MLM right now. MLMs are predatory and right now they smell blood in the water; all those furloughed people, all those people worried about their jobs. Those people are vulnerable to the message that this is a supportive network of “entrepreneurs” who can earn unlimited sums (they wheel out someone who looks like they’re a great success). It’s all lies.

This isn’t a product selling business, it’s a recruitment business on the look out for the gullible to replenish the bottom of the pyramid, to harness your wallet and to pillage your social network for more victims. And what happens to those people that sign up? Around 99% of them lose money.

That’s what you’ve signed up for @Jane0123. Call us all keyboard warriors if you like but you’d be better off getting off MN and having a look at the Talented Ladies Club articles, watching the BBC docu listed above, looking at mlmtruth.org. If you don’t revisit your decision to sign up to MLM your friend won’t be the first one you lose and you’ll end up poorer too, but you may get lucky and break even.