The Cult of Multi-level Marketing

Six thirty in the evening. Come in corporate attire. Bring a friend if possible. Business opportunity awaits.

You probably have heard of these lines from a close friend, or a college block mate, or from the cute guy in the office, or maybe from a random person on Facebook. Some you accepted, but most of the time you turn down.

As shady as it may sounds, direct selling is a multi-billion industry comprised of real people, real products, and real business. I’ve seen almost every kind of product and business model available out there. Even in my formative years I was already exposed to these things (bilang ang nanay ko ay isang dakilang networkista).

However no matter how acquainted I am to MLM, I still have inhibitions. The reason why until now I am still in search of that one perfect company who I can work with.

I don’t know about you but these are the things that hinder me from jumping into this very lucrative business opportunity:

Scam. Scam. Scam.

Admit it, Multi-level marketing suffered from so much bad representation in the past years. The words scam and pyramiding are inevitable whenever one talks about direct selling. Many were the victims and the rate still continues to rise despite the availability of google and the power of background checking. Rose Baladjay is still the undisputed Queen of Pyramiding!

I don’t want to be part of the Jejemon culture of networking.

More than the possibility of losing money, I am much more afraid to be branded as that infamous “networker”. That jeje culture of posting whatever earnings you have had for the week in your Facebook account and announcing how you can too without exerting too much effort. Not only is this dodgy, this creeps the hell out of me. What are you selling huh? Drugs?! Also the great annoyance they bring their prospects is so jeje. The word “chill” is alien to these over-aggressive sellers.

In every opportunity, reservations are always there: Will I be able to achieve what the business promises? How do I go about this? Just like when opening a door, we are dubious who is on the other side? Baka killer. That’s why we ask. And when the person on the other side responds, it is now upon us whether we open the door or not. When opportunity knocks, all questions asked and answered, what do we do next?

Eventually I’ve learned that networking is an ocean filled with different types of fish. If you caught one that tastes bad, you simply cannot say the rest of the fishes in the vast expanse of waters taste bad as well. Strategy varies from one company to another. Failure in one doesn’t mean failure in another.

Though I may have a lot of inhibitions but I am open. Open to the fact that it is only in business that we can achieve full financial independence (or maybe lottery if you are one hellova lucky guy!). That no matter how lucrative our jobs maybe today, we are still effin’ subject to the mercy of our bosses and we still don’t have the luxury of time.

If I will get into networking, I want to be on top of my game. Entering not because it’s a viable option to stash money or joining because my friends are there already. Doing business that I know nothing of is as good as flushing my money down the toilet.

Moreover, I certainly dowanna be a jeje networker. The least I would like to happen is to compromise my name for the love of money. I’m a real person with real standards and real credentials. I would not risk them for some cheap fraudulent stints. I intend to work HARD, SMART and CLASSY in the multi-level marketing industry.

Effective products, established business model, and a trustworthy team. These are the only things I’m looking for in a direct-selling company.

I obviously don’t plan to remain an employee all my life and this is just the initial step towards the kind of life I want to have.

Currently looking at my options. Saw one seminar last night that is very promising. Especially when your friends who are known for being highly critical and inquisitive of almost all things, are all drawn towards the ingenuity of the product and its benefits.

Push na talaga ang pag pasok sa direct selling because I deserve it!!! 😉

Knowing what you want in life is one thing but knowing how to get it is another. ~ Chinkee Tan