How many MLM companies have you been in before finding success? I thought this would be interesting to learn for the many newbies on this forum so they can get a good idea what to expect on their journy to find the right MLM to see success in. My story is probably like many others, but for newbies especially, live and learn. My Personal Journey. It is always good to go back in time and think about our successes and failures in business, or MLM industry. Like many, there have been many ups and downs in business, but the real question should be how many are still with their first success? I got introduced to MLM through the back door is you will, not by recruiting, I was selling computer accounting systems at the time and everytime I would walk into offices, there was no one there, other than operations manager and CEO. Long story short, the showroom had a half dozen glass displays on wall, and little bottles of cosmetics were displayed, so obviously, not aware of MLM industry at the time, I saw no sales people, no phone room, nothing, so I got curious for I saw six figure sales figures as I was setting up system. Never gave it much thought until years later when I was introduced to MLM, good old Amway? lol I only then connected my computer accounting system to Holiday Magic which was exploding in sales at the time, and needed to get a better hold on sales volume. It wasn't until I met someone in Amway that I connected the two to MLM as an industry. Funny to think back on it now, and then I realized, I didn't do well with my first MLM, but several years later I looked again, Herbalife was the company, and I did what I considered very well with just under six figures in second year, then all *** broke loose with law suit over supposed death caused by product, and it all collapsed almost over night. Lesson learned, never put all your eggs in one basket. I stayed away from industry for a few more years, but always kept those massive sales figures on Holiday Magic in the back of my mind. Networking works, if you work it, and leverage works best of all in any and all businesses. Learning first hand that MLM can and does work under certain circumstances sold me on concept, but like most, you only learn through experience. I had a couple traditional businesses at the time having left the corporate world with success in Herbalife, but being a true entrepreneur, I started another traditional business which kept me busy for several years, so I hung up MLM for a few more years. Third try was a loser, American Gold Eagle, did OK for the first six months, but like most MLM's, not enough margin on gold coins to call it a real business, but it did have the appeal I looked for at the time, GOLD, and when I think back, I did like the concept and I still have all those gold eagles I had earned, most acquired at $422. as I recall at the time, so not a bad long term gain, but company collapsed at the usual 18 month wall as I recall. They went on to become Market America, but having few products of value or interest at the time, I passed. Should probably have jumped on it since it is one of the few companies still in business. Herbalife did bounce back several years later, and was tempted to jump back into it, but again, passed given the lessons learned on how you really don't have control of your destiny in any of these MLM's, but the interest never deminished for me. Hit it again with Network 2000 given my computer and telcom business allowed me to become familiar with one of first telcom MLM's when industry was deregulated back in '84, so this was a natural add on to my traditional business. Now I could bring MLM into my existing business, a strategy I was always looking to exploit, glad I did, or at least so I thought. Having worked it to near six figure level, then poof, company desolved MLM division, and the rest is history, called Sprint. Another lesson learned, never put all your eggs in one basket, and I am glad I didn't sell my traditional business at the time. I added another business to my portfolio since I had already established a sound professional following and it worked out well for several years, plus got to travel all over the world on the cheap with FAM's benefits. Then I saw MLM enter the travel industry, and although it may have looked like a good deal to many, knowing the small margins in travel industry, I knew I wanted no part of MLM travel, in fact, with so many popping up, the industry was in trouble with recession, so I sold travel agency, and I am glad I did. Card mills were popping up all over the place and all they were doing is selling the business opportunity, not travel. I think most know the history of all these failures. Good concept, but wrong strategy pumping the money based on recruiting others first and foremost. OK, not to bore newbies, all in all, MLM is a great concept, just badly tarnished over the years for many reasons, mostly money hyped up promotions which for many is a killer. I had a few more passive successes, and am still recieving checks on a few for over a decade, but have not hit the six figure goal again ever since. Looking back, no regrets, woulda shoulda can kill you, as I have learned, missed a few over the years, but never gave up looking for the next diamond in the rough. Have a few looking more than promising to date, so who knows, one thing for sure, success comes to those who never give up, you just don't know when it will hit, so never give up for all you newbies who may be reading this. Over all, in several decades in the industry, I have probable been in a dozen MLM's, funny when I started to think back, but it made me realize, MLM is where you can make it if you find the right attributes, value, quality, product or service people are already purchasing, solid financial backing, experienced management team, timing, and luck, the most important of all. lol Like most, once you see success in the industry, it is hard not to stay involved, but the chance of success is shrinking as I see it with so many MLM selling the same dream, product or service. I tend to focus on companies that offer other business owners and MLMers promotional strategies to boost their business success. After all, in this economy, focusing on recesssion proof businesses is more important than ever. Everyone is looking for more prospects, buyers, and sales, so just as I offered my services to professionals with computer and telcom business, it is still all about offering value, quality and great customer service focusing on high volume consumption oriented products and services as I see it. Long live MLM. Best Success to all,
How many MLM's? Not many and the first one was Herbalife. It all sounded great and boring. Got the intro packet of products and I did try the stuff but not long enough to see the effects take place I guess. The guy who had rectruited me also had a lot of products in his home. The great missing thing? How do I market this stuff? This was offline and I did not know at all so I stopped as he could not really tell me how. Then it went online. I found something called referalware where you could introduce people and get comissions when they would sign up and pay. You could buy their expensive lead packets or go on your own. They had a bunch of ebooks in the IM and MLM industry but nothing could give the step by step information on how to the marketing. The idea was to get people to sign up to a few MLM opportunities. Juvio was one of them. The more you were signed up to and a paid member of the more in commisions you would be paid. I did try a lead packet and got nothing back. Tried again this time with the autoresponder messages Referalware provided and got again nothing in results. By then I found Magnetic Sponsoring and I stopped being a member of MLM opportunities all though Juvio was in mind for some time. From that point on I slowly collected all the pieces to build my website and the WMI blueprint. After getting some years of experience and seeing the same silly opportunities like Referalware I decided to put the 2 most serious online things together. What I find the best business to be promoting and the marketing system that works for that type of opportunity.
I don't remember! I DO remember the MOST expensive one tho - ahem. How can you forget an $11,000 investment. Gah. I still don't know how we did it. Oh yes, I remember. Aunt Visa. But hey, I learned with each and every endeavor I ever did, and I still keep checking out other opportunities - as it reminds me that I actually DID find a keeper this time.
I've been in 2... Lucky in both I have great leaders but the last one I was in was very expensive compare to what I'm doing now and it had already reached it's peak... There were too many people doing it were I lived and a lot of them had given the product a bad reputation by constantly preaching to others.... I am really so happy with the one I'm in now Good or bad experiences are a learning curve I guess... Just keep learning!
I tried a few MLM's when I started several years ago. I fell into the free money making niche though and I've had better success with that instead. The important thing is finding something that works for you.
Just two. The first one never got off the ground but the one I have now is paying the business expenses and a little pocket change. I haven't been at it very long but I think I can make some decent cash in the next 3-6 months.
I started with GDI, I'm still not sure exactly what that is. But I found my calling in jerky, it has actually been a lot of fun meeting people and talking jerky!
