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Exposed: Nutritional Multi Level Marketing Companies
I get approached by A LOT of what I call “MLMers” (that’s multi-level marketers). Probably over 100 per year. Times nearly 10 years, so that’s a lot of annoying MLMers. Although they’re very touchy about being called “MLMers.” They prefer the term “network marketers.” MLM has a bad name, but network marketing is not yet as popular of a term as MLM, but that’s what it is — MLM, rebranded. Tomato, to-mah-to.
There are a host of reasons I don’t like nutritional MLMs, and I’ll list them here, in no particular order. Except for the first one — the first one I list is the one I hate the most, so I’ll start there.
THE SNEAKY APPROACH
When an MLMer approaches you, they’re very sneaky with their language. They’ll talk about an opportunity, growth, and they’ll sound very excited. But when you question them on exactly what their opportunity is, they can’t say it in one sentence. They invite you to a group meeting (read: pep rally pitchfest. But they don’t tell you that). When you ask what the meeting is about, and why they can’t just explain it in one sentence, they say it’s because it’s so awesome that they’re at a loss for words. So someone else has to do it. Their upline (that’s the term they use for the person that recruited them).