​My Introduction to Multilevel Marketing (MLM) and Why it Matters to WA

My Introduction to Multilevel Marketing (MLM) and Why it Matters to WA

Although it has been almost half a century, it seems like only yesterday that I stood before a group of “prospects”, extolling the features and benefits of a company known as Amway. I was young, confident, and totally convinced that I was destined to become a “Diamond Distributer” and independently wealthy (and retired) by age 30, a short 10 years away.

Unfortunately, I had chosen the wrong group of people to share my new found wealth vehicle with; many of them were family members. I still remember one gentleman (a distant relative) who sat through the entire presentation with arms crossed, a stoic look on his face, and a demeanor that was unsettling to me. I fumbled through the rest of the presentation as well as I could, and then asked if there were any questions. Somehow, before the question and answer session began, I knew Mr. “Stoic” was going to be a problem. I was not disappointed. He began to barrage me with questions and concerns that I was ill prepared to answer. Others joined in, which made matters even worse. Finally, after I had been reduced to a “young, NOT so confident, and NOT so convinced” mass of quivering flesh, I decided that I simply needed to regroup, and figure out where I went wrong. The marketing plan was perfect — so I was led to believe. Therefore, it had to be my lack of knowledge, presentation style, or some other aspect related to ME. That evening, my efforts had resulted in zero sign-ups, and one small product sale.

I consulted with my sponsor, who gave me some suggestions. Then, I studied as much as I could about Amway and its products, solicited for more “prospects”, and tried it again. This time, I entered into the question and answer session more prepared than I was the first time around and was able to respond to most questions in a coherent fashion. However, I still walked away with zero signups for the evening and zero sales to go along with it. I was devastated! “What was wrong?! “, I repeatedly asked myself. Finally, I decided to ask one of my prospects (actually a married couple) why they had not been as captivated as I was about this sure-fire path to riches. Their response? First, they would never buy any of the products themselves because virtually all of the products were unacceptably overpriced. Second, they both could not envision themselves being successful at recruiting others to sell those same overpriced products. Finally, they did not like the idea of having to give presentations or bother friends and family in order to make the plan work. At this point, I was also beginning to like it less and less.

I took these concerns to my sponsor who tried to convince me that there really was no problem because it was a “numbers game” and I simply would need to scare up more prospects. Unfortunately, I had begun to lose confidence in the product line itself, and the marketing method that was used to sell the products. I tried to stick with it, but my waning confidence in the plan and a bedroom corner full of unsold product finally convinced me to move on.

What does this have to do with Wealthy Affiliates and where I find myself today? I’m glad you asked. One thing that Amway did was to instill within me the belief that wealth acquisition was possible — after all, I saw others do it. However, a system in MLM is only as good as one’s ability to convince others of its worth. In retrospect, those who excelled with Amway seem to have been those whose prospects had sufficient wealth already that the pricing of Amway products was not the issue. They focused on the residual quality of earnings and were able to convince others to do the same. Since Amway, I have been involved in a number of other “systems”. I’ve also run two moderately successful conventional enterprises. For various reasons, none of them worked for me — long term.

One week ago today, after conducting considerable research on Wealthy Affiliates (WA), I became a starter member so I could gain access to even more knowledge about WA. Three days ago, I became a premium member and am looking forward to the journey ahead. There is something different about this opportunity — this community — that convinces me that WA is indeed worth sharing with others. Its “worth” is immediately apparent and virtually sells itself. I don’t regret having been in Amway. I’m sure many of you can share a similar story. I am just thankful that my experience with Amway did not extinguish that entrepreneurial spirit that still burns within me. I know that Wealthy Affiliates is the perfect vehicle to help me achieve my goals. I also know that it will take a consistent, measured effort on my part to get there. But, I will get there.