A Bit Of Clarity
I've been involved with MANY MLM's over the years, almost all of them promising "passive" income....there ARE some programs out there where you can make residual income based on the efforts of your direct downline (people you personally sponsor, and ones that THEY sponsor). Usually these only go two or possibly three levels deep, but remember that this is still a direct result of your efforts, not some "leader" coming into the program and bringing thousands of his followers in behind him, or a great flood of new members clamoring to get into this "exciting new opportunity". In this case we're usually told that there will be "spillover" if you get in yourself before this happens. I wish I had a mind for advanced math, but I don't, or else I would make it a point to prove what I strongly suspect...that these different "matrix" models (and the whole concept of "spillover") simply cannot work, that in fact it's mathematically IMPOSSIBLE in the manner that these programs claim. In a nutshell, here are the main points I look for with anything:
1) What's the product, and is there any REAL value there, to me or those I'm presenting it to? Is the price reflective of the value? If it's a one-time purchase, does it make economic sense for me to consider promoting? If it's subscription-based, or a tiered product line, does it offer worthwhile ongoing or substantially upgraded value, respectively?
2) Am I earning money based upon the efforts of myself and those I sponsor, OR...
3) Am I being misled into the notion that I will make money on the efforts of others and/or vast numbers coming in after me that I have no direct connection with? There's a difference with signups coming into something "after" versus "under". The only people under you in any working pay plan that I've ever seen are those directly connected to you and your downline ( those you personally sponsor, and the ones that they sponsor, etc.). Even if a million people happen to come in after you, you still don't get paid anything from them because they ARE NOT connected to you in any way. All those people are somewhere else, in someone else's downline, and you will never be paid one cent because of them. I think nobody really understands this (it took me a long time to get it myself)....it's why I said earlier I don't believe matrix programs work, for any length of time anyway (sometimes in the initial flood of signups during a pre-launch there will be some who catch the wave at the right time and make a nice haul at first, usually the owners and their followers, but it's dirty money they're taking because any program depending on hype and urgency to fill the ranks, or one with no real value, will fizzle out; everyone on the tail end will be left holding the bag, and the ones who took their money will be moving on to the next thing), and why I believe spillover, or "spill-up", etc. is a misleading concept that sounds good to people looking to make some easy money, but that doesn't really exist.
In this case, maybe we get what we deserve. I sent an e-mail out to my list about the real reason so many people are failing to make it online. I stated that, among other things, perhaps it's the fact that there are so many scam artists out there, it causes most people to see EVERYTHING as a scam. Then I proceeded to the point, which was that even though that's true, that's not the real reason. The REAL problem is that too many people today want something for nothing, and when it doesn't work out they get upset and start pointing the finger, blaming the one who misled them. Well, who's fault is that, really? The other person's, for being dishonest, or ours, for being gullible (and maybe a little lazy), over and over and over again....?
The old saying applies here;
"Fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice, shame on ME."
Bottom line: When it comes to any real measure of success OR failure, we can only look in the mirror and take full, total responsibility for what WE do, not what others may or may not do. Are we going to take charge of our own success and our lives and behave responsibly, or are we going to sit back and hope or expect someone else to do it for us?
It's a question worth asking ourselves from time to time....
Take care,Scott
Recent Comments
2
Great blog. Unfortunately, many people have a sense of entitlement and the expectation of a free lunch. Have a good one
Great post Scott
Due diligence is on us, if we want to succeed we have to do the leg work and not pass blame when we do not succeed as planned.
We need to accept full responsibility.
All the best Scott
Gary