Here’s a long-ass hypothetical question for you; WHY is a person who is employed by say, Michelin Tire to sell round rubbery vehicle holders edified as a hard-working, blue-collar, salt of the earth type of a human, while another human who sells makeup, jewelry, protein supplements, Tupperware, microfiber cloths, skincare, haircare, shape wear, long-lasting lipstick, purses, kitchen gadgets, essential oils, toothpaste, candles, vitamins, nail stickers, leggings, books, stamps, wine, and freezer foods; judged, criticized, ridiculed, even loses friends and family members over it????
For real, think about that. As a society are we that afraid of a Dad slinging plant-based protein shakes or a woman pushing her monogrammed beach bags? Are we that delusional to think that every person who is involved with an essential oil business is going to hunt us down, spray us with a magic oil blend and make us buy their product, or worse…make us “join their team”? The unassuming Grandparents who like to do cooking presentations as a way to stay active and social can’t really be the enemy, can they? Are we just that closed off creatively that our brains can’t handle the concept of a new marketplace or a business model? Oh we’re scared, that I know, but the why, I’m still trying to figure out.
I used to be one of the scared ones. Oh God, what if someone asks me to host a party! Rolling my eyes as I’d see another friend making the Facebook announcement that they joined Blah Blah Co. because they have the best blah blah and blah blah changed their lives. What was I scared of? Personally, I was probably afraid that they were going to get in on something really good and I’d be left behind. I was also envious of their expanding circle of friends and pocketbooks. Also the vacations, I mean I want to go places and do things with people that look fun and happy, but I WOULD NEVER EVER SELL A PRODUCT. NO, NO, Not me! I was way above that kind of thing.
Why else are people so jaded and shaded toward a company that sells a product? Isn’t that what all companies do…sell products or services? I think it’s mostly because the industry got a bad rep several decades ago. People tend to think it’s one of those pyramid things where only the people who get in first make the money. Pyramid schemes are illegal because there aren’t any actual goods being sold. Network-marketing and direct sales companies have products to sell, they also have compensation plans that incentivize those who consume their products the opportunity to get their products for free and/or earn income. I don’t have an axe to grind with Michelin or anything but it’s my essay so I am going to keep using them as a point of reference. If the tire sales person makes a sale she gets a cut but Michelin gets the majority of the dough because they have to pay for all the overhead and advertising. If I were to sell you a box of collagen, of course Isagenix would make money but I’d get a larger part of the cut because I am the advertising and marketing. So my question is WHY wouldn’t a person choose to support someone they know by purchasing from them instead? If you were already eyeing a new layered necklace why not scope your friend’s Stella and Dot site? If you need your 18th pair of black leggings skip Amazon and head for Savvi.
Eric Worre, author and the man who really gave network-marketing a new life, lays everything out nicely in his book Go Pro. He says that network-marketing isn’t perfect it’s just better. Where else can you be your own boss, earn unlimited income at your own pace, share a great product or service, not deal with office politics, save the commute, have the opportunity to travel, an emphasis on personal growth and development, low-risk and low-cost start ups, no educational requirements, time freedom, residual income AND allows you to make an impact/do something meaningful with people that you enjoy. Sounds like a killer work environment, am I right? He also believes that THIS is the economy of the future. We are seeing the shift of corporations moving away from paying employees by the hour, week, or year but rather people are being paid solely on performance. After all, this is a better business model for the company, they can get better results with less expense. Because of the rise of technology, companies have more people fighting for fewer and fewer jobs. I get that this may not be the exact case in today’s politically charged pandemic economy but that is the general direction Eric believes things are shifting.
So if network-marketing is that much better why don’t we all dive in? Mostly because, we care what people think. If you are going to get involved with a NM company then you best get ready for the onslaught of negativity, cruelty, and pure ugly. “You must be willing to accept a temporary loss of social esteem from ignorant people”. More on that in a minute.
Like most midwest women in their 30’s I spent a fair amount of time going to people’s home parties for whatever it was that their neighbor was selling. I’d go, because in general, I’m a kind person and like to support my friends. I’d also go because my social life was pretty stagnant. My first tip toe into direct sales was with Norwex. I was terrified. When my upline asked for my hand in, I mean, asked me to join her team, I thought and prayed on it for days. WHAT WOULD PEOPLE THINK OF ME? I couldn’t possibly, until I did.
Norwex was a stepping stone, and I am still a consultant to this day. I think of it as shopping at my own online store at a deep discount. I buy laundry detergent, shampoo + conditioner, cleaning supplies, kitchen supplies, and baby shower gifts with my discount. I also happily share part of that discount with friends and family. If someone else wants to shop at a discount by joining then I get a cut of that person’s sales. If I wanted to put in more effort and build a team, I’d be further compensated for my time and work.
I started to see the incredible financial opportunity right away and my belief was built on the idea that teaching someone to do something once and having them do the same could really compound. It fulfilled my social needs and it felt good to talk about products that made a difference in peoples lives. Soon after a little success in Norwex, my husband and I found Isagenix. Again, we had the belief in the products. The vision and feel of the company was more in alignment with my soul. I was in the process of earning my health coaching certificate, so talking about the health benefits of incorporating natural supplements into to people’s lives seemed to flow pretty easily. Plus, the Isagenix compensation plan is still the best that I’ve ever seen and unlike the Norwex comp plan, it gave me the flexibility I desired. I am a multi-passionate person so the idea of being fully committed to a single company, to earn a certain tier of income felt a far too stifling. For me, freedom is the ultimate goal.
One would think that promoting products that we use on the daily sounds pretty normal. We already do this all the time as a society, it’s pretty commonplace to tell someone where you got your boots, coffee mug, or sunglasses but the moment that you could earn money by sending a link to a friend for something they were already going to purchase, you risk being chastised publicly.
I wish I could say that my skin was so leathery thick that I no longer cared what people thought of me. That I wouldn’t care when someone said something mean on social media, or when someone that I used to be friendly with now avoids me completely. It hurts, but I care a little less each day because the gifts that the direct sales industry has brought into my life has farther reaching abundance than the judgey acquaintance who talks shit. Get a job for Michelin though and you’ll be a hometown hero.
mpoweredstate 