Hi! You said: =========================================== I'm not sure who reads long emails but I'll be brief... =========================================== There's an old quote that I like. Not sure if it's Ogilvy or Bernbach. It says; "People read what they're interested in..." True. As long as they're interested, they'll keep reading. If they're not interested, they don't. The paypal randomizer thread is 10 pages and going. LOL. And people are quoting from posts along the way.... so they're reading! : ) Linda

Hi Linda, hi forumites, I found my helmet. LOL! Deep breath. Here we go... I reckon Linda's 1 to 5's have been answered so I won't add my 2 cents worth to that. In MLM there are two broad classifications: 1 - Those who HAVE experienced MLM, and 2 - Those who have NOT experienced MLM. Me? I am in classification 1. Years of experience? 10... but not any more! I've had enough. I expect the most "interesting" comments will be made by those who have some experience in MLM but not a lot. They are still operating on high-energy, lots of hope and are generally the most defensive on "the business." Having said all that I'm gonna lob my grenades one at a time. Here goes... INBOUND! ========================================= Grenade #1 - "Most people DO NOT and WILL NOT make more money than they will spend." ========================================= Keywords - "most people." Feel free to disagree and put your points. I'm looking forward to them. Just tightening the strap of my helmet. There. Waiting for the fallout. Gary Simpson

Hi: ========================================= "Most people DO NOT and WILL NOT make more money than they will spend." ========================================= I introduced a really nice lady named Amy in another of my posts. The company Amy sells for is MLM. Know how Amy sells her candles? She orders samples, then takes them into local Mom & Pop shops and shows them. They love them - they order from her. And she's making decent income. She only does it part time, and makes just under $1K per month. Part time. Know why Amy has to hit up local shops to sell? They is MY opinion, not hers, by the way. Because MOST MLMs DON'T "GET IT" when it comes to selling online. They're as clueless as a babe in the woods. For all their boards of directors, and IT guys and marketing wizards - they don't GET the internet. Here's an example. I've made a decent name for myself. I have sites I manage/market (for clients) that pull in over $10K month. Now let's say I want to sell some MLM product. Know what most of them want me to do? Recruit potential customers. Then send them to some-mlm.com/?myid-number. What the heck good is THAT? Zip. Nada. So I build my own site. Can I sell the product there? Nope. I can only pitch it. Then I gotta send them to some-mlm.com/?myid-number And when they get there, odds are the main page is about their "opportunity" and has a lead generation form. Can I tell someone "hey, this chocolate/coffee/whatever is fantastic. Click here to buy it." Nope. I have to give them instructions to wade their way through the dumb-arse parent site. Because what the heck, they might sign up under me if we shove that in their face first. Why not let me do my own recruiting? Why not put the products out first? Who the heck designs their sites, anyway? Some programmer dude that's never sold anything or used it from the user end? So you know what happens? People join up online and try to sell offline, 'cause they can't figure out how to work with the parent site. And when they have to sell OFF line, most people won't think of hitting up stores or setting up a table in the mall. They'll hit up their family and friends and then quit when they run out of friends. Sometimes literally. I've been looking for an MLM that allows me to put some code on MY OWN site and sell their product without making people view a "biz opp" film. I haven't found one yet. Like I said... most MLMs don't "get" the internet. And that's part of why "most" people won't make money. The people like Amy are the savvy few, not the mass average. : ) Linda

Oh boy! It's started! ========================================= "Most people DO NOT and WILL NOT make more money than they will spend." ========================================= Most people work for a living hating their job, wishing they could get out of the rat race. Most people DO NOT and WILL NOT be their own boss, and own their own business. Most people who get into MLM or more correctly Network Marketing, think that it's some kinda magic place where there is untold wealth for doing next to nothing. Network Marketing is a JOB, and I bet the same individuals that are successful in Network marketing would be successful in a bricks and mortar business, or anything else they chose to do. Businesses and programs aren't successful, people are! Bob

Bob, How true! Except for NWM being a JOB... open to your interpretation of JOB. One thing I forgot to mention in my loooong post (with apologies to Rudy, who seems to bring this up every time we both post to the same forum...I wonder why?). In the US (don't know about elsewhere) the tax benefits of a home-based business, assuming you know how to document them, should be added to the bottom line when you calculate whether you are making more than you're spending. If I save hundreds of dollars in taxes on expenditures I would have made anyway, I come out ahead (at least in my opp). Please do not interpret this as tax advice. I am not a tax expert. But I did save considerably on taxes last year, which came in very handy after my husband's pay cut. Cheri