MLM can be evil

[MeToo]

MLM people can be dedicated but some can be evil because they try to rewrite history. Too bad because I like an organization dedicated to policing its own. If anyone wants to know what else La Raza does they can read about it here Roots of La Raza - By Carol Iannone - Phi Beta Cons - National Review Online. The really scary part is that Vasconcelos viewed the people that were directly descended from the Spanish conquistadors as superior to the mixed races.

La Raza news historally are good folks! Back in the early 70’s they supported the movement by the National Association of Collegiate Veterans (NACV) to provide better VA hospitalization for Viet Vets. I was V.P. of Communication for NACV... La Raza helped us sponsor rallies for Hispanic Viet Vets in the Windy City to get the VA to change bandages on VA hospital patients and get the Viet Vet G.I. up from starvation level. La Raza is the salt of the earth as far as your editor is concerned! I said yesterday I did not have a high opinion of IGI Art. Today after reading in the La Raza article that all IGI Art sales are final no returns? That opinion has dropped lower. Watch out! The article contains a Quote by John Taylor who I hate for his lying with statistics about MLM.

MLM Watchdog: 4th QUARTER 2004 (October, November, December)

[MeToo]

The people who practice MLM aren't really evil in case there is any misunderstanding. The process of MLM can be wicked. If anyone here is thinking about MLM please know that its structure almost garuntees an eventual oversaturation of a sales region.

This comes from a Christian site so there are going to be brief references to religion but this article is interesting to read. There are some brief highlights below.

What's Wrong With Multi-Level Marketing?


MLMs vs. the Real World
The basic question that needs to be asked is this: If this product or service is so great, then why isn't it being sold through the customary marketing system that has served human society for thousands of years? Why does it need to resort to a "special marketing" scheme like an MLM? Why does everyone need to be so inexperienced at marketing this! Is the product just a thin cover for what is really a pyramid scheme of exploiting others?

Math and Common Sense
MLMs work by geometric expansion, where you get ten to sponsor ten to sponsor ten, and so on. This is usually shown as an expanding matrix (just don't say "pyramid"!) with corresponding kick-backs at various levels.

The problem here is one of common sense. At a mere three levels deep this would be 1,000 people. There goes the neighborhood! At six levels deep, that would be 1,000,000 people believing they can make money selling. But to whom? There goes the city! And the MLM is just getting its steam going. Think of all the meetings! Think of all the "dreams" being sold! Think of the false hopes being generated. Think of the money being lost.

[sojii]

Since most MLM marketing schemes require their member-distributors to buy and maintain at least a minimum selection of very pricey products, it's really the distributors who are the lifeblood for a lot of MLM companies. Anything they sell is frosting. It's a brilliant marketing tactic.

So is the quasi-religious enthusiasm-building. Ever seen a Mary Kay rally on a tv report? Holy moley. Keep those pink Caddy's rolling...

[MeToo]

Amen, Sojii (jk).

But you are so right! The people who mix religion with sales are offending those who don't believe . They also violate whatever religion they mix with their pitch for the sake of closing a sale.

I could really picture a Mary Kay revival the way you describe it. There would be coupons for confetti and a pink bible on a pink pulpit.

Since there are some members who say they want to commit their energies towards the positive I'll post this video so they may help save a friend from scams. It's nice to see someone turn over a leaf from red to green.

5 to the 13th power like it says in the video.

YouTube - Pyramid Scheme

[sojii]

I should clarify what I meant...I don't know that there's any religious discussion or prayer at Mary Kay conventions. I meant that the enthusiasm and ferver is similar to religious ferver in its intensity. Or sort of like an auditorium full of Oprah fans if she were giving away new cars to every member of the audience.

[MeToo]

Oh right. But we can still call them revivals? But in the place of the spiritual would be the cult of personality or MLM camaraderie to the extreme, right? I still like the idea of a pink pulpit. Can we keep that one?

The quality of this one is awful but it's still funny.

YouTube - Pyramid Scheme "The Office" Michael...

[sojii]

Pink pulpit? Cute. Maybe there really is one, or at least a pink podium.
If you lived around here, you'd see a pink car or two on a pretty regular basis.

[MeToo]

Well, that MLM made the list. If anyone here wants to take a look at who's been bad before joining an MLM you might take a look at the links below. Also, there would soon be more sales people than customers if that MLM doesn't limit the number of levels that can be created so please read the contract carefully. Please don't join one that has you buy a kit or otherwise pay to become a member.

List of Known Multi-Level Marketing Companies

And a podium can be a pulpit. It's the belief of the speaker that determines the use.

[sojii]

Good point about the podium / pulpit; coming from a liturgical denomination that tends toward large or ornate pulpits, I didn't think of that.

[MeToo]

sojii. So true. Humans tend to guild and bedazzle everything. The little street preacher brings it all back home.

This is another post related to MLM by tangent. Today's unscrupulous virtual MLMer will probably employ a scaled down version of these illustrated stealth marketing techniques. The man who reviews these is a management consultant himself but he's really horrified.

Exposing stealth marketing: Church of the Customer Blog