Just Admit It’s MLM

A couple of weeks ago I attended the kick-off party for a friend’s home party business. The business offers “higher commissions and rewards by sharing the opportunity and mentoring others.”

I was at the “party” for one hour, and the products were not mentioned once. Only the business opportunity was promoted. During that time my friend’s higher up said:

[This business] is not MLM. In fact, corporate America is more like a pyramid than [this company] is, you know with a CEO and then the VPs and all the managers under him. In [this company], we’re more like a family.

Does that mean they spank their subordinates and ground them if they don’t perform up to snuff? Or maybe if I clean my room “Mommy” will let me drive her silver El Dorado to the prom?

Use Other’s Private Information to Get Rich

At the BookWise convention last fall, Sam gave our business card to another associate. Periodically he emails us with offers.

Fine.

Yesterday, however, I got this email (edited to remove real, proper names):

My name is Mibbly Mamboo and I have either sent or received an email from you in the past or I know you personally. Your contact information is in my yahoo address book so I thought you wouldn’t mind if I sent you this note to invite you to join EasyCowPies.com with me.

EasyCowPies.com is a social networking community…if you DO NOT want to receive invitations from EasyCowPies.com members that know you then please unsubscribe here.

Yea! So he subscribed us to a networking site without our knowledge or consent. Thanks a bunch.

I unsubscribed. Really, my life is pretty laid-back and I don’t have much to do besides take care of my six kids, run a home business, take care of my home, do volunteer work, code websites, and speak at conventions. So it was nice to have something important to do today.

Then wrote to him, asking him not to use my email for such things.

No response.

This morning, I got a new email from Mr. Mamboo. It is an eBay ad, trying to sell me an iPhone. And here’s the really neat part. He sent it to 35 different people and he put all our email addresses in the To: field, so they’re accessible (and harvestable) by all.

After that I sent him an email asking him to remove our email address from his list—and from every other list or site he’s put it on. I’ve already been the giddy recipient of offers from some of the other people he spammed.

Just another case where I think the Golden Rule applies.

Receive Thousands Daily for Doing a Bunch of Nothing

Post to a home business email list:

NO Selling, Explaining or Convincing! NO MLM! Unbelievable fastest growing Internet cash generating system that single Moms to Professionals are seeing the power change there lives forever. Between Me and My Partner (You Can Use Me As Your Partner) We Receive $500-$15,000 a Week Returning Calls 1-2 Hours a Day! Duplicate our system! Go to gadgetsmith.com. Than give me a call at #800-999-9999. I’ll walk you threw.

The landing page is the typical scam. No mention of a product or service. But pictures of piles of cash, fancy cars, expensive watches, and champaign corks flying. Yahoo! Money time!

The problem: The inability to spell and use a proper capitalization scheme has no ethical implications that I’m aware of. But please.

I’ve wracked my brain all morning trying to figure out what you do when you call the leads generated by the system. You don’t sell. You don’t explain. You don’t convince. Hmmmm. You dance a gig? You strip tease? You taunt them until they pay you to shut up?

Well, hey, who cares. It’s a “remarkable system to create wealth.” What more could you ask for?

No Nothing

Another amazing opportunity has sprung up to greet the multi-level marketing world! Act now! Get in on the ground level! You won’t believe the benefits!

• It’s got a “nine-tier pay out plan,” but it’s not MLM.
• It had “no start up cost,” but you have to buy a debit card to get paid. And you pay for commission reloads, too.
• There are “no presentations,” but if you don’t convince anyone to join, you won’t make a dime.
• There is “absolutely no selling,” but if you don’t sell the idea to someone, well, see the bullet above. And if you don’t convince anyone to buy, the same applies.

 It’s an ethical loser plan. 

Can You Spell P-L-A-G-I-A-R-I-S-M?

Today a young man posted to a home business networking site. He asked for input on his business blog. The blog was designed to recruit people into his home business.

Problem: Every single blog post was lifted from other blogs, sites, without any attribution to the author.

Urgent! Please Call

Forum post:

One of my team members just stamped her website on sticky notes and was going to leave them on driver’s sides windows!

I have used this method before with sticky notes, but there’s a key to it. Don’t stamp your info on there, they need to be hand written: “Urgent Please Call.” Then write a sizzle number that gives a three minute overview.

The problem: Presenting your business opportunity is not an urgent matter. Telling someone that it is just to force the call isn’t honest.

Create Money with No Selling or Purchasing

Signature line:

FREE HOME BUSINESS- Stores Create Income With No SELLING or PURCHASES!…Click Here!

No, it’s not a money tree. It’s a “free online business.” Here’s how it really works:

• Company applies for tons of affiliate programs on Commission Junction, LinkShare, etc.
• Company posts tons of affiliate banners on a web site.
• Replicates web site.
• Calls the site “a mall.”
• People who sign up get a replicated site.
• Members sign up other members under them.
• Members buy stuff by clicking on affiliate links on their own replicated sites.
• Company gets affiliate commission from businesses (either directly or through the affiliate site).
• Company gives members a tiny percentage of affiliate commission.

The problem: Without selling the business opportunity to others, you have no downline to make money off of. Without someone buying products from their “malls,” there is no commission. Members get paid only if both selling and purchasing are involved.

Welcome to Ethical MLM

Please join us in discussing ethical problems and solutions in mutli-level marketing and/or network marketing. Let’s clean up the industry together.