Should advertising MLM ‘opportunities’ be permitted in this forum?
0 voters
I’ve dabbled, and it eventually took half an hour with an Excel spreadsheet to convince me that, as a financial proposition, MLM is a waste of time.
On the other hand, it was a valuable experience.
What do you think about whether advertisements for MLM should be permitted in this forum?
It took you half an hour to work that out ? 
For example, if you have to recruit 10 people, and they have to recruit 10 people, after 10 times, 10 billion (10^10) people will have to be recuited.
It’s often nothing more than a con.
Since this forum is about business, then technically, yes it should be allowed. The problem I see is that you are going to have every herbalife, Amway nutbar in the world swamping this forum. So I voted to put all that MLM stuff into one thread.
My feeling too. One ‘advertise your MLM here, then piss off’ thread. But I’ll wait and see what the consensus says.
Fluffy, it took me half an hour because I wanted to see the numbers printed out based on the sort of monthly growth they promise you. I fiddled with the calculations for a while. I think it worked out that if you can achieve financial independence in three years then by year 5 there will be no one left in the world to buy the product.
If Amway really works then the original founder’s downlines now reach as far as the Horsehead Nebula.
Can someone please read this forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopi … 988#150988 or this scam artist’s website and then tell me what’s good about it, I seem to be missing something.
You guys tosted me when I did it. :bluemad:
Generally no one is intersted in it anyways.
Why waste space on the server.
I think it should be allowed, but with no advertising. In otherwords, if you want to discuss something that is MLM related, fine do it, but don’t place advertisements about it. Unfortunately though I can see that with over 250 MLM programs in Taiwan that it would make this forum a little messy if their was a thread on each one, but also putting them all in one thread would get a bit confusing.
No way, they breed like rats. If you let one in, soon the rest will start spamming here.
IMHO any obvious scams should be deleted.
Right, no more MLM then.
I’m new to this forum, this being my first post. I’ve been a commercial airline pilot for 35+ years, having flown for Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, & Eastern Airlines. I’ve also been involved with MLM (Network Marketing) for 20+ years and have enjoyed some success (www.nhms.com/bio).
Not allowing network marketing would leave out Warren Buffett who owns his own network marketing company, Pamper Chef; Primerica, the largest provider of term life insurance in the USA, owned by Citibank; and the past CEO of Walmart (can’t recall his name at the moment) who is on the Board of Directors of an MLM and also a Distributor. Many more mainstream individuals & companies market their products through referral or network marketing.
Let’s not be short-sighted & discriminate just because some may have not been successful in MLM. I vote to allow all types of business & marketing methods on the forum. Thanks for allowing me my 2 cents worth 
MLM is not about business or marketing, it’s about cheating people out of their money. It’s that simple. The plain mathematics of MLM mean that those recruited later will simply be unable to make money. They will lose money. Recruiting them with the promises that they will make money, is therefore a blatant lie. MLM is downright immoral and in many cases illegal. Don’t allow it.
Brian
Personally, I’d rather keep this a discussion forum - that’s what it is supposed to be, right? If we allow people to use the forum for advertising, we might spend more time dodging ads than actually sharing information. Can anyone say, “Spam”?
Just an opinion,
CK
I disagree that it is that simple.
Now I don’t deny that people get ripped off. And I believe there lots of folks out there who will use MLM systems to prey on the gullible and less informed.
But I have personally known 5 amazing, honest good friends of mine who have had success with MLM – 3 with Amway and 2 with Nuskin (and btw, none of them are in the same network)
In fact, one of them is someone I’ve known since I was 11 years old, and his involvement in Amway led to his baptism as a Roman Catholic (which still baffles me how this transpired, but there you are). Whatever you might say about organized religion, the passion that he took from his Amway experience (Brick group, if that means anything to anyone) was clear and real.
I haven’t joined any MLM programmes, but I suppose I will someday when I feel I’m up for it. To me, it’s as much of an opportunity as “The Internet” was – and still is.
Relatedy, some people wonder why I haven’t seriously looked to “make money” off of ORIENTED or Forumosa. My answer is the same as wh I haven’t joined an MLM – I don’t believe it’s worth my time right now compared to how I could be spending my time (ie, my current day job: I work in marketing for a multinational company). It’s Econ 101, but I’d never rule it out
To succeed in MLM (a euphemism for disguised pyramid selling) you have to recruit a mumber of people under you to make money for you. To do this you have to tell them that they’ll make money doing this.
So you recruit ten, people, they recruit ten people, etc etc, and 9 levels down 1/6 of the entire world’s population is selling the same products to the other 5/6s. You don’t need to be a business genius to realise that those people aren’t going to make a lot of money. Therefore telling them - “join this scheme, you’ll make money”, is obviosuly a lie.
If you’re lucky enough to actually make money off MLM, your’e doing so by lying to, and cheating other people.
Try reading this for more detail:
Brian
Here is some information that I gleaned from Peter Arnold re: MLM or Network Marketing. Perhaps it will shed some light on how some of us view the industry. Thank you for the privelage of being able to post on this forum
Question => What Business are we REALLY in?
I’d like to put forth a few thoughts for consideration…
Most would say we in NWM (Network Marketing) are in the business of using and sharing and marketing products and services to others, and attracting Biz Partners to do the same thing. And this is true, because bottom line - without products moving, no money can be made.
But I believe there is really a far MORE IMPORTANT answer.
Let’s consider the more accurate answer to this question, in 2-parts:
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PART I ==> We are in the PEOPLE Business.
NWM (Network Marketing) is a business of personal relationships. Success requires constant personal growth and stretching and striving for excellence. That’s hard. Self growth means we must not only be comfortable with ourselves, but we must acquire a caring attitude - even love - for other people. In reality, we do not inspire organizations or businesses - we inspire PEOPLE.
We are successful if we know how to nurture and edify and see and affirm the ‘best qualities’ in people. We must be honorable. We must be humble. They must trust and respect us. Others can tell instinctively whether or not we care for them and have their best interests at heart. If they do not know that we care for them, they will not respond to us.
This is about the art of assisting and working with people who we care deeply for and desire to help. We want to improve their lives. We see the higher ground that they themselves cannot see, and we desire to take them there. This takes time and energy and patience on our part - and sometimes heartache - but witnessing our partners exceed their own expectations - is worth every single ounce of it.
= CHOOSE A ‘CARING’ ORGANIZATION - Famous author, teacher, coach, investment guru - RICHARD KIYOSAKI - talks about some major KEYS in Network Marketing, in one of his best-seller books, ‘The Cash Flow Quadrant’. In part, he says – “…the first thing is - choose an organization that is first, committed to developing you as a ‘human being’ - more than developing you as a salesperson. I endorse any NWM organization that has ongoing, long-term educational programs to develop you as a human being. Self confidence is vital on the right side of the quadrant (the “B” - Biz Ownership). Have a strong ‘mentor’ program – have people you respect and enjoy being with”, etc .
So it’s critical that we know about, and are comfortable with, our Upline Support TEAM – its governing values – its mindset – its mission.
= NWM ‘PULLS PEOPLE UP’ - NWM trainer / coach / author / speaker TOM (Big Al) SCHREITER says that the primary KEY to Network Marketing success lies ‘within ourselves’ – that NWM is not about ‘other people making us successful’ – NWM is about making ourselves ‘better people’ - so that we can help make others more successful. BIG difference. He says that NWM ‘pulls people up’ - vs- the corporate world, that tends to ‘keep people pushed down’.
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PART II - I believe we are in the LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Business.
Perhaps more than any other business on the planet, this is the case. Please think about that. The highest levels of success in Network Marketing belong to those who are exceptional leaders. They have rare skills and talents involving many areas, such as being a constant mentor - followed by letting go.
A good example of that is - when a new partner is filled with questions, a leader initially gives out ‘all’ the information. Then as time passes, a leader may begin to say – “you call this number and get that question, and I’ll find out about the other question – and then call me back, and we’ll compare notes” (so the leader is kept from being the be-all and end-all). Eventually, the leader may say – “I’m not sure about that one, can you find out the answer and then get back to me so we’ll both know next time?” thus they become equals). This will be duplicated through the power of ‘leverage’.
A true leader is always teaching leaders-in-waiting by example - always cutting baby eagles loose from the nest when they should be ready, but scooping them up if they’re not. They walk the extra mile - they give what it takes - they sacrifice, for something bigger than themselves.
Leadership in this industry is different from leadership in others. Here, it is a wonderful paradigm of “win-win” – You win – and as a result, I win. In fact if you don’t win, I can’t win. This is uncommon in other industries.
KIYOSAKI Again - “The ‘second’ thing successful people learn in NWM is how to lead people. Working with different kinds of people is the hardest thing about business. The people I have met who are successful in any business are those who are natural leaders. The ability to get along with, and inspire, people is a priceless skill, a skill that can be learned…”
= But in NWM => what is it that we are leaders IN ?
= ‘MAKERS’ OF LEADERS - I submit that the greatest NWM leaders are ‘makers’ of leaders. They become a resource - a teacher of leadership - a good listener - a great communicator - a committed partner to those who are on the ‘path’ of development as leaders. They have wonderful attitudes - they ask questions - they challenge their associate’s hidden assets - they foresee obstacles - they troubleshoot - they resolve situations before difficulty enters.
More importantly, they teach concepts of community- building – perpetuating the birth of ‘new’ leaders, who support and help others achieve their aspirations - because in NWM - when we are ALONE - none of us is successful - we only succeed when ALL of us are winning - the TEAM spirit. This is the ‘essence’ of NWM. Network Marketing is perhaps the only business structure anywhere, that truly accomodates this kind of leadership development. It’s unique to our industry.
I believe we’re ALL “leaders in training”.
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NWM ‘demands’ that that leaders care for, and mentor, and build leaders. Period. Can you think of any other business model in the universe in which leaders, empowering other leaders, is ‘mandatory’ for success?
In most businesses and other industries, even in prosperous times, it’s a world of – dog-eat-dog – me- versus-them – what’s-in-it-for-me – a survival-of- the-fittest syndrome – whereas in Network Marketing, in order for leaders to MAKE it to the top, they ‘must’ work with - inspire - empower - and develop ‘other’ leaders.
What a magnificant purpose! – That’s worth celebrating!
SO WHAT “IS” MLM? - I propose to you that - more than anything else - more than products and services - more than compensation plans - more than sales - more than prospecting, recruiting, residual income, leads, business briefings, seminars, conventions, whatever - we in this great industry are in the…
PEOPLE // PERSONAL GROWTH // LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Business!
THAT’S what we’re in – a business of bringing out the ‘best’ in ourselves and in others – a business of spreading physical / spiritual / financial WELLNESS around the globe – a business that may well take our society -and the entire paradigm of business and commerce - to its next level.
NWM – although not ‘perfect’ (show me anything that is!) – is a business I feel very good about – a business I am grateful for – a business I am extremely proud to be a part of.
I hope you share some of these feelings too.
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= “Leaders are readers.” (Donald Laird)
= “Leaders think. They think because they are leaders. They are leaders because they think.” (Dr. Paul Parker)
= “For every person who has the ability to lead, there are a thousand who are waiting to be led.” (Roy L. Smith)
Wow, Glyn! I never realized that everyone involoved in pyramid scams is a leader. What an interesting article. Sure made the whole deal clear in my mind.
You see, Bu Lai-en? Its not conning and misleading suckers – its “developing personal relationships.”
Run that by me again.
Where are you leading these people? To success and fortune? All of them?
In my opening statement on this thread I stated that MLM had been a valuable experience, and Glyn has given a good argument in support of that. But ultimately MLM cannot work for everyone, no matter how good a leader you are, because it relies on growth which is unrealistic.
You can’t make a success of MLM without growing a large organisation, hence you need to learn the leadership skills described. But the organisation is built on the premise that everyone coming in can have an equally successful organisation of their own. And everyone coming into the new organisations also has the same opportunity.
The numbers very quickly become unrealistic, which means that the promises you make as a leader - and the promises you teach others to make - are promises you can’t keep. The first quality of a good leader is to be trustworthy.