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View Full Version : True Entrepreneurship vs. “the MLM pitch”



Doc Bunkum
07-03-2010, 07:40 AM
"Browsing the business book section at Borders last night, a guy came up and started a conversation about Robert Kiyosaki’s Cash Flow Quadrant. It turned out to be a lead-in to pitching me about an MLM company. He seemed geniunely distressed when I pointed out that the standard-issue MLM pitch (core message: work now and build residual income so you can do what you really want once the money rolls in) is the polar opposite of true entrepreneurship.

True entrepreneurs create and build because they are people who love to create and build. They feel it deep in their bones. It stirs their souls.

The MLM pitch is designed to appeal to the “9-to-5 workers” dream of what the owner of a business should or could be like. In other words, not about the business and the rewards inherent in being who you are as an entrepreneur … but the rewards that come afterwards.

It is not a pitch designed to appeal to what I consider “true” entrepreneurs. It is a pitch designed to appeal to dreamers.

Is it any wonder the % of implementers at MLM companies is so low?

He didn’t have a flip-book answer for that one."

Michael Cage - True entrepreneurship vs. “the MLM pitch” (http://www.entrepreneurslife.com/thoughts/entry/true-entrepreneurship-vs-the-mlm-pitch/)


Then there’s the other obvious arguments -

The exponential growth of the network that is the backbone of the MLM concept breaks down after a few generations. If the MLM concept worked, the entire planet would be recruited after a few generations… which obviously is BS.

The profit margins are pretty slim (not near enough to succeed with direct response) and the products questionable at best.

If the products were so great… why isn’t the Mother Ship selling direct to the consumer via QVC, direct mail, internet, etc? Or at the very least getting a small slice of a huge pie by going through WalMart, Sam’s Club, etc.?

I love the recruitment strategy: “I’ve got this amazing opportunity… I don’t want to give you any details… but come hang out with me at this hotel (or living room) so I can tell you more about it.”

It’s sad that in a land of so much opportunity that some folks fall for this junk.

Whip
07-03-2010, 10:09 AM
"Browsing the business book section at Borders last night, a guy came up and started a conversation about Robert Kiyosaki’s Cash Flow Quadrant. It turned out to be a lead-in to pitching me about an MLM company. He seemed geniunely distressed when I pointed out that the standard-issue MLM pitch (core message: work now and build residual income so you can do what you really want once the money rolls in) is the polar opposite of true entrepreneurship.

It's funny how they never mention that as an entrepreneur, you can work and save money to live on in the future. Seems they like to give the illusion that no matter what you do, if it isn't MoneyLeachingMongoloids, you will never have anything to live on later.


The MLM pitch is designed to appeal to the “9-to-5 workers” dream of what the owner of a business should or could be like.

This is funny also. While these slugs like to condemn those that take care of their responsibilities by having a real job, they need those that do to have someone to sell to. Thus, they need people with guaranteed money coming in. They certainlty can't 'sell' to each other and survive. Why do they insist on insulting people they need?

Emet
07-03-2010, 10:20 AM
MoneyLeachingMongoloids

Please Whip, a little sensitivity. (seriously)

MoneyLeachingMorons
MoneyLeachingMuttonheads

Thanks.

Sojustask
07-03-2010, 10:57 AM
This is funny also. While these slugs like to condemn those that take care of their responsibilities by having a real job, they need those that do to have someone to sell to. Thus, they need people with guaranteed money coming in. They certainlty can't 'sell' to each other and survive. Why do they insist on insulting people they need?

Not the brightest crayons in the box, are they? That would be paramount to WalMart only selling to other WalMarts. Inventory would move, it just woudn't be making any profit.

fastmoney
07-03-2010, 11:28 AM
You know that must be something they teach..

2 times I have been approached at Barnes and Noble..

Almost every time I go by that place, there is a big Hummer wrapped with the mlm man or something like that..

It must work.. Talk to people reading business books on how to make money...

Whip
07-03-2010, 11:55 AM
Not the brightest crayons in the box, are they? That would be paramount to WalMart only selling to other WalMarts. Inventory would move, it just woudn't be making any profit.

You missed the point. Real businesses with different products can certainly sell to other businesses. Such as a cleaning supply company can sell their products/services to the auto repair shop. Auto repair shops can sell their services/products to the cleaning supply company. The point was that without those that are condemned for having real employment, there would be very little money to purchase the MLM product. How many mlmers can actually sell to each other and profit like in the real business world? In fact, why aren't they? Seems most mlmers are looking for others outside the mlm world and not in their circle of peers.

Doc Bunkum
07-03-2010, 11:58 AM
You know that must be something they teach..

2 times I have been approached at Barnes and Noble..

Almost every time I go by that place, there is a big Hummer wrapped with the mlm man or something like that..

It must work.. Talk to people reading business books on how to make money...

This guy maybe?

http://www.6cessline.com/web/images/TrueWealthMagazine.jpg

fastmoney
07-03-2010, 01:43 PM
No not that guy.. This hummer is wrapped. top to bottom..

Make big money or soemthing..

Oh well there are two of these guys...

iamwil
07-07-2010, 02:55 PM
There is a difference between the start by the bootstraps entrepreneur and the MLM package..

I agree. I'd say more entrepreneurs fail than MLMers... that 3% success rate would be phenomenal for the entrepreneur...the entrepreneur will fail hundreds of times in various businesses prior to succeeding, or try 10,000 times to make a light bulb...they have an internal drive and passion to succeed...your average MLMer will never do anything and complain the company and the upline failed him.

Now a good part of that failure is the upline or company in those pipe dreams and promises....they don't emphasize the hard work and dedication it takes to succeed enough...it is a failure in the industry.

Emet
07-07-2010, 06:22 PM
I'd say more entrepreneurs fail than MLMers... that 3% success rate would be phenomenal for the entrepreneur...the entrepreneur will fail hundreds of times in various businesses prior to succeeding...


If you believe that 90 percent of small businesses fail in their first year, you probably also believe that Bill Gates will send you cash for forwarding an e-mail message. Neither story is true, yet neither will go away. Brian Headd, an economist at the SBA Office of Advocacy and author of a 2003 report on small-business closure rates, says the first reliable study of the topic came out in 1989, showing that approximately half of all new businesses were still operating after four years. Headd and other researchers have had similar findings. “To my knowledge, none of them nor myself have run into a substantiated finding [showing] 9 out of 10 fail the first year,” Headd says.



Failure to Launch? - Entrepreneur.com (http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2007/february/173214.html)