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Doc Bunkum
07-15-2010, 07:19 AM
Techniques of Persuasion in MLM or Network Marketing Companies (http://www.energygrid.com/money/2004/03ap-mlm.html)

"A few years back, I attended a closed-door training program for top distributors that was being run by a leading US network marketing company. I was a little disturbed by how this company wanted its distributors to manipulate their way to greater success, and I ended up making four pages of notes which I reproduce at the bottom of this article. These were shoved in my desk draws for many years until I glanced at them the other day and decided that they needed to be up their, on the web, so that people involved with MLM can take heed of the level of manipulation that can often lurk behind friendly smiles, "caring" companies and confident manners.

Here are my notes verbatim, with no embellishment or correction. Make of them what you will (some of them don't make sense to me any more), but bear in mind that these were an integral part of a successful MLM company's training program for its top distributors, a company that presents itself to the public as caring and sharing, whilst holding closed-door trainings that include this material. I have heard from a friend heavily involved in MLM that these sorts of trainings are pretty standard these days."

NOTES FROM MLM TRAINING PROGRAM

Each new agent you find must commit to the following:

1. Continue to use the products.
2. Keep doing what friends do.
3. Influence at least 5 new people each year to take the products and become agents themselves.

There are only 2 addictions:

1. The addiction to control.
2. The addiction to belief systems.

Influence your friends to use these products.
Influence anyone you sell products to to become an agent for the company.
Influence your downline agents to continue being active.
Strive to attain an every increasing level of competence and confidence.

Do what friends do…

Causes to celebrate with friends:

1. Anything to do with the company.
2. Reaching sales targets.
3. Reaching a new level of rebate category.
4. Becoming a distributor.
5. Sponsoring a new agent.

Know the tools of influence

Our vision is to be the largest and most successful network marketing company in the world, supplying our products to every person on earth - our global family - and training leaders capable of global stewardship.

The most compelling motivation on Earth is the desire to make a contribution.

Acknowledgement is the best way to establish rapport and the fastest way to change a person's state.

To be effective, you must be absolutely certain that what you are selling adds value to the person's life.

The best sales people on Earth know that if they don't sell the product they are actually do the customer a disservice.

If I believe something I no longer question it.
If I doubt something I no longer believe it.

Certainty = power

Make sure that people know what the product is worth before they know what the price is.

Never use the word "but" in response to on objection.

I am committed to expanding my sphere of influence.
I am committed to destroying doubt and installing certainty.

Expensive = Good

If someone objects that the products you are selling are very expensive, reply to them in the following manner: "I would pay ten times as much because… ". Remember to tell them that you get what you pay for.

Always sell the expensive products first, that way others won't seem expensive but cheaper in comparison.

We should try to repay in kind what another person has provided us.

Surprise is an additional influencing factor. Don't preannounce that you're giving a gift. It allows the customer to erect barriers and minimize the value of the gift.

Take away their worries and you will be successful.

Get people to make small commitment statements.

We view a behaviour as correct in an given situation to the degree we see others perform it. Therefore, show pictures of different people using our products, signing up as agents, and holding meetings.

What you believe is what you see.

People like to buy from people they like.
People like people who are like them.

People obey or respond to people they perceive as being authorities. Use authority in your presentation… talking about doctor's opinions, teacher's opinions and professor's opinions. Wear a suit and tie. Drive an expensive car and wear an expensive watch. Take clients out to expensive restaurants.

From: Techniques of Persuasion in MLM or Network Marketing Companies (http://www.energygrid.com/money/2004/03ap-mlm.html)

In a nutshell, what the author of the article above said:

http://www.ashie.com/sheeple%20copy.gif

iamwil
07-15-2010, 07:45 AM
And here I thought these were your notes and not some cut and paste from a website...

I wonder if they were his...or he simply cut and pasted from someone else?

The sheeple part...is that your original statement or is that copied from someplace as well?

How much of what you posted do you think you might also hear in a xerox or some other corporate salesmeeting?

I should look for my notes of the crap they taught at an insurance company to the salesforce.

Doc Bunkum
07-15-2010, 08:00 AM
And here I thought these were your notes and not some cut and paste from a website...

When I copy someone else's material, I always give full credit - a link in the headline and in a footnote.


I wonder if they were his...or he simply cut and pasted from someone else?

"Here are my notes verbatim, with no embellishment or correction." I can only assume they are his original notes - if you follow the link to his article.


The sheeple part...is that your original statement or is that copied from someplace as well?

Generally, if you right click on a gif you can find the original source.


How much of what you posted do you think you might also hear in a xerox or some other corporate salesmeeting?

Some - but most is specific to the MLM industry. Such as "Influence at least 5 new people each year to take the products and become agents themselves".


I should look for my notes of the crap they taught at an insurance company to the salesforce.

I have mine - nothing remotely similar to what the author witnessed at that MLM training seminar.

iamwil
07-15-2010, 09:13 AM
Some - but most is specific to the MLM industry. Such as "Influence at least 5 new people each year to take the products and become agents themselves".



I have mine - nothing remotely similar to what the author witnessed at that MLM training seminar.You don't think every salesman needs to influence at least five new clients a year to buy product or more product?? Or that many businesses reward folks for bringing in new blood to work for the firm? (I was in the elevator at Raytheon, flyer said you got $5,000 bonus for successfully recommending a new employee that spoke Farsi or Arabic or Hebrew or.....)

Oh and my insurance company was way worse than any MLM training I've ever seen including what is posted above....of course now I am making a generalization that all insurance companies are as bad as that one, and I don't ever want to deal with them again....

Emet
07-15-2010, 09:50 AM
<snip> Or that many businesses reward folks for bringing in new blood to work for the firm?<snip>
This was previously discussed on this forum. Yes, companies will often do so, but only for jobs that are needed--and those companies respond to market demand.


Oh and my insurance company was way worse than any MLM training I've ever seen including what is posted above.

Well, I can't address the training of insurance reps, but I can speak as a consumer.
I live is USAland, and have resided in 4 states as an adult. While I have received numerous unsolicited mailings, when I inquired about auto/renters/home insurance, I never received anything approaching what was outlined above. I asked about coverage, was given info re: same and the cost. And I always called 3-4 different companies before deciding.

So that's a limited accounting of 12-16 insurance reps--none of whom did anything other than what I described. Among my friends, the same is true.

Soapboxmom
07-15-2010, 09:51 AM
We have had some hilarious conversations about MLM sales techniques. I have been hit up with everything from the subtle soft sell including the guilt heaping about I would be helping a fellow stay at home mom stay home and the classic, but I am going to donate the zillion dollars I make to charity. And, of course, there is always the hard sell baseball bat approach.

Truthfully, I only purchased because at the time I mistakenly believed I was helping a familyh in need. Now, I know the best help would have been a simple gift of cash or a giftcard and help getting out of the financial cult that was draining them completely. Of the many folks I personally know that participated in MLM only one actually made any money. The rest devoted hundreds of hours and months of work to losing ventures.

Soapboxmom

littleroundman
07-15-2010, 10:35 AM
So,

The good Doc starts a thread entitled:

Techniques of Persuasion in MLM Companies

in a forum entitled: MLM, Network Marketing and Pyramid Schemes

yet within one post, iamwill leads the discussion to insurance companies and their training methods.

While I am sure there are many, many industries which use illegal, immoral, unethical and downright fraudulent practices and training, my questions to iamwil would be along the lines of:

1) Are you suggesting the fact industry "XXXX" does something somehow gives every other "industry" carte blanche to follow suit ??

2) Are you suggesting that the point of exposing the tactics used in a specific industry is somehow invalidated by omitting to point out such tactics are in use elsewhere ???

Emet
07-15-2010, 11:13 AM
<snip>... yet within one post, iamwill leads the discussion to insurance companies and their training methods.


MLMers often bring in specious and false comparisons to the insurance and real estate industries, pyramid recruiting vs. pyramidal shape of corporations, etc. ad nauseam.

IMO, it is important to point out the differences to refute any argument or claim made in relatively short, cogent replies, with links to the sources when applicable. And again, IMO, certainly more valuable than simply sending people on a Google search...

I, for one, am here to provide information and to educate readers... :RpS_wink:

But that's just me... :RpS_smile:

iamwil
07-15-2010, 02:56 PM
I was simply wondering how different sales techniques and recruiting techniques are from business to business.

I'm discussing the topic not derailing the thread....so maybe to continue one of you geniuses can copy the OP and rate line by line 1-10... 1 = acceptable marketing technique used in most motivational sales seminars, 10 = Horrific scamming methods used by unscrupulous operators. And then we can get down to brass tacks.

I, for one, am here to provide information and to educate readers... Me, I'm here to learn, I cut and pasted the above and am using it on my Saturday morning training calls.

Emet
07-15-2010, 03:06 PM
Me, I'm here to learn, I cut and pasted the above and am using it on my Saturday morning training calls.

Please send me my cut of any earnings you make from my quote. :RpS_laugh:

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