Question

Is there a rule in this group about promoting multilevel marketing (MLM) companies on the designated “self-promotion” posts? Given that they are all thinly-veiled pyramid schemes notorious for selling overpriced, poor-quality products, I think it should be strongly discouraged from posting about them here.  

Answer 1

Maybe people can share their candid experiences (if they have any) with MLM's (past or present) so we all be informed and keep the conversation contained?  

Comments

@stampede I have multiple close friends who make a legit income off of a MLM. They aren’t ALL bad, just most. I joined Young Living years ago and while I didn’t make money, I never lost money since they don’t require you to ever buy product to hold onto and try to sell it. ‍♀️ I have also started a massage business before and it honestly cost me more money in the end than the MLM ever did. That’s my experience.  

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@swag8239 Thanks for sharing! I think some are legitimate, but aren't the get rich quick approach. I explored a few, and you need to do your research to see where the opportunities exist and what skill will make it worth while (recruiting, direct sales, marketing)

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@stampede John Oliver did an excellent piece on MLMs and why they’re so harmful to many people who get involved. I highly recommend looking it up and watching for anyone interested in this subject.  

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@houk  

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When i was 20 i was kinda starting my own business. My coworker at a deli told me his sister and him joined a company and wanted me to join. So one saturday, drive over to a normal home, they had food, drinks, wine, big screen TV, etc. Took less than 2mins for me to see what the type of business want. At the time i never really knew about MLM, but just being hearing the person speak for a moment i knew it was a fishy sounding and not something for me. ~~~~ When i was 25 my girlfriend was 21 and was selling some herbs or candles or something. After she talked about it for 1 sec i could tell it was MLM. She lost thousands of dollars. She was a user of the product too, so that was pricey.  

Answer 2

I agree that the business models are poor but we do allow for self-promotion of businesses on the 1st and 15th of each month.  

Comments

Yeah, that’s the post that made me wonder. Considering the majority of people in an MLM don’t even profit from sales, it’s not really fair to call their own business, right? I just worry allowing it to be promoted here could get unsuspecting people who haven’t heard of that company or MLMs in general sucked in.  

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@houk that's just a normal risk people run when they make business decisions. Hopefully the people who make LMM a priority understand the concerns you have and will move past the post without a second thought as I did and as you did. But as long as a promotion is legal, I do not see a reason to pick and choose what is allowed to be posted on these 2 days a month

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That makes sense. It’s not the LMM team’s fault that these companies are legal even though they shouldn’t be. Thanks for taking time to respond to my questions!  

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@houk of course! Happy Friday! And go wash your hands :)

Answer 3

I wish there was, mostly because they're annoying!  

Answer 4

My worst financial decision I have ever made was getting suckered into a life insurance pyramid scheme (Premier Financial Alliance)  

Comments

Whoa. How did they even manage to turn a legitimate business (insurance) into an MLM? Sorry you went through that dude.  

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@houk by making it more about recruiting other salespeople and less about selling insurance. Thanks girl, glad I realized!  

Answer 5

Two days of the month they allow self promotion, just because it is MLM doesn't mean it is a scam or pyramid scheme. Any non-self promotion day and i would remove any posts about signing up for someone's group. But they are a good thing to talk about. If you are a good sale's man MLM can be amazingly strong business! Teach you great skills, even if you fail at being in one :D