Chances are if you are a mom, or know a mom… or have ever even met a mom, then you have a friend who has pitched a Multi Level Marketing (MLM) product to you. Younique, It Works, Shakeology, Beachbody, DoTerra… I could go on. An MLM company serves not only to sell a product, but to get YOU to sell a product. This practice has been around since the 1960\’s, and to my surprise it is still very alive. MLM\’s are exciting to mom\’s, because they promise “flexible hours,” “limitless income”, and “the ability to work for yourself.”
A good friend of mine started selling Rodan and Fields. It is a skincare line, and a rather pricey one at that. When she posted it on her Facebook, I thought to myself “oh gosh, now I have to start dodging her calls.” I knew she would reach out to me at some point. I have never really been good at turning away a pushy sales person, especially when that person is a good friend, so I was dreading the eventual conversation we would have to have. Then it happened- she sent me a text asking “What skin care concerns do you have that I can help you with?” In reality I have quite a few skin care concerns, but I already had my “not interested” speech prepared. I didn\’t even consider that I might actually like the product. I let her know that I saw the prices on the site, and now that I have new twins, my income is non-existent, and my bills are higher than ever. I thought for sure she would understand. I mean I have stopped working, and I have two new babies that suck the financial freedom out of my life- enough said, right? Nope! She text me back saying “Well, if you break it down by the day, it is actually only a couple of dollars each day, and way cheaper than botox and fillers.” Ugh- she was doing the full court press on me.I decided that I was “too busy” to respond (again- I have twins). A few days after this text, I noticed a post on her Facebook that really made me think.
When you buy MAC make-up, you’re helping Fabrizio Freda’s 5 year compensation to grow over $17,780,000. When you buy Younique, Mary Kay, or Avon Cosmetics, you’re helping a girl pay for her college tuition.
When you buy supplements from GNC, you are helping Michael Archbold make over $950,000 a year. When you buy Arbonne, Usana, It works, or Beachbody, you’re helping mom’s provide for their family, take care of their wellness as well as help and support wellness in others.
When you buy leggings from Victoria’s Secret Pink, you’re building Sharen Turney’s compensation to over $10,645,000. When you buy clothing from LuLaRoe, you’re helping a single mom pay for her child to play t-ball.
So please know that when you buy Rodan + Fields from me, you’re helping me provide for my family, helping me give back in ways I never dreamed of
After reading that, I thought to myself “wait a minute, why am I so quick to say no?” In fact, the women that sell these products should be applauded.MLMs have come a long way from what they were 10 years ago. It used to be that they were built solely as a pyramid in that you wouldn\’t even hear about a product. People would try to recruit you to be on their team and a product was secondary. Today, there are legitimate products that people actually use and like, and MLMs are a new way to market things we can actually use. Selling these products takes ambition, and hard work. A LOT OF WORK. It takes courage to make the type of changes these women make to start a business from home. How could I knock that? These women are thinking of out of the box ways to make money and provide for their families.
I had a whole new outlook on MLM marketing. It really is an opportunity, and for those of you that take advantage of it- You rock! Not to mention what great role models these moms are for their kids. I am not saying I want to buy a product I am not interested in just to help, but why should I have the “not interested” response without even listening? With that in mind, I decided to hear her out. Of course it didn\’t make the face cream (that I now love) any more affordable, but it did give me a completely new respect for our “sales consulting” mom friends. As a woman who now has kids and knows how hard it is to get anything done, I have to say that I am incredibly proud of my friend. I am incredibly proud of all of the moms that start a business, and strive for better.
