The Explorer:
In his newly released book, “MLM – Is Multi-Level Marketing Right for You?,” Richardson identifies the pros and cons of such endeavors, and why they may or may not be a good fit for each person. His research found the topic is Googled one million times a month, and approximately 99 percent of online information offers only the positive points of MLM.
“In the other 1 percent, they say they’re total scams and fraud. There’s nothing in between, which is what my book is,” explained Richardson.
He defines an MLM as a company that sells products or services through independent representatives. In a majority of cases, the greatest potential to make money comes from recruiting other associates, and the higher one sits among the tiers, the more money there is to be made. Some companies, such as Mary Kay and Amway, offer a good enough product line that it’s possible to make a living just by selling the product.
Typically, MLMs put on recruiting events that are flashy, full of hype and talk up the big payoffs.
“I wouldn’t mind all that, but when companies advertise that anyone can do it, that’s not true,” said Richardson. His intention in the book is not to take away anyone’s hopes, but to help people decide if they have the aptitude for this type of business. “The essence of the book is, you’re not a bad person if you don’t have a skill set.”
Richardson has four goals for the book: “To cut through the promotional hype; to give a person a set of criteria to self-evaluate the likelihood of being successful; if they’re already in, here’s what to do to be more successful; and if it’s not working, that doesn’t mean you’re a failure.” He found through his own experiences with MLMs that it’s important to have realistic expectations going in, and to understand that expectations help define success.
Image from Hawkeye Focus