Why Look at MLM?

People join MLM companies for many different reasons.  Here’s a partial list:

Join MLM as a social activity
MLM is a great place to meet people and have fun. There are business meetings, training meetings, cruises, cookouts and fireside chats where you can meet lots of new friends. Conversation topics are normally business and personal-growth related. I know many people who have found their spouse in MLM because there are so many people and so many events one can attend. Every 12-18 months most MLM companies hold national or international conventions where people meet from all over the world. This is a great place to meet people. Personally I’ve made friends in over 20 different countries. It’s rare to find an organization outside of MLM with as many opportunities to meet people and socialize. Another aspect of social activities is working with friends and/or family members. I’ve seen very often that couples would like to work together in their own business - MLM offers that opportunity.

Join MLM to help people
Suppose the MLM  company you join  helps people with weight management. As you get trained in how to sell products,  you learn a lot about the subject of weight management. This knowledge allows  you to help other people with weight management issues. I’ve also known very  wealthy people to join MLM because they want to help people earn more money  and achieve the lifestyle they’ve enjoyed. Rarely can a person who has become  wealthy in a traditional business be able to help their friends also become wealthy; MLM is the exception. When you’re able to help someone overcome a  weight management problem that they’ve struggled with, or help someone improve  their skin condition, or help someone achieve financial freedom, it’s very  rewarding because you know you’ve made their life better.

Join MLM as a retirement alternative or addition
Today  in the United States only 40% of people who work actually have a retirement  account. Of those who have a retirement account of some kind, the average account  balance is $29,000.00. This will not afford the average retiree the money to  pay predictable expenses (mortgage payments, utilities, food, auto expenses,  etc.). The $29,000 certainly won’t afford any unpredictable, catastrophic expenses  such as medical costs. MLM offers a way for a person to create an income as an alternative to standard retirement plans or to augment their current retirement plan.

Join MLM to transition into business ownership
Most  people work as hard as they can in whatever job they can find to keep up with  expenses. They feel trapped because they HAVE to go to work to pay the bills.  MLM offers a way out of the typical job trap because a person can work their MLM business part-time until they earn enough income to quit their full time  job - if they desire to do so. I’ve met professionals who have replaced their income through MLM, but love what they do so much that they continue in their old profession - but without the stress of having to make living with it. Personally,  I’ve seen doctors, artists, school teachers and architects do this.

Join MLM to achieve your dreams
Most people have dreams that are often hidden underneath “not enough time, money, or know-how.” Whether it be music, art, dance, benevolent causes, a horse ranch, cars, boats, flying, diving, traveling, golf - dream lists are endless unless one has quit dreaming. People
often join MLM to build a business that allows them the freedom and flexibility to pursue their real dream.

Join MLM to live where you want to live
I’ve met several people throughout my travels that joined MLM because they fell in love with a particular part of the world and wanted to live there, away from the “rat-race lifestyle.” That you can work from home in MLM is very enticing to many people. Not only can you work from home with MLM, but you can work from ANY home. I have met people who live on a boat and build their MLM business.

Join MLM to create wealth
Yes, wealth is available to people in MLM. It will require as much effort (and results) as creating wealth using any other business method. You cannot shortcut the effort in the creation of wealth. But with MLM it doesn’t require as much start-up capital expense as with most other wealth-creation options. I did not write that it would require NO start-up capital; just less. Incidentally, I have accomplished all of the above through MLM. It is absolutely doable!

Why Corporations Like MLM
As Harvard-educated Professor Charles King and I discussed, all businesses, churches, politicians, schools,  etc. know that word-of-mouth advertising is the most effective and efficient form of  advertising. It’s effective because the advertising is coming from a trusted source - a friend, a family member, an acquaintance; it’s efficient because the company does not have to pay for advertising that doesn’t reach the customer.

If a company sends out 1,000 post cards telling people where their store is located and only 1% of the 1,000 come into the store, then 99% of the advertising was wasted. If a company spends 450 million dollars on an advertising campaign but only sells 100 million worth of products, they have lost 350 million dollars.  Corporations love doing business with MLM companies because they only pay for results. They pay no advertising expense until the product is sold.

The other reason corporations like MLM is because they’re paying for advertising that benefits the consumer. Let me explain: if a company (such as T-Mobile) hires celebrity Catherine Zeta Jones and pays her 20 million dollars, that 20 million doesn’t benefit the consumer. As charming as Catherine Zeta Jones may be, she adds no value to the consumer. In network marketing, that same 20 million dollars goes to distributors who have (hopefully) mastered the product and are able to explain it to the consumer. See  this diagram for  a visual.

MLM companies pay for production, not for coming to work
The  word production means “something produced.” If a non-MLM company hires a sales representative to sell their products, they normally pay the sales rep a salary plus commission on the sales of the products sold.  They do this prior to knowing if the sales rep will sell anything at all. If the sales rep never sells anything, their salary is a wasted expense. In multi-level marketing, the company ONLY pays a commission when a product is actually sold. That’s paying for production instead of paying people to come to work whether they produce a sale or not.

Conversely, if you’re the type of person who seeks ways to hide from producing,  you’ll hate MLM if you continue that same non-productive activity.

Best possible use of your time
If you are a productive person, you will want what MLM offers. You can create a pay raise any time you want. In addition there is little or no limit to how much money you can make.

But most importantly, you’re multiplying your time instead of expending it. There are three things you can do with time: Expend it, invest it, and/or multiply it. As an employee, you’re expending your time. Expend 8 hours, get paid for 8 hours. In MLM, you train another person to do what you do - that’s investing your time. You work 8 hours, the person you trained works 8 hours - you’re [theoretically] getting paid for 16 hours of work. If the person you trained trains someone else, you’ve multiplied your time. Don’t brush by this statement…  IT IS THE REASON MLM IS SO POWERFUL. Most people don’t understand this part. 

Recommended next page: How  to evaluate an MLM company.


Tim Sales built an MLM business with an income of over $150,000 per month with 2,400+ new distributors joining per month. He now creates MLM training tools and sales aids for everyone in network marketing. To discover Tims' proven network marketing ideas and strategies that will grow your MLM business faster, visit www.FirstClassMLMTools.com


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44 Comments

  1. infysolutions (December 24th, 2007 at 6:22 pm)

    this is an excellent article enlisting all the reasons why one would want to join mlm and even why corporate america loves mlm. i remember getting referral $$ for refering my friends to sprint and (then) at&t a couple of years back. now even i can leverage the same power of word-of-mouth publicity for my benefit.

  2. Jackie (December 28th, 2007 at 6:32 am)

    Excellent article covering many important points.

  3. Vic Pierson (December 28th, 2007 at 6:47 am)

    This article is excellent. Only those individuals willing to learn about thier products and then work diligently toward their goal(s) will succeed. Their benefits can far exceed those individuals located above them in their M.L.M. business.

  4. Doug Lee (December 28th, 2007 at 6:48 am)

    Once again, a great article. A must read for anyone looking for that reason to join.
    -Doug Lee

  5. Maggie Williamson (December 28th, 2007 at 7:48 am)

    I was excited to see you point out that people have motivations to join mlm other than building wealth. Every persons motivation is uniquely important.

  6. Patti Roney (December 28th, 2007 at 9:07 am)

    Thank you for publishing the reasons in DEPTH for MLM! Perception of the industry changes dramatically once you are involved with an integral company and you begin to experience so much more than you ever imagined! Your reasons show the vast potential and dig into the depths! Thank you!

  7. Kathleen Slaven (December 28th, 2007 at 12:07 pm)

    Excellent information!! I am sharing it!! Thank you!

  8. Lesa (December 28th, 2007 at 4:29 pm)

    I just really love the simplicity of your articles. Everything is broken down into a complete {common sense} way of thinking. You make the industry stand out as something to be proud of.

  9. Melchor Hernandez (December 28th, 2007 at 7:54 pm)

    As professional as usual. I joined mlm as a retirement alternative. As merchant marine captain in mexico we do not have this benefit, how to survive after retirement? mlm is the response to this, and as a professional I want mlm be done professional also, a lt of friends failed on my sea career and they talk to everyone that sea careers are “bad” but after 20 years for me is marvelous and have a great life, mlm is my relieve to that life in future. -Travel, positive friends, good life for my family. Thanks “viva Mexico”

  10. Steve Stearns (December 29th, 2007 at 7:32 am)

    Great reasons for to be involved. Wake up those dreams and go after them.

  11. Joe Kresser (December 29th, 2007 at 8:48 am)

    You know in the MLM business a lot of the companies thrive on hype. I never did like that part of it. You ar providing a way to educate people without the hype. Articles like this are really good for our industry. Joe K

  12. Albert Watkins (December 29th, 2007 at 11:12 am)

    Great information!

  13. Aaron Youtsey (December 29th, 2007 at 1:32 pm)

    I can tell you one thing Tim.The MLM Zealots are definitely going to hate you for this.Well Done!!!

  14. Kathi Waite (December 29th, 2007 at 3:28 pm)

    I’m so glad I found your site. I have learned so much and feel so much better about my own ability to do MLM.

  15. Jacob Camacho (December 30th, 2007 at 12:22 am)

    Very well said. Regardless of your reason I ask you: where else can you work for a living; choose your own hours; choose who you work with; choose how much money you make and get recognition? In my 40 years I have only found MLM to be the place.

  16. Rimon Nuhi (December 30th, 2007 at 5:59 am)

    Sicerely, I would never grasp the core ideas of MLM without Tim Sales. I wouldn’t say, “If I wouldn’t have seen Brilliant Compensation, I have never been in MLM”. But the truth for me is that without Tim Sales I would never comprehence the possiblity that THERE IS First Class MlM, and it’s actually possilbe. As far as improving people lives, both from the seller and the buyer sides, there is absolutely no business that can be compared with MLM, and that is the EXACT reason why MLM enables to make to so much money. The more value it can generate to other people lives (customers are the first here), the bigger paychecks one get get.
    Thank you Tim!

  17. Dr Barry H (December 30th, 2007 at 1:55 pm)

    I like the Why Corporations Like MLM. Good choice.

  18. Pam Fike (January 1st, 2008 at 6:57 pm)

    Great website! MLM is allowing me to dream again!

  19. Rosemary Leach (January 1st, 2008 at 7:13 pm)

    Thanks what a great explanation and the information you are giving people to help them understand the industy.

  20. Javed from Pakistan (January 2nd, 2008 at 12:22 am)

    Tim
    In future these artcles will be seen as GREAT MILSTONES that reshape mlm professionally.
    Personaly, Helping other is my motivator for joinng mlm.
    Great Work.

  21. Valencia Burton (January 2nd, 2008 at 12:57 pm)

    There are some points here that I did not even think of! This paints a bigger picture of what goals I want to set for myself! Thank you Tim!

  22. Todd M. (January 2nd, 2008 at 1:20 pm)

    Tim
    As always, thanks for a job well done! You’re real asset for anyone looking to navigate the waters of mlm. I’m thankful to be part of mlm because my wife was a distributor when we met, and what a great experience it has been. I appreciate the opportunity to have benefited from your resources and teachings because there have been some pretty confusing and challenging moments. Thanks for the honesty and integrity that you bring forth.

  23. Gavin Chapman (January 3rd, 2008 at 2:50 am)

    Was it John Wooden who said, “Ability is a poor man’s wealth?” The amazing thing about MLM is how a worthy sponsor, upline and company WANT you to acquire that ‘ability’ and will positively do their utmost to infect you with all that they have. As long as you hold up your end of the bargain which is to work at it.

  24. marilyn holm (January 3rd, 2008 at 1:26 pm)

    Impressive clarity about simple truths. Helps me remember why I chose network marketing.

  25. Ulf Paxby. Sweden (January 19th, 2008 at 3:19 am)

    Great explanation and information!

  26. Rolf Hefti (January 20th, 2008 at 10:59 pm)

    Gives an excellent summary of why a person should consider a Network Marketing business.

  27. Brian Wakhutu (January 31st, 2008 at 3:44 am)

    Great Explanation!!!

  28. JIMMY PHILIPINES (February 3rd, 2008 at 9:39 pm)

    Thanks Tim,

    I’ve been to many websites teaching network marketing. Your’s is the most generous and professional. As they say “the best things in life are free” its all in your site.
    I am very positive that my network team will grow couple of years from now. By that time I want you to come here in our country (The Philippines) and I will accomodate you first class.
    I will keep on watching your contribution to our industry.
    Until then,
    With much respect.

  29. Janet Wenger (February 24th, 2008 at 1:48 pm)

    This article tells it like it is without hype. Those who won’t explore network marketing after reading this are cheating themselves.

  30. Moustafa Kassim (March 8th, 2008 at 11:20 am)

    This is an article to show prospective business partners all the possible reasons people get involved with MLM for real and true reasons.

  31. Juliet Liwag (June 24th, 2008 at 2:38 am)

    Everyday, i always come back here to your site, because i want to learn everything about MLM. i love to teach and i love to sell but most of all i believe i shall be a success in MLM. You are equipping me with everything else i need to make a mark to all my acquaintances who dislike MLM. They thought i was chasing impossible dreams. I think i had found the right MLM for me.my problem is- they have not started it yet in the place where i am today- UAE.
    ONCE MORE- Great Thanks to you Tim Sales for being generous and for loving the same industry i love.

  32. buzzirk spider (June 29th, 2008 at 10:31 am)

    Thanks ,glad i landed here.

  33. MJ from Michigan (July 20th, 2008 at 9:52 am)

    A heartwarming perspective on network marketing. Thank you, Tim, for making MLM so easy to sell and to feel good about.

  34. Jarman Bryant (July 30th, 2008 at 12:34 pm)

    This is great information source. I could not explain exactly how MLM works, I just know that it does. I usually have to resort to just trust me for awhile and you will see. This does not work well in a society that has so many false hoods.
    Thanks for the help. I’ll just send skeptics to the irrefutable facts.

  35. RD in Tennessee (August 5th, 2008 at 10:34 am)

    Thank you Tim, for taking the time to lay out in simple, easy to understand terms how to answer the objection we as starting distributers face every iime we talk to a potentially serious prospect. They so often set themselves up as failures even while they are asking us to sell them on building a future for their own dismal lives. Most of us are becoming so skeptical now, in this country of America that we fail to even recognize the American dream anymore.
    Foreigners come here, see this opportunity, they win; and we critize them harshly. When we could have had it first.

  36. Ayesha Dawood from Pakistan (August 12th, 2008 at 8:59 pm)

    geart article Tim. Running in my mind are few querries.I have a question if anyone could answer this for me, is this happening in PAKISTAN??? Dustribution , direct selling is happening but IS MLM happening in Pakistan.IF yes then Who ?

  37. RYCbest (September 28th, 2008 at 10:46 am)

    tnx for sharing great information `bout MLM…..

  38. Teddy Letsou (January 15th, 2009 at 10:09 pm)

    Thanks for the terrific article. A lot of people, including some in the industry, don’t understand that the business model of MLM is a simple one. Hard work and commitment are still needed to be successful as nothing in life is free. Great to see that you also allow those who don’t understands) a forum to express their opinion as well. Great article.

  39. Dave Thompson (March 23rd, 2009 at 7:46 pm)

    Tim,

    As usual you have given us more “meat” to chew on! MLM is the most powerful yet profoundly simple business model ever divised to enable the common man or woman to live an uncommon lifestyle!

    Dave Thompson
    Nashville, TN

  40. B.J. Benjamin (April 28th, 2009 at 11:56 am)

    Tim,
    Your whole site is fantastic. I am an old timer in this business and I was overwhelmed with the amount of information that is available to the plublic.
    It’s all about the steak and not the sizzel.
    Thank You

  41. ATIF SHOAIB PAKISTAN (May 8th, 2009 at 10:01 pm)

    hi tim, really you done an out class work to satisfied all cofussions quiry to work in mlm company.

  42. Hafeez Shah PAKISTAN (October 12th, 2009 at 2:36 am)

    Thanks sir

  43. anowlilinia (July 2nd, 2010 at 1:59 pm)

    Hi Yall, i would just like to make an introduction to everyone at www.firstclassmlm.com
    Your forum is brilliant! Usually when I visit forums, I just come across rubbish, but this time I was very surprised, finding a helpful forum containing fantastic information. Thanks people and keep this great effort up.

  44. Mr.Richmind (July 18th, 2010 at 5:46 am)

    I joined because it reflect many things in life. Cheer!

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