General Q&A's for direct sellers

[Chammy]

Ok, so this is for questions that don't fit into any particular franchise just general questions about working for a direct selling company etc

My first one, the reason I started this thread and one that has been bugging me a while as I have seen several different companies/reps/recruiters pulling this trick.

Why mask your opportunity? Why hide it behind wall after wall of useless stuff before telling your potential recruitee?? what it is they are getting more info about?

Kleeneze are buggers for this on indeed.com, I have just found one advertising as "Work from home - Admin" then they ask you to fill in all your details for someone to contact you, to which they will THEN tell you who they are. The other day I was checking out another advert for them as my sister wanted to know if it was a scam. Looked like a legit work from home opportunity, but then you had to fill in your details to watch the company's video to which 2.5minutes in you are told it is Kleeneze. A week later I got an email from them asking if they could have a phone number and appropriate time to chat about my new opportunity...I emailed back telling them where to go...after emailing them to ask who they were!

It happens on Facebook all the time too..."Want to earn £500-£1000 a month for 5 hours work? Them PM me and I will tell you more" who are you working for? "I work for a multi-million-bazzilion dollar company who are fanastically amazing!!!! join now!!!" What company? "Forever Living" No thanks

In that time IF they were honest who they were then they may have got a recruit rather than taking me around the houses.

So why?

 

[EllieHall]

I really really don't get the recruitment spiels that don't say who the company is.

Then again, I kinda assume that any ad which says I can earn £££ in my spare time and just need to be a people person is a pimp advertising for prostitutes, comparisons with some direct selling companies aside.

Surely due diligence starts with making sure you know who the company is and that they're at least vaguely reputable, so all a vague ad does is means that your customers don't throttle you because they're sick of recruitment spam, because they don't know who to throttle.

 

[Blackpepper1]

It is pointless to do that. Everyone should be upfront as to who they are working for.
Otherwise all that is going to happen is someone will get loads of inquiries then when they are told what it is not many people out of those interested will actually want to join anyway.
It is better to tell people upfront what the business actually is and then you get genuine interested people who do then want to find out more details rather than someone looking for doing a 'proper job' working from home who has no interest in MLM at all.
If people like what they sell and have a real passion for it then they should be able to say what company it is and be proud of it.

 

[Flitterbug]

Chocolates for Chocoholics don't do this sort of thing, they're very up front about pretty much everything apart from the commission.

Why companies feel the need to trick others into signing up for them I'll never know.

My question would be is it better to do the direct selling or to work behind the scenes at minimum wage (but is reliable work)? Is the risk/leg work worth the return in commission.

 

[Jon]

I don't think it is the companies that are misleading - it's the reps

Once they have signed up to that more than likely unattainable potential income they need to do everything that can to do that
I believe they psychologically end up feeling bad because once the "live the dream, sack the boss" mentality gets flipped on it's head and they are responsible for their own income stream if they can't make those figures / totals then it comes down to not achieving enough or not putting enough effort in

 

[Laura]

Most Companies give specific adverts to use which mention the company, if people wish to word their own then they either
1. Get the ad checked by Head Office (happens with us at least)
2. Leave out the company name so that the company cannot be held liable for any false claims (I assume)

It's to create 'an air of mystery' to get people 'interested', to make people go 'WOW I want some of that' & to get them to send contact details so they can be hounded forever...

It may have created interest many moons ago but everyone does it & it looks ridiculous.
They still get the people who are really desperate for money though.. people who are willing to believe that untold riches are waiting for them, all they have to do is click 2 buttons & the money will magically appear in their account.. more like disappear but desperate people will try anything that looks like a get rich quick scheme unfortunately... once they find out that isn't the case then they decry the whole MLM sector.. but if they weren't desperate they'd have done their homework first & possibly avoided MLM completely or found the one right for them...

I'm not a fan of Kleeneze at all.. I joined them years ago & the experience put me off MLM for many many many years..

 

[Jon]

Good question, I see it A LOT..


I believe a lot of it is to do with marketing to the naive



So let's take an example


Let's say I work for Ann Summer flogging vibrators to all my female friends



I want to recruit some people cos to be honest I'm not earning THAT much commission through my sales of the AA batteries that go alongside the latest line.


I know people will more then likely groan at the through of direct selling so to bait their interest I put up an ad that is not specific and offers some kind of carrot


WANT TO EARN £400 A MONTH JUST BY CHATTING TO YOUR FRIENDS!!


something like that - this is enough to bring in at least a few people who have no idea what they are really doing and get you a few sign ups. By the point you mention its Ann Summers it doesn't matter cos they are already 8) about your amazing income.


Another reason they could also be doing it is that they have more than one franchise. I see this a lot from the direct selling girls and based on the person who contacts them from their non-specific post (maybe based on their locale) they will offer different franchise opportunities to them.


It's a joke anyway a I reply to them, they add me as a friend and then copy and paste this MAMMOTH wall of text to me via PM. No though, no connecting just a generic sales pitch.


It obviously works though as otherwise why would they keep doing it!

 

[Moonpoppy]

It makes me want to bash my head against a brick wall - shouldn't we be proud of who we work with? I'm all for directness and transparency and vote with my feet ...

 

[jenniferohanlon]

I am with Usborne and always state that in any advert I place. I have only just started trying to recruit but I am proud to say I am with Usborne . I always put details about how much it costs, etc and will always be happy to answer any questions

 

[smitrit]

Ok, so this is for questions that don't fit into any particular franchise just general questions about working for a direct selling company etc

My first one, the reason I started this thread and one that has been bugging me a while as I have seen several different companies/reps/recruiters pulling this trick.

Why mask your opportunity? Why hide it behind wall after wall of useless stuff before telling your potential recruitee?? what it is they are getting more info about?

Kleeneze are buggers for this on indeed.com, I have just found one advertising as "Work from home - Admin" then they ask you to fill in all your details for someone to contact you, to which they will THEN tell you who they are. The other day I was checking out another advert for them as my sister wanted to know if it was a scam. Looked like a legit work from home opportunity, but then you had to fill in your details to watch the company's video to which 2.5minutes in you are told it is Kleeneze. A week later I got an email from them asking if they could have a phone number and appropriate time to chat about my new opportunity...I emailed back telling them where to go...after emailing them to ask who they were!

It happens on Facebook all the time too..."Want to earn £500-£1000 a month for 5 hours work? Them PM me and I will tell you more" who are you working for? "I work for a multi-million-bazzilion dollar company who are fanastically amazing!!!! join now!!!" What company? "Forever Living" No thanks

In that time IF they were honest who they were then they may have got a recruit rather than taking me around the houses.

So why?

Hi Chammy

Valid question and one that annoys me even after all these years in MLM. That is one of the reasons why I set up a group on facebook and advertisers need to disclose company name and all fees.

Apparently new rulings are being passed in the EU to prevent MLM reps from advertising all fees which I find ludicrous. It's like going for a job interview and not being told how much the pay is. You would want to know that kind of information early because that would probably be one of the major factors in your decision making on whether to bother applying. I appreciate that if you are going to set up your own business then you should expect to have some costs.

Reps hide the name of the company for 2 specific reasons.

Firstly if you have not heard of the company, the first thing you will do is research it before going any further and no matter what company it is you are likely to find something that puts you off regardless of all the positive reviews or information about the company because if people can find a reason not to do something they will.

Secondly, if you are told the company name and it is an established one like those you mention, then you are likely to have already formed a negative opinion about them because you are likely to have known somebody in the business or have seen too many ads about them or most likely already pitched by them. What the rep wants to do is sell you the dream of what the company can do for you. If they get your hot points, they will focus on them because it's a typical sales tactic which tugs at your heart strings usually making you feel like this is what you need to do. You probably get the same from car salesmen or estate agents etc. Anybody that is in direct sales really. I personally don't work that way or at least not as blatantly as most. I build relationships with people and make sure the time is right for that person to join otherwise they don't last longer than 3 months.

Hope that helps explain it for you.

 

[smitrit]

I really really don't get the recruitment spiels that don't say who the company is.

Then again, I kinda assume that any ad which says I can earn £££ in my spare time and just need to be a people person is a pimp advertising for prostitutes, comparisons with some direct selling companies aside.

Surely due diligence starts with making sure you know who the company is and that they're at least vaguely reputable, so all a vague ad does is means that your customers don't throttle you because they're sick of recruitment spam, because they don't know who to throttle.

I pretty much answered this in my previous reply to Chammy, but to add about the due diligence and my methods. When I advertise, I give full disclosure although it's easier for me being with a company that is just in global launch, so nobody's heard of the company. The opportunity sells itself, but I give full details for a couple of reasons. One is because timing is not right for everybody, but if they know the full details, then there is nothing left to tell them. All I need to do is keep in contact with them until the time is right for them and in 20 years, I have always found that at one time or another that right time comes regardless of the opportunity. I still get people contacting me from over 10 years ago asking to go back over everything although I'm no longer with that company. The second reason is because some people may not feel comfortable with selling the products. Each opportunity is not right for everybody.

I must say one thing now before looking at any more replies or questions.

MLM or network marketing or direct sales will work for everybody regardless of the opportunity or company. It is widely known that many people fail and most people know somebody that did fail. People fail for a
Couple of reasons. The person themselves are usually the main reason because they have been sold the dream and expected to earn life changing income working an hour or two a day and quite often not every day. You can't blame the sponsor for selling them the dream because the dream works otherwise the companies would not exist. You need proof that it works and that many people are making large amounts of money as well as lots more making very good livings that they would not get in a regular job. What they don't tell you is that it will take you pretty much working 24/7 to make it work. You never stop thinking about the business when you own it and are always working out what to do next, who to speak to, what to change etc. etc. The other major factor for failure is the sponsor because they have recruited you, earned a commission and then done nothing for you. It's duplication and it needs to be copied from top to bottom. When somebody finds a way that works, they teach their team to copy and so on. If you copy the process exactly, then you can't go wrong. You may not have as much success or as quickly, but it works because it is proven to work. Many people start copying the process and it usually involves them doing things outside of their comfort zone. Because of that they tend to think they can do it their way and when they fail, they quit or start back at square one and start to follow the process properly.

The main reason why people have succeeded is because they have done everything possible to make it work. They have wanted it and usually its been a last resort for them, so they have had to make it work. It's very difficult for somebody to get into that frame of mind when it does not matter if they fail because they can go back to their job etc. You really need to focus intensely on your WHY. All those reasons that you have decided to go into business for yourself. Typical things are more money, better lifestyle, better health, kids, quit a job you despise and many more. You really need to want it though and not just be a "that would be nice to have those things" thought.

 

[smitrit]

At the end of the day you need to think of it as exactly what it is.

It is sales.

Anybody going into should look at it as a major decision like buying a new car or house. It's a major decision that could have an effect on your life for many years to come.

People throughout the sales industry get a bad rep. I know I've own an estate agency and done MLM for 20 years. I've also cold called people from a call centre to sell them a mobile phone contract not knowing who their supplier was, whether they were due an upgrade or even if they had a contract phone. The abuse I got was horrific and I understand that but I'm more sympathetic when I recieve these ppi calls or accident claims etc. because I have been there. It's a commission orientated business and it's tough, extremely tough. The rewards are worth the hard work though.

 

[Laura]

Jamie Oliver at Home...
I feel sorry for their consultants/reps..
They have the disappointment of their business vanishing from under their noses & then they have to deal with the vultures who are circling around them..

What happened to compassion..

I'm not sure that the 'I know your business has just gone kaput but how about joining mine' is the right way to go... most are being polite on the surface to the aggressive tactics of some MLMers but underneath they are angry, disappointed & wish the vultures would naff off so they could be left alone to assess their situation.. they don't really need pressure to join another opportunity at the minute.. some people need to learn a bit of respect & tact..

I am an MLMer btw but not aggressive.. & this isn't really a question either.. but I wasn't going to open a new thread for one post

 

[Jon]

Jamie Oliver at Home...
I feel sorry for their consultants/reps..
They have the disappointment of their business vanishing from under their noses & then they have to deal with the vultures who are circling around them..

What happened to compassion..

I'm not sure that the 'I know your business has just gone kaput but how about joining mine' is the right way to go... most are being polite on the surface to the aggressive tactics of some MLMers but underneath they are angry, disappointed & wish the vultures would naff off so they could be left alone to assess their situation.. they don't really need pressure to join another opportunity at the minute.. some people need to learn a bit of respect & tact..

I am an MLMer btw but not aggressive.. & this isn't really a question either.. but I wasn't going to open a new thread for one post

I know nothing of this - what's happened?

 

[Laura]

They told the USA consultants the US branch of it was closing late last year..
The UK distributors were told it was closing over here too (not sure when), they've now sold out of stock & officially closed up shop..

No idea why.. my guess is that he went too big too quickly.. but that's a guess.. it was only 4 yrs old I think..

 

[Jon]

They told the USA consultants the US branch of it was closing late last year..
The UK distributors were told it was closing over here too (not sure when), they've now sold out of stock & officially closed up shop..

No idea why.. my guess is that he went too big too quickly.. but that's a guess.. it was only 4 yrs old I think..

Wonder how much 'he' had to do with it - I assume he just licenses his name out in the same way Richard Branson does with the 'virgin' brand

 

[Laura]

I have no idea.. apparently it was a decision made by Jamie & his management team in the UK..
They were supposed to be open til the end of Feb but they've sold out & have to close up earlier than anticipated..

"January 14 at 6:22pm ·
I am absolutely devastated to post this announcement received today from my Managing Director:
Closure
I am afraid that we have to share some really sad news with you today, in that we have to close for business with immediate effect.
Unfortunately because of the enormity of sales since the announcement last Thursday, we have sold through on all product and are unable to fulfil any further orders.
The Sales since our Closure announcement have reached close to 10 times the forecast which means that in just a few days we have exhausted the stock that we had originally believed would last to the end of February.
The unbelievable sales results have been unprecedented and were completely unforeseen by us all I am sorry to say.
I know it is the most awful news and we are dreadfully upset that we were not able to continue partying but I am afraid we have no alternative.
If I have confirmed an order with you, it will be on it'sway and I will be in touch with delivery details.
I would like to thank you all for such wonderful support, you sure all love a bargain"

 

[Jon]

I have no idea.. apparently it was a decision made by Jamie & his management team in the UK..
They were supposed to be open til the end of Feb but they've sold out & have to close up earlier than anticipated..

"January 14 at 6:22pm ·
I am absolutely devastated to post this announcement received today from my Managing Director:
Closure
I am afraid that we have to share some really sad news with you today, in that we have to close for business with immediate effect.
Unfortunately because of the enormity of sales since the announcement last Thursday, we have sold through on all product and are unable to fulfil any further orders.
The Sales since our Closure announcement have reached close to 10 times the forecast which means that in just a few days we have exhausted the stock that we had originally believed would last to the end of February.
The unbelievable sales results have been unprecedented and were completely unforeseen by us all I am sorry to say.
I know it is the most awful news and we are dreadfully upset that we were not able to continue partying but I am afraid we have no alternative.
If I have confirmed an order with you, it will be on it'sway and I will be in touch with delivery details.
I would like to thank you all for such wonderful support, you sure all love a bargain"

What was the signing up costs to work for Jamie at home?

 

[Laura]

Don't know about recently but it used to be £100 & for that they got some products..

The prices may have played a factor in the demise... £21 for a tiny candle... £16 for a butter dish... jog on

I still feel sorry for the consultants though :-\

 

[caledonia1972]

That's a shame for anyone who was working with the company.

I knew someone who worked with Jamie Oliver at home a few years ago and the sign up was more than £100. I have no idea how much the commission was and how the structure worked. She came once to a playgroup fundraiser and did cooking demonstrations and question and answer sessions about cooking and the products and was very good, really knew her stuff and was very professional. BUT. The price of the products is the problem. I don't have a problem paying a bit more for a premium product if I think it's worth the money - there is definitely a market out there for upmarket kitchen goods - look at brands like Emma Bridgwater. But the stuff Jamie At Home had was good, but no better than stuff you could get in John Lewis for half the price. People just weren't prepared to pay a premium for "Jamie" products just because they had his name on it.

Plus Mr Oliver has fingers in so many pies these days it's hard to imagine he had a lot of time to devote to this aspect of his business empire.