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Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire

Guest post by: Andy Acciaioli

Article Overview: A common network marketing scam is to position your mlm not as a business opportunity but as a job. In the present high unemployment environment, this might attract desperate people seeking a job but in the long run this network marketing scam will be seen for what it is: a lie.

Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire

My son saw an ad under the “jobs” section of Craigslist seeking a nutritional counselor. Having been trained in nutrition as part of his studies to become a physical education teacher, he felt as though this would be an ideal after school, part-time job. When he called about the position, he was told that it would be counseling people on the value of nutrition and eating healthy foods.

Red flags, anyone?

I said it sounded like a network marketing company to me. He said it did to him as well but was assured it was not network marketing. During their phone conversation the question came up as to what he was currently doing. He stated that he was a physical education and health teacher. The person responded that this would be ideal since he already had a background in health, he would be viewed as an authority when it comes to getting healthy.

Double red flags, anyone?

Long story short, he went on the “job” interview only to learn that it was a vitamin supplement network marketing company. Actually he was double teamed by the woman he spoke to and her sponsor. Her sponsor kept interrupting ramming all kinds of earning claims at him: “A girl who got into our business only needed $100 per month, her first month she earned $250. The next month her goal was $500 and she exceeded that by making just over $1,000. Last month, her third month in our mlm business she earned $5,000…”

My son said his eyes were glazing over with all their earnings claims. However, he was so mad at the lying to get him there in the first place that he abruptly got up and left. One of them called after him that she would email him the link for their online business presentation.

When he told me the name of the network marketing company I was surprised that the people he spoke with used such dishonest tactics. I told him that this was one of the best run mlm companies out there and, unfortunately, he stumbled upon a couple of team members who could destroy the decades of good will that their business opportunity enjoyed.

They did follow through and forwarded to him their presentation link which he did not even bother to look at. Their constant telephone calls have gone unanswered. I know he told his friends about it and, in spite of my urging him not to, he did share his experience with his Facebook friends.

Imagine if these two rather unscrupulous team members were part of your network marketing organization. Think of the harm it would have done to your group…as well as other groups within your mlm as well.

As I have mentioned, my first experience in network marketing was with Amway. After I had just gotten into the group, we held a phone session at my house calling people to get them to a business opportunity session. One of the trainers was listening in on a telephone call I was making to give me pointers after the call. When the person I called asked me if it was Amway, I said that it was. The trainer who was listening to the conversation shot me a look that if his eyes were laser beams I would have been slain on the spot. I had been trained to avoid identifying the company with a statement like “we are a product distribution company”. After a pause, the person I called thanked me for being up front with him and said he would come to the meeting.

He did show up for the meeting a couple of nights later. And, he signed up on the spot.

I was always taught that honesty is the best policy. The recruits that you sign up as team members will only be as honest as you are. Will you sponsor some deceptively inclined people? Yes, if you are in the business long enough. But you can be assured of one thing, they will not last within your organization grounded in honesty.

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Article Tags: business opportunity scam, home based business scam, mlm liar, mlm scam, network marketing liar, network marketing scam



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