I Hate Network Marketing

I used to hate network marketing.

I remember a lady going to our apartment asking if she could explain her networking business concept to my staff. I gave her permission but I stayed in the bedroom the whole time because I knew her real target was me and my wife.

Network marketing carries a negative connotation to it. And for good reason too. Most network marketing companies often hype up their motivational spills just to entice members to continue doing the business. It often ends up catastrophically because the business concept that is being hyped is at best questionable. I did some research into this type of business and here are some objections I usually hear:

1. The business concept involves selling some exotic product with exotic qualities. The main drawback of which is after a while, you begin to wonder what you are selling in the first place. In my research of networking companies, I recently attended a company selling some sort of green liquid which reportedly came from plants and was manufactured in Malaysia. It supposedly cures a lot of illnesses but I could not see any BFAD accreditation on its markings. As the guests tried the drink, I begin to wonder how in the world are you supposed to sell stuff like this? I don’t think I can. Mas maganda pa mag-aral na lang ng magik, kikita pa ako.

2. The hype is stronger than the product. At another seminar I attended, I found out that you have to shell out approximately P1,200 for a membership ID and a catalog. Wow, that is some expensive ID! But the members were going crazy about the compensation plan because trainors were hyping the product with technical terms (I heard polysaccharide being mentioned - di ba asukal lang yun?). I found out that a lot of members shelled out P10T-90T to buy products they could not sell outside. Tsk.

3. The focus is on the compensation, not the product. One networker came to our shop one day and pretended to ask about Royale. I found out his real intention was to sell me how much better the compensation plan his company has compared to Royale and proceeded to show me dollar signs everywhere. I told him politely that there is so much more than money in the networking business. There should be integrity too, but I don’t think he got my point. His company is now closed.

This and other horror stories are so rampant that people tend to bundle up all networking companies together and throw them in the fires of hell. I used to think that way too.

But 5 months ago, I was exposed to another type of network marketing by a businessman who was also into networking. Among his businesses: owns dental clinics, a tilapia fish pond, a canteen, an auto detailing and distributes Republic Cement. And naturally my first question was:

Bakit? Bakit ka pa nagnenetwork, nasisiraan ka na ba ng bait?

I got so curious, I researched. And the more I found out about the good parts of this business, the more I wanted to learn about it.

At naging networker na nga rin po ako.

Yup, even it meant going against the tide.

It was terrible! The prejudice against this type of business if overwhelming that people who are not prepared to do it awakes to a shock every time they try to do it.

I am often asked, why? Why did I do network marketing when I knew what I was going into? Why not just stay content with my other business and have my peace? “Akala ko allergic ka dyan??”

Well, simple lang at maganda ang sagot. Promise.

But I am out of time so I will write it in my next blog soon! Stay tuned!