"Decisions, Decisions, Decisions. With So Many Multi-Level Marketing Companies, How Do You Choose Which Is Right For You?"

"Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

"Decisions, Decisions, Decisions. With So Many Multi-Level Marketing Companies, How Do You Choose Which Is Right For You?"

Multi-level marketing? Never heard of it. Many of us have no idea what multi-level marketing or MLM is, but many of us have had a MLM experience. MLM or direct selling has been around for decades. There are hundreds of MLM direct sales companies to choose from. Many of these companies have been around for years and still continue to provide reasonable income opportunities for eager individuals willing to put in the effort it takes to be successful at them. However, the older they've gotten the more we all have met someone who sells the product. So how easy is it to compete with the many consultants or reps trying to sell their product or even recruit others to join your team, because with any MLM or direct sales business; it's all about recruiting other consultants if you want to see your business grow.

MLM and direct selling have a stigma for being called "pyramids". MLM pyramids meant that there was someone way up at the top always benefiting from the team they started and everyone beneath them, without having to contribute anything more than their initial efforts to start their team. So if I recruited 4 people and those 4 people recruited 4 people and so on, I'd be sitting pretty at the top and wouldn't have to do a thing because I'm making money from everyone below me, most of which I never met. Doesn't seem fair does it. Well the government didn't think so either and that's why pyramids have been banned and the old MLM's have had to restructure their compensation plans to avoid falling into that category of a pyramid.

For a direct selling company to be considered a pyramid there has to be a person at the top who is always benefiting, monetarily; from everyone below them without having to meet specific sales requirements themselves and with no way for a member of their team to branch off or succeed them. Modern direct selling companies have compensation plans that ensure that the sponsoring consultant (the one who has recruited other consultants to join beneath them) must continue to meet minimum sales and/or minimum number of active team members to receive commissions or bonuses from consultants in their group or down-line. As a member of your team becomes more successful they eventually break off from your team and begin their own.

Direct selling has great advantages. Many who start their own direct selling business with the right company and put in the right amount of effort are seeing incomes exceed six figures a year. No one should ever go into a direct selling venture with the belief that it will be a "get rich quick" business. Although, with the right company you can see success relatively fast. Usually this is dependent on certain variables. These variables are the things you should consider before choosing which direct selling business you want to get started with.

Before you decide on a company I recommend that you determine why you are exploring direct selling opportunities. There are tons of reasons why individuals choose to join a direct selling company. Some do it as a hobby because they like the product and want to get it at a discount. Many direct selling companies encourage having home parties to build sales, so there are those that join for the fun of socializing and meeting new people. There are those that want to be their own boss and enjoy the flexibility of working when they want. Some join to supplement their income and do it part time. Whatever your reason, you have to decide how much effort you're willing to invest.

Direct selling is a business, you're starting your own company; and you are your own boss. If something's not working it falls on you. There are no excuses for failure except what you haven't done to help your business succeed. You decide if you're going to be proactive by seeking out customers or recruit others to do what you do; and show them how to be successful at direct sales. So just like everything else we do, you get out of it what you put into it.

My wife and I decided to join Scentsy flameless candles a few years ago. Before that she tried Mary Kay. Let me just say that no two direct sales companies are the same and our experience with these two have been night and day. My wife and I are rather successful on our own, she is a dental hygienist and I manage two dental practices. My wife decided she wanted to do Mary Kay because she uses the products and thought she could get a discount and maybe make some additional cash, right?! Two years into itno cash. What happened, everyone knows Mary Kay cosmetics; it's a pretty good product, why wasn't the cash just pouring in? Well know one told us what you now know. It's all about recruiting. You see, my wife is not a "salesy" kind of person. She's relatively introverted and doesn't like to be pushy. Besides, how do you tell someone they'd look sooooo much better if you'd just use this product because it's better for you and the one you're using really isn't doing the job? We also found that many people weren't jumping at the opportunity to have a Mary Kay party either. After a few years we had one recruit, a friend of mine from work. We could count the number of parties we had on one hand. It seemed like everyone new someone who sold Mary Kay. Needless to say Mary Kay wasn't the best decision for us. We didn't really loose any money, however; we did invest time and energy. In less time than we were with Mary Kay our team with Scentsy has grown to over 30 consultants and we see commission income every month.

We received a Scentsy flameless candle warmer as an engagement gift. My wife loves candles, who doesn't? The scent was amazing and it seems to last forever. There was no fire to speak of so the warmer was safe, another bonus. I never have to remember if I put out the flame if I left the house in a hurry. We also realized that there were no chemicals being released or residue coming from the oil. What a product, safe, decorative, worry free and enjoyable. So we do the research. The Company is relatively young, so it wasn't a house hold name yet. Who was our competition? Well, there were plenty of MLM candle companies; Party Lite and Gold Canyon are a few. Have you heard of them? So have we. But are they really our competition; I mean, Scentsy isn't a traditional candle. Scentsy candles don't have flames. Compared to traditional candles; Scentsy candle warmers save money because they have a longer burn time due to the proprietary wax they use and the slow release of fragrance. Party Lite has since came out with there own wickless candle warmer but we out do them with the variety of designs and collections available. So our competition was minimal. We were also encouraged to maintain an inventory of products with Mary Kay. With Scentsy we are able to direct ship to our customers without having an inventory of our own. How are we supposed to know what our customer's preferences would be, and do we really want to carry every product available?

The decision to join Scentsy became a no-brainer. It's a product that many would love and has appealing features, safe, decorative and saves money over time compared to traditional candles. A medium sized Yankee Candle can cost upwards of twenty dollars compared to one Scentsy Wax Bar that runs about five dollars. You do the math. Selling this product wouldn't be an issue, it would ultimately sell itself and it does. Having a Scentsy party is much more enjoyable than a make-up and skin care party that exploits a person's appearance. Who doesn't like a pleasant smelling home, whether you use a candle, aerosol air fresheners, or scented oil plug-ins; all of which release unwanted chemicals and residue? So Scentsy really did just make "perfect scents".

Scentsy parties really are fun. There's no pressure and very little work on our part. Most of the time is spent smelling the 80 plus testers and trying to decide which one your favorite is as well as trying to pick the perfect warmer for your dcor. Trust me, there's a warmer for every one and every room.

We were able to find a MLM company that met everything we were looking for in direct selling. Once we joined we found that the company offered so much more. We discovered a great compensation plan that allows us to make commission from personal purchases. The company provides a bonus for the performance of your team, which encourages us to provide leadership, support and advice to those we recruit and in some cases their recruits as well. There are other performance bonuses and incentives as well. We also have access to convenient resources that assist us in maintaining a direct selling business. There is an online workstation that allows you to track your team's progress, a personalized monthly newsletter that will go out to your contacts and customers, and an abundance of training resources so that you have the information and knowledge to be successful. We even got a professional website to take orders online, stay in contact with customers, and have a resource for customers to access information. The company processes credit card transactions for us and there is no fee for that service. It all seems so easy. What about start up capital? It only cost $99.00 to get started and we didn't have to carry any inventory. For $99.00 you get everything you need to begin a genuine business selling a great product and having fun.

Our business never feels like work. We enjoy every moment we invest in it. We take our direct selling business seriously and this is why we are seeing substantial success with it. When you decide to work for yourself and invest in your own business; you will see results. Direct selling businesses don't operate themselves. It takes time and energy. So the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. With any direct selling business; you can do a lot or you can do a little, it's all up to you and your personal goals.

So how do you choose a multi-level direct selling business that is right for you?

Determine if direct selling is right for you and how much you are willing to invest in a MLM business.

Find an unsaturated company. If you can get involved early you have a higher chance for success with a company that is growing and is not so well known.

Provide a product that people will want and be interested in.

Provide a product or service that has little competition.

Find a MLM company that has flexibility in how you operate your business. Are you limited to how you can generate revenue; is there only one way to sell your product? Be creative with how you promote and market your product or service.

Does the MLM company have resources to help you develop and maintain your business? Be sure to take advantage of the resources available to you when you join an MLM company.

Many customers pay with credit cards so you definitely want to be sure the MLM company you choose offers you the ability to accept them.

You'll also want convenient ways to monitor and manage your sales and growth; see if the MLM company you are interested in offers resources for managing that information.

Training is also important. You'll want to have as much information about your company and how to sell its product or service.

Support is essential, even if you are a do-it-yourselfer. There will be times where you have questions or need guidance, so be sure that you have adequate customer and consultant support services through the MLM Company.

Most of all, be sure that you believe in the product or service. If you believe in it; customers will believe in you. Customers buy from people they trust. They buy the person first and the product second.

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