Hi, I'm in a Network Marketing company, and so as not to muddy the waters as to my intentions, I won't tell you which one or try and get you to go to my page or something, but it's not Success University.
I'd start by saying that the very enthusiastic guy above has fallen into the trap that many face when they first start out in network marketing - very enthusiastic until people start asking questions, and then his answers are less than ideal. I've been there and done that, and 15 months into this unusual business, I may be able to explain things a little better.
Network Marketing and Pyramid Schemes appear very similar on the surface, but there are a few key differences:
Pyramid Schemes are illegal because there is no real product - there might be certificates or something but essentially, you buy in in order to receive cash from the next level below you.
Network marketing, on the other hand, supplies a product or group of products (often of a genuinely much higher quality than commercially available brands) to people who have bought into "the business". These people use the products themselves and can choose to be a retailer of the products to their friends, family and acquiantances. They may also invite these people to become "associates" in the company. If the person is "sponsored" into the company, the new associate then goes about building their own downline, as well as using the products themselves.
Each person below the original person essentially acts like a sales rep in the original person's company, with the original person getting a small percentage of any person below's spending, or the people that they have sponsored. So if A sponsors B, and B sponsors C, A will get a cut of what B spends AND what C spends. If B and C continue to sponsor people, A will get a cut of what they spend also. Typically, most companies will have systems in place where all members of the business will buy something each month to stay in the business, generating a large amount of revenue.
Another key difference is that many of the more successful network marketing companies are listed on the stock exchange as huge billion dollar businesses. You won't ever see a pyramid scheme on there...
Finally, there are always controls in place with network marketing where an individual must actually put in the work and time to get their business working well before they reap the rewards - in other words, it's never possible for a person to simply join a network marketing business and then sit back and watch the money roll in. There definitely is work involved and anyone who tells you there isn't is lying to you.
Personal Development is simply a HUGE part of network marketing as staying motivated is key to success. Put simply, I've grown more (indirectly) through my involvement with network marketing than I ever would have without it. As a matter of fact, I have recommended this site to many of the people in my organisation, and no doubt some of them will read this.
There are around 2500 network marketing businesses in the world right now, and many of them are a genuine way for ordinary people to create extraordinary wealth simply by applying themselves for 2 - 3 years minimum. I've seen kids as young as 23 earning $250,000 a year in true residual income, and people a little older than that earning close to $500,000, and that's just in NZ. In the US, there are people earning those figures monthly in network marketing.
If someone calls you to invite you to take a look at their business, don't be offended or annoyed. It's a compliment that they called you as not everyone has the social skills to do this, so be gracious and let them show you what they're doing. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions and ask to see proof of the claims they make.
I've made lots of great friendships with genuine, incredible people in my time in network marketing, and although it takes a while to get your head around, it really is a business of people helping people. Check it out
