Nobody likes to be sold to. When we hearing the word “selling” of any kind, we turn our head away and run. The truth of the matter is, we are being sold through marketing everywhere we go. Everything from our clothing, cars, and even our toothpaste all has been marketed to us. Why are we so hesitant to buy from a MLM company or any direct seller?
Direct sellers- Don’t have the marketing budget as big companies do and have to work harder to get through your door than an average company. By work harder, I mean that their frontline (Your Avon lady) needs to find you (the consumer) and teach you about her products. Bigger companies like Home Depot and Wal-Mart have big commercials and advertising teams that send their marketing message to you so that you will choose their brand over the competition. This marketing message comes to you in different forms like; TV, radio, print newspaper, social media sponsored ads. Direct sellers only have brochures, a website, and themselves to send that same message to you. You see the seller as a seller, whereas a big corporation, you see a message.
Many MLM companies have started as a scamming business that looks legit in the beginning but have con many hardworking citizens. Some of these companies made millions misleading others and has made national news staining the MLM community. Not all multi-level businesses are schemes but because we have heard about horrible stories, we are forever tainted.
Most consumers don’t know that MLM are more often just like the companies we work for. There is a CEO that overlooks the company as a whole that delegates to a board, those delegates to managers, and those delegates to the frontline workers. This CEO makes the most money because they usually hold the most profit share and the bottom line business reflects their pocket size. The difference between them and our direct sellers, is that these direct sellers are able to work hard and reap the financial benefits that come along with it, where in a corporation, they work on a wage.
Our direct sellers are our neighbours, friends, and family that are trying to make a little extra money to get out of debt, create savings, or have a dream that they cannot achieve in the standard 9-5 job. Many of these corporations do not give their frontline workers the bonuses or even benefits that they need in order to sustain a comfortable living. Direct sellers need to work harder to gain your trust and attention so that they can make a dollar. We as people don’t like being misled or sold to. We as people need time to trust a company or product before purchasing. Make an informed decision before choosing one over the other.
Jemi Smith guest blogs on numerous websites and owns a mom community website called momsgotodurham.com. She has a passion for business and marketing and is raising two young boys under 3. You can e-mail her at jemiechevarria@gmail.com or call her at (647)785-5851