Things I Considered Before Joining LimeLife by Alcone
In this day and age, everything is so easily searchable on the internet. And on top of that, how do you decipher between true and false information? It can become so easy to overwhelm yourself. Especially if you are thinking about multi-level marketing. Some of the information is positive, but let’s be real, most of it is negative. Just google MLM or multi-level marketing and look at all the horrible reviews and misinformation. It’s everywhere!
My goal here is to give you applicable advice so you can decide whether or not it is a good fit for you. Also, I am going to provide tips for picking the right industry and ultimately the right company. When you are done reading, you should have a better understanding of the following:
- common misconceptions about the industry
- what to look for in a company
- the differences in pyramid schemes vs legitimate MLM companies
- 4 Major Tips to use in your decision-making process
The most common misconception is that you are going to have to bug all of your friends and family to succeed. False. If you are vigilant in learning marketing skills (ads, email newsletters, landing pages, social media, follow up techniques, etc.), then I guarantee you can be successful without ever needing to pressure people. If you learn to market the right way, the leads will come to you. This is the key difference between a “pushy salesperson” and someone who effectively markets their product. The goal is to present the value of the solution the product provides for a specific problem. And please understand it is always best to define a target market. Quality leads over quantity will help save time and effort. Think of it from the viewpoint of someone with a problem. What type of consumer is experiencing the problems where your product will be the answer? If you can get clear on this, then you will set yourself up for much higher chances of success. I highly doubt John Deere is targeting millennial renters who live in an apartment in the big city. Although if they did it enough, I’m sure they’d get a sale or two out of it. But they are going to be much more efficient with their efforts by targeting homeowners in more rural areas. This is probably a silly example, but hopefully, it drives my point home. Therefore, if you learn how to market the right way, then you can avoid a ton of awkward conversations with people.
The second misconception is that all MLM’s are the same, or they are all pyramid schemes. Also, false. While there are plenty of unethical MLM’s out there, it is not true that they are all the Devil. The key is to make sure you optimize your decision-making process so that you know the difference between truth and lies, which tend to derive from someone seeking revenge or from someone simply spouting out their ignorant thoughts. I promise we will cover this topic much more in-depth below in the 4 key points.
Before we get there though, do you think multi-level marketing is a good fit for you? The short answer is you will never know until you try it out with a reputable company. I’ve seen men and women who possess zero marketing, sales, or customer service experience jump into multi-level marketing and thrive. I think the key to success in any career is whether or not you will be resourceful enough to learn what you do not know, find the tools you do not currently possess, and practice what you are not yet good at. You have to put in the work to educate yourself - you cannot resort to other people giving you the answers to everything. Of course, it's gravely important to align yourself with a company in an industry you care about. If you love health and wellness, find a supplement or vitamin company. If you love skincare, find a skincare company. My point is simple - if you are serious about joining MLM, then you must first find a company that sells a product or service you believe in. Once you do, that is when all the real fun begins.
So what exactly should you be looking for and thinking about when deciding on the right company?
The best thing you can do for yourself is to be logical in your decision making and be honest with yourself about your feelings. This leads me into my first of 4 major nuggets I want you to take away from this short read.
Tip #1 - Trust Your Gut
If the company seems sleazy, then most likely it is sleazy. And I'm not just talking about the representatives. Every company that has ever existed (MLM or not) has had at least one employee or representative ruin the company's reputation in an outsider’s eyes. What I am talking about is whether or not you trust the entire company as a whole. Ask yourself these key questions:
- What do they sell?
- Who are the owners and what are their backgrounds?
- Do they offer phone support for the representatives and/or the customers?
- Have you called their support to see how easy or hard it is to speak with someone?
- How hard is it to get a representative of the company to talk about the actual products?
- Do they only talk about some Corvette driving multi-millionaire that you "HAVE TO MEET" to understand the opportunity?
- How long has the company been around?
- Do they promise to “get rich quick”?
- How do they train their reps to approach new customers?
- Do the reps only view people as potential recruits?
- Do they care to try to solve the customer’s problems with the solution that their products can provide?
- Do they genuinely want to make sure the opportunity to join is a fit for potential recruits to provide the best chance of success?
- And most importantly, do they recruit new members via a promise of payments or services for enrolling others into the company? In other words, are they illegally paying commissions from the money you spent to sign up?
Pyramid schemes are illegal, and you must be able to recognize them. I am willing to bet somewhere around 95% of people do not know the differences in a scheme and a legitimate MLM. And this is exactly why your cousin, dad, and best friend will automatically tell you that you are involved in a scam as soon as they hear the term “MLM” leave your mouth. Understand that steep fees, costly mandatory training, and being paid on fees are all huge red flags. The cash flow of a legitimate MLM company will come from the revenue of the products being sold. This is a mega huge difference that must be understood. There is a lot more we could discuss on this topic, but for now, here are the key highlights.
- Legitimate MLM’s will have a cash flow dependent upon product sales.
- The products will be reputable. The ingredients will be real. The manufacturing processes will be clear. And so on.
- Pyramid Schemes will have a cash flow dependent upon using onboarding fees, sign-on fees, and/or training fees to pay the representatives. Think of taking money from Peter’s sign-on fees, training, etc. to pay Paul (an existing rep). And the fees tend to be confusing and exorbitant. And watch out for any high cost paid training. That is a red flag. ***I'm not saying to expect to sign on for free. I am saying to keep an eye out for the above mentioned.
- Yes, in an MLM you can earn commissions on products sold by your team of recruits. The key is that you are paid a percentage of the products they sell - again cash flow dependent upon product sales. And there should be a limit to how far “down” you can get paid - usually capped around 4 levels deep. For example, if you have 100 people on your team, and none of them sell any products, then you should make $0. You should only make a commission if products are being sold. You should never get paid from a new recruit's sign-on fees or starter-kits.
If you don’t know this information, you will end up finding an honest ethical MLM company that you want to join and people close to you will convince you it is a scheme when in fact it is not. Or the opposite will occur, you will accidentally fall in love and sign up with an entity that is a pyramid scheme. This is when you have to take the time to do the research and trust your inner voice.
- Recap #1 - Trust your gut. Know what to ask and what to look for when choosing a company.
Tip #2 - Be Wise When You Watch The Videos
You know which ones I am referencing. Every MLM company that has ever existed has ex representatives that make "why I quit (insert MLM company name) videos” or “the real reason I left (insert MLM company name). These videos tend to swing one of three ways: 1) they bash the company, people, and products, 2) they tell the true story about the horrific work environment, or 3) they gracefully explain why it wasn’t a fit or why it was time for them to move on - which is completely understandable. It’s not the end of the world when we decide to leave a career or move on to something else. That’s not what I want to talk about. What I want to help you better understand is the videos of people talking negatively about a company. They tend to do so for one of roughly four reasons:
- The company was, in fact, a pyramid scheme.
- The company was a horrible work environment. (Keep in mind, unfortunately, a lot of the time companies incorrectly fall into this category because the ex rep blatantly lies about the company and the culture. So please be careful in deciphering between honesty and lies.)
- The person didn't give themselves enough time to develop and grow - which is unfortunate. Or the absolute most common one of them all…
- They were not resourceful enough to properly build a successful business out of it. AKA Excuse Makers. It’s a title I use for people that never own a situation and like to blame the world for their problems and failures.
I know I'm sounding a little harsh, but in regards to #4, these videos are not at all rare to find. Why do you think this is the case? Think about it. Most people want the freedom to be his or her boss. And most businesses require thousands and thousands of dollars to get up and running. While in comparison, joining an MLM and starting a business that way requires very little capital to get things going. In effect, what does this do? It attracts tons of people who are not ready to put in the work to learn how to run and grow a business. And yes, I am calling it a business because in multi-level marketing you will have to manage your finances, run customer service, create marketing strategies, produce sales, lead by example, handle forecasting, etc. You are the face of what you sell, and you are the owner! People want freedom, but most are not willing to put in the countless hours, sweat, tears, work, study, and time to develop a business that is sustainable and growing. So, for a lot of people, the easy thing to do is create every excuse as to why their MLM venture did not work. And let me very clear here, I am NOT referring to those who left for the right reasons. A lot of people move on because of life changes, career moves, different opportunities, etc. What I am saying is that a high percentage, not all, of the people who try MLM and leave want to blame everything and everyone else except their lack of resourcefulness to get it done. If you have left MLM and just now got offended by that statement, then you most likely fall into that category of an excuse maker. If you have left MLM and understand that I am not referencing everyone, then you probably are a reasonable person who had a life change occur or just decided it was not the career path you wanted to go down. And that is completely okay!
Again, I am not saying that if you decide MLM is not for you that you are a failure. If that were the case, then every nurse in the world could call me a failure. After 6 years of working as a registered nurse, I decided to leave the industry once and for all. Am I going to bash the career? Am I going to bash the hospitals I worked at? Or the people I worked with? Nope, I refuse to do that. Because at the end of the day, my passion was not in nursing. God put it in my heart to join a makeup and skincare MLM because makeup and skincare are my passions, and I genuinely enjoy selling the products. That doesn’t mean nursing is bad or that I am a failure. I know so many beautiful souls who are amazing nurses, and that is what they love to do! We are all different. We are all unique. And we all have our passions. And that is one of the many beautiful things about life!
- Recap #2: Do not overload on the "why I left" videos. And when watching them, keep your guard up. Often, it is hard to know the difference between truth and lies.
Tip #3: Understand The Compensation Plan
This one is a bit more obvious, and I don’t think I need to harp on this one too much. Inquire and obtain a physical copy of the compensation plan. You can reach out to the company directly, the representative you are thinking about signing up underneath, or both. And if you do not understand something, do not be afraid to ask. Remember, you are new to this, and you are not going to understand all the details. If they make you feel dumb for not understanding something, then run. And understand that companies can change their compensation plans! Just because one company pays more than the next, does not mean that it is your all-in deciding factor. You want to align yourself with a company that has strong values too. Like most things in this life, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is too good to be true. You are not looking to join a “get rich quick scheme”. You are looking to partner with a company that will walk with you hand in hand in building a long term business.
- Recap #3 - Ask for a copy of the compensation plan. Look at it in depth. Ask questions if you do not understand something. And if it is too good to be true, be aware.
Tip #4: Take Ownership: You Control You
This point can be applied to anything in life, but I am specifically talking about once you decide on a company to join. Own everything from the way you market yourself to the problems that arise. If you end up with a bad leader or person above you, do not let that be the reason your business does not thrive. Especially if you love the company and the products. You control your efforts, your discipline, your strategies, your successes, and your fallbacks. This all starts with how you think. And the way you think is directly driven by the things you feed your mind. Think of your mind and body as a vehicle. And the content you read, the things you listen to, the content you watch, the people you spend your time with, the food you eat, it’s all gas for your vehicle to run properly. If all you do is watch TV shows and scroll through an Instagram feed of people that do absolutely nothing for your personal growth, then how in the world can you expect your business to thrive? Seriously, I see this over and over and over - people value entertainment above growth and performance. Heed to my advice, and restructure the sources from where you gather your information. Stop absorbing hours of Netflix shows and Facebook scrolling, and start reading a book on how to build a business, or listen to a podcast on how to market yourself. If you work on you (mind, body, and spirit), then your business will inevitably get better and better.
- Recap #4 - Eliminate the excuse mentality. Guard your mind by being aware of the content you consume. And take ownership of your business - both successes and failures along the way.
You are so awesome for sticking with me through this entire read. I hope and pray for you to find what you are looking for in this search. Life is way too short to not find a career we are passionate about. It took me 8 years after I graduated from college to figure that out. And multi-level marketing will not be for everyone, but for those who think it might be, wholeheartedly believe in yourself. Figure out your passions to land in the right industry, and then find a company you trust. Just remember that at the end of the day, this is your decision - not anyone else’s. So pay attention to all of the details in your research, ask questions, pray, meditate, and think about it. But most importantly be excited! You are strong and can accomplish anything you set out to do.
And if it so happens you are in search of a makeup & skincare MLM, feel free to click here to learn more about LimeLife by Alcone. I promise to be transparent and pressure-free. Have a wonderful and productive day. God bless.