I was sitting here minding my own business about 5pm last night when a friend popped in to tell me he was picking me up in 15mins. We were going to Tauranga to a seminar. I really didn't even have a chance to think about what he was telling me before he slipped out the door again.
So I raced upstairs, threw on some nice clothes, perfume and a face and out the door. In the car he was asking about the shop we were looking at buying and telling me it was a waste of time, that he had something far better for us to consider. My warning bells went off. I could see where the conversation was going ... yep ... MLM (multi-level-marketing) scheme!!
I was trapped in the car, travelling 45mins to Tauranga in the pouring rain when I could have been snuggled up at home infront of the heater! I told my friend I wasn't interested in any MLM schemes and that it wasn't for me. But he kept driving.
We turned up to a vacant shop where we were ushered upstairs like some secret mafia meeting. My body language would have told the lady I wasn't interested. She started on her big spiel about how she was so much in debt, about to be make bankrupt when someone came into her life and saved her... Gawd anyone would think I was in a church meeting the way she was carrying on.
To her credit the powerpoint presentation she gave was very professional and I could see a market for the product she was selling. By the end of the evening she had me convinced to part with OMG .. $12,995.00!!! Promising me that I too could be making 100,000's of dollars like her in a matter of months. I was totally swept away with the whole thing. So much for the supposed stubborn streak, where was that when I needed it. One thing I am grateful for is forgetting my wallet ... and visa card!
3hrs later we stepped out of the dark alleyway and in the car. Man I was starving!!! And at 10pm at night there was NOTHING open in Tauranga! Even McD's was shut! How crazy is that? Finally resorting to Wendy's and choosing a salad and baked potato (not too bad at 11.5pts)
Arrived home to darkness with Bill being in bed long ago. He was in no mood to be discussing the fact that I nearly spent $13,000 and that the lady was arriving to talk to him at 4pm the following day. I figured I'd talk to him about it in the morning.
A horrible nights sleep of continual nightmares about trying to talk people into joining the scheme, and losing friends and customers.
I awoke to Bill wanting to tell me of some more ideas he had for the shop in Tauranga. It was information overload!! I told him I didn't think it was a good idea. He wasn't listening to me tho. I decided to jump on the computer and research the net about this scheme. I found a lot of people saying that if you didn't put a lot of hours into it you would actually lose money!! Not words I wanted to hear. Then speaking to some reps in the shop, the area was flooded with people trying to con others to save their own income.
Now I just had to ring her to let her know I wasn't interested and not to bother coming to see us tonight. Lucky I got her answerphone and left her a polite message.
She rang back 15mins later (as expected) and honestly I couldn't get a word in for 14mins and 38secs!!! She just talked and talked and talked. By the end I had to be so blunt with her (which is so not me).
After hanging up Bill and I just looked at eachother ... and burst out laughing! What were we thinking??? We are happy here, our shop is doing well, why do we need to do anything else???? So we both agreed there and then that we wouldn't do my scheme and we wouldn't do his Tauranga shop ... we'll be content with the pot of gold we have on our own doorstep!
Has anyone else had any experiences with MLM businesses?
I'm getting rather cheeky with my ww points now ... I grilled the lady in the bakery this morning as to what EXACTLY was in her soup. I could see by the look on her face that she was a little aghast that I would ask such a thing. I wanted to know quantities, ingredients and number of serves per pot. After I continued to explain that I was back doing ww and just wanted to work out the points on it I could see the sigh of relief. It's ok lady, I'm not going to steal your secret recipe, lol. We'll I must have hit a soft spot in her because she came back half an hour later with a personally delivered free cup of her special soup!! And I worked it out at only 0.5pt per cup!! Yayya!!
I have my night walk on with the girls tonight. And I'll let you in on a little secret .. I'm really looking forward to weighin this week. I was naughty and took a sneak peak at the scales this morning ... it's looking very good, as long as it stays that way till Thursday ... fingers crossed ;)
11 comments:
Good on you for not being suckered into something maybe dodgy, and a wise decision on the other shop, why rock the boat? You two have enough on your plates I reckon, along with looking after yourselves and your children. Looking forward to seeing how well you go on Thursday ...
Phew - yuo had me worried there!! MLM schemes leave me for dead, we saw a friend lose evertyhing he had as he let his business fold around his ears while chasing some dream. Really sad. He also visited one night and out came the white board trying to get us on board - we said thanks - but no thanks.
Of course you could have a pink strip, just have to bleach it first, as you say.
I have been to seminars like that!!... they have the gift of the gab don't they!! I am glad you left your wallet at home!! lol
Good luck on the scales this week!! ... I take a look every morning .... I am a scaleaholic .... not a good habit but can also pull me into line!
lol .....
I was just catching up on your blog and saw your 'favourite car' .... my dad is in the process of building a 1929... 3 window Hot Rod ... here at work!!
They are wonderful looking vehicles..... but oh so expensive!!
You have great taste!!
I have been involved in several MLMs. The last one I was with I was most successful with though, recruiting over 37 distributors within a couple of months. Unfortunately, the way I was doing it was discovered and I was threatened... so I bailed out. I loved the home business, but was so sick and tired of trying to constantly convince people. It's like you have no credibility with people, and they think that you are either a liar, or trying to rip them off. In the end, I was just so anxious with the whole thing, I called it quits. I am currently with no MLM at all, but I do think they can be successful with the right promotion, product and people. I think that amount of money is huge though Lyn, sometimes the guy upstairs works in mysterious ways!! It wasn't a coincidence that you left your purse at home my dear, it was divine intervension!
Yep those MLM types can certainly be very persuasive - think they're well trained with some very superior marketing techniques. But I always think of that old saying - If it sounds too good to be true....it probably is!! Thanks for the lovely compliment.
And re your and Bill's decisions - I think that sometimes you just have to enjoy where you are and not feel pressured (even if it's by yourself) into feeling you should be aiming for more. So I think you've probably made a good decision and who knows further down the track it might be the right time to try new things.
Stick with what you are doing and make it work as well as it can for you. You have a good client base and it is important that you don't go jumping into anything new with the operation coming up and all. Your initial reaction is usually the one you should listen too!!
I have nearly been taken in with the MLM but always saw the light in time.
RE-Comment.
Oh yeah I stuck up for my rights with that damn bank. I think by that point I had had enough of them and I was determined not to be taken in like a fool and anyway, I knew I was right, I had a letter stating the balance in black and white but they still tried to rip us off saying they wanted the £105 and then £88......amazing or I should say UNBELEIVABLE!!
Oh! so we are both perfectionists and strawberry icecream.....cool are us! Just like icecreams
Did you ask what pink n whites are? Well, they are pink n white marshmallow sandwiched between two wafers and really can help a sweet craving and only 0.5pt each but they increase in points, meaning
2 = 1.5pts
3 = 2pts.....and so on
Hugs
I was once "sucked in" to attending one of those meetings. Gosh it was awful... the pressure. They know how to get to you. My sister and her husband were heavily involved for a few years and it was terrible. He tried to get us all involved so lost many friends in the process then they spent more each month than they made and got into terrible debt.
They worked their tails off but it finally broke them - their marriage too.
I'm glad you didn't get involved!
I have gotten roped in to sooo many MLM and all I can say is NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO don't do it....!!!
I go in there like you thinking no bloody way are they getting me hooked and there I go off on another get rich quick scheme that NEVER works.
You did the right thing hun.
Woohoo for the lady and her soup.. what a nice thing to do.
Love Chubbymum
http://cmlosingit.blogspot.com
Post a Comment