NETWORK MARKETING

NETWORK MARKETING – ENIGMA UNREVEALED

Of late, Part time job and Part – time income have become a full time crazy search among the middle class Indian families. Advertisement  that glitters in today’s newspapers “Read Email earn 5000 per day”, “Data entry job from home, earn thousands”, “Become an exporter, and earn lakhs without investment”. “Spell bee franchisee – investment 7 lakhs ROI – 50 lakhs per annum” and last but not the least the subject of this blog “Multi level marketing (MLM), - Network marketing”.

I am here, not to curse or praise MLM, because there are theories on either side. But more prominent are the newspaper headliners which sweep every alternative day– ‘Chain marketing chief absconds with few crores’. The history of MLM is that it was propagated as the future of marketing system by many leading institutions in their reports all over the world in the year 2000. So the craze of Network marketing crept into leading business houses of India including leading FMCG major Hindustan Unilever, Ajanta, Insurance companies Bajaj Allianz, reliance insurance, Shriram Chits, Sahara, Peerless and many others  but then almost everyone had to bite the bullet. The forerunners of all MLMs is Skybiz renamed as Skyways which flourished later as V-can/ Magnetic bed too saw a big down turn in India but then Amway which got launched after India opening up economy in 1991,  had made a steady stride from then on in Indian soil.

In an MLM, you either follow a binary system or a 9-6-3 plan or even a 3-6-9 plan. Whatever be it, the prime factor is to introduce your friend, relative, neighbor, mate etc. It all begins with a phone call to your close acquaintance initially and then call gets forwarded/diverted to X or Y. All is well if you “sign them up” * for your team else even an emergency phone call of yours will not be paid heed to. You will be lauded when you begin to succeed but then even a small collapse will help you nail your own coffin. There are many ifs and buts in MLM and so, if your sole(ul) choice is money and nothing else, just proceed. In MLM you are wholly dependent on others. You will have the craze to grow but then your growth depends on your down-legs* performance and to make them perform you follow-up* on a regular basis. The tide turns blue when they don’t meet your expectation and you end up opening a new line. Neither you stop here nor the story. You may achieve all silver, gold, diamond and platinum levels* but at the expense of making others restless & disgust.  When you emerge a winner you end up losing your real near and dear ones.

So if at all you dare to venture an MLM, sacrifice all your love and craze towards your fellow beings. Think (why only look) before you leap. After all wasting your own time, energy and effort is also money’s worth. If you ask whom am I to comment on it?? I had had experienced the gifts of MLM from 1999-2006.  I lost many an acquaintance and helped my fellow friends lose their Peace in trying to promote the business of an unknown.

I am a winner but then a loser indeed.

  

 (*terminologies attached with MLM )