Network marketing, and particularly MLM have a bad reputation. I came across a question online about whether people had had any luck in AmeriSciences, and the only response was that it was listed on scam.com. I searched scam.com, and was not able to find anything suggesting that AmeriSciences was a scam. It was only mentioned on a list of companies represented by a particular law firm. I tried to post this as a response, but my response was never accepted. Anyway, I digress...
The point is, that people have a negative preconception about MLM and network marketing. And I'm not really an exception to this. Which is why I was surprised to find out that Avon, Mary Kay, and Tupperware are all considered network marketing or MLM companies. Yet they all have decent reputations. Some relatively new companies without the MLM stigma have also joined the list, such as The Pampered Chef and Stampin' Up. Even Donald Trump is getting in on the MLM action.
It seems to me that any company or product that chooses to use an alternative method of sales and advertising is looked at with some skepticism. Take, for example, infomercials on late night t.v. I seem to remember a time when the products that were sold in this manner were considered a joke. After all, if these products were so great, why didn't they sell them in stores? Why did they use cheesy videos on late night television? Weren't they just trying to take advantage of the poor vulnerable people who were still up watching television at that time, with no other options? Yet several of these products are also now household names, and can even be found on store shelves (e.g., Oxy Clean, Sham Wow, and Slap Chop).
The evidence seems to suggest that alternative marketing techniques, even MLM and network marketing, are viable options for quality products--although they may face more public skepticism--and can even work to turn products into household names (one of the goals of AmeriSciences).
Showing posts with label MLM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MLM. Show all posts
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Making a decision
After the meeting we discuss what we want to do. I really like the products, but I'm still skeptical about the earning potential from this venture. I want to continue using the products, but I don't know how much I'm willing to commit to marketing and selling them. The benefit from signing on to sell them, aside from the possibility of making money, is that you get a discount on buying the products. Over time, this discount could be substantial. I'm also confused about some of the logistics. For one, I'm not clear how to get from the sampling step to the selling or recruiting step. I'm also not sure how to approach people who I don't know about the product, and I don't meet that many new people on a day to day basis. I'm willing to mention it to my friends, but I don't want to push it. I have a feeling most of my friends are not going to bite. Kirk is really interested in trying to sell the product, and he seems to have more confidence that he knows people who will be interested in signing on as well. We decide to buy in at the lowest level, which we can can easily afford. I figure, worst case scenario we'll use the products ourselves.
Saturday meeting: AmeriSciences compensation plan
Since we both like the product, and wouldn't mind making some extra money, we decide to go the the Saturday morning meeting, where they will discuss the business and compensation plan in more detail (as opposed to the Thursday meeting, where the greater emphasis was on the products).
The meeting is in the same room as the last. Some of the people are the same as Thursday, others are new faces (to us, anyway). Paul and Barry are the primary presenters. We are again given cups of Head Start to drink during the meeting. They talk about uplines, downlines, and the different levels within the company. At the highest level, you benefit from six generations down your downline. You can choose to enter at whatever level you want, which we are told is different from other multilevel marketing companies. You are also not required to sell a certain amount to maintain your level. In other words, once you reach a certain level, you cannot be bumped back down to a lower level due to reduced productivity. One of the men there, the first one who presented on Thursday, even took two years off for personal reasons, and was able to continue collecting money from his downline's sales, and also to return at the same level at which he left. We are told that this is also unusual for an MLM company. Your personal discount on products depends on what level you are. Income is generated through both the difference between your discount and the price you sell the product at (retail) and a percentage of the sales of your downline. The higher your level, the more generations of your downline you benefit from (up to six).
Kirk and I are sufficiently interested from what we've heard in the past two meetings to set up a private meeting with Paul for Monday after work. Before we leave, Jerry gives each of us a sample of AS10 Fusion to try.
The meeting is in the same room as the last. Some of the people are the same as Thursday, others are new faces (to us, anyway). Paul and Barry are the primary presenters. We are again given cups of Head Start to drink during the meeting. They talk about uplines, downlines, and the different levels within the company. At the highest level, you benefit from six generations down your downline. You can choose to enter at whatever level you want, which we are told is different from other multilevel marketing companies. You are also not required to sell a certain amount to maintain your level. In other words, once you reach a certain level, you cannot be bumped back down to a lower level due to reduced productivity. One of the men there, the first one who presented on Thursday, even took two years off for personal reasons, and was able to continue collecting money from his downline's sales, and also to return at the same level at which he left. We are told that this is also unusual for an MLM company. Your personal discount on products depends on what level you are. Income is generated through both the difference between your discount and the price you sell the product at (retail) and a percentage of the sales of your downline. The higher your level, the more generations of your downline you benefit from (up to six).
Kirk and I are sufficiently interested from what we've heard in the past two meetings to set up a private meeting with Paul for Monday after work. Before we leave, Jerry gives each of us a sample of AS10 Fusion to try.
Monday, April 19, 2010
The beginning of a written "blogumentary": AmeriSciences MLM--business opportunity, or scam?
Who gets involved with multi-level, or network, marketing? Certainly not me. Or so I thought.
In this blog, I will take you with me on my journey into the world of network marketing. I'm investigating one company, and it's products, from the inside out: AmeriSciences. I hope to be able to provide others with information that I couldn't find in my decision making process. I'll discuss the products, the people, and the sales/marketing experience. I never thought I would become invoved in network marketing. I'm not a sales person. I know next to nothing about business and marketing. I'm skeptical of promises of easy money, and the products attached to any such promises. So how did I get here...?
The other day my fiance, Kirk, told me that his friend, Jerry, wanted to talk to us about a "business opportunity." Jerry had recently become involved with AmeriSciences, a company that sells vitamins and supplements, and markets them to doctors to sell through their offices. Since I am in the medical field, Jerry wanted to talk to me about selling them through my office. I was immediately uncomfortable with the idea, but Jerry and Kirk are so close that I had to at least pretend I was considering the option. I shared my ethical concerns, but agreed to hear him out.
On Monday Kirk came home with samples of AmeriSciences Sleep, Energy, and Head Start. This is when I learned that the company we were being approached about was AmeriSciences (Kirk hadn't remembered the name before). I immediately jumped online to find something to discredit the products or the company. Preferably both. I also look for anything pertaining to vitamin sales by doctors for profit. What I found:
1- Kirk had told me that these were the only FDA approved vitamins. False. The FDA does not approve vitamins. However, AmeriSciences does use standards similar to FDA regulations to manufacture it's vitamins and supplements to a phamaceutical grade. Here's what AmeriSciences has to say about it's standards: http://www.amerisciences.com/science/quality.asp
2- Kirk said AmeriSciences had a contract with NASA. This appears to be true. http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=28993
3- I can't find anything reliable about ethics specific to AmeriSciences sales by doctors. I do find one comment from a patient complaining about her eye doctor's AmeriSciences display, with a response suggesting it is unethical. Jury's still out.
4- I learn that AmeriSciences is a multi-level marketing company. Alarm bells sound! Isn't multi-level marketing the same as a pyramid scheme? (I later learn it's not.) I don't want to be that (annoying) friend who tries to push a product on all of her friends and relatives. I don't think most of my contacts would be interested in such an "opportunity." I'm not sure I am.
5- There's nothing to suggest that AmeriSciences products are in any way unsafe. If anything, what I find suggests that the products are probably high quality. I see no contraindications, except that certain supplements are not advised for pregnant or lactating women. I'm not pregnant or lactating, so I decide the products are safe to try.
Kirk brought home two packets of Sleep, one Energy, and one Head Start. He doesn't need help sleeping, so both of those are for me. I take a packet (2 pills) and go to bed.
SES by business degree online promotion team.
In this blog, I will take you with me on my journey into the world of network marketing. I'm investigating one company, and it's products, from the inside out: AmeriSciences. I hope to be able to provide others with information that I couldn't find in my decision making process. I'll discuss the products, the people, and the sales/marketing experience. I never thought I would become invoved in network marketing. I'm not a sales person. I know next to nothing about business and marketing. I'm skeptical of promises of easy money, and the products attached to any such promises. So how did I get here...?
The other day my fiance, Kirk, told me that his friend, Jerry, wanted to talk to us about a "business opportunity." Jerry had recently become involved with AmeriSciences, a company that sells vitamins and supplements, and markets them to doctors to sell through their offices. Since I am in the medical field, Jerry wanted to talk to me about selling them through my office. I was immediately uncomfortable with the idea, but Jerry and Kirk are so close that I had to at least pretend I was considering the option. I shared my ethical concerns, but agreed to hear him out.
On Monday Kirk came home with samples of AmeriSciences Sleep, Energy, and Head Start. This is when I learned that the company we were being approached about was AmeriSciences (Kirk hadn't remembered the name before). I immediately jumped online to find something to discredit the products or the company. Preferably both. I also look for anything pertaining to vitamin sales by doctors for profit. What I found:
1- Kirk had told me that these were the only FDA approved vitamins. False. The FDA does not approve vitamins. However, AmeriSciences does use standards similar to FDA regulations to manufacture it's vitamins and supplements to a phamaceutical grade. Here's what AmeriSciences has to say about it's standards: http://www.amerisciences.com/science/quality.asp
2- Kirk said AmeriSciences had a contract with NASA. This appears to be true. http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=28993
3- I can't find anything reliable about ethics specific to AmeriSciences sales by doctors. I do find one comment from a patient complaining about her eye doctor's AmeriSciences display, with a response suggesting it is unethical. Jury's still out.
4- I learn that AmeriSciences is a multi-level marketing company. Alarm bells sound! Isn't multi-level marketing the same as a pyramid scheme? (I later learn it's not.) I don't want to be that (annoying) friend who tries to push a product on all of her friends and relatives. I don't think most of my contacts would be interested in such an "opportunity." I'm not sure I am.
5- There's nothing to suggest that AmeriSciences products are in any way unsafe. If anything, what I find suggests that the products are probably high quality. I see no contraindications, except that certain supplements are not advised for pregnant or lactating women. I'm not pregnant or lactating, so I decide the products are safe to try.
Kirk brought home two packets of Sleep, one Energy, and one Head Start. He doesn't need help sleeping, so both of those are for me. I take a packet (2 pills) and go to bed.
SES by business degree online promotion team.
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