Why MLM Has Such a Bad Reputation

Why MLM Has Such a Bad Reputation

There’s a great article in the current issue of Networking Times that features an interview with Randy Gage. In that article, John David Mann, one of my personal heroes, asks Randy what has held the MLM industry back, and why, in essence, MLM has such a bad name.  As always, Randy had some very interesting things to say, and I want to highlight a few that struck me as important.

1. The Good People Are Busy and Invisible
Randy makes a good point that most of the solid MLM business builders are busy with their own businesses. They are sponsoring people, training newbies, building their groups, and basically invisible to the public eye. They have been too busy building their groups to participate in a much of the hype that I categorize as MLM porn. Unfortunately, this means that the public mostly sees the MLM junkies, who are flitting around, hyping different opportunities, and never sticking around long enough to build anything of value for themselves or their groups.

2. Quiet Professionalism is Required
When I started looking for an online MLM mentor to follow, I noticed that there were a few out there that had what I call “quiet professionalism.” They are few and far between, but if you look for these people, you will find them. Michael Lemm is one of them. Most of the rest offer hype but no real value.

When asked how the average distributor can elevate the MLM profession, Randy Gage answered with the same thing: professionalism. Specifically, he said, “It always goes back to modeling the behavior: each one of us can set the example of integrity and professionalism. We’ve got to stop using knockoff DVDs and CDs and use professional material. We need to do our events in professional locales.”

3. Professionals Have Experience
To develop a better reputation, the MLM industry needs to be populated by professionals. Randy quoted from Malcom Gladwell’s latest book, Outliers, that talks about how a professional has a lot of experience in his profession before she is considered a professional. To be specific, Gladwell means about 10,000 hours of experience. I’m not big on higher math, but 10,000 hours of experience doesn’t get crammed into 30 days. So until we give up the “get rich quick” schemes and opt for the 10,000 hours of experience required to be a professional, MLM is going to continue to have a bad name. Me? I’m already logging in the hours towards my professional credentials.

I’m doing handstands and cartwheels reading this material. For a long time I have wished for people to understand that MLM is a real profession, like any other. You need skills, an education, and mentors to succeed in this business. To have Randy Gage saying this is music to my ears.

What about you? How do you feel that we, as distributors, can elevate the MLM profession?

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Photo credit: Talk to the Hand