EMBARASSING
QUESTIONS TO ASK AT MLM OPPORTUNITY MEETINGS
For those of you who are
brave enough to challenge MLM promoters at opportunity meetings or in other
recruitment settings, here are some sample questions you could pose –
guaranteed to make these promoters squirm:
This
program you are promoting looks and feels a lot like an illegal pyramid scheme,
with pyramid scheme investments merely laundered through product purchases. How
can you prove it is not a cleverly disguised pyramid scheme?
It
appears that your (MLM) program enriches a few at the top at the expense of a
revolving door of recruits like us who buy products to get in on the deal,
without any disclosure of the odds of our actually profiting from participation
– after all expenses. How do you respond?
You
claim that many people are profiting from your (MLM) program. What proof can you
give to show that most people who put forth effort in your program actually file
a profit on their income taxes?
In
major corporations, the country can be covered in four levels of sales managers
– branch manager, division manager, regional manager, and national sales
manager – and perhaps a fifth level to handle international sales. Why would
you need eight (or ten – or an infinite number – or whole breakaway groups),
other than to enrich those at the top?
If
I as a distributor make a good income for the time spent selling the products,
without recruiting a single person, can you give me the names of people
who have earned a significant profit after expenses without recruiting anyone?
Would
you please provide average net payout by the company (after subtracting product
purchases) to all participants who ever signed up (or in the past 5 years,
etc.), including those not now active?
How much are we expected to pay out in products, services, training, etc., over the next year, in order to be a serious participant? What percentage of persons who sign up ever earn in commissions enough to exceed those purchases?
If
– in order to qualify for commissions or advancement - we are expected to
subscribe to minimum purchase requirements that are shipped automatically 
each month and paid for by automatic bank draft, isn’t that merely making an
investment in a product-based pyramid scheme?
Ask:
“I want to be a Blue Diamond (or other level). How do I apply?”
(Likely response will be laughter – or answer, such as, “You have to earn
it.”
Your counter challenge: “You mean I have to recruit others into the program -
or buy a whole bunch of products myself in order to advance to that level?
Doesn’t that make it a pyramid scheme?”
You
talk of time freedom. If your top people are making so much money, why are they
out recruiting, rather than enjoying the promised life of leisure? What percent
of your top “distributors” are no longer actively involved with the company
– and never attend opportunity meetings? Can you give me their names?
At
other companies, internal conferences and training programs and materials are
provided free of charge. Why do you charge for these conferences and for audio
and videotapes, etc.? Is this just another revenue source for the company and/or
for the upline?
Are the company’s wholesale prices low enough to allow a respectable profit when marking up for resale – at a retail price that is still competitive with comparable products through other sources? (Or are retail prices so high that they must be sold at wholesale to achieve any volume – in order to advance in the scheme?) What evidence do you have to show a high percentage of participants profiting from actual retail sales?
Carried to its logical extreme, how many planets would be required if everyone in this room were to work hard enough to achieve the promised income rewards for their recruitment efforts?
You say that a person
can make money doing this part time. Can you furnish the names
and telephone numbers or e-mail addresses of part-timers who are earning a good
profit at this?