Does anybody read these?

Well, ummmm, you see...

I am not sure what to think right now. I just read a lot of blogs on a very interesting topic. I should probably link back to them, but this post will be less informational and more conversational. I'm not trying to dissuade or persuade anyone else, I am just trying to figure things out for myself. And when you're a writer, sometimes that means typing a whole bunch of words on a page and seeing what sticks.

Which brings me to my latest contribution in blogland...

A few years ago, a co-worker of mine was drinking some stuff that looked like Red Bull but he told me was sugar-free. I'm perpetually dieting, if you haven't noticed, and he was an Atkins devotee himself. He also told me that his business sold this product. Now, I am not positive on the date, but I'm thinking this was before Diet Red Bull hit the scene (although currently my energy drink of choice is Diet Mountain Dew MDX). Regardless, my curiosity was piqued about this product. I asked him about it, but he kind of blew me off. OK, your business sells a product that I want. Why not sell some to me? Isn't that how business works?

Well, interestingly enough, a few of my friends also had a business that sold this same product. (Did I mention yet that I am living in Michigan at the time? Are you starting to get the picture yet?) As I noticed other products that I also thought I might want to buy, I wondered if someone might actually be interested in selling products to me. I asked another friend and they gave me some type of CD about opportunity. Do you really need opportunity to buy some Diet-Red-Bull-type stuff and dish soap? Nope, just a Mastercard. Finally, my friend Virginia offered me a catalog of their products. But then I get busy and forget or realize that when you need dish soap sometimes you can't wait 5-7 days. Generally the only time I remember I need a diet energy drink is a time like last Saturday where I'm driving down the highway, talking to someone on the phone and wishing I could take a few drags on his Marlboro to stay awake. But seriously, if I planned ahead I'd never run out of dish soap, energy drink or anything else my heart desires, right? And a lot of their prices are really good.

Yet, Virginia mentions opportunity too. And she showed me some of the products when I stayed with her last week and told me about her business. It seems to make sense. So, she told me that she needed to show her business presentation to folks. You know, just to get her numbers up, practice at doing it. That's fine. I've heard all the presentations. Hell, I even invited a Jehovah's Witness in for coffee one time. I like to learn. That conversation, by the way, ended when I was told I worship the Easter Bunny. That's asinine. He's not even real.

So, I bopped online tonight and watched Virginia's presentation. I'll tell ya, it made a lot of sense. There was even this part toward the beginning of the presentation where they talked about what made them different from Amway and multi-level marketing. There are a few different options that I could take if I wanted to buy products. I could just buy them at the regular price. I could pay $20/year and become a member and buy them at the discounted price or I could pay a yearly fee to be a seller and buy them at the discounted price and also make money for myself. It sounds like it makes sense. Really it does. But at the same time, I am hearing buzzwords I don't really like. And even though they said at the beginning they weren't Amway, it sounds a lot like Amway. In fact, the products look a lot like the stuff these folks I used to babysit for would bring back from their Amway meetings. They, by the way, never sold these products to anyone, but they were all about selling the opportunity.

Curious soul that I am and because Virginia is always off at a training or buying some type of motivational book or CD that at this time in my life I simply could not afford just because I wanted some dish soap and energy drinks, I decide to do a little research. Anyhoo, turns out that the company may have a different name and have different management, but lo and behold, it's owned by the Amway folks. Now, I don't want to come off like I'm dogging Amway. I am from Michigan. Amway is King in Southwest Michigan. Most of the Amway sellers in the United States are from Michigan because it's the Hometown Dawg. (I hate the "word" "dawg," but in this situation, I think it's entirely appropriate.) The Van Andels and DeVoses have done very well building Amway, and I do believe that at some point Jay and Rich truly believed that they could help people find the American Dream with their company. But aside from the founding families of the company, who make up a good percentage of the list of Michigan's richest residents, I don't know anyone who's ever lived the American Dream and/or made a fortune off of Amway's products. Mostly because I don't think I've ever met anyone who sold products to anyone but themselves.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't go into it planning to make money or even call it a business. I'm very intrigued at the idea of getting back a little from those purchases you have to make anyhow (they call it "prosumerism," isn't that cute?) . However, I know that Amway/Quixstar/Interbiz or whatever they are calling it today doesn't let you off that easily. I just don't want to be guilt-tripped and/or pressured into recruiting others or buying a whole bunch of "training" materials I don't need. And from reading some of the stuff I read when I googled these companies, I am guessing that's exactly what will happen.

I am a huge fan of Longaberger Baskets. Almost 10 years ago now, I got recruited to sell them. At the time it made sense. I was in college and I was having home parties almost every month to get baskets. In essence, I started selling baskets to feed my basket addiction. It was great. I got all the new baskets, and I didn't make a dime and I was OK with that. I can sell baskets with the best of them. I love baskets. A job that paid me in works of art made from Ohio's finest maple trees was great. But the minute they started pushing me to start selling the opportunity to sell baskets instead, it turned me off. Because I didn't really want to make money. I know that sounds really dumb. But seriously, I only started selling baskets because I was buying so many and I might as well buy them from myself. And why convince my customers to sell baskets? When they bought them off me, I made a commission that was much higher than my referral bonus I'd get if they sold under me. I just don't dig multi-level marketing. I do kinda think it's a scheme because it gets away from selling products and more about signing people up underneath you so you can make more money without doing any work. How exactly is that "The American Dream?" There are people I know who "sell" Longaberger who pride themselves in never having a homeshow. So, what are they really selling? And it's a shame that Longaberger has fallen into that trap. I know they need people to sell their products, and it seems like a good way to get them, but at the same time it seems a little shady.

So, anyhow, this is my quandary. I do like the products. But I am not a huge fan of MLM at all. I don't mind selling products. I can tell you all about what to do a Longaberger wrought iron stand or a Tupperware bowl (I did Tupperware for a little while because it's inexpensive to get started and I did make good money while I did it). It's just all the materials you're expected to buy to sell the products and all the recruiting you're supposed to do. I think that home parties and direct marketing are absolutely great and I think that it's a nice way for a stay-at-home mom to get out of the house; get great, practical products; and have a little spending money. For that, it's great.

I think I will just tell Virginia that I will buy the products I want from her. I am assuming she will still make some type of commission and I will get the products I want without all the strings attached. That just seems to make the most sense. I did put a lot of thought into this, but I just don't want to get roped into anything else. I was never the type to believe Amway was a cult or anything like that, but I do believe it requires a certain type of person, and I have never been that type of person...

Oh, and if you want to see what other folks are blogging about this, just google words like Amway or Quixtar or Alticor (their parent company) and all kinds of stuff will come up, including things like Quixtarblog.com, which is a very objective Web site started by a journalist whose wife got invoved with the company as an IBO. It contains both pros and cons, and really gives you insight on what to expect.

I found so much from my fellow bloggers, I never did get to the Dateline expose that I ran into somewhere. But I don't need a Dateline expose. I'm not frightened by it, I just know I wouldn't be happy doing it.

posted by Laura at 11:21 PM