BRIEF HISTORY OF MLM (Networking)
Network Marketing Started in the
early 1940’s. It was started by a company by the name California Vitamins, that
discovered that most of it’s new sales force coming aboard were mostly friends
and family members of their existing sales force. This they discovered was
because they were interested in buying at wholesale prices. They also
discovered that it was easier to sell more with a large sales force, than a few
superstars. They combined these two ideas together, developed a compensation
structure and allowed their sales force to make confer representative status on
their satisfied customers. The sales force grew exponentially and the company
rewarded all the sales reps for the sales produced. That was the birth of
Network Marketing. The company later changed it’s name to NutraLite Food
Supplement Corporations. Not long after, in 1959, former distributors of
NutraLite Rich DeVoss and Jay Van Andel, started Amway Company. Amway became
the popular benchmark for Network Marketing.
WHY SO MUCH NEGATIVITY?
One of the reasons for the
success of Network Marketing in the 1990’s is that it is based on cooperation,
not competition. Unlike in traditional business, career advancement in network
marketing comes directly from helping to create success with those that you
introduce to the company. Network Marketing is sharing information that results
in product sales. People involve themselves because they want to finally be
compensated for what their efforts are really worth. They’re involved because
somebody cared enough about them to show them the awesome opportunity of
network marketing. They get involved because they were ready to make a change.
Why Hasn’t the Truth About Network Marketing Been Told?
·
People resist change and are fearful of what is
not fully understood. People are comfortable with what is known and accepted by
most.
·
The truth is that most people in power today
have an overriding fear of the loss of their own power. Network Marketing is
about empowerment of the individual.
·
Newspapers, magazines, radio and television earn
their primary profits from their advertisers. Is it in the media’s best
interest to say anything positive about an industry that does not advertise? Do
you suppose major traditional marketing companies that are receiving increased
competition from network marketing companies are excited? Whose side do you
suppose the media would take to protect their advertising dollar?
Just as in any business or
industry, there are scams and schemes that hurt the industry image. Real estate
has had its scams. Banking and Savings and Loans have had their improprieties.
Ministries have had abuses for self-serving purposes. The stock market has had
its insider trading scandals. Why should network marketing be any different?
Look at the company, the product,
its management and their past history. Understand the commitment that is
necessary to achieve success and residual income. This advice is just as valid
in network marketing as in anything else.
It’s interesting how resistant we
are to change. We want to stay in our comfort zones even when we’re miserable.
It’s been said network marketing is the next step in the evolution of free
enterprise. But there is one thing we can always be assured of: the most
fundamental fact of life in our world today is that change is inevitable!
