100 ways to lose friends and blackmail people into buying from your MLM

Business

Want to lose friends REALLY fast? Join an MLM. Discover 100 ways MLMs can ruin your life by forcing you to monetise your relationships and badger people into buying from you.

Ever wonder why you get so many cut and paste Facebook messages from vague acquaintances? Or why you’re being emotionally blackmailed into supporting a charity fundraiser sale?

The answer is you’ve been ‘hunned’! You’re the latest victim of an MLM rep who has been pressurised by their uplines to keep fresh blood and money coming into the team so everyone hits their sales targets – and their spline maintains her rank and bonus.

100 things you’re expected to do when you join an MLM like Body Shop at Home

As proof of just what you’re expected to do to get sales and promote the business, here are 100 (yes, 100) things an ex-Body Shop at Home was sent by their upline, along with the ‘encouraging’ message that accompanied it.

Are you ready? Here you go:

Each time I think what can I do – I pick one thing out of the list. Have you exhausted all resources?? Have you? Have you, really?! Have you done every one of these and then done them 10 times more?

1. Send a catalogue to a co-worker, friend, or neighbour who has moved, or past customers (make sure catalogues have your information on them!!)
2. Body Shop Basket parties or catalogue sample parties! Once hostess reaches £150 they instantly get rewards. 
3. Post a catalogue in the teachers lounge at your child’s school.
4. Post a catalogue in the employee lunch room where you work.
5. Hold an Open House at your home, or a restaurant!
6. Have a booth at a school fair
7. Advertise in your school newsletter
8. Give a Catalogue to the receptionist at your doctor’s or dentist’s office
9. Include a blitz card or business card with your bill payments.
10. Call past hostesses or meet them for coffee. Explain new products and why it’s time for another party!
11. Put current catalogue or business card’s in your neighbors door. Include a coupon and/or sample.
12. Ask friends to have a mini makeover party or facial party. 
13. Advertise in your church bulletin boards.
14. Find something to celebrate and throw a party! Invite everyone you know, and offer prizes for bringing a friend!
15. Host an office party or brunch.
16. Host a show before a school meeting.
17. Mail out samples, catalogues, and include a wish list
18. Host a fundraiser for your favorite charity.
19. New people may be looking for a consultant or a new job in your area join local fbook groups.
20. Set up a display at a craft fair
21. Participate in a school fundraiser
22. Have your Husband or significant other promote the products at work.
23. Have you and your family members wear a shirt or sweatshirt promoting your product.
24. Hold a shopping show for men.
25. Offer a Christmas wish list to your guest and then call the gift giver.
26. Check out local job fairs – they’re filled with people looking for work!
27. Put an “ask me” button on your purse or coat.
28. Order a body shop Bag to advertise on the go!
29. Hold an opportunity night.
30. Order a Body shop car magnet or decal, along with a business card holder to advertise on the go
31. Leave blitz cards EVERYWHERE – women’s restrooms, billfold at restaurants, airports, inside waiting room magazines, etc.
32. During home shows hold up higher price products & mention half price products to encourage bookings.
33. Mention how much your average hostess gets in products.
34. At the beginning of your home show mention the hostess’ goal for her party.
35. Share upcoming specials at shows & during phone calls.
36. Tell your hostess how much she saved by having a show.
37. Encourage frequent customers to regularly plan parties.
38. Encourage Hostesses to rebook a party in 6-9 months. 
39. Treat Hostesses to a special Hostess appreciation gifts. 
40. Encourage relatives to book a show.
41. Call your realtor with suggestions for new home packages.
42. Offer to do a class for your local grocery store.
43. Start an email address book of customers who want to know what the monthly specials are. Don’t forget to mention the customer specials!
44. Encourage your hostesses and guests to refer potential hostesses to you.
45. Offer a bridal registry.
46. Promote the bridal shows.
47. Describe and highlight the hostess plan during shows.
48. Be friendly, approachable, and enthusiastic.
49. Follow through on every booking lead.
50. Ask, Ask, Ask! Don’t hesitate to ask people who seem even a little interested., whether you know them or not. If you *don’t* ask, then it’s a “no” by default.
51. Use open ended questions, especially when dealing with bookings.
52. Use your products and samples at home, office, camping, parties, etc..
53. Read sales, self improvement, and positive thinking books.
54. Call at least two potential hostesses every night.
55. Dream and imagine the possibilities.
56. Set goals and review them constantly, post them where you can see them daily
57. Ask friends to help you get started or reach a certain goal (not on your FB wall and not often).
58. Use hostess flyers.
59. Use postcards and or newsletters to continue to spark interest.
60. Follow up phone calls to particularly interested guests. They may decide later to have a party.
61. Have the hostess tell why she decided to have a party and give reviews on your group.
62. Give products as gifts or donations.
63. Don’t be shy talking about your products or business.
64. Smile when talking on the phone.
65. Review orders from the past parties– who have bought frequently, etc.
66. Be prepared to answer questions about your work.
67. Write down names of people who owe you a favor and then follow up.
68. Call the most familiar people first.
69. Call potential hostesses who postponed or never booked.
70. Spend time every day working on some aspect of your business.
71. Be willing to share the business opportunity.
72. Call anyone who has said maybe or sometime.
73. At the beginning of the party mention your host’s goals. Have the hostess tell why she decided to host a party.
74. Leave your business cards on bulletin boards or in local businesses.
75. Talk about upcoming specials with everyone.
76. Keep a list of special requests and let those guests know when that product is on sale or available.
77. Suggest hosting a party to do Christmas shopping with out leaving home.
78. Offer a bonus or “instant booking gift” for hostesses who book on days or months you need and extra party.
79. Give extra service and time to good customers – they will be repeat hostesses and potential consultants.
80. Carry a note pad to jot down names as you think of them.
81. Let guests keep a catalogue or sales brochure or a few of your cards to keep on hand or pass around work.
82. Start a “Host of the month” club (15 hosts agree to place at least a £10.00 order each month, and 1 of the 12 months, they also get all the host benefits!)
83. Offer a gift wrapped gift to the host at your party; one booking, she takes off the bow, two bookings, she takes off the wrapper, three bookings, she gets to keep the gift!
84. Create an awesome booking “commercial” which highlights the benefits of booking a party with you!
85. Make every party a booking event!
86. Hold an event, with several parties in the same place on the same night. Contact a consultant in a different company. 
87. Create a referral rewards program!
88. Do them all again 
89. Send loyalty reward cards with your thank you cards
90. FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP with ALL customers several times (initial thank you for order, two weeks later to ensure received product, if have any questions & how liking it, then two months later again for refill)
91. Try different social media outlets – Instagram, Periscope, Pinterest, LinkedIn, business pages, etc
92. Be a vendor at a food festival (people always go where food is lol)
93. Friend request 5 new friends a day (look through suggested friends)
94. Join interest groups on FB & network with women in them (baking, crafting, kids, etc – comment on their posts, ask your own questions in them – but don’t mention business – send friend requests to those who converse with you)
95. Run errands wearing your products
96. Watch YouTube videos 
97. Create your own videos
98. Incorporate Body shop onto your personal FB page (attraction marketing posts)
99. If you have always done groups, create a FB event and invite those who haven’t ordered yet
100. Run a Flash Sale event

Why we have such a problem with this list

When you look through this list, you’ll see that an alarming number of ‘suggestions’ involve monetising your personal relationships. You’re expected to throw parties for friends… and then put them into the position of buying products out of embarrassment because they feel it’s expected of them.

You’re expected to give products as gifts, and to push your business onto teachers at your child’s school, your colleagues at work, and even when paying bills!

You’re expected to be a walking advert for what you do – wearing the products, carrying a branded bag and even wearing an “ask me” badge! You’re even expected to lurk in Facebook groups and pounce on any poor person who innocently engages with you by sending them a Facebook friend request. (This has to be the loosest use of the word ‘friend’ ever.)

But the most cynical expectation, and the one which sadly didn’t surprise us, was #18: Host a fundraiser for your favorite charity. As we explain here, MLM reps are fond of using charities for their own ends, and this list proves that. Fundraising for a charity is not a magnanimous gesture out of the warmth of an MLM rep’s heart, it’s a cynical attempt to reach her sales goals, and get her business in front of new prey.

MLM reps are fond of emotionally manipulating people into sales – for example by claiming to be a small business. And much of the sales and business building strategies you’re expected to employ amount to little more than blackmailing people into buying from you (with the ultimate hope of recruiting them).

If you are approached by anyone using any of these tactics, do not feel afraid to say no. Tell them you do not support MLMs under any circumstances, and end the conversation there without feeling bad. You’re not special, you’re just another number on their list. And as you can see, it’s a long list…

Photo by Kelly Sikkema