Face to face with direct selling

Direct Sales, as defined by the Taiwan Direct Selling Association, refers to selling products and providing services directly to consumers in a face-to-face manner. The sales location is different from a permanent retail store, usually at the home or workplace of the consumer or others. or other locations. There are many types of organizational structures and bonus systems in the direct selling industry, among which multi-level marketing (Multi-Level Marketing) is the most controversial. This sales method, although legal, has caused minor disputes and general divisions in the church over the years.

Why are Christians also flocking to the MLM industry?

MLM has four special advantages:

1. No professional training, education, or experience is required. Everyone can join and start business.
2. The working hours are flexible and suitable for part-time work. It provides a convenient way to make money for housewives, single mothers, and office workers with insufficient income.
3. You can start your own business without investing a large amount of money and become your own boss. By absorbing downlines step by step, you can become the "leader" of the MLM network you have established.
4. Using the multiplication marketing technique, it is said that one can become rich in a very short time, accumulate the necessary pension needs and retire early. Regardless of its actual feasibility, this is the main reason why many people are tempted and jump into it.

For those whose family finances are tight, or who have parents and children to take care of, or who are ambitious at work, or who hope to start their own business but do not have large capital, the MLM industry provides a great opportunity. Good employment platform.

Because of these benefits, some Christians have joined the MLM industry, and some have good motives, claiming that they join MLM to earn more fees for doing the Lord’s work and to create more opportunities to preach the gospel.

Can you make money by selling products?

Multi-level marketing personnel have two sources of income. First, they receive profits or retail bonuses from selling products; second, they make profits from their direct downlines or by their direct downlines and sub-downlines, from their sales. , purchases, or your team’s total sales.

MLM personnel will plausibly argue that they are not an illegal "Pyramid Scheme" (commonly known as the Rat Club). The two most criticized characteristics of pyramid scams or rat clubs are: first, there is no substantial or high-quality product, and they only attract people to join to earn commissions; second, they mislead the other party with exaggerated and unrealistic high income, so that People join with unrealistic expectations. However, MLM companies do not recognize these two characteristics. Each MLM company will use various exquisite promotional materials to prove that their products are excellent and unique. They are definitely not comparable to the likes of the Rat Club. As for the exaggerated and false income, that is even more impossible. They will show their own or their online bonus checks to prove that what they say is true. Not only is it a check with an astonishing figure, but they will also add: "This is just a check." It’s this month’s bonus!”

Is it really so profitable? The author has been in the United States for nearly thirty years, and has gone through many lobbying efforts by MLM personnel such as Amway, Nu Skin, Usana, and Mary Kay. The products range from cosmetics and detergents to insurance investments. Although They are all different, but they all said in unison: "Our products are absolutely good, but you can't make a lot of money by selling them. If you want to develop downlines, you can make a sure profit if you have strong downlines!" The reason is very simple, because individuals or families After all, the products that can be consumed are limited, the profits are not attractive enough, and customers have to wait for a long time to order again.

Moreover, a person's network of people is limited after all, and he can only earn a small profit by working hard on his own. Some research reports point out that on average, multi-level distributors who sell door-to-door have no net profit (Note 1).

The secret of MLM is to sell products to the friends and relatives around you, and train them to become your downlines. They will then sell the goods, and at the same time they will also train your downlines... If you continue to operate in this way, you will become a multi-level MLM structure. , according to a company's executive-level instructions, you can "easily enjoy" a six-digit annual income.

Who else can it be sold to?

In Matthew 25, Jesus used three servants who were entrusted with managing the family property to illustrate that God is pleased for us to make good use of resources according to our own talents and operate honestly to make profits. In Proverbs 31, a virtuous woman is an example of someone who is good at increasing income and reducing expenditure, managing money and settling down a family. It’s okay to engage in any legal and ethical job. The question is, does the nature of MLM work take our hearts away from God?

For example, take a look at a teaching manual from a company that successfully trained MLM (Note 2):

*The first step is to reset your mentality. Listen to the company's success vision audio tape and watch the video tape repeatedly every day to strengthen your inner self-confidence and transform your successful image.

*The second step is to set goals. Write down clearly and specifically the income you expect every week, the car and mansion you dream of, the luxury vacation you hope for...and remind yourself often so that these goals enter your subconscious mind and become an unbreakable desire and the driving force for all actions.

*The third step is to take action. Start with a short-term goal. For example, to earn US$1,500 every four weeks within six months, you need to develop three downlines every month; to develop three downlines, you need to introduce the business plan to twelve people; If you want to present your business plan to twelve people, you need to invite twenty-four people.

In other words, within six months you have to invite 144 people, introduce your business plan to 72 of them, and develop 18 of them as your downline. Listing those most likely to be recruited based on closeness and proximity, it’s hard to imagine how many people could list one hundred and forty-four people to invite?

Data shows that at least 50% to 70% MLM staff will quit in the first year. You and all your downlines must continue to sell products and develop new downlines. Some people can't help but ask: Who else can it be sold to? Who else can become a new downline?

Away from God?

MLM training is a brainwashing process that twists people’s minds and diverts them away from God. It looks good on the surface, build self-confidence, encourage struggle, and success is just around the corner. This is similar to the basic training in general commercial salesmanship. It transforms the self-image so that the concept of "I" can, "I" can do it!" becomes part of the personality. Because some people have been hurt while growing up and become inferior and timid. However, the foundation of Christian self-construction is the belief in "God's power." By getting closer to God through daily spiritual practice, through the supply of God’s words and the healing of the Holy Spirit, the self-image rebuilt in this way has a solid foundation, which is completely different from exalting the self.

Generally, MLMs take material rewards as their goal and become the driving force for all hard work. During the training process, the charm of materials is more respected, making people become slaves of material desires without realizing it, which can easily lead to more competition, jealousy and chaos between people."No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24)When material things are the goal of pursuit in life, God has been removed from the throne in the heart and "making money" sits on it and becomes an idol to worship.

Christians should have a clean heart and rely on God’s power to face every day’s challenges. The motivation for their efforts should be to respond to God’s grace and to imitate Jesus in serving others.“Do not consider my Father’s house a place of buying and selling.” (John 2:16)Let us hear Jesus’ deep sigh! May I love God more deeply and respond to His love more in my remaining years.

Note (1)Robert L. FitzPatrick, The Myth of “Income Opportunity” in Multi-Level Marketing, 2005, p3.Note (2)Peng Hui, the trend of pyramid schemes harms the church, "Life Quarterly" magazine, Volume 7, Issue 2.

Author profile

Li Jinling has been a professional financial consultant since 1987. Currently, he is a financial consultant at Edwards Financial Management Company; a speaker on Houston Chinese Radio's "Making Money the Right Way" and "Financial Planning 930" programs; a member of the Houston Fortune Chinese Church and a missionary deacon.