Change - (Warning, looooooong post)

No, it's not spare coins. Nor is this the sound you hear from one of the old arcade games. A few posts back I noted that it's time I changed, and that I have gained nothing from being myself today.

Yesterday, through some rather weird turn of events, I was brought to a table to discuss matters pertaining to financial opportunities. While discussing those opportunities, my personality not only got analysed, it took a great amount of knocks as well.

While the 'closers' were spot on when identifying my personality type, what they failed to catch was that I was reading their gameplan like a book. First, show how easy it is to make lots of money. Then, show how many people have made that money. After that, entice you to try from the bottom, since you've got nothing to lose from there, right?

Yes, specifically it's an MLM. Truth be told, really, the plan is probably a new way of making business. Imagine if everything that you bought you had a stake in it, that eventually you'd get something back. Well in MLM, given time, and bigger your circle of 'network' is, your returns may just superceed your investment.

But ofcourse, the investment in total of your 'network' will definitely not come close to your returns. Under no situation would any company let you take home more than you've invested. You'd probably think that you've only brought in X amount, and now you take home 2X amount home each month, so ultimately the venture is successful and you've got excellent returns for your initial investment.

Yet the actual investment is far more than you'd see. The actual amount of investment is the total number of sales/investment your whole team has contributed, and that could easily be from 3X to 6X per level of MLM. And it will usually take at least 3-4 levels before you'd ever begin earning your X that you've invested. In other words, if no one else invest, you're stuck with no returns.....

But back to the concept if everything you bought you'd have a stake in it...Like every toothpaste you buy, you get back a 10% of it's retail price. Or if you buy a new car, by being a partner, you'd get back 10% discount. And from there onwards, each other person you introduce to buy the same branded car, you'd get a cut, and the new buyer get's his discount. Eventually, there wouldn't really be a need for sales persons anymore, since everyone will be out to get everyone else to buy with him (note: not for him, but with him. For once you've bought it with him once, you're in his shoes now, eager to get more new buyers).

Then the unimaginable thing happens, with everyone already a partner of everything he/she would ever want to own, and that no one else would be available to be recruited anymore, hence critical mass...Or that it's becoming such a success, no ones wants to let anyone else override their stakes...Note again, this is for everyday purchases....

This of course, will not happen for 2 things:

1) Time. Mankind will continue to regenerate itself, so much so that even if you've had the world's population as your consumer, each second there will be someone else alive who isn't your consumer...yet. So imagine the baby stalkings! "Hey, your kid should be a partner in so & so scheme to earn the returns from age 0!" Without a doubt, though, the parents would be saying," yeah, and he's going to be under me!"

2) Diversity rocks. Despite all this hype about jewellery, there's that small amount of people that just don't buy it. You love KFC, I love McD's. While you believe being a partner in everything you buy gets you good returns, I think it's bollocks. Hell, even heaven, the best thing that you don't need money to buy, isn't 'sold' to every living thing in the world.

So hitting critical mass is only theorethically possible, and realistically impossible. Which means, you'd never run out of prospects. The key then for this business is finding your prospects/investors, or what they call partners.

So we've come to a conclusion that it can't fail, at least not through lack of prospects. The incentive scheme is generally well thought out and extremely enticing, so under no reason should that be the hindrance. Then, what is? Why do we know of so many people who does MLM and fails?

It is Diversity that once again becomes the stumbling block. You see, to be a MLM person, you need to fit into a certain mold of person. And it is just 1 mold. Yes, those who do it would contest otherwise, but in reality, they are all the same. They have 1 goal that they share (and mind you, it isn't always money....Isn't always), 1 lifestyle that they want to lead (hint: travel the world and the seven seas is generally a common theme), and 1 thing that they consider success; Being their own boss.

So to succeed, or to be enticed to be a part of this 'revolution', you'd have to either want to be that way, or know not how to not want to i.e. you truly believe that you do not like that way of life. A way of life where money is scarcely an issue, where you'd seem to have all the time in the world to do whatever you want, and you'd have close friends and partners to boot.

What a load of bull! Analyse this. For everyone you'd know who'd have money to spare, they're unlikely to have time for themselves, or much of any friends. If they had time, chances are money is an issue, and/or friends as well. If you have all the friends in the world, chances are the other 2 aren't available in abundance. To have everything borders on perfection, and being the imperfect bengs that we are, we seem to be unable to accept that fact and constantly strive for the impossible.

Then they'd show you all the names of people who lead the lifestyle they're trying to sell you. But will you really get to see their personal lives? They'd go up the stage and speak of great holidays, power real estates and luxury cars, but will anyone of them truly say "I now spend time with my family, and use only 10 hours a week teaching people about this business" and prove it. They like to discount the many hours they spend networking at parties, workshops, drinks sessions and talking about their business as 'free time'. They'd say that the business runs on it's own, and little intervention is needed to keep it running.

And their best show is helping others achieve their greatness. As an indication of sincerity. I must say, one would be truly optimistic to suspect nothing is amiss. They say when you start to work, it's the 'real world'. Since when does that cease if you join MLM? It doesn't. It's just that people in MLM are so much better at hiding their agendas and intentions, you'd need microscopic eyes to seen that hint of taint in them. Really, the successful ones are truly that good.

Okay, I am not saying there aren't good people in the world, but the MLM history has not been clean by far. Their track record at hustling people off their hopes and, specifically money is just to great to ignore. They sell you a hope, not a product. And hope is mankind's greatest value, as well as biggest downfall. By using your hopes and dreams to sell you a product, this I deem, is questionable. When current commercial practice sell you a product, you know what you get for the price that you pay. If you don't get what was advertised, or per understanding, there are legal & illegal ways to rectify the issue.

By selling you hope, you have no insurance. Much like religion. Have faith, and God will be with you. If he isn't, you have little faith. With this hope that you have bought, your subsequent actions must be according to their mold, their practices, their teachings, and if and when you choose otherwise, and fail, they'll then blame it on you. It is your failure. Your lack of commitment, trust and effort is the reason you've not succeeded. You have failed to become one of them. And all you can do is take that mental attack and have no defence.

No, they're are no cult, by definition. But look beyond the confines of time, interpolate their goals and reasons, and you shall see their offer is not too far away. "Hoping for a better future? Join us and we will show you the way"..........

Shivers. Now, what has this to do with change? You see, for me to be successful like them, I need to be like them. I can't succeed by being me. Well, you can enjoy being you. I'll stick to being me.

Having said that, the whole discussion, if it was without the MLM connection, was somewhat eye opening as it did show what my areas of opportunities are, and showed truly clearly, where my areas of strength are as well.

And like most, if not all self help workshops/books, it's all about self help. Others can help you see, but it is you yourself that must walk the walk.

I have been shown the paths, I have been given the light, now all that's left is the decision to start walking. Preferably with the light, but on a path I chose, and no one else.