There are few things that tick me off more than someone profiting from preying on the weaknesses of people.
This is why I loathe what I refer to as “Fast Food” networks.
Fast Food networks are companies that make there money by playing to (preying on) the weakness of the human race to want to fix their problems over night. They are primarily the companies that focus on fast money and drive their business through hype and pressure. They are like a drug….selling a toxic band-aid that not only doesn’t help the underlying problem that led to the need in the first place, but leads to a whole new set of deeper problems like broken dreams and fractured relationships.
Broken dreams happen because people out of desperation are easily hooked into the mentality that they can make lots of money fast by following the “system” presented by the Fast Food network concepts. A few examples are promoted of people who have made money quickly, presented as if it’s easy, and the hook is set. Within several months, the majority has lost money and feels more like a failure than they did before they signed-up. The people who make the big money in these programs are those who have made it before and have a following that they can quickly sign-up. They will run the program until the bottom begins to drop out and then they will move on to the next Fast Food. Then they will do it again by going after the people who couldn’t make it in the last one and telling them that they were simply too late, and THIS time they are in at the right time. It is a vicious cycle that leaves people forever tainted and hopeless.
The fractured relationships stem from the hype model that gets people to pressure their friends. Some relationships are damaged immediately just by the approach. The worst impact comes from the ongoing pressure of those who get involved as they lose money over time and then associate the relationship with their failure.
It is easy to tell these companies. They spend a lot of time talking about how much money you can make and they are usually accompanied by some significant start-up money. They will blow through an area and be very visible for six months to a year and then you won’t hear too much about them. The ones with the best marketing and promotion might have a three to five year run. Most last only a year or two.
This is not how the majority can work their way into a better life. Network marketing is a wonderful vehicle where everyday people (like me) can grow a stable financial picture over time by working the process in the right way and providing value in the market. When done right it is about helping people grow and develop a better life, and something that fosters great relationships.