# Are All MLM's A Losing Proposition In Today's Economy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 8, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-mlms-a-losing-proposition-in-todays-economy/484871 "2009-02-08T01:44:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-mlms-a-losing-proposition-in-todays-economy/484871/1 "2009-02-08T01:44:45Z")
I have an ex-wife who is very excited about this new drink made from pomegranate juice which is supposed to cure a multitude of ills. Only thing is, it costs 60 bucks a month unless you sign up with her to become one of her distributors (then it’s 40.00). Have any of **you** actually joined an MLM lately, and have you profited? Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-mlms-a-losing-proposition-in-todays-economy/484871/2 "2009-02-08T01:58:29Z")
What’s an MLM? I can guarrantee you that pomegranate juice will not cure all that ails you. However, it will taste very, very good. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-mlms-a-losing-proposition-in-todays-economy/484871/3 "2009-02-08T02:04:36Z")
MLM=Multi-level Marketing > **[Multi-level marketing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_marketing)** > > Multi-level marketing (MLM), also called network marketing or pyramid selling, is a controversial marketing strategy for the sale of products or services in which the revenue of the MLM company is derived from a non-salaried workforce selling the company's products or services, while the earnings of the participants are derived from a pyramid-shaped or binary compensation commission system. > In multi-level marketing, the compensation plan usually pays out to participants from two potential rev... ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-mlms-a-losing-proposition-in-todays-economy/484871/4 "2009-02-08T02:16:28Z")
I think MLMs have always been a losing proposition for all but a slim minority, usually those who got in at the very beginning. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-mlms-a-losing-proposition-in-todays-economy/484871/5 "2009-02-08T03:29:15Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > I think MLMs have always been a losing proposition for all but a slim minority, usually those who got in at the very beginning. Like [this guy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_DeVos) & [his kids](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_DeVos). ---
**Author:** ![Mongo\_Ponton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Mongo\_Ponton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mongo_Ponton)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-mlms-a-losing-proposition-in-todays-economy/484871/6 "2009-02-08T03:36:51Z")
Like a Ponzi scheme some people at the beginning will make good money from MLM systems. But Damn! Pomegranate Juice? That one’s been around like 3 years. Your Ex would be last in line. By the way I have consulted peripherally around a few of these and I can say with out any doubt that the people who are successful with them work their asses off. A lot of overnight travel. Schmoozing complete and utter morons. The absolute suspension of disbelief. Your product is not juice or cow dung or video phones, its a picture of a lazy life built by hard work. To build 7 downlines you’ll need 50 or 60 recruits. And the 7 good ones will need 50 or 60 recruits. Some MLMs are more legitimate than others but the product is always the same. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-mlms-a-losing-proposition-in-todays-economy/484871/7 "2009-02-08T12:54:39Z")
My ex-wife went from one MLM to another. She also joined an almost cult-like religion with the same devotion, both of which were reasons why she’s an ex. There’s a few who make lots of money and then the 99% who lose, and you have to have a certain amount of ruthlessness to be in the top 1%. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-mlms-a-losing-proposition-in-todays-economy/484871/8 "2009-02-08T20:30:03Z")
Either you are bad at selling or you are good at selling. If you are bad selling, forget it. If you are good at selling, there’s a lot of simpler ways to make more money.