As you know from previous posts, I am an amature magician. I got to magic conventions around Michigan and have quite a few aquaintences I run into at these conventions.
Well I get a call from this guy who says that we were at this convention (Michigan Magic Day, held in May) and were in line waiting for the evening show together. We had apparently talked and were just screwing around doing some card magic with some other magicians. Now, I like to think that I’m pretty good, but I’m not a professional. This guy proceeds to tell me that he wanted to get together so I could show him some of the card magic I was doing,while we were in line together, so he could use some of those ideas for a show he was getting ready for.
Now, this sort of thing has happened to me before, but it was usually with somone I was more aquainted with (I would at least have spent some time with the person at the convention and given my card out) not someone I just hung out with while waiting in line at a magic convention.
I have no problem doing this for the guy and suggest that he meet us at our monthly Magician’s meeting, but he says that the date for his show was too close to the date we all meet. He suggested we meet at an earlier date, and even said he could come into my hometown to meet me.(he’s from Battle Creek, MI., I’m from Paw Paw, MI., a 50 to 60 minute drive)
We finally decide to meet half way at a restaurant in Kalamazoo, and we hang up.
My situation…
I think the guy wants me to get into some sort of Multi-Level Marketing plan. Things that make me think this are the following:
He barely got to know me when I was in line with him at the convention and had to look me up in the phone book.
Why wait this long? He had plenty of time to contact me between May and now. Very strange in my book.
Why contact me about this when there are other more qualified magicians around that would be a better source of information. Again, I’m only an amature magician.
When I suggested he meet at our monthly magician’s group, he hesitated for a split second and sounded to me like he was scrounging for an excuse to meet me by myself. The excuse he gave me was that he would not have enough time to practice between the magician meeting and his show.
Something in the tone of his voice just didn’t sit right with me. Something in the way he was talking to me made me think he was a little nervous in trying to set up a meeting with me. It was especially noticable when I threw in the option of going to the magician’s meeting.
I guess my question is:
What should I do when I go to meet this guy. I’m expecting to go and discuss magic. If he starts bringing up this MLM thing, what should I do? How should I handle the situation, and how would you handle the situation?
If you’re a woman, you would have your answer immediately- HELL NO, YOU’RE NOT GOING! But if you’re a guy, it’s not so cut & dried.
My take is always- go with your gut. You know this is fishy, don’t put yourself in a situation which will be at the very least awkward, and at worst, possibly dangerous.
Then again, he might just be a shy guy who wants to steal a couple of card tricks. But it sounds like your first impression was correct. Good luck.
Personally, I think you should just not go. Your instinct is usually right. Just call him back and say “You know, I’ve been thinking about our conversation, and I’m really not interested in meeting with you. Sorry if you’re disappointed, but I’m really overextended on time right now and I just can’t do it. Give me YOUR number and I’ll let you know when it’s a better time”
Unless you think it’s possibly beneficial. Then go and meet. If he starts in with something you aren’t interested in, just say so. Then shake hands and leave. There’s no law that says you have to entertain this man because you met him in line somewhere.
I’m one of those people that wants an answer to everything. I’d go, making sure that I parked in an “obvious” place so that I could safely escape.
If the guy wants to trade/steal magic tricks, indulge him as you would anyone else. (Are you sure that he’s really a magician and is trying to expand his skills? Perhaps he WANTS to be a magician and wants to do a brain drain on someone that’s already done some of the hard work.)
If the guy jumps into a MLM routine, just get up and leave. He misled you and has you driving more than 60 miles for his convenience. You owe him nothing.
It could be a setup. Did you happen to flash a couple of credit cards or reveal that you have an expensive car?
Of course, the guy could also be interested in YOU. No advice here – you’re on your own.
So, what’s your problem with Multi-level Marketing? Don’t you want to secure your future? Aren’t you tired of working for someone else?
On a serious note, I think you should go with your instincts here. MLM is the least of your worries – psycho killers use setups too. Just don’t show, and if he calls, say you thought it was a different date – apologize and offer to see him at the meeting.
No. I only have 1 credit card and my car is not very expensive.
Yes, he could very well be interested in learning some magic. That is why I’m going. I enjoy swapping ideas and learning from others. You don’t learn much otherwise. It’s just I’ve been approached before by others to join an MLM and have always had a really hard time saying no just because they REALLY put the pressure on. I’ve never said Yes, but I really feel like a heel or jerk when I say no because of the way they pressure me. I don’t like saying no to people (then again, who typically does?) and that sort of situation really makes me uncomfortable
But then again, that is was MLM people are trying to do to me… make me uncomfortable saying no.
So I guess it is just my attitude toward the whole thing. I probably should change my attitude to be the slightly pissed off person if it does come up. It’s not normally in my nature to act that way, but if he is going to be a jerk about getting me over there just for an MLM scheme, why can’t I be a jerk back?
I would go and when I first sit down, say something like (half-jokingly)“If this has anything to do with MLM then I am going to be soooo pissed.”
Then, if it is not a pitch, you 2 have something to rant about to break the ice. If it is a pitch, you just put him in the uncomfortable position, good.
If it is an MLM pitch, Then he’s pulled a no no, and people like that steam me. It’s like anything else out there; You’ll find the good, bad, and indifferent.
I am am independent business owner, affiliated with Quixtar, not an MLM. But the procedures are the same, as the ethics should be. My approach when in a conversation, IF I choose to approach the person, is to see if they have any need or desire for a change or something new. I then invite them to see a business, not a scam, and tell them a little bit about it. If they’re interested, fine; if they’re not, fine.
In any case, go with your instincts. Better safe than sorry.
Then don’t say no. If he does start in about MLM, as soon as you hear the words out of his mouth, get up and walk out without saying a word. And don’t feel like a heel or a jerk, because if it happens, that means that this guy has lied to you, inconvenienced you and wasted your time, caused unnecessary wear and tear on your car, made you rack up unneeded mileage and waste gas, etc., etc.–so he would be the jerk in the scenario.
A couple years ago I had an ex-girlfriend call me up out of the blue and ask if I wanted to get together. I said sure, so she came over. We BS’ed, caught up, and then she launched into her MLM pitch. I caught on at once but played dumb. I kept changing the subject back to “old times” and she finally gave up, made an excuse and left. Worth a shot, if all else fails.
I guess you must be a guy if the first thing that jumps into your head is “This guy wants to pull some MLM scam on me” instead of “This guy wants to rape and murder me.” Or else these MLM folks are REALLY getting annoying.
I got dragged to one of those presentations by a “friend” who misrepresented it. All through the evening people kept telling me “No, this isn’t multi-level marketing.” I kept my reply, “Then it’s just a pyramid scheme,” to myself. And the friend hasn’t made any money from his investment of time and money. Duh.