We often see them working outdoors, based in predefined zones. They often ring outdoor-bells in an attempt to promote/sell the products/services of the company to which they are registered. Francesco, Federico, Isabella, Marco, are respectively the sales force, the area manager, the representative, the diamond.
We now know the names of the companies like the back of our hands: Amway, with their household products and brands Artistry® and Nutrilite®, Stanhome (also specialised in household products and personal care), Herbalife and many other companies. Some are still semi-unknown, you can find them on the official Avedisco website. Some look at them appalled, others with empathy, but, fortunately, there are also those who say yes, or rather want to try the products, or to start a networking marketing business – magic words that have expanded the development methods of direct sales.
A big step forward was the law 173/2005 b, governing direct home sales and protecting the consumer from pyramidal-like sales. A true revolution, summarized in the slogan “different time is not equal to money”, which allows not only an optimal work life balance, but also the possibility of becoming a self-entrepreneur, to improve as a person and to allow children and grandchildren to inherit your business.
Luigi Baccaro, author of ‘Network marketing’, defines this new form of business as “winning in the digital age”, thanks also to the exponential disclosure typical of social networks, especially if you use each of them according to your own peculiarities; it’s a marketing based on team cooperation in which everyone will gradually form, without competition, a horizontal and meritocratic activity where the verticalization of traditional societies do not exist.
Last, but not least, gender equality: the salaries of males and females are the same, being a multilevel marketing that is open to everyone, even to those who have low degree titles, but who, consistently and committedly, manage to achieve goals unthinkable at the beginning of the enterprise.
In summary, a heavenly quality of life, but beware: multilevel marketing “is simple but not easy”. Gerry Scotti in ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ (Italian version) said: “only the brave”, only the courageous ones. And, in fact, it takes a lot of courage, self-esteem, determination and consistency to take the first steps to achieve these important goals, that is to establish the network. Multilevel marketing, therefore, is usually suitable for those who have a lot of social relationships, not just a few friends or close relatives, but also acquaintances to whom they can try to propose the particular product/service without immediately encountering a “no”.
The author of this article has been telemarketing for three years on behalf of a food and wine industry newspaper. She can therefore claim that prospects have gradually become loyal customers because a dialogue between a friendly voice at the end of the line and the producer on duty has been created. In this case, the relationship is principally face-to-face, but not less difficult.
It is, in fact, not only necessary to study and participate in the training events promoted by the company to which you decide to affiliate, but also to organise your territorial marketing plan well, as it will be both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C). If all the contacts on your territory say no, it is difficult to start over. Another thing: if you sell and promote a particular product/service from you company ‘X’, in order to be reliable it will be functional to have an in-depth knowledge of the product, achievable through the use of what you are promoting/marketing.
Before you choose a company to which you wish to subscribe, first think about it, otherwise you will probably face another failure in your professional life. Second, understand what you are promoting; for example, participate in training and motivation events nationwide. You will be helped by experienced leaders who have been successful, and you will be in contact with people in your same situation.
Good luck.
