Ramblings

My husband and I go out to a favorite cafe for coffee nearly every Sunday evening. It's a friendly place where strangers quickly become engaged in conversation with each other, and when the cafe is busy there's the constant buzz of over-coffee talk. So when the couple at the table next to ours struck up a conversation with us, we cheerfully responded, and we were off.

We learned a lot about each other in just a few minutes, and soon they asked us, "And what do YOU do?" We talked briefly about our work and politely asked about theirs. They said they owned their own business, and that they helped more people do more things in less time. Intrigued, we wanted to know more. They said they had purchased a franchise that was internet-based and their work involved driving traffic to their website and the website of the parent company. They said their business was providing a solution to every problem (!) and they loved the freedom it was giving them (hmm...). They answered our questions somewhat evasively and they presented us with a business card that contained very little information; just the name they'd created for their franchise and a phone number; no address, no cell phone, no e-mail, no website. We asked about that, and they said they purposely didn't give out their website on the card because they wanted to talk to people first and find out more about them, to find out if investing in a business was something they truly wanted.

It occurred to me that they might be talking about network marketing (think MLM), so I asked pointedly if that was what they meant, and they again answered vaguely. Finally a light went on and I asked, "Is this Quixtar?" (think AMWAY). The woman suddenly beamed and said, "Yes, that's exactly what it is!" Network marketing. I thought so.

Had I been alone, I would have thanked them for the conversation and left immediately, but my husband wasn't getting their drift, so I made little suggestions to him so we could eventually get away gracefully. Finally we were able to leave and I explained why I was eager to end the discussion. He understood then, and was glad we'd gotten away.

I have nothing against network marketing per se. I have always admired the business model and have engaged in doing network marketing myself at times in the past (buying into "the dream"), but the problem is the model seldom works the way it's supposed to in reality. The "dream" is that everyone has an equal chance at riches, vacations and a life of working about 5 hours a week. The reality is that lots of people do a lot of hard work, spending money they don't have on things they don't need and encouraging (think "arm-twisting") others to do the same. The efforts of these people are supporting a few people at the top, the few who are enjoying the fruits of the labors of the many.

My problem with network marketing is the way it makes me feel towards others. Every person is a "mark", a "prospect", someone I can't have a conversation with without trying to turn it around to getting them interested in my business, my product, my company. I stop seeing people as people and find I really can never relax and enjoy them. I don't like the way I become, but it's necessary to become such to be a success in network marketing. One becomes a "product evangelist." Is any wonder that so many network marketers are also evangelical Christians? Same mindset, different product.

The couple we met last evening were nice enough and pleasant to talk with, but what I resented is what so many resent when approached by those in network marketing. We thought we were getting to know people interested in getting to know us. The truth is, they were only interested in finding out whether we were the latest candidates for the title of "easy mark."