http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51175479-76/annual-companies-company-distributors.html.csp
"To outsiders, events such as this have all the feel of a cult, the true believers cheering as men and women dangle promises of wealth, spiritual well-being, personal health, family togetherness and happiness through the medium of fruit juice."

"If you really throw everything in and just ballpark it for the economic impact on the state, I think it gets pretty close to $10 billion," Israelsen said. "As best we can tell, behind tourism we’re the biggest industry."

That says a lot about Utah.

One can almost tell where each one is on the parabolic curve that is the "measurable lifeforce" of an MLM by the tipping habits of the participants...

Early on, everybody is gung-ho and has a "gonna get rich" attitude...

Then the higher-ups move in and start bussing everyone everywhere (because otherwise they'd be spending money on cab fare).

After that, everything turns to fizzle... The fizzle can go on for years...

There are some exceptions, but only a few. The "Stampers" crowd who are into scrapbooking supplies and such (a popular pastime for stay-at-home LDS wives) are always fun, but then they're doing it as much for the social aspect as anything...

Vegas promises people they can win at the casino gambling; Utah's MLM's promise they can win by recruiting a whole bunch of down-liners...

Not much difference...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2011 01:48AM by SL Cabbie.

"And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!
"And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!"

(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 18:15 - 16)

Excellent! My husband looks at me crazy when I tell him that the church is the most successful MLM scheme ever.

I like how most of the income for MLMs comes from distributors rather than sales. Doesn't that mean it's a Ponzi? Money is being squeezed from someone without moving product.

And Mormons are against Alcohol and Hemp and Porn? All of those are physical products. MLMs pretend to have a product, but at $30 dollars a quart, you're not selling much juice.

The Mormons are the worst hypocrites in the country. I guess when you pay a ten percent tax for occasional temple access you have to be some kind of dupe.

Don Bagley Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Mormons are the worst hypocrites in the
> country. I guess when you pay a ten percent tax
> for occasional temple access you have to be some
> kind of dupe.

Access to the temple is certainly not the only (or even the main reason) why mormons pay tithing.

tiptoes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Excellent! My husband looks at me crazy when I tell him
> that the church is the most successful MLM scheme ever.

Fetal Deity's quote from D&C is amusing but I don't share tiptoes' opinion that it aptly equates sharing the gospel with MLM.

I have yet to find evidence that the general authorities use tithing rather than their own considerable wealth for condos in Hawaii, etc. On the other hand, I know personally of many families who have used the services of the bishop's storehouse. So far, I can't think of the church as a MLM where the bottom tiers do the work and investment while the top reap much greater rewards for much less work.

-------------------------------------------------------
=) @ snowball's luck on the plane; I have to sympathize

Tithing payments are certainly the most important qualifier for temple access. Don't be so naive.

MLMs prosper because Mormons believe in a prosperity gospel. They are taught that if you are good, God will shower riches on you both in Heaven and on Earth. They are not Franciscans, who eschew worldly wealth for eternal glory. They believe, like Job's "comforters", that wealth is a sign of virtue and poverty comes from wickedness. People are poor because they are lazy, unless they are widows and then Tommy Monson will visit them personally.

MLMs follow the same model as LDS, Inc. LDS, Inc. says "give us 10% of your income and all your free time and we'll make you wealthy, healthy, happy and loved for eternity." If you are not wealthy, healthy, happy or well loved, it's because you are not fully committed to the program. The program cannot fail to work; only you can fail to work hard enough for the program.

When your wealth is a symbol of your virtue, get-rich-quick schemes are a sure way to tap into God's blessings. It's a lot more fun than getting an education, working for years to build your resume, and living below your means to build up wealth.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2011 06:42AM by axeldc.

MLM is a "great way" to be "successful" in life without all of the tediously slow and hard stuff like getting a degree in a hard science, learning a trade to a high degree of proficiency, or reading a lot of difficult books.

MLM is the magic pill. Apparently, there are a lot of people in Utah who believe in magic.

And who I am to stop them.

Gotta be positive and upbeat no matter what, right? Even if what you're doing is borderline illegal, and clearly unethical. Positive mental attitude trumps all of that, and makes the unethical somehow ethical, right?

It is funny that most people I know who follow get rich quick schemes or MLMs (overlapping Venn Diagram) are not better off a decade later, whereas those taking the slow, dull path are.

My parents wasted thousands of dollars they could not afford trying to become amway bigwigs. Taking trips t oconventions, buying tape after tape of people talking about possibilities and enthusiasm, boxes full of crap in the basement just waiting for the magic customer/distributor to come along.

They had big dreams, a small farm and a big family and two jobs each to make ends meet and spent all their spare money on the amway gamble. Then they tried to get us kids into it. A couple brothers tried for a while.

Me, I told my dad one time- I've been watching you guys chase this amway tail since I was 10. When you make a profit, then maybe I'll consider it.

Had to say the same thing to my TBM SIL who was pushing Primerica on us - when you start making any money, I will listen to your presentation. That was 4 years ago and they still aren't making money (surprise, surprise).

And I always find it interesting that my TBM MIL can always come up with between $250-500 to join these MLMs (and she's done them all - goji, noni, Amway, quikstar, ACN, Primerica, and now CHOFFY, ugh...) but NEVER has the cash to come see us. Hmmmm...

Like I have mentioned before --Mathmatically to go 6 across and 8 down and each having 6 people with 8 down, (also it cannot be anyone else who is in an MLM), It would take over 13,000 people who have to be making real money to stay interested. There is just not enough money in Utah to be in one, and at $30.00 per bottle who can afford it.

How they make their money is the $400.00 start up fee. All you need is 2,500 suckers to part with $400 to become a millionaire
I know one guy who goes to all the initial meetings, signs up and has a garage full of Noni, Xango, Mona Vie, Zrii, because he never sells any at all !!!!!!

The only way to be rich in MLM is to start one !!!

JB

One guy claims to have gone from working in a chicken factory to making $400,000 a year....till it all fell apart. He also uses the classic MLM hook:

"Most people that join a mlm company will not ever turn a profit. The 'Average' distributor never turns a profit. It is not an opportunity for average people. Jobs are an opportunity for average people.

MLM is an opportunity for people who are ready and willing to become extraordinary. You do not make $10,000 a month in MLM unless you are a servant leader....supporting others to get what they want."

The appeal to ego and vanity. Of course average people don't make money in it...but you are not average are you? You are different than the masses and that makes you one of the elect. In fact, if God had three heavens I bet that you would make the top one!

The truth is, except for a few people in history we are all average. But don't tell that to people you are trying to convert. The elect hear his voice don't cha know!

in the top 3 mlm's in UT was only less than 200 per mlm. Average schmuck makes $65. The real wealth is top 3 distributers and founders.

This reminds me of the last time I flew into SLC. My flight companions in the nearby seats were a returning Morg missionary, and a woman going to a MLM convention. Jesus Smith! Could a fella have worse luck.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2012 02:03AM by Dave the Atheist.

curious here:

a) is there a juice they're ACTUALLY asking $30.00 ( a quart?) for ? REALLY?

b) how much does the last guy in line pay for it? (the person who sells it to the consumer).

c) Does the Utah sales tax apply to these 'goods'? to food in general? to 'Food Supplements'?
If it does,I'd bet the cheating on sales tax alone is over-the-top. How good is tax enforcement in Utah? (Is each link in the chain required to get a business license, pay taxes on their cut?)

d) 100s of $ for the priviledge of selling someone's stuff? REALLY? I'm a betting that UT DOESN'T APPLY ANY TAXES TO THAT ACTION!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2012 02:38AM by guynoirprivateeye.

My employer collects sales tax for its distributors and then sends these taxes back to the states where the sales took place. If our Snake Oil goes out of state, Utah does not collect sales tax on it.

Yes, you'd be surprised how much desperate, uneducated people will pay for this Snake Oil.

Most MLM companies will mention a "suggested retail" price on their web site.


guynoirprivateeye Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> curious here:
>
> a) is there a juice they're ACTUALLY asking $30.00
> ( a quart?) for ? REALLY?
>
> b) how much does the last guy in line pay for it?
> (the person who sells it to the consumer).
>
> c) Does the Utah sales tax apply to these 'goods'?
> to food in general? to 'Food Supplements'?
> If it does,I'd bet the cheating on sales tax alone
> is over-the-top. How good is tax enforcement in
> Utah? (Is each link in the chain required to get a
> business license, pay taxes on their cut?)
>
> d) 100s of $ for the priviledge of selling
> someone's stuff? REALLY? I'm a betting that UT
> DOESN'T APPLY ANY TAXES TO THAT ACTION!

I posted something about Mormons and MLMs on my blog several years ago.

I concluded that many TBMs try to make money with MLMs because TSCC keeps them poor, so they have to try something and the only thing TSCC leaves them time for is an MLM scheme.

Fruit of the poisoned tree.