Multi-Level Marketers That Once Were Friends
We see them at the market and run the other way

I’ve been involved with several multi-level marketing companies and if you can make those work? I am legitimately happy for you. They didn’t work for me, and I’m okay with that. I know people that are currently “selling” and some are fine with, “no” and “not right now” and take those words at face value. But then there’s that one! *sigh* The one that truly believes that “no” means “not right now,” or “hit me up later.”
I understand that MLM sponsors will tell us that every “no” we get is just one step closer to a “yes,” which I found to be complete and utter bullshit. But who am I but another MLM failure statistic that didn’t “believe enough” in myself to succeed. (Yes, I am rolling my eyes as I write this.) I never wanted to be “that person,” though. The one that annoyed my family and friends by trying to sell them whatever skin or hair care I was involved with at the time.
We all have that one friend, though. At least I do. She’s started peddling a weight loss product that she loves. (Of course she does. She might weigh a whole 106 pounds, soaking wet.) I researched said product several years ago that I found to be a little hoax-y and a lot overpriced, but damned if she isn’t dedicated. My Facebook feed, when I bother to even look at it, these days, is filled with said product, with her beautiful, smiling face staring back at me, encouraging us all to get on the product train.
She hit me up on Facebook, and I told her I wasn’t interested. While I was at a concert with my spouse, bonus daughter and her boyfriend, I got a text from her about a sale she was having and that she really would love to see me get the products at these sale prices. I texted her back and told her I was at the concert. She then replied that she thought I’d really benefit from the products.
First of all, I just told her that I was at a concert. Second of all, was she implying that I needed weight loss products? Yeah, I might be a little fluffy, but I am 53 years old and feel like I’ve earned the right to be comfortable in my fluffy skin while I’m working on losing a few pounds. You know, the good old fashioned way by exercise and decreased calories and healthy eats.
I ignored all texts for the rest of the evening, and honestly forgot about her because I was enjoying good music and great company.
All summer I’ve gotten random messages from her. I finally told her that until I came off off the medication I was on that didn’t help weight loss that I wouldn’t be interested. She texted, again, after I’d come off said meds, and all by myself, I’d lost three pounds, so I told her that I was good. I got another message, just a last week, asking how I was. I replied that we were good. No response.
Now, I’m not rolling in money, but where my health is concerned? I have no qualm spending a chunk of my disposable income on something that makes me feel better. CBD is a perfect example of that. Yeah, it’s somewhat spendy, but until they legalize weed in my state? It’s the only thing I have found that will temper my moods, sleep and all but eliminate my hot flashes. Feeling relief from the symptoms of menopause is a better investment in myself than some snake-oil weight loss product.
I ran into my *ahem* “friend” at the supermarket the other day, and while I tried to go the other way, the aisle was packed and I was, for lack of a better word, trapped. We locked eyes and for one uncomfortable moment, neither of us said a word. She asked how we were doing, and we said fine. Did we have any plans for the three-day weekend? We said we planned on doing as little as possible. She said they were doing the same, then told us she loved us and went on about her way.
My husband noted that she seemed extremely short-winded with us that day. I told him that was probably because we were just people who used to be friends, but aren’t customers.
It also does not go unnoticed by me that I shared a lot of sample products with her family a year ago when I was hot and heavy into my own MLM fiasco. (In case you weren’t aware, MLM salespeople don’t get those samples for free.) I also spent a good hour on a Face Time conversation with them explaining how the products worked, how to use them and which would be best for their hair types. Did I get a sale? No. I left them alone. Why? Because nobody likes to be pestered by salespeople, and I valued our friendship enough to let it go.
If you are in a multi-level marketing endeavor? I’m not going to down you, not even a little bit. That shit’s hard work, to be sure, but when someone tells you that this isn’t something that they are interested in right now? Let them be. They’ll come back and inquire if and when the time is right.
How do I know? I get my CBD products from a gal that approached me a year ago about them. I didn’t think they would work, at the time, but almost a year later, I did the research and approached her. That’s how it works.
You put it out there. You invite people to learn more. They are either interested or they aren’t, but you’ve left the impression with them that you have a potential solution to their problem. If they never find the need, then fine, but if they do? They’ll knock on your door again.
Please, though! I implore you not to be that person that your friends see at the store and flee when they see you coming. It’s just not a good look. On anyone.
