Money. It’s a taboo little word sometimes. I’m going to get slightly uncomfortable real here for a minute. I earn the majority of my living as a consultant for a direct sales company. I can make money when the people I introduce to this company (I’m referring to Nature’s Sunshine btw) introduce it to others. You can say that this is an MLM. Sadly, that declaration would make some people turn and run without knowing anything about me, my business ethics or about the company I have partnered with. I also share a distaste for Network Marketing/MLM but I absolutely LOVE and am very proud to be a CONSULTANT for Nature’s Sunshine, it’s products and programs. It’s not about the company, or any other company necessarily but rather the ethics and professionalism of the person involved. I am not in business to recruit distributors. I share what I have learned about building health with others and teach them to do the same. I’m a teacher not a salesperson. I’m a whole lot more interested in touching lives than just making money. Don’t get me wrong, we all have to eat and keep a roof over our head. I believe that when you help enough people meet their needs, your needs will also be met.
So, if I’m a bit soured by the MLM scene, why in the world did I get involved with a direct sales company? I was a long time customer because the products worked and did what they said they would do. After going to school to become a health coach, I learned REAL fast that people don’t want to pay you for your services, but they will buy a product from you. A lot of coaches I know are rabidly against the IDEA of doing what I do and in no uncertain terms I think they are cheating themselves out of a wonderful opportunity…and foolishly so, I would add. Why? They spend a great deal of time learning about herbal remedies and then send their clients out to find these through a third party company or on the internet. The latter is a really BAD idea for a couple of different reasons:
- You never know what you’re going to get on the internet. I actually wrote a post on this subject. You can read it HERE.
- You just worked hard to get an audience with this client, who may or may not have negotiated your services (hello self esteem blow), and now you’re going to send them out to spend money elsewhere? Why not recommend a product you know made by a company you trust? If you are not doing this, you are making sales for someone else and you’re leaving money on the table.
With all of this being said, I would like to take this opportunity to invite the MLM skeptics who are looking for a way to expand their practice to get to know Nature’s Sunshine. It’s all about ethics and professionalism.
YOUR PRACTICE. YOUR BUSINESS. YOUR REPUTATION.
The opportunity is what you make of it. If I landed a point, please get in touch. I am all about flowing with like minds. If not, no sense recreating this scene from one of my favorite movies ever. 😉
