How to Pick MLM Companies to Join (And Should You Even?)

Now, I don’t know how you feel about direct sales, network marketing, and MLM companies, but I believe they’re not all bad.

In fact, it's one of the easiest ways to start a home-based business, because the products are already created. You don’t have to worry about R&D, production, etc.

It's very similar to affiliate marketing, which is a widely accepted online business model. The only difference I can see is that, with affiliate marketing, you usually never have to pay for the "privilege" of promoting the company's products. At worst, you'd have to apply to be an affiliate and prove that you have a big enough audience (such as a mailing list or social media following).

Some direct sales/network marketing/MLM companies also provide excellent training, including how to use social media and so on.

But beware: Some of the training out there truly sucks!

I've received enough spammy direct messages on Facebook, obviously copied and pasted from some company's training. I always prefer to market my own way (and after 12 years of online marketing, I feel pretty confident doing this), so I don't pay a ton of attention to these training programs.

IMPORTANT: If anyone tells you to push your product or "business opportunity" to your family and friends or even complete strangers, to lie about how much you're making, to publish fake posts or do anything else that's dishonest, JUST DON'T DO IT!

How to Choose Companies to Promote

If you’re thinking of marketing a company's products, here are some questions:

Do you love the products? 

If you’re a happy customer of their products, then it’s a no-brainer to become a distributor (or affiliate, franchisee, ambassador, representative, etc.) and save money on your own purchases, at the very least.

Pick companies that have high-quality products with a solid USP. For example, many network marketing and MLM companies offer health products like nutritional supplements and toxin-free cleaning products. But if I don't use and love them myself, then why would I recommend them to others?

I can find vitamin C powders in the grocery, but I prefer  Melaleuca's because it contains a higher amount of vitamin C and zinc (which may play an important role in COVID-19; Google it), as well as herbs known to support the immune system. On top of that, I'm truly in love with the tea tree oil-based home cleaners. I use Sol-u-Mel on everything now.

All this means I can share my enthusiasm about Melaleuca products with integrity. I wouldn't go around gushing about them just to make a commission. 

Which brings us to the next question ....

How much can you realistically make? 

Look at the commission structure–confusing as it may be. In most cases, direct sales and affiliate marketing are good ways to make extra income, but the commissions probably won’t be enough for you to quit your day job. 

You should be able to earn money through referring product sales—not just from recruiting other members. If the company focuses on recruitment instead of sales, then that's a red flag that it's a pyramid scheme. In that case, run the other way! 

I know a few  people who make great money from promoting MLM companies or other people's products. They've earned cars and fun trips. Usually it's because they're able to sell products as well as recruit a lot of other members. Those are not average results, though, so just be realistic about how easily you could do the same thing.

How much will it cost you?

There’s usually a joining fee, but most companies make this a non-issue by giving you products or credit for their products. Or, they may bring down this fee to almost nothing to entice new members.

Also look into recurring fees such as monthly fees for your virtual office, personal website, etc. Another thing that made joining Juice Plus+ an easy yes for me was the absence of any recurring fees and quotas.

Beware of MLM companies: They require you to make a huge investment to join (I've heard of some where you plunk down hundreds of dollars in product) and/or have a monthly sales quota. You'll most likely end up spending more than you earn, just to be able to stay in the program.

Do MLM companies make it easy for you to refer customers?

If you’ll be promoting other companies' products online, then it should be easy for you to get your referral links for specific products. I was once promoting another company where my referral link only went to the home page. I could not direct people to a specific promo or product page. It was a big PITB!

Here’s where Juice Plus+ shines again. I have referral links to any page on their website—even specific blog posts. This means I don’t have to be pitching products all the time, but I can still potentially get referral sales through those links.

So what do you think? Would you be open to joining a direct sales, network marketing, or MLM company? Or would you like to join a company's affiliate marketing program?

PS: The demand for Melaleuca and Juice Plus+ products is through the roof! In fact, the Tower Garden went out of stock shortly after I ordered it, and the indoor grow lights are still on back order. I think I’m onto something ….