Is There Network Marketing Without Hype?

by Gobala Krishnan

Published on this site: May 27th , 2005 - See more articles from this month...

When I was first exposed to network marketing at the age of 23 and introduced to the idea that any average person can take control of their destiny for a better future, I could see new light of hope.

You see, for me, life had to be about making choices, and the lack of that ability so often in my growing years led me to believe that network marketing is the do-or-die answer. Little did I know or expect the amount of hype I was about to get in my first naive year in network marketing, which almost crushed my dreams simply because no one shared the truth with me.

Is hype really necessary in network marketing? I honestly don't think so.

I hate hype and the very essence of trying to convince someone by using false or misleading words and deliberate interpretation of other people's words in order to get a sale or make a new MLM recruit. I believe in network marketing, but the hype that so often comes as a pre-packaged MLM "starter kit" almost destroyed what I believed in.

Here's why I don't believe hype is necessary in network marketing; because network marketing is not about selling false hopes to anyone. Network marketing is not about selling at all; it's about building long-term relationships and trust. Network marketing is not about convincing, it's about sorting.

If you were looking for a business partner, which one would you prefer? Someone who told you the truth, or someone who stretched the truth whenever he can to keep you happy? Sad to say, you may well belong to the first category as I do, but there are hundreds of people out there who actually welcome the hype.

These are the type of people who WANT you to tell them exactly what they want to hear. And what's that?

They want to hear that they will be able to make money easily without shedding blood and tears. They want to hear that they don't need to learn any new skills. They want to hear that the product you're promoting is 100% perfect and that people will be lining up and punching each other to buy it. They want to hear that success is looking for them.

And as long as those people exist, there WILL be hype in network marketing. When there is demand, there is supply, as my economics teacher used to say once. There's nothing much you or I can do about it. Hype kills network marketing for all those who choose not to walk that path, but it's something that we have to live with.

I also believe just as there are those who WANT hype, there are also those who want the truth. And what's that?

The truth is that network marketing is not perfect. No business model is perfect. There's always a risk that you'll fail. There's always a risk that you'll lose money. There's always a risk that all those things you don't want to happen, will happen.

As long as you're ready to accept that risk, as long as you find someone who is wiling to share the truth with you, and willing to share the risk with you, won't it be worth it to explore the possibility that network marketing promises?

If you fail in network marketing, a business opportunity that has no fixed costs, low investment, and one of the best cash flows compare to any other business, will your life really be worse off than it was when you didn’t realize YOU had a choice?

Or will you be better off than those who never tried simply because they were too afraid of failure? That's something to think about.

Gobala Krishnan is a freelance writer and home business entrepreneur. Get a free copy of his book, "Creating Wealth on The Internet" at http://www.MyInternetDream.com today and find out how you can retire in 1-3 years by creating enough residual income to last a lifetime.