Multi-Level Marketing.
"Hey, let's come in for a talk about job prospects." Little did I know that my army friend would lead me into multi-level marketing. Almost ensnared by opportunities that seem too good to be true, yet seductive enough to kill common sense and logic.
It happened on a day which I was supposed to meet Eddie Cai and Raymond for a LAN session. Since it was rather early, I followed my friend, amused at his eagerness for job-hunting. "Perhaps an office job? " I envisioned myself wearing the same thick black spectacles, this time not in army uniform but office wear, 1/2 a year later. I was led into this building where smartly-dressed executives abound. Many health products were displayed as well.
As I followed my friend to the fourth storey to meet the manager, I half-expected him to tell me about working hours and mundane stuffs. On the contrary, he began by saying that there is an opportunity to earn high above your income potential. Just introduce this to your friends. Help yourself by helping your friends find potential customers. Though hard work is required, it will pay off in the end. Imagine being able to finance yourself for your whole life!
What is multi-level marketing about, you may wonder. After a week of research, it simply means you pay a fixed sum of money for a product, then you find three of your closest friends to do the same. After which, (in Singapore's context) you help your friends to find 3 links each to sustain the downline. And so on and so on ad infinitum. Based on the number of generations you can help generate, you get % commission for the links every month. Of course, the more links the person has, his commission increase exponentially to the point of unbelief.
Perhaps, the tell-tale signs of inner discomfort and skepticism begin to ring in me. Don't you want to be able to support your parents for the hard work they put in you? Your friend chose you of all person to be his third link, cause he trusted you above all and want to work together with him....Now we are the pioneer batch of this product, put in hard work at the start and reap monetary rewards later....In such a high-pressure situation, coupled by the fact that filial piety, yi qing and friendship were slowly warped by soft and seductive words, I could not help but be swayed by that. ( I cannot describe in words how I felt)Later, as I looked back, I realised I was trapped by friendship, which was being perverted.
Thankfully, (or not, depending on how you look at it) I never ever carried my ATM card around. Or NETS. Or credit card. I almost became a member, a part of this devious scheme. I heard that even people earning four-figure sum give up their conventional jobs, all to be part of the glorious future, to hope to earn more than that. There is greed, thinly-veiled in all of us.
The next day, I wanted to withdraw my membership immediately. (incomplete for the fact that I never put in my bank account number) Instead, the manager delayed the process, encouraging me to lay low. Don't tell your parents. I will help you earn back the money and impress your parents. Just tell me the names of your closest friends. I guarantee you in two months' time I will help you recoup the money.
No way, B.@!%H. Even though I felt the pressure increasing, I steeled my mind against possible hynopsis. No way am I going to reveal my friends to you! For them to be swayed by this. In the end, I had to resort to something drastic; I asked for the refund of the products which my friend paid for me, thereby terminating my membership.
"Now, let's come in for a talk. " Be wary if your closest friend invites you for a talk about multi-level marketing.
On a sidenote: What is wrong with multi-level marketing, you may say? Since it is not banned by the government, surely it is nothing wrong. Legally it is nothing wrong, but it is morally wrong. On closer look, you just have to find three of your closest friends. Each of your closest friends just has to find three more guys and sustain the downline....Mathematically, it cannot work out in real life, even in theory. I can't explain as well as these websites. Take a look to find out what mlm really means. Even if you can earn huge loads of money through mlm, it is dishonest money.