MLMs

Generally, I don’t like to hang around multi-level marketing (MLM) people (or insurance and unit trusts salesmen). They are always trying to either recruit you or sell you something and many honestly don’t have simple courtesies of listening to you. Their only goal is to make that sale regardless and think that the more words they can get into one breath, it’ll impress the daylights off anyone.

Well, many are not impressed, especially when hailstorms of saliva start heading towards one’s face and do waves of bad breath.

However, this is not to knock MLM per se, for I have seen how powerful it can be. Yet, I would just like to draw a parallel (if you can call it that) with who must be the greatest MLMer the world has ever seen. No, it’s not those Amway fellas. They were only apprentices to the real master.

Not wanting to sound religious (haha… me religious? I’m fortunate that I’ve not been stoned to death as a sacrilege sod), I still can’t help admiring Jesus’ approach to perfecting MLM.

Investing time, energy and literally his life for “members” (a.k.a. Christians), definitely knew a thing or two about the impact of his relentless investment in humanity itself. The only difference, however, is that his format of MLM is not just a downward linear equation like how every MLM works these days with downlines concerting more downlines for a piece of the pie.

His model was spread in all directions. See, the impact of his teachings spread not just through a “downline” of followers, but it had the impact of influencing his follower’s own uplines. Their parents and their parent’s parents… in addition to children and the children’s children. Heck, it even goes sideways to friends, acquaintances and even some that are mere observers.

So what am I getting at? Well, MLM is a good start. But what really separates the master from the students is this – he listened well and truly care enough.

Care? Well, every MLMer will always tell you they care. Really? Try making a claim on your insurance or something like that and hey, presto! I’ve never seen people vanish faster than the speed of light. Heck, when I stopped my insurance policy some time ago, my so called good insurance “friend” even had the audacity to tell me that I would be affecting his sales target!

Naturally, I have since excommunicated him. With “friends” like that, who really needs enemies?