MLM, network marketing, management structure: pick your name. It's multiple levels of compensation and you sell a product or a service. If that fits the deal you're in, read this and read it now. Your success and sanity demand it. If you're already wealthy from MLM, this may waste your time, but it may benefit your future downlines. If you haven't achieved wealth through MLM, you owe it to yourself to deal in reality and this is a quick reality check.

For the average Joe (or Jane) that intends to make money, and hasn't struck gold yet -- cause hey, if the BBD [tm] works for you, why stop now -- the way to riches (and hell if you're not careful) is to pursue one passion, one product, one idea to its full and fully exploited potential.

{Preaching below - you've been warned}

Stop changing course, stop jumping ships, stop flailing in the same crummy leads (your poor annoyed friends and family). Do it fast, hard, and immediately. If you haven't achieved success (meaning the bank accounts are much bigger) in 12 months, QUIT! You should likely consider quitting the entire industry, forever. You should achieve measurable success in your first 90 days. You should exhaust your warm market in less than 30 days. If you haven't reached financial success in 12 months one of two things is true: you stink at prospecting or the product (and/or its pay plan, its leadership, your training, etc.) is a loser. Either way, you're hosed until you retool and you should have figured that out before you wasted a year of your life.

A year is massive! Think about it. You've only got 40 or so productive years, and if you're over 30 you've got substantially less. Squandering an entire year on a bad deal is unforgivable. Truth is, if you can't measure financial success in 90 days you're bad at it or it's a bad deal.

Get with someone experienced, someone who simply doesn't do MLM anymore and won't - so there's no tainted opinion. There's lots of us out there. We won't "steal your dream" or blow you a line of hot air. Some deals have terrible management, bad pay plans or ridiculously overpriced and uncompetitive products. All of those need to be avoided like plague. They'll ruin your good name, burn your time and destroy you financially. Be objective and weigh the costs before you get into a deal or promote it with your name and reputation.

My key question: "Can an entry level rep work the rest of their (employable) life moving the product or service profitably?"

If the answer is no, then it's likely not sustainable. There are dozens of MLM styled companies that do this, and have performed for decades.

Last, but not least, don't buy the 3 year retirement plan. It's crap! You're going to work most of your life to achieve anything of substance. I've yet to meet anyone that worked 3 years and retired. If someone pitches you this line they have bad judgment. It's both impractical and rejects historical record. To suggest a model that is proven consistently impossible for practically everyone in an industry is character suicide. Avoid people that use this pitch. If you're using it, it's a terribly destructive lie. Stop doing it!

MLM is sales. Sales is hard work. People who claim anything else are twisting realities. You sell a product, you pitch people, you prospect people - you're in sales.