When Will They Learn?????

OK, I have to vent tonight.

Today I received a phone call from someone I have met briefly twice and each meeting was several years apart. The most recent time was in December when I spoke to a group and this person was in the audience.

You probably know where this is going. This person wanted to invite me to "an event."

When I asked what type of event it was, you guessed it, you smarty pants! It was a direct sales opportunity that he was sure I would be very interested in.

Now I don't know how he would think so, because both times we met the conversation stayed very much on him. He didn't ask me a lot of questions, so at this juncture, he certainly wouldn't have an idea of my wants or needs.

I don't like to malign direct sales companies, because there are some good ones out there, but I do want to pick a bone with the ones who suck people in and tell them that 1) they don't have to sell and 2) they just have to invite "friends" to partake of this wonderful opportunity. I also want to chew the same bone with companies that teach people to recruit using these relationship-less tactics.

There, I feel better.

MLM At Its Best

Yesterday, I met a new networking contact. She happens to represent an organization that has the Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) model of business. Now there are some people in the MLM businesses out there that give MLM a very black eye. ("Sign here and then I'll let you leave.")


Valarie Fasue, is not one of those!

She represents Pre-paid Legal. And does it very professionally. At my request she shared her (her, not the company) story which made her very endearing to me. She has worked very hard to be where she is today. She has had several other professional careers and came to this after considerable research. Can you guess that she is already successful?

What made us both laugh is a story she told me about a networking experience she had. At this event she met another business woman and asked if they could meet so she could find out more about this other women's business. The woman declined saying that she didn't need any legal help. Valarie laughed and said, "I just wanted to find out about her, but I realize that she thought I was going to try to sell to her."

Never one to let some little rejection get in her way, Valarie just approached another contact and made an appointment to find out how she could help that person.

Don't you wish all sales people would have Valarie's mentality?