Sports Drinks | Juices | Energy Drinks

Attention network marketers! You know who you are. You know this business, and you have attended an opportunity meeting or two. The other day, in the middle of an opportunity meeting for MonaVie’s Acaiberry drink. I stepped back and just watched. I saw the confident expressions on all the willing participant faces. Their emphatic applause imparted the hope that one day they would succeed. Hope that one day they would earn an income enabling their dreams to come true. In this relentless pursuit to self-reliance, I wondered how much money they spend, how much energy and faith exert, and how much time they spend for their network marketing careers.

The numbers do not lie. The vast majority of network marketing ventures end in failure (much like any business venture). However, few businesses create a following where meetings are more like religious revivals than training meetings. This MonaVie meeting was excellent. The speaker, an attractive master at his craft, could say no wrong. The faithful applauded loudly, hanging on his every word. He is the living epitome of success, and all watching apparently wanting to emulate him.

Anyone who has cashed a hard earned commission check knows that the heart of network marketing beats in the meetings we hold and attend, much like attending church. MLM 101 dictates that meetings generally consist of three main elements as follows:

1. Product Explanation- improves your life
2. Corporate Background- trusted individuals who help you
3. Business Opportunity- get ahead in life

Truly successful “networkers” have very good, informative, and motivational meetings. The cutting edge product is absolutely essential to your health, corporate figureheads are noble with supreme business acumen, and most importantly, the sense of urgency with their unique business opportunity rivals the need for food and water. My question is, how is this different than a religion? Religions might be characterized with the following:

1. Product- better way of life (a set of rules to live by)
2. Corporate Background- trusted servants (God and his servants)
3. Business Opportunity- get ahead in life (go to heaven, not to hell).

Maybe this is a stretch. But, it is evident that many religiously follow their MLM. In my last meeting it happened to be MonaVie. Passionate belief in their juice and business opportunity justifies what the vast majority pays (or donates). All to be a part a company that is very much bigger than they are individually. Yes, they certainly do get something for their money, and some do end up making a good living. Is it a freakin’ religion? No, but I think it is close. Is that necessarily a bad thing?