ALL About MLM
WHAT IS MLM?
Multilevel marketing (MLM) refers to a strategy used by some direct sales companies to sell products and services. MLM encourages existing members to promote and sell their offerings to other individuals and bring new recruits into the business. Distributors are paid a percentage of their recruits’ sales. New recruits become the distributor’s network or downline and are, in turn, encouraged to make sales to earn money.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Multilevel marketing is a legitimate business strategy used by some direct sales companies .
- Existing members are encouraged to promote and sell their offerings to other individuals and bring on new recruits.
- Participants are paid a percentage of their recruits’ sales.
- Members at all levels receive some form of commission, which means the more you recruit , the more you earn.
- The FTC investigates MLM programs to ensure they don’t operate as pyramid schemes, which are illegal.
How Multi-Level Marketing Works
To understand how MLM works, think of a pyramid. In our example, Alice is the first independent distributor hired directly by Direct Marketing Company. Alice becomes the top of the pyramid.
Alice recruits five independent distributors, who each turn around and recruit five more independent distributors, and so on. This fills out the pyramid that Direct Marketing Company relies upon to sell its products.
Terms used in MLM
Here is a list of some terms used in multi-level marketing:
Active
If a distributor generates a certain amount of sales or recruits a certain number of new distributors, they can maintain the title of ‘Active.’ Customer purchases and distributor purchases are equally acceptable. A compensation plan qualifier or compression metric is typically active.
Affiliate
An affiliate is someone who has obtained marketing materials and signed an agreement. This program is a marketing strategy in which third parties or affiliates boost product sales by utilising their own marketing techniques in exchange for a commission.
Bonus
Business owners may give distributors an additional benefit in addition to their commission based on their performance. Such benefits could take the form of money or other rewards. A sales representative in a multi-level marketing company receives a bonus for bringing in new clients or hiring new recruits. There are incentives available at every level of MLM.
Level commission
Distributors earn level commissions based on the sales of their recruits in their downline. A distributor’s payline is made up of all the people from whom he or she earns a commission. The commission percentages for each level is the same for each level in its most basic form .
Compensation plan
A compensation plan is a method of paying distributor commissions based on personal sales along with those in the downline. Depending on the compensation plan chosen, distributors receive commissions based on their own sales and the sales of those under them. Some of the most important factors to consider while choosing a compensation plan include product or service, training and marketing, existing laws in the market and product cost to selling price ratio.
Downline
Downline is the network of members a distributor recruits. It can also include those networks that are associated with a distributor’s recruits. A member who joins the company or comes under a distributor can also be eligible for commissions paid to their upline.
Frontline
Most personally enrolled downlines make up the frontline. Frontline members earn a distributor’s commission if they meet the company’s compensation plan. In MLM companies, distributors receive rewards for recruiting new members.
Hybrid
A compensation plan that combines the features of two or more plans. Hybrid plans offer high-income opportunities to members since they combine the benefits of several plans. In a hybrid plan, the MLM company often makes good profits.
Upline
Uplines are the people or distributors above someone in an MLM business. The upline of an MgrowLM distributor also receives compensation for their sales. Uplines find new prospects for their downlines and help them in the process.
Benefits of MLM
MLM plans are low-risk ways to start a business and boost sales. Here are some of the benefits of MLM:
- Possibility of good income: To sell their products directly to their end-users, MLM companies hire a network of independent distributors. One good way to make a good profit is to hire more distributors who also sell the product, i.e., the downline. Distributors in someone’s downline can also earn commissions on sales.
- Lower sales expenses: By having independent distributors, the company does not pay fixed salaries to them. Instead, companies pay commissions when they make sales. This helps save up on sales expenses.
- Less inventory: Modern MLM companies take advantage of the tools and technology they have at their disposal. They make use of Internet telephony, dropshipping ability, access to high Internet, conference lines and consumer leads. A business that does not take care of inventory products becomes more responsive to market conditions.