I first encountered Multi Level Marketing/MLM/Network Marketing in 1997. It was a company offering cheaper long distance and international telephone calls and I thought that I was on to a winner.
I was broke at the time but put together some leaflets promoting the service itself and promoted the business through mail order mailshots and advertisements. It didnt work out for me for 3 reasons.
1. Although I really pushed the product, most people werent interested in saving money off their phone calls. The main objection was that they didnt want 2 bills. The idea was new at the time, it was only a few months after British Telecom lost their monopoly and people werent very enlightened then.
2. I didnt have enough start up capital to do my promotions justice and although I introduced users and promoters I always fell just short of the monthly join up requirements to be paid. Being paid for my efforts might just have made the difference if I could have used what I had earned to increase my promotions.
3. I joined with a very nice lady but she was also new to network marketing. As her upline didnt offer any help to her we helped each other. It was fun but...