Recently the hot topic in one of the largest MLM and Home Based Business owner forums is Ann Sieg and the free ebook, The 7 greatest lies of Network Marketing.

Here is a snippet of the post that started the thread:

Is Ann Sieg Lying? Have you ever done a google search in the past and found a PPC ad from Ann Sieg saying your company is lying to you? In this article I want to turn the tables on Ann a little bit and suggest that she is the one who is lying.

I was always told as a child that the word lying was a strong word to use when accusing someone. I was also told that if you say someone is lying you better have the evidence to back it up… Become a free member and/or read the full post>>

Here’s My Response:

Good topic Carl! But, my friend, I’ll have to disagree with you here. Every "lie" in the 7 great lies of network marketing is absolutely widespread propaganda! Our sponsors and company told us them because they believe the lies to be truths for them, at least at the time they told them to us.

I know this because I was the upline spreading those same lies. Some I really wanted to believe and others I struggled with but went along following my uplines because I trusted their ‘experienced opinion’ above my own intuition (mistake #1).

I would like you to be more specific about which lies you feel are hurtful to the industry. You see, calling a lie a lie isn’t whats wrong here… it’s trying to cover them up or discredit them by saying it hurts the industry to speak the truth that will hurt us even more.

Saying, "Hey, stop feeding us bullshit and tell us how you diamonds really build YOUR own business" is a fair question to ask.

If you go through lie by lie you will see that they are more like half truths at best,let me explain:

1. "Everyone is your prospect"…. MISSING: "…who has the types of problems your product or service can solve and is actively seeking a solution."

2. "This isn’t really sales. We just share products with people"….MISSING: "…who may buy your products and services, which makes it a SALE. (which makes this just a lie)

3. "Anyone can do this!" … MISSING: With the proper sales, mindset and marketing training and a high level of desire and support and money and time.

4. "We’ll build your business for you." …MISSING: …Well, nothing this is just a lie. This ‘doing for you’ may last for a brief moment in the very beginning just to keep you pumped long enough to get into your warm market, but soon dies out. Now, if any one says this to a new recruit, I think its called enticement. Just praying on our lazy, ‘something for nothing’ lottery mentality.

Honestly, the rest are just self explanatory LIES…

5. We have the best product ever!

6. You just don’t have enough belief.

7. The proven system

Again, I know my upline would like to believe these things are what I need to hear and as uplines we know that if these statements were true our downlines would have an easier time building their business and therefore a better chance of sticking around long enough to make some decent money.

Don’t let the negative connotation of the word LIE sour you so easily.

If you go over the list above you will know for yourself whether or not they are a lie for you or not. They have all been lies for me and the proof is in me thinking and acting in just the opposite of each of these statements. After having amazing results in real dollars and cents when I tell the truth:

Which is our products and not for everyone, this really is sales and you will have to do 96% of the work etc…

I get better quality leads, more qualified business partners and repeat sales without rejection.

The fact is, deep down, I never believed all that stuff, it just didn’t make sense for making 10,000 a month could be as easy as having home parties where I invited my other broke ass friends and family. So, I attracted people who where rightfully skeptical themselves (like attracts like).

The main reason is the people who build big businesses the ‘old school’ way had 1 thing most of us are only learning how to get now: A BIG WARM MARKET. If you look at the really big guys on top you’ll see that its their reputation that precedes them everywhere they go.

Our job is to focus on building up our reputation and attracting an audience based on mutual respect and trust. Not by praying on the lower values of man kind like, "it so easy, the product sells itself" foolishness.

When our uplines tell us, and we teach and repeat the lies from above, we are giving the impression that this is all you need to build a big business and we all know its so NOT!

Malika Duke

P.S. And when your upline calls asking you why you aren’t coming to the meeting meeting any more and you don’t have the heart to tell him is because your too embarrassed by the tacky 3 foot rule that is preached weekly at training, what lie did/will you tell?