The Cult Psychology Behind MLMs

The tactics they use to bait and trap enthusiastic young mothers and hopeful freelancers…

Since they were developed in the 1950’s, multi-level marketing schemes have been a controversial, hot-button topic. Anybody with a Facebook or Instagram account has probably felt the effects of MLMs — whether you’ve been pitched a product yourself or watched someone else fall down the rabbit hole.

What exactly is an MLM and how do they work?

MLMs, or multi-level marketing schemes, are businesses — and I use that term loosely — that sell their products through distributors rather than retail or online stores. Popular examples include Mary Kay Cosmetics, Herbalife, Amway, LulaRoe, doTERRA, Scentsy, and Avon — just to name a few.

In most cases, no special training or sales experience is needed to become a distributor. As long as you can pay the initial “investment” fee, MLMs are more than willing to have you.

The real trouble begins once you become a distributor. Not only do you usually have to pay an initial fee to join, but you’ve also got to buy a “starter kit” of products to sell. Depending on the MLM you join, this can run you anywhere from $50 to $5,000.