In today’s post, I will discuss when to leave a MLM Company.
If you’re pursuing network marketing as a career, it’s highly unlikely you will be with one company your entire career. It’s possible, but highly unlikely.
Think about your current career for a moment. How many different jobs (or businesses) have you had during your adult life? How many different employers have you worked for? Chances are, you’ve had many jobs with many different employers.
I only worked in the corporate world for a few years, and during that time I had about several different employers, and just as many jobs. I’m sure your experience is similar. Most people change jobs every few years. It’s the new trend.
In today’s world, very few people stay with one employer their entire career. Some people do, but most don’t.
- Very few sports coaches stay with the same team forever.
- Very few people work for one employer their entire career.
- Very few professional sports players play for one team their entire career.
- Realtors frequently change brokers and agencies (normally).
- Musicians switch record labels.
It’s just the way it goes. It’s called L.I.F.E.
Sometimes, it makes sense to jump ship to pursue greener pastures. Sometimes it doesn’t. At the end of the day, you have the responsibility to your FAMILY to do what is best for YOU.
However, leaving a MLM Company should never be a rash or emotional decision. It requires serious thought and consideration.
Common Reasons to Leave a MLM Company
Here are a few common reasons why you may leave a MLM Company.
# 1: Change of interests.
Nothing in life ever stays the same. We change. In fact, we change all the time. Our interests change as well. There might come a point in time where you no longer are passionate about the industry (or your company). Maybe you no longer want to be an entrepreneur. Perhaps you want to start a different business. Maybe you want to do something different with your life.
Advice: If you experience a change of heart, it doesn’t mean you have to leave your MLM Company. You could just slowly fade from building a business and keep enjoying your monthly residuals. If you’re set on leaving, you could also sell your position.
# 2: The company is saturated and declining.
Once a company has passed its momentum phase it will eventually plateau and flatten out. This is normal in every type of business. That being said, if the company is a sinking ship, it might be time to bail. There’s no point to stay with a sinking ship. If a company is going backwards, chances are there is a management problem, financial problem, or issues with the company’s owners.
While I respect loyalty, just keep in mind a company will NOT be loyal to its reps. They will ALWAYS do what is in their best interest, not your best interest.
Advice: Try to figure out what is going on with the company. Talk with key leaders in the corporate office or top reps. Identify what’s holding the company back and find out if there is a plan to remedy it.
# 3: The management team is ineffective.
There are a lot of things in this industry outside of your control. One of those things is the company’s management team. Yes, distributors are important, but the company’s leadership team has a MAJOR impact on the long-term success, or failure, of a company. If the management team is constantly changing, or is not distributor focused, or is clueless, it might be time to go! If the product always ships late, your checks arrive late and/or bounce, and there are constant customer services issues, it might be time to leave the MLM Company.
Advice: Find out everything you can about the company’s management team. Determine what the plan is to fill vacant management positions or improve upon areas with issues.
# 4: Major problems with the products.
Sometimes companies have something great going and then they change the formulations with their products to save money. Sometimes, products have side effects that lead to lawsuits. Sometimes the products are just overpriced garbage. If you don’t see the products as a good value, it might be time to go!
Advice: If the products don’t make sense, neither does the business. You should evaluate a company’s products PRIOR to joining.
# 5: Lawsuits and bad press.
Just about every company has experienced lawsuits and bad press at some point in time. It’s not all that uncommon. However, lawsuits and bad press can potentially destroy a company. If you do an internet search about your company and the first 50 results are negative stuff, it might be time to move on. In fact, some companies dissolve because of lawsuits. Keep a close eye on this with your current company. If nothing else, remember this: if your prospect goes online to search about your company, and all they find is negative things, it will be difficult to recruit people and find customers.
Advice: Stay informed about your company’s online and offline reputation. Research it online at least once a month. If the trends are consistently negative, it might be time to evaluate other options.
# 6: Change in the compensation plan.
Beware of companies that constantly change their compensation plan. If it’s always changing it means one thing: the company wants to keep more money and pay the reps less. Yes, the company has to make a profit and stay in business. I get that. But, the reps must be paid well, too. If you’re constantly being paid less, even though your team and volume are growing, you might want to leave your company for something else.
Remember, if the plan don’t pay the reps don’t stay!
Advice: If your company makes compensation plan changes, find out why. Find out if there are upcoming changes you need to know about. Be weary of ANY compensation plan change.
# 7: Your heart is no longer in it.
This is a big one for me. I can’t do anything I’m not 100% passionate about. I’m sure many other people feel that exact same way. It’s hard to promote a product and business opportunity you aren’t passionate about. Maybe, your heart is no longer in your company. Maybe, your heart is no longer in the industry. If that’s the case, it might be time to leave.
Advice: Do some serious soul searching before you decide anything. If you’re set on leaving, develop an exit strategy, such as selling your business or slowly walking away from the business.
How to Make a Decision
If you are having doubts about your current network marketing company, here are some questions you can ask yourself, to help you through the decision making process.
- Do I have faith in the company leadership team?
- Is the company growing or declining?
- Does the compensation plan reward me satisfactorily for the results I produce?
- Am I passionate about the company and product line?
- Do new distributors joining the company today have a fair shot at success?
- Are there a bunch of lawsuits going on right now with the company? If so, what are they about?
- Is the company financed properly for future growth?
- Am I happy with the company?
- Is the company’s leadership team doing their part?
- Is the company’s customer service acceptable?
- All things aside, can I expect my team and commissions to grow in the months and years to come?
- Is my company’s product or service a fad, or something that will be in demand for many years to come?
Once a year, I would ask yourself these twelve questions. They are enlightening and eye opening.
Other Advice About When to Leave a MLM Company
Here are a few other tips to help you with your decision making process when it comes to leaving (or staying with) a MLM Company.
- Pray about it, especially if you are religious.
- Talk to mentors outside of your company.
- Have a heart to heart with someone you trust (spouse, pastor, etc.).
- ALWAYS trust your instincts!
- Be patient, think it over!
- Take out a sheet of paper and write down all the pros and cons of your decision.
- Once you make a decision, move forward, and never look back!
The Grass Isn’t Always Greener
It’s important to remember this piece of advice as well. No network marketing company is perfect. Every company has issues, whether it be network marketing or anything else. Sometimes, things look sexy from a distance, but once you take a closer look, it isn’t what you thought it would be. You should follow the advice one of my mentors once gave me:
Pick the company you want to have your problems with.
In a nutshell, the grass is greener where you water it. Pick the company you want to have your problems with and plant your flag there for the long haul.
One Last Tip
Don’t be quick to give up on your network marketing company. Leaving a MLM Company that you have been building for a few years should be a MAJOR decision, not something you do on a whim.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, these are my thoughts about when to leave a MLM company. If you’ve ever had to do this before, please share your thoughts and let me know what you think. What is your best advice about when to leave a MLM Company? I look forward to hearing from you.
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Sincerely,
Chuck Holmes
Network Marketing Professional (21+ years)
Top Recruiter & Top Rep
mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
Awesome piece Chuck.
Most of your blog posts have been very helpful and insightful. You provide great content. I appreciate you a lot.
Thanks for the kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed this post. I am really passionate about this industry.