Andy Willoughby has followed up with an e-mail response (after we e-mailed him) to this post and this post and this.

I was going to do a post on MLM in general, having had a few brushes with it in both my personal and professional life. I have seen the bad side (largely in my regular life) and I also know people through work who have used it successfully for years (in a field most people have never thought of).

But I happen to be very busy AT work right now, so any post requiring extensive time on my part is going to have to wait at least a week. So I'll just let Andy speak for himself again:

John

My experience with MLM has been similar to my experience with radio broadcasting, car repair, mortgage loans, rental properties and remodelers. Some good, some really good, some bad, some really bad. When it comes to owning your own business, people are always going to have to do a serious due diligence. Those that don't take the time for a thorough due diligence take a big risk. At the same time risk is an essential ingredient to success. If you refuse to take any risk you will miss out on many of the best things in life.

My conviction is that if people will work hard, persist and be a student of their trade, they can succeed at nearly anything they take on. I believe there are very few vocations without honor. Some consider another man's work insignificant and laughable, very few feel that way about their own. How can you place importance on a particular job? Who would you find it easier to do without, your banker or your trash collector? Of course thieves, liars and nay-sayers are dangerous no matter what profession they are in. Fortunately most people are honest, truthful and optimistic most of the time.

I think it best to work a job you enjoy. If you do it will be easy and you will probably be successful. If you don't like what you do, find something you do like. If you can't find something you like, you better learn to like what you do.

The reason I developed the 3-Step Plan was so that I would never be placed in a position in which I was telling people they could make a lot of money just so I could make a lot of money. The 3-Step Plan is similar to a "mini-franchise." We do the advertising so people have a continuing source of interested prospects. The voice mail message you mentioned in previous articles is done so that our members don't have to be salespeople to make money in marketing. They just 3-way in the presentations and send people to the websites. Not a lot of prestige but it does seem to work. Most of our members are more interested in getting out of debt or staying home with the kids than the prestige of a job title. Many are also not able to pay the upfront cost of a traditional business. Some have the money, they just don't want to take the risk with their savings or home mortgage to start a traditional business and the 3-Step Plan doesn't cost much to get started.

Have a great day.

Andy Willoughby

Andy did not ask for anything, by the way. And I'm sure I'll never be a network marketing guy. I just do not like to screw anyone over out of pointless spite.

Google troops, get Andy's side of the story here.