What is multi-level marketing (MLM) /Direct selling?

Direct selling, Multi-level marketing (MLM) and sometimes network marketing and it is nothing but a marketing strategy standing away apart from traditional and other marketing strategies.

Definition for Multi-level marketing (MLM) and Direct selling

Direct selling is a marketing strategy/method used to exchange goods or services without the help of advertising, infrastructures (franchisees, online platforms), or intermediaries as in the traditional marketing way. This is made possible by the distributor/ distributors (representatives of a company) of a Direct selling company delivering the company's goods or services directly person to person.

Multi-level marketing is a business model most probably used by direct selling companies and scams related to it. Where the products or services are selling person to person like in direct selling. And more to that recruiting more distributors to boost the sale.

The difference between direct selling and multi-level marketing (MLM) is that, in addition to the above, in multi-level marketing, the distributor adds new distributors for money and other benefits. They also receive a small share of their turnover.

And thus, making multiple levels of marketing teams forming a network. So that sometimes-called network marketing.

Distributors are joined in the system for remuneration, commission, and royalties awarded by the companies.

How MLM works

In Traditional marketing strategy, the intervention of intermediaries occurs at several stages between the delivery of a product from a manufacturing company to a consumer. At each stage, each intermediary receives a small share of the profits. Usually, a product goes through the hands of at least 4 - 5 intermediaries.

In addition to their profits of intermediaries, the money they spend on advertising also needed to paid by the consumer. Therefore, the retail price has to be 5 times or more of the construction cost. If it is less than that, the product cannot be sale on the price (which means, the maximum retail price is just one or two times more than manufacturing price. It will be very difficult to retail globally. Because the product cannot meet the profit for intermediaries)

In addition to their profits, the money they spend on advertising also comes from the consumer. Therefore, the retail price has to be 5 times or more of the construction cost. And this is the same in all most all cases.

In MLM there is no intermediaries such as national distributors, state distributor, Controlling and forwarding agent, wholesaler, retailers... and other advertisements.

The sales are going through a group of people(distributor) as a network, so it is also called network marketing. The commissions that probably going to the intermediaries and huge amount in the advertisement is divided into the distributor with the help of an income plan or compensation plan.

The remuneration and commissions and other royalty are divided through a compensation plan (income plans) by the companies. The compensation plans may vary in each company because they sell different products or services.

The Multi-level marketing companies recruits more and more distributors into the network system (distribution system) and it's going everlasting. And thus, companies increase their sales volume. This is done by other distributors refers to new personals into the system. The one who refers to more distributors gets more money according to the income plan. No distributor is enrolled on a salary basis. A distributor will get a small share of sales done by the person referred by him and his references. And thus, one possibly can generate more income by recruiting more into the system.

By explaining how a binary system works you may understand deeply how MLM works.

All MLM systems working under an income plan to provide the money to the distributors. All the systems are working on the basis sales volume. And the sales volume is based on points or Business Volume (BV) of the products that you are sold. Each product has a definite BV calculated by the company based on the profit of the company.

The company will give ‘X’ and amount of money for each BV

In binary system there is two channels. For ease we can say A and B. consider these as teams team A and B. the one will be power team and other will be money team. The team has more sales volume is power team and less sales volume is money team.

Suppose, power team has 100BV on total and money team has 80 BV in total. The total in the power channel matches (80BV) to the money channel

And, distributor gets 80*X amount of money.

Note: if there is only one team or no sales volume on the money channel, you won't get any money.