Is It Works An MLM?
It's happened to all of us at some point. You're mindlessly scrolling on Facebook when you get a message from someone you went to high school with that you haven't spoken to since, asking you to try out some sort of weight loss supplement they're slinging online. Maybe they even go as far as asking you to join them in making some extra income by selling for the company, too.
Their rant probably goes on for a bit, talking about how much money you can make and how great your body will look if you try out this supplement and join the company for yourself. While their business pitch might sound impressive, it's important to read these messages critically.
According to Global News, most of these companies pitched on Facebook are multi-level marketing schemes. They are especially predatory, as most of the sellers end up going into debt and not making the extra income they boast about. One woman was recruited into the MLM business during the pandemic, telling Global News, "I saw a lot of recruitment posts, 'because it's COVID, people are working from home,' they're like, 'now's the perfect time to join in because we're going to have this boom.'" Of course, the boom didn't happen.
There are countless MLM products on the market right now, so it is important to do research before you agree to try or sell a product.
It Works! is an MLM
One of the most popular companies being sold by your friends on Facebook is It Works! The brand sells weight loss supplements and is notoriously known for these wraps that supposedly help you lose body fat. They also sell items like nutrition shakes and "keto-friendly" products.
According to Travelling Jezebel, It Works! is a clear MLM. The company makes sales by network marketing, where sales are made to people the seller knows. They also make more money if they sign up more sellers underneath them, making that clear pyramid shape.
In order to make money, selling products and recruiting new sellers is required. So, that's where Facebook selling comes in. The more the word is spread to people the seller knows, the more likely they will be to sell products and bring in new members to their downline (the name for the recruits that sign up underneath the original MLM slinger).
One former It Works! seller took to Reddit to share her experience. When she wasn't making money or signing up more recruits, she felt like a failure. She wrote, "For a while, I felt like I failed. Like I didn't do enough. I had tried to say to my upline 'how can I do what you're asking when I can't control other people? I can't force people to purchase.' Then I realized that I didn't fail." She further added, "I got suckered into it because I was in a vulnerable place and did surprisingly better than probably most for a while."