Last Friday, a friend told me about a new multi-level marketing plan. Having experienced another multi-level marketing plan in the past, I was skeptical, but trust in my friend's judgement and integrity kept me listening. He claimed this company was different because the products are actually less expensive than comparable name-brand products, and because this company does not require members to sell anything. All sales are handled through the corporate website.
As I listened, I thought about how my friend is a natural salesman, while I am more of a geek who tends to get carried away talking about details until my listeners find a polite way to escape the boredom. My friend must have picked up on my concern, because he promised to help me to sign up new members. I would just need to try the products and refer people to him, and he would sign those people up under me.
The risk seemed small. I would try new products, and either I would believe in them and naturally talk them up to others, or I would quickly know that I had misgivings about the product, and I would discontinue my membership. I signed up, and I ordered a one month supply of products I would have purchased anyway.
When I arrived home, my daughter arrived home about the same time with a grocery bag full of cleaning products she had just purchased, asking me to reimburse her. I immediately began experiencing "buyer's remorse," since my daughter was requesting reimbursement of about 10% of what I had just spent.
