Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Don't sell basketballs!

*this post is rated PG13*

Imagine with me for a minute that I started a business selling basketballs to people and I had just started the business so I hadn't even made any money but I knew that in history there have been some people who have made a lot of money selling basketballs and when people play basketball they get exercise and that's good for them so wow this is great...

....but imagine then if I tried to get all my friends to also sell basketballs because when they sold a basketball I got a little piece of their sale and so I also wanted them to get other people selling basketballs because if the whole world was buying, selling and playing basketball the world would be better - right?

No...the world would be incredibly annoying because I don't need a freaking basketball and I don't need a business selling basketballs and nobody is gonna listen to me give them a sales pitch about a business selling basketballs except my friends who feel bad for me...so then it gets worse because now I don't really have any friends anymore because all my friends are now only business prospects....do you see where this is going. The world is not better because of this crap.

One of my business mentors Jeff Jochum told me a long time ago to "never shit where you eat" or you'll have no friends and people without friends don't succeed.

If you already have a business I suggest sticking with your core business and building that up. This is not the time to branch out - it's time to buckle down and get some solid relationships and a foundation.

so there's my 2 cents...ciao.
DJ

24 comments:

ericbarker said...

Sounds like the Amway or Quixtar Buisness Plan! LOL
I with you!

Unknown said...

Ummm, you lost me ... can you please interpret this parable?

Deyl said...

Yaaay! Someone needed to say it!

But what if ur basketballs were from the rainforest in brazil?

Ginger Murray said...

I immediately thought of what Eric said, too.

I know 5 people who are into that, and they have no clue how many friends they have lost. I ran into one of them while I was out recently, and he's like, "I don't really see anyone anymore, you know? It's like, people are super busy... I guess everyone's growing up." I was just like, "Yeah..." but I wanted to say, "Maybe it's because no one thinks you actually just want to 'hang out' anymore after you've repeatedly tried to sell crap to them when you DO call them to 'hang out.'" Actually, I'm pretty sure that's it. Everyone I know still has time to hang out with friends... but we just can't trust the people in that group anymore. The worst part is, is that they use the whole, "Christ wants us to be financially free." Well, YEAH! But not by selling crap, manipulating your family and friends, having this business consume your life and give you so much false hope that you truly believe you can "retire" at 28 years old from your well paying job that you went to college for...

It honestly breaks my heart that they give up on what they were originally called to do in order to pursue the financial freedom. It breaks my heart that no one trusts them anymore, and that they'll be stuck in this false hope and crappy business for so long, because they'll almost feel obligated to after they put in all that time and money. And I couldn't agree more--- that you need to sell something worth while that people actually want or need!

I have a friend who does Mary Kay, and I honestly feel that's different. They actually sell good products-- as long as girls don't get caught up in thinking they can own a mansion for selling makeup, it can be a fun side-job for them.


So yeah.... ask me how I REALLY feel about it, haha!!

theshotshot. said...

advocare! mona vie! visalus!

Josh Stichter said...

Would you just relax and have a glass of acai!?

Andrew MSV said...

This is why I have a policy of not shooting weddings for friends.

It sounds like you have someone SPECIFIC in mind. Will this message get to them? Or perhaps you should just call them and tell them what you think.

the BLAH BLAH BLAHger said...

You should also never shit where you date...or date where you shit...or shit where you work. Ya, one of those.

Jason said...

its best to just do all that business in the restroom. They have laws against that sort of thing.

Kevin Sturm said...

Can you make a basketball that can make me play better? I'd totally buy that.

But I wouldn't sell it to anyone because then they would also be better at basketball, and they are already better than me. I could use a basketball equalizer. I'm just saying. So if you are selling basketballs, and they can make me better at basketball, then I'm buying.

Bobby Earle said...

I had one lady try to recruit Lindsay for something like this. She didn't want to but the lady wouldn't take "no" for an answer. After Lindsay couldn't get it through this lady's head, I just told her "look, I don't want her to do it and Lindsay's going to listen to me over you." The lady said something stupid like "well you shouldn't control her." I sort of replied "neither should you." This all happened in church after a conversation about how excited we were that Lindsay no longer had to work for someone else - and was with me full-time.

The lady didn't hear "I'm so excited about working with my husband!" She only saw a way in for her douchebag company.

I wanted to slap the lady. Some of these Amway, Arbon, etc, people are insane.


It needs to be said, Deej. Good stuff :D

Andrew Barlow said...

Thanks for posting this DJ...
I've lost too many friends to this ploy.
They always try to recruit me and sell me this junk, then finally I'm have to sit them down and say "I have no problem being your friend, but please never bring up anything about this again.
And I'm sad to say I've lost many a good friend to these freakin' get-rich-quick shenanigans.

Troy Grover Photography said...

That was awesome. I hate MLM's, it changes people, and not for the best :)

Ash - Fort Wayne area Wedding Photographer said...

I have afriend thats in some quickStar thing. ehhh. He gave me his speach, it is rather annoying when he talks about HIS "business" all the time.

Unknown said...

Ohhhh ... this really is about MLMs. My bad. In that case, why sugar-coat it? Why not just say "MLMs are a bad business idea and you're a fool if you get involved in one"?

Also, maybe I'm way off, but it seems like Christians get sucked into MLMs way too easily. Why is that?

Veritas said...

Pure Genius.

ALOT of people need to read this...

Welcome said...

I think Christians are sucked into MLM because they are sold the line about being able to "help others build a business, and God wants us to prosper...."
This is one of the first businesses i was drawn to when i first came to the states 5 yrs ago. Imagine me taking this crap to some of my new found friends and trying to convince them to join with me in Financial Services. I know i definitely lost integrity with a lot of them, and thats probably one of the reasons why i have struggled on the business side of Photography

Holritz Photography said...

Oh man this needed to be said so badly!!!

- N

|| davidjay || said...

I agree - I hope some people take a good look at what they are doing and think about what's being said here.

Brittany Leigh said...

hahahhahaha.....I wonder how many people really didn't get this! LOL. miss you Deej!

michelle peek said...

My husband and I were sucked into this when we were newlyweds 1991. It was such a waste of good time and good money. Those people are brainwashers!
It is one of our biggest regrets. We wasted 3 years trying to retire at 26!!!!
It is dangerous!

Jeff said...

Well said :)

Fed said...

MLM, the cult that wants you to sell your friends to them for a profit.

Tim Halberg said...

I've never quite understood the whole selling to friends concept...