Is network marketing just a scam? Do Real Entrepreneurs Avoid Multi-Level Marketing? Fans of network marketing will probably write negative reviews because they don't want the truth to be known. Network marketing is a multi-billion dollar industry. Each year hundreds of thousands enter the industry and each year by the hundreds of thousands they leave. Why? Network marketing (aka: multilevel marketing) is a very challenging business. Filled with hype designed to play on the hopes and dreams of honest people, the industry draws people who want to escape the rat race and make money online or in their own home-based business. In this easy-to-read book I share from my experience of having been in the business for many years. I wrote the book to help the reader learn and understand what to expect in the industry. Network marketing is not all it is hyped up to be. Trust me on this. Enter at your own risk but before you do, read this book. It is a must read.

1. Preface
How I Became the Dumbest Man in Network Marketing
Are you considering joining a network marketing company (aka: multilevel marketing)? Are you
already involved in one and things are not going as you hoped they would after months of effort?
This book was written to share some things you need to know and consider about network
marketing before you dive in or dive too deeply.
Let me guess. You were like countless thousands of other people (perhaps millions) that just
wanted to get out of the daily grind and the “rat race.” You did some Google searching on “work
from home business opportunities” or “work for yourself,” or perhaps “make money online.” I
know. I have done the same thing MANY times. Perhaps you found countless opportunities to opt-
in with your email in order to get a FREE e-book or video series telling you how to make thousands
per month in some awesome network marketing company. You read the e-book or viewed the
videos with interest only to find out the information was very generic and useless. Then, to make
matters worse, within the e-book you were constantly hit with several pitches to “click here” for
the real information. That click took you to a website where you could join the network marketing
company, on the fast track, for a mere $597! Hopefully you were smarter than me and did not join.
Maybe you signed up to sit in on an “awesome big money webinar” hosted by some dude claiming
to earn $30,000 each month on the internet. Yes, just two years ago he was a homeless drug addict
with 4 kids from 3 different women. But today he is bringing in the BIG money! So, you sat in for
almost 2 hours only to find that at the end of the webinar you were offered an exclusive “today
only special offer” to purchase his training course. The course was ONLY $497 (or MUCH higher)
and would virtually guarantee you that if you followed the steps and principles you would be
making huge money in just a month or so.
Hopefully you didn’t buy it. But the hype on the webinar was so tempting that maybe you did buy.
I did. Many times on many “opportunities.” I lost literally thousands of dollars over a 7 year span.
Yes, this is why I call myself “the once-upon-a-time dumbest man in network marketing.”
Everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, these internet gurus teach for $497 or more is available
for FREE on Youtube. Youtube.com is the place where people are happy to teach anything literally
for free. But I was once too dumb to realize this! You just have to know what to search for.
Maybe neither of the above scenarios happened to you because, thankfully, you picked up this e-
book before you made the mistake that I (and countless thousands) have made. Be happy about
that! Your acquiring this book has possibly just saved you many thousands of dollars (and HUGE
discouragement).
You may be reading this because a caring friend has been talking to you about his or her business
opportunity. They’ve asked you to consider partnering with them in their multi-million dollar
company. Because you are smart, though, you are doing some research into whether or not network
marketing (aka: multilevel marketing) is a good fit for you. Good call!

2. Network marketing basically started out decades ago as a business opportunity in which friends
invited other friends to their homes for a meeting. Once the meeting started some exuberant
associate /distributor would draw circles on a grease board and explain how the circles represented
people. Every circle under YOU meant BIG money to you. This high-pressure approach put friends
in uncomfortable positions. Most people just wanted to sneak out graciously while others were too
kind to do that so they joined just to help the friend that invited them. They purchased a kit and a
few products and never did a thing beyond that. Of the thousands upon thousands of people who
joined these business opportunities (Amway was the most well-known back then) over 95% never
earned a dime. They hated having to invite their friends to these meetings and so they were doomed
to failure. It’s no different today. People do NOT want to invite their friends and family to a
network marketing meeting. And no matter how awesome the opportunity is in your eyes, over
95% of the people you recruit will never invite anyone to these types of meetings. That’s how it
was then and it is how it is now. ¿Me entienden.
Today, however, the internet is the new vehicle of recruitment. Network marketing gurus and
leaders tell you that there’s no chasing your friends, no meetings, no sales, no anything! Just get
people to sit in the comfort of their own home and watch a webinar or video. The “system” will
do all the work for you. No, you don’t have to nag your friends. You can just purchase “targeted
leads” (people who have shown interest in joining a network marketing company) for about $3 per
lead (prices vary depending on the lead generating company and the type of leads you buy). Buy
these leads and get them to view your video or attend the webinar. Your work is over! The
“system” will do the rest. YAY!!!
But here’s the BIG the problem with leads. You typically can’t get in touch with them. Let’s say
you purchase 100 at $1.00 each. Your plan is to call all 100 over the course of a month. But here’s
the deal: For every 10 you call maybe 1 will answer. Now, my experience was that I would call
100 in a week and about 90% of the time I would have to leave a message. None ever called back
or visited my website! And of the 10% I did actually speak to, most told me that they didn’t tell
anyone they were interested in a network marketing business. Again, this is the lead game. You
may leave messages for the other 9 and, trust me; turtles will fly before they return your call. Yes,
you can email them too. LOL. They will NOT reply. So, you just threw between $75 and $300
right out the window for these “targeted” leads. Oh, and yes, there are always lead gurus out there
who will be happy to sell you their “working with leads” course for hundreds of dollars. Don’t
waste your money on them. You can trust me. After all, I am the once-upon-a-time dumbest man
in network marketing!
One last thing, get ready to learn this phrase: “The money is in the list.” If you want to build an
online network marketing business you must build a list that contains the name, phone number,
and email address of people who have shown interest in building an online business. There are
many ways to do this and most cost money. Significant money! Hmmm, didn’t you join the
business to MAKE money? Oh yes of course, there are list-building teachers, videos, audios,
books, courses, and websites out there. You can buy these sources and lose huge money doing so.
They work at only one thing: putting big money in the pockets of the one offering the training. It’s
true that you will get some names, but a list that generates you a significant income? Forget it

3. (unless you strive for years to build it).You can trust me. After all, I am the once-upon-a-time
dumbest man in network marketing! I learned this from experience many times over. (I will share
my story and why I know so much in the next sections).
A Brief Disclaimer
Some reading this book will conclude that I am just a cynic that failed in network marketing and
am now complaining via Kindle book. They have the right to draw such conclusions. I learned
years ago that people will see what they want to see. I can’t do anything about that.
I can only say that I did not write the book to complain. I wrote it to warn and inform. I do not
intend to seem negative but some sections of the book may come off that way. There simply is no
way to tell a story such as mine without conveying a note of negativity. I tried to write in a soft-
hearted but truthful way. However, there are some occasions when the book may seem somewhat
harsh. As so many of us have heard over the years, “The truth hurts.” In this case it is the truth
from my perspective.
The network marketing companies I name or mention have produced success at different levels for
some of their distributors. I can’t speak to anything more than my own experience and I can only
share my speculations. Readers of this e-book should do their own research and conclude if my
experience is as typical as I claim that it is. I am only writing from my experience and sharing my
opinions based on those experiences.
So now that you’re even more interested let’s delve into how it really is in network marketing.
~ Tony Guthrie, the once-upon-a-time dumbest man in network marketing!
To read the whole book … go to: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WOLVCKA