Updated: Feb. 14, 2016
Originally Published: Feb. 14, 2016
I have a confession: I nearly got roped into a direct sales venture. A friend reached out to me, and I listened to her enthusiastic pitch. I was all in—just get seven people on my team, who would recruit seven more, and soon I’d be a millionaire! I’d be ruling the world from my brand-new, free car! Of course, that’s not quite how it turned out, but you get the idea. Fortunately, my fear of the phone kept me from diving headfirst into it. I can barely call my neighbor to borrow an egg, let alone reach out to long-lost friends to persuade them to buy something. So, during my brief stint in direct sales, I sold zero products and probably ended up on some company’s do-not-contact list.
As for the friend who convinced me to join? I never heard from her again. Not a peep.
Admiration for Moms, But…
Let me clarify: I absolutely admire moms striving to improve their lives. Supporting small businesses and moms building their brands is something I’m all for. If you’re thriving in direct sales, kudos to you! However, there’s a particular aspect of direct sales that annoys me—the insincere friendship that often comes with it.
We’ve all received those overly cheerful messages from acquaintances trying to sell us everything from hair removal cream to the latest diet pills. Just the other day, I noticed a message in my inbox from a friend I hadn’t spoken to in ages. I was excited to reconnect, only to feel let down when her message read something like, “Hey girl! Your kids are adorable and your life is amazing. But you know what would make it even better? My newest product!” Seriously? We haven’t spoken in years, and now you’re trying to sell me something? My fake friendship alarm went off immediately. All she wanted was my money, period.
One time, a friend even messaged my husband on Facebook asking if he wanted to buy some fancy skincare products for me. I mean, come on! First off, let’s keep my husband out of this fake friendship nonsense. Second of all, am I really looking that haggard at 29? Do I have a case of reverse body dysmorphia where I think I look decent, but really I’m a wrinkly, acne-ridden mess? Please tell me that’s not the case!
Social Media Sales Pitches
And let’s not even start on the fact that over half of my Instagram requests come from people trying to sell me something. I once had someone I barely knew on Instagram send me a picture of her kids via direct message, followed by, “Want to earn a full-time income while working from home? Contact me!” Fake friendship alert!
Honestly, I’m confident that to earn a full-time income, I’d need to sell an astronomical amount of product in no time at all, all while juggling flaming batons and sleeping on a bed of nails—but that’s beside the point. As a working mom, I found it frustrating when people assumed I was unhappy at my job or dreaming of working from home. Not every working mom aspires to be June Cleaver, okay?!
The Frustration of Fake Friendships
Nothing annoys me more than fake friendships. If I haven’t spoken to someone in years, it drives me up the wall when they reach out, add me to groups, and try to sell me their products. I see their posts cluttering my feed, and that’s fine—share away! But when someone contacts me like we’re best friends just to pitch me something, it makes me crazy. Sorry, but I’m not buying it.
If I’m genuinely interested in a product, I promise I’ll reach out to the person about their business. I vow to always try to buy from my (real) friends first. For more information on home insemination, check out this excellent resource. You can also explore this insightful post for more tips, as well as visit Make a Mom for authoritative guidance on this topic.
In Summary
While I genuinely support moms and entrepreneurs in their direct sales efforts, I am not a fan of the disingenuous friendships that often accompany these ventures. I prefer authenticity over sales pitches disguised as friendly outreach.