I wish people would stop trying to sell me stuff (Amway/Pampered Chef..etc) at work

[bleedingheart]

I hate to be the pin in someone's capitalistic bubble, but I hate it when I get emails and when people personally visit my office because I don't respond to their emails regarding the items they are trying to sell me.

If you don't make enough money at the job you have, ask for a raise or sell your shit going door to door. But stop bothering me.

Yesterday a guy shows up and asks me if I want to try some health juice he is selling..and why didn't I come to his informational session in one of our company's conference areas.

I told him I was busy working (which I was)...

Now I realize that these schemes encourage people to prey upon their friends, relatives and coworkers, however the reason they do this is because they know that friends, relatives and coworkers are generally too nice to tell you to bugger off. However, you know what most of your coworkers are thinking? They are thinking..."Please leave me alone...I don't have the time or money to waste on this bullshit"

You know..I don't mind the candybars for schools that are in the lunchroom. I don't mind the Girl Scout cookies...because most of that stuff is to raise money for a group of kids and there is no pushy behavior generally with that stuff.

Ugh...I had to get that off my chest...

[AllegroRondo]

1. My company has a strict "no selling" policy

I would report these people to their managers or HR. Your place of work should not be a captive audience for people's sales schemes.

[bleedingheart]

3. he used the company email system to send a company wide

email blast..

The HR and management staff were on that list. Yet I doubt anyone will do a thing.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Most companies have policies about that sort of thing.

But it doesn't seem to stop some people. And I guess technically they're not violating the policy if they don't actually sell you their stuff on company time. I have a co-worker who has been involved in several of these marketing schemes. First she was selling scented candles, and she'd hand out catalogs at work. Then she got into Pampered Chef, started handing out catalogs again and talked eventually another employee into hosting a party. A bunch of us went, mostly because we wanted to be "nice," but I didn't buy anything, which seemed to annoy her. Then she hosted a jewelry party for somebody at her church, and once again handed out more catalogs at work. The stuff was crap, too.

You really are put on the spot with these schemes because you don't want to blow off somebody you work with every day. But it gets really old. I don't even like it when they bug you about the Girl Scout cookies, because that's just turned into a thing where the parents, not the kids, do all the work.

[Courtesy Flush]

4. IMHO their marketing plan taints the whole product.

I know there are good multi-level products, but they're the minority.

The way I see it, if they had such a great product, they'd put it on store shelves and people would buy it (hey, it works for Sony and Alpo!). The mere fact that they have to pressure people to buy it indicates it's not worth having.

[Duer 157099]

5. It all starts with the school/scout fund raising

They recruit the kids early, and those kids grow up into adults who continue the behavior.

I won't allow my son to participate in ANY of those activities -- I just give him the required $$ (and it IS essentially required).

I strongly object to the use of kids doing this kind of fund-raising, and resent it equally when adults do it.

[liberal hypnotist]

6. People must like you.

That's a good sign. People feel comfortable enough with you to lay an MLM on you. Always tell them you have a better MLM.