No, Thank You (or just "NO")

Dear Multi Level Marketing People: 

NO. 
NO. 
NO. 

Some of you MLMs are too aggressive. Strangers to me with whom I share mutual friends try to follow me on social media. I peek at your page to see exactly who you are, and see post after post of product. NO. I don't want you to follow me and I don't want to follow you.

Please no cold calls from strangers. This one came today in a Facebook message request:

Hi Penny! How are you?? I totally realize you don't know me, but we have several friends in common at X High like XX and Mr. X. I have or I guess had a student there - Ben just graduated!! I am reaching out to you today in hopes that I can share a bit of my journey with you since I launched my business 2 years ago. The blessings have been abundant in so many areas of my life, as in life changing personal growth, more time and financial freedom and so many enriching relationships!!! My heart and life have been so opened to the desire of wanting to help anyone I can through this business! No pressure at all, but would you be open to just chatting and hearing my story to see if this could be a life changing journey for you or maybe even someone you know as well? Thanks !!

This happens to be one of the businesses I invited to donate to a silent auction charity fundraiser. What did I get? SILENCE for our silent auction. Your company did not earn any points with me for that.

I'm lonely. At a time in my life when I should have a group of girlfriends who have my back, I have none. I moved to a new town as I was having children and then one regressed into the world of autism. Making friends is hard for a special needs mom. Then we moved again. I moved to this town seven years ago and am a 24/7 caregiver to an individual on the autism spectrum. I'd love to cultivate some friendships. I'd love to have a posse. I'd love to have a girlfriend group to do things with. 

But not for the price of becoming the downline to a stranger who uses friends to cold call people. 

A facebook friend of mine commented:

"How disappointing when you would like human contact but are considered a mere sales opportunity. It isn't about the words. It's about a salesperson taking advantage of another person's good manners in order to make a pitch."

If you have the desire to help me, get to know our family. Offer to autism-sit with our teen so my husband and I can have a date night. 

You need another downline to enrich your pockets. You're not looking to be a helper to me or my family. 

Your social media profile screams Rodan and Fields.


Hey, Stranger: Do not interrupt my day to try to get me to join your MLM.  

My response today was, "No thank you". I don't know why I feel the need to be polite. What I meant was "NO." 

Penny