How do you deal with people trying to sell you MLM junk at work?

[LoZoccolo]

MLM = multi-level marketing. I ran out of space on the subject line.

I'm on the Body-For-Life diet. Which is kind-of difficult, being pretty much a full-time job, but I must say I do have energy just about all day. Anyways, this woman in the next cube caught me eating a Myoplex Storm bar and asked me about it. Then she comes up today with a free protien bar from her MLM scheme for me and asks me to try it. I could kind-of see this coming. She's from another country and I think she doesn't know that we generally consider MLM to be one of the ruder things you can try to foist on someone, especially someone you're forced to see at work all the time (and we all know that MLM basically takes advantage of the politeness of your social ties; that's how it works).

I know I could tell her that I'm not interested, but I'm wondering if someone has come up with a clever way to get someone to never ever approach them again without being rude.

Another thing is that this is the second person in my career who's been into this. We've got good jobs and stock options and all that junk - why are these people in these flimsy get-rich-quick schemes? Why doesn't she try the stock market or something a bit more quality as a sideline?

[amazona]

1. report it to a supervisor

It is likely against company policy for someone to be working at their SECOND job while in the office or job site for their FIRST job -- pretty much a theft of their employer's time, a firing offense.

I have no pity on those who engage in MLM, no matter where they come from, this **** destroys friendships and families. Multi-level-marketing -- a shell for pyramid schemes -- is theft.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[LoZoccolo]

9. We're not on the clock here, but...

...years ago, the first time I knew someone at work doing this stuff, me and this other woman into MLM (not the same one as this time - this was another company) were both consultants billing by the hour. She was on the phone to other people who were calling her to get involved in the MLM scheme! I'm pretty sure sure she was on the clock doing this stuff! Our client could have come down on us hard and not hired any of our people again if they knew what was going on.

I told my boss, who was also from our consulting company, but he wanted to be Mr. Cool Guy Boss who doesn't confront employees or something, and after I reported it, he asked if he could refer to me as the guy that reported her when he took it up with her! I said it was OK, but um, that's his job, right?

[DrGonzoLives]

2. MLM = cults

Amway, etc.

[Cary]

3. Yich

Nothing worse than a slimy MLM pitch.

I suggest honesty. Although this person may not appreciate you for it, a short and direct statement of the facts of life is probably the biggest favor you can do for them.

[LoZoccolo]

4. I think you're right.

I'm pretty assertive (go read my GD posts :P), and pretty good at seeing that she's trying to profit off of our work relationship, so I have no problem going back and saying "I'm not interested" no matter how she might feel about it.

[KoKo]

5. Excuse my ignorance but what's a Myloplex storm bar and how does

her offering you a MLM protein bar (what's that anyway)offend you and what's a "Body-for-Life" diet?

Are you saying it's something like her trying to get you to buy an Amway product and it competes with a diet program you are on?

Sorry...I just didn't understand your post, but it was kind of interesting. Thought I might learn something new if I asked you.

[LoZoccolo]

6. I don't want anyone trying to sell me anything at work.

It's opportunistic, taking advantage of the civility we have to maintain as co-workers in order to make money. If someone's selling something in a store, usually no one's pressuring me, and if they are and I don't like it, I can leave. I can't leave work, and it puts an awkwardness on things when I refuse her sales pitch.

[madinmaryland]

7. Are you irritated when workers

bring in the kids fund raisers from school or where-ever and try to sell it at work?

I find that it puts everyone in an awkward position of picking and choosing who to buy from and upsetting people who you don't buy from. I think it should just be banned outright.

[LoZoccolo]

8. Not really because they're usually good about it.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone go around and try to actively pitch something like that; usually it sits on their desk or something, or they just send out an APB over email to no one specific. I'm cool with that. My office is big enough that you wouldn't notice who bought what from whom.

[crispini]

10. Well, I am someone who is constantly in the position

of hitting my co-workers up for charitable contributions. I do a lot of bike rides for charity. So, as someone who is quite often on the ASK side, I feel myself kind of obligated to purchase something (something SMALL, or something that I could give away as a gift) when people approach me about their MLM stuff, about their kids' fundraisers, girl scout cookies, etc. Part of the office ecosystem of politeness currency, IMO.

BUT, if I were NOT always hitting people up, I suppose I'd just say "no thanks." Over and over and over again.