The "Trump" Effect

Since the announcement of Donald Trump’s acquisition of an MLM company (Ideal Health) and some words of wisdom from the business icon about the plans he has for his latest investment, the web has been abuzz with speculation, rumors and wild guesses as to what is going to happen. Some uninformed Trump haters have even ridiculed the idea that Donald Trump has any chance of being successful in this very fragmented and sometimes immature business.

The trouble they are having is thinking within the constraints of the existing paradigm. The fact is, the very purpose of Trump’s decision to get directly involved is to change the existing paradigm. For those of you that are not familiar with this concept, it is called a “Paradigm Shift” which means that all conventional wisdom that came before is no longer valid. This paradigm shift in the MLM industry will be known as “The Trump Network”, which happens to be Trump’s rebranding of Ideal Health.

Trump has long been an advocate of the network marketing industry and has written about it in his books as an ideal way for the average American to get into business for him or herself. He talks about it on a video with Robert Kiyosaki, which can be found on YouTube. He has even endorsed companies like ACN, which has benefited greatly from plastering his image across their promotional materials. But he has never invested his own money directly into the industry. That is until now.

This investment might be insignificant in Donald Trump’s world but it is monumental in the world of MLM. One trait about Donald Trump that we can all agree upon is he never gets involved in anything halfheartedly. When he makes his move he will have an impact on everything and everyone around him. So I think it is safe to assume the things that he has mentioned about his intentions with this acquisition were not spoken in jest. So what are his intentions?

He plans to build the biggest MLM organization in America in the shortest amount of time with more than one million associates and one billion in revenue within the first two years. This is what is called a “Paradigm Shift”. The only company that is reported to have more than one million associates is Avon and it took them the best part of 23 years to get there. This will not be achieved by Donald Trump sitting back as an observer. He is going to be actively involved. We are going to see a media blitz in the coming months never before experienced in this industry. There is talk of his appearing on Oprah and Larry King (to mention just two) explaining how his new venture can “change the lives of every American”.

The wheels of the MLM industry are already turning. Some major “big hitters” are positioning themselves with the company to take advantage of this opportunity tidal wave that is inevitable. They are getting in now so they can ride this wave of fortune in the coming months and years ahead instead of being drowned by it as people in their existing organization leave to hang on to Trump’s coattails. Even the ACN people can see the writing on the wall as Trump’s future with their company suddenly comes into doubt. This is all happening behind the scenes even before the media blitz begins.

So what can the average American do with this information? The answer is pretty simple. Get on board now! We all know that the best place to be in the MLM industry is at the top, or as close to it as possible. Yes, you can make money at any level, especially with the compensation plan of The Trump Network, but the multi-seven-figure incomes that some people make will be made by those who get in early. Many of those that are MLM veterans will be getting in even as a defensive measure. What are you odds on betting that Donald Trump is wrong? What are you going to do as The Trump Network evolves into a huge magnet sucking in people from other companies in the industry as this thing grows? What if all those people you approached before with your deal that said “No!” start to say “Yes!” to the Trump deal? How long will you be able to resist?

One of the biggest impacts that the “Trump” name will have is credibility. It solves a lot of the “uncomfortables” we have always experienced. “I work for Donald Trump” is a better opener than “I sell these incredible candles”. When it comes to pyramids and products, playing the Trump card is the solution. “Do you think Donald Trump would get involved with something illegal like a pyramid scheme?” shuts people up. “I believe Mr. Trump has done his due diligence before he puts his billionaire brand on the line” covers almost every objection. People are going to join just because it is Donald Trump and have a certain pride being associated with this successful businessman. Handing out your Trump business card could even become a status symbol for many.

So this innocuous little announcement in April is going to produce a “Trump Effect” for years to come. It puts Donald in contact with hundreds of thousand of Americans, maybe millions, over the next few years and his stated hope is that he will have changed thousands of lives with his new venture. As he says it himself, “this will change the health and the wealth of thousand of Americans in these depressed economic times”. Will you be an observer or a participator?