When the letters "MLM" come up in a conversation, most people get very defensive and decide to end the dialog and immediately shut down the communication. It seems to have replaced the subject of life insurance as the number one conversation killer. So why is this?
Well, first of all we don't like being sold something, or being put under pressure to buy something. I guess it is human nature to want to be in control of one's own destiny and the very thought of someone trying to extract money from us "for their own good, not mine" is contrary to our core principles. Of course, it is even worse if these "MLM salespeople" belong to our circle of friends and/or family. Then the peer pressure is jacked up a notch or two to the point it can actually damage or even destroy relationships. And to make things worse, we have all tried one or two of those "schemes" and it didn't work, so why would the next one be any different?
"It didn't work" is the core to answering this question. The fact remains that "word-of-mouth advertising has, and always will be, the most common (and effective) means of advertising. Another fact is, there are several very large and successful companies that use this method to sell their products/services. Ever heard of Avon, Tupperware, Mary Kay or Prepaid Legal? Another fact is, there are many people making a decent and/or substantial income with network marketing companies today. And even better, these incomes are often perpetual and would continue even if they stopped working the business. I have several!
You see, it is very normal that people don't succeed at everything they do. It is estimated that 80% of all real estate professionals don't make it. Does this mean there is something wrong with the real estate industry or that it is a scam? Of course not. The real problem is that we don't want to admit that it was our fault so it is easier to blame the industry. In the case of the real estate industry, those Realtors were not cut out for the job and should never have joined the industry in the first place. If they had done some basic research and had analyzed themselves, they would probably never have joined and wasted all that money on licenses, signs and marketing. It wasn't the industry's fault.
And so goes it with MLM. Just as in real estate, people join because of the lure of easy and huge income potential. The decision to join is based on emotion, often on the spur of the moment, and not a careful analysis of the opportunity. If you believe that network marketing is the quickest, cheapest and most effective way to start a business for yourself (and want to take the advice of such experts as Donald Trump and Robert Kiyusaki) , then spend some time finding the company and products that fire up your passion. If you are overweight, then find the right product to lose weight and you will become passionate about it. In fact, your friends and family will start asking you about it! If you don't like selling ads, then don't sign up for a company that sells ads.
Other than the passion for the products/services there are still a few other factors to be considered in your research. Make sure there is a large market for the things you will be selling. Look carefully at the company and the management. Do they have experience in network marketing and what does their history look like? And very importantly, take a close look at the compensation plan and your ability to earn money quickly. There is nothing better for motivation than a (large) check in the mail!
The key to your success, however, will be your passion for the product. You have to be a user yourself. If you don't use the products, you will have no credibility. You see, word-of-mouth marketing is not selling, it is just letting people you know about things that have had a positive impact of your life. In many cases, the first approach should never be about how much money people can make as that leads to disappointment and failure. If they like the products as much as you do, they will start telling others and they can join your team.
Never start in any network marketing company without this basic research. If you are not able to structure this yourself, give us a call or send us an email and we will try to help you through this very important process.
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