Growth of your Network Marketing Business

Most Important Reasons you face failure in your Network Marketing or MLM Business

Let me start by saying three things about past failures in network marketing:

1.   It is not your fault

2.   You alone are the driver for success or failure

3.   By reading this, you will no longer have an excuse for failure.

At first blush, it seems that these two statements are at odds with each other. You may read into this that there is no clear path to success as a NETWORK MARKETER. I will explain.

This discussion will resonate with the more than 97% of NETWORK MARKETERS out there that have experienced little to no success in this industry. Most of you have likely spent exponentially more than you have ever made thus far. You have alienated friends and family, spent ridiculous time and money on worthless leads, and have an intimate relationship with the staff of several area hotel conference rooms.

If this describes you, please read on.

Failure up to this point is not your fault; however, after reading the rest of this article, you will be the only reason for success or failure. You have been not just mislead, but outright lied to by your up line, your MLM Company, and the industry as a whole. They tell you that, all you need to do to be successful is plug into the training, buy leads, make contact lists, attend meetings and conference calls, do 3 way calls with your up line, and so on. My personal favorite: it’s just a numbers game. This implies a guarantee that if I do X then I will achieve Y. As we both know, there are very few guarantees in life.

Here is a breakdown of the most important reasons that you have not yet achieved success in network marketing. Read them carefully and take a critical look at how each one applies to you. The more honest you are with yourself, the better. 

It’s called NETWORK MARKETING for a reason.

Many people are lured into this business by being told that it is not about sales, the products sell themselves, and you only need 5 people to make it big, and so on. MLM companies give euphemistic names to their distributors like, coach, guide, agent, consultant, director, and many more variations to either give a sense of equality between the distributor and customer or convey professionalism. To me, many of these titles are devised simply to stroke the ego of the would be new distributor.

Let me ask you a question. What if we append the word “marketing” to each of the distributor titles above? Would you be as likely to join that opportunity? I would say not because for most people, marketing is a foreign term. It is a skill and job description in itself that, if you ask most distributors, they would not want to have to learn to be successful. If you fall into this group, then you are ignoring 50% of the term we use to describe our business: “Network Marketing.”

I would venture a guess that not so many people would be interested in this business model if the emphasis was placed on marketing. Yet I am here to tell you that any successful NETWORK MARKETER has developed a knowledge of marketing. This does not mean that all you need to do is tell everyone about your comp plan inside and out and recite product information verbatim. You need to learn how to connect with people on a visceral, need-based level – and I am talking about their needs not yours. This is what marketing is about. And,  while we are on the subject of marketing . . .

• Friends and Family Are NOT Your Target Market

As a fellow entrepreneur, you understand that we are blessed with an ability to see opportunities in nearly everything we do. My mind is always bubbling with money making ideas to the point of distraction and inaction. Even when it comes to choosing which NETWORK MARKETING business to join, you probably wish you had enough time and money to join a dozen of them because you can see that each one can bring you unlimited income.

But here is the problem – this is how YOUR brain works, not necessarily theirs.

One of the biggest lies in this business, and one at which I cringe when I hear it, is that anyone can do it. You know, the “3 Foot Rule?” All you need to do is talk to anyone that comes within 3 feet of you. This is just not true. Do I believe that anyone has the mental capacity to be successful in NETWORK MARKETING? Absolutely, I also understand that most people do not have the desire or inclination to do it. Let me put it another way – I know I have the ability to learn calculus but I have zero desire. I do not have the drive to put in the effort needed to be successful in calculus.

You do not need to bug your brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and others in your family in order to fill your down line. Similarly, unless you are friends with a bunch of marketing gurus, your friends and co-workers do not have what it takes to be in this business? If your business building strategy depends on bugging those you know then, not only will you alienate yourself (become “that guy”), they will run screaming in the opposite direction whenever they see you. Instead, focus your efforts on people with the same mind set as you – other entrepreneurs. Even better, work with those that have already bought into opportunities in the past and have yet to see success. If you are able to show them a system or teach them how to market their business, you will then be providing them a solution instead of another problem. You need to show a prospect that you are providing them a way up from their current position on the ladder.

• You Don’t Bring Value to Your Customers and Business Prospects

You are likely in a business with at least 10,000 other distributors who are trying to expand their business just like you. All of you are vying for the same would be entrepreneurs out there that want to start a business from home. The question is this:

Why would someone want to join you?

You are looking to develop a business relationship that is mutually beneficial to you and to your business prospect. If that prospect joins your opportunity, what are you going to give him or her in return? If you are thinking about all the “online training and marketing materials” that are given to you from your company, I hope you have a plan B. In my opinion, 3 way calls with your up line are a big no-no as well. All 3 way calls are going to accomplish is to show your prospect that you don’t know what you are doing. What I am talking about is what are you going to give your prospect that no one else can?

Most NETWORK MARKETERS do not have an answer here, a plan B. They have been fooled by the industry into thinking that all you have to do is follow the “Quick Start Guide” in the new distributor package and the new enrollees will be pouring in. When someone decides to join an opportunity, it is because they have problems in their life that need a solution. Perhaps they want more money, more spare time, retirement income, and etcetera. If all you have planned for your new distributor is showing them what is in the training guide, then I am afraid all you have done for them is given them another problem to solve. How do they succeed in their new business? How are you going to help them get what they want?

You need to provide value and personality. Value in the form of knowledge (not just product and commission plan information) and your personality, as this will be the only thing that will separate you from your competitors. The knowledge a new recruit will need will be how to market their new business – or at least be able to show them the same information that you used to become a good marketer. Coming into your business, a new recruit will need to have direction and guidance. They need to know that you have a plan for them t or a system that will help them become successful. You need to be able to show them that you can bring them to a higher place in life than they are right now.

The only way to bring value to your new recruit and separate you from your competition is to better yourself. So get studying! Hit the books and learn your opportunity inside and out, know all you can about your products and company plan. Then the real work begins – self improvement. You need to learn about how to work with people, what motivates them, and how to translate that into productivity from your down line. You need to learn about marketing and self branding (the secret to unlimited business leads) and how to relay that to your down line. If a prospect knows that you have the tools and knowledge to help them reach their goals, there is no reason they won’t join you.

• People Join People, Not Opportunities

(Most of all important Point)

Previously, I spoke briefly about bringing your personality to your business opportunity. To get to my point, we need to explore what motivates some people to join an opportunity in the first place. Each of you has an opinion or reason (or many) as to why you started looking from a home business opportunity. For the sake of this article, we will focus on reasons surrounding work – AKA your current JOB.

People are searching for more time freedom, money freedom, and relief from long hours; however, I feel the top of this list is the need for recognition and the desire to eliminate the employer/employee hierarchy. Let’s face it – no one wants a boss. The cause of most workplace ire and contempt comes from misunderstanding and lack of appreciation from your boss. For some, the mere existence of a boss is cause enough to desire change. This was precisely one of my key motivators. As cliche as it might sound, if you have the proclivity to WORK FROM HOME, you want to be your own boss. As a sponsor for a new recruit in your opportunity, you need to find a balance between being an effective sponsor by giving guidance and direction without coming across as bossy. If your new recruit gets the slightest feeling of that boss/employee relationship, resentment may set in and you both will lose.

Your job as a leader in your business is to know your business inside and out. You must not only be able to reiterate product information and the compensation plan, but you need to be able to help people understand it. Memorization and understanding are two entirely different things.

Here is the tricky part – once you obtain a solid understanding, you will just start spouting it off to everyone that will listen. Most distributors of multilevel marketing opportunities focus entirely on the products and the compensation plan, giving facts and income examples. By following this model, you rarely, if ever, allow who you are shining through. If a prospect can first get to know you a bit and you are able to understand his or her motivations, they will be more receptive to what you have to say. The key is to find a way to speak with your prospect in terms of their interests and desires. The only way to get to this point is to show some personality and a genuine interest in the prospect. When you pair this with our discussion about providing value, your prospect will be begging to join with you.

• You Don’t Treat It like A Business

 We are attracted to the idea of working at home in our pajamas. Waking up when we want to and setting our own hours is a fantastic idea – almost as if you are permanent vacation. If you treat your home business like this, an unpaid vacation is all you will end up with.

I will let you in on a dirty little secret when it comes to WORKING FROM HOME. I have come to this conclusion after 3+ years of working at home with my two sons (3 and 2 years old, with another baby due in April). Working at home with children is nothing like what I expected . . .

•  IT IS HARD WORK

 It takes far more effort and discipline to WORK FROM HOME than it does to have a normal job. Some of my difficulties no doubt come from my lack of organization, however, my experience is contrary to the advertisements we see daily (especially online) saying how we can work from home effortlessly. Well, it’s a lie. Any time you hear that you can make money on “autopilot,” run quickly in the other direction. I am not saying that it has to be difficult but it does take effort and planning. Simply put: you need to treat it like a business.

Strategic planning, organizing and goal setting are all major parts of running a successful business, whether at home or in a traditional setting. These tasks are even more important when running a home based business as it is much easier to get yourself distracted by the temptations of home life.

I understand that making your own schedule is one of the perks to having your own business, however, not very many work at home business people actually do so. In the past, I would only work whenever there was free time, thereby putting business building low on the priority list. By establishing a work schedule, you are building a level of personal accountability. I would also venture to say that working in your pajamas is a bad idea; the simple act of changing into street clothes (not necessarily business attire) refocuses your mind set into productivity mode. I have done this myself and found I was able to accomplish much more during the day. In addition, I was less likely to succumb to the temptations of afternoon naps and television.

• How do you build your Empire

How do you build an organization? It is what we have been talking about through this whole article. You need to provide your prospect with a reason for joining you and that reason has nothing to do with your opportunity. The reason someone will join you is YOU. Become knowledgeable not just in your products and company plan but in marketing as well. Provide a solution to their problems and above all, act as a leader while branding yourself as such.

• You Don’t Take Action

 Reading, learning, and planning all have merit in building a home based business, however, inaction is certain to kill all motivation. Results are needed to maintain your motivation and provide a sense of accomplishment. When was the last time you accomplished a task that brought you closer to your goals (you have goals, right)?

Fear is the number one killer of all goals and dreams. Perhaps by following any of these suggestions, you are forced out of your comfort zone. If this is the source of your fear then I say embrace it! This feeling of apprehension is actually telling you that you are on the right track. By welcoming these feelings, you are able to take control of them. When you master the tasks that now elicit fear, you will be well on your way to the type of success you are looking for.

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