Network Marketing Today
Network Marketing Today, the way it was, is and will be.
In last few years and over the next 5 or so years more and more people are becoming engaged in the network marketing industry. More and more people are looking to network marketing as their golden ticket to a more meaningful life. People are looking to break away from their boring routine of a nine-to-five jobs. With fewer people working for a company long enough to retire and draw a pension if there is one awaiting them. More companies are making their employees pay more of their health cost and less of a pension plan available. People are looking to Network Marketing as a GREAT opportunity to add a retirement plan or even do Network Marketing today as a full time business. However, many new to Network marketers today are finding the sea of self proclaimed gurus and online marketing mayhem to be very misleading and overwhelming.
So what sets the successful people apart? They protect themselves against the worst mistakes in network marketing today, Becoming overwhelmed with too much too soon and with the idea of the week club or the opportunity of the week club.
Is Network Marketing today really any different than it was 10 years ago?
Many people talk of the ‘old school’ and ‘out dated’ methods of prospecting. Network Marketing is a relationship business, the relationships of Network Marketing for success 10 and 20 years ago still apply today.
Twenty years ago the ‘old school’ methods were the only ways available to prospect; we didn’t have the advancement of computers and the internet. The traditional “Old School” methods taught by many in the Network Marketing industry of prospecting friends & family, warm list, 3 foot rule of walking around shopping malls, cold calling, home meetings, etc…
These days such methods are often scorned upon by many pretending like they have built a business before and are preaching a simple quick way to riches.Tthey are feeding on the internet and your desire for quick and painless millions. The internet does have a place in Network Marketing as does the “old School” way and I will cover it later. Both new school and old school are working today and are both needed for success in Network Marketing today. The computer and the internet have added a new element that cannot be overlooked.
Today many of the online marketing self proclaimed gurus will tell you about building your list online with no pain or not calling anyone. I see more and more online crap, like “ gain 25 to 50 leads an hour”’ and “they all come to you” and “No need to bug your friends and family” or “no need to even leave your house you can be just like me look at all these leads I have” B.S.
I will tell you the truth most of them are not making any money in a network marketing company at all. They may be gaining leads or making a little money selling an online system, but with no conversion to their MLM company. Look at it logically this way, if I was in a MLM company and found your website and filled out the form to get your FREE video or Ebook, you may have my name and email, but I am not a lead for your business. I’m already in a MLM. Let’s say there are 50 million people in MLM and there are 5 billion people in the world why would you be focusing all your energy on the 50 million already in MLM and not the 5 billion not in? Yes there are great benefits to building a list I’m not knocking that. I’m talking about what is really the truth with online network marketing.
Here is a very brief rundown of what I found on one such persons website and why I think 95% of the people who listen to his talk will fail.
His comment “Prospecting friends & family – do you really want to work with them? Are they people with an unstoppable drive for success, do they have strong business acumen? Do you want them hounding you with questions constantly?”
My rebuttal – Really and what kind of people does he think he will find using any prospecting tactic? It was a friend that introduced me to MLM both times. Where would I be if my friend did not talk to me? Also how would you like to be the friend of someone that made big money in something and did not tell you about it? Look friend do what friends do. Your friends and family disserve to at least be shown what you’re doing and then leave them alone and drip on them every 6 to 12 months. Don’t you care about them?
His comment “Creating a warm list – typically 100 people is the goal, do you know 100 people? Do you know 100 people that would realistically be interested in your business opportunity?”
My rebuttal – This is in the same category as above. Yes you do know 100 people and they all disserve a chance, most won’t take it but they still deserve to be introduced to what you are doing. I built a team of over 5000 people and most of the people that sponsored 10 or more have found at least one friend or family that build a big team. It is your responsibility to offer them whatever you’re doing, and then if they aren’t interested leave them alone.
His comment “3 Foot Rule – do you really want to be that sad loser who is always trying to pitch a deal with everyone? Do you want people to actually try and avoid you, because they think ‘oh goodness, it’s that guy again, he’s gonna try and sell me on his deal again!’”
My rebuttal – The way he tells it is not the correct way to use the three foot rule. He’s trying to appeal to your desire to build a business without pain. That’s not possible. All the leaders in any network marketing business have built their business with people they meet in their daily lives. You are always around people and mastering the art of the three foot rule will make you one of the best relationship marketers on the planet. This is a people business you need to get good at talking to people. Looking for something good in people then commenting on it is a great way to create conversation and then using a prospecting tool like a CD or DVD is one of the best ways to build a very large team.
His comment “Home meetings – are you good at giving presentations? Do you have a regular stream of new leads so you can populate these home meetings on a regular basis?”
My rebuttal – Home meetings are not intended to show the plan. They are mostly as a follow-up and as a way to build community. How do you think Amway one of the oldest and most outdated compensation plans in the industry built and still are building large teams today? COMMUNITY Network Marketing is a relationship business. If you can build a community you will build a long lasting business. Without community you will need to rebuild and rebuild every time you turn around. Home meetings are for you to introduce your new prospect to the community. Yes we show a presentation, but the main reason for a home meeting is as a follow-up to bring people together.
OK, so we’ve looked at the traditional MLM methods and just to prove my point, take Mark Yarnell ne built his business cold calling and using a prospecting cassette tape, Todd Falcon built his almost all by cold calling, Almost all of Amway was built using all the old school methods, but mostly using the three foot rule giving someone a cassette tape, Brig Hart using home meetings. Name anyone that is in the who’s who in Network Marketing and you will find that they built their business using so called old school methods.
But the internet was not around for most of them and the internet is not going away. Building your business using the internet can be a very good opportunity for many. Just understand everything takes time and work. I have personally sponsored over 250 people into the MLM company I’m now with. I personally sponsored just over 150 people using only old school belly-to-belly techniques and I have sponsored just under 100 people using only the internet.
I use everything I can to help me build my business in Network Marketing today. Everyone has skills in different areas you must use your skills to benefit you and your team.
Network Marketing Today
Most people fail because they start and stop and start and stop and start. The idea and the opportunity of the week. Any way you build your business will take time. 6 to 12 months using any method. You must be committed to your company and committed to your method of operation. I build my business using everything I can. I have a team member that is great using Facebook as a way to meet people develop a relationship with them and recruit them into his business. I SUCK at Facebook. I have a team member that is great at cold calling. I am great at cold calling, but I have team members that would die if that was the only way I told them to build a team. If I taught everyone that they needed to learn the internet most would quit in less than 6 months.
The truth about Network Marketing today is that few people will do what it takes and stay focused long enough to succeed using any method.
Keep checking back because I am working on a GREAT article on using the internet for your Network Marketing business.
Chief Inspiration Officer
PS make sure you fill out the form at the top of the page and get your free copy of my prospecting techniques.
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