What is MLM?

What exactly is MLM? If you want to know the truth, it's basically a Personal Development Business disguised with products & services. I recently heard someone say that, and thought it was one of the most brilliant statements I have ever heard on the subject of MLM. This may lead me to what the master Jim Rohn says, "Nobody really ever fails in MLM".

I personally believe that everyone should have an MLM Business if nothing less for the tax write-off and the training you will get. In Robert Allen's book "Multiple Streams of Income", he says everyone should have a network marketing business in their portfolio along with Real Estate, stocks, bonds, etc.... Not to mention the psychology you will learn about human beings in this business is amazing. Did you catch that last part - BEINGS. Yes, we are beings. So with that being said, I wish you all the best this week and say that if you are frustrated in your MLM Business or not sure what MLM really is, go back to my first sentence. You might have a moment of clarity or what I like to call a "Breakthrough".

Hot Affiliate Marketing Program

The truth about MLM is that it can take many months or years to build any sustainable long term residual income. So a great way to build your business and following online is through affiliate marketing. As you can make immediate cash, and if your going to do MLM, your going to need it to survive over your first few months in the business. My 2 most recent favorites have been Bill Crosby's "Twitter Traffic Machine", and Mike Dillard's "Magnetic Sponsoring".

Recently I came across another program that I think is top notch called The Clickbank Code. Just the pay per click training alone was worth every penny. It just surpassed "Twitter Traffic Machine" as the #1 Affiliate program on ClickBank. To check it out and learn how 1 guy is generating over $50K per month online within 30 days go to http://www.bigmoney4you.info

I couldn't believe my eyes until I saw some of this guys videos on the product, absolutely mind boggling.

How Many People Do You Need To Sponsor?

That is probably one of the biggest questions in network marketing? How many people do I need to sponsor to be successful? Bob Schmidt who was probably one of the most successful network marketers of all time said you just need to find one strong leader a year to make a fortune in MLM. Than we got all these internet network marketers running around today saying you need 15 to 20 a month to be successful. After spending almost 2 years of my life in MLM, my thoughts are that if you could find 2 or 3 per month that would be very good. That would require talking to people daily, interviewing them, and sorting to find those that are ready. Think of yourself more as a talent scout who is looking for those individuals who you believe are qualified to do the job. Don't be a pushy sales guy. Pretend you are independently wealthy and you won't make any money unless someone stays with you for a long time. Try to keep in mind if you had to work with 15 to 20 people a month that would be challenging for even the top networking pros. I did it a few months ago and almost everyone quit, because I didn't have the time to work and develop everyone in my group. That was a good lesson for me, it taught me that in this business you need duplication, not alot of recruiting. If your just going to recruit a ton of people, my recommendation would be to just go become a salesperson, because most of your people are going to quit if you don't support them. This business is more about duplication, teaching, mentoring, and personal development than just signing people up to see what happens.

Business Language

If your in sales or network marketing and you enter the world of prospecting you are going to find that everybody has a preference of how to communicate. For example you may leave 3 or 4 messages for someone and they won't return your calls, but send them an email and you may hear back immediately. Just because one person responds well to the phone doesn't mean that another person will. I have one business partner who primarily only responds to email. I have a business client who only likes to talk on the phone. My personal preference is email, or chatting, but just because that is my preference doesn't mean that will be your prospects, clients, or business partner. Some people will only do business face to face, they are rare, but they are out there. So the next time you are prospecting or training, start to pay attention to how your clients, prospects, and partners respond and learn their business language.

Attraction Marketing

Well I am going to blow the lid off on a few people out there who are really fired up on attraction marketing. Let me just say before I do that, that I am currently consulting with a few businesses and many students on how to do Social Media. Yes people, Twitter and Facebook are different. If you don't yet know the difference, let me just say I have never made a dime on Facebook. Let me also say that, Social Media should just be one tool that you use for your business - BUT A VERY VERY BIG ONE. I have spent the last year focusing more and more on online methods for marketing, I have read, "The Renegade Markerter", taken online classes, read books, most recently picked up a copy of "Magnetic Sponsoring". They are all great and should be read, but what you will discover is no system, no amount of advertising is going to be more important than YOU simply becoming a leader. Or at least someone that people look up to and go, "Hey I want what he has".

Now, with all that I have learned on this subject, I could write a book. But why re-invent the wheel on blogging, and pay per click. When the next phase of attraction marketing is all going to happen in the world of Social Media, its already happening through Web 3.0. What worked 3 years ago online, or even 12 months ago, probably isn't working so well today. Also in network marketing if you purchase leads or participate in pay per click, where someone doesn't actually make out who you are when you contact them, your closing percentage will go down by 90%. In their minds you are just another salesperson or telemarketer. Unless someone contacts you directly about your opportunity you are always in a weaker position. And if you aren't a born salesman, it will be a grind, I can promise you that. I can also promise you that by just throwing videos or blogs on the net, people are not just automatically going to jump into your business. They need to get to know you first, and that can take months and in some cases years. I just brought a girl in on Friday who I have been talking to off and on for at least a few months. On the flip-side I've also had people call me directly and say they want to join my business before they even know about my business. You see you brand yourself and sell yourself and you don't need to worry about chasing people, they will chase you, but it will take many months before this will start to happen. This is also very challenging to duplicate for most. Out of all of the people I have sponsored in the past year. I have just a handful of students who are really getting the attraction marketing down. It's a bit complex and isn't for everyone.

Reflecting back on my MLM Career so far, it hasn't been a bed of roses. I spent 12 years in sales before getting with my first company back in 2006, and to this day have never closed 1 pay per click lead. I've also never closed 1 purchased lead. I have personally sponsored over 50 people in the last year, not customers, business builders and the majority have all come from Social Networking sites, MySpace, Facebook, and most recently Twitter. I still am not sure if I have even brought in anyone from any of my blogs? I have brought in a few from Craigslist, but that took me awhile to master.

I personally think that online marketing is a better fit for certain individual types, but I know many network marketers who are still doing it old school who are making a ton of money. Old School Networking still works and to be honest if you have the gift of gab and are a born salesman, I wouldn't even go into online, I would just talk to everyone like you always have, people are still buying. Just keep in mind if your going to do network marketing old school and teach people those methods, you will have to find others who have the gift of gab to work under you. As old school is really tough for the non-sales types, unless someone comes into your group with a huge sphere of influence.

Remember Network Marketing is a contact sport. It's all about you. Are you a leader? If your not a leader, you will struggle in attraction marketing and offline marketing. The great thing about network marketing is if your not a leader or not making a huge fat paycheck, just partner up with someone who is, and just be the messenger for the first few years and work on yourself. That way you won't go broke and will have a lot less pain. TAKE THEM TO YOUR LEADER. You can't enroll people effortlessly until you become one anyhow, whether your offline, online, uptown, or downtown. The average networker only enrolls a couple of people into any given program. In my first company, I just had customers and didn't get one business builder under me in 8 months. Most of the people I sponsor today bring in 0, 1, 2, 5, 10, it is rare to get anyone who sponsors 20 or more. Believe me, I am looking for them everyday, but they don't grow on trees. Most of them are already playing on other teams, I have to wait till their contract expires - ha ha.

In closing, at the end of the day, this business has always been about relationships and it always will be. The internet has just evened the playing field a bit.

You are Self Employed

Do you guys realize that whether you have your own business, work for an employer, or do network marketing, that you are all self employed. That's right we are all self employed and until you start believing that, your success will be limited as you will never be completely in charge of your destiny. You will always be dependent on that company or boss.

If we are going to become successful in life we have to get that through our head and realize that no matter who signs our paycheck we are self employed. It doesn't really matter whether you are a 1099 Independent Contractor, or an employee, you must get this. Because, if you don't you will never feel important and you will always depend on your employer or company for your success.

Let's say that your company or network marketing company went out of business tomorrow. It does happen believe it or not - especially in today's world. I was selling real estate in Australia around this time last year when my real estate office I was working for went bankrupt and closed their doors. I could have been devastated, but I knew how valuable I was and just re sold my talents to another office and was back to work within a few weeks. If you depend on your employer and never saw yourself as a valuable player, than you could become devastated and may not recover from your loss. If your company goes under, or you lose a valuable client than you will just say, I'll find another employer, or company to go to work with - no big deal. There is so much freedom once you get this - that it will be liberating to your success.

I read a story about how Dustin Hoffman the actor used to go around and tell everyone he was a professional actor before he even made a dime at his profession. So why don't all of you go around and tell everyone that you are a realtor, life coach, network marketer, or whatever it is you want to be, and start to realize that your job or current situation is just a means to get you to where you want to go. We are all self employed.

Getting Your People To Stay???

Ok, you've joined your MLM opportunity. Your past the point where you know how to sponsor and train, but something happens, the person you spent hours, or weeks with who you thought was going to be a rockstar vanishes. Your sponsor, or company didn't tell you about how to deal with the people you bring on board that quit? How many quit, I don't want to give you a real number as to scare anyone new who is thinking about getting into MLM, but the number is very high. I know of professionals who expect it, and to become a network marketing pro you should too. If you honestly think that everyone you recruit into your business is going to stick around for longer than a few months, you have another thing coming. MLM is one of the toughest endeavors out there, not because it is really hard, but because most people are lazy by nature, and they are attracted to MLM because of the hype that shows you how to get rich quickly. Working for someone and getting a paycheck is easy and working for yourself, or on straight commission is hard. I know I have done it for years as both a business owner, salesperson, realtor, musician, and network marketer. I've also spent a number of years in Corporate America and a salary is much easier compared to straight commission. At least you know you are getting paid whether you perform or not. Of course you may get fired if you don't perform. You can probably fake it for alot longer than you could if you were only paid for your ability to perform and produce.

That is enough about work, what to do when your downline vanishes? I was hanging out with my friend the other day who has earned a 7 figure income in network marketing and he said he is The General and he is just looking for a few lieutenants to join his squad. He said he doesn't expect to find anyone who can out perform him, but he expects to find a few leaders. You might have to go through 10, 15, or even 30 people to find one lieutenant. This is after you have already done lots of sorting to find your 30 to 50 to join your training camp. So here might be a better way to think of your MLM Business versus just trying to bring everyone with a pulse into your business. Think of your business like you are building a team, no different than a NFL Team. You are sorting for your superstars, but many won't make it out of training camp onto the field. Why is that? A few reasons, but here are my thoughts. Many won't do the work necessary to be successful, many don't have the skill-set or the desire to develop the skills, many lack serious ambition, and many just quite frankly are LAZY. Lots of people want what few have, but aren't willing to do the work. There is a reason this sport is called NetWORK Marketing.