A Remarkable Business

Del was sixty-two and three years from retirement when he walked into my sales and marketing class. He had done what everyone told him and socked away a nice nest egg in his company 401k plan. Del and his wife would be able to live quite nicely for the rest of their lives. Well, at least that was the plan. Then his company went bankrupt and he lost everything. That day, Del asked me how to re-build his mid-six figure retirement plan within the next three years. I told him that there was only one way – network marketing.

Patti was a single mother of six children living in a rural town with a population of only 8,000 and had just lost $75,000 in her traditional business. She had researched all kinds of traditional businesses and franchises, but there seemed to be only one type of business that would enable her to stay home with her children, quickly pay off the debt, and earn a nice six-figure income within the next five years – network marketing.

Collette was a single mother of five children, of which two were seriously ill and required regular medical attention.  She was deeply in debt and could only work part-time as a secretary.  The medical bills were piling up and the future looked very bleak.  That was when she was introduced to a fantastic home business by her brother.  At first Collette didn’t think she could be successful, because she had never operated a business before and had no sales or marketing experience, but this business was different. It seemed to be her answer from God – network marketing.

What’s remarkable about network marketing?

The incredible, almost unbelievable stories and these are just three of the thousands from the network marketing industry. It’s truly a life altering business and how many other types of businesses can you say will radically change your life? I certainly haven’t found any others. I mean really, name me another type of business where a twenty-three year old carpet installer with an injured shoulder and no money, or a seventy year old butcher, could become millionaires within a few years. Network marketing is the only answer.

Oh, here I am ranting and raving about how amazing network marketing is and you’re probably wondering about Del, Patti, and Collette.

Well, Del did rebuild that retirement plan in three years, but he was having so much fun, he didn’t want to retire. Patti has stayed home with her children, paid off the debt, earns a nice six-figure income, and now has several of her children who have joined her in business. Collette continued to work part-time, building a network marketing business and is now the top income earner in her company.

Network marketing is the most remarkable business I’ve ever seen and since I’ve been a business consultant for many years and have thoroughly researched thousands of businesses, that’s quite a statement. It’s the only business I’ve ever seen that enables the average person, regardless of age, gender, financial situation, past experience, education, knowledge, or even language, to start a business with little to no money and in a few short years are living the lifestyle of the rich and famous.

Can anyone be successful in network marketing?

Since my entry into the industry in 1979, I’ve had the good fortune to interview hundreds of the top income earners and I can honestly say that “YES” anyone can be successful in network marketing. Now, don’t stone me. I didn’t say that everyone would be successful; I just said that everyone could be successful, because I’ve seen people from all walks of life achieve high levels of success in network marketing.

I don’t believe that anything in this world is perfect, but network marketing is as close to the perfect business as I think you will ever find. If you’re looking for a business, you will find nothing better than network marketing – low start-up investment, proven turn-key system, high quality products and services, outstanding training and support, quick compensation, movable, unlimited growth, no employees, very little overhead, can be operated from home either part- or full-time, and produces long-term residual income, just to name a few reasons why you should seriously investigate this truly remarkable business.

If you are currently in network marketing or were sometime in the past and have never been successful, perhaps you picked the wrong company, product/service, compensation plan, timing, or upline. Many people get into the first network marketing company that comes along, without doing any research or due diligence. Uncle Joe, who doesn’t have any money and has never owned a business, shows you a network marketing company and it must be good, right? I don’t think so. Not every company is right for every person. You’ve got to find the right one for you. 

However, once you find the right company, then there is just one secret to success – WORK! I know, you were hoping for that get rich quick deal – well get over it – they don’t exist. Network marketing is a real business and it requires work – prospecting for people interested in your products/services or business, presentations, answering questions and handling objections, follow-up, sponsoring, training, and supporting. If you do these things and treat it like a real business, in time, you will be successful.

Who knows, perhaps some day you will be like Del, Patti, Collette, and so many others who are enjoying true financial security and the time freedom to really enjoy life. Yes, network marketing is the most remarkable business. My question for you is: “Will you do your research to find the right company, and then work hard and smart, so that some day other people will share your remarkable success story?

How to Keep Your Downline

As a veteran network marketer, top income earner, author, coach, and speaker, the most common question I hear and the biggest challenge faced by most network marketers is how to keep your downline. During my first 15 years in this great profession, this was a major challenge for me and my answer was always to sponsor more people. In one company I personally sponsored over 150 people and never earned a full-time income. It wasn't until I learned how to keep those I enrolled that I started making a big time income.

Here are the three things I do (and the other top income earners do) to keep my downline:

1. Help them earn money quickly - My first goal with a new member is to help them earn enough to cover their monthly product purchase. Next is to help them earn $500 above their product cost. At this point, they can't afford to leave. Finally, I want to help them earn enough to quit their job and enjoy true freedom. So, your first step is to work with an upline leader to figure out what a new person would have to do to earn their monthly product for free, make an extra $500 per month, and develop incomes of $50,000, $100,000, and $200,000.

2. Get them hooked on your products/services - This way at the very least, they will be a product/service user for life. First, is to make sure they have a personal experience. Second, provide them with information that shows why your product/service is unique, proprietary, patented, exclusive, and better than all the competitors. Third, help them introduce your products/services to their friends and family, so they can build an array of testimonials from people they know.

3. Recognize them - Most people go through life feeling underappreciated. You, as their sponsor and upline leader, have a chance to change that. Recognize them for the smallest of things - attending a meeting/conference call/webinar, making their list, setting up their company web site, going through the company training program, contacting their first person, setting up their first 3-way call, enrolling their first customer/member/distributor, achieving their first rank advancement, and so on. People will often do more for recognition, than they will for money, so recognize them often.

If you do these three things consistantly, you will retain a much higher percentage of your team. Don't get discouraged when some still quit. Remember that this business is only for those who are willing to do the work to succeed. If they aren't willing to do the work, there is nothing you can do for them. Wish them well, let them go, and focus on those who are putting out the effort. The result will be a solid and loyal team.
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Rod Nichols has been involved in the network marketing profession since 1979 as a company founder/operator, distributor, coach, trainer, speaker, and author. Several of his books have been industry best sellers and he has trained tens of thousands of people on how to be successful in network marketing. Recently he was featured in Better Networker's The Definitive Guide to Home Business Success - http://jvz6.com/c/79637/23465. He is also the publisher of The MLM Tip of the Day - www.DailyMLMTips.com. For more information about Rod, go to www.RodNichols.com.

There's Power in the 3-Way

In my 31 years of network marketing, I've had the opportunity to work with and interview hundreds of the industries top leaders. I too am one of those top leaders, having built two large networks with large full-time residual incomes. We have all built our businesses at different paces and using different methods. However, the one thing I know that we have all used to build our businesses is the 3-way call.

The unfortunate fact, is that even though 3 way calls is one of the keys to the success of most top leaders, distributors are not doing 3-way calls. In a recent meeting of approximately 50 distributors, I asked how many were doing weekly 3-way calls with upline or downline and only one person put up his hand. I also know from talking with other leaders that their downlines are effectively using this amazing business-building tool.

If the 3-way call is so important, why don't more distributors do them? I believe it is because they are afraid the prospect will feel "ganged up on" and will be offended. Since many of these calls are to friends and family members, this feeling overrides the potential for success. The distributor would rather have the call fail, than to do a 3-way call with the upline.

Personally, I think that distributors are getting the wrong impression about 3-way calls, because we (upline) are not explaining the methodology and benefits properly. So, here goes.

First, let's talk about the best way to make a 3-way call. Now, for my disclaimer. I am not saying that this is the absolute and only way to make a 3-way call. If your upline has a standard way of doing calls, than that's the way to go. If not, give this a try:

If you are making 3-way calls with your upline, the reason you have your upline on the phone is not to hammer on the prospect or as the heavy closer, but rather so between the two of you the prospect can get all of his/her questions answered. Also, so that your company can be presented in the best possible way and your prospect can make an educated decision.

Here's how the call might go:

The distributor calls upline and discusses the call prior to the appointed time. Distributor puts upline on hold by depressing the "flash" or "conference" button on their phone.The distributor should get a couple quick tones and then a regular dial tone or the opportunity to dial the next number on a cell phone, at which point he/she can dial the prospects number. When it starts ringing, press the flash key or hook button again to re-connect the upline or on a cell phone, let it connect and then join the calls. Here is the dialog when the prospect answers:

Distributor: John, hi this is Rod. I'm calling to follow-up on that information that I (sent/dropped off to) you. I have on the phone with me one of my business partners, Steve has been very successful in this business and is a really great guy. I've got Steve on the phone because I'm relatively new and I thought you would have some great questions that I couldn't answer. John this is (upline).

At this point the upline will take over the call and your job is to listen, take notes, and learn. Here is what the upline might say:

Upline: Hi John. How are you this evening? Are we catching you at a good time? Great! We appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. First I want you to know that I am strictly here to answer questions, fill in the gaps, and help provide the information you need to make a good decision. This is a very important decision and our job is to provide you with sufficient information to make an educated decision. The one favor I need to ask you is that you not say yes or no until you have received enough information to thoroughly research this business and make a good decision. Will you do that for us? Thanks! Now, did you get some time to review the information that Bob sent you?

From here the upline is going to handle the call as he/she feels fit, but it will be a very comfortable call for all involved.

Now, if you are doing the calls with your downline, you should follow the script for the upline, which will help make them more comfortable with the calls.

We recommend that every new distributor do at least thirty 3-way calls before they start talking with people on their own or doing 3-ways with their downline. After thirty calls the distributor will have heard all the main objections and questions, plus the answers. The best way to do these thirty calls is to have the upline do all of the call on the first 10. During the second 10, the distributor should do the first part of the call with the upline handling objections or answering questions. The new distributor should do all of the calls on the third 10 with the upline on for back-up.

Following you will find examples of how the 2nd and 3rd sets of calls might go.

2nd Set of 3-Way Calls:

Distributor: John, hi this is Rod. I'm calling to follow-up on that information that I (sent/dropped off to) you. I have on the phone with me one of my business partners (upline's name), who is here because I am relatively new and I thought you would have some great questions that I couldn't answer. John this is (upline). (upline and prospect say hi, then you continue) John, first off, is this a good time to talk? (If yes, continue) Did you have a chance to review the information? (If yes, continue) (If no, set a time to call again) Excellent! What did you (see/hear) that you liked best or grabbed your attention? (reinforce what they liked and keep asking for more until they run out)

Seems like you had a few things that you liked about our program. So, what questions can we answer? (upline will now help with answers)

3rd Set of 3-Way Calls:

Use the same script as in the 2nd set, except that the distributor will answer questions and call in the upline only when he/she gets stuck.

3-way calls are not only effective for quick and efficient sponsoring, but it is also a great training tool. A new distributor will learn much more by listening in on some calls then by you telling them what to do.

Now for the benefits of 3-way calls:

Distributor - fewer negative calls, better closing ratios, build network quicker.

Upline - opportunity to train, help new distributor get checks quicker, build own network.

Prospect - opportunity to hear different perspectives on the business, get all questions answered, make a good decision.

3-way calls are a win-win-win opportunity and a critical part of every success story in network marketing, so if you aren't already a leader in your company, start doing 3-way calls with your upline and if you are a leader, start doing 3-way calls with your downline. Either way, if you do this, you will see your network grow and your checks skyrocket!

Better Networker

If you are a serious network marketer, then you need to know about the #1 Social Community for Network Marketers. It's called BetterNetworker and it was created by internet marketing genius and founder of Magnetic Sponsoring, Mike Dillard.

This is like Facebook, but instead of just a bunch of people telling you about washing their cat or painting their nails, you're hearing from top home business people on how to build a home based network marketing business. I'm one of many instructors who are placing valuable articles on there and the best part is it's FREE!!! Plus, you can generate some great business for your own home based network marketing business.

Although content changes quickly, here are a few article titles on the site right now:

Is Network Marketing/MLM for you?
The Wizard of Oz in Network Marketing
Yoli is the Real Deal
MLM Duplication Methods. . .an easy approach to downline building
Better Business Bureau Investigates iJango
How to Spot an MLM Scam Before you Put Your Heart into It
Sponsor More with this "Jedi Mind Trick"

Here are some great discussions that are active on BetterNetworker:

How do you Recognize a Scam?
How to Market in a Tired Market
Debate MLM: Services vs Vitamins vs Home Products

You can get involved in any of these discussions or post your own!!!

Go to BetterNetworker.com and set up your profile, start reading the thousands of articles, write some of your own and establish yourself as an authority, and get involved in some discussions.

US foreclosure filings up 81 percent in 2008

Yahoo News reports: "WASHINGTON – More than 2.3 million American homeowners faced foreclosure proceedings last year, an 81 percent increase from 2007, with the worst yet to come as consumers grapple with layoffs, shrinking investment portfolios and falling home prices."

The future is looking very bleak for many people. Foreclosures are up, bankruptcies are up, unemployment is up, the stock market is operating like a roller coaster, and the forecasters are saying that 2009 isn't going to be any better.

What they don't know and understand is that it's going to be one of the best years ever for the network marketing industry. It's been reported that during the great depression there were more millionaires created than in any other single period of time in the U.S. history. Now, we aren't in a full blown depression (yet), but we are in a major economic downturn that is spiraling further down and network marketing prosperes in this kind of market.

If you have a network marketing business, you've got the answer to the woes of many people in your area. In other words, there are many more people than normal who are in the "looking zone." They are looking for a solution to their financial struggles and fear about the financial future and you've got it. It's time to start sharing your business with everyone you know.

A few months ago, I jumped back into network marketing after being retired for seven years. I had built a large international network between the years of 1995 and 2001 and then retired with a lucrative full time income. I've been enjoying the time and financial freedom ever since. But as I began to see the signs of this economic collapse, it became clear to me that I was going to need another stream of income, so I'm back in the game.

This time around, I've found it very interested that so many more people are open to looking at my business. I'm sure you will find the same thing, if you just get out of your comfort zone and start talking with people. Ask them, "are you open to ways to bring additional income into your household?" OR "would you be interested in looking at a way you could increase your income?" OR "with this major downturn in the economy, it just makes financial sense to have multiples streams of income - do you?" If these questions don't work for you, come up with your own. The key is to ask a question that will begin a dialog where you can present your business as a solution to the financial situation both now and in the future.

It's time to turn off the television (there's nothing worth watching anyway), minimize the distractions, put the blinders on and start building your business. If you're with a good company that is going to be around for many years to come and you just work hard and smart for the next couple years, you will be very wealthy and enjoy an amazing financial future. The timing is perfect. Are you going to catch this wave or stay in your comfort zone and miss out on probably the best opportunity you will see in your lifetime? The choice is yours! I just hope you make the right choice.

Rod Nichols
Author, The Twelve Power Secrets for Network Marketing Success
http://www.rodnichols.com/
http://www.hopefinancial.biz/

How to Build Your Business Right Now

If you haven't figure it out yet, this is a great time to build a network marketing business. Daily, the media is creating fear about the future of the stock market, retirement accounts, money in banks, and the economy in general. Many top economists are forcasting bad times for the next couple years at least. Although this is bad news to most, it's great news for those of us with network marketing businesses.

All that fear is sending people looking for solutions. They're trying to figure out what to do to secure their financial situation or make up for lost retirement funds. People you know are looking for what you have right now. So, here are a few tips for building your business during these crazy economic times.

First, I would send out a letter to everyone you know. In the first part of the letter, recount the media headlines and stir up the fear. Next, inform them that you have a way that could help them generate more funds, recoup retirement funds, offset stock loses, enjoy tremendous tax benefits, and secure their financial future. Finally, ask them to get in touch with you if they would like more information.

Second, start up conversations about the economy and how it is affecting their lives. Stir up the fear and then ask them if they are interested in a potential solution. If they are, schedule a time to present your business or arrange to provide them with information.

Third, start contacting those professions that have been the hardest hit: car sales, realtors, mortgage reps and brokers, and anyone selling a big ticket item to consumers. Talk with them about the economy, stir up the fear, and then present a solution.

There are some ways that you can benefit from our current economy and help others do the same.

I'm back!

After 7 years of retirement from network marketing business building, I'm back. Seven years ago I retired with a very nice full-time residual income to pursue my goals in ministry and writing. I'm still very happily pursuing those goals, so what could possibly attract me back into the business building. Only the most amazing product and opportunity I've seen in 29 years!!!

I'm excited and ready to build another large network and residual income stream, primarily through the internet. I've already recruited a friend of mine who is a top internet marketing guru. We are in the process of developing a team marketing and training system. What I'm looking for now are people who are serious about making money in network marketing. If you are finally ready to make some very BIG money in network marketing and help a bunch of other people do the same, then e-mail me by clicking HERE to learn more. Please, no lookie loos. Only the serious need respond.

Training Yourself for Success

As Denis Waitley puts it, we are all born winners and then trained to fail. If you want to break that failure chain that binds so many people, you'll need to train yourself for success. Why would you want to do this instead of staying in your nice cozy comfort zone? How about, more money, better relationships, more friendships, better health, more fun!

Sound good? Here are the steps you'll need to take to train yourself for success:

1. Prepare Your Mind - your mind is like a garden. You can either grow beautiful flowers or weeds. Either will grow just fine. If you prepare your mind, plant good seed, fertilize and water, weed your garden regularly, and then harvest at the right time. Whatever goes into your mind willdictate what comes back out.

An old biblical principle that has been used in the business world for years is, as a man thinketh, so is he. What this means is that you will become what you think about most. If you think you are fat, you will get fatter in order to fulfill the picture in your mind. If you see yourself as a financial failure, you're mind will continue to recreate that picture in your life.

So, what you are going to need to do first is to quit putting garbage into your mind - newspapers, radio, television, trashy books and movies, etc. You're mind stores it all and it affects your ability to succeed.

Instead start putting good stuff in - motivational and inspirational books and tapes, classes at the local community college, seminars, teleconferences, bible studies, church, etc. If you put good stuff in, you'll get good thoughts back out. My books, The Ideal Business and The Twelve Power Secrets for Network Marketing Success are perfect for building belief and becoming confident in what you are doing.

Next, you need to change your mental picture. Take a piece of paper and describe in detail your perfect life. When you're finished, read the description out loud and picture it in your mind. Feel the emotions of excitement, fulfillment, accomplishment, and so on. Now, when you start each new day, read your life description, so that your mind can work that day to move you closer to fulfillment of that mental picture. Take a little time each day to close your eyes and visualize your perfect life. By doing this you make it reality in your mind. It has been proven through many scientific studies that the mind cannot tell the difference between reality and a vivid mental picture.

By preparing your mind for success, you are about 90% there. A properly prepared mind will enable you to focus on your business, family, health, spiritual life, with incredible clarity. You'll be amazed at what happens.

2. Prepare Your Body for Success - success takes time, energy, and brainpower. It's not going to be possible if you are tired and worn down. Make sure that you are eating a healthy diet, exercising daily, and taking good nutritional products. It's time to develop a lean, mean fat burning success machine.

3. Prepare Your Business for Success - make sure that you have received the training that you need in order to succeed. You should know what to say or ask in order to get someone interested in your business. You should be able to handle the basic objections - network marketing, time, money, sales, etc. You should be able to answer common questions about your company, the products or services, compensation plan, getting started, etc. You should have in place a system that generates leads on a weekly basis. You should have a list of at least 100 people you know and be contacting them regularly via phone, mail, e-mail, fax, and in-person.

You should be able to do a 3-way call with both your upline and downline. You should know how to train a new downline distributor. You should know the difference between a legal network marketing (or multi-level) company and an illegal pyramid. You should have a strong enough belief system in your company and it's products or services that people who say negative things about your business, don't bother you.

You should be able to give a presentation to one person or a large group.

In this new era of network marketing, it would also make sense to become internet savvy and have a internet prospecting system. I just introduced a great new system, The 2 Percent Plan, that will help you generate leads, get paid to do it, and learn how to build a large and lucrative network marketing business.

If you can't do these things, you need to immediately contact your upline leaders and have them coach you.

Next, you need to have the tools necessary to succeed. You will need a telephone with a flash key, 3-way calling and call waiting on the phone, if you have a family (particularly teenagers) you should have a separate line put in for your business, voice mail or answering machine, company voice mail (if available), Internet access, company literature and marketing materials. If you are part-time (under 20 hours a week), you should have enough supplies on hand to hand-out or mail at least 20 new information packets per month. Keep a small portable filing system in your car, filled with marketing materials, so that when you encounter a great prospect, you'll have what you need.

Every day treat your business like it were a multi-million dollar company. Set up a work schedule at the beginning of each week and stick to it every day. Consistency is one of the major keys to success in network marketing. Treat your business like a BIG BUSINESS and it will eventually pay you like a big business. Treat it like a hobby and it will pay you like a hobby. It's your choice.

Work through fear. When you run up against fear - making those initial contacts, follow-up calls, public presentations - run over it! As Nike says, Just Do It! and the fear will go away. The more you do what you fear, the more fearless you become. Soon, nothing will get the way of your success.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare - your mind, body, and business. The better you prepare, the greater the success. The quicker you get started with the preparation and resulting action, the quicker you will start seeing the success you seek - checks, bigger checks, pin levels, awards, and rewards.

WOMEN IN NETWORK MARKETING

Are there differences in the way men and women approach network marketing? Yes. Is one way better than the other? Probably not. However each could learn from the other. All you guys out there, listen up. We can learn something from the women about how to succeed in network marketing.

First, networking requires building rapport and trust quickly. Women are generally much better at this. Some of you men are getting in touch with your feminine side and are becoming better at this. Women tend to be more emotional and can touch another person's emotional side quicker. This builds a solid bond that is hard to break.

Men tend to be like a bull in a china closet, powering in for the close. The key here is to understand the primary reason why a prospect might be interested in network marketing and then cater your approach to that emotional need.

Second, women are better encouragers. They make great network marketing leaders, because they understand what motivates their distributors and uses that to keep them excited. Also, they have a softer approach, which tends to appeal to people better than a man's harder, less caring approach. Also, women are better at nurturing relationships. Men are more into competition and winning, while women are into creating win-win situations. In each situation, evaluate how you can create a win-win situation with yor prospects.

Third, on the whole, women bring a higher level of integrity to network marketing. Without their influence, this industry might be an "anything goes" business. Men would focus on conquering and winning. That's contrary to the networking principle. Here we want to share, nurture, and encourage people to success.

There's no glass ceiling in network marketing and there is plenty of room at the top for all of us, both men and women. Let's learn from each other, become better people, and build the greatest industry in the history of the world!

Great Teleclass Last Night

We had a great 2 Percent Plan affiliate teleclass last night. I talked about how to use the new lead generation system to increase their income by at least $100 a month, generate enough leads to sponsor 2 new people into their network marketing business every month, and how to build a six-figure income with in the next 2 years working part-time.

If you aren't part of The 2 Percent Plan, then you missed out on this call, but we are going to have a recording in the exclusive back office in the near future and there will be at least monthly calls of this nature. You can join by going to www.the2percentplan.com. You'll get a copy of my dynamic new book The 2 Percent Plan, the rights to re-sell it and earn $20 commission on each sale, an awesome marketing system to help you do that, a fantastic lead generation and conversion system that will help you build your network marketing business, and a bunch of free reports that will shoot you to the top of your company. Click on the link above and start using The 2 Percent Plan to build your network marketing business. Teach it to your downline and watch your network explode.

Build Your Network Marketing Business with You Tube

You Tube was founded in 2005 and is the leader in online video and the premier site to watch and share videos worldwide. Now, you can produce your own training or promotional videos and have them available to millions of people in just minutes.

Visit http://www.youtube.com/ and take a look at what people are putting up on the site. You can search by topic, for example mlm or network marketing or home business or The 2% Plan (my new lead generation system) and see how many videos are up under that topic.

Your first step is to record a video. Determine what topic you are going to cover and then write a script or some notes. You could do the video yourself or have someone interview you or have a discussion with another person. Next, you’ll need a digital video camera that will allow you to upload the video clip to your computer. If you don’t have a camera, we recommend Flip Video (http://www.theflip.com/) which you can buy online or at local retailers. You’ll also find them on E-bay.

Here are some video strategies from Andy Jenkins, owner of StomperNet and also an Oscar winner: Shoot your video in three parts:

Part One – establish a problem the viewer is dealing with. Then begin by telling a story that leads the viewer to a powerful solution. Make the story personal and provide a testimony of fixing the problem and if possible show them the financial or physical result.

Part Two – go over the personal benefits of your solution (in other words, what’s in it for the viewer). Give them bullet points from actual experience. Cover the how and why this will work for them. Generate a high level of interest by reminding them that they can do it. Then walk them through the simple steps to success.

Part Three – conclude with an urgent call to action. Tell your viewer exactly what they should do next. Reiterate the problem, solution, and benefits. Help your viewer envision themselves after achieving success and you’ve got yourself a hot candidate.

Make sure the video is no longer than 10 minutes or you won’t be able to upload it on to You Tube. If it must be longer than 10 minutes, break it up into multiple parts and load the videos separately. As you are filming, look directly into the camera, relax, and have fun. Video is a great way to meet your prospects face-to-face and make a great first impression.

Once you have a completed video, you can also load it on other social networking sites, such as Plaxo, MySpace, Bebo, and MetaCafe. If you are really serious about this and your budget allows, you can use Traffic Geyser (http://www.trafficgeyser.com/) to submit your videos to social networking, social bookmarking, and search engine sites. The service is only $97 a month and will save you many hours.

So, if you’ve always wanted to be in the movies, this is your chance and use it to build a massive network marketing business that will provide you with the lifestyle of your dreams.

*This training is in the back office training system of my new funded business proposal The 2 Percent Plan. It is just one of many great internet and network marketing training pieces you'll find in the back office as an affiliate. For more informaton click HERE.

Decisions . . . Decisions . . . Decisions . . .

I joined my first network marketing company in 1979 when there were only a handful of companies. The only solid method of marketing was home meetings or one-on-one napkin presentations. We didn't have the internet, CD's, DVD's, cell phones, voice mail, e-mail, teleconferences, web conferences, flash presentations, video cameras, web cams, or mp3 players. Choices were pretty easy back then, because there wasn't much to choose from.

Today it's much different. There are so many methods of marketing and mutiple choices within each method - do you market to your warm market by phone, e-mail, mail, CD, DVD, opportunity meeting, web conference, teleconference, etc. etc. If you are marketing on the internet do you use pay-per-click, ezines, classifieds, funded business proposals, social networking sites, forums, etc. etc. AND so on. And so on. It's tough and I feel bad for all those who are just joining the network marketing industry.

Here are some keys that might help you.

First, always check with successful upline leaders to see what they are doing. If the methods they are using fit your personality, time commitment, and budget, then duplicate. If not, then move on.

Second, decide on a single marketing method for your warm market (people you know) and no more than 2 or 3 internet marketing methods.

Third, stay focused on those methods for at least 3 months to determine their success rate. The biggest mistake you can make is to use different methods every month. Find something and get good at it.

During my early years in network marketing, I was always looking for the magic bullet - that perfect thing that would make me a millionaire. I did discover it - consistent, and persistent effort in prospecting, presenting, and follow-up.

So, find something that works for your personality, schedule, and budget; then stick with it, making slight modifications for improvement and you will begin to see greater and greater success.

*Note: I just recently introduced a marketing system that works great for any personality, schedule, and budget. It's rejection proof, you don't have to approach people until they say they are interested, and you can get paid to generate an endless supply of leads for your network marketing business. Check it out at www.the2percentplan.com/plus and get lot's of free stuff.

How to Convert Leads in an MLM Funded Business System

The whole idea of a funded business system is to generate leads for your network marketing business. Each person who fills out the contact information on your capture page is a potential lead. In the following training, you will learn how to contact, qualify, and convert those people.

Those who complete your contact form will fall into three categories:

1. Looking for a network marketing business.
2. Already with a network marketing company, but not happy.
3. Already with a network marketing company and happy.

Categories 1 and 2 are great prospects for your network marketing company right now. Category 3 may take some time, but odds are that if you do a good job of relationship building, they will join you within a year.

Here are some methods of approaching these people and building relationships.

Phone:

When a person fills out the contact form on your capture page, you will receive it by e-mail. The information includes their name, e-mail address, and phone number. The best way to begin the lead conversion process is to call them.

When you call, introduce yourself, remind them of the site they visited, and find out if they are already in a network marketing company or not. If they are, find out if they’re completely happy. If they are looking for not happy with their current company, you’ve got a prospect for your network marketing business. Ask if you can provide information and then do a good job of following-up (see below).

Make sure that you take good notes during the phone calls, so that as you follow-up, you can show them how much you care, by remembering things about their lives. People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care about them. Remembering details shows them that you are paying attention and care.

E-Mail:

If you are either not comfortable on the phone or you don’t have the time to do it, you can follow-up by e-mail, however you drop the odds of success quite a few percentages this way. E-mails have a way of disappearing or being filtered and it’s much easier to ignore an e-mail than a person on the phone. So, if you are serious about success in network marketing, you should work through the fear of the telephone or re-arrange your schedule so you have dedicated phone time for your business. However, if you’re not ready to do either of those, here are some ideas for creating an e-mail message.

First, keep the message short. Mention the site they visited and then ask if they are looking for a network marketing company or already with one. Don’t try to sell them on anything in this message. If they don’t respond, e-mail them again. I e-mail 3 times without response before I move on.

Follow-Up:

Ineffective follow-up is one of the primary reasons why people don’t succeed in network marketing. Quite often you will have a prospect who seems interested, so you provide them with some information, but they don’t return your calls or e-mails, so you assume that they aren’t interested. In most cases that is a bad assumption, because in most cases, when you speak with them, they’ll show a high level of interest. So, the key is effective follow-up.

You will have over a third of the people who fill out your contact form who will already be with a company, so this step is critical in bringing them into your company sometime in the near future.

You can purchase database software like ACT! or you can develop something in Excel or use the contact management portion of Outlook, or you can use a professionally designed system like Oprius. Which is my preference. Click HERE for information and a free trial.

However you do it is fine, but make sure you have an effective database in which you can store pertinent information about prospects and then easily find that information at a later date. It’s great if the system also reminds you to follow-up.

Once you have a database, the next step is to develop a series of e-mails that you either manually send or use an autoresponder service like Get Response. For information, click HERE. You’ll want to mix some phone calls in with the e-mails, with the purpose of building relationship. In your e-mails and calls you can recommend free (and paid) resources, social networks, articles, blogs, etc. This will help you show that you care about the person and not just getting them into your business (even though that is also your intention). People will join you because they trust and respect you. Also, because you can offer them a marketing system that will help them build a successful business.

If you do a good job with all of this, you’ll add new people to your network marketing business every month.

*Note: A more detailed training, including phone scripts, e-mails, and more is included in the back office training system of Rod Nichols' The 2 Percent Plan funded business proposal. For more information, go to www.the2percentplan.com/plus

Breaking News: Save $77 on NM Magazine

My good friend, George Madiou, publisher of The Network Marketing Magazine just e-mailed me with an absolutely off the wall crazy offer. His net based magazine subscription is normally $97 a year and it's worth at least double that. But for the next four days (until Saturday the 2nd) George is offering the subscription for only $20! You read that right and it's not a typo. An annual subscription to The Network Marketing Magazine is only $20. That's a $77 savings and you also recieve the tremendous knowledge that the magazine contains - there are articles and mp3 files from all the top trainers and big time money earners, so you don't want to miss out on this. The next issue will include a great new article I just wrote, titled "Back to Basics". If you're not making a full-time income in network marketing, you need to read this article and this magazine. If you're making a full-time income in NM already, you still need to read this article and magazine. Click HERE in the next four days to subscribe for only $20.

How to Prospect Without Joining the NFL (No Friends League)

One of the most common mistakes I see made in network marketing is what I call the “vomit approach”. A new network marketer learns about their company and products and then excitedly vomits that information on friends and family. This not only confuses the prospect, but the hype turns them off. Soon they are avoiding the new network marketer. The better approach is to ask questions and find pain areas. Then present the appropriate information. The results are always much better.

Unfortunately, most people like to talk more than listen. I believe that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason - listen twice as much as you talk. To help you learn to ask more questions, I'm going to give you a simple acronym - F.O.R.M.

The "F" is for Family. Ask your prospect about his/her family. Talk about the kids. Discuss family goals. Ask if he/she has as much time with the family as they would like. Talk about vacations, their home, vehicles, college, etc. If they mention that they haven't had a vacation in a long time, that they work long hours and don't get to spend time with the family or that they don't know where the money will come from for college, then you've got a pain area.

The "O" is for Occupation. Ask about their job or business - how is it going? Any downsizing going on? Merger or buyout possibilities? Long-term viability of their job? Making as much money as they would like? If they show some doubt about their job or make comment about the lack of money or the amount of stress, then you've got a pain area.

The "R" is for Recreation. Ask about vacations, hobbies, golf, boating, bowling, etc. If your prospect complains about lack of vacation time at work, lack of money to take a vacation or lack of time to really enjoy any outside activities, then you've got a good pain area.

The "M" is for Money. Talk about the insecurity of the economy and social security. Ask what they are doing to prepare for future retirement. Ask about investments. Ask what they do with spare money each month. If they complain about not enough money or concern over their ability to retire some day, then you have a pain area.

F.O.R.M. makes it easy to remember, but you don't have to ask questions in order. You may find yourself flipping around. My suggestion, the first few times, is to write a series of questions and talk with people on the phone. That way you have a good start and if you get stuck, you can refer to the list.

By asking questions, you uncover needs and wants. Then you can go back to the prospect and say something like: “Mary, we were talking the other day and you mentioned (quickly review the pain areas) and I felt bad for you. I don’t know if you’d be interested or if this is even right for you, but I just might have a solution and shame on me if I don’t let you know about it. I’ve found a unique home based business that has great income potential, offers excellent tax benefits, and provides the opportunity for you to have more free time. In your case it could help with each of the areas you mentioned. Would you be interested in taking a look?” Most will say “yes” and then you can present your business as a solution to their issues. This will dramatically increase your close ratios and once they’ve joined, you’ll be able to help them build a business that will eliminate those pain areas.

The best thing about this approach is that you won’t alienate any of your friends or family members. They won’t see you as a salesperson and run away. Rather they will see you as someone who provided them a great solution to their struggles.

**If you have been enjoying the articles on this blog, go to www.RodNichols.com and click on Newsletter and subscribe to my MLM newsletter. Weekly you will receive great articles and resources that will help you build a large and lucrative network marketing business.

The Vulcan Mind Meld

Growing up, one of my favorite shows was the original Star Trek and my favorite character was Spock. He was logical and unemotional . . . like me (at the time). I loved it when he would place his hands on a person’s head and do the Vulcan mind meld. It was a combining of thoughts, experiences, knowledge, and memories. It was also a melding of two different cultures.

As I was contemplating this month’s theme: Old School versus New School, I immediately thought of the mind meld and realized that in order for us to be successful in network marketing we can’t be either old or new school, but a melding of both.

Back in 1979, when I joined the network marketing industry, we didn’t have computers, the internet, web sites, autoresponders, web conferences, e-mail, instant messaging, VOIP telephone, voice mail, cell phones, PDA’s, DVD’s, CD’s, or teleconferences. All we had was a pad, pen, and our personality. We met face-to-face, belly-to-belly and drew circles. We showed the plan, showed the plan, and showed the plan. It was a different culture than what we see today and yet it worked and continues to work.

In 1995 I started with a new company and decided to build on the internet. We developed a team image web site, offered a free book for those who were interested and would provide us with their contact information. We created the tag-team system of e-mailing, where a new prospect would receive 3 to 5 e-mails from our group, showing them a real team approach. We conducted weekly opportunity teleconferences for our network to use and did training conferences for our downline at least once a month. This was truly a “new school” business and it worked. We built a large international network that is still in place today and even though I’ve been semi-retired since 2001, it still generates a full-time residual income.

I learned a valuable lesson in that “new school” business – technology is great for sifting and sorting, but people still want to know that there is a live body behind all the technology. At first we were striving to build a completely self-contained system that would take a prospect from start to finish without human involvement. Although we built the system, it didn’t work.

We found the answer in John Naisbitt’s best seller, Megatrends. Although the book was published in 1988, it had great prophetic insight into the 21st century. Naisbitt spoke of the need for high touch with the high tech. Ah, the melding of two cultures. The old school mixed with the new school. As we began to apply this principle to our high tech system, it worked. We used the technology to sift through the lookers and find those who were serious. We engaged them in e-mail conversation and as trust was built, they would agree to a phone conversation. Once we reached that point, our average close ratio was over 75%. True high tech and high touch . . . new school and old school working together.

I love all the technology we have available to us in network marketing today. It makes building a business so much easier. However, I never want to forget that we are dealing with people and people need high touch. They want to hear our voice or see our face. They still like the personal interaction. The old school and new school must meld together into something better. Something more productive. Something that really works.