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.
