How to Choose the Right Network Marketing Company

When I was first introduced to network marketing in 1979 there were far fewer companies than there are today.  Back then, people didn’t go searching for the right network marketing business, but today it’s quite common.  In fact, I believe that in order to achieve a high level of success in network marketing, you must be with the right company.  Since there are well over 3,000 companies and more popping up every week, the task of finding the right one is often daunting.

Back in the seventies and eighties, it was difficult to research the network marketing industry, but today, primarily because of the internet, it’s quite easy to gather the information that you need in order to make an educated decision.  In the past most people got into network marketing because a friend, family member, or co-worker introduced the company.  Unfortunately, in most cases, this was not the right company and so it resulted in failure or at best moderate success.  Today, you are not forced to go with whatever company is introduced.  Now, you can do your own research and find the company that is going to be best for you.

Choosing the right company doesn’t guarantee your success, however it does increase your odds.  Ultimately your success in network marketing is determined by what you do.  Network marketing is all about building a network of people all buying/using products/services.  Your job is quite simple: provide information about your business to people, answer questions and objections, follow-up, sponsor, train, and support.  Those who have reached the highest levels of success are those who have done more than those who have failed.

Working in the right company will increase your excitement and enthusiasm, which will make all of the necessary tasks much easier and more enjoyable.  Having chosen the right company will increase the odds that the company will be around for many years to come – providing you and your family with financial security.

So, how do you choose the right company? Here are the key factors to consider:

1.      Company – Carefully research the company. How long have they been in business as a network marketing company? If they are a new company (under 2 years old) then carefully examine the financial backing and experience of the management team. They should have a solid mix of people who have been involved in managing successful traditional and/or network marketing companies. It's also best if the management team includes people who have been successful distributors. Research the internet to see if the company has any lawsuits or large numbers of people complaining. A solid company is the foundation for your network marketing success. If the company is solid, you can move on to number two.

2.      Product/Service – First, is this a product or service you can get passionate about? If not, then you might want to find another company. Second, is this a product or service that is in high demand and will be for many years to come? Third, is this a consumable product or service, where people must re-order every month? Fourth, is the product or service unique in some way?

3.      Compensation Plan – Is the plan easy to understand and explain? Does it reward the new person who sponsors a couple people or do you have to sponsor hundreds to make a decent income? Check to see if there are individual and group volume or purchase requirements, so you can weigh that monthly investment into your decision. Find the average amount of time it takes to reach that level. Find out if the commissions are paid monthly, weekly, or daily. Weekly is actually best, as it puts less strain on the company and yet provides quick and consistent pay. The plan should enable a person who has never been involved in network marketing to recoup their initial investment and cover their monthly investment within the first 3 or 4 months. It should also be lucrative enough to attract the big hitters and should enable people to develop a long-term residual income that they will receive whether they work in the business or not.

4.      Marketing – Does the company offer full-color marketing pieces, DVD presentations, and customizable associate web sites? Is there training available that teaches you how to market your business? Make sure that the company has developed a solid internet based ordering system (so your customers can order via a web site). Also, the web site should allow you to sponsor new associates.

5.      Training – Does the company offer a reasonably priced (under $50) associate training kit? Is there training available on the web? Are there conventions and conferences available in cities near you? Are their weekly webinars and teleconferences.

These are the five main factors you should consider when choosing a company. When companies meet your criteria, then you have to use your gut instinct to make a final decision. Does this company feel right? Do I have a sense of peace? If so, then you are ready to join and begin a successful career in network marketing.

5 Questions Prospects Are Asking

In my 32 years of involvement in the network marketing industry, I’ve heard tens of thousands of questions. Network marketing is an often misunderstood business and so often the questions have allowed me to help someone gain a greater understanding of this business.

I find that there are some consistent questions that candidates ask (either verbally or in their head), when considering involvement in a network marketing business. The answers to these questions will help them make a decision, so it is critical to know these questions and how to answer them.

In this article, my intention is to introduce five information gathering questions and the typical answers I give to those questions. Since there are many other questions that can and will be asked, I highly recommend that every network marketer sit down with an upline leader and talk about the typically asked questions and how to answer them. Those who learn how to answer the most commonly asked questions, will succeed in business.

Here are the top five information gathering questions:

1. Isn’t this a pyramid?

My answer: “Pyramids are illegal in all fifty states and the business I’m involved in is a legal network marketing business. The primary difference is that, according to the Attorney General (this information is available on most State Attorney General web sites), if this were a pyramid, you would get paid a fee to recruit people into your business. In my business, I only get paid if products are sold from the company to someone within my network – either a customer or associate. Also, in a pyramid scheme, the only people who make money are those who get in first, but in my company everyone has an equal opportunity to make money and become the top income earner in the company. Can you see how this isn’t an illegal pyramid?”

2.  Do people really make money doing this?

Here’s my answer: “Yes, but the only people who do are those who treat this like a business and work at it every day. Money is made when products (services) are sold within your network, so if you want to earn a solid income, you will need to recruit a network of people who are buying and selling products (services). The company provides excellent training and I will be there to help you succeed, but ultimately the success or failure of your business is up to you. So, are you ready to start making money?”

3.  Does this require sales?

I will ask: “Do you enjoy sales?” If they say “no” then I say, “That’s great because you don’t have to be salesperson in order to succeed. This is a business of sharing information and we have great tools that will present the products/services and business to your candidates. All you do is work with those who are interested.” Now, if they say that they like sales, I say, “That’s great, people who are good at sales often do very well in this business.”

4. How much time does this require?

In other words, they’re life is busy and they aren’t sure this will fit. Here’s my answer: “That will depend upon your goals. If you would like to make a few dollars a month, you could probably invest five hours a week or less. However, if you want to develop a full time income, so that you can fire your boss and enjoy more time freedom, then you will need to invest at least 15 hours a week. The great part is that we have tools that will help you leverage that time. Let’s take a look at those tools and then your schedule to see if this is going to work for you.”

5. Do I have to talk with my friends and family?

This usually indicates that they’ve either had some personal experience with network marketing or they’ve talked with someone who has. Here is how I answer this question: “That all depends on whether you care for your friends and family. This can be a life-changing business. Those who succeed enjoy complete time and financial freedom. Do you think any of your friends or family members would like to enjoy either of those?” The candidate will offer a hesitant “yes” and I continue: “That’s great, then let’s only offer this business to those who want the benefits. The best part is that you can provide them with one of our great marketing tools and it will do the presenting. I will be there with you to answer questions and help you help them get started, how does that sound?”

As your candidates ask questions keep in mind that although it can seem confronting, it’s a sign that they are interested. They are asking questions to gain the information necessary in order to make an educated decision. If their questions are effectively answered, the odds of them joining are increased. I have found that one of the primary differences between the top income earners and those who fail in network marketing, is the ability to answer the most common questions.

Attract Leaders

Do you want to attract leaders into your network marketing business? Become one. Leaders are attracted to other leaders. Here are some quick tips on becoming a leader:

1.    Improve your skills. Leaders are proficient in 50 primary skills. To learn more about those and take a profile that will assess your skill levels, go to www.theparagoneffect.com and order a PE Profile. Once you know the areas where you are not proficient, begin working on those every week and slowly you will become the leader everyone wants to follow.

2.    Create your brand. Use the social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, Linked in, and MySpace to create your leader brand. You do this by posting professional information that will be useful to people who eventually might be interested in your business. The more you present good information, the more you become the go-to person and the more attractive you are. Promote yourself and as you provide value to others, they will begin to promote you.

3.    Be positive. Who wants to be around negative people? Only other negative people, because misery loves company. Become a glass full kind of person. Watch your thoughts and words and make sure that they are those of a leader.

4.    Go the extra mile. If you have a job, become known as the person who works excellently. The person who goes beyond what is asked of him or her. In your network marketing business, under promise and over perform. Never use hype to manipulate people into your business. Instead, become a solution to their issues. Uncover their pain and passion and then offer your business as a solution. Your reputation will spread quickly, resulting in either a promotion at work or growth in your business.

Leaders are attractive. People want to be around and follow them. Do these four things and you will quickly become that kind of leader and attract other leaders to your business!

What Do You Say?

One of the main reasons so many people struggle in network marketing is that they don't know what to say. Here are some quick and easy things to say in different situations:

If someone asks what you do:

"I help people learn how to make money while they sleep. (when they ask how you do that, continue) It's a system used by the ultra rich called leverage. If you are interested and have about 30 minutes, I would be happy to explain it to you?"

If you are talking with someone you know:

"Do you keep your eyes and ears open for great ways to make money? (If yes, set up a time to show them your business)

If you want to market in the cold market:

"I'm conducting a survey, can I ask you a quick question?" (If yes, continue) "What is your biggest struggle in life right now?" (If it is something you can help with your business, which most of the time it will, continue) You know, I just might something that can help with that, would you be interested in learning about it?" (If yes, set up a time to show them your business or product/service)

"I'm expanding a business into the area and am looking for a couple of key leaders who are hard workers, highly motivated, and would like to make some significant money in the coming years, do you know anyone like that?"

The key to network marketing is to make new contacts every week, so memorize and internalize these and you will be ready to make those contacts.

Network Marketing Stats

I was at a great network marketing seminar with Clay Stevens, a couple weeks ago and he gave us these great stats about the network marketing industry:

1,500 network marketing companies in North America
15 million distributors/associates in North America, 70 million worldwide
20 consecutive years of growth
175,000 people enrolling in network marketing in the U.S. each week
500,000 people enrolling in network marketing around the world each week
Less than 1% of the world is involved in network marketing right now
1 out of every 8 households in the U.S. has a home business
3 out of 4 Americans have purchased products from a direct selling/NM company
Billionaire Warren Buffet has purchased 3 network marketing companies
14 direct sales/network marketing companies are listed in the Fortune 500 list

If you've been wondering whether network marketing works, whether it's legal and ethical and moral, hopefully this helps build your belief in this amazing industry!

Biggest Contacting Mistakes

Here are the top five contacting mistakes:

1. No new contacts
2. Not talking to enough people
3. Talking to the wrong people - negative, not enough pain or passion
4. To much conversation before getting to the point
5. Giving too much information

Contacting is not presenting. Effective contacts should be short and sweet, with the purpose of determining if they are interested in learning more. Don't make your contacts into anything more.

Here is a quick and easy contacting script that you could use with either warm or cold market: I'm expanding a business into the area and am looking for a couple of key people. Do you know anyone who is motivated and would like to make a significant income?

If they ask what it is, just say that you have partnered with (name of your company) to help people start their own businesses with great tax advantages and unlimited income. Do you know anyone who might be interested in saving thousands on their taxes and earning a bunch of money?

If they ask for more, just tell them that it's impossible to explain in a few minutes, that you have a 30-45 minute presentation, would they like to see it?

If you can keep the calls under 2 minutes, you are a rock star. Under 5 minutes and you'll do well. Over 5 minutes and you are likely making some of the mistakes outlined above.

The Reason 97% Fail

One of the biggest challenges in network marketing is retention. Approximately 97% of those who join network marketing companies never make any money. One of the reasons for this is that people are not trained properly. The most common scenario is that a person joins a company with a friend or family member, who doesn't know any more about network marketing than they do. Then they are told to make a list of 100 or 200 people and start contacting them. This is like telling the person who wants to be a brain surgeon to go ahead and operate on someone. I certainly wouldn't want to be her patient! Just as I wouldn't want to be the person who is contacted by this new network marketer, because likely they are going to vomit information all over me and that's nasty.

So, what's the answer? Proper training during their first 30 days. Don't let your new distributors talk with anyone until they have been trained. The challenge is how do you train them? Most people use a shot gun approach - they shoot two barrels of information at the new distributor, which is a little like trying to get a drink from a fire hose. The best way is to train them in skills where they are not already proficient, but how do you know this? I suggest that you use the PE Profile. It's a great tool developed by Ri Training that identifies 50 skills of the top income earners. It quickly shows you or your new distributors where they are proficient and where they are not and makes training a piece of cake.

The PE Profile is $99 on the RiTraining site, but I've arranged for a special price of just $25 or you can get the book Six Figures in Six Months and the profile for $30. Go to my team training site, www.TheTVW.com and click on Distributor Training, Step One, and PE Profile. You'll also find a PDF download of the PE Profile Guidebook, which will help you understand the 50 skills and how to improve them.

If you are a network marketing leader, this is a powerful tool that could increase the retention rate in your team. If you are a struggling network marketer, this will help you identify the areas you need to work on in order to become a top income earner. Order your PE Profile today and take the first step to a six figure plus income.

If you are looking for a network marketing opportunity, e-mail me at Rod@TheTVW.com. I'd love to work with you to build a big time residual income and the life of your dreams.

Fun New Social Network

As a professional network marketer, I'm always looking for new ways to meet people. Facebook has been great, but there are just too many people there now. Just yesterday I found a really fun new social network called Empire Avenue. This is a great new social network that will help you meet lots of new people and it's also a lot of fun. The way it works is that you become a stock on the market and other people buy your stock, which increases your value. You earn money through achievements and can purchase other people's stock and earn more money. It's a fun way to build new relationships. Check it out at http://www.empireavenue.com/rhinorod

Get'r Done

We’ve heard it from the Nascar circuit, in movies, on television, and even out of the mouth of former President, Bush. Well now it’s time to get’r done in network marketing. The key here is that in order to finish first, you have to get started and in this article I’m going to address how to get started right. Whether you’re brand new to the network marketing industry or have been around awhile, but aren’t making money, it’s time to get’r done!

A very high percentage of people fail in network marketing and after interviewing hundreds of those people, I am convinced that the primary reason is that they never get started. Oh, they attend some meetings, read materials, look at web sites, watch DVD’s and listen to CD’s. They are on all the conference calls and webcasts. They’ve got their office organized and systems in place. The shelves are full of marketing materials and their associate web site is operational. Sound familiar? The problem with this is that none of these activities will directly build a network and that’s what this is all about.

Okay, let’s get started getting you started:

1.   Purpose – in order to be successful in network marketing you must have a solid “why” for your business. Are you building a business to have more time freedom to enjoy family? Do you want to get out of a dead end job? Are you trying to secure your financial future? Would you like to do mission work or help out in your community? These are all purposes for building a network marketing business, so what is your’s?

2.   Goals – once you have a solid purpose that will keep you going through thick and thin, you must set specific goals that will enable to you accomplish your purpose. Here you will probably need the help of your sponsor or a successful upline leader. In order to accomplish your purpose, you will need to be at a certain income level. Work with your upline on what is necessary to reach that income level and set the necessary goals to accomplish that.

3.   Objectives – now that you have a list of specific goals, begin to break them down into bite size objectives or activities that you can work on each day. Work on one goal at a time until you have all of them broken down into singular activities.

4.   Schedule – at the beginning of each week, use your calendar, planner, or PDA to schedule activities for the week. First, block out fixed activities such as sleep, meals, job, and anything relating to your family. Then fill the open blocks of time with business objectives. If other activities are presented, you will need to evaluate whether the new activity is more important than the one already scheduled.

5.   Review – begin and end each day by reviewing your purpose, goals, objectives, and schedule. Adjust as necessary.

6.   Do it – now it’s time for action. Work through your daily objectives and complete everything every day. Make sure that you are working on the highest priority activities – prospecting, presenting, follow-up, sponsoring, training, and supporting, as they will help you build a large and successful business.

7.   Do it over and over and over – once you have a plan in place, the key is to do those high priority objectives over and over. Keep prospecting, presenting, and following up until you sponsor someone. Then train and support them properly, so that they can duplicate what you’ve been doing. Meanwhile continue prospecting, presenting, and following-up, until you sponsor your second person. Now train and support that new person. Do this over and over and over.

At first things will build excruciatingly slow, but soon you’ll pick up some momentum. The next thing you know people will be joining your network from all over the world – people you don’t know. The checks will start rising and one day one of the corporate people will ask you to speak at the annual convention. But, it all starts at the beginning with getting started.

So, don’t wait until Monday (unless today is Monday), get started right now. Begin with #1 and work through #6 today. Then commit to working this system every day for the next year and I know that you will enjoy financial success in your business.

What are you waiting for? Get’r done!

The #1 Business Killer

Having been in the network marketing industry for over 30 years I’ve had a chance to train and coach tens of thousands of people and I’ve heard every reason for failing in network marketing, but there is one that is absolutely #1 killer of businesses and dreams – FEAR!

It’s what keeps people from talking to their friends and family, calling purchased leads, talking with strangers, and following up when people show interest. It’s the number one reason why people fail in network marketing. In fact, the primary difference between the huge percentage who fail and the small percentage of people who make millions of dollars in network marketing is the way FEAR is handled. It’s not that the top income earners don’t have FEAR, they’ve just learned how to fight through it.

Okay, you’re probably thinking that FEAR is natural. Yes, if you were out in the back woods camping and a bear started chasing you, the natural fear mechanism would kick in and cause flight. If someone attacked you, it might result in fight. However, fear over making a phone call or talking with someone about your business is not natural fear. Rather it is:

False

Expectations

Appearing

Real


It’s been scientifically proven that your mind cannot tell the difference between a firmly planted thought and the real thing. So, if you start thinking that people are going to get mad if you present your business or they aren’t going to be your friends anymore and you dwell on that long enough, it becomes real to your mind. However, the truth is that it is a false expectation appearing real. It hasn’t happened and so it isn’t real. Your mind just thinks it is.

So, here’s what the top income earners have done to build a business in fear. When those false expectations try to enter their mind, they take the thought captive, cast it away, and replace it with the opposite thought. For example, let’s say you are getting ready to call some friends about your business and you begin thinking that they aren’t going to be interested. STOP those thoughts and replace them with thoughts that they will be interested. In fact, they will actually be looking for exactly what you have.

This down economy is creating a great deal of FEAR and that is often resulting in interest in ways to make extra money. Your network marketing business is an awesome solution for many people. It may even be an answer to prayer. Start thinking those thoughts and it will make it much easier to make that call or talk with that great prospect.

The other key is to just do it. I remember back in High School and College when I had a horrible fear of speaking in public. I avoided all speaking classes and would even get physically ill the day I had to do a presentation in my regular classes. My stinking thinking resulted in physical sickness in my body. However, years later I started a business and realized that if I was going to make enough money to live, I’d have to get past that FEAR, so I purposely set up speaking engagements. The first few were terrible. Then they were just bad and after awhile, they weren’t too bad. Then they were fairly good; then good, and today I love to speak in public. Is the fear gone? No, I battle it every time I have a speaking engagement, but I’ve conquered it so many times that it doesn’t take long to move past it.

FEAR will keep you from succeeding in network marketing if you let it. Change your thoughts and just do it in fear. The more often you fight through the FEAR, the easier it will get and the greater your success!

Stop Puking on People

Probably the biggest mistake people make in network marketing is talking too much. They join a company, find out about the products/services and business and then puke all over people. If you were their friend, family member, or co-worker, how excited would you be to hear more after a major information puke. Now, sometimes people don't puke on people verbally, instead they put together an information package with every possible tool the company offers - we call this puke in a bag. Again, if you received this what are the odds that you would respond with interest? Probably pretty low.


So, what's the answer? In this article I'm going to answer that question with a very effective three step approach. If you will do this instead of the good old puke approach, you will enjoy tremendous success. It's what made the difference for me. For years I was puking all over people and sponsored very few. I think those who did join, did so out of pity for me. However, then I learned what I'm going to teach you and now I'm a top income earner and am enjoying total time freedom.

Step One: Personal Development

Before you ever make contact with a single person for your business, you've got to prepare yourself to be the kind of person they would want to partner with and follow. Your best candidates don't want to join with someone who is brand new and knows nothing or who has been with a company for awhile, but hasn't achieved anything. So, invest the first or next 2 to 4 weeks, becoming the person you need to be to attract top people.

First, read, listen to, and watch everything you can find on your company, products/services, and compensation plan. Ask lots of questions and really become an expert on your business. Attend every meeting, webinar, or teleconference that you can. Again, use this as an opportunity to ask questions. If you have a top income earner near you, ask to hang out with them for a day or two to shadow them in their business.

Second, read, listen to, and watch everything you can find that will help you improve. Some of my favorites are Think and Grow Rich, As a Man Thinketh, Acres of Diamonds (which are all available for free on my site at www.TheTVW.com, Resources, scroll down near the bottom of the page), The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, Creating Your Own Destiny by Patrick Snow, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker, The Business of the 21st Century by Robert Kiyosaki, Next Millionaires by Paul Zane Pilzer, anything CD by Jim Rohn, and any recommendation by your upline leaders. Now, you don't have to read all of these before you get started with your business, but create a self-improvement plan that includes daily reading, listening to CD's, and attending seminars and classes.

During this time you should also write a "Why" statement - why you are in your network marketing business, establish how many hours a week you can commit to your business, set some goals (with the help of an upline leader), and make a list of at least 200 people who you are going to contact about your business or products/services. When making this list, do not prejudge people. You do not have the right to decide whether they have the opportunity for great tax advantages, fun times with new friends, and financial and time freedom. You are just the messenger. Let them review the message and make the decision themselves.

The more you improve yourself, the more likely people are going to want to join you in business.

Step Two: Questions

After your first 2 to 4 weeks of self improvement, you will want to start contacting the people on your list. However, don't do what network marketers have been doing for years - remember the good old puke approach. Instead, ask questions. When you ask questions you are telling your prospect that you care about them and there is the old saying that people don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care. Second, questions will help you uncover information that you can use later to present your business or products/services.

Here are some types of questions you should ask:

Questions that will uncover pain areas - How are things at work? Have any vacations planned? Have you encountered any high yielding investments lately? I use the acronym FORM to remember these types of questions - Family, Occupation, Recreation, Money. If you ask questions about these areas, people will let you know about their struggles and pain.

Questions that will uncover life dreams - If money and time were not an issue, what would you do? If you won the lottery, what would you do? If you were making millions of dollars a year and had lots of free time, what would you do?

Have you ever considered questions - Have you ever considered starting your own business? Have you ever considered doing something different than you current job/business? Have you ever considered adding another income stream? If they answer yes to any of these, then you would ask What has kept you from starting a business/doing something different/adding another stream of income?

The more you ask questions, the more information you will uncover which can be used to provide a solution in the form of your business or product/service. People are more open to solutions than sales pitches.

So, stop puking on people and use the tools God gave you - one mouth and two ears. Ask questions, listen intently (taking physical or mental notes), and repeat.

Step Three: Expose

Once you have asked questions that have unveiled a person's pain areas, dreams, and other thoughts, it's time to expose them to a solution - your business or products/services. Now, it's tempting to do this yourself, using the old puke approach again, but that will dramatically reduce your enrollments. The key to exposing your business is duplicatability. Your prospect has to look at how you expose the business to them and recognize that they could do that too. So, use the tools - webinar, teleconference, live meeting, CD, DVD, or web site. You can even ask them which one they would prefer.

Now, the real key to success here is to always have a follow-up appointment scheduled. For example, let's say that you have uncovered some pain areas and dreams and are ready for step three. You might say something like: "Mary, when we were talking you mentioned (pain areas) and I really felt for you. I know those are areas that hurt. You also mentioned (dreams) and I was really excited to hear those, but you said that you really weren't moving toward those dreams. I may have a solution. I'm working with a company that offers a part-time home business that could be the solution you've been looking for. It could help you (recount the pain and dreams). I have a great CD that will give you an overview of the business. I'd like to loan it to you, if you can listen to it within the next 48 hours. Can you do that?" If they answer yes, then set an appointment to meet, get the CD back, and find out what they heard on the CD that they liked best.

That's it. It's a simple three step approach. If you do these three steps consistently, you will see an amazing increase in your business and I will see you at the TOP!

As Denis Waitley puts it, we are all born winners and then trained to fail. If you want to break that chain, 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! Here are the steps you'll need to take to train yourself for success:


1. Prepare Your Mind for Success - 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 will dictate what comes back out.

A 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, your 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.

Next, you need to change your mental picture. Take a piece of paper and describe in detail your perfect life. When you are 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. As, Napoleon Hill wrote in his epic bestseller, Think and Grow Rich, "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." 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, so that you can live a long and productive life.

3. Prepare Your Business for Success - make sure that you have received the training that you need in order to succeed. Know what to say or ask in order to get someone interested in your business. Be capable of handling the basic objections - network marketing, time, money, sales, etc. Learn how 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. Develop a list of at least 100 people you know and be contacting them regularly via phone, mail, e-mail, fax, and in-person. Arrange to do a 3-way call with both your upline and downline. Learn how to train a new downline distributor. Discover the differences between a legal network marketing (or multi-level) company and an illegal pyramid. Develop a strong enough belief system in your company and it's products or services that people who say negative things about your business, won't bother you. Learn to give a presentation to one person or a large group.

If you don’t know 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 was 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, and public presentations - run through the fear. 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.

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

It's Not About You

There is a huge myth in network marketing that it's all about individuals. The focus is always on how to get better at prospecting, presenting, closing, and so on and all that is fine, but the real focus should be on how to help others become successful. I'm going to do exactly that in this article.

For the first 10 years of my network marketing career I was a massive failure! I did everything wrong that a person could do - didn't listen to my upline, didn't follow the proven systems, worked it as a hobby instead of a business, focused totally on the money and my own wants and needs, etc. etc. etc. The only thing I did right was to learn from all those mistakes, which resulted in a fabulous next 20 years, during which I earned a full-time income, enjoyed total time and financial freedom, wrote four books on network marketing, and trained tens of thousands of people.

In all that time, amidst all the failure and success, there was one key lesson I learned: It's not about me! In fact I learned it from a guy who was making millions in a top network marketing company. When I asked him how to make a million dollars in network marketing, he told me to go out and make a million friends. What? That was a new thought to me, but as I began to ponder the idea, it made sense.

The key to friendship is giving of yourself with no expectation of receiving something back. That's also one of the huge keys in network marketing. If you focus on the dreams, goals, wants, and needs of your business candidates and downline members, you will be fabulously successful in network marketing. Here are a few key tips that will help you recruit more people, retain a larger number of those in your downline, and see greater numbers of leaders emerge in your team.

First, let's talk about business candidates. These are the people you'd love to have in your business and the typical approach is to go vomit information all over them - "I've found the greatest business ever. It's going to be bigger than Microsoft, AOL, and Yahoo combined. We've got the most amazing product ever to hit the earth and the compensation plan is out of this world. You and I are going to get filthy rich, guaranteed!!!" UGGH Who would want to join after being covered in a spew of information like that and yet that is the most commonly taught approach.

I want to give you a much better approach that will result in far more people joining your team. It's simple - ask questions about their life. Ask about the job or business. Ask about their family. Ask about their free time. Ask about their financial future/retirement. Ask about their health. Ask what they do for fun. Ask about upcoming vacations. By asking questions about them, you do two things. First, your subconsciously telling them that they are important. Second, you are letting them know that you care about them.

As they answer your questions, make a mental (or physical, if you are on the phone) note of any pain areas - job not going well, working too many hours, not enough time with the family, can't afford vacations, concerned about the financial future, etc. You might even acknowledge and accentuate those pain areas with comments or questions like "that's terrible" "that must make you feel awful" "how has that affected the family?" "how are you feeling about that? This brings the pain to the forefront in their mind.

Next, you (either at that moment or a day later) introduce to a possible solution to those pain areas. You could say something like: "Mary, the other day when we were speaking you mentioned (recount the pain areas). I could tell that these were bothering you and as I thought more about your situation, I realized that I just might have a solution. I've found a very simple and fun home based business that has tremendous income potential and excellent tax benefits. It has helped other people with (their pain areas) and I think it just might be a good solution for you as well. Would you be interested in learning more?"

You will have a much higher success ratio with this approach, because rather than creating a confrontive sales situation, you are bringing them a solution to their troubles. Plus, they will look at your business in a totally different light - in the light of their pain.

Okay, now let's look at how you can work with those in your downline. The key is to give. Give of your time, talents, knowledge, and money. The more you give to them, the more they will want to give back to you. This creates a great team environment that will produce tremendous loyalty and results.

Here are a few ideas:

First, when a new person joins your business, invest a couple hours with them during the first 48 hours they are in your business, to learn more about them - are they married, kids, job/business, dreams, goals, interests, etc? Then help them clearly see how the business can eliminate pain areas and help them achieve their dreams and goals. Get a plan down on paper including their dreams and goals, number of hours they can commit to the business, a list of their top business candidates, and a plan of what they will do during the hours they've committed each week.

Second, when you have someone join your business, offer to send out information packets (at your expense) to their top 10 or 20 business candidates. This gets them started quickly and they don't have to do anything. Send the packet with a letter that totally edifies your new distributor and mentions that the two of you will be calling to answer questions and provide additional information. Next, you arrange to do 3-way calls with your new distributor and his/her candidates who have received packets.

Third, help your downline distributors leverage their time by doing webinars and teleconferences each week, so that they can send their business candidates and not have to do the presentations themselves. Help them with the follow-up and teach them through example how to effectively follow-up and sponsor new distributors. Once you feel like they've got it, kick them out of the nest (nicely) and send them on their own, but stay close in case they fall down and you need to pick them up.

Fourth, encourage and recognize your downline distributors. Develop an e-mail list so that you can send e-mails and video e-mails recognizing their successes (particularly the small ones) and encouraging them on to greater and greater achievements. Let them know that you are always there for them and that they are never alone in business.

There are so many more, but that's probably enough. The key is to get the focus off yourself (and the money you will make) and focus it on other people. Give them yourself and become a good friend. The more people you can help become successful, the bigger your business. Their success is your success!