Monday, October 10, 2011

You've Got to Believe it Before You See it!

One of the main reasons I believe people fail in network marketing is that they don't believe. They don't believe in the industry and in many cases are embarrassed about being involved in network marketing. This lack of belief insures their eventual failure. So, how is your belief level? Let's take a little test:

1. When you are working your business, do you ever feel like you're doing something that's not quite above board?

2. Do you ever beat around the bush, when someone asks you about your business?

3. Have you ever felt uncomfortable contacting someone because of what they might think?

4. Have you ever hidden the fact that you are involved in network marketing?

5. Do you ever think that maybe you aren't right for network marketing or that it isn't right for you?

If you said yes to any of these questions, then you need to work on your belief level in order to become successful.
Here are some statistics that should help improve your belief system:

o Network marketing is over 50 years old and is legal in all 50 states and 130 countries.
o The network marketing industry does about $100 billion in retail sales annually.
o There are approximately 50 million distributors worldwide (7 million in the U.S.).
o An estimated 50,000 people join network marketing companies weekly.
o Business Start-Ups Magazine (a division of Entrepreneur Magazine), rated Network Marketing as one of it's 100 Best Businesses to Start.
o Amway the largest of the multi-level/network marketing companies was recently ranked as the #4 household and personal products companies. Only Proctor and Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and S.C. Johnson & Son were larger.
o In a recent comparison, publicly traded network marketing companies outperformed both the Dow and S&P 500 by nearly 80%!
o In Entrepreneur Magazine they wrote, "Literally thousands of people are realizing annual incomes in excess of $100,000."

Now let's look at some simple facts that support the importance of network marketing:

o There is no work security anymore. As Denis Waitley says, this is a free agent world. If you don't look out for yourself, no one else will.
o The Social Security System is in trouble and chances are most of us will never see a penny in benefits. If we do, it will be so small that we would be living only slightly above the poverty level.
o On average, Americans are saving only 4% of their income and Canadians only 1.9%.
o Credit card and consumer debt are at an all time high.
o Americans are refinancing their homes at a record pace, which means they won't have the equity they need at retirement.
o Science and medicine is keeping us alive longer, but we are getting sicker as time goes on. Healthcare costs are at an all time high and will continue to rise as the boomers get older.
o Taxes are killing both American and Canadian families, forcing spouses to both work and sometimes work part-time on the side, just to keep up.
o Parents are working longer hours and spending less time together and with their children, which is likely a big factor in the huge increase in divorces, teen pregnancies, teen alcoholism/drug abuse, and runaways.

What does network marketing offer as a solution to these problems?

o A positive, supportive environment in which to work.
o Unlimited income potential.
o Part-time effort can generate a solid full-time income.
o Work from home, so no need to be away from the family.
o Great family business, where the kids can learn about business and money.
o Spouses can dream together and work towards those dreams.
o Excellent tax benefits.
o In a short period of time (2 to 5 years) people can secure their financial future with a long-term residual stream of income.
o Residual income can result in more free time to spend with family and enjoying life.
o Network marketing companies that offer health products, are providing a potential answer to the healthcare problems - healthier people means less stress on the healthcare system.
o Network marketers can help people get control of the financial life and reduce financial pressures.
o Great opportunity for personal growth - communications, business practices, negotiations, budgeting, public speaking, human relations, advertising, public relations, marketing, sales, etc. It's one of the great personal growth courses in existence. The best part is that you earn while you learn and grow.

Ok, let's think about this realistically. You only have so many ways to make money:

1. Job - you will get paid about 25% of what you are worth, because that's all the company can afford to pay you. Plus, no matter how valuable you think you are, they will downsize you or replace you with technology at the first available opportunity. When you get too old to be productive they will figure out a way to discard you with very little in retirement benefits. They are using you! Studies have shown that between 70% and 90% of Americans hate their job. Pre-work week stress causes more people to die of heart attacks on Monday morning that any other day of the week (guess people would rather die than go to work).

2. Traditional business - you can start or buy your own business. This requires a great deal of up-front and on-going capital. You will have to work the business full-time, which usually means taking a huge financial risk. Most traditional business owners do not make much money during the first couple of years in business. As the business grows it will require hiring and managing employees, which results in the headaches of payroll, benefits, and taxes. More employees means more office space, furniture, equipment, and operational costs.
Basically the headaches just get bigger as the business gets bigger. Statistially 65% of new traditional businesses will fail with the first 2 years and 85% within 5 years.

3. Franchise - if you have big bucks (average $45,000 franchise fees, plus capitalization) you could start a franchise. McDonald's, the most successful franchise, will run you $250,000 to $500,000 for the franchise fees and around $2 million for capitalization. The worst part is that the average single franchise owner, after
2 years in business earns $100,000 to $200,000 a year.
That's not much money to work 18 hour days managing teenagers. Successful network marketers can earn that within 2 years and they don't have to work 18 hour days or take the huge financial risk.

4. Investments - many people have made fortunes in the stock market, but of course you have to have money and be in a position to risk it. It's less risky than gambling, but these days, not much. Plus, in order to do it right, you either have to entrust your money to a so called "financial expert" (most of whom are living month to month with high credit care debt just like you and me) or you have to spend hours each day studying the market in order to make good decisions.

5. Rob a bank - big money can be made with careful planning and the right team of people. However the risk is high and the downside is ugly - sharing a dark cell with Big Buck or Bad Bertha.

6. Network Marketing - low start-up costs, low risk, no experience necessary, great training and support, proven business and marketing systems, can work part-time in the beginning, no overhead, no employees, low stress, great tax advantages, unlimited residual income potential, time freedom, personal growth, travel, and fun.

Now, given those choices, which one would you choose?

Which one do you think your friends and family members would choose? Network marketing is easily the best choice.

According to CNN, a new home-based business is started every 11 seconds. Since, network marketing is unquestionably the best home-based business, there are literally millions of people out looking for what you have to offer. Your job is to sift through those who aren't looking and find those who are. Then do the best job you can of presenting your business, so that they can make an educated decision.

Franchising was the last evolution of business. Network marketing is the next. In the future there will be two classes of people, those who have networks and those who don't! In which class do you want to be?

Monday, October 3, 2011

Word of Mouth Advertising

Have you ever been to a great movie, eaten at a fantastic restaurant, or read a stimulating book? Did you tell someone about it? That's word of mouth advertising. It's the most powerful form of advertising. Did you know that block buster movies are made by word of mouth advertising. In fact, if they are still advertising the movie after it's been in the theaters for more than a week, it's a dog! It means that word of mouth is not working.

You have been contributing to the success of many businesses all your life, yet you probably haven't ever received a check from the movie theater, restaurant, or publisher. Whereas, if you are in network marketing, your word of mouth advertising is well paid.

The secret to success in network marketing is believing in your product/service and opportunity, then telling enough people to build a lucrative network. It's not about selling. In fact, if you are trying to sell people your products/services or convince them that they need your opportunity, you'll lose every time. Oh sure, you may recruit a few people, but they won't build.

You're job is not to sell, but rather to share - the products/services and the opportunity. The more fervently you belief and share, the greater will be their belief. That's how you build a large and thriving network.

As you go into each day, commit to share your products/services or opportunity with at least one new person. Promise yourself that you won't come home until you do. If you did this every day, six days a week, for a year, you would contact 312 new people. Based on statistical averages, you would recruit about 10% of those or 31 new people would join your network each year. What if they each just spoke with one new person a day? Including yourself, that would be 32 new contacts each day or 9984 each year. Based on our 10% close ratio, that would be 998 new people joining your network that year!

Word of mouth is powerful. It will make or break your business. Do it and teach it. You and your downline will thrive if you do.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

A Business of Educating People

Many people think of network marketing as sales, when in fact it is an educating business. As network marketers, we have three parts to our job:

1) Educate people about why they need our products/services.

2) Educate people as to why they need a network marketing business.

3) Educate new distributors on how to build a business.

Let's briefly discuss each of these:

1. Educate people about product/service - your first step is to read everything you can find about your product/service and the industry it serves. What are the benefits to your customers? What advantages do you have over your competition? When educating, you must bring new information to the prospect and teach them not only why they need your product or service, but also why they should buy it from you.

2. Educate people about your business - you need to help people understand the difference between linear income (work hard once and get paid once - hourly wage, salary, commission, bonus, fee, etc.) and residual income (work hard once and get paid the rest of your life). You need to help them understand that the old 40 year plan (work for the same company 40 years and then retire) doesn't work anymore. You should help them see that social security, pensions, and 401k accounts are not going to take care of them in their later years. Show them how they can build a residual income that will result in the time freedom necessary to truly enjoy life now and in the future.

3. Educate new distributors - teach them a duplicable system that anyone can do. Show them where they can learn about the product/service, company, and industry. Give them a meeting schedule, so they can begin to attend local business briefings and trainings. Do 3-way phone calls and 2-on-1 meetings with their prospects, so they can hear and see how to do the business. Educate by example - if you are sponsoring and retailing, so will they.

It's no wonder that teachers do so well in network marketing. They know how to listen and to educate. How about you?

Sunday, September 18, 2011

I Love Network Marketing

On a Saturday in April, 1979, I was introduced to network marketing (called MLM) back then. Once I saw those circles drawn, I was hooked. I recognized the power of leverage and passive income and it changed my life.

Prior to that day I was on a path. I had worked hard to get good grades in High School, so I could go to a good college. Then I worked hard in College to get good grades and graduate, so I could get a good job. I joined Motorola after graduating in 1977 and started my path to the top and was quickly promoted into management and became the guy they put into the troubled offices to fix them.

All was good (or so I thought) until that fateful day in April when my eyes were opened to passive income and I was ruined for the ordinary. The corporate world and all it's linear income just couldn't match up to the power of residuals.

It took me 10 years to figure out the game and start making significant money in network marketing, but I chalked it up to 10 years at NM University. Along the way I've had some great mentors like Mark Yarnell, John Milton Fogg, Doug Firebaugh, Denis Waitley, Robert Kiyosaki, Len Clements, Michael Clouse, and many others. My best teacher was hard knocks. He would knock me down and I'd get back up, learning persistence and perseverance along the way.

In 1994 I got tired of picking the wrong companies or wrong comp plans and decided to invest 6 months to research and find the right company. After thoroughly investigating over 100 companies, I made my choice and went on to build a large international network and high full-time income from 1995 to 2001. It was a glorious journey full of new friends, travel, recognition, and fun.

In 2001 I retired from active network building (with a very nice full-time passive income) to help a friend start a new church. Within 6 months I was called to be the Associate Pastor. Later I helped plant a second church and a ministry to the poor. As much as I love all of that, I still had network marketing flowing through my veins and so in 2009 I jumped back into the game.

Two friends of mine, Daren Falter (author of How to Select a Network Marketing Company) and Robby Fender announced that they were leaving their high ranking distributor positions with a prominent network marketing company to start their own. I was intrigued and flew to Salt Lake City to hear their vision for this new venture. I discovered that network and internet marketing legend, Corey Citron was also involved. After hearing their hearts for the new company, I joined them as a founding distributor and during the pre-launch built a network of over 2,000 people. My first check was $12,000.

One thing I have learned about network marketing is that there are a lot of people who join thinking that all they have to do is take a spot and they are going to get rich. Well, this is a business and just like any other business, you have to work it. So, during the next 6 to 9 months we had a lot of those people, who realized that they were actually going to have to work to make money, left. The true separation of the wheat from the chaff. Our network stabilized and began to grow. Today my network numbers over 3,000 and we are earning a very nice full-time income after less than 2 years in business. We also had the opportunity to enjoy a cruise (paid for by the company), trips to Hawaii and Florida, and a weekend with the founders in the mountains of Utah. The future looks bright for this company and I'm excited to be a leader and one of the top income earners.

There are many things I love about network marketing. First, I love hanging around with positive people who have dreams and aspirations. Second, I love the travel and seeing new places. Third, I love the quality products that I get to use that keep me healthy and vibrant. Fourth, I love the recognition and achievement. Fifth, I love the money, the passive income. Finally and my most favorite, is the freedom. I have to pinch myself every day, because I can get up whenever I want, work when I want, play when I want, and do whatever I want every day. It's the best and there is no other business out there that can provide that to the average person.

That's why I love network marketing!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Retiring Poor

Why should people be interested in network marketing?

There are many reasons - great products, tax benefits of a home-based business, personal development, meet new people, make more money, and many others. One of the main reasons should be so they don't have to retire poor.

In the past, a person could go to work for a company, work 40 years and retire with a comfortable pension. This is no longer the case. Corporate downsizing has basically eliminated the 40 year plan. You can no longer rely on a corporate pension for retirement.

What about Social Security? According to analysts, the movement of 76 million baby boomers into retirement age will bust the Social Security system early in this century. Plus, right now the highest monthly social security income is under $2,000 a month! Could you live comfortably on that? In fact historical data tells us that at age 65, 1% are wealthy, 2% are self-sustaining, and 97% are dependent on either the government or family. In the richest country in the world, only 3% retire with enough money to take care of themselves.

How about investments? The instability of the stock market and interest rates has made it difficult to build a good retirement portfolio. What it really comes down to, is that your financial security is in your own hands.

What is one of the best methods for securing your financial future? A residual income developed through network marketing. Instead of making that 40 year commitment to a job, make it to your business. Imagine what your residual income would be like if you did work your business for 40 years. There are people in Amway with residual incomes in excess of $1,000,000 a month after only 20 years!
In just 5 years I built a residual income that equates to interest income from a $1,000,000 investment portfolio. What else could you do that would enable you to do that?

Build your own retirement income and promote that as a feature of your network marketing opportunity. You'll be surprised at how that changes people's perspective on the network marketing industry and your business.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Quantum Leaps

Network marketing is a business that is fun to build fast and often frustrating to build slow. It is important that you have quantum leaps in your business. According to the book You Squared by Price Pritchett, here is what you need to do to create quantum leaps:

1. Change your personal rules for success - success is not achieved step-by-step. It is a achieved in leaps and bounds. You must change your attitude, get out of your comfort zone, do things that you might not normally do.

2. Quit trying harder - working hard does not create quantum leaps, only more work. You must work smarter. Shift gears. Change your patterns. Use different techniques.

3. Ignore conventional approaches - figure out what everyone else is doing (that really isn't working) and do something different. Find techniques that are working in other industries and try them with your network marketing business.
Analyze what you are doing and it's effectiveness on a daily basis. Keep doing what works and get rid of what doesn't.

4. Believe - whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. If you can think it, you can do it. Keep an attitude of belief that you will be successful and do no let the naysayers sway you from your path.

5. Focus on the target, not the path - keep your eyes on the target and move into action. You will get there. The path is not so important, because you will probably change many times along the way.

6. Trust in the power of pursuit - it has been proven time and time again that if you continue to talk with people, sponsor, and help new distributors duplicate, you will be successful.

7. Seek failure - Babe Ruth is known as one of the greatest home run hitters of all times, yet he was also the strikeout king. He could never have hit so many home runs, if he wasn't willing to strikeout. If you move into quantum leap action, you are going to fail. Look at those failures as stepping stones to success.

8. Get out of your comfort zone - huge success in network marketing requires you to do things that aren't comfortable.
Get out there and talk with people, set up speaking engagements, walk around the mall and talk with people, call prospects on the phone, do 3-way calls, etc.

9. Fall in love - you must love your products, company, and upline. Fall in love with your business and every day will be a pleasure. As with all love relationships, there will be ups and downs, but love will prevail.

10. Just do it - don't worry that you don't know everything about the products, company and compensation plan. It doesn't matter if you can't answer every objection. Get out there and talk with people. You'll learn as you earn.