Network marketing prospects are famous for declaring they don't have the time to start a business. They tell you they are interested and maybe at some point in the future they'll get started, but they can't do anything right now. But is that the truth? Are they truly interested and truly unable to get started because they "don't have the time"?
No.
Not having time is not the real reason.
The truth is they probably aren't interested but are afraid to tell you. (It doesn't matter why.)
Look, we're all busy today. Our lives are crammed with responsibilities. And yet we manage to find time to do things that are important to us, the things we need to do and also the things we want to do.
Yes, there may be other reasons they tell you they don't have the time. They may be interested but have doubts about their ability to build a successful business. Or, they may be interested but believe they have to put in twenty, thirty, or forty hours a week into building a business. Even ten hours a week may be too much to handle.
We need to educate people about what "part time" really means.
You can start a network marketing business in just an hour a day. People need to know that and they need to believe it. They need to hear how you (or others) are building your business in only an hour a day. Tell stories about how other (busy) people are building their futures in just one hour a day.
Look, if someone really wants to build a business, they can get started with just ten minutes a day.
Ten minutes a day!
Anyone can make a few calls every day and ask their prospects to "check out" their web site or dial into a recorded message. And, if that's all they can do, that's all they can do, but (as Art Williams says), all they can do is ENOUGH.
(Well, it's enough to get started, anyway.)
Categories Network marketing/MLM, Prospecting & Recruiting by 
How long does it take to become successful in network marketing?
Malcolm Gladwell, in his bestselling book, Outliers, says mastery in any endeavor takes about 10,000 hours. That's twenty hours a week for ten years. Gladwell says that no matter what the objective, whether becoming a world-class musician or a billionaire, to reach the pinnacle of success takes consistent effort over a sustained period of time.
Does it take ten years to become successful in network marketing? Well, that depends on how you define success. Thousands of people each year reach the six-figure mark in a few (i.e., two to five) years; some do it quicker. I'm guessing that there are very few seven-figure income earners who got to that level in less than ten years.
Sustained effort over time is clearly a key to success but there's another factor that transcends talent, technique, or perseverance: proximity to people who have what you want.
Cal Newport makes this observation about what it takes to make it as a world-class screen writer. Newport says that conventional wisdom about what it takes to succeed as a screen writer falls short. It takes more, he says, than learning some basics and working hard. "The problem. . . is that thousands of hopefuls do exactly this every year — and consistently come up short. Something more must be at play."
In network marketing, we see the same thing. Hundreds of thousands get started each year and many of them learn what to do and work hard at doing it but very few make it to the top. Why? In screen writing, network marketing, or anything else, the ones who climb to the top of the mountain usually have some help.
Newport says, ". . .screen writing requires an apprenticeship." The ones who make it spend time learning from and associating with other writers who have made it and the people who hire them (producers). They don't lock themselves in a tower, working in isolation, finally producing a manuscript someone wants to buy. There are exceptions, of course, but while screen writing is a craft it is also a business and the ones who succeed in that business have learned to associate with people who can teach them things they can't learn in books and, even more, introduce them to people who can help them achieve their goals.
It's the "Law of Association". You become like the people you associate with. In network marketing, every distributor has access to other distributors who can help them. Often, they are paid to do so. Your upline has a financial incentive to help you succeed, and there are many others, sideline, who can and will do the same.
If you are an aspiring network marketing success story, you can apprentice with people who have succeeded not only in this industry but in your very same business. They can teach you, mentor you, and coach you, and by their example, let you see what you need to do. "I'd rather watch a leader than listen to one," it's been said.
And, unlike the world of screen writing, you don't have to work hard or get lucky to meet the right people and gain their help, you simply have to sign up.
So why do so few take advantage of the opportunity to apprentice themselves? Why do most distributors associate with the wrong people, people who have never built a successful business? Why do so many think they know a better way and refuse to follow the proven systems they have been taught?
Would you like to know the answer to these questions? So would I. If you figure it out, please let me know.
Categories Network marketing/MLM by
I'm doing some speaking to church groups and other groups of people looking for work. The topic: "Career Alternatives in the New Economy."
What I'm finding is that as bad as things are, most of the people who attend these talks still cling to the hope of replacing their lost job and aren't open to doing anything that doesn't offer a paycheck.
That will change. It has to. When they've gone through their savings and unemployment and they start falling behind in their bills, reality will bite them and they will have to get out of their comfort zone and find an alternative career.
Jim Rohn says, "For things to change, you must change," and nowhere is this more evident than in the decimated job market.
It's fear, mostly, and understandable. On top of losing their income and all that this implies, the idea of doing something entrepreneurial, something they've never done before and that usually involves a big investment of money they do not have or don't want to risk, has got to be frightening.
I offered advice on marketing themselves to employers and re-packaging their skills for what few jobs might remain. And then I explained the advantages of being in business for oneself.
I pointed out that most people who want to start a business reject the idea because
- They don't have the money,
- They don't have the time,
- They don't want to take the risk, and
- They don't know what to do.
And then, after talking about some of the alternatives–consulting, creating a product, buying a franchise, and so on–I recommended network marketing.
I told them they don't need a lot of money or time and there's almost no risk. I told them they don't need knowledge or experience to start or succeed in network marketing because free training and support and ready-to-go systems are all part of the package. I told them this was what Robert Kiyosaki recommends (I showed them his Cash Flow Quadrant (TM)) and told them this was the choice I made.
I told them how it's worked out for me–financial freedom, time freedom, residual income–but did not present my company. (I don't think it's appropriate. I said if they want more information, they could see me after and I gave them this web site.)
Most had never heard of network marketing. And most did not want to.
You could see it on their faces. The few who asked questions made me realize they didn't appreciate the benefits of network marketing, or didn't believe them.
I will continue, however, because it's a sorting process and as I meet more people who aren't a candidate for network marketing, I will meet some who are. That's great for me, yes, but my objective isn't just to build my business, it's to empower people who right now, aren't feeling too powerful. I try to leave everyone with the idea that there are alternatives and when they are ready, they should explore them.
Some will, some won't, so what, someone else is waiting. . .
Categories Home Business, Network marketing/MLM by
THE FREQUENT FLIER MILES STORY
Network marketing pro, Tom Schreiter, explains network marketing with the following story:
I take a flight from Houston, Texas to New York City. I pay $500 for a ticket.
You also take a flight from Houston, Texas to New York City. You also pay $500 for your ticket.
We both arrive in New York City, but because you filled out a simple one-page form to join the airline’s frequent flier program, you received some frequent flier miles and I didn’t.
We both did exactly the same thing, you got rewarded, I didn’t. You got frequent flier miles, they added up and eventually you got a free trip to Hawaii.
And what if the airline told you that if you told your friends to join their frequent flier program, they would give you some extra frequent flier miles every time your friend earns some frequent flier miles?
Wow. You would tell everyone you knew.
And get this, what if you got frequent flier miles every time you flew . . . and you got frequent flier miles every time your friends flew . . . and if your friends recommended the frequent flier program to their friends and you got frequent flier miles every time their friends flew… and so on, wow!
This would be the frequent flier program on steroids!!!
Well, network marketing works the same way, except we don’t give you frequent flier miles, we give you cash!
I love this story because it helps people understand that they already do network marketing! When your prospect believes that, the rest of the presentation is easy.
Categories Network marketing/MLM by
Who needs your opportunity? Well, according to the latest statistics, a lot of people. Look at this startling visual depiction of unemployment figures. No, really, go look. It's an eye-opener.
But there's a difference between need and want. Yes, millions need an opportunity to become self-sufficient by starting their own business. Millions are out of work and will not (for the foreseeable future) replace their income in the job market. Millions of newly unemployed people need your business opportunity but none of them will sign up unless they want to and a lot of people don't want to be involved in network marketing.
There are many reasons and most of them won't make a lot of sense to you and me. It doesn't matter. The customer is always right and if they don't want to to sign up, they won't do it.
You should spend no time convincing them otherwise.
Don't look for people who need what you offer. Look for people who want the benefits your company offers and are ready to take action to get them. Look for people who are looking for an opportunity like yours.
How do you find them? The same way you always did–by sorting through everyone else.
Some will, some won't, so what. . . the pool is bigger today than it was a year ago–sort faster, and don't settle for anyone who isn't 100% excited about the opportunity to change their life through network marketing.
Categories Network marketing/MLM, Prospecting & Recruiting by
Facebook is a great place to meet prospects and potential referral sources. With a few clicks, you can find and connect with exactly the kinds of people you're looking for, at no cost whatsoever. The ease with which this can be done, however, too often leads otherwise smart business people to do things that actually chase prospects away.
Facebook is not an advertising medium, it is a networking medium, and the rules of networking are the same online as they are in the "real" world. Use Facebook to meet people, just as you would at a Chamber of Commerce or Rotary event, and then build a relationship. It's okay to let them know what you do–that is what people do when they meet, after all. It's not okay to assault them with self-serving promotional messages.
Just as it's easy to add friends on Facebook, it's just as easy for them to block your messages or delete you. Understanding and applying a few simple rules of networking etiquette will go a long way towards helping you use Facebook and other social media sites to build your business.
Make your profile about you. People want to be friends with real people, not companies or products or causes. Use your real name, and provide information about yourself–what you do, what you like, where you have been, what you think about the world.
You can describe your business in your profile and add links to your web sites. Think of this area as your online business card. If someone wants to see what you do, they can look in this section. If they want to know more, they go to your web sites. You can also establish a fan page or group for your business and link to this from your profile.
Your profile photo should be, not surprisingly, a photo of you. Photos of your dog or a pretty sunset can go in your photo album, but when I'm considering a friend request, I want to see who's asking. Use a decent head shot and don't clown around. You really do have only one chance to make a first impression.
Be appropriate. The world is watching –and judging you. If you use inappropriate humor, if there are photos depicting you as inebriated, if you are too extreme in your viewpoints–these can all have serious negative consequences.
Use spell check. Use correct grammar. Be judicious in your use of emoticons, abbreviations, and slang. Your real friends may not care about any of this but I can assure you, many of your business prospects do. All they have to go on is what they see on your page, so be careful about what you post.
As for invitations to join your cause or attend your event, please be aware of how your friends might perceive you in light of your activities. Are you involved in anything ill-suited to your profession or the image you wish to portray? Are you always playing games or taking surveys and, seemingly, never working?
Don't advertise. Don't post an ad (or a link to your website) on someone's wall. Ever. Disguising it as an offer for a free ebook that is part of your sales process doesn't fool anyone. Don't do it.
Look, you wouldn't like it if someone came to your house and stuck a sign in your lawn advertising their services, so why would you think anyone wants your ad on their Facebook property? If you post an ad on my wall, I will delete it. If you do it again, I will delete you.
The same goes for email. If I accept your friend request and you immediately send me messages about your product or service, that's a big turn off. You might have something I want, the best price, the greatest service, but don't be surprised if I don't buy from you. It's not quite spam, but it's close, so don't do it.
Your status message is different. It's on your property–I only see it if my settings so allow. But don't abuse this by posting a never-ending stream of promotional messages. Once in awhile is fine. Do it every hour, like I see some people do, and we're done.
I change my status message usually once a day. That works for me. It's okay to change yours several times a day, but make sure you have something meaningful to say. Some say it's okay to make your status posts two-thirds about you, one-third about your business or offers. I say that's too much advertising. There are other, more subtle ways to spark interest in what you offer. (See below.)
Add value. Your profile, your status updates, your notes, your videos, your comments on others' posts, should be perceived, by and large, not as self-serving or frivolous but as adding value. That doesn't mean you can't let your sense of humor show or that everything you do must render a benefit. It does mean that you should show people that you have something to say and something to contribute to the relationship.
You can offer tips and advice, share resources, or describe interesting experiences. I try to post an interesting quote every week day, and I post occasional videos and links I believe my friends would like to see.
You could write articles ("notes" on Facebook), and provide helpful information. This note (which I have posted on Facebook) is an example. When you post articles, not only do your friends see you as making a contribution, they also get a demonstration of your expertise.
By contrast, updates about the sandwich you just ate or the movie you watched are of no value to anyone unless they come with a meaningful recommendation. I don't care that you are walking your dog or checking your email. You wouldn't call me on the phone and tell me these things, so why tell me online? Someone who posts something merely for the sake of posting isn't adding value, they are simply adding clutter to an otherwise over-cluttered Facebookisphere. [I just coined that word; feel free to use it.]
Adding value also means making an effort to patronize your friends' businesses. You'd do that in the real world, wouldn't you? And if you can't hire them or buy something yourself, provide referrals. When you do that, you help two friends and earn the gratitude of both. Be a matchmaker. If you have a friend who is looking for a new employee, for example, and you have another friend who might be a good fit, introduce them.
Add value and people will want to be your friends. Waste people's time with meaningless information and you might soon find that when you do have something of value to offer, nobody's listening.
Be yourself, but be normal. Don't hide your personal side. The things you do for fun–hobbies, games, surveys, widgets you post on your page, and so on, define you and make you interesting. When your friends see they share those interests it can strengthen your relationship. But if you are on Facebook to build your business, you must establish a balance between your personal and business identities. When in doubt, always lean towards your business persona.
In the real world, if you came to my office and I threw a sheep at you or gave you photo of a chocolate martini, that would be weird, wouldn't it? And yet that's what people do online. Look, I do silly things on Facebook. I'm opinionated and have a profoundly warped sense of humor and I like to stir things up from time to time. But the majority of my Facebook friends who have an opinion of me would, I think, describe me in positive, business-like terms.
A little flair now and then is interesting. All flair, all the time, is clownish, and people don't do business with clowns.
Friends first. There is a maxim in marketing that says, "All things being equal, people prefer to do business with people they know, like, and trust." Be that person.
"How To Win Friends and Influence People," written decades before the father of the founder of Facebook was born, offers great perspectives on how to do business on Facebook.
Dale Carnegie counsels us to focus on other people, not ourselves. Talk to your Facebook friends (through messages (email), IM (instant message), and, eventually, by phone and in person) about themselves. Ask questions and listen. Let them do most of the talking.
What do they want in their business or personal life? What problems do they wish to solve? Look for ways you can help them. Provide advice or information or referrals, if you can. Just listen if you cannot. Again, that's what friends do.
If your products or services can help them solve a problem or obtain an objective, offer them. If not, don't. And if you do offer them and they aren't interested, drop the subject. They may come back to you some day, when they are ready, or they may not, but they will never buy from you if you pushed them or annoyed them to the point where they deleted you.
“FREEDOM”
(author unknown)Within the United States of America lies a
large industrial city that is the sight of one of
the world’s largest slave labor camps.Located in and around the center of this city
are community settlements where the slaves
live.Each morning the slaves move herd-like from
their quarters into the slave labor camps.Each one is at his or her station by 7:30 AM.
Here they report to their master for the day’s
duties. And here they remain chained until
5:00 PM when they’re released to go home.The slaves have no choice as to how many
hours they must labor. Sometimes they are
required to work overtime until their master
tells them they may leave and go home.Each year the slaves are told when to take their
vacations, for how long, and when they must
return.They have little choice as to how much money
they earn as they are paid not what they are
worth, but what the job is worth.They are allowed very little time for lunch and
coffee breaks during the labor hours.The slaves will remain in their chains in great
fear because the master can punish them with
the “firing” or “layoff” whip.It is said that even some of the older slaves who
have been good and faithful have felt the sting
of the whip.Day by day, year-by-year, the slaves toil and
grow older until the master decides it is time
to release them to the retirement camps where
they’re forced to sit idle and wait for death.It’s a well-known fact that the old slaves who
try to keep working are sometimes whipped
with a “stop-their-pension” whip.I know these slave camps exist for I once was a
slave.But now I am a free man who lives among the
slaves.The reason I am free is because I am in
business for myself as a Network Marketer.Yes, I am truly free!
I arise in the morning called for by my
schedule!I decide my own hours!
I can even sleep in late while the slaves are at
work!I can vacation when, where, and for how long I
please!I’m free to take my coffee break and lunch
when I decide!And of course, I can decide my own paycheck
because I am not a slave!I can choose to work when and where I please
and with whom I please!I’m free to stay in the city for as long as I want,
or to move on to greener pastures if I decide to!I’ve seen many slaves sadly pack their
belongings to leave their city in search of a new
master, but it is always the same.There is however, a ray of hope for the slave.
He or she can buy their own freedom.
The cost is not high, yet it seems high to those
who do not have the courage to pay the price.What is the price?
One must be willing to be their own master.
ONE MUST BE WILLING TO BE THEIR
OWN MASTER.
Categories Inspiration, Network marketing/MLM by
