I guess I would be considered an expert in the Network Marketing field.
I have been a top producer/executive in many companies, I have trained over 100 thousand people, my websites have had as many as 100,000 hits a day.
Sometimes though, I am still not sure if being an expert in this field is a compliment or not.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are a TON of great things about the Network Marketing, affliate marketing, and direct sales industries.
* They have low start up costs.
* They have good self-esteem training.
* They traditionally have good sales training.
* They have been the springboard for a lot of amazing business people.
* The people who are good at it can make a pretty good living.
So what’s the down side?
The zealots.
You know the ones. They are on Facebook, they harrass people in the malls, they cozy up to you at church. They tell you they have the greatest opportunity ever created. In fact, it may be better than $5 trips to the moon.
So you decide to be polite. Out of curiosity, you have a look. Unfortunately something about the deal doesn’t quite resonate with you.
Maybe you don’t understand it. Maybe the product is below average. Maybe you just don’t like the owner. Maybe you ask a question that nobody has an answer for.
And here it comes…wait…..wait……..now you’re an idiot.
If you can’t see how amazing this is then you probably shouldn’t even hold a drivers license. You’re not smart enough.
And don’t even think about coming over to the Sunday BBQ. (Unless you would like to take another look at how the compensation plan works?)
Ughhh it’s absolutely painful.
Godforbid you actually find something else that you are interested in and get started with a different company.
Now you’ve done it. You have officially crossed the line. You are the devil.
I can hear it already: “Don’t even think about trying to show it to me. My product was created by space aliens and it cures everything from yeast infections to Cancer. If you try to ask me any tough questions about my deal or even suggest that I look at your product I will have the aliens incinerate your house.”
Don’t you see how ridiculous this all sounds? It’s almost like a cult or worse……political parties!
Here is the reality. You sell a product. That’s it.
Idealy, it would be a product you are really passionate about. The more you love it the better you will do BUT you will probably have a learning curve. You may try a few times with a few different products before you find the right fit. You may have to come back to those same family and friends to get your start. You may want to have a few of those superstars from that other company have a look at what you have. (It’s too bad you you made them feel so dumb)
Your MLM is never the be all end all. Business interests come and go as we make our way through life. Your network should grow with you. There is a reason that the word “Network” comes before “Marketing”. It’s way more important.
Show your friends, treat them with respect, be subtle and powerful, not obnoxious with the new car you just qualified for. Understand that this is a marathon not a sprint and you may need the people you tick off down the road. There is a big difference between power and force.
Your MLM is not a cult so stop treating it like one.
