The Brutally Honest Approach to Network Marketing
Network marketing has quickly become one of the fastest growing
ways to work at home. Sometimes called Multi Level Marketing or
Affiliate Marketing, Network marketing is based around the
concept of recruiting. You join a program that utilizes network
marketing to sell a product, and you make money by recruiting
new sellers who have purchased their products from you and are
now selling their own. You may get a cut of their sales and
their recruits' sales and so on for many levels. The
possibilities are endless, and so is the income potential. So it
sounds all gravy right? All you have to do is get your business
up and running by joining the program of your choice and
recruiting new prospects.
It sounds easy enough, doesn't it? It sure did for me, and I
cannot describe how excited I was about finally being able to do
something about my job that I hated and the long, miserable days
that I spent there. I was so ready and eager to go out there and
be successful with my new network marketing business. I had all
the resources I needed at my fingertips through my program, and
all I had to do was turn the key.
Once I did a little research, I saw that there were lots of
other people recruiting and advertising their opportunity. No
sweat, it just shows how many people were having success with
this concept, and it was time to get in on my slice of the pie!
I mean, if people were not successful with it, then why would
they be advertising it? I'll admit, it started out a little
slow. Well, very slow. I found myself doing everything I could
within time and budget restraints to promote my program, but I
was generating no results from my efforts. Day after day I would
check my email, vigorously hoping to be greeted by an email from
my program telling me I had signed up a new recruit. Every day I
would have a little less excitement while opening my inbox, and
a little more lost hope when I saw no email containing the good
news I had anticipated. Weeks turned into months of unsuccessful
promoting. I finally gave up, threw in the towel, and turned to
face the miserable reality of a job I hated with no escape.
My name is Joe Borowy and this is the story of how I failed with
Network Marketing. I'm sure its the same story many of you
reading this would write about your experience with Network
Marketing. The truth is 95% of Network Marketing Businesses
fail. All too often, a story of one's failure looks no different
from my own. It can depressing when you think about how much
hope and drive you had to be successful, all to see it slowly
fade away.
After my Network Marketing Business failed, I continued to do
research on the concept of Network Marketing and I was
determined to figure out how the 5% who do succeed with Network
Marketing go about doing it. I had to sift and search through
many bogus methods, useless "secrets," and sales pitches that
targeted Network Marketing failures like me. Many websites out
there try to target people who have failed with Network
Marketing, promising new ways to make money from it and new
methods to drive success. As you probably know, there are also
many websites who target Network Marketing novices, and create
false hope and promise. These are what I call "Vegas Airport
Slot Businesses." For anyone who has been to Las Vegas, you know
that the airport is famous for having hundreds of slot machines
for you to play right after you get off the plane. The airport
makes shocking amounts of money from these slots. They have
horrible odds, but most of the people who play them don't know
that. What is their goal? They want your gambling money to be
spent as soon as you get off the plane. Most people are dying to
play the slots for the whole duration of the plane trip. As soon
as they get off the plane, the slots are right there waiting for
them. You would be surprised on how much people blow on these
things. After they've had enough, the people go about their
vacations, have a good time, and most likely lose a good chunk
of money. After a few days, they are ready to cut their losses,
and get on a plane to head home. They are dissappointed because
they didn't hit any jackpots. They have a few dollars left, and
they recognize the airport slots as their last chance to hit the
big one. They sit down with a revitalizing hope of going home on
with more then they came with. Soon enough, they have nothing
left, and are dissappointed once again.
So what do these slots have to do with Network Marketing? They
are built on the same principles. The Las Vegas airport slots
are designed to crop you up with hope and excitement for the
opportunity to gain wealth, and take your last dollars after you
lose. The sad reality is most of the network marketing programs
you will come across are designed one of these two ways. They
either want your first and foremost dollars, or your last,
desperate dollars. Remember, the executives and founders of
these programs know very well that 95% who enroll will fail. Its
just the sad truth.
So...Is there any realistic hope of being successful with
network marketing?
I am very glad to say yes, there is. I am not going to try to
pitch a sale to you here, but I have found several factors that
are essential for any success with network marketing. Some are
more obvious than others, and some of the obvious ones are much
more important than you might expect.
Here they are, in no particular order:
1. Relationships- This is probably the most important factor of
developing a successful Network Marketing Business. When trying
to find new people to enroll in your opportunities, you have to
prove to them you are trustworthy and that you want them to be
successful. The best way to do this is by working to make your
network successful, rather than using them to make yourself
successful. It not only will make your more money in the long
run, but you will enjoy doing it. It will develop a "family"
atmosphere of sort between you and your network. It will truly
feel like the perfect job, because all of your colleagues are
happy, and you all help each other. This is the x-factor of
success with networking. Even if you were to do everything else
right, your business would slowly fade away if you had no
relationship with your enrollees.
2. Communication- This one is very obvious, but often is missing
link for many up and coming Network Marketers. Most programs
utilize some kind of autoresponse system for its enrollees. Too
many Network Marketers label this as their communication with
their prospects. To truly develop the relationships you need to
be successful in the long run with Network Marketing, first hand
communication is a must. Live calls and personal calls can be
good, but many people, like myself, don't like phone interaction
for Network Marketing. I feel that calling prospects about
opportunities, or calling new enrollees to motivate them to push
forward with their business could easily put someone in a
situation where they are back into a corner and do something
they don't really want to do. That's why I prefer email as the
main communication source for my network. It allows friendly
communication, encouragement, advice, and motivation without
putting anyone on the spot. More enrollees does not necessarily
mean a better overall network.
3. A Realistic Opportunity- The Internet has become
oversaturated with hundreds of network marketing programs, all
of which claim to be the best. It is important only to promote
programs with realistic opportunity in the long run. Look for a
reputation, a good amount of included resources, or even in some
cases, a new program in prelaunch that offers you an upgraded
membership at no cost. Be careful though, there are thousands of
great salesmen on the Internet, and it is very easy to be
deceived. I have tested dozens of programs, and yet, only offer
several opportunities to my website readers and mailing list. I
wouldn't want to waste their time offering them a program that
probably would not work for me. If you are looking for a
realistic opportunity, browse my website listed in the resource
box and see if you like any of the opportunities I promote. I
try to include something for everyone.
4. Mailing Lists- Not only developing your own, but signing up
for others on the Internet that have good resources and tips. By
getting people to sign up for your own mailing lists, it allows
you to communicate with them and share with them new
opportunities, as well as feed the new relationships you are
developing. It is very important to sign up for other mailing
lists, as they often are the best sources for fresh, new
opportunities. Pass these on to your own email list, and your
list will do the same for their own lists.
5. A Goal, a Drive, and a Reason Why- Any successful
entrepreneur will tell you that in order to be successful, you
have to want to be successful and have a reason why you want to
obtain success. I'm not just talking about wanting to get rich
and live the easy life. You need to have a personal drive of why
you want to achieve success and what you plan to do with it once
you have achieved it. Wanting to get away from your current job
probably won't be enough. For me, it has always been wanting to
enjoy the finer aspects of every day life, and not having to
worry about little things, like finances. For most people, money
is anything but a little thing. I always wanted to be successful
not so that I could be rich, but so that I wouldnt have to worry
about money. I believe worry is an unneccesary part of life, and
I always hated having to worry about money. Money is the root of
all evil, and even if you have alot of it, it doesn't benefit
your life quality unless you have some higher goal in mind of
why you want it. If you don't have any reason for being involved
with Network Marketing other than wanting some extra money to
spoil yourself with, then this business probably isn't for you.
The people who succeed in Network Marketing love what they do,
and have a drive inside that fuels them to keep going.
The bottom line is this: To be successful with Network
Marketing, you have to enjoy doing it, and help others enjoy it
by working for their success. It is better to have a team of 10
hard working, highly driven enrollees who love doing what they
do than to have 100 paid members in your downline who you never
hear from. They wont last, and the chances are that only 5 of
them will be successful. Network Marketing is not for everyone,
and there is no shame in acknowledging that it is not for you at
this point in life. Perhaps later in life, you will have a good
reason why you want to succeed with Network Marketing, and you
will be ready for it. You don't want to get into this business
if you won't enjoy it. I promise you that.
If you are considering getting into the Network Marketing
business, do yourself a favor and define for yourself A Goal, a
Drive, and a Reason Why.