The most important aspect of building a Network Marketing Business is your downline.
Why is it so important?
Because without a downline that produces results, then you don't really have a business as much as you have a job.
Because without a downline that produces results, then you don't really have a business as much as you have a job.
Contents at a Glance
- What is the difference between a business and a job?
- So, now that we have established the difference between a business and a job, which one do you have?
- So, what would a true Network Marketing Business look like?
What is the difference between a business and a job?
In a business, you make money off of the efforts of others. In a job, you get paid for what you do. Sure, you may earn residuals or commission off of other people who work for you, but it is the business owner that really reaps the benefits from the efforts of all of the employees. Now, there are a lot of people who claim to have their own business when in fact, they are the only one in their business. I consider this a job with no boss. If you get sick or take a vacation, then the income stops coming in. That is not a business.
So, now that we have established the difference between a business and a job, which one do you have?
Do you have people in your downline that are producing income for you? Are they producing at the level you want them too? If not, what can you do to help them improve? If the answer is nothing, then I ask the same question - Do you have a business or a job?
If this were a business, then you should be able to affect the outcome of the people working for you by how you lead them. If you can't, then it is not really a business. Only when you can lead or guide others into producing more for you are you really running a business. Without the ability to do that, then I have to question if you really have a business or just a job.
If this were a business, then you should be able to affect the outcome of the people working for you by how you lead them. If you can't, then it is not really a business. Only when you can lead or guide others into producing more for you are you really running a business. Without the ability to do that, then I have to question if you really have a business or just a job.
So, what would a true Network Marketing Business look like?
For starters, a business has to have something to sell in order to bring in income. It has to have a product or service that people are willing to pay for that will improve their life in some way.
Now, I am not talking about selling the opportunity here. I am talking about selling the actual product or service. If you do not have a viable product/service to sell, then you really don't have a business as much as you have a club where people pay to join. But without some type of benefit directly from this club, then people have no real reason to join it.
For the sake of this article, we will assume that you have a viable product/service and that there is a market for it somewhere. We will also assume that you have the ability to grant other people (your downline) the right to sell this product/service and by doing so, you stand to benefit from these sales.
Now, I am not talking about selling the opportunity here. I am talking about selling the actual product or service. If you do not have a viable product/service to sell, then you really don't have a business as much as you have a club where people pay to join. But without some type of benefit directly from this club, then people have no real reason to join it.
For the sake of this article, we will assume that you have a viable product/service and that there is a market for it somewhere. We will also assume that you have the ability to grant other people (your downline) the right to sell this product/service and by doing so, you stand to benefit from these sales.
So, the question now is, "What can you do to affect the outcome of your downline?"
The answer is you have to "Lead them".
You have to become their leader in this business. This is the only real way to "Legitimize" your business. Without setting yourself up as the leader of your downline, then you really have no way to affect the outcome. But, by establishing yourself as a competent leader, you are placing yourself in a position to truly benefit by what your downline does.
This brings us to, "How do you establish yourself as a Competent Leader."
The most effective way to do this is by "Leading by Example". What do I mean? I mean show your downline what you want them to do by doing it yourself. Don't lord over them by telling them what to do, lead them by showing them what to do. By doing this, you will earn their respect as a leader and establish yourself as someone that knows how this business works.
So, what do you do? If you don't know, then I have to question, "Is your Upline sponsor a true leaders or are they just leaving your success up to you?" If that is the case, then why did you join them? What was it that made you decide to join their team? Why should they benefit by what you do? In my view, they shouldn't.
Now I know that some of you may be thinking, "But that is the way Network Marketing works." The upline benefits from the efforts of their downline. That is what makes Network Marketing so appealing to most people.
Well, I agree with this to a point. Most people who get into Network Marketing, have absolutely no plan on how they will build their business. They expect their upline to build their business for them or they hope that someone will join their downline that will build their business. What they do not expect to happen is to have to do it all by themselves. This is why over 90% of the people who join a Network Marketing Company or MLM Opportunity dropout within the first 90 days. They realize that if their business is going to grow, then they have to do it themselves and quite frankly, they don't know how. They don't even know how to get started. So, the easiest thing for them to do is just quit.
So, the question I am posing to you is, "What are you doing to help YOUR downline succeed?
If the answer to that question is "nothing" or "I don't know what to do", then you have to make a decision. You can either become a "TRUE" leader or you can quit. That is your only options unless you want to continue getting the same results you have been getting.
If you are still reading, then I will assume you have decided that you DON'T want to quit and that you have instead chosen to become a TRUE leader. If that is the case, I have some good news.
"True leaders are not born; they choose to do what is necessary to become a leader."
So what does a TRUE leader look like?
This brings us to, "How do you establish yourself as a Competent Leader."
The most effective way to do this is by "Leading by Example". What do I mean? I mean show your downline what you want them to do by doing it yourself. Don't lord over them by telling them what to do, lead them by showing them what to do. By doing this, you will earn their respect as a leader and establish yourself as someone that knows how this business works.
So, what do you do? If you don't know, then I have to question, "Is your Upline sponsor a true leaders or are they just leaving your success up to you?" If that is the case, then why did you join them? What was it that made you decide to join their team? Why should they benefit by what you do? In my view, they shouldn't.
Now I know that some of you may be thinking, "But that is the way Network Marketing works." The upline benefits from the efforts of their downline. That is what makes Network Marketing so appealing to most people.
Well, I agree with this to a point. Most people who get into Network Marketing, have absolutely no plan on how they will build their business. They expect their upline to build their business for them or they hope that someone will join their downline that will build their business. What they do not expect to happen is to have to do it all by themselves. This is why over 90% of the people who join a Network Marketing Company or MLM Opportunity dropout within the first 90 days. They realize that if their business is going to grow, then they have to do it themselves and quite frankly, they don't know how. They don't even know how to get started. So, the easiest thing for them to do is just quit.
So, the question I am posing to you is, "What are you doing to help YOUR downline succeed?
If the answer to that question is "nothing" or "I don't know what to do", then you have to make a decision. You can either become a "TRUE" leader or you can quit. That is your only options unless you want to continue getting the same results you have been getting.
If you are still reading, then I will assume you have decided that you DON'T want to quit and that you have instead chosen to become a TRUE leader. If that is the case, I have some good news.
"True leaders are not born; they choose to do what is necessary to become a leader."
So what does a TRUE leader look like?
So what does a TRUE leader look like?
Here is my definition:
- A true leader never asks his/her followers to do anything he/she hasn't or won't do themselves.
- A true leader takes responsibility for the success of his/her followers.
- A true leader takes responsibility of learning how to be a leader.
- A true leader shares his/her knowledge with their followers to help them become leaders as well.
- A true leader understands that, by definition, his/her followers look to them for guidance and that they have a duty to provide that guidance in the form of tangible action steps that their followers can take no matter where in the process they are starting from. In other words, you have to take them from where they are and, by giving them a step by step plan, lead them to the place they need to be.
- A true leader understands that the ultimate objective is to have his/her followers become "TRUE" leaders as well.
Note: Responsibility = Response with Ability. In other words, you have the ability to respond properly. If you do not have this ability, then you will need to invest in learning and developing this ability. My recommendation is "Renegade University")
So, you want to know how to become a "TRUE Leader"?
Now we can get to the nuts and bolts of what you need to do.
The first thing you must do is decide what success will look like when you get there.
In Network Marketing, I believe that success is defined this way:
In Network Marketing, I believe that success is defined this way:
- You are an actual user of the product/service that you promote and truly believe that the retail price someone has to pay is a good value for them. In fact, you would continue to use this product even if you stopped promoting it.
- You have a plan for yourself and how you will grow your business (both customers and downline).
You are working this plan and are seeing progress on a daily or weekly basis. - You are "Picky" in who you allow to become a part of your downline.
- You regularly communicate with your downline and know what they are doing to build their business.
- Your downline feels that if they have a question about what or how they should do something in their business, they come to you for advice before going anywhere else.
- You can see your downline emulating your plan and it is working for them also.
How many of these can you honestly say applies to your business?
If the first one is not true for you, I propose that you may want to look for a different opportunity. Believing in your product/service is crucial for you to have any credibility with anyone.
If the plan you are following is the typical "pitch the opportunity to your friends and family" type of plan, then you may be well on your way to a major disappointment and long term damage to your relationships.
If you are not seeing results from your plan on a daily or weekly basis, then you need to question if your plan is really working.
If you will allow just anyone to join your downline, regardless of their qualifications, then you are not running a business as much as you are a recruiter for the Network Marketing Company you represent.
If the extent of your communication with you downline mainly consists of motivation messages or asking how they are doing, then you are not affecting the outcome of their efforts.
If your downline is not communicating with you about how to do something that is relevant to their business, then they are not looking to you as a leader.
If you are not regularly sewing value into your downline by offering training, suggestions or some other tangible benefit, but expect them to produce for you, then it is only a matter of time before they find someone else to follow.
If your downline is not following in your footsteps when it comes to promoting this business, then you need to take a closer look at the plan you are following and determine why they have not adopted it.
If you have passed this test and can honestly say that all of these things are in place for you, you might as well stop reading now, as I have nothing of value to offer you. On the other hand, if these questions or statements have you questioning how you are running your business, then keep reading. You may actually learn something that can help to make your business a success.
As far as believing in the product/service that you are promoting goes, if you honestly wouldn't continue to use this even if you stopped getting paid to promote it, then face the fact that whatever you do, you are living a lie. If this is true and you are promoting this to your family and friends, then you are placing a higher value on your commission than you do on your relationships. Please do not do this, as personal relationships are one of the things that you really cannot buy in this world. These have to be earned and nurtured and that takes a whole lot longer than making a quick buck.
So, you need a plan? You realize that what you have been doing is not sustainable? You want to see results on a daily or weekly basis? Well I can offer some guidance here, but it ultimately remains up to you to develop your own plan.
If the plan you are following is the typical "pitch the opportunity to your friends and family" type of plan, then you may be well on your way to a major disappointment and long term damage to your relationships.
If you are not seeing results from your plan on a daily or weekly basis, then you need to question if your plan is really working.
If you will allow just anyone to join your downline, regardless of their qualifications, then you are not running a business as much as you are a recruiter for the Network Marketing Company you represent.
If the extent of your communication with you downline mainly consists of motivation messages or asking how they are doing, then you are not affecting the outcome of their efforts.
If your downline is not communicating with you about how to do something that is relevant to their business, then they are not looking to you as a leader.
If you are not regularly sewing value into your downline by offering training, suggestions or some other tangible benefit, but expect them to produce for you, then it is only a matter of time before they find someone else to follow.
If your downline is not following in your footsteps when it comes to promoting this business, then you need to take a closer look at the plan you are following and determine why they have not adopted it.
If you have passed this test and can honestly say that all of these things are in place for you, you might as well stop reading now, as I have nothing of value to offer you. On the other hand, if these questions or statements have you questioning how you are running your business, then keep reading. You may actually learn something that can help to make your business a success.
As far as believing in the product/service that you are promoting goes, if you honestly wouldn't continue to use this even if you stopped getting paid to promote it, then face the fact that whatever you do, you are living a lie. If this is true and you are promoting this to your family and friends, then you are placing a higher value on your commission than you do on your relationships. Please do not do this, as personal relationships are one of the things that you really cannot buy in this world. These have to be earned and nurtured and that takes a whole lot longer than making a quick buck.
So, you need a plan? You realize that what you have been doing is not sustainable? You want to see results on a daily or weekly basis? Well I can offer some guidance here, but it ultimately remains up to you to develop your own plan.
As far as I am concerned, the plan that I believe works in almost every Network Marketing business is as follows:
- You have a system in place that prescreens and prequalifies your prospects for you so that you can spend your time talking to people that have already shown an interest in what you have to offer. This applies to both your product/service as well as your opportunity.
- You have a steady stream of prescreened / prequalified prospects contacting you for more information instead of you making the first contact. This removes the awkwardness that is so prevalent in this business when trying to pitch your offering. These people actually want you to try and sell them.
- While these prospects are already prescreened and prequalified, you have set criteria concerning who you will let join your downline. Now I know this sounds counter-productive at first, but the truth is, you don't want to be wasting your time on someone who is just out to get something for nothing. You want people who actually need what you are selling or have the desire and motivation to follow through with your proven plan for success. Unfortunately, the majority of people who join a network marketing company really have no intention of actually working to make it a success. They are really looking for an easy buck off of someone else's hard work. These are not the people you need in your organization. They will just waste the time and effort you could have been using to help someone who really wants to succeed. On the other hand, you also need to be ready to "pass" on people who have the desire and motivation, but just don't have the time to work your plan. It may just not be the right time for them. The best thing you could do for both them and yourself is to be honest with them and tell them the truth. Tell them that you do not think now is the right time for them and that you will keep in touch with them in case their situation changes. By taking his route, you will establish yourself as someone who actually cares about them and their success, more than you do just signing them up. If they ever do get things sorted out so that they can devote the time and effort necessary to succeed in this business, you can bet they will come running back to you because of your honesty.
- As far as your actual downline goes, the ones who have already joined you, you need to be in constant communication with them, sowing knowledge and information into them that will help them to become better leaders themselves. Don't be stingy here.
For every dollar or hour you invest in these people, you can expect to receive exponential returns.
For example, let's say that you discovered a new niche of people that could use your product/service. The first reaction most people would have would be to keep it to themselves and try to capture the entire market for their own benefit. While this may look like it would be more profitable, and in the short run it actually may be, the truth is that by sharing this new information with your downline, you can actually capture more of this market than you could on your own. In addition to this, you are moving your downline that much closer to success, and the bigger success they have, the bigger success you will obtain also.
Or say you found a way to bring in more prescreened / prequalified prospects. By sharing this information, or actually sharing these prospects, you are again establishing yourself as someone who cares about their success more than you do a quick dollar. In other words, you are establishing yourself as a TRUE leader. This will pay huge dividends down the road. Dividends that will far outweigh any short term income you would have received had you chosen to keep this information to yourself.
If you find something that helps you in your business, or maybe not even in your business, but helps you in your life or hobbies or something, share this information with your downline. It may be something that can help them as well. This will help you establish a personal relationship with them and show them that you are not some ivory tower boss that is only after what they can do for you. This type of bonding is something that can set you way apart from the traditional upline choices people have. And believe me, if someone in your downline is talking to a potential member, this will be one of the first things they mention when talking about their upline. This type of relationship is not one that can be bought, it has to be earned.
Once you have adopted a system like this, and notice that people in your downline are beginning to act the same way, this is the time you can really say that you have succeeded. You have just built a sustainable business. It doesn't even matter if your parent network marketing company goes out of business, because you have built an organization that is following YOU and not the company. You can rest assured that they will be anxiously waiting to see what you do nest and will be standing in line to join with you in your next venture.
This is what true "Network" marketing is all about. Building YOUR network and not the network for the Network Marketing Company.
I thank you for taking the time to read all of this and I hope you have learned something from it. If you leave with nothing more than a new outlook on how to treat your downline (your lifeblood), or what a successful Network Marketing Business looks like, then it has been worth the time and effort I put into writing this.
Or say you found a way to bring in more prescreened / prequalified prospects. By sharing this information, or actually sharing these prospects, you are again establishing yourself as someone who cares about their success more than you do a quick dollar. In other words, you are establishing yourself as a TRUE leader. This will pay huge dividends down the road. Dividends that will far outweigh any short term income you would have received had you chosen to keep this information to yourself.
If you find something that helps you in your business, or maybe not even in your business, but helps you in your life or hobbies or something, share this information with your downline. It may be something that can help them as well. This will help you establish a personal relationship with them and show them that you are not some ivory tower boss that is only after what they can do for you. This type of bonding is something that can set you way apart from the traditional upline choices people have. And believe me, if someone in your downline is talking to a potential member, this will be one of the first things they mention when talking about their upline. This type of relationship is not one that can be bought, it has to be earned.
Once you have adopted a system like this, and notice that people in your downline are beginning to act the same way, this is the time you can really say that you have succeeded. You have just built a sustainable business. It doesn't even matter if your parent network marketing company goes out of business, because you have built an organization that is following YOU and not the company. You can rest assured that they will be anxiously waiting to see what you do nest and will be standing in line to join with you in your next venture.
This is what true "Network" marketing is all about. Building YOUR network and not the network for the Network Marketing Company.
I thank you for taking the time to read all of this and I hope you have learned something from it. If you leave with nothing more than a new outlook on how to treat your downline (your lifeblood), or what a successful Network Marketing Business looks like, then it has been worth the time and effort I put into writing this.
As for me and what I am doing, I am currently a brand new Independent Rep for FreedomRocks
an international program designed to help people build wealth through a 3 step process:
- Increasing Your Cash Flow
- Stabilizing Your Finances
- Investing for the Future (They have an awesome Investment platform that takes all of the guesswork out investing.)
(To be honest, I actually have not even begun building my downline as I am still trying out their system myself. What I have seen so far is amazing. Take a look for yourself - "FreedomRocks")
I have also just finished reading ""The 7 Great Lies Of Network Marketing"" (it's free) and ""The Renegade Network Marketer"" (it's priceless), both by "Ann Sieg". These two books have totally changed my perception of what a Network Marketing Business should look like and why I need to market MYSELF instead of my business.
I have also just joined "The Renegade University"(join for the free tour and you WILL learn something) as a professional member and I give Mike Klinger, the owner, a tremendous amount of credit for showing me HOW to go about marketing MYSELF. In the past, I would have wasted a ton of money trying to market my business on the Internet, but after going through the first part of his training, it has totally changed my philosophy.
Again, thank you for taking (investing) your time to read this and if there is anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate asking.
God Bless,
Chris
I have also just joined "The Renegade University"(join for the free tour and you WILL learn something) as a professional member and I give Mike Klinger, the owner, a tremendous amount of credit for showing me HOW to go about marketing MYSELF. In the past, I would have wasted a ton of money trying to market my business on the Internet, but after going through the first part of his training, it has totally changed my philosophy.
Again, thank you for taking (investing) your time to read this and if there is anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate asking.
God Bless,
Chris
Do Network Marketing Reps REALLY Own a Business?
From Scott Rogers
So, do network marketing reps really own their own business - and do they really employ the true concepts of business ownership in the correct fashion?
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- This page gives you links and information about my new book, Tribes.Already an Amazon bestseller, the book is short and small and simple. It argues, as clearly as I am capable, that leadership is the best marketing tactic to any organization--a company, a school, a church, a job seeker.Our role toda
by ChrisDavis
Chris Davis is an Internet Network Marketing Coach teaching others the most effective methods for lead generation online.
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