Do Due Diligence

Greg Hartmann brings a rare and unique perspective to the industry of Network Marketing and the evaluation of the industry and the businesses. His formal education as a mechanical engineer gives him the analytical skills and thought processes to methodically take apart the industry and present it in a way to the average person so they may quickly become an expert. He has 20 years of experience as a field distributor and top earner in the network marketing industry having built distributor organizations of over 15,000 people.

Greg has spent 17 of the last 20 years heavily immersed in personal development and transformation, which you will learn is a key ingredient to being successful in this industry. Greg spent seven years traveling the globe delivering personal transformation programs to many different people and cultures which were translated into multiple languages. The programs he led trained people in the power of integrity, straight talk, keeping your promises, "being unreasonable and being unstoppable." This gives him a unique perspective to evaluate the industry and to translate it in a way that will empower and enable you to powerfully choose whether to pursue this industry (or not) and to be honest with yourself about your choice.

This book will empower you to clearly see what it really takes to be successful in network marketing so you will go to work with your eyes wide open and clear about the actions you must take. While this will not guarantee your success, you will not be left with any unfulfilled expectations and you will be empowered and responsible for the choices you made rather that blaming your sponsor, the company, or the industry -- as so many that have come before you have done.

There are times in life when, regardless of our own tight deadlines, we make room for special people. When Greg first called me about his book project, I was very excited for him, but Valerie and I were exceptionally busy putting the finishing touches on our seminal work, The Lotus Code.

Time was very tight, but in spite of that, I was excited for a couple of reasons when Greg asked me to write the foreword. First, I was thankful that somebody was finally writing a definitive book about how to select a legitimate company.

Second, I felt Greg was the perfect person to write such a book. Greg is a professional networker who comes from a wonderful family whom I've known for many years. I recalled times when I needed his help or his parents' assistance and they were always there for me. Greg Hartmann comes from a values-based family.

I remembered more than one occasion when I found myself in a difficult situation; I contacted either Greg's mother or father for advice. In each circumstance, his parents, brother or Greg himself were there for me. So in spite of our deadlines, I was happy to write this foreword.

You may be asking yourself a simple question: Why does coming from a good family matter so much to me? I'll tell you why. All too often in today's business climate, people are willing to abandon their values in the process of achieving wealth. The Hartmann's are not such people. I tend to value family ties and honor core values far beyond prosperity, as does Greg.

Two things excited me about Greg's project even before I had read this book. First, it was definitely time for a professional networker to write a book dealing specifically with company selection. Greg is the kind of person who can do that intelligently and effectively. I ought to know. He helped me open a new company years ago. He and his family played a pivotal role in the release of both our product and company launch. Their assistance was invaluable in the rollout of that venture.

Second, the reason this book is so timely and important is that what our industry desperately lacks is information written by men and women with tremendous core values and the expertise to back up their assertions.

Greg Hartmann is not an outside consultant who makes his living selling materials to the masses. Rather, he's a guy who is in the trenches applying the strategies he's willing to share with others. Hartmann is not about theory. Hartmann is about reality. And if there's one thing our profession desperately needs, it's a return to the reality of our profession. Network marketing is a very lucrative profession if people approach it realistically and with expertise.

There may be no other priority as important as company selection. In the network marketing arena, there have always been hucksters willing to deceive the most vulnerable members of society.

On the surface MLM get-rich-quick schemes appear interesting. But lurking just beneath the surface is a field of land mines which can easily blow up a person's career long before they ever get started.

There may be nothing more important than company selection. That's what you'll learn in this book - the best way to select a viable company.

I am convinced after reading Greg's book, that any person who pays close attention to these principles will benefit dramatically. One simple idea could easily be worth much more than the price of this book if it allows people to select a good company or even just avoid a bad one.

The most complex part of our profession has always been company selection, but most skilled authors have refused to tackle the subject. Hartmann dares to tell the truth about what makes a good company.

I think one of the main reasons that authors have skillfully avoided this particular subject, is that the truth may alienate some people and companies. Greg doesn't care. He cares that fellow networkers and potential prospects are armed with the tools, strategies and knowledge necessary to select a logical, credible and ethical organization.

Initially, I planned on writing a glowing foreword based on my personal experiences with Greg Hartmann and his wonderful family. But when I picked up his book and read it carefully, I was impressed by the substance, content and well-written principles. I read this book, but not because I needed to do so to provide a foreword. I read it because as I first began to move through it, I was drawn in by Greg's writing skills and the content of the subject matter. I believe readers will feel the same way, from the very beginning.

If you or someone you care about is contemplating entrance into the profession of network marketing, Greg's book will be an invaluable tool. This book is a must read for anyone interested in selecting a viable company.

I don't pretend to be the sharpest knife in the drawer, or an industry expert, but after two and one half decades I have learned how to evaluate the difference between nonsense and legitimate concepts. This book is filled with solid information, not fluff.

A number of people who've been in networking for many years will read Greg's book and wish they had access to it earlier their career. Many will wish this book had been published before they joined companies that just didn't work out for them.

It really doesn't matter how great an individual is, how skilled he or she is at selling, how articulate or educated; when it comes to success in network marketing, it is critical that people select a legitimate company or all those skill sets just go down the drain.

I believe Greg tells the whole truth and nothing but the truth in this informative book. I encourage you to read it carefully and recommend it to others.

In the final analysis, many have failed at network marketing because they simply did not have access to due diligence criteria. With this book, there is simply no longer a legitimate excuse for selecting a short-term company.

I recommend this book to everyone who is a serious student of network marketing and am pleased that Greg Hartmann chose me to write the foreword.

Mark Yarnell