Just like we were not all born to be Olympic Medalists, we were not all born to be Network Marketers.

So What exactly is Network Marketing?

At the most basic level ... it is the selling (or Marketing" if you will) of a product or service through a "Network" as opposed to a store. It has been done for generations with products like Tupperware, Mary Kay, Avon, Shaklee, Herbalife, etc. If you went to Wikipedia and searched for "Network Marketing Companies" you would get a whole list them. And that list is just the tip of the iceberg. Of course when you search for "Network Marketing Companies" in Wikipedia, the list that you get is titled "Multi-level Marketing Companies" (MLM).

So what is the difference between Network Marketing and Multi-level Marketing (MLM)?

Nothing, absolutely nothing. It is just another way of saying the same thing. Like so many other things in the English language, there are multiple words and ways to say the same thing. It is just a matter of personal preference as to which one you use.

So then what is so new and why are there so many more people trying to do it all of a sudden?

The "new" part is the internet. The "why" part is because they can.

What part does the internet play?

Just as the internet brought the world to your door, and knowledge to your fingertips. It brought the next logical step in any commercially based society. Commerce!

First the big companies started including internet advertising into their marketing strategies. Then when the smaller companies saw the influence this type of advertising had they started popping up on the internet too.

If you follow the advertising trends over the years it was a "no brainer".

First the printing press brought the printed word (and ads) to the masses, next was the radio, now you could hear how great the product is, then television added a face to the voice which brings us to the internet, the latest and greatest. At least until the next innovation comes along.

With every advancement man makes with technology, business follows.

The difference with the internet is that now the average person can get in on the act. Before the internet, advertising was cost prohibitive.

We may have been able to buy a printed ad in the local newspaper, but not a national one or a magazine. We may even have been able to afford a tiny spot on a local radio station but that was stretching it. And forget about television!

Somewhere along the line some brilliant entrepreneur (I don't know who but if you do let me know and I will update this lens) got the bright idea of getting people to sell the product from their homes and "Network Marketing" was born.

And it hasn't changed much over the years, until the internet. Now instead of selling from their homes they are selling from their keyboard. And the best part...NO INVENTORY! Believe me, after schlepping bags and boxes of Tupperware all over creation the last thing I would want to do is work with another company where I had to deal with inventory.

As for the "why" are so many more people doing it now part, I'm not sure there are more people in the business. I think it is that the people in the business are reaching so many more people because of the internet.

The "Network Marketing" business has always been able to attract people to it. Otherwise we would have never heard of Tupperware or Mary Kay. But the problem was that people didn't stick with it.

Tupperware is a great product, I used it as well as sold it. I still use it, only now I buy it retail because the business was just too hard. So I dropped out.

Network Marketers are still dropping out every day, both on line and off.

So after all this we get back to the question of the day...

Is Network Marketing right for you? And equally if not more important, are you right for Network Marketing?

1. Do you like to sell?

Not share, sell. No matter what you are told every marketer is selling something.

2. Are you willing to invest in your prospect without any expectations of return?

In today's network market, successful network marketers build a relationship with people in order to build your business. People are not just buying your product, they are buying you. They want to know that you are someone that they can learn from and work with. And it works both ways since you will be working with them too. So you need to give some of your time and knowledge, as well as a sample or two of what your product or opportunity has to offer before you ask them to hand over any of their hard earned cash.

3. Do you like talking to people?

Not just sell to them, but genuinely like talking to them.

4. Do you know when to take no for an answer?

Without getting hurt or offended.

5. Do you like teaching people skills and watching them grow?

Your downline is going to look to you for training and if you are not there for them, they will not be there for you.

6. Can you listen to people to determine their needs and not just to sell them something?

People don't buy things because of what you tell them, they buy solutions to their problems.

7. Can you learn from others as well as from your own mistakes?

You can go to school and get a degree in Marketing, but Network Marketing is a learn as you go type of thing.

8. Are you thick-skinned?

There are a lot of people that will look down on you just because you are a Network Marketer. There are a lot of scams and false claims out there and they give Network Marketing a bad name. Be prepared for negative comments from friends and family.

9. Are you willing to spend some money to make money?

You need to learn your craft. Nothing is free for the taking. Somewhere along the road you are going to have to spend some money to learn the right way to do it. Sure there are many, many places you can go on the internet to get some free training. But at the end of the day, what you don't spend with dollars, you spend with time. And I don't know about you, but I consider money a renewable resource whereas time is not.

10. DO YOU LIKE HARD WORK?

There is no get rich quick in legitimate Network Marketing, there is no easy button. It takes hard work, time, devotion and the willingness to put yourself out there. The ability to try and fail only to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again, and again, and again. Until the day you finally make it.

If the answer to any one of those questions is no, I would seriously suggest that you walk away and find another avenue to success.

But if you said yes to all 10 questions and are still interested in stretching your marketing wings, not only do I wish you all the best, I am waiting for you to join me in my climb to the top!

Shelley Cook
Attraction Marketing Guide