MLM Selling: 5 Ways to Be Persuasive

So now you’re thinking “what do you mean MLM selling? My MLM sells itself,” right? When I first started looking into network marketing, I did quite a bit of research, and I did listen to several company  presentations of well-established MLM companies. I was surprised (and relieved) to find that, according
to the management of these companies, every single one of them included the words that went something to the effect of “there’s really no need to sell”, or “the product sells itself”, or “just tell a couple friends and you’re on your way.”

Well, the truth is that, if you want to be successful in your network marketing company, you will have
to do some selling. But the good news is that selling these days isn’t all that painful. In fact, the hardest part of the whole thing is finding the people who really want the products/services your company offers, or possibly the ones who want to go into business with you, rather than just pitching your offer to everyone and anyone.

But once you’ve identified the people who are interested in what you have to offer — in fact, who are
actively seeking what you have to offer — the MLM selling part becomes extremely easy. Because you’re
talking to people who are already willing and able to snatch up what it is you have waiting for them.

So, the hard part is actually locating these people–not selling to them. And if you can take a step further, and make it so that THEY find you, rather than YOU finding them, well, then, you are way ahead of the game.

It’s definitely worth spending the time and effort on market research early on because it will save you a ton of time and effort in the long-run. More on how to do that in the next couple of days. . .

For now, back from this tangent to the real story which is an article by AllTop’s Guy Kawasaki, entitled

5 Ways to Be Persuasive

This is a list narrowed down from the Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to be Persuasive book by Dr.
Noah Goldstein, Steve Martin, and Professor Robert Cialdini. You might be surprised that their meaning of
being persuasive isn’t quite what you thought it was in today’s world.

Make sure you read it all and take the “persuasion test” at the end to see how well you score!

I just read an insightful article, written by Allison Nazarian on Entrepreneur.com, that I think we MLM marketers or home business men and woman can all benefit from. . .

You Work From Home. . .So What?

Sometimes we are so used to the proximity of the “rest of the home” and the “home office” (which may just be a desk in your bedroom or living room), that it’s hard to separate the two. Allison gives some tips on why you really should keep your home and office life apart, and the best ways to do that. And she too is a busy mom, entrepreneur, and business coach who knows the challenges you face.

Enjoy the article!

The Multi Level Marketing Product – What to Look for And What to Avoid

We’ve been over the basics of what constitutes a good network marketing opportunity. And the the product or service offered is just one aspect that you need to evaluate . . .but it is an extremely important one. . .

I just watched a short video narrated by Darren Falter, author of How to Select a Network Marketing Company. According to him and the top network marketers that he interviewed. . .

There are 7 qualities that define a good network marketing product.

Many of us already realize how important these qualities are but it’s great to see them portrayed as crucial to your network marketing success so I thought I would put them here in black and white.

Perhaps most important of all is how consumable the multi level marketing product is. Will it be used (and used up) on a regular basis? Or is the product something that you buy once and it lasts forever?

You want to make sure you’re representing a product that people will need over and over again.

Some products are more consumable than others. . . the important point is that they are used on a regular basis.

Is the product or service emotional? Does it stir up feelings of excitement, enthusiasm or any other emotions in any way? If so, it’s doing well so far in the process. If not, you may want to move on in your search, depending on the answers to the rest of the questions about what defines a good multi level marketing product.

Are people used to buying this product in the direct sales market rather than from retail establishments?  If not, it might create some difficulties for you in your business. If people are not used to purchasing these products through direct sales, you’ll have a hard time getting them to change their minds now.

Is the product unique? Does it stand out in any way? Does it have a unique angle?

A good multi level marketing product should be unique. . .but make sure that it is “believably unique” as well.

If something seems far-fetched or too good to be true, check it out a little further. A product can be unique if it has a unique ingredient, a unique patent or trademark, a celebrity endorsement, or unique branding or packaging.

How timely is the multi level marketing product? Is the demand for this product huge right now? Timing is everything. Don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s better to start selling a product before it’s really popular.

Don’t speculate on how great a product will be. You can only make money on what is doing well right now.

How stable is the multi level marketing product? How long has it been around and how long will it last? Make sure you choose a company that has been around long enough to prove its worth. A good benchmark is usually about five years.

Is the product/service valuable? It needs to be perceived as being at least worth its price and maybe more. Would you buy it in a retail store at the same price? If not, then people will be tough-pressed to purchase it from you.

The multi level marketing product is just one aspect you need to consider when making a decision about joining a network marketing company or if you’re analyzing the company you are already involved with. There are lots of network marketing products that meet the above criteria – just make sure that you have the other important elements in place like a communicative team with a proven system and training and you’re in the right place.

Is the MLM Distributor a Happy Loser???

I’ve heard many a top MLM distributor discuss the “secrets” of their success and many times they are anything  but secrets. You get the general picture that their climb to the top was not a walk in the park. It required hard work, determination, belief, and a positive attitude, among other well-known characteristics that make good business men and woman and enterpreneurs what they are.

Nowadays with the internet being the main source of customers, leads, and information for the MLM distributor, you hear the term marketing a lot: online marketing, internet marketing, etc. What you don’t see a lot of is talk about sales. Lots of people that first enter into a network marketing company are told that they really don’t have to sell anything. They are told that the products sell themselves, or that someone else (maybe their upline or downline) does the work for them. MLM leaders often say this because they know that the majority of people do not like sales. While it’s true that there are plenty of MLM companies that offer very reputable products and services, not one of these products sells itself. Someone has to do the selling. And that is the you,  the MLM distributor. The good news is that the whole hard-sell approach of sales has taken a backseat to more of an infomercial type of sales. Your sales process starts with having a top-notch product. You make sure that
you get that product in front of the people who want it (this is where your market research comes in), and then you are there to answer any questions or concerns, and offer whatever support you can until your potential customer or prospect makes the decision to buy your products or join you in your team. Easier said then done, right?

I just read an interesting article in Inc. magazine entitled Salespeople: The secret of Their Success. There it is again–that word secret. I learned some things about myself and I hope you will too from this brief summary of the article.

Are You a Happy Loser?
If you like being an MLM distributor, you fit into the category of what G. Clotaire Rapaille, a psychoanalyst and ethnographer who has done extensive research on salespeople, calls “happy losers”. But don’t take it personally. All he is referring to is the fact that a good salesperson, or MLM distributor, sees rejection as a challenge, or doesn’t really see it at all, but just accepts it and moves on. According to Rapaille, the happy loser likes being a salesperson because in general, he or she sees the 95% rejection rate as being a 5% accepting rate — a glass half-full kind of thing.  And the more no’s he or she gets, the closer he or she is to the yeses.

But being a good salesperson is not just about being optimistic. We need the right kind of training to acquire successful MLM distributor status. Rapaille goes on to say, “If the manager (upline in our case) keeps saying, ‘You’re going to win; you’re going to win; you’re going to win,” and then the guy goes to the potential guy and gets rejected, it’s a disaster. A sad loser goes down and never comes back. A happy loser comes back.’”

So it’s important to talk about rejection when we are training our teams. That 95% rate rejection rate is just there. No matter what. No matter what you sell. A successful MLM distributor will just accept it and move on, and he or she will train his team members to do the same. And this ability to do so yourself and train others to do the same is one of the keys to making the sales and recruiting members.

Are you building the “accept rejection” approach into your MLM distributor training?

Copyright © Laura Shapiro, Your Home Business Guide

You’ve heard them, right. . .? The unflattering statistics about the industry that we know as network marketing, mlm or multi level marketing. . .? It’s unfortunate that the most famous MLM statistics are negative. Some of these are true and some of them aren’t. But that’s what people hear. And that’s what people talk about. We’ll talk about them here too just on the off-chance that you haven’t yet come across these numbers. But this article will mostly feature the positive MLM statistics, the ones that aren’t famous or talked about. . .except in circles of successful network marketers.

Let’s start out with the biggie. . this is what most people will focus on. . .

. . .the failure rate for network marketing is estimated to be anywhere from 97 – 99%.

Good, we got that one out of the way. Yes, that happens to be true and the reasons for it thus far are 1) those who enter the business aren’t trained correctly or given the right information by their uplines 2) those who enter the business cannot afford to put in the money and/or time necessary to become successful.

And just for the record, you don’t necessarily need to be pouring tons of money into your network marketing business to start getting more customers and team members. But you will need to put in consistent time and effort. Many people who join network marketing are told that they need no experience and/or that the business just sells itself. When they don’t see that happening. . .they drop out (usually within the first year) and contribute to the 99% failure rate.

Just to give you an idea of what you need to be doing to be making money in this industry, I’m going to show you these MLM Statistics: my network marketing company’s relationship between how many people need to be sponsored in order to get a certain annual salary.

Obviously, the numbers will vary from company to company, but take my word for it. . .you will not become a millionaire by sponsoring 3 people. I was given the above information right from the get-go. And since then I’ve been following a plan that allows me to achieve my goals. And it’s one of the first things I bring up with new sponsors as well. Some may find this kind of information intimidating. I see it as something to set goals around.

And now for a breath of fresh air. . .some MLM statistics that shed a positive light on the industry!

Did you know that there are over 56 million people operating MLM businesses in over 100 countries around the world? And 13.3 million people in the US alone run MLM businesses.

In 2008, network marketing companies earned over $100 billion in sales.

Almost 80% of MLM representatives are females.

And here’s one of my favorite MLM statistics. . .

. . .the network marketing industry has grown by 90% globally in the last ten years.

Can you think of any other industries that can say the same? So how is it that such an industry with such a bad reputation is seeing that much growth?

It’s because people are tired of working for someone else. They are tired of working harder and longer hours and getting paid less. They are tired of not being able to spend time with their families. And when they do have time to spend with their families, they are tired of not being able to do the things they would like to do because of financial problems. They are looking for a way to start their own businesses without investing huge amounts of cash or keeping inventory. And they are finding ways to share exceptional products and services with other people to make the world a better place.

Those are the MLM statistics that I see every day. And those are the ones that count!

Thanks for  reading! I’d love for you to keep up with all my posts – just click on the RSS button above to get all the latest news, tips, advice or whatever happens to be the topic of the day. . .

P.S. The RSS button is that little orange icon in the address bar

Laura Shapiro is a Home-Based Business Owner and Consultant in addition to being a full time Mom. Is a Home Business your Dream? It doesn’t have to be – let me help you make it a reality. . .

I was recently asked for some list building tips, or more correctly, I was asked why anyone needs a list in the first place. This is a great question that many new studious internet marketers may be asking themselves. When we first start out, we aren’t guaging in terms of long-term profit and we don’t really have the statistics ingrained in our brains. We’re just trying to figure out how to make money .. .so the list-building concept may not be all that intuitive.

So, this article will be the first in a series of list building tips. Here I’m going to focus on why everyone (yes, everyone) in business benefits from growing a list.

Let’s start off with the definition–a list consists of the contact information of however many people it contains. These contacts are considered leads and the quality of these leads can vary greatly. For example, if you have a list of people who have specifically requested that you send them information about a product that you promote or the business you are involved in, that list is extremely targeted and qualified. If you have a list of contacts who are interested in your industry in general but haven’t shown any interest in your particular product or business, that too is a fairly targeted list.

You may have a list of people that you have obtained from buying leads or something similar. That would
be considered pretty low on the list quality totem pole. Keep in mind that you may have several different lists that each represent a certain niche or target market or quality level. You will want to market differently to each of these lists but that another topic for a following article.

And here are 5 reasons you want to start building your list now if you haven’t done so already.

1. If you don’t, you’re missing out on a lot of income. Anyone who has already learned the lesson will gladly tell you. . .if you don’t have a list, you are losing income. Look at it this way. You advertisea product for a month and you get a certain amount of sales from this. If you don’t have the contact details of the people who bought this product, you have made just one sale. If you do have the contact details, you can offer these people more similar products, or upgraded products of the ones they have
purchased. Or. . .look at it this way. Someone is interested in your product but they don’t purchase it right now. If you can get them on your list, you can send them reminders about this product or others they may be interested. If not. . .oh well, off they go somewhere else.

2. You can do it even if you don’t have your own product or business yet. . .and you can make money while building. Many people get started with marketing online and they don’t really have a clear idea about what they want to do. Or maybe they are trying lots of different things. As far as list-building goes, that’s perfectly fine! You can start out promoting someone else’s product as an affiliate and build your list that way. As you start to learn more about online marketing and get a clearer picture of where you want to go, you are actually building up one of your biggest assets that will serve you forever.

3. Building a list means having access to feedback and ideas. This goes hand in hand with number 2. Once you can maintain contact with people, you’re able to ask them what they are looking for and in turn, you can develop your marketing strategies accordingly. Save on marketing research costs and ask your the people on your list what they want!

4. Building your own list = building your brand. The Internet is an amazing power. But you can get lost in a sea of cold websites and hype sales pages. Building a list puts you on a more personal level with your customer and allows you to establish a rapport. Who do you think people are more likely to buy from. . .the person they’ve never seen before of the guy/gal who sends them those really cool emails about something they are interested in. . .?

5. A list (or lists) represents multiple sources of income. The ideas you get from your list and from what actually compelled them to be a part of your list allows you to create your own products/services or seek out others that you offer to them.

There are many strategies to building lists and you can get really creative with it. The most important thing to remember is that you are not just out to get someone’s email address or phone number. Your goal with list building is to provide value and to maintain relationships with the people who land on your list.

If you’re a little confused about how all this works, have no fear–it will be cleared up in my next posts!

While doing some recent keyword research, I came to find that the term MLM MultiLevel Network Marketing is something that people are actually typing in. . .further evidence that there is some confusion about the various titles that apply to this type of business model. Hopefully this article will clear it up a little bit. . .

First of all, here is the formula. . .

Network Marketing = Multi-Level Marketing = MLM

I guess when people are searching for MLM MultiLevel Network Marketing, they have heard all three terms and just can’t remember which goes with which. That’s pretty understandable. In today’s network marketing industry, the three above terms are synonomous and can be used interchangeably.

In the beginning. . .there was just Multi-Level Marketing which was shortened to MLM. And this name refers to a type of business model which uses direct sales. So, simply put, instead of buying an MLM product in a retail store, you purchase it from a distributor.

Problems arose when Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) was mistakenly confused with pyramid schemes, also known as Ponzie schemes, which are illegal. There is something about the term “multi level” that sort of conjures up the picture of a pyramd, right?

So, that’s when the more diplomatic term “Network Marketing” came into play. It seemed a safer way to avoid the whole nasty pyramid image. And today, the term Network Marketing really is interchangeable with Multi-Level Marketing and MLM. The term network marketing originally referred to what we now just name “networking” but it has officially evolved to be synonomous with MLM and Multi-Level Marketing.

So, for those of you who are searching for MLM MultiLevel Network Marketing, I hope you have found your answer here!

More to come on how MLM works!

Chances are you’ve run across the term “MLM scheme” and asked yourself what this is (and how to avoid it). There is a great deal of confusion when it comes to the terms network marketing, MLMs, multi-level marketing, pyramid schemes and Ponzi schemes. This article will clear some of it up.

To put it simply, Network Marketing, also referred to as Multi-Level Marketing or just MLM,  is one business model for marketing and selling products and services. A company which uses the network marketing model will not hire a staff of sales representatives or human resources. They will not interview you to see if you are right for the job. Instead, they “allow” you to join the company as a member (by paying a start-up fee) and to spread the word and sell their products. The network marketing company also counts on you to recruit other members to help you sell the product. You in turn make commissions on the amount of products/services you sell and the number of people you can recruit into helping you with sales and recruitment.

Even though each MLM company differs in what products or services they offer, in their compensation plans, in their training and longevity. . .

. . .Network Marketing, Multi-Level Marketing and MLM businesses are ALL legal businesses that help thousands of people around the world.

Many people are surprised when they learn that companies like Shaklee, Avon and Mary Kay are all successful multi-level marketing companies.

However, MLMs are often confused with Ponzi  or Pyramid Schemes. These are illegal establishments where members only make commissions when they recruit other members into the business. This is somewhat similar to what happens in network marketing but the trick with pyramid schemes is that there are really no products or services involved so no real value is really being offered to anyone.

One of the biggest reasons for the confusion about MLMs and Ponzi/pyramid schemes is that the latter were actually created by previously unsuccessful network marketers who weren’t able to make money by following the rules. So, they made their own illegal rules. In their early days, Ponzi schemes were more common because they weren’t recognized as such.  Nowadays, the FTC clamps down on them very quickly if they do happen to crop up and they are usually shut down before they can do much damage. It’s precisely because of Ponzi schemes that Network Marketing companies are subject to VERY strict controls by the FTC to insure that an MLM is not or will not eventually become a Ponzi/pyramid Scheme.

So, the reality is . . .the “MLM scheme” doesn’t exist.

There are MLM companies and MLM businesses, network marketing companies and network marketing businesses, multi-level companies and multi-level marketing businesses. And then there are Ponzi schemes or pyramid schemes. Two separate animals.

It just so happens that network marketing companies are helping thousands of people around the world to start their own businesses from home. These new business owners include people who were laid off from their jobs, those who lost their retirement funds and need a new source of income, moms who have decided that they want to spend more time with their kids, etc. And most network marketers enter into the business because the products that they now sell had significant positives impact on their lives.

However, anyone who has done even the least bit of research about network marketing will have seen the famous statistic. . .the 97 % failure rate. Yes, this is also true. It actually may be a little bit less at the time of this article but around 97% of those who enter into network marketing fail. Does this make network marketing a scam or scheme? No. But it probably makes you wonder what it takes to be in the elite 3%.
For most of us, it takes training, work, dedication and time. If you’ve been told that you don’t need to put in any effort to succeed in network marketing, you’ve been told wrong.Period.

The appeal and benefits of getting into network marketing include residual income and the flexibility to set your own hours and be your own boss.

It’s also something that you can start out doing in your spare time and at your own pace. If you are interested in becoming involved in network marketing, you have an enormous choice of solid, stable and exciting options. You could join an MLM that offers travel services, skin care products, health products, green products, business development products, and so much more. The list goes on and on.

So, the good news is that the “MLM scheme” does not exist. Something that you may not have wanted to hear is that only a small percentage of network marketers are successful. Having the right attitude is a big part of how successful you will become but even more importantly, you need the right training and a system that can work for you as well as your team.

Is it a good idea to get Network Marketing Leads with Do-It-For-You Automated Systems?

I just listened to a training call by McKay Earl, founder of The 90 Day Marketer. McKay often brings up interesting and controversial topics that come up in online marketing and I especially liked this one. . .

“The Dangers of We-Do-It-for-You Systems . . .Do they actually work? Are they worth the investment? What are the downfalls? And More…”

As you can see by the title, McKay has a lot to say about getting Network Marketing Leads (and profits) with these so-called Plug-In systems. And I actually tend to agree with him about most of what he says.

Here are my feelings on the subject. . .

The number one most important activity that we, as online marketers, need to be doing is branding ourselves, constantly and consistently. This is an ongoing process. And everyone, regardless of their experience in online marketing needs to be doing this. It must be a continuous, ongoing effort and learning process.

So, no, you do not want to sign up for the Complete-Do-It-Yourself system – the one that does EVERYTHING for you and doesn’t allow you to see or understand exactly what it is that it does. You may get some quick and short-lived leads and profits in the beginning without even understanding how. You and everyone else who is taking advantage of the system. But who are you then branding? That’s right. . .the system. Not yourself.

However, if you are a newcomer, using the right system to get your Network Marketing Leads (and immediate profits to keep you going) is a definite plus.

Lead generation alone takes up a lot of time. And plugging into the right system which does this for you then allows you to spend more time on branding yourself and other business training or growth activities.

So what makes a system right and how can it be beneficial for newcomers?
First of all, for most newcomers to the industry, the hardest part about the business is growing their list, getting the leads. If you can leverage off the experience and know-how of expert online marketers who already know what leads you are looking for and where to get them, then you should DO IT! But remember, you want the leads to be yours and not the system’s.

Make sure you stick with a system in which the leads that are generated go to YOU.

Secondly, if you are a newcomer to the industry and you are not getting leads, this means that you are also not getting profits. This is one of the reasons people give up. . .they cannot recover their costs. And this is yet another reason to plug into a system that can generate YOUR leads and along the way, some upfront profits.

Besides just making sure that your Network Marketing Leads go to you, you also need to make sure that you understand how the system works so that you can eventually go out and create your own. You don’t want a system that you just give up all of your details, pay 50 dollars and then they go out and do the rest.

You need to understand what kind of marketing you have in place, the follow-up email messages that are being sent out, and most importantly, the training that is being offered to both you and the people who end up being recruited by this system. You want to look for a system that offers ongoing training, webinars and even one-on-one support by your team leader.

In this way, as the system continues to generate leads for you and you learn how to brand yourself, you are becoming a stronger leader and attracting more and more people to your business yourself.

Remember that if you are in this for the long-haul, you want to learn how to do things the right way. Leveraging off of an experienced online marketer is a great way to get started. Just make sure that you are also getting the training that you need to branch out on your own.

If you’re still searching for that RIGHT system to help you get started, I encourage you to take a look at the brand new FreshLeadsForLife system and see what you think of it. It’s already helping thousands of members – most of them with no or little previous experience – get really highly qualified leads and upfront profits. There are many reasons that I strongly recommend this system but the two most important are. . .

1) it is backed up by training which teaches you how to brand yourself as you are generating leads and profits with the system

2) the leads you generate are YOUR leads and not the system’s leads.

I suggest letting FreshLeadsForLife worry about your leads so you can focus on other aspects of your business.