The profession of network marketing is so close to reaching the recognition that it deserves. There is one last group of people who need to be converted to see the industry in a positive light. This group is not the media, the government regulators, politicians, or the people who call it one of those pyramid things. No the group that needs to change their minds is existing network marketers.

Have you ever talked sh!t about another company company to a prospect? Have you ever suggested that other companies and their management is only out to steal from your prospect? Do these tactics ever help you actually sell anything? No.

When you badmouth another company you are badmouthing the industry and your company at the same time. Do you think your prospect trusts that if you say your competition companies X, Y & Z are bad companies that they are going to think great this is the one. No what is going through their mind is why do I want to be in an industry that is full of crooks.

Trying to destroy the reputation of your competitor might work in some businesses and politics but not in network marketing.

What you can do is compare products and companies with out being negative. Look at this recreation of a conversation I had with a prospect when he mentioned another company (this isn’t word for word but it is pretty close and some changes have been made to (poorly) hide the company I was talking about)…

Prospect: I have been hearing a lot about company M recently.

Me: There are a lot of people right now marketing their products and there are definitely people who like it. I looked at them before joining and there are some big differences that I believe make our products and opportunity superior. M is most know for having the acai berry. Our core nutrition product has acai, noni a fruit from the South Pacific, gogi, pomegranate and has ECE kelp extract the next generation of super anti-oxidant. ECE anti-oxidant stays in your system working for up to 24X longer than acai berry. In one bottle you are getting a lot more than just acai.

With the economy the way it is value is a big concern and being able to give people a large bang for their buck is important. Theirs comes in a very nice looking 25 oz bottle and costs about $40; ours is 32 oz for $22.50. So you get almost 30% more product for about half the price. It is a bigger bottle of a better product and less money. Would you agree that is a big difference in value?

P: Yes it is. Being half the price do you make a lot less?

M: The compensation plans are very similar in structure. Before joining I took a pencil and paper to the numbers and did a couple of side by side comparisons. We came out ahead. The difference is how much of each dollar gets paid out as commission. Of every dollar that is brought 60% is paid out to the field compared to their 50%. We are able to do this because we have less middlemen on the supply side.

I never resorted to playing them as bad guys or selling modern day snake oil. I highlighted the differences and framed the conversation in a way that made me, my product and my opportunity the better choice without having to compromise my integrity.

“Selling is a lot like shaving. If you don’t do it every day pretty soon you start to look like a bum.” – Bruce Firestone (My Dad)

I truly believe that my opportunity is the best thing going. I also know that for many of the people I speak to, my opportunity is not right for them. What is important is these people go out and find something that does get them excited and motivated to take action.

The profession of network marketing is extremely diverse with companies producing an amazingly wide variety of products and services. The right opportunity is out there waiting for you, it is now just a matter of finding it.

Everyone says they want to get off to a fast start in their MLM business. One problem what is a fast start? If this was a goal setting workshop you have set an unachievable goal. “Fast start” is neither specific or measurable.

How I Define Fast Start

A MLM fast start is getting a check every week for your first 12 weeks. It is specific and measurable. The only guaranteed way to get it is by recruiting a new rep or selling a new customer each week. Having to go and do the business builds the skills and habits for long term success.

You don’t get healthy by going to the gym one time and you don’t build a successful network marketing business recruiting one person one time. You go to the gym a couple of times a week over  a period of months and years, gradually getting stronger and leaner. You build a MLM business by recruiting and selling a couple of times a week over a period of months and years gradually getting better and the checks get bigger.

I have put together a tracking sheet for people who want the fast start you can download it here.

CQ: What is your definition of a “Fast Start”?

One of the big concepts that I adopted from Tony Robbins is knowing your outcome. Knowing your outcome is important because it gives you purpose and reason.

When you know your outcome like a good story there is a beginning a middle and an end. I just started reading Marshall Sylver’s book Passion, Profit & Power. In the introduction he tells a story of two men walking on the same path through the woods. One knows at the end of the path there is everything he wants and the other has no idea where it goes. The one who knows his outcome goes through all the obstacles on the path excited because he knows he is getting closer to his outcome. The other man stops in the middle of the forrest, builds a hut and focuses on surviving, always wondering what would have happened if he had continued down the path a bit more. Does the second man sound like any one you know? Maybe you?

Most people live their lives wondering in the woods just trying to survive.

Try this for your self. Plan a date with the person you love. Dinner and a movie or what ever you want. The important part is have an outcome and see how much more enjoyable the night is compared to the usual eat in and watch tv.

Comment Question: What is your mlm business outcome?

Do you know someone who is really dumb and makes a lot more money than you and you are jealous? (Yes)

How about have you ever been part of a business opportunity and met the top earners and thought to your self “I am smarter and better looking than them but they are making 100 times more money and everyone in the company knows their name! Why is that not me?!?!” (Yes)

The answer is really very simple.

1. The universe rewards action. The more action you take the closer you will get to your goals. Simply sitting around being smart is not enough to reach the top of the food chain.

2. They are doing things you are not doing. You are calling 1 prospect a day they are calling 25. You are sitting by your self reading a book on your lunch break they are doing a one-on-one lunch time presentation.

There are two ways to become successful: trial and error or modeling someone who already has what you want. The neat thing about most home business opportunities is the people walking across the stage getting the awards will gladly share with you what they did to get there and what they do now. All you have to do is ask.

Have you ever heard of paint by numbers? If you haven’t it is a canvas that has a picture printed on it and there are little numbers to tell you what color you should paint that section. Network marketing is a lot like the paint by numbers canvas. If you stay with in the lines and use the correct colors you have a nice beach scene in the end. Too many people try to “improve” it by going outside the lines and using the wrong color and end up with a disaster.

So you made your list, set the appointment and you are about to verbally vomit everything you know about the company all over your prospect and make sure they never pick up another phone call from you again. Why? Because you have no system of how to have an effective conversation. If you have done this before don’t feel too bad I think we all have and networkers all over the world continue to do it daily.

How About A Super Simple Strategy?

To execute this strategy you need a to bring a couple of things with you to the meeting. You need a notepad, a pen, if you have a sample-able product some samples, some information about the company and comp plan. You don’t need to know every detail about the company and products. That is knowledge you will acquire over time. As long as you know the big points and follow this system you will be fine.

It is as easy as A, B, C, D, E

A) Where are they AT? This is where you learn about what is going on in their life. The good, the bad, and the ugly. With out first knowing what the pressing issues are you will never have be in a position to offer a solution. (Note: Ask permission to take some notes during this conversation so you don’t forget what they tell you)

B) Where do they want to BE? What are their goals, dreams and aspirations. How would their life be different is X, Y & Z were no longer issues?

C) What CHANGES need to happen to go from where they are AT to BE? More money? Time? Etc.

D) DECISION time. Will they make the changes necessary? (Do not move to E with out a Yes answer)

E) EVERYTHING ELSE. This is where you start talking about the product, company and business opportunity.

Why This Works

This system is effective because your focus is on getting the necessary information. To make the sale the prospect needs to sell themselves. This is a soft sell not hard selling that turns off and closes your prospects mind.

Network marketing is a very simple business model. When you strip away all the minutia, smoke and mirrors there are two income streams in a network marketing business. Personal sales and team overrides.

With your personal sales you can make a living. Make a sale, earn a commission. Get the customer on auto ship and you will get a check every month when the product is shipped out to them. Making direct sales if you need money now this is a way to get it.

To take your MLM business from making your car payment to making your dreams you need to get some leverage. Building a large team is how the big guys make the 6-figure incomes. When you bring someone into the company you earn an override on everything they sell. I bet you could imagine that if you have 1,000 people moving $100/mo. you would make a substantial amount of money every month.

In a perfect world on the day you start in business everyone is sitting by the phone waiting for you to call so they can join your opportunity. That just isn’t the real world. For most people the time is not right. To find the people who the timing it right talk to your prospects. If they are not interested in the business focus on how the product will make their life better and make a sale. If they are interested in the business focus on how they can use the business as a way to get what they want. Let the prospect tell you what they want so you can walk away with the deal.

Today Eric Worre at NetworkMarketingPro.com asked a very interesting question “Would I want to be sponsored by me?”

This is a perfect example of why people call network marketing “personal development you get paid for!”

To help you answer this question and focus your attention to make the changes to take you to the top I made a simple worksheet to help you become the sponsor you want to be.

Download Now

In the comments share what you want from your perfect sponsor.

In case you haven’t heard the economy is in a recession. The hard part would be not hearing it. Turn on the news or pick up a newspaper or go to your favorite business website and you will find a lot of people who want to tell you how bad it is.
Let me ask you something. How does this knowledge improve your life?
True it does not pay to be completely ignorant to the world around you. But after you have heard it once how does subjecting your self to repetitive negativity help? It sure isn’t making you any more money. I seriously doubt it is making you feel happier. I hope you don’t enjoy seeing other people suffer.
From where I am standing the only thing this does is reinforce a victim cycle. It sucks that millions of people have lost their jobs in the last year and honest hard working people are being kicked out of their homes. Bad things happen to good people it is a sad fact of life.
I was asked how much my business was suffering because of the recession. The truth is just the opposite.
In good times people fear change. Change is risky and the focus is on how to protect what they already have instead of growing from good to great.

When times are tough three groups surface

1. Status Quo’s – These are the people who are largely unaffected in the short term and keep going on the path they were on before things went bad.
2. Victims see the world ending. They focus on all the negative things that have happened and could happen and do not do anything to stop it.
3. Victors see the opportunity for a solution and take action.

Victors : Victims = Fight : Eaten by a bear

Tough times victors respond with action. Most of the time this involves being open to solutions that would have not considered during the good times. When the victor thinks their job is in trouble they immediately start working on plan b. Victors understand that there is opportunity with in reach at all time waiting for them to take action.

Are you a victim or a victor?