How I Entered Into The World Of Network Marketing

I was always looking for a way to earn an income , not just a normal salary type thing, but a potentially substantial income , and be able to do it from home, my own personal reasons, i think i was going through a self-discovery phase or mid-life crisis if you want to call it that. I had just finished reading the book “Rich Dad Poor Dad!”

Reading the book ignited a spark and led to the book “Cashflow Quadrant!” The one overwhelming statement that kept repeating was “Take Action!”…

…Taking action is one of the first steps to eliminating procrastination!

In both books it talked about getting an education in business…

…And there in the book Cashflow was “attend a network marketing seminar to learn about its business system!”

Like most people I had looked into MLM – Network Marketing, when I was younger. But, I had alway rejected it. I had always seen it as a “Pyramid or Ponzi Scheme!”

Yet, as I educated myself, and found out just how many business actually utilized this method I realized that I had based this opinion on someone else’s preconceived notions!

I took the plunge and jumped in with both feet. I was going to find a network marketing company, with a great education plan! I did my research, talked with quite a few people, and I joined a company…

What happened was…

…The education I received from the first company I joined was not even close to what I expecting and wanted! So it was off to the next company.

When I thought I had finally found the perfect company and joined, I asked a question of my new up-line leader and…

…I can still hear the words resonating in my head! I asked what I thought was a very simple question, “how do we generate sales for our products and services?”

I was bluntly told don’t worry about that! It was then that I knew that I had not only chosen the wrong company but the wrong sponser as well!


This nagging feeling was creeping in, “the feeling that I had just wasted my first two years in network marketing following the wrong advice!”

Advice that led to me spend thousands of Euro's on products, marketing, seminars, and one training or lead generation system after another with little to show for it!

It dawned on me one day, what was really happening, and still happens frequently in network marketing, I was being used and abused, with one up-sell after another!

…To say I was beat-up and disappointed is and understatement!

Still after all the disappointment, I went back and re-read Rich Dad Poor Dad, Cashflow Quadrant, and then “The Business School!”

I knew that network marketing works, it was just a matter of finding the right company, and the right system to run my business....... and i Did just that!

Simple Steps To Build Your Reputation As An Ethical Network Marketer

1) DO NOT SPAM

I really hope you understand this. The online community hates Spam. The government hates Spam. I hate spam. YOU hate spam. Most spammers have bad English and don’t bother running a spell check. So please, don’t spam. Spamming is the act of sending unsolicited e-mail promoting products, business opportunities or just about anything people did not ask you about.

2) Use Opt-in E-mail Lists

Opt-in lists, on the other hand, are legitimate, intelligent ways of creating your network. Opt-in occurs when someone subscribes to your newsletter or e-zine by sending you their contact details through your website or sending an e-mail to your auto responder address. All the top “Internet Gurus” have one thing, at least, in common; they have spent time building a large opt-in list for themselves. This large list enables them to promote their product and services to a targeted audience, making sales and repeat sales effortlessly. Use your mailing list with a good auto responder like the Smart Responder for maximum success.

Opt-in lists create a bond of trust between you and your affiliates, customers and prospects. If you have not done this to date, then PLEASE DO IT NOW! It is also important to give your subscribers an easy way to opt-out, or to stop receiving your newsletter. Most auto responder and mailing list software have an ‘unsubscribe’ link automatically inserted at the bottom of e-mails. If yours does not, then you need to do it manually. Not giving your subscribers a way to opt-out, in my opinion, is very unethical. Besides, then they’ll most probably report your e-mail as spam. You DO NOT want that to happen!

3) Use Your Name

It amazes me how few people actually put their name or signature on their website or product. If you are using your own website to promote your networking opportunity, then by all means let people know your name. Oh yes, and make that your REAL NAME. It may be fun or cool to refer to yourself as El-Diablo or Fat Jake or angel_eyes20 in chat rooms and discussion boards where anonymity is preferred and encouraged, but for heaven’s sake please use your real name when doing business online. The more people see your name, they more they will grow to trust you and listen to what you have to say.

If your name is difficult to pronounce in its original spelling, then simplify your first name, maybe from Yasmene to Yasmeen, but retain your last name.

Remember, people want to know that they are dealing with honest marketers, and putting your name and complete contact details in every business dealing is the way to go.

4) Let People See You

Besides having your name and signature everywhere on your website, include a picture of yourself if you can. They say a picture speaks a thousand words.

Putting a face to the name can help people remember you better. Make sure its not random picture from your 21st birthday bash or of you and your buddies in a high school band competition, I mean a serious, studio-quality photo of yourself, smiling, dressed elegantly, saying “Hi, how can I help you?” Try this and see the difference for yourself.

When a businessperson approaches his customers with a paper bag or ski mask over his head, he will be mistaken for common thief or a con man. When he approaches them with a smile and sparkle in his eyes, they stop and listen. People will trust a face they remember.

5) Provide Valuable Free Content

This is actually easier than most people think. You don’t have to be a big success to be able to write useful content for your website. It’s just a matter of sharing your thoughts and beliefs with others. Whether others like it or not, is a whole different story. Remember that there are always people who know less than you do in any subject.

It’s just the way the world works. Some people know more on certain thing and less than others. I used to think the Internet operates something like this:


6) DO NOT Give Wrong Advice

Don’t be too eager to recommend a new software or tool to your downline organization. That is, at least, until you have achieved a reasonable amount of success with it. Giving the wrong recommendations is a sure way of killing trust in your organization, especially if people start to lose money.

If you have no solid advice to give, then give no advice at all. Simply refer people to your company’s website to get more information. This is especially important when you already have a large number of affiliates under you.

7) DO NOT Sell Junk to Your Affiliates

If your objective of building a large organization is to repeatedly e-mail them your whole collection of affiliate links and products to make a quick profit, then welcome to the club of around 1 million other quick-buck artists. These people don’t last very long in our industry, and I would generally put them in the same category as spammers. I’m really sorry if I sound a bit too harsh on this, but I really HATE this type of people! The last thing I need is my upline team sending me coupons and discount offers on flowers and kids toys. Why would I need all this? If on the other hand, they are recommending a lead generation source that they have used and provides good results, I would thank them a million times for saving me all the effort, and would gladly join, even if I know that they would be earning money when I do. Hey, after all, it’s a fair exchange!

8) Sincerely Help Others

You are often the only source of reference for your affiliates. It can be really daunting and scary for people new to the world of online MLM, and sometimes the only person they trust is you. Therefore, it is your duty to make sure that they get all the help they need, even when it might not be directly profitable to you.

9) DO NOT Use Hype

You might disagree with me on this one, so let me clearly state why I say it. The Oxford dictionary defines hype as “To exaggerate how good or important something is”. Assume that I tell you my network-marketing business opportunity is a “100% automated, guaranteed money-making machine. No sales and effort required! Make $10,000 in your first week, only if you join NOW!”

Did that turn you on? Maybe it did. If indeed my business can do that (which is rarely the case), then wouldn’t it be great? Everyone in this world can fire their bosses and work at home, earning thousands of dollars a day. But what if it does not? What if it actually required effort on your part, sales, a big advertising capital and know-how to make it happen? What if you don’t actually earn anywhere close to $10,000? Obviously you’ll have one affiliate less to worry about.

Keep this up, and you’ll have a networking business that works like an unplugged sink. The more water you pour into it, the more get drained out. Dropouts will occur faster than new opt-ins, merely because you mislead people with information that is inaccurate. This can cost your business a lot, especially if you’re using PPC advertising as you main source of lead generation. Real networkers use reasonable excitement, not hype, to recruit. There’s a lot of difference in that!

10) Think Long Term

Always think of your online network marketing business as a long-term project. Set long-term goals and look for mentors who can teach you. Work your business slow and steady, and you will definitely get there. Seek to build trust with affiliate members and your upline team. This may concepts more popular in 'offline network marketing’, but I honestly believe it to be true in the online version as well. I wish you all the best in building a large network for yourself. Never give up!

So Why Become A Network Marketer?

One of the top ways to make money and work at home online is through network marketing (also known as multi level marketing or MLM). MLM businesses utilize a network of distributors to build their own business by developing a team.

As a network marketer you make money two ways: on your personal sales of products and on the sales of the distributors in your downline. As you add more people to your team and they add more people to their teams and so on, the more money you can make.

Because you make an income on several levels deep you have a legitimate chance to make some substantial money with an MLM business. The business can also be built fairly fast if you can recruit other ambitious people who understand the potential of a network marketing opportunity.

Don't get a legitimate MLM business confused with a pyramid marketing business. Pyramid schemes are illegal because the top person on each team can never be surpassed by anyone else on the team. Therefore they will always make the most money.

Network marketing works well because it allows you to make residual income. In other words, once you build a network of many distributors who are all building their businesses you will continue to earn an income percentage whether you work or not.

Network marketing is an ideal way to work at home online because much of the business can be conducted over the internet. You can recruit other distributors online. You can advertise and sell your products online. You can monitor your entire business operation online.

You do have to give careful consideration to the MLM business that you decide to start. There are hundreds (if not 1000's) of choices. Find one with a product line that you enjoy and can benefit from and one that is somewhat unique.

Not all MLM companies have the same business model. Some offer extra ways to make an income by paying you on more levels of distributors. Others pay you for enrolling distributors. Others have higher end products that cost more which enable you to make a better income on product sales.

It's also to your benefit to start your MLM business with a company that offers good training and great follow up support. The company should provide you with a website for directing potential business partners to.

Your main role with an MLM business is to sell products and recruit others to do the same. The MLM company should handle everything else including the inventory and shipping of products and the administration and accounting of paying distributors.

Of all the ways to work at home online and make money, network marketing is perhaps the best for people who want to generate a good long term second income.

What Is Network Marketing?

The simplest explanation of network marketing is that it is a method of marketing that utilizes independent representatives to reach potential customers that a company otherwise would not reach with traditional online or offline marketing methods.

In order to accomplish this, network marketing companies and their associates recruit individuals I.E. “their sales force,” just like other companies and franchises, have done for years, take for example the insurance industry.

How often have you seen ads on television that use the term, “Independent Insurance Agent or Associate?”

Yet, as we watch these advertisements we naturally assume they are employees of the company, when in reality they are independent business owners!

No doubt you have noticed as you have driven through your neighborhood many of these small businesses, they have signs and other advertisements designed to draw your attention to them.

Yet, you will rarely see advertising from the approximately 13 million people who are either involved with direct selling, or in the network marketing industry according to figures by the Direct Selling Association (DSA).

There is distinct difference between us and them, in most cases they are assigned an exclusive territory and therefore cannot market outside of their assigned territory. Where as in network marketing in most cases, you can market just about anywhere your company is established!

Why are companies willing to pay you to market for them…

…Why don’t they just utilize the internet or other traditional marketing methods?

It’s quite simple, they want access to your network, that is your network of friends and family members! Today there are hundreds of companies offering products and services. Many of these products and services you recognize by their brand name!

The products and services you can market today cover everything from Communication Services, Internet Access, Nutritional Products, Weight Loss Programs, Water Filtration Systems, Financial Programs, Electrical Power, Solar Power, just to name a few.

So why do they need us? Traditional marketing methods have companies spending millions of dollars each year to market their products and services.

They know that word-of-mouth marketing is a far more powerful and effective method of marketing, especially, when that message comes from those whom we know and trust!

And these companies are more than willing to pay you, to communicate this message to your network of friends and family.

It is extremely important to understand that this method of marketing is not about bugging your friends and family members, as many would love for you to believe.

It is about your ability and skill to determine from those individuals within your circle of influence who would be interested in the products or services that your company has to offer…

… That information alone is one of the critical elements that separates those who fail, from those who go on to become very successful!

And occasionally you might uncover a few individuals, who also want to start a business!

I truly believe Robert Kiyosaki summed it up nicely; it really is the business school for people who like helping people!

If you want to call your own shots in life, if you’re willing to get the education you will need to run a small business, if you enjoy working with people, then network marketing just might be right kind of business for you.

If on the other hand, you’re only in it for the money or you just don’t like dealing with people well then…

… You’ll most likely end up failing!

Personally I’ve found running a network marketing business to be a very rewarding. While it does give you the freedom from punching someone else’s clock, now you’ll be punching your clock and will have to hold yourself accountable!

If your currently employed the training you’ll get from having a network marketing business will give you a deeper appreciation of what your employer has to deal with on a daily basis. You will also become a far better communicator, someone who really listens and address the wants and needs of others!

With the economy the way it is today, working from home makes more sense then acquiring a second job in order to make ends meet. And thats if you can find one!