Network Marketing 101 - Comfort Zone

I t could be that you now find yourself considering jumping into a networking opportunity. It could be that you have recently joined a team and are in the early stages of learning about your products / services and the details of your biz-op. Or it may be that you have been enrolled for a while but have never felt that you are really "in" the business.

Here's a few questions to consider as we get started here.

I remember being told "the definition of insanity is continuing to do the same things, over and over, and expect different results". Ever heard that one?

When you enrolled, did the person presenting the opportunity explain that you would likely have some stuff to learn about a business of this kind? Did that person tell you that you may need to change some of your old habits, your old beliefs?

I remember being told "the definition of insanity is continuing to do the same things, over and over, and expect different results". Ever heard that one? The irony was this same person would, later in the presentation, tell me how I could start a business of my own within my comfort zone. Hmmm.

A new definition for insanity might be "believing that I can remain the same person, with the same skills I have today, and that I will reap a six-figure income without welcoming meaningful change". A short version of this definition may be spelled,

"L-O-T-T-E-R-Y T-I-C-K-E-T".

Change is a frightening prospect for many people. Yet, if they only realized that if they could adopt even incremental change, they would yield huge dividends. Those that learn to embrace change will be the ones that will create fortunes for themselves. Life, itself, is a condition of continual change governed by forces that we cannot control. We can only control our responses and reactions to what occurs around us. Unfortunately, many people who fear change will actually resist golden opportunities for their success. Too often, they will have not learned the ability to spot unique situations because they are too busy protecting their comfort zone.

True value

Those of us that are in the business no doubt have a strong belief in our products, services, or program we represent. When we started our enterprise, we began the process of learning all the specific details of each. We studied the compensation plan to make certain that we could answer each and every possible objection that may be thrown at us. We dug through the company literature to gain greater understanding of the potential features and benefits of our product / service. We may have found ourselves developing and practicing our "pitch" with our team leaders. We may have invested in audio products to assist with smoothing out the rough edges of our presentation.

I certainly did.

With all that said, I contend that people will not join your business primarily based on your great product, your wonderful service, or your lucrative pay plan. With all the varied programs and products available, what is the largest deciding factor that prompt people to join your business?

You.

Your business will attract more people and you will build a large, successful business when you become the leader that people are looking for. You are the difference maker. People will sense your confidence level through the way you project yourself - both consciously and subconsciously. People want to join a team that conveys they are going somewhere. It has far more to do with your vision than it does with your skills.

In a discussion about cold market leads, if a person asks you this question,
"...why should I sign up in your company?"

My answer, "first of all, you shouldn't sign up unless you are committed to your success. But, you can sign up in any company you wish. The difference will be that if you sign up somewhere else, you won't have me."

Sound arrogant? For some I suppose it does but I have come to realize that I will choose the people to join my enterprise, I choose how to spend my time to the best productive benefit, and I possess unique value for those I work with. In the final analysis, I may be marketing a product or service or pay plan but what I am truly marketing is me.

Network Marketing 101 - Getting Started

Sorry this is late in posting. Here are some basic ideas for getting started. I have pulled some of these thoughts from my other pages and added some others I have recently some to accept and understand about what I was lacking in my experience. Some of these ideas are very common and probably familiar if you have been around NM for any period of time.

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Develop & define your initial goals
What do you plan to achieve and what are your reasons for starting your business?
What are your passions?
Your dreams?
It is important to have these clearly defined as you begin this process.

Review all available materials in your start-up packet.
Read all the printed material from the free downloads. This includes the Business Compendium, Product information, etc. Listen to all audio available and any presentation material available as well.

Find a mentor / coach
This could be someone who has experience in the business and should be someone whose opinion you trust and have confidence. It can be a family member, your upline sponsor, or even a small business owner or other business professional in your area.

Develop a game plan
This is part two of the goal setting process. In developing your game plan, it will be important for you to consider how your business will be structured and where you activity will be primarily focused. Will you be more focused on building a retail client base or will you mix the retail and team-building activities? You will need to consider a budget, both in terms of time and money, that you will allocate for expanding your business. What standard business materials will you need, such as letterhead, business cards, advertising materials, etc. How much time will you devote to building your enterprise? The key word here is consistency.

Make a names list
We have heard so much about this but it's importance can't be emphasized enough. Think about the people you know and with whom you have a personal relationship. Think about those you know through casual acquaintance and those you know through professional / business associations.

Assess your skills
Use your current skill set to move your business forward while you are developing and increasing your comfort and knowledge. Your mentor / coach may have some ideas to help you.

Put your plan into action and do the work
For everything, there is a beginning. Create your own momentum and build upon it. Check your growth against your goals on a regular basis. Seek additional resources and support when needed.

If you have been involved in another business enterprise, and especially if your experience had been less than favorable, release the negative memory from your mind. That was then, this is now. Situations and conditions from the past have little, if any, relevance in how you will conduct your business today. Too often, we allow our lack of success in our previous experiences to establish a pre-condition in our current enterprise and we tend to be closed down to new ideas.

Jim Rohn offers a method to achieving success:

"A few simple disciplines, practiced everyday."

Network Marketing 101 - Evaluate the program

It's Wednesday. Time for the second installment of the Network Marketing 101 series.


If you are trying to decide whether you should join a network or even which network to start up with, I always recommend and urge my potential new business partners to do their research. Important decisions are not made casually and I try to emphasize their choice to start in my business is an important one. It could be life changing. It could be the first step in creating a legacy for their family and may have a tremendous impact on their future.

Here are some obvious basic questions that everyone typically will ask:

• How much will it cost me to get started?
• Will someone help me learn the things I need to know to be successful?
• Is there a charge for this training?
• When will I get paid for the work I've done?
• Who do I call if I have a problem / question / concern?
• How much time will I have to dedicate to doing this?
• Is there selling involved?
• How much do the products cost and is there a personal purchase quota?
  

Pretty common questions, right? Sure, these are the first I would and did ask in my first experience.

Here are some additional things to consider. Some of these are more introspective and values-based but should be considered vital in creating the best possible environment for success.

• Would the integrity of the company's leadership inspire you to follow them?
• Is the company mission-driven or get-rich-quick motivated?
• Does the company's corporate philosophy fit your personal philosophy?
• Does the company depend on hype to sell it's opportunity, or will the company and opportunity survive a factual examination of the claims made at company-sponsored opportunity meetings?
• Would the opportunity give you a real chance to make a positive difference in the lives of those you sponsor into the business?
• Can you understand the compensation plan without needing a Ph.D. in economics?
• Is it home based or will I need to leave my home in order to build it?
• Are the products items you would buy if you weren't involved in the business? What kind of quality and customer support is available for the products being marketed?

You can probably come up with many more but I hope this offers a good starting point. By all means, ask all your questions before you lay your money down. Understand all the expectations, requirements, and responsibilities so you can achieve maximum effectiveness as you begin. It will make the process of developing your game plan with your sponsor / mentor so much easier and will make the goal setting process more productive.

Next Wednesday - Getting started ideas

Modern Networking / Passport: Slacking savers may need your business opportunity.

This item from Dale Moore at Modern Networking:

"Here is where I see opportunity for anyone building their Network Marketing business today. I don't believe in playing on the fear of people, so don't take this the wrong way. As a society we have been told by many sources in many ways to ready ourselves for our retirement days and many have chosen to ignore the advice. I believe, in the near future, when millions of baby boomers begin to face the fact that they are behind in saving, we will have a great opportunity to step in and help them understand that there are alternatives. Help by starting now to build a business that can provide residual income before they need it 5 to 10 years from now."

Read the complete post:
Modern Networking / Passport: Slacking savers may need your business opportunity.

Network Marketing 101

I am beginning a series of posts to provide those that are new and/or are considering becoming engaged in Network Marketing. Each Wednesday, I will offer some background information and my experience on topics that I hope will assist the reader.

So, this being Wednesday let's kick this off and walk this road together, and let's see if we can exchange some information that will be of value for all.

Network Marketing - Definition

Many people make an all too common mistake, as I did in the beginning, in believing that Network Marketing is an industry. This is simply not true.

Network Marketing is a method of distribution that is inclusive of a never ending selection of goods and services. Network Marketing involves the movement of products, goods and services from the supplier or manufacturer to the end-user (consumer) through direct representation by independent contractors. These contractors are commonly referred to as Independent Business Owners or IBOs.

These business owners earn money by selling goods and services and by enrolling (sponsoring) other entrepreneurial-minded individuals to join their organization. Typically, commissions and bonuses are earned and paid on a monthly basis relative to the specific details of that company's compensation programs.

There are many misconceptions about Network Marketing that include:

• Network Marketing is illegal, unethical, and a pyramid or ponzi scheme.
• Network Marketing is a get-rich-quick scheme.
• Network Marketing is a way for companies to sell products that no one needs, wants or uses.
• Network Marketing is a way to sell products at inflated prices and avoid traditional marketplace pricing reality.

There may be some obvious exceptions and abuses, but on the whole, the beliefs listed above are simply not true. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of ethical, legal, and highly reputable companies that utilize Network Marketing as their delivery system for their goods and services.

If you are seriously considering joining a network, tune in next week and we will talk about what to look for in your networking opportunity before you sign on the dotted line and invest your hard-earned money.

Network Marketing Today: Passport LLC hosts Doug Firebaugh

We at Passport LLC are excited and honored to announce that Doug Firebaugh will be speaking to our Independent Associates on August 11th at 9:00pm Eastern time. Many of you no doubt recognize Doug Firebaugh and for those newer to the industry, here's some information about Doug.

He is a successful entrepreneur that has spent the last 20 years in the sales and Direct marketing field,and has been blessed with winning numerous awards and helping break records in performance by training people on how to "Maximize their Human Success Capital" that lies within them...
He has been endorsed by Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn Intl, numerous CEOs of companies, plus many others, and has been featured on radio talk shows as well as TV....
He helped build an organization for a direct marketing company that spanned the globe and produced Tens of millions in sales...

You can read more about Doug by visiting his web site, PassionFire.

If you would like to join the free Passport LLC conference call with Doug, here are the details:

Thursday, August 11, 2005
9:00 pm Eastern Time
(641) 478-5008
access code 491560 followed by #.
For more information about Passport LLC visit my web site - Simple Honest Fair.