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MLM Woman Online Issue 46
This free monthly newsletter is made possible by our advertisers and customers. We thank them for their support!
From the Desk of the Editor
Welcome to the 46th issue of the MLM Woman Newsletter. In this month's issue I've included articles from four women who share their experiences on:
Enjoy!
Linda Locke Editor MLM Woman
A Gift of Time By Margaret Shank
It was on a Monday morning last winter. I was in my classroom handing out papers when the thought flashed through my mind, bright as a neon sign on a dark highway - "I can't afford to do this anymore." At that moment the decision took root to trade my career as full-time teacher for full-time network marketer.
I'd been a part-time network marketer for a year and a half. I spent the first year cutting my teeth on a pre-paid calling card start-up. I didn't earn a penny, but having a home-based business saved me $1000 on my income taxes. That impressed me.
I became fascinated with the whole concept of network marketing and read everything I could find on the industry. I understood the freedom that was possible with network marketing, the potential for an unbelievable income and for great personal fulfillment. I pulled out of my first company shortly before it folded, then began a two-month search for the best MLM company I could find. My research and a quirk of Fate led me to my present company.
I got very excited about my new business with this successful and growing company. I loved the products. The ethics and integrity of my new business partners matched my own standards. But finding time to devote to my business was a serious problem. Teaching is more than a full-time job. In addition to putting in a full day, there were 2 to 3 hours of schoolwork to do at home. And the stress of dealing with 130 adolescents every day took its toll on my mental and physical health. I was exhausted and it took every bit of willpower I had to make those phone calls in the small amount of time I was able to carve out in the evenings. I hated my job and grew continually more resentful because of the lost time and income potential.
That winter morning I realized how much being in that classroom was costing me. The next day I met with my principal and told him I'd decided to semi-retire from teaching in order to devote more time to my business. There was no turning back.
I realized this decision would require sacrifice on my part. My income from my new business was nowhere near my teaching salary. But I knew that with more time to devote to it I could, within a year, equal my present income then surpass it. In the meantime, I could tighten my belt, forgo vacations, new clothes and a new car, cut expenses here and there. Time freedom was a hundred times more important to me than the money I was sacrificing because I knew with time the money would come. That's the magic of this business. Find the right company, do your minimum daily action, emulate the leaders, never quit, and success will come.
In the spring, Fate tested my resolve. My mother, who is in the end stages of Alzheimer's disease, had stopped eating. The doctor said she probably only had a few weeks to live. As our family prepared for the worst, she eventually rallied and began eating again. It looked like she might hold on a few months longer. Every moment with her became precious. Each visit to the nursing home and every farewell was heart breaking.
After one particularly emotional visit, I made the decision to bring Mom home with me to live out whatever time she had left. I wasn't sure how I was going to handle it financially. My financial resources would already be stretched to the limit once the full-time teaching checks stopped coming in. How could I provide for my mom as well as myself? But having once conceived of the idea of bringing Mom to live with me, there was again no turning back. Somehow the Universe would provide. And it did. Two weeks after I brought my mom home, two people, already very successful in another well-known network marketing company, joined my downline. I was on my way.
It is now autumn - six months since the doctor's grim prognosis. Mom eats three full meals a day with snacks in between. Her physical health is strong and she is thriving on frequent doses of hugs, attention, music and love. She smells of fresh air. She is safe. And she laughs.
I don't know how long she will be with us. Neither does her doctor. But every day with her is a gift, every smile a blessing. Teaching just two classes a day I have much more energy and patience, and a renewed passion for teaching. I work my business on the Internet during the afternoons when Mom is napping and make my phone calls in the evenings when she is in bed. My downline continues to grow, along with my monthly checks. Above all, I have the incredible gift of Time, which is the greatest wealth I could ask for as my mother and I travel this final path together.
About the Author
Margaret Shank is a Marketing Executive with FreeLife International. Working from home while being primary caretaker for a disabled adult presents its own particular challenges. If you are caring for a disabled adult and would like some tips for balancing your home business and your caretaking responsibilities, please contact Margaret at joyeuz@moneyfreedom.com.
From Failure to Success in Network Marketing By Barbara Laski
Do you ever wonder why some people are able to consistently make money in Network Marketing while you continue to struggle, losing more money than you've ever been able to make? "I've tried everything," you say, "and nothing works!" Does this sound familiar? Or, "I've been in literally hundreds of companies, and either people drop out faster than I can bring them in or the company goes under before I get a check!"
What is it that the people who are making the big money in mlm are doing that you're not? Do they posses certain qualities that you lack? Are they just super sales people, and you can't sell a chipmunk to a cat? Did they just get lucky and get in at the beginning of opportunities while you always manage to join companies the day before they go under? Do they luck out with super sponsors while you end up with someone who is working 25 MLMs simultaneously and thinks that "money games" are the road to riches?
Before we go on, the first thing you need to do is some "soul searching" to determine whether or not you are cut out for this business in the first place. Sure, you want to make money from home, and you desperately need the extra income to make ends meet. You have heard about all the millionaires being made from network marketing, so you decide to try it. You plunk down your initial fee, maybe mail a couple hundred postcards, and then you sit back and wait for the checks to start pouring in. You can hardly sleep, thinking about how much money you are going to make now that you've gotten in this super program.
Months pass, and maybe you get a check for a few dollars, but more often you get nothing. You become depressed and totally discouraged. Why doesn't everyone see what you saw in this opportunity? "OK, you think, maybe I joined the wrong company. I mailed out 100 postcards per month for three months, and nothing happened." You're depressed for several days, until someone calls you with the most incredible business opportunity that has ever existed! Tens of thousands of people are supposed to be joining this company within the first few months that the doors open, and you will get a huge amount of spillover! And guess what? A famous movie star is endorsing this company! So you join. Again, you mail out a couple hundred postcards, but after two months when you have not sponsored a single person nor gotten anyone from spillover, you drop out again.
The next program you join is different. This is a passive MLM, and you never have to sponsor a single person to make money! Sure, it costs several hundred dollars to join, but in 3 months from now your money will triple, even if you do not sponsor a single person! No work, no sponsoring...just sit back and watch your money work for you. You send in the $300 and wait. And wait. The next thing you hear about the company is that it was closed down by the Feds.
Now you are really depressed. All your hard-earned money has gone down the drain. But instead of doing anything about it, you continue to join one program after another whenever 3 months go by and you haven't made any money. You repeat this cycle over and over and over again, and you continue to fail at every attempt you make to get ahead.
Is this you? Come on, admit it, we've all been guilty of doing some, if not all of these things. But don't be too hard on yourself, because it may not be all your fault! Yes, there are good companies and bad companies. There are things you can do to change your vicious losing cycle and become a winner. If you continue to believe all the "hype" out there, and there is enough of it out there to last you a lifetime, then I suggest that you buy lottery tickets instead. At least with lottery tickets you might get lucky! But if you are willing to follow these 10 tips, you won't need luck.
1. ADVERTISE
Never, ever stop advertising your business. In the beginning, you may not be able to afford much when it comes to advertising. You must work within the confines of your budget, but the key is to advertise consistently. Mail postcards, advertise free on the Internet, talk to people you know who are interested in making extra money, place small classified ads in MLM publications, etc. But don't quit after two or three months! If you want to be successful in any business, you must never, ever stop advertising. If you've ever watched the Olympics or the Super Bowl, have you ever noticed how many ads you see by industry giants such as Coca Cola? Virtually everyone knows about Coca Cola! Yet they still advertise heavily, every day, week, and month, year after year. No matter how small your budget is, you need to continue advertising. You never know who is looking at your postcard or classified ad. People may not act immediately, but I have had people save ads and respond to them up to a year after I placed them! Keep advertising, and eventually you will get results.
2. COMMIT
If you have any intentions at all of being successful in the business you start, you must be willing to commit to your business for at least a year. Success starts slowly in any business, so you can't let yourself become discouraged. If you want to experience that exponential growth that happens with multiplication over time, you need to be there long enough for the growth to occur. Can you imagine someone who spends millions on a franchise thinking "If I don't break even in 3 months, I quit?" If you're married or plan to get married some day, are you thinking "I'll try it, and if it doesn't work I'll just get a divorce?" If this is the way you think, you've already set yourself up for failure. Winners never quit, and quitters never win.
3. CHOOSE YOUR COMPANY WISELY
You may be doing everything right, but you still cannot get people to join your opportunity. Before you join, examine the opportunity very carefully. Is this a startup company? Most startups don't last a year, let alone 3 or more years. New MLMs are popping up daily, and many will be out of business within 6 months. Do you really want to risk all your time and money in a company which may be out of business within a year? A good company to consider would be one that has been around at least 2 years and is growing steadily.
Second, are you choosing a company that is affordable? If the monthly product purchase amount is over $50 to start, you may be able to afford it, but most people can not. Look for companies with beginning monthly product purchase requirements no greater than $50. Ideally, the purchase requirement amount will increase as you make more money, which will lead to even greater profits in the future.
Third, how much of the money is the company actually paying out to distributors? Make sure that the amount is at least 75%. And make sure that the recruiting requirements just to break even on monthly purchases is not too high. An ideal company would put you in profit with 3 to 5 distributors and/or have an extra monetary incentive for those who recruit, such as fast-start or matching bonuses or increasing percentages of the company's profits. If people have to recruit truckloads of people just to break even on product purchases, chances are extremely high that your downline members will drop out in a few months. If people are making money, they continue to buy products!
4. LOVE YOUR PRODUCTS
Are you joining a company simply because of all the money you are supposed to be making but you could care less about the products? Again, chances are slim that you'll have any sustained success with this company. If you are buying products on a monthly basis that you love and/or need, you will be more likely to continue to purchase them. Most companies/opportunities that do not have good products or services go belly up in a short amount of time.
5. DUPLICATION
Does the company you are choosing have good recruiting materials that are available to all reps? Do they give you camera-ready flyers, postcards, etc. and other sales aids which can be mailed or handed out such as product brochures? Does your company have weekly or at least monthly conference calls for training and questions? Does your company offer free online training and resources for people who are on the Internet? Do they have affordable co-op shares? All of these things are extremely important if you are to market your business successfully.
You also need to look upline to find out what successful distributors in your company are doing to be so successful. Don't ever use the excuse "I have a terrible sponsor who does nothing for me!" Of course we'd all love to have the best possible sponsors, but perhaps your sponsor is also just beginning or simply does not know what to do. In that case, go upline. Find out who in your upline can help you, and pass that information on! There are always successful distributors in your upline who will be more than happy to show you what they are doing.
6. AVOID "ONE-TIME PAY PROGRAMS"
These programs are often wildly popular, especially when the joining fee is less than $50. They claim that you make your money by cycling people through them and generating money each time you cycle. If you happen to be one of the first persons in a program like this, you will probably make money. But in order for companies to continue to issue checks, more and more people need to be brought in to cover the increasing amounts of applicants.
Not only is this illegal, but after a while these numbers become astronomical and the money dries up. If you don't have monthly product/service purchases, you are involved in a Ponzi scheme and will never be able to make a residual income. Product sales are what keep a company in business and you in profit!
7. DON'T COUNT ON SPILLOVER!
Please get this word out of your vocabulary if you plan on becoming a success in network marketing. If you sign up for a company simply because you are hoping for massive spillover, then you will most likely end up dropping out when you don't get it. Yes, spillover does happen if you are one of the lucky ones who gets into a good position in a company or under a super recruiter, and some company compensation plans are more likely than others to lend to spillover.
But counting on spillover for success is a sure road to failure. When you join a company, you must have the attitude that you are going to work for your success and do what it takes yourself to achieve that success. If you get spillover along the way, great! But don't count on it and don't join a company under the promise that you will get massive spillover from all the people who are expected to be coming in to your company.
8. SET REALISTIC GOALS
Do you expect to be making hundreds of dollars your first month in business? Do you get frustrated and feel like quitting if you are only able to sponsor one person in a month's time? Are you planning on quitting if you are not successful in two or three months?
If the answer to these questions is YES, then perhaps you need to look at a different kind of business. Some people do manage to always be in profit their first month in any company they join, but the majority of networkers are not "heavy hitters" and do not have instant success. If you continue to feel this way, chances are that you will become an "MLM junkie" and will spend your time hopping from one opportunity to the next. Months become years, and when you look back, where has this past pattern gotten you? Are you much better off or much worse off from repeating this pattern? Chances are it's the latter.
What you need to do is get off the roller coaster, once and for all. Think of your first year as your building year. Think of your second year and beyond as the years to reap profits. Instead of dropping out of your current company and spending more money to join another when you get frustrated with your progress, use that money to do an extra mailing, buy another co-op share, or take out a classified ad for your current program.
Do this consistently, month after month, and eventually you will be making some very serious money. Jumping from one program to another every two or three months is a sure way to financial suicide! Not only will you lose the money you've spent on your previous company, but you've also just thrown away lots of valuable time. Isn't your time worth more than that to you?
9. STICK TO ONE COMPANY IN YOUR BUILDING YEAR
Some people manage to work several opportunities simultaneously and do it with success. Generally these people are successful networkers who have large advertising budgets. But if you talk to these networkers you will find that they originally worked one and only one opportunity until it reached a success level that enabled them to branch out.
If you have deep pockets and can afford the monthly product purchase and advertising for more than one company at a time, then go for it! But if you're like most people, you will need to concentrate on one program at time and should not try to switch directions until your first opportunity has reached the success level you desire and is still growing.
Most of the very successful networkers I know are only involved with one opportunity but may have other sources of income in affiliate programs or programs which enhance their primary programs (such as stamp or lead programs). Working too many programs can lead to confusion, frustration, and leave you more broke than you were when you started. Most people are not successful at working one, let alone two opportunities simultaneously.
Throwing money at every program that comes your way and hoping one of them will work is simply gambling. There are literally thousands of companies out there and the grass may always look greener to you when you're frustrated. No matter how tempting the next program looks, stick to your original plan!
10. PASS THESE TIPS ON TO YOUR DOWNLINE!
Have you ever heard of the "Power of One?" The facts are, that if you and everyone you recruit is only able to recruit one person a month, then in one year's time you will have 4,096 distributors in your downline! The sad fact is that most people only last an average of 3 months in any program and are never able to experience this growth.
For once, do yourself a favor. Follow these tips and pass them on to everyone who enters your downline. You will soon realize that they work! If you are unable or unwilling to follow these guidelines, then you should quit while you're still ahead and try to find another type of business. Better yet, buy lottery tickets because you probably are not cut out to run your own business. Maybe you'll finally get lucky!
Barbara Laski is a former School Psychologist turned Stockbroker turned full-time mom and network marketer. She is a distributor for Cajun Country Candies and can be reached at 23225 S. Hidden Lake Trail, Crete, IL 60417. Visit her web page at: http://www.replicate99.com/candy/832.shtml or e-mail her at: fireflash89@visto.com
Marriage & MLM By Lisa Kneller
Are any of you tired of reading and hearing about all those great couples who are working the business together? One specializes in one aspect of the business and one handles the other stuff. They’re a TEAM and they just LOVE it!!! Come on…
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t begrudge them for their success. And for those couples working the business together reading this, this will help you and your organization too. It’s just that I have been in this business for so long without a spouse, that it wouldn’t even fit into my wildest fantasy to have my husband work this business with me.
The last company convention I attended, I said to one of my business partners, "Did you notice that all those people on stage are either married or single?" He laughed and called me blonde once again as he replied, "duh…yeah, I know what you mean."
It’s true. It seems that the most successful people in network marketing are either married and working this thing together, or are single and can do whatever they please – with no one to answer to. So…we "married but single" in the business have a challenge, and that is to thrive in our network marketing business while making sure our marriage doesn’t crumble. Is this possible, you ask? I believe it is.
In my situation, I struggled for years trying to get rich in my last business opportunity. My husband constantly fought me. It doesn’t help that he’s an attorney and files bankruptcies for loads of people. It also doesn’t help that he used to regulate fraud for the state and saw a gazillion Ponzi schemes. Still, I fought for network marketing, because I believed in it. I believe in the industry now more than ever. It is filled with the best entrepreneurial life has to offer. Once in love with leverage, always in love, but watch out! Don’t let your love for network marketing ruin your marriage.
If you are struggling with your spouse or significant other regarding this issue, take heart. There is a way to stay happily married AND have a thriving network marketing business. First you’ll need to come to come to grips with a few things.
This business isn’t for everybody – like 95% of the people you come into contact with. Keep in mind, your partner could very well be in that 95% - EVEN IF you see eye to eye on lots of other issues. This one’s different! Marriage comes first. So…always keep your spouse’s feelings and opinions about things in the forefront of your mind. You are supposed to put him/her first. That doesn’t mean you are always second. Marriage, of course, is give and take. But your spouse has a right to his feelings, right?
If there are things associated with your business that your partner hates, find out why, and determine if those things are absolutely necessary for adding to your bottom line. For example, let’s say you’re attending two meetings per week (at night) for opportunity meetings and trainings. Your spouse is then either alone or responsible for the children. Is the time spent at those meetings productive enough to justify your time away from your family? Are you just spending time there because you like being with your friends or just like getting out? That’s just one example. Here’s another one that gets on people’s nerves: being on the phone ALL the time. Are you on the phone all the time? Have you set boundaries for your business that protect your family time?
Don’t blame your spouse for your failure! If your business isn’t growing, it isn’t her fault – unless she physically stops you from talking to people! Make sure you have a business plan and that you are working effectively on your daily plan of action. Do only those activities that will add to your bottom line. It’s hard to argue when the business is bringing in money. Find someone in your downline or upline or even crossline who is in the same boat. Don’t spend a lot of time commiserating, but do find someone you can vent to from time to time. Believe me, you are not alone. I have a friend who lives with her sister. Her sister is pretty unsupportive, so my friend calls me when she is frustrated. We talk it out and then we move on.
Don’t envy happily married couples who are successfully working the business together. You are given your own challenges for a reason. Use them for your own personal growth. Maintain the highest level of integrity and become the most knowledgeable you can about the industry. Knowledge is power and it will help you grow your business. Use your time well. Make sure you schedule plenty of time with your spouse and children. Never let your spouse think that the business is more important than him. Find ways of letting him know that he’s the reason you’re pursuing this business.
It can be really tough when those closest to you don’t share your vision. Your vision can be so far out there that they just can’t imagine ever seeing that level of success. It’s okay. Share your vision with your team and with those thinking of joining you. Keep it in front of you in writing and read it often. Place your vision with pictures in a dream book. But if you want to prove to your spouse that this is going to work, then you better get to work. Get your plan and have some major activity going on, and things will start happening. Find a mentor, have a business plan, make sure you are accountable, set goals, have a daily plan of action and stay busy doing productive things that will lead to building your bottom line.
I want to add one thing. If you are having marriage trouble and it seems to be your business that’s causing it, get some professional counseling. It may not be the business, but some other area that’s been neglected or abused. Your marriage can always benefit from an objective guide who specializes in helping couples work things out.
Above all, remember that Love is patient, kind, not envious, boastful or rude; it does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, endures all things. It never ends. Why do you think that famous passage is always read at weddings? LOVE God, your spouse, your marriage, your kids… and WORK your business. It will all fall into place!
Lisa Kneller is a veteran network marketer and home based business builder. Her web site, www.thewealthinstructor.com offers options for home based-business building with internet-work marketing. For more information on MLM, send a blank email to nwm@quicktell.net
Staying Motivated in Your Home Business By Julie Frost © 2000
Being a home based business owner can be tough some days. There are days when you don't feel like working on that big project, but you know it needs to get done. There will be times when you are struggling to find your next client, land a sale, or get that appointment and you feel like it will never happen.
So what do you do? How do you keep yourself motivated during the tough times? I don't claim to have all the answers that will work for everyone, but these experiences, some of my own, and some from others who have been there, done that, may help you.
Personally, I get myself motivated by taking a day off each week to volunteer at my daughters' school, and help the kids get motivated! I teach computers, math, and art to Kindergartners, first graders, and fourth and fifth graders. It's one of the most refreshing, revitalizing things I do for myself all week. And I get to help a whole lot of children in the process (including my own). It's a real win-win situation for me and those kids. And you know what? If I skip a week, I notice it. My business notices it. My family notices it! So if I ever feel unmotivated to go, I think about how bad I will feel the rest of the week if I don't. Then there is no hesitation.
Liz Folger, author of "The Stay At Home Moms Guide to Making Money" and owner of www.BizyMoms.com thinks that starting the "right" home based business to begin with has a lot to do with staying motivated. She says "What's so sad is most people think it's crazy when they are told they can make money doing something enjoy. Yet they'll believe an ad that says they can make a ton of money stuffing envelopes only because it's printed in black and white. Never mind this has to be the most boring job I've ever heard of. It's also a business I've never heard of anyone doing."
Jaqueline Freeman, an Executive Director with Excel Communications (http://www.excelir.com/jfreeman) uses strong visuals of success to keep herself motivated. "I made a big promotion that required me to do a LOT of sustained work consistently over a few months while also motivating our downline to make their promotions, too. Some evenings I sure wanted to pop in a video and kick back, but here's why I kept working instead: I had a highly-charged vision with a lot of emotion attached to it, and a drop-dead deadline! My husband and I had an approaching wedding anniversary and if we could make that promotion, we would attend the very celebratory formal dinner and ball for the top people in our company. Whenever I thought of letting some small work detail slide (work is mostly ALL small details), I'd remind myself that on our anniversary I COULD be dining, dancing, and laughing in my husband's arms wearing a gorgeous gown surrounded by dear friends, OR I could, for example, watch a video that night and make my calls tomorrow. The image I used was vivid enough that it compelled me to WORK to meet that deadline."
Marjorie Robertson, (www.prepaidlegal.com/go/marjorierobertson), with Prepaid Legal likes to look at the long term, instead of just today's setbacks. "I prefer to look at my life and my personal goals from long range. I see the value of sacrificing "little" pleasures NOW for "bigger" pleasures or longer lasting pleasures down the road. When I consider "giving up", I always look at three things: 1.) What I will never achieve if I stop now? 2.) What I will be throwing away...In other words, how much will I be losing, by walking away from what I have ALREADY invested? 3.)What will be the cost of my starting over; in TIME, EFFORT or MONEY, if I change my direction now, or wait until a later time to begin again? ... The balance almost always weighs in favor of hanging in there, so that gives me the renewed energy, to 'go one more mile'."
April Gamboa, owner of www.OwnAHomeBiz.com, has a powerful story that we can all learn from. "I've worked since I was 17 years old in the business office world. I quit my job four months ago for the first time ever in 19 years to build my home business and wait for the arrival of my second child. For 12 of those 19 years, I had my pride and joy, my son, who kept me motivated to going back to the rat race everyday. I wanted to give him everything I could so I worked long hours at the office to make an extra buck, thinking I was doing the right thing. I would spend quality time with my son on the time that I wasn't working, and I just knew I was doing the right thing. My son was killed at 12 years old. I've learned that our children or anyone can be taken away from us at anytime. If I knew then what I know now, I would have spent long hours with my son, and a little quality time at "the job!"
I've been given a second chance at motherhood, and as you can guess, my new motivation is to be home long hours with my daughter and spend quality time on my home business. Every time I think of the rat race I was in I start working on my home business because I do not want to go back to where I'm told when to be there, when to go home, when I can take time off to be with my family or child, if I want to get paid. Forget that! Life is too short, believe me!"
So what keeps you motivated? A favorite quote, book, song, or tape? An appreciation for all that you have -- an attitude of gratitude? A life lesson learned early on? A inspiring parent or grandparent's story of hardship and success? Whatever it may be, when times get tough (as they occasionally do), bring that one thing to the front of your mind, and keep your eyes on the goal!
Julie Frost is the owner of www.YourHomeBiz.com - a web site that provides help in finding, starting, growing, and succeeding in a home based business. Be sure to sign up for her free weekly email newsletter when you visit. She also helps people make more money and keep more of it, too, in an Internet biz: http://www.LeadershipBiz.com
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