Business Building Books and Tapes
MLM Woman Issue 77
June 2003This 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 77th issue of the MLM Woman Newsletter. Summer is almost here and we've got lots of good stuff for you to read in the newsletter this month. So pull up a chair, get a cool drink and enjoy!
Linda Locke, Editor MLM Woman
10 Things That
Network Marketing Is NOT
by Anne Sieder
Network marketing… What the heck is it really? Hmmm... I have to admit that I had not a clue until I got involved. To be honest, I hadn´t even heard of it. And, no... I haven´t been living on Mars for the past 20 years, thank you!
My background was actually as an actress and playwright (which just goes to show you that you don´t need a degree in Marketing to be a successful network marketer). From the time I finished my drama studies until about eight or nine years ago; I was living an extremely bohemian lifestyle (a.k.a. broke with finesse). Unfortunately, that only looks good when you're very young (and don´t need to worry about health insurance).
My introduction to network marketing was sometime after the veneer of bohemia started to wear a trifle thin (the wind was blowing through the holes of my gypsy skirts, for goodness sake!). I needed something to do that would give me a monthly income without getting in the way of my life. So, I endeavored to find a "situation" that would suit me.
Which I did.
For me, network marketing, was the means to an end. A way for me to reach my goals. Believe me, as a little girl I never sat around wistfully longing for the day when I would become a network marketer to hurry up and get here (I told you I never even heard of it!).
The best way for you to understand this, is if I paint a mental picture for you... Imagine a car, something like a Volvo which is sturdy and reliable. This is your company. Now, imagine that you are driving down a German highway (sorry, but they're the best I've seen). It's wide and smooth; no potholes to break an axle, most drivers abide by the rules. Some will fly by you in their rush to reach their destination. Others take the slow but steady approach. Everybody is on the same road but is going to different places. This road is network marketing. Where are you going? That's up to you. It's your goal; your dreams.
Now, let me give you my definition of what I do. I sell some really terrific products to a few people and help other people get set up in business to do the same. Yup! That's it. Short and sweet. No need to complicate something that isn't complicated.
Now, let me give you my definition of network marketing: A lot of people using direct selling to market products to a few people (as opposed to the corporate format, of a few people marketing products to the masses). Once again, straight to the point.
In fact it's all so simple that it is probably easier to say what network marketing is not.
1. It's NOT a big risk. All you need with most companies to get started is a package of products and a contract that gives you the right to sell the products to others.
2. It's NOT a 9 to 5 job. As your own boss, you determine when and how long you are going to work. Of course, it's important to note that wishes and dreams determine your goals but action determines the outcome.
3. It's NOT a "rat race." Unlike our little loathsome friends, network marketers get ahead by helping others, not stepping on their whiskers.
4. It's NOT a Ponzi scheme. Charles Ponzi was a
Bostonian dandy who conned friends and associates into investing in
his plan by promising extremely high returns on their money. He was
able to accomplish this only by using the money of later investors to
pay the initial investors.
Obviously, this kind of plan can only work as long as new investors
keep pouring in their money. An ethical network marketing company bases
it's compensation on the movement of products NOT money.
5. It's NOT discriminatory. It's the great equalizer.
Everybody's earnings are based on the same compensation plan. Men do
not earn a higher percentage than women. Whites do not earn a higher
percentage than minorities; the young are not better compensated than....
Oh, you
get the idea! You are compensated a specific of amount (depending on
your companies plan) based entirely on what you and your organization
sells.
6. It's NOT a 40 year "career" path. In network marketing, with a lot of hard work, you can reach financial freedom in about 4 to 5 years.
7. It's NOT easy money. Especially in the beginning
when you can expect to put in a lot of effort and time and see little
return. Only, those that persevere will be rewarded with what I call
"crazy" money, while at the same time working less and less.
I guess you could look at it like
climbing a mountain. The hard part is getting to the top. But, like
mountain climbing, all you have to do is follow in the steps of others
who've gone before you and... Keep going!
8. It's NOT just "the little woman's home business" anymore. More and more men are seeing the benefit of working long, hard hours for themselves... And reaping the rewards.
9. It's NOT door to door selling. With Internet based medias such as newsletters, ezines, banner adds, pay per clicks, forums, message boards and chat rooms (not to mention many other forms of "putting the word out") there is no reason for anybody to be cold calling anymore (unless they want to). Being Internet based (sort of an oxymoron, isn't it?) has the added benefit of enabling you to set up shop anywhere you please (and move it whenever the notion strikes you as well).
10. It's NOT a one man show. While it's true that
you are in business for yourself you are not by yourself. You will get
a huge amount of support from your upline, sideline, (and downline in
some cases) as well as your company. You see, almost everybody, but
especially your upline,
has a vested interest in seeing you succeed! If you don´t make
money then neither do they.
So just to recap, the main point of network marketing is to sell a little and help other people get set up in business to do the same. This is called sponsoring. Once you start sponsoring you begin the process of "duplicating" yourself (a word you'll hear a lot). Duplicating yourself is simply teaching the people that you sponsor to do what you have done. Then, getting them to the point where they are self sufficient enough to do the same. You get a percentage of the sales commission from every person that you sponsor and train (and in many cases that they sponsor and that they sponsor). This is how you "leverage" your time and start to develop a residual income.
Now, with network marketing you earn retail dollars for
the products you sell and residual income for the products your organization
sells. But, the "crazy money" part of it is actually based
on the concept of compound interest. You know the old example... How
much money would you have if you doubled a penny every day for thirty
days? If you do the math, you'll discover that it's over five million
dollars. But look at each day individually... on the 10th day it's only
worth $5.12 and it doesn't even get interesting enough to break the
thousand dollar barrier
until the 18th day. So, it's hard to believe that by day 30 that one
little penny has grown into millions.
I believe it was J. Paul Getty who said, "I would
rather have 1% of the effort of 100 people than 100% of my own effort."
With most network marketing companies you get at least that percentage.
And, let me tell you, once the residuals start kicking in, going to
your mailbox every
day becomes a very joyful experience.
About the Author
Anne Sieder
has helped people all over the world start their own home business
with one of the best and most highly compensated affiliate programs
around. To learn more about starting your own home business, go to:
http://internet-work-at-home-mom.com
or email
anne@prosperityportal.com.
Networking Makes It
to the
Big Screen Via Disney/Pixar!
By Gail Foley
Yes, you read that right! I just came back from enjoying
the most wonderful Disney/Pixar adventure with my grandchildren! An
absolute portrait of networking!!
I do not care how old or how young you are this movie is about the extraordinary
power of networking, and how we do it even as kids and then forget that's
what we do…
Yes, it's a fish story - oh yeah, the title of the movie is "Finding Nemo"…and it's animated and it's by Disney/Pixar, but it is the message of how one person (excuse me fish) helps another, and another one jumps in (swims in) and helps and on and on from one species to another…
That's the essence of what networking truly, truly is - helping people help people. Think about it! Don't we want to help people be successful? Because if we don't - how successful can we ever be?
In the movie - the challenge is finding a little lost son, named Nemo, in a great big ocean. Sorta like the world we live in - it's a great big ocean of people looking for just the right thing to fit them. And we're looking for that 'one' that's looking for us - but we both have to work toward the middle in order to make it happen.
Early on in this movie, Dad finds a partner (not the brightest, but determined and with the most positive of attitudes) and with her help their journey begins…
One encounter after another, big fish (we know those guys
as the top dogs), the sharks (the non-trusting), the turtles (slow,
but sure), the sea gulls (I'll spare you that description), but everyone
in the ocean is part of the adventure of finding one little fish in
a very large ocean. By
networking through one fish telling a turtle in Australia, to a whale,
to a school of fish, and so on and so…
This animated movie will probably be just a movie with laughter and adventure and cuteness to most everyone. But it is so much more - the lessons, the vital messages it has to share. What I saw was the life of networking - perfectly portrayed by the cutest characters you ever saw.
The movie starts out sorta sad when a big tragedy strikes, but perks back up only to dash us against the rocks again when Nemo is taken. See any similarities here - lose a job, car accident, bankruptcy, foreclosure… Nemo's Dad has a choice here - to go after his son or stay afraid and just accept his loss. Of course, you know the entire adventure is built upon his Dad going after "Finding Nemo".
You know what Disney shows us? They show how if you have
a big enough "Why" you can conquer your fears. They show how
partnering with just one person (oops, Fish) increases your dimensions.
Just one who reaches out and touches another, who in turn does the same.
They show that you should be willing to trust the person who sticks by you. They show asking for help can be scary, but necessary and so rewarding. They show strength in numbers.
And they exemplifie the vital core of teamwork and what
happens when people come together in a common cause. They show the incredible
personal growth that comes from having that inner core to drive you
- the whole of your being stretching beyond its comfort zone.
Finding Nemo is a brilliant, heartwarming, entertaining
movie. It encourages facing your fears, overcoming challenges after
challenges and never, NEVER giving up! The "WHY" is far too
important to let anything stop you.
Finding your way through the ocean of networking can be just like the
ocean in this movie, bigger fish, land mines, deep black water, scary
encounters, challenging situations…but if you truly want to "FIND
YOUR NEMO" - nothing will stop you and you become this most incredible
person because of it…
Please see this movie - and you'll come away with the
most enlightened view of our awesome business! Whether you started today
or you have been a professional networker for years - you owe it to
yourself and everyone on your team!
Let "Finding Nemo" energize and revitalize what you have always,
always known deep in your heart - networking is about people helping
people help people!
Copyright © 2003 by Gail Foley. All Rights Reserved.
About the Author
Ms. Foley calls herself "a
woman of many hats"! She loves being an entrepreneur, wife, mother,
and proud grandma networking her way through life from home on the Internet.
She is a published writer, speaker, advertising/business consultant,
Internet Marketing trainer, and is the Editor of the 'Wichita Small
Business Monthly Newspaper' and also has a column called, "Passing
On A Smile". For a copy of this article send a blank e-mail to:
Info@GailFoley.com You can find
out more about Gail at www.PassOnASmile.com
Don't Overlook
the Easy Sales
Copyright 2003 By Bob Leduc
Are you so busy chasing down new customers that you completely overlooked these two prime sources for easy sales?
Source 1: Existing Customers
Here are two ways you can use your relationship with existing customers to generate additional business.
1. Offer Them Related Products or Services
Your existing customers already know you and trust you. It's easier and cheaper to get more business from them than to get any business from new prospects.
Find or create additional products and services you can offer to existing customers. Your new products and services should be closely related to those your customers originally bought from you.
For example, I recently spoke with a network marketer selling nutritional products. She also works with a health club that pays her a commission for each new member she signs up. She told me that over one third of her income is generated by offering the related product to her customers.
2. Ask Them to Help You Find New Customers
Do you have a system to get referrals from satisfied customers? If not, you are losing a lot of profitable sales you could easily get.
One way to get referrals is with a brief Customer Survey. Send it by postal mail, email, fax or post it on a web page. The one I use asks only 3 questions:
1. What did you like best about our product (or service)?
2. What can we do to improve the value of our product (or service) for you?
3. Who do you know trying to solve (state the problem you solved
for your customer)?
...or: Who do you know that wants to (state the benefit provided by
your product or service)?
The first two questions focus attention on the benefits you provide. Your customer is more likely to volunteer referrals when they're thinking about the value of those benefits.
You also gain something else with the first two questions. The first question often generates a response you can use as a testimonial (with your customer's permission). The second question may provide an early warning of a problem you need to solve ...or alert you to an opportunity you can exploit.
Source 2: Previous Non-Buyers
Most prospects will not buy from you the first time they hear about your product or service ...or the first time they visit your web site. You can recover many of these lost sales with a follow up system.
Your follow up system can be as simple as contacting previous prospects occasionally with a new offer. Or it can be more complex such as distributing a weekly newsletter with topics related to your product or service.
Problem For Internet Marketers: Many visitors to your web site want what you offer - but they are not ready to buy right now. You cannot follow up with them if they click away from your site before you find out who they are and how to contact them.
The Solution: Post a complimentary offer on your site for something valuable to prospects in your targeted market. Deliver it only by email so you can capture the email address of each visitor who requests it.
For example, offer a complimentary subscription to your email newsletter if you publish one. Otherwise, offer a special report, a source list or other valuable information they cannot get anywhere else.
Tip: Try to get each prospect's first name too. Use it to personalize your follow up messages. People cannot resist reading something when it is personally addressed to them.
Include existing customers and previous non-buyers in your marketing efforts. Both are a prime source for easy sales. And you don't have to spend money on advertising to get them.
About the Author
Bob Leduc spent 20 years helping businesses just like yours
find new customers and increase sales. He just released a New Edition
of his manual, How To Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards
and several other publications to help small businesses grow and prosper.
For more information: Email: BobLeduc@aol.com
Subject: "Postcards" Phone: 702-658-1707 after 10 AM Pacific
Time/Las Vegas, NV
5 Ways to Avoid Feeling
the "Burned Out Blues"
By Nicole Bandes
It doesn't matter if you are a corporate exec, employee,
WAHM or a SAHM because we all have times in our lives when we just feel
physically "burned out". Some of us feel that way so often
that we begin to think it is normal.
The good news: it isn't. Not only is it not normal, but it can be successfully
handled. Here are some suggestions on how to beat the "burned out
blues":
1. Get adequate sleep
Determine how much sleep your body really needs, by giving yourself 15 extra minutes of sleep a night until you don't feel as groggy during the day. Once you have determined the amount you need, stick to it.
Go to bed and get up at the same time, even on the weekends. When you get adequate sleep, you don't constantly feel fatigued.
2. Exercise
Think you don't have time to exercise? You don't have
time not to. Challenge yourself to walk at least 30 minutes, 4 out of
7 days, for two weeks. At the end of those two weeks, you'll be getting
more accomplished than when you didn't exercise.
Exercise makes you feel more alert and alive, allowing you to get more
done in less time. So go ahead, exercise! Time isn't an excuse any more.
3. Eat less processed carbohydrates
When you eat enough protein throughout the day, starting with breakfast,
your blood sugar doesn't spike and dip like it does when you eat mostly
breads, rice and carbohydrate junk food. Without the blood sugar ups
and downs, you won't get as fatigued during the day.
Protein should accompany every meal. If you need a great afternoon pick
me up, try an apple with peanut butter.
4. NO MORE CAFFEINE!
I can't stress this enough, caffeine is a vicious cycle. You drink it
to get more energy, and it gets the energy by putting a strain on your
adrenal glands. You feel tired because your adrenals are worn out, so
you drink more caffeine.
5. Support your adrenals
Your adrenal glands support your stress responses. When you experience
stress, whether physical or emotional, your adrenal glands produce hormones
to combat the changes your body experiences during these times of stress.
When you're under stress for extended periods of time, your adrenals
can't continue to produce the hormones at the same pace and begin to
shut down, thus causing more physical "burn out".
There are many good herbal sources for the adrenals. Find a company
that promotes the quality of their products and produces formulations
focusing on adrenal support.
You don't have to constantly feel fatigued. You can feel more alive
and refreshed when you wake up, and more energized through out the day.
Make a few simple lifestyle changes and you will see a much happier,
more productive person.
About the Author
Nicole Bandes is a trained Herb Specialist, Star manager
with Nature's Sunshine Products and, most importantly, a Mom. She practices
what she preaches and is a walking testimony to the benefits of living
a healthy lifestyle. She owns and operates Naturally Herbs at www.naturallyherbs.com
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Copyright 2003, Regent Press
