Is Network Marketing The Right Work From Home Business?

Is Network Marketing For You? A great question for those considering a work from home business.

Seriously folks, is this business for everyone?
Of course not!

If you are happy with your job.
If you are happy with your salary.
If you are happy with your business.
If you are happy with the hours you work.
If you are happy with your house or flat.
If you have money for travel, and time for your kids.
If you don't want anything more than what you already have.
Then this business is not for you.

But if you aren't where you want to be, if you don't have what you would like to have.

If you can't spend as much time with your kids as you would like.
If you have some sort of discontent with your lot in life.
Then this business can help you.

But maybe you are too busy.
Maybe you have too much to do.
Maybe you have other interests.
Maybe you are too old.
Maybe you are too young.
Maybe, maybe, maybe…

The Network Marketing business model is designed for the busy, the broke, the professional, the novice, the young, the old, the housewife, the executive, the…

Hey, Network Marketing is the equaliser, the chance for anyone and everyone to make it all the way to the top.

But sadly, it is not for everyone.
Sadly, most people just don't see it, because…
They are blinded by that disease called jobism.
They buy into the 45 year plan, which means they work for 45 years and retire broke.
Ah, but you do see it.
And you want to start.
I can help you find the right company…

The Structure Of A Network Marketing Company

When searching for a Network Marketing opportunity, it is generally considered that you examine three things - the company, the product and the compensation plan

The company

• The company, and especially the founders, should have a track record of success in Network Marketing
• The company should have a strong financial base
• The company should have been in the business long enough to outgrow the dreaded start-up phase, during which 90% of all MLM companies go under.

There are two lines of thought here.

1. The company should be financially secure

2. The opportunity should be "ground floor"

Ideally you should have both, but of course it is not always possible. Ground floor opportunities are rarely financially secure, while companies that have become financially secure, are no longer ground floor opportunities

But sometimes you can swing it.
If you find a well established company that has just brought out a brand new, winning product, you can have both financial strength and a new burst of momentum.

Likewise if the company enters a new country, the momentum can start all over again.

But the winning move, if you can find it, is the start-up company that partners with a billion dollar giant, thus achieving both financial stability and start-up momentum. One company in fact did just that and is now breaking all records.

The Network Marketing Product.

From the point of view of Network Marketing, not all products are equal. The ideal product should be what is called consumable. That is, one that is consumed regularly and often. It is this sort of product that gives regular and lasting residual income. One company I know of markets some excellent exercise equipment on a Network Marketing basis. Unfortunately the equipment is so excellent that it lasts forever (I know, I use it) and so there are no frequent repeat sales and hence little residual income. I happen to know that the company is struggling.

Nutritional products, skin care products, household products and telephone services on the other hand are excellent because they are used almost on a daily basis. Not surprisingly, the overwhelming majority of Network Marketing companies market these products.

Other features to look for: the product should be of high quality, something you feel good about using yourself and recommending to others. It should be unique, or at least presented in a way that sets it apart, and of course it should offer good value for money.

Bottom line: you should genuinely love your product. How can you expect others to like it, if you don't.

The Compensation Plan

Some people base their choice on compensation plans.
This is unfortunate because Network Marketing compensation plans are invariably complicated and difficult to understand, and unless you have experience, you can go seriously astray.

Furthermore a good comp plan is only a part of it. Far better to look for a product that sells like crazy. What good is an 80% payout on a product that doesn't sell. Far better a 40% payout on something that sells in leaps and bounds.

You should also factor in good distributor support and great presentation tools into the decision making process.

Is Network Marketing Pyramid Selling?

It's pyramid selling if...Distributor A buys a garage full of plastic Skippys and sells them to distributor B below him, who in turn sells them to distributor C who then sells them to distributor D, and so on down the line until we get to the last distributor who now ends up with a garage full of Skippys.

It is not the pyramid structure itself that is at fault, it's that there are no customers; the product is merely shuffled between distributors.

And anyway, all business systems are based on the pyramid, and that includes the army, government and even the Church. The Pope, the CEO, the Commanding Officer are at the top; high ranking generals, bishops and executives come next, followed by even more of the lower ranking staff. Then come the great majority of foot soldiers, priests and nuns, and factory workers that make up the base of the pyramid.

Strangely enough, while Network Marketing is branded with the term "pyramid", it is the only structure that isn't a pyramid; it is diamond shaped. There are a few at the very top who make obscene amounts of money and there are a few at the bottom who make hardly anything at all. The majority cluster around the centre.

Leverage

Big Al said it all so well. He said the industry served him well and, truth be told, he got a lot more out of it than he put into it. Network Marketing is perhaps the only way the average person can leverage their efforts. And spectacularly so. And Network Marketing offers that other spectacular feature…

Exponential Growth

Let's say someone were to offer you a choice between $100,000 or a single magic cent (a magic cent is one that doubles every day for 31 days). Which would you choose?

If you double a cent every day, then at the end of the first week you would have 64 cents; at the end of the second week you would have $81.92. So far, not very exciting. But at the end of the third week you would have more than $10,000 and a the end of 31 days you will have in excess of ten million dollars. And that is how a Network Market organisation grows, just by progressively doubling, or duplicating, itself.
Crazy, hey?
Indeed that is what it is called, crazy money.
And then there is…

Coconut Money

It is also called residual income. It is money that flows into your bank account, while you are on the beach, sipping juice from a coconut.

Does Network Marketing Require Selling?

If you believe the hype, then the answer is an overwhelming no. No selling is required.
And, it is true.

I have been a salesman all my life, and my biggest problem is to stop selling. It just doesn't work. You will sign up a lot of people, for sure, but they will be the wrong people and your organisation will not grow.

So, no selling please, but…
Be sensible about it. Everything requires some selling. Getting a date, getting a job, getting your children to do their homework, getting the best deal on a house or car and so on. So put your best foot forward, present the facts in an interesting and persuasive way, and then stand back. Your job is done.

Income Potential

People sometimes ask me if the Money Tree ever stops growing.
The answer is…no.
Where else can you find an opportunity that?
No more need be said on this matter.

So when you look at the industry, it scrubs up nicely.
But what about you?
Are YOU right for NM?

A survey of 2000 people showed almost identical results in America, England, Canada and Australia. The top ten characteristics for networkers are listed below. Of interest is that the ideal networking traits are not those normally associated with aggressive selling, or any sort of aggressive behaviour, for that matter. The traits, in order of importance, were found to be:

• Following up on referrals
• Positive attitude
• Enthusiasm
• Trustworthiness
• Good listening skills
• Always networking
• Showing appreciation
• Enjoying helping people
• Sincerity
• Working the network

Many of these traits may be considered to be "feminine" - which is not surprising, as women do particularly well at networking. Indeed in the bestselling book, Masters of Network Marketing, which contains over 80 articles on networking, fully one half of those articles were written by women. Contrast this with the books written on selling…they are nearly all written by men.

So how do you shape up?
Do you have all these traits?
Some of them?
None of them?
None? Well then, can you make it in NM?

Yes, you can still make it and make it big…and here we touch on the magic of Network Marketing.

All you have got to do is hang in there. We want you for two years. During that time the magic will happen. You pass out the literature, you tell people all about it the best way you can and sooner or later, even if you are no good, you will put the information under the nose of Tom Producer, who will explode on the scene, building lines all over the place…and you, no matter how inept you may be…you will get the benefit of all that Mr Tom Producer does. So what are you waiting for?

The Advantages Of Network Marketing

• You have your own business (it's a real business - you can sell it, will it, etc…)
• You can work part time
• Tax advantages
• Small initial investment
• Low overhead
• Immediate profits
• Flexible hours
• Brings family together
• Extra income
• Financial Independence
• Have more time for your family, or your favourite activities
• Self-development
• Help others
• Meeting new people
• Early retirement
• Teamwork. There is a genuine attempt to help each other and this leads to enduring friendships

Testimonials

Robert Kiyosaki and Donald Trump are both on record as saying that if they had to start all over again, they would do it through Network Marketing.

Warren Buffet, reported to be the world's greatest investor, presumably knows a thing or two about trends. Indeed he has now invested in three Network Marketing companies and says, it's the best investment I ever made".

The pre-eminent Network Marketing teacher, Randy Gage (How To Build a Multi-Level Money Machine) says the opportunity for personal growth sets Network Marketing apart, head and shoulders above any other business. He adds that the leadership skills you develop are a tremendous part of that personal growth

Milton Fogg (editor of The Network Marketing Magazine) was fascinated by the MLM concept: I'd worked for a lot of corporations as a marketing consultant, but I'd never seen any other business that allowed people to be paid a royalty income, commensurate with their efforts.

ex President, Bill Clinton, when addressing the Direct Selling Association (a Network Marketing group): You strengthen our country and our economy, not just by striving for your own success, but by offering opportunity to others…Your industry gives people a chance to make the most of their own lives and, to me, that's the heart of the American Dream.

Professor Charles King, professor of marketing at the University of Illinois, calls Network Marketers the New Professionals and has written a book about it because, as Paul Zane Pilzer predicts, that is where the New Wave of Millionaires will come from.

So you want to join up.
You want to become a New Professional.
One of the New Wave of Millionaires.
Can't say I blame you. Well, here's the deal…

Be wary (I'm sorry) of friends and family. They will tell you it can't be done, it won't work, it's pyramid selling, and so on and on. They mean well, but for the most part all they know about Network Marketing is what they heard secondhand.

If you want your car fixed don't go to well-meaning friends who have never worked on a car for advice. Go to the experts who have been doing it successfully for years. Likewise for Network Marketing. Seek the advice of experts. Don't let well-meaning (or are they really well-meaning?) acquaintances rob you of this chance. Then…

Commit absolutely for 1 year.
Commit to 7-10 hours a week.
Find a mentor.
Study .
Undertake some sort of self development program, and…
A life of riches (not just the monetary kind) is assured.

The Future

The trend today is away from meetings, which are now considered by some to be "old school". Instead of dragging unwilling prospects to meetings they haven't got time for and don't want to go to, the modern Networker simply "drives" them to an elaborate website that captures the excitement of a meeting, or hands them a CD they can hear while driving home, or plugs them into a phone presentation they can listen to in the comfort of their own home.

These tools have truly made Network Marketing a global enterprise. No longer is the Networker limited to those locals who can attend a meeting; instead, anyone, anywhere in the world who can access a website, or pick up the phone and listen to a conference call, now becomes a prospect. Furthermore, Instant Messaging now gives Networkers instant access to people all over the world instantly, thus opening up a whole new method of prospecting.

In short, Network Marketers have avidly embraced the high-tech tools at their disposal, thus raising the stakes considerably.

But the meeting is not dead. It brings to the table something the best CD or website cannot. The human touch. The best Networkers, I have found, embrace all tools, high-tech and high-touch.

In Conclusion

There may be a New Age in nutrition and related physical therapies. But there is also a New Age in Business. It's called Network Marketing. So join the New Wave, the New Professionals, the New Millionaires. There is no better time.

Andrew Toth is a writer and avid Network Marketer. Visit his website at www.amazingjuice.natureswellnesssecret.com or contact him at (02) 9698 3560

This article has been published in Australian Business & Money Making Opportunities magazine - Network Marketing Section.

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