Okay, so you’ve signed up a new Distributor and they’re ready to get started. They’re excited and they just want to get out there and tell the world! They tell their family, close friends, neighbours, everybody! And after 2-3 days, nothing! Why didn’t anyone respond? Not to worry – it’s a common scenario in many multi-level businesses. You send off a load of emails, send out a few letters, phone a few people, design a new leaflet and nothing comes of it.

Here are 3 things that your new distributors need to consider from the beginning of their Network Marketing businesses:

1. To learn the ropes - you shouldn’t be just letting them loose straight away! They need to learn effective techniques of customer and distributor gathering, right from the start.

They need to know how to approach customer and distributor prospects in the correct manner. One way to do this is to go on the company’s official training (if any is available) – but get a commitment before they join, that they will attend the official training.

Set up a meeting with them straight away, as soon as they’ve joined, and find out exactly the reasons why they have joined. Also, help them work out a plan, and set some goals, so they can achieve these objectives and actually get what they want from the business.

Go with them to see a prospect and let them see how you do it. After all, they’ve been telling people everything they know about the company, which isn’t a lot frankly. Why not? Because they’ve only just joined!

2. Focus on your prospect

Most advertising that we see around us is institutional – it focuses on the company, the product features and benefits, etc. Branding is a form of institutional advertising – TV advertising of brands such as Coca Cola and McDonalds– trying to fill your mind with constant messages.

The same can happen in Network Marketing. Whether you are looking for customers or distributors, the mistake is to talk about or promote your business with a message that focuses on the above. If you do not focus solely on your prospect, it’s institutional. For example, you might focus on the company, the compensation plan, the services, the rates, etc.

You must focus on your prospects, on their desires. What they want should take

priority over what you or the company wants. So, find out what they want in life, want they want from your business and tell them ‘what’s in it for them’! A good idea is to keep a record of their dreams for future use – so you can remind them why they started the business in the first place.

3. Don’t use hype!

You’ve just started a business and one of the main things you need to establish is some credibility. Now, some of you may already have a credible reputation with a bricks and mortar business or through your employment. Others might have to start building credibility through their new home based business. Either way, it’s important not to go making outlandish claims about your product or your opportunity. If it’s good, you won’t need to anyway.

Now, the internet is a useful tool for reaching lots more people then ever before, but unfortunately, the result is that some people hype up claims in their adverts. Some are obvious but many adverts can be subtle. For instance, “never sell anything” might appeal to a lot of people who don’t like selling, but in truth, all business involves selling.

Another example is: “we’ll do all the work for you” – now, if this was the case then there would be no need to sponsor anybody. Don’t use hype like this because it can be detrimental to the industry. People have to have a reason to start a business, to want to join the MLM industry on their own terms. We just have to find people with a reason, who want to join and who want to work for their own futures.

So, be realistic with the people you talk to, in your adverts and don’t hype up your claims…

Network Marketing, also known as MLM (multi-level marketing) or Referral Marketing, is expanding at a rapid rate. Starting in The United States in the 1930’s, and gaining momentum in the 1980’s and 1990’s, MLM is now seen by many mainstream companies as an extremely cost effective method of marketing.

What is it exactly? MLM is basically a means of distributing products through recommendation, without the need for advertising. By investing in such a company, Network Marketing allows the average person to build themselves a part or full-time business.

One of the main reasons for its ‘rise and rise’ is this: an increase in the number of people wanting a better lifestyle. Concerns about health, crime, traffic and the safety of our children have made people rethink their priorities in life, and consider alternatives to the demands of the ‘rat race’. Aiming for a better work-life balance, people are realising that working for yourself might provide a solution.

Another reason is that many people are starting to understand that

‘working a job’ will never make you wealthy. It only makes someone else wealthy. So, one of the best ways to wealth is to have your own business.

So, why not go for a traditional business? Or buy a franchise?

Well, setting up your own business is far from easy, and many people don’t even know where to start.

What options do you have? You could start from scratch or purchase an existing business.

If you start right at the beginning, what line of business would you choose? The logical choices are as follows: to specialize in your area of expertise (according to your job/ profession) or you could turn your hobby into a business. Whichever you decide, you’ll have to find some premises, suppliers, reliable staff, etc, and buy stock, advertise for clients, and so on. It comes with a risk and it may take years to get established.

Not only that, you’ll need a large sum of money and a lot of time to make it happen, and you’ll probably have to give up your day job.

If you buy an already established business, you’ll have certain advantages such as premises, staff, and paying customers (regular customers who are already buying from the previous owners), but you’ll probably need tens of thousands for this kind of investment. And let’s be honest, not many people have that kind of money lying around!

So, what about investing in a franchise? The franchise industry has also boomed in recent years and although they offer less of a risk than traditional businesses, they do come at a price. Franchises normally cost thousands of pounds, and come with a set ‘post-coded’ area, meaning you can only operate within that post-code area! This might not be a problem for some business owners but for the more ambitious out there, it could be a restriction on growth.

So, the costs associated with traditional businesses and franchises put many people off. This alone is a major factor in not starting a business. The cost is way out of the reach for the average person.

So, why Network Marketing?

In comparison, the initial start-up costs for Network Marketing businesses are extremely low. So if the cost is low, the risk attached to it is also low. The unusual thing is though, the potential for you to build a substantial income is extremely high, and that’s due to the MLM business model.

In addition, most people who enter the industry do so on a part-time basis, while still working a part or full-time job, a business or even a career. So, there is no need to give up your day job. This means you can be building your dreams as well as sleeping at night!

So, if you can commit yourself to a 4 or 5 year plan, to improve your circumstances, Network Marketing is probably your best option.