Yes, we as “MLM’ers” sit on these calls, the meetings and webinars listening to the war stories of what went wrong! But, the best part of this training is that we have the chance to learn from the mistakes of others and have the chance to learn what NOT to do to avoid the pitfalls and find a more direct path to network marketing success.

One of the biggest “threads” and euphemisms about the industry is the concept of network marketers becoming members of “The NFL Club” – where NFL stands for No Friends Left. For those of you that may have never heard of this concept, let me give a little explanation.

I’m sure that if you are in network marketing or even had friends of family in network marketing, you may have run into this kind of situation. Here it is: A member of the NFL club is that person, friend or family member that you AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE because every time you meet them at a gathering, a function or on the street – do nothing but “barf” their network marketing opportunity or product on you.

C’mon … you know what I’m talking about, don’t you? You know you do! You have people like that in your life, and maybe YOU were or are one of these people too.  Here is a true story of my most “memorable” NFL member stories:

True story! I’m at a FUNERAL of a family friend and here came someone into the funeral home – let’s call him “Joe” to avoid embarrassing him in this message. Well, when he came into the funeral home, I swear that everyone scattered like rats leaving a sinking ship to avoid talking to him!

At the time I didn’t know what was going on, BUT but within 10 seconds of him coming up to me I knew WHY!

You see, he instantly started blathering about a great new business opportunity, with a cutting edge product, and I would be great to be part of the team, and kept asking me if I was really serious about my financial future.  In my mind I was going “DUDE, this is a FUNERAL MAN … what is WRONG with you!”

Yes, he did talk about the family, the “guest of honor”, and the weather, but every bit of his conversation dripped of looking for an opportunity to inject his new network marketing business into the conversation.

It was amazing to watch him float among the room, doing the same thing and having more and more people get away from him as fast as possible. C’mon … you KNOW what I’m talking about!

“Joe” is a typical member of the NFL club, and when talking about folks like this, we as network marketers like to sit back and chuckle, laugh at people like him, we shake our heads and comment about what a “bonehead” people like this really are.

But I’m here to tell you that YOU may be just as GUILTY as “Joe” but you may not even really know you are doing it – or worse – you may NOT know it because it has now taken a different form, and this “error” is often done by many well meaning new members of the network marketing community, but also being done MORE AND MORE by veterans of this industry that think that they are past doing this!

I know, I know.  If I ask you right now (as one network marketer to another) if you are guilty of this activity.  I’m sure you say NO because you don’t accost or pester people in the malls, or family gatherings or heaven’s forbid a FUNERAL. Or I’m sure you don’t THINK You are doing something as silly as pestering, accosting or bugging friends, family or colleagues.

But I bet you are doing the same thing on FACEBOOK!

Why can I say this?  Because over the past few years, more and more veteran and newbie network marketers are indeed acting like “Joe” on social media – namely Facebook.  I bet you MIGHT be doing this and may not even know it! And, after you read this article, and maybe look at your whole social media activity – you may FINALLY realize why your may be having horrible results in using Facebook to build your network marketing business!

Look … before I get into the SEVEN major errors network marketers are making on Facebook, I want to remind you about one important thing about Facebook and other forms of social media.

IT’S ALL ABOUT BEING SOCIAL AND PART OF A COMMUNITY!

Look, what is social media all about? It’s about using a digital, online interface to interact and communicate and share information about you and your life to your friends and colleagues. It’s just an online version of real life, and all about personal communication.  It’s about building a community of people that like to interact with one another.

Unfortunately, there has been a trend in with network marketers that is not only driving me nuts, but is also driving others nuts, and creating members of what I call the DNFL club:

The Digital No Friends Left Club

Where these marketers just act like “Joe” at the funeral, incessantly talking about his busines, his product, his agenda without any regard for the community that he is part of.  Basiclaly giving him an image of an uncaring, unprofessional, BORE that is to be avoided and never to be worked with!

What’s REALLY disturbing to me?  Is that I’m seeing a wide range of so called network marketing experts, leaders, mentors, distributors and self proclaimed “experts” of using social media and network marketing quickly become pariahs that are ignored due to their misuse of Facebook and other social media platform to build their network marketing team!

Again, in a nutshell what does this all mean?  Simple – HUGE numbers of network marketers are DIGITALLY through Facebook, doing what “Joe” did at the funeral … and that is just using Facebook to do nothing but “barf” all over their friends, colleagues and family about their opportunity.

What is different about doing this in real life or online? NOTHING!

It’s just as annoying and just as unproductive as doing it in real life. And all it does is have friends, family and colleagues “unfriending” and ignoring” you faster than a jackrabbit on a date!

Are YOU Guilty Of These DNFL Offenses?

Now, it’s time for a bit of a reality check and a time of some necessary self realization here. It’s time to talk about the litany of offenses that have turned well meaning network marketers to annoying “Joes”.

Are you doing any of the following things? If you are, it’s time to make some serious changes.

Because remember, people don’t care how much you know or what you are doing until you show how much you care – and doing any or all of these things proves that you DON’T care about your friends, colleagues and family online – and if you don’t care about THEM they sure as Hell don’t care about you and can and WILL quickly become a DNFL member.

Now in the next few comments I’m going to use “you” a lot, but this is directed as a generalization – but if it does apply to YOU, take notice and make changes NOW!

(1) Do NOTHING But Post To Your Facebook Wall About Your Opportunity Or Product.

I have many friends that I have reluctantly removed, unfriended and ignored on Facebook because every single, solitary post from them on their wall was about their opportunity or their product and not much if ANY of anything about their life.

Once is a while is fine because your business can her an important part of your life, but when every post becomes how many people you brought in, how much weight you lost, how many home parties you did, how many customers you got, or the 14 millionth post about your juice, makeup, shake, cookie, vitamin, pill, face crew. You just come off desperate and unprofessional.

Most of the TOP network marketers who work online and on Facebook RARELY even MENTION their company or product, yet they build their business quite well online. Why? Because they post more about their entire life and lifestyle and sharing information with people to help them with their business or just saying HEY, or sharing information about their family or events in their life.

Remember, your online persona is an “avatar” of your real life, and the more you just barf about your business or product you seem shallow and very … well … uninteresting. And I and others are NOT going to spend our valuable time dealing or listening to uninteresting people!

To quote my wife about Facebook: “If you are someone that does not bring interest, or light, or inspiration, and information about you to my life – I’m done with you”. She is by far one of the best Social Media experts I know and I can’t tell you HOW MANY people she has unfriended / removed / ignored due to the “Joe’s” out there in the DNFL club.

(2) Using Veiled “News” To Sneak In Information About Your Product or Opportunity.

This one is a real bugaboo of mine, and is really just a different version of the previous example.

Instead of making direct pitches about your business or product. You find some news story, article, video, interview that justifies your business or your product and you post that … but then a thread begins that talks about the product or opportunity.

Again, this is like “Joe” at the funeral, where every word, sentence and conversation thread was being analyzed for that RIGHT time to drop a subject to bring the conversation back to his business, product or opportunity.  Look, people KNOW you are doing that (online and offline) and when they feel you are doing nothing but looking for ways to “get your point” in and sell your stuff – you get avoided VERY quickly!

You think you are being sly, sneaky and smart doing this? Nope! We can all see through it and it again, makes you nothing more than a one note poster that becomes yet another unfriended or ignored marketer on Facebook.

(3) Profile Picture Badges

In the early days of this concept (of someone putting a company logo or image as part of their profile picture) was interesting and it had some interesting results. But as more and more people began to do this, the power and interest of this wore off and is now pretty much an annoyance.

I admit, that in the past I did use these but realized something.

I’m BOB GATCHEL, I’m ME and no matter what product or service I’m selling, people are more interested in ME and what I’m doing and how I interact with others and with them. And having that “virtual tattoo” on my head or my profile picture EVERY time I interact with someone online was nothing more than a version of “spamming” my product in our first example.

Think of it as “Joe” coming to the funeral in his nice suit, with a big red button on his lapel that says “Ask me about how you can make money in my business”.  It’s not appropriate and again, looks really desperate and unprofessional.

I have heard from others (and I am now also guilty of this), that when I see someone with one of those badges with their company logo as part of their profile picture on Facebook – OR – if they use a company logo or product image as their profile photo … I IGNORE them and UNFRIEND THEM!  I just don’t wanna be constantly pitched directly OR indirectly!

Think about it! The more friends that unfriend you and ignore you … how are you going to get them to learn more about your business or even CARE about what you are doing.  You DRIVE them away doing things like this!

(4) Company Or Team Link “Share Spam”

This one is sort of a combination of many of the above. Here is how it works:

Suppose your company or a team member or someone in the company creates a page, video or story about the company, product or opportunity. That’s great and in moderation (we will talk about this in a minute)

BUT invariably – it becomes like a chain letter where everyone on the team shares, comments and cross posts amongst each other.  Where in just a few hours it seems everyone on this team has this same post, posted to other posts and other “friends” or team members that do the same.  It’s like a virus that begins to infect every Facebook wall of a team.

Yes, SOME so called “Social Media Experts” and many network marketing company owners think this creates “mass” and gets their story out there for all to see in a great wide swath, because it creates the illusion of team / company excitement.

Nope – it looks desperate, contrived and totally unprofessional.  And people DO begin to ignore this because … well … it never stops.  When a new product comes, out or the box changed color, or the company president created a new video, it happens all over again and it gets VERY old VERY fast and is one of the fastest ways to lose “outer circle” friends and relationships online.

In the end, many of these teams, companies and distributors end up just sharing information amongst themselves ONLY because they have driven away other friends, colleagues, family or other online connections because they see you and your group as a bunch of folks all in their own world, caring only about the business and the opportunity and the product and not about the people you SHOULD be building relationships with.

Being friends with several network marketers across several industries and companies, the instant I see this – I just move on and when someone is an egregious offender of this (and the other offenses above) – I just don’t read what they say and just move on and end up unfriending or ignoring these people.

(5) Inappropriate Tagging Or Wall Posting

Now, by far the very worst offense and in most cases the reason for almost INSTANT unfriending or ignoring is this:

* Tagging people in a video, image, post, picture that has to deal with NOTHING personal, but again, something to do with your business, opportunity or product. Look, if you tag me in a picture of a meeting I attended, or of me at an event that’s GREAT!.

BUT to tag me in a photo of your bottle of juice, or image of your company logo, or some veiled news story that is a “in road” to a conversation thread about your business – you are GONE!  This is SUPER bad form and happens REGULARLY!

* Using veiled articles or notes and then tagging or sharing them on my wall or anywhere on Facebook that is not appropriate is nothing but SPAM. It’s kind of like that chain letter attitude mentioned above BUT taking that and posting that on MY or OTHER non involved people’s Facebook walls without their approvel!

I have a ZERO tolerance with this and you are GONE the instant you do this. Trust me, people are sick of this and when this happens people dump you like yesterday’s trash.  And these days, people are reporting this as spam to Facebook and accounts are being terminated over things like this.  WHY?  Because it violates the whole concept of what SOCIAL MEDIA is about.  Treat me like a number, or notch in your network marketing belt and nothing but a prospect – then you show you don’t care about the community.

* Spamming My Wall.  A more egregious version of the previous concept.  Just posting something about your product, opportunity or company on ANYONE’s wall on Facebook is a MAJOR NO NO and again, an instant removal by me. I and others have even go so far as to report egregious offenders to Facebook for doing this, ending up in a termination of the account

(6) Massive Friending Of People For Blatant Cross Promotional Purposes

When you combine everything above COMBINED with the fact some folks go out there and friend hundreds and thousands of people for the sole purpose of building a huge friends list that they can annoy, spam and “barf” on. Again, is bad form.

It’s not about how many friends you have in this media, it’s about the relationships you build in this industry. I get literally hundreds of friend requests each day and in most cases I accept them all, and in most cases, it is someone doing all of the wrong things I mentioned above. Guess what happens? INSTANT removal and these folks are doing nothing but wasting time and energy trying this.

Funny, I happened to see someone online recently who is a MAJOR offender of most if not all of these things mentioned in this article – and this particular person posted that they were really upset because Facebook “blocked” them from friending more people for some reason.

Duhh!  The reason is you are friending lots of people for one purpose only – to promote to them – and you DO try to promote to them – OR they see your Facebook wall is nothing but a sycophantic shrine to your network marketing business where your agenda is clear, and the reasoning for WHY you friended them is clear.  So they either UNfriend you in droves, or in many cases these days these folks REPORT you to Facebook and you start to get that “reputation” as someone to be watched and your access throttled or even terminated.

Because there is nothing SOCIAL about what you are DOING!

(7) Finally – Quotes, Quotes and More Quotes.

This REALLY is something that REALLY gets my goat and a real sticking point with me.

Many of the folks that do all of things I just mentioned may come to the realization that they may have to add “other content” to their Facebook to seem a bit more real.  Well they are thinking in the right direction but then they go about it the wrong way.

So what do they do? They end up going to some online quote site and just do nothing but post and post and post some “inspirational” quotes from the web. Or some inspirational “picture” or an image that has that arrow that points to your picture that says “This Person Loves MLM” or something totally uninspiring and interesting as that.

Doing this as part of the REST of the offenses described here, again, make you appear to be just posting this “perfunctory” extra quotes, or pictures as part of your promotional agenda and NOTHING to do with the real you.  Contrived is the best word.

Why share inspirational quotes or pictures with me on Facebook if you don’t talk about what this inspiration is doing for your family, or your kids, your dog, your parents.  How how you are doing things in your life.  Nope – it’s ALL an agenda for your business and it shows. You may THINK people see past this, they do not.  People are getting wiser and have MUCH less tolerance for constant insipid talk on Facebook and blatant promotional pitches – looking to connect with REAL people as part of the community!

When you add any or all of these offenses, you know what it all comes down to?

It comes down that, if you do this, you just don’t CARE about the community that you are trying to develop online. You appear to be, in the end, unprofessional and just see your friends, family and colleagues online as nothing more than an asset to help you build your business and nothing more.

Remember – people don’t care what you know until they know how much you care. And when you are like a digital version of “Joe” … it shows you don’t care and you end up losing friends and worse, lose respect. And the worst part of it all? It does nothing to build your business in the long run.

Here Is What You Should Do

(1) Be REAL!

Share your life and stories (as appropriate) on Facebook. Reach out and comment and participate in the lives of your friends, family and colleagues online. Talk about the weather, the kids, events you name it. Share pictures and stories. You are more than just your business, and using Facebook to do that shows you do care about the community and then when you do that the community will care about you.

(2) You CAN Talk About Your Company But Carefully And Appropriately

Look, I know you may be proud of your business or your product, and it is part of your life. There is NOTHING wrong with posting something on your wall about events or big things about your business or product but keep it in moderation.

My rule of thumb?

You should have 10 to 15 personal posts, comments, shares, pictures to every ONE post about your business. And when you do that keep it real with no hype, and no pushiness.

I am currently involved with a product line that has helped me lose close to 30 pounds in 90 days, and you know what? I have NEVER posted anything about the product or business directly on Facebook.

Yes, my wife and I talk about things about it and some folks reach out to us and I offer to give them more information privately. I do and they love it and we have been building a very successful business and team with this method.

WHY? Because I’m not seen as a pushy salesman of the product. YES again, we do mention it and when we hit our different levels of success, I post a thank you to some folks etc, but again, IN MODERATION!

NOTE: If you wanna push a business or product online do NOT do it on your FRIEND account but create a fan page on Facebook to do that. On that page, BARF AWAY, but do NOT do that on your main Facebook account.

(3) Be Real And Demand That Your Company Friends & Team Do The Same

We need to pay this concept forward and make sure our teams, company and friends honor this “being real philosophy”. I have had friends in my company who did nothing but talk about the business on my pages and I have had to remove their posts and remind them that although occasionally it’s OK to do that, but not so much that WE as a group look “desperate” and become members of the DNFL club.

SO – there you have it!

How much of this have you done? How much of this have you seen? How many of you are fed up with this unprofessional use of Facebook?  And how many of you are going to change how you use Facebook (before you lose your friends or even have your account terminated?)

Well … it’s time to stop and remember that this is not an advertising platform, it’s a social platform.

Instead of just seeing people as building blocks solely as bricks to build your business, but instead they are people that want to talk with you, relate with you and be part of a community with you.

The minute you treat people as people and NOT as bodies you are throwing your business or opportunity at … and you start using Facebook and other social media as the tool it should be, then you will see greater interaction and relationships online, and in turn your business can and will thrive online.

Network marketing is a relationship business. And it’s time we remember that and concentrate on building relationships online and stop being a “Joe” and get OUT of the DNFL club!

Network marketing is one of the fastest growing industries in the world today, where entrepreneurs are using this unique business model to create incredible streams of income in their lives. Even with the amazing success of this industry, many people still hold onto some false beliefs about the network marketing industry and how viable it is as a home business.

Myth 1: The Pyramid Scheme

One of the most common myths compares network marketing to illegal pyramid schemes. Illegal pyramid schemes are nothing but a “money game” that lure people in by making exorbitant income claims and do not sell any form of legitimate product or service to retail customers. It’s a system where money is created only by recruiting people.

Fact: All legitimate, modern multilevel marketing and network marketing businesses offer a wide range of excellent products and services that appeal to distributors and customers alike. In fact, most of the best network marketing companies offer extremely unique products that often can’t be found anywhere else, helping to create long term, happy customers.

Myth 2: Only The Top Guys Win

Another famous myth about network marketing is that only the people who are in the top tiers of a company are making the big profits. Admittedly, it can be quite daunting to see the leader board of a company and hear the income levels that some of these top distributors are making. But consider this.

Fact: These top distributors started like everyone else, and earned their way up the ladder of success. In reality, one reason that network marketing is so popular is that there is no limit on the amount of income that anyone can make – even the newest distributor!

Another thing to consider about success in network marketing. There are two ways that MLM entrepreneurs can make money. First, through the sale of products to retail customers. And second, through the sales of other distributors in their network. If a distributor can effectively sell the product and share the opportunity with others, they can build a massively productive organization that can make huge income.

Myth 3: It Takes a Lot of Money to Start

Another popular myth about network marketing is that many people believe that these businesses are all very expensive to start and require a large initial order of products.

For some network marketing businesses, that may be true, but that is not true for all of them.  Because there are so many network marketing opportunities that exist, there is no need to settle for one that requires a large up-front investment. There are businesses that require only a small monthly fee or product purchase that will qualify distributors to earn unlimited income.  For some of the lowest-risk companies, the small fee also includes free products for the entrepreneur as well as extras to teach businesspeople how the products can best be sold. The best thing is to find a product or service and price point you feel comfortable with to fit your personality and budget.

With many network marketing companies offering such low risk, low cost and offering unique opportunities and income potential, these are not the pyramid schemes of the 70′s. These are viable businesses that hundreds of thousands of people run from their own homes for fun and an unlimited profit. A legitimate network marketing home business is a well-rounded business full of profit potential and a future of income growth.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1631100

There’s a lot of talk in the media about how the concept of telecommuting and home based business is changing the field of small business. Today, small businesses may be the corner store, a well-known franchise, a network marketing program housed in someone’s living room. A small home based business has the potential to completely transform your life, creating a freedom that is rarely found in any other type of business model.

Many people don’t realize that working outside the home encompasses a range of hassles and expenses that may take some time to unravel before the full cost can be seen. On the surface, the costs of working for someone else may not seem like much, but when added up, they make up a substantial amount of money.

The cost of buying career clothing, dry cleaning, and office accessories are just a few of the costs that add up over the course of months and years. There are also the substantial costs of childcare and transportation. Whether you’re driving to work each day or taking public transportation, either can be extremely expensive. It’s not unusual to spend thousands of dollars a year simply on transportation costs for commuting to and from work. Working at home eliminates these expenses, leaving more money in your pocket for the things you want and need.

In addition, childcare costs have been the subject of national debate for many years. The costs of high-quality childcare are soaring. For many people, those costs are simply more than their family can afford. And many people spend much of their job related income on child care costs alone.

A home business is a great a way to cut all of those costs, which can save the typical family thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars a year. That money stays in the family, providing for their needs and making it possible to plan for the future, not to mention being able to spend more time with children and family.

Having fewer expenses makes your own income more profitable. Your money from a home business works for you more than money from a job outside the home because less of it has to be spent on simply maintaining that job. The income you have to make to sustain your lifestyle can be less, but will still go further because you keep more of it.

In a nutshell, many households may be earning less net income working for someone else in a typical job rather than having their own home based business.

Along with the positive financial aspects of running a home business, there are also many personal benefits. Working for a boss year after year can be demoralizing. The prospect of working without a boss is an exciting one for that reason.

A home business owner must be self reliant, and does not need a boss standing nearby giving orders. Deciding exactly how the business will be run will be up to the home business owner. This gives many entrepreneurs the kind of confidence they’ve craved throughout their lives.

With no boss needed, your life is your own. There’s no time clock. There’s no scheduled lunch break. There’s no one to tell you how much you can earn. All of which help make a
home business more rewarding in the long run.

Your life and future are then entirely up to you. Take a serious look at how a home business can help you save more money and make more money.

Buying and selling websites has become one of the Internet’s most interesting money making opportunities. In fact, many online entrepreneurs have been quietly making a substantial full time income with this concept.

Having enough information on the basics of buying and selling websites can give you a competitive advantage in this internet based business. You’ll be more knowledgeable in the things that you are talking about and more confident in what you are doing. These pieces of information can also help you make the very best decisions that will help you earn more money by attracting more and more potential buyers.

One of the best selling points of any seller in terms of offering websites is his or her credibility. If the buying public knows that you are a serious professional, and that you deliver on the promises that you make, your future customers won’t hesitate to buy from you and can even make recommendations to others about your business.

When it comes to buying and selling websites, here are some important things that you should keep in mind:

1. Don’t be impatient. In selling websites, the sales process can take some time, particularly if you want to get the best price. In most cases, a period of several weeks or even months is common because potential buyers are spending time doing their research and due diligence on the website you are selling, including researching other websites that they may be considering. So, if you want to get the best deal, it is best to wait. As they say, good things come to those who wait. Who knows? You can find a buyer who is willing to buy your website for more that you have been expecting, as long as you are not impatient and willing to wait.

2. Keep maintaining your website as though it is not on sale. Updating and taking care of your website as if you were not selling it is one of the biggest selling points that many buyers find attractive. Seeing a well maintained website will give them an idea that you are a credible seller that is providing a quality product. If you care enough to maintain the website while it’s on the market, buyers recognize you as a professional. If the website is well managed and well taken care of prior to selling, it can generate good impression and will open the doors for other possible deals in the future.

3. Be prepared to share a lot of private and confidential information. If you are not comfortable with this then you may have a problem. Buyers need as much information as you can give to help them make a decision to buy. The less information you give the lower the offer will be from potential buyers. On the other hand, the more information you give, the more you could expose yourself to potentially unethical buyers. This is all part of the negotiation process. Give enough information, but not too much. And if you feel that the potential buyer is asking too much information that is not relevant to the sale, find another buyer. Bottom line, common sense is the best policy here.

4. Unless you are selling a modest priced website, you must protect yourself with Nondisclosure Agreements (NDA). A Nondisclosure Agreement is a way for you to protect any information that you reveal to your potential buyers. This is important because it shows the buyer that you are serious and that they have to agree to the NDA in order to get all the information they need to do their research on the website for sale. It shows that you are a professional and that you are a credible seller since you are open to revealing sensitive, financial information about the website.

5. You must work with other website developers that can open the doors to pre-qualify buyers and get more feedback on the industry. This is very important because by networking with other developers and web professionals, you can open up more opportunities to sell your websites. Another great benefit of working with other developers is that you can get a lot of valuable tips, tricks and strategies in effectively selling your websites. Networking with these professionals can really put your website selling business on the fast track.

In these uncertain economic times, many people today are looking for a solid and legitimate home business model to help create another stable stream of income in their lives. Not to mention the ability to spend more time with family, and the chance to quit their jobs and become their own boss.

Rather than taking the risky path of creating their own product and then trying to create a market for the product, many entrepreneurs are choosing to get into a turnkey network marketing businesses that can be easily run from home – especially with the technology available today.

The benefits of network marketing are that the market is already there – you just have to tap it to make sales. You do not need to reinvent the wheel trying to figure out if there is a market for the product. The items being sold by most network marketing companies, such as nutritional items, cleaning products or books are items that are already in demand by the public. There is no need to create a whole new market, or having to explain the value of a product that the public already knows that it wants to buy.

To find the best network marketing company for a home business, there are a few key areas to pay attention to:

1. Does the company sell something that you can believe in? If you do not have a passion about the product or the concept, then you should not choose that particular network marketing company. You want this home business to be fun and something you enjoy.

2. Are the items jut fads that won’t be in demand for long, or are they items that the public will be interested in for years to come? You want a product or concept that will stand the test of time.

3. Are there a variety of items, or just the one product? There’s a better chance of success when you can sell related items to a customer instead of just one product. And, when there are many products, there is no limit as to how many each customer might be interested in buying. The more you can offer, the more your customers will buy.

4. How difficult will it be to get customers and your “downline associates” interested in the items? Will you have to spend a long time explaining the product, or is it simple enough to attract a lot of attention? The KISS (keep it short and simple) principle really applies here. It if takes too long to describe the product or concept, people just won’t buy or join.

5. Is the business so pervasive that everyone you are likely to market to has already joined it? Is it new enough that you can still introduce the idea to potential customers and plenty of downline associates?

If you can find a network marketing company that meets these criteria, then you’ve found a company, product and concept that has tremendous potential to be a wildly successful home business.

A network marketing business like the one described is one that will also be attractive to other people wanting to break into the home business arena and become part of your downline organization – which spells even great profits for you – since they will have the same excitement to grow their organizations as well. This duplication can create a huge residual income stream.

Of course, you have invested money and effort in establishing yourself to succeed in affiliate marketing. Because of this, you are expecting to receive what is due for you.

As an entrepreneur, take into consideration establishing good relationship with each of your prospect. It is a plus factor in turning them into long-term clients and helping you to make your marketing plan a success.

The point here is that you have to express to your prospects that you look on them as real people and not as like a bunch of receipts in your cash register. Make them feel that they are important in the business; it is sincerity that matters in conducting business with them.

Here are some pointers that you can refer to in establishing good relationship with them based on a positive point of view.

Number One Pointer: Present the Best Yourself both Online and Offline

If you will be dealing with a prospect in person, be sure that you do not forget your personal hygiene. Have you properly groomed by wearing clean and pressed business attire. If you have a car, make sure that it is not just car; make it as your alter ego as possible.

Always remember that first impressions last. You need to impress your potential client and promote your program in a way that he will grab it.

In case of dealing online, have your website attractive enough for your prospects to have their eyes is stuck on it. If you are just some sort of a webmaster, provide your site with catchy fonts. Make it easy to navigate so that even new web browsers can understand what you really mean.

You can also offer forums to have a dialogue with your prospects. Be courteous in answering all their queries, as much as possible in a positive tone. Remember that you are presenting the real you both on and off the web, so better make the best of it.

Number 2 Pointer: Set-Up Common Grounds

Do not drop the whole details of the business instantly. When you will be meeting with your prospect for the first time, it will be wise in your part that you initiate some talk to draw them out a little.

If in case you have seen a photograph of his family, do not be afraid to ask some polite questions about how his children are. You can also share some insights concerning your own family as well. In this way, you will not just talk of pure business. Sometimes, it helps to mix it with some light talks.

It is a little bit harder to sell online. The correspondence that is available between you and your prospect is through e-mails and occasional phone calls. Again, be courteous. Make friendly responses. You can also incorporate in your responses something a little more personal. Tell him that you are enjoying the snowfall while answering his e-mail or you just got back from a vacation.

Number 3 Pointer: Soft Selling

Do not just offer your program as a sort of “business thing”. This is why some online entrepreneurs fail to sell it. A hard sell will just make your prospects turn-off.

You can begin by asking his needs. Give him a chance to air his point of view about what you are offering. Remember that they like to feel that someone is willing to listen to them.

Number 4 Pointer: After-Sales Relationship

If you have made that good impression and an initial sale, the connection must not stop there. After a week, for instance, send him a personal note of thanks for the opportunity of conducting business with them.

Let him know that you are always available to answer his other queries or concerns. By this, you are making him feel that you still care for him after he joined your program.

Number 5 Pointer: Other Benefits for You

Sometimes, there are problems that arises in marketing and it is out of your control (especially when it comes in Internet connectivity) to fix that problem. If you have established that friendly relationship with your client, he will be likely to stand by you during critical times.

You may find it more pleasant to conduct business with someone whom you have already known even just a little.

Expect that the world of online marketing, there are real and fake personalities. If you have developed a real personality and established good relationship with your prospect, you will succeed in attaining their loyalty to your affiliate-marketing program.

And I think I can sum up my review and advice on this book in 4 words:

BUY IT – READ IT!  (Click here to get a great deal on it at Amazon.com)

You see … as an entrepreneur, I can attribute much of my success in business and life with the training and mentoring that I have received from my mentors, trainers and coaches.   And a key part of my success is doing that these mentors told me to do and a BIG part is to CONTINUALLY read and learn from books like Think and Grow Rich (which I read once a year every year) and even from biographies of top leaders in the world of business, technology, politics etc.

Bottom line?  This self education is VITAL to success in any areas of your life.

So … what is so special about this little book?  Well … it literally shocked me and DISTURBED ME.

Because as I read it, it acted like a mirror revealing some ultra-hidden aspect of my life that was causing me to actually “self sabotage” my success!   I thought I was doing well, but after I read this book and what it showed me – I know for a FACT that I was unknowingly holding back from the FULL potential!

I was going to write more about it but happened to see a description by a reviewer on Amazon.com that … said it all (thank you Elizabeth Genco)

So seriously … get this book now and start putting this system into ACTION NOW.  Don’t wait for the hokey New Year’s resolution thing!   The faster you put this into action the faster you WILL see some serious and positive changes in your life, your business and your entire outlook on life … I have in only a few short weeks and for my business and life, next year is going to be the best year EVER!

Now … how about you?  Invest in this book and you’ll be on your path to real success and fulfillment in your life.

AND I want to hear YOUR opinions, thoughts and comments about this book to here on this blog!  So feel free!

Until next time …

Bob

So here goes …

Bricks date back thousands of years ago. They’re sturdy and can stand the test of time. When builders decide to build a brick house, they don’t start from the top of the house and build down.

They build from the ground up.

Outer brick walls are not the support of the home and they are not meant to carry the entire weight of the structure. Rather, they are built after the proper foundation is poured and after the supporting inner walls are up. This is the way an online MLM business is built, too.
Begin by laying out a plan in the direction the business will be built. The first thing you’ll do is determine who needs the product you’re promoting. You want to build the business to reach as many people as possible, but you also understand that not everyone will want or need it.

For the people who want the products you offer, your job isn’t as hard – because there’s already a basic desire there. For others, they need to know why they need the product. That’s the way it is in any business that offers something for sale. Learn the benefits of the product and how to entice people to join your business opportunity, too.

Because you’ll be building an online MLM business, you’ll need to formulate a plan for your web presence. Some of the companies out there will have a template you can use, but do you want to stand apart from your competition? If so, then you need to find a way to create a unique website.

You need a plan for your recruitment process, too. Recruiting your downline is a never-ending process. You can’t just sign on twenty people and expect your business to grow on the backs of other people’s hard work.

Improper building of an online MLM business has consequences. Like a home not built to code, a network marketing business that has taken too many shortcuts won’t last long.
Poor training of the recruits, getting too busy to support their efforts, and not motivating them to reach their own potential success will cause everything to crumble and force you to start from scratch again.

These are just the fundamental elements you need to implement in order to build a better business. There are additional, more sophisticated steps you can take to catapult your company to the top in the network marketing industry. But the proper building of an online MLM business is important. Do it right and it’ll support you and your family for years.

Big question … but the answer is surprisingly SHORT and SIMPLE!  Why? Because the answer IS short, sweet and extremely powerful.

Years ago I asked a similar question to my mentor and friend Robert Allen.  Here he was speaking, training, mentoring, and inspiring thousands and thousands of people.  I was in awe of what he was helping people become – and the leadership he showed.  I wanted to be able to do that – so I just sat with him and asked him the ubiquitous question …

“How did you become who you are and … how can I become a leader like you”?

The answer shocked me really …

Basically he said (in a nutshell) EVERYONE has the see of leadership in them, EVERYONE.  All they need to do is start to act … and share their knowledge & experience … no matter how small, so that that “mighty oak” of being a leader can GROW from these small actions.

You could have knocked me over with a feather.  And you know what?  Bob was right and I followed that advice and within a short time I went from being just a guy working his online network marketing business with some ideas … to speaking in front of thousands, mentoring my clients and students, and helping tons of people achieve their level of financial success.  In just a few short MONTHS!   NOT TO MENTION making a greater income by doing so.

Remember … you can get rich by enriching others.  And it all starts with becoming a leader!  So … how can anyone, even the newest person in this industry start from ground zero to becoming a sought after leader in this industry?  Let’s go over a few simple tips to get the ball rolling!

Look …

(1) Get Training

When a new entrepreneur launches a network marketing business, training is the first step.  Every company handles this differently, though the goal is to get trainees quickly up to speed on product details and generating leads. People who are natural leaders quickly stand out and become the top money earners.

Training calls may not cover the details on how to become a leader.  This doesn’t mean someone who does not have “leadership instincts” must be resigned to mediocre profits.  Anyone can adopt leadership traits and utilize them to generate more prospects and sales.

Leadership can be learned and copied.  So model leaders you respect, and get training from them within your chosen company!

(2) Act Like A Leader Right Away

Leaders speak up and stand out and ACT.  This does not mean being loud or rude or pushy.  Instead of sitting back and letting others take charge to volunteer and take responsibility.  Step up and organize local meetings. Invite others.  Have a topic for the meeting or just allow it as time for creative brain-storming. This allows people to get to know you, builds opportunity to prospect, and establishes you as an authority figure.

Don’t sit back and fade into the crowd at local and regional monthly meetings. Not only this is a time to get to know your upline sponsors, it’s an occasion to volunteer to do a brief presentation.  A talk can be about a success, a new product, or selling tips.

And this is a great way to practice in front of your new friends, colleagues and mentors who WANT to see you succeed.

(3) Volunteer Your Services

Volunteer to host weekly training calls.  The calls could be introductory sessions to learn more about your organization or support training calls. Or partner with other reps and co-lead the call for more exposure.   By becoming the person behind the scenes organizing, you’ll be inspiring others and helping your company’s growth.

And as people hear you, see you, and watch you stepping up to the plate.  You BECOME that leader that people respect and admire for being there.  Yes, this is within the company at first but as new guests come on calls or attend meetings … they too see you as the leader and better yet … when you have YOUR prospects on these calls or meetings, THEY see you as the leader volunteering to host calls or lead meetings.

This sets you apart big time when you are up in front of the room instead of sitting next to them in the meeting – or leading the webinar or conference call instead of just being a participant.

(4) Organize

Set up a success team or accountability group.  Join up with three or four other reps or distributors.  On a regular basis report goals, accomplishments and to-do tasks to the team.  Discuss strategies that worked or failed.  Meetings can be held via telephone conference calls, private chat rooms or forum groups, or in person.
(5) Just DO IT!

Look.  You are not going to be perfect, polished or inspiring every time you do some of these things.  That’s OK because it’s not how good you are at first, it’s the fact that you are ACTING and DOING these few things to start building your leadership.

Within a short period of time the speaking, the presenting, the training and coaching comes with ease and you get better and better as you get more comfortable with it.

Then one day you turn around and people will start asking your advice.  People will want you to speak and train on their calls.  People may even want to pay you for your time to speak or train.  You may be asked to create a training product you can sell.   And most importantly, you will find that prospects seem to just GRAVITATE to you where you become a magnetic sponsor that people WANT to work with.

Gone will be the days when you are asking people to look at your business when instead they come to you asking to look at working WITH YOU!

Remember … becoming a top, respected leader in this industry is not hard.  But it takes action … and willingness to do the small things that lead to the bigger things that help you become the leader you want to be.    Leaders are not born, they are made.  And leadership starts with OURSELVES and us doing the things that leaders DO before we arrive at that destination.

So … get cracking and take that first step TODAY!

Until next time …

Bob

Now before you think I’m complaining … I’m not!  You see …

I’m all for snow … and lots of it.   Because one of the great benefits of working at home is NOT having to worry or stress about heading out to a job in bad weather!  I have some pictures which I’ll post showing the view from my home office window where there was like two feet of snow … and I was able to stay home, work, build a business and not leave this house because I didn’t NEED TO!   It’s great.

But for some reason … this “early snow” (and it’s wet, heavy and nasty and IS going to be pulling down some trees) is just not something I’m ready for!  Mentally I’m used to seeing this happen AFTER Halloween – not before!

And I think the worst thing? 

This slushy mess is going to make a REAL mess out of our annual Mischief Night TP Party.  This is an event we’ve been doing for years where friends and family come to our house … rolls of toilet paper in hand … to “TP” all the trees in our yard.  It has been great fun … with a bonfire, good food and good friends.  Especially when we had our whole orchard (which unfortunately has … over the years … gotten smaller and smaller as many of the trees died).  BUT … we still have tons of trees left!

Ok, before you ask.  Here is how this whole thing began. And yes this is a real party!

When my son was very young, he asked what Mischief Night was.  And since we lived close to the city where folks were … well … ummm … not so kind to “mischief” and some of the older kids were just destroying property, we needed a different plan.

So, we started “attacking” our own house and made a party of it.  Toilet paper, soaping our own windows (one way to get them clean ha ha) and having some safe fun.  Heck, we became legendary in our old neighborhood … and the police often stopped when driving by to tell us how much of a good job we did of “decorating our trees”.

So … when we moved the the country … that tradition continued but expanded to become even more of a get together and party for friends and family.  That tradition has continued for more than like 14 years!  And this year is NO exception!

This year we are all gonna have to get out some boots because of the mud, lots more wood for a bigger bonfire to keep everyone warm, and some “adult beverages” to warm up more   It’s gonna be C-C-C-O-L-D!

But … it’s all good and we are excited!

SO to all of the friends invited to attend – we are so looking forward to seeing you where we can “vandalize” our own backyard … and spend some great time together because that IS what life IS all about isn’t it!

Now off to get some TP and some “adult beverages” for tomorrow night!

We will have pictures here or on our personal facebook pages so stay tuned!

B