The more complicated a plan is, the more that can go wrong.

Success in Network Marketing is not dependent upon how elaborate your marketing plan is.

The more simple it is, the more easily you can teach someone else how to do it and the more easily they will learn it and be able to teach it to someone else.

This applies to Offline and Online methods! Whichever you choose to use, or if you use BOTH!

I reference the Laws of Duplication in this video. This video and that post compliment each other, neither one has to be viewed before the other.

Will the great debate over offline and online methods ever be settled? Probably not completely. But I have a prediction for the future of MLM methods. I also know Daegen Smith, Mike Dillard and David Wood agree with me on this.

The future of MLM lies in the merging of the two methods.

MLM is simply an industry of relationships.

Even when marketing online relationships are being built. Online marketers call it “building their list”, offline marketers call it their “warm market”. Essentially offline and online methods are the same, yet different.

The online methods allow for more time leverage. There is a potential for unlimited exposures to your primary business through the use of the internet using the effort it would take to make one offline presentation. However, even if you record a live presentation of yourself, it’s not very personal and it loses some of the intimate connection that an offline presentation can give.

Building excitement for a live webinar presentation can be effective and be used with online invites and in a home presentation. With technology it is possible to do an in home presentation with your guests watching a live broadcast together with 100’s of others that are watching through the internet.

Sitting around a computer screens with your home presentation guests may sound silly but I’m challenging you that it can be effective when done properly. When prospects can see that there are other people interested in an MLM opportunity it creates a phenomenon. Just the presence of other participants creates a testimony that this MLM opportunity is attracting attention and is worth listening to.

That is the purpose of building anticipation and excitement for home presentations. This same thing is being utilized in the online marketing setting. By creating a feeling of urgency, value and limited registered guest spots people will get on a webinar presentation and feel the same synergy and the excitement of an offline presentation.

Already marketers use a combination of offline and online techniques, if you’re marketing online you’re doing it without knowing.

Do you have a Facebook or Twitter? Your friends list/followers are part of your online warm market.

You aren’t going to make a fortune in this industry by looking at your computer screen. This is an industry of building trust and relationships. In order to build trust and relationships you must connect and communicate with people, which is exactly what offline marketers do. Pick up the phone and call your prospects or initiate a conversation with someone on your friends list, and ask the Magic Question.

Really, I mean it. Go do it…. Read what the Magic Question is first though.

Here’s to OUR Success,

Your response will dictate your success in your MLM so think about this before you answer.

Have you taken full ownership of your MLM business and assumed the responsibility of making it a success?

I hope you aren’t a renter. These are the people that decided to join an MLM opportunity to “try” it out. If you are “trying” and “hoping” that it works, just quit now.

I’m not joking. I’m the one that tells you what no one else will… remember?

This is a business. There’s no “rent to own” program here either.

Get yourself in the mindset to take on full responsibility and OWN it. Make it yours and make the dedication, commitment, choice, promise, devotion,,, whichever word works for you and OWN your MLM.

Renting doesn’t give the full sense of pride. There’s a huge difference between renting and apartment and owning a home. If something happens to the apartment, you can just move and forfeit the deposit. When something happens to your house, it’s up to you to fix it.

So….. Do you RENT or OWN your MLM?

Myth #1 Entrepreneurs are born, not made.

This myth is based on the belief that some people are genetically predisposed to be an entrepreneur. I’m not a geneticist, and I can’t deny that there are some things in our genes that make us predisposed for certain advantages and disadvantages in life. But we are also born with the ability to overcome our disadvantages. I have some friends point out to me that both my parents have owned their own businesses so this myth must be true. I have to remind them I was adopted. You don’t have to believe me though, look at this video about Patrick Hughes before you make an argument about genetics as a reason people are held back in life.

Myth #2 – Entrepreneurs are gamblers

Entrepreneurs are moderate risk takers, but so are most people. When you are gambling you have little to no control over the outcome. A business is not a slot machine. It is a thought out plan that is put to the test and can be tweaked and altered to fit into the current market. The entrepreneurs that are taking a gamble are those that don’t do their homework first and just decide to wing it.

Myth #3 – Entrepreneurs are only motivated by money.

Of course money is a motive, but if that was the only motive they wouldn’t get too far. They also must possess a passion for business, and a belief that the business will positively influence people’s lives. Without a bigger goal than money an entrepreneur will fail. There must be a focus on being a productive person and providing value to society. Without this focus people will not care and totally ignore the entrepreneur that only focuses on making money.

Myth #4 – Entrepreneurs need to be young.

Younger people are showing a growing interest in being entrepreneurs, but the entrepreneurs that show the greatest success the fastest are older. This is because they possess more business experience, skill and time has given them the opportunity to build up a bigger network of contacts. Enthusiasm is more important in age in the entrepreneur game.

Myth #5 – Need money to make money.

To start a large business or a franchise, YES, you need money. To become an investor you need to also have money. But if this were true for all entrepreneurs there wouldn’t be any businesses. People aren’t born with a stack of Benjamins in each hand. And there are just as many people that are born into rich families become failures and waste their family fortune as there are people who are born into rich families that become successful business owners. Go back to Myth #1 and think about overcoming disadvantages.
These myths don’t apply just to MLM, this is for ANY entrepreneur going into any business. It’s not about money, or a feeling of what we believe we are entitled to, it’s not about luck, it’s not about getting a break, it’s about having an unrelenting tenacity to be a success.

Failure rate for entrepreneurs is naturally high because most are trying something that is new to them. They are learning along the way. There is an element of experimentation to find what works for each individual. The ingredient that all successful entrepreneurs have is the determination to succeed.

If you have unrelenting tenacity and seek to be part of something bigger than yourself CLICK HERE.

When joining an MLM business you are joining with more than just the company. Yes, the company that you are joining needs to be aligned with your beliefs and values, but this is a business of people. You also need to evaluate the sponsor you are choosing.

A lot of people in an MLM business are brought in by a friend or family member as their sponsor. This can be a lot of fun because you are working close with someone you know well, but the downside is that your friends and family may not be qualified to train you on how to run your business because they too may be in the learning stages. This can be a great journey for the both of you, but if you want to skip the headache of learning together you can do some sponsor shopping.

The person that sponsors you into their MLM opportunity isn’t someone that just disappears after they get your money. At least they shouldn’t be. They will be training you on how to market and run your own MLM business.

The 4 qualifications of an MLM sponsor:

1. Committed to your success. The sponsor that is committed to your success in your MLM opportunity is going to give you training and valuable information before you even sign up with them. Your sponsor will want you to be educated on the basics of MLM and knowledgeable before joining the opportunity so that you will be able to jump right in and get started. You can recognize their commitment through their training emails their newsletters and information they have posted for you on their blog.

2. Training outside of what the primary MLM company has to offer. The really good MLM companies have access on their website to train distributors. But the really exceptional MLM sponsors have found other resources that they can tap you into for further MLM training.

3. Their marketing method. Sponsors use the form of advertising for their MLM opportunity that they know how to use the best and the one that they feel the most natural doing. It can be videos, articles, PPC, social media or any single use or combination of a number of methods. Whatever they use is also the form of marketing that they are going to be best at training you in. Your sponsor may know how to utilize other forms of marketing, but they are going to be the most knowledgeable and up to date in the form they use the most. So if you aren’t going to be comfortable using the same marketing tactics that your sponsor is using, then it may not be the best sponsor for you.

4. Their personality. There are so many different types of people in the world. Some of those people we like, others not so much. Obviously the sponsor you choose is going to be someone you like, but it also needs to be someone that you feel comfortable asking questions. Don’t end up sitting in the dark because you feel awkward approaching your sponsor with a question.

If you are choosing to work your MLM business online then it seem logical that you would choose your sponsor through the internet. This is not a choice that should be made quickly so be prepared to take at least a few days to a few weeks to find a sponsor. During this time you should also be doing as much research and learning about MLM as possible so that you will well educated and ready to start when you find the sponsor you click with.

The 4 steps to finding an MLM sponsor that meets the 4 qualifications:

1. RSS. If they have a blog or video channel then subscribe to it. View their content that they put out. It should be valuable, educational and shows their personality.

2. Capture page. Opt in to their capture page. See what they have to offer, read their emails, view any training videos they send you, and get a feel for their style.

3. Do this for more than one. Sign up for several different MLM distributors content. As you find those that aren’t a fit, just unsubscribe from their lists. Narrow down through this process until you have found the right sponsor for you.

4. One final and crucial step in selecting a sponsor, get on the phone with them! You are going to have to stand out to the person sponsoring you. They are going to want to test you out as well and be sure that they are sponsoring someone that isn’t going to be wasting their time and training. Show them your dedication, and by speaking with them after going through the above process you will be an educated prospect. You will know if they are the right sponsor for you, and they will know you are ready to get to work.

By following these steps you will ensure that you find the person that will help you succeed in your MLM business and they will shorten your learning time down to months instead of years.

Whenever I start a new exercise plan I always want immediate results. Don’t we all? Our common sense tells us that it takes work and that we have to stick to it and see it through for a few months before we can get noticeable results.

So why aren’t you putting that same theory into your MLM business? Out of the people I talk to that are struggling the number one thing they all have in common is that they don’t stick with anything long enough to see the results.

There are two things that they change in the hopes of getting better results, and those are the last two things that should be changed.

1. The Company – People jump from one MLM company to another like they are running for their lives. STOP IT!!!! Each company has new products and compensation plans to learn and each team has it’s own way of communicating and working together. If you aren’t sticking around long enough to get your groove on in that company, then of course you aren’t going to be successful in it! If you find yourself in a company or team that is going against your principles or you are embarrassed to be a part of it or you aren’t comfortable promoting it, then by all means get out. But do your homework before you join another one. You need to be in a company that you feel good about and makes you feel good enough to go sponsor your Grandma.

2. Marketing – There are many different mediums to marketing such as Pay Per Click, Viral email, article marketing, social media, blogging, classifieds, lead lists, home meetings and contacting friends and family. The problem is new MLM’ers will dabble in one for a few weeks and when they don’t see results they move on to another form of marketing. Each form of marketing takes some time to master it and to build up a network of relationships.

If you really want to change something that will bring success to your MLM, then start changing yourself. Analyze yourself and figure out what it takes to motivate yourself to focus and see one plan through to the results. Take a the time to do some research and find a company that resonates with your opinions, goals, mindset and mission in life. Then find the form of marketing that you feel natural and comfortable with. If you are trying to market and reach out to people in a way that doesn’t feel good to you then you aren’t going to stick with it.

Find your zone and get your groove on, focus and perfect your strategy until you see the results you want.

Now, does anyone know the latest exercise craze? The one I’m doing isn’t working.

Could Failure Be The Key To Success?

I just love how everyone in MLM is such a huge success.  Oh, wait, that’s right they’re not.  97% of people fail in MLM.  So why are there so many people advertising see how I made $blah $blah in MLM?

Because they are trying to sell a dream and appeal to the inner greedy desires of people.  Having only the desire for money isn’t going to bring you long lasting success in this industry.  So anyone using this type of marketing isn’t going to attract long lasting quality prospects to their MLM.  Also, the FTC will send you a nice big fine for using income claims in your advertising.

I believe this is the worst type of MLM advertising for another reason.  It sounds like bragging.  So many people fail in the beginning of this business and I’ve found the ones that are now doing the best in this business share their stories of failure. They also share their story of success, but they don’t throw around dollar amounts.

It’s boastful and they also know that their prospects don’t find it believable.  When something sounds too good to be true our instincts tell us to believe that it isn’t true.

So why are so many marketers making these hugeass income claims?  It really blows my mind.  The biggest lessons we learn in life we learn as a result of our failures.  What is to be gained in a series of successes?  If you’ve never felt the humbling experience of defeat how are you to truly appreciate the feeling of success?

There are enough marketing fanatics out there exaggerating their best month or week in their business.  They hype their income claims without stating expenses. They inflate their lead list claims, never mentioning how many people unsubscribe.

The real experts with real success aren’t afraid to talk about their failures, the stupid things they did, or how much it sucked for them when they started in MLM.  They tend to brag about it more, because it’s a real story that people can relate to.

The bigger the failures in someone’s past the bigger their success story becomes.  Even if their success is small, if there was some huge obstacle they had to overcome to get it, it makes it all that much more of a sweet success.

I personally don’t feel there is much to learn or gain from someone who has had nothing but a string of successes.  There is more character and wisdom in the person who has had to fight for what they have.