Network Marketing and MLM Blog @ RogerLoh.Com

Copyright (C) Roger Loh

Isn’t that common sense?

Straightforward as it may be, it’s strange that many newbies or even some seasoned veterans in network marketing still don’t get it.

In his book, “45 Seconds Presentation That Will Change Your Life”, network marketing guru, Don Failla talked about the “Salesmen Failure Syndrome” where the salesman type comes into the business, and starts sponsoring lots of new distributors.

The gist is this:  Those that this “salesman” sponsored simply think that they can’t do what this “salesman” does and thus give up early in their network marketing journey.  Check this out at:

 

http://the-elearning.biz/index.php/books-network-marketing/

 

That’s right!

DUPLICATION IS NOT EQUAL TO SPONSORING!

In fact, this is the formula:

DUPLICATION = SPONSORING + TRAINING + COACHING + COUNSELING + STRATEGIZING + …

where…

TRAINING = Teaching of network marketing basics, mindset, skills, etc

COACHING = Helping them to achieve performance, not fault finding

COUNSELING = Listening to their problems and offering another perspective to help them find solutions

STRATEGIZING = Discussing and working out concrete strategies and plans to build their networks

Frankly, I hope I did not frighten you off

 

*** WHAT IS EXPECTED WHEN YOU GET INTO A JOB? ***

That’s what duplication is about.  Sponsoring is merely the beginning of a new relationship with a business partner.  Network marketing is, after all, a serious business.  If not, how can you retire with your millions in a few short years?

I suspect most of you held a job before.  I did.  (The one that stands for “Just Over Broke”, “Just Obey Boss”, etc)

Can you remember your first day at work?

After you left school and passed that job interview with flying colors, you happily report to work.  And what happened after that?

The fortunate ones will go through a process similar to this:

- Get introduced to the colleagues in the company

- Get familiarized to the products or services the company offer

- Get acquainted to the operation of the company

- Get hold of all the information you can get - files, folders - and learn as much as you can

- Get to attend orientation training by some senior or HR staff

- Get used to how your boss works

- Get close to some colleagues with ‘chemistry’ to become your buddies

- Get some coaching from the closer colleagues, perhaps those who care for you

- Get a job confirmation - FINALLY - after a few months (or even 2 years in my case!)

- Get a pay raise after a year (or even after many years if not at all)

- Get a job promotion (if you fight hard enough at politicking or back biting!)

Be honest, my friend…  Does this sound real or did I make this up?

The key here is: when we land ourselves in a job, we learn along the way as we work and progress.  After some years, we become more senior and then it’s time to guide the junior colleagues, especially those who just join the company.

Now…let’s switch back to the network marketing scenario…

 

*** WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTED TO DUPLICATE? ***

After you sponsored a new business partner, what should you do?

Yes, DUPLICATION, of course!

But then, what is DUPLICATION?  What is expected of you to duplicate?

Here’s the scoop:

Network marketing is a business, essentially a people’s business.  So, your success does not depend solely on your ability to sell but rather on your willingness to help others by developing people.

Duplication of skills, attitudes, mindsets, beliefs, commitment… and taking the effort to DEVELOP PEOPLE is extremely important.  Once you are able to develop some leaders, that’s where your EXPONENTIAL GROWTH will kick in due to *LEVERAGE*, (which to me, is the 2nd most important word in network marketing.)

Thus, I always remind my new distributors that network marketing is NOT sales!  And when I told them that they have to train their new distributors, they often froze in their tracks and they would say that don’t know how to train.  I will tell them that in the land of the blind, the ‘one-eyed’ is king!

 

*** WHAT IS NETWORK MARKETING? ***

Network marketing, though already more than 50 years old, is still a paradigm shift for many people.  There is indeed a shift in the way goods and services are distributed.  A DISTRIBUTION REVOLUTION is going on, in fact, where a lot of money can be made!! It’s already a multi-billion dollar industry and many big multinational corporations (MNC’s) are already adopting network marketing in part to distribute their goods and services.

Thus, it is important for us to shift the paradigm of our distributors…  How?

What we really need to do is to train our people, not just in skills but WHY Network Marketing, Why are they doing it?  It is a *PROPER* business because word of mouth advertising has proved to be an extremely effective method of distribution, NOT a get rich quick scheme.

 

In conclusion, if you ask me to say which is the MOST IMPORTANT WORD in network marketing, I would say, without a doubt:

D-U-P-L-I-C-A-T-I-O-N

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Find out more about Roger Loh’s Internet Education Franchise at:

http://www.the-elearning.biz/

Check out Roger Loh’s other passion in Internet Marketing at:

http://www.rogerloh.com/

 

Randy Gage started out as a dish washer in a pancake house and became a multi-millionaire through network marketing!  He authored several books including the popular, “How To Build A Multi-Level Money Machine” which is a highly recommended book for any beginning network marketer.

Besides covering the network marketing basics, this video is extremely inspiring as Randy urges us to Live Our Dreams! that we forgotten since 15 years old…

Personally, these are but a few of the important points that I picked up:  (This is definitely an hour of my life worth investing!)

• Which plan are we following?  The 45-year plan or the 2 to 4-year plan?
• In the 45-year plan, we are caught in the “Time For Money” TRAP, trading our limited and precious hours for dollars!  We cannot create a life while we are busy making a living!
• Randy revealed his 2 SECRETS of Prosperity that every one, network marketer or not, should know and follow…
• Fortunes are made in revolutions.  And did we know that we are currently undergoing a DISTRIBUTION REVOLUTION where network marketing is the new model of distributing goods and services?
• Netowrk marketing is a US$70 - 80 billion dollar industry!
• And much, much more…

Just by watching this video, I guarantee that you will pick up something useful to apply in your business right away!  And if you watch this together with your sub-franchisees, it will surely expand your business…FAST!

Check this out at:

http://www.CheckOutTheBiz.com

 

Copyright (C) Roger Loh

There are many reasons why people fail in network marketing.

However, instead of looking into each of these causes, the purpose of this article is to explain what people MUST know when they start their network marketing business so that they will have a better chance to succeed.

This is what you must know in order to succeed in your network marketing business:

1) What is your “job” scope?

2) What is expected of you in your “job”?

3) What you should expect in your “job”?
Network marketing is a business and not a job! In fact, in the network marketing or MLM circle, the acronym J.O.B. stands for:

- Just Obey Boss (Work on a job and take orders from the boss.)

- Just Over Broke (Work on a job, get paid, and after you pay all your bills, you’ll be just over broke.)

- Journey Of the Broke (Work on a job and you’ll likely end up broke after working their whole life!)

- Jump Out of Bed (Hit the alarm clock and jump out of bed each morning to get yourself ready for another day’s work.)

So, what am I talking about?

 

WHAT IS YOUR “JOB” SCOPE?

Say, you check out a job on a classified ad.  You’ll be looking at the job title and then the job description.  Some ads are so small that you really wonder what’s involved.  So, you write that perfect job application letter, update your resume and secure your interview.  And besides the salary that you’d most interested in, you’d be finding out the duties and responsibilities of the job.

Bottom line: You know the scope of your job when you get one.

Now, when you start out in your network marketing business, do you know your “job” scope?

As a network marketer, this is your “job” scope:
- Understand your product and offerings

> Learn about the products especially those that you want to focus on (if your company offers a wide range)

> Find out the unique selling proposition of your products.  In other words, what are the benefits of your products?

> Be a product of your products so as to know their pros and cons and you’ll be able to share from first-hand experience.
- Understand the company, its mission and vision

> Find out when and how was the company started

> Find out who owns it and who’s who in the management team

> Find out where are the regional offices (if any) and visit some of them if possible

> Know the company’s mission and its vision
- Understand the compensation plan

> Study the compensation plan and know how to explain to others clearly

> Know the merits of your company’s compensation plan and how it compare with other compensation plans.
- Understand the network marketing industry
 
> Find out about the network marketing industry and how it started

> Study the difference between legitimate network marketing and illegal pyramids
- Build your network through duplication

> Realize that network marketing is not sales but a “people” business

> Build your network through your circle of influence and relationship, friendship, partnership and leadership

> Provide training and support to duplicate your downline business partners

> Multiply your efforts so as to grow your business exponentially through the power of LEVERAGE

 

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF YOU IN YOUR “JOB”?
 
Once you got that job and started working, you are expected to learn and pick up your skills from your seniors and your peers and even from your subordinates.

It is in fact not much different in network marketing.  And these are the things that are expected of you:
- To get into a “business” mind set

> Realize that since this is a business, you must take responsibility as a business owner

> As you are your own boss, you owe it to no one except yourself whether you succeed or fail

> A business takes time to grow, so be patient with yourself

> Network marketing is a “get rich sure” and not a “get rich quick” business
- To practice the “success” mind set

> Set your goals and plan your strategy, then take action

> When you do not get the results you want, don’t give up easily but adjust your strategy and take action again

> Keep adjusting your strategy as necessary to achieve the results you want

> In this business, you cannot fail if you practice the “success” mind set
- To have the right attitudes

> In network marketing, you can only succeed if you help others succeed

> Use less of “I, me, myself” and think about how you can add value to your prospects and partners

> Be prepared to walk the extra mile and get busy once your network starts to grow

> How fast your network grows depends on you as you are the leader of your own network

> Whatever you DO, not whatever you say, is duplicated by your network
- To learn the “business” skills

> It’s not money that makes you rich, it’s business skills

> Learn the basic business skills that you need to make this business work

> These are essentially inter-personal and communication skills encompassing prospecting, inviting, presenting, closing, following up, training and support
- To share the business with others

> If you had started a traditional business with $100,000, would you open your door to do business everyday?  Yes, of course.

> Network marketing is a word of mouth business.  Thus, to do business means you simply tell others about your products or services.

> When you share your business everyday, you are in fact opening your door to do business everyday.

> Sharing your business is just making a referral.  Do not confuse it with selling.  A good example is to refer a friend to a restaurant because you thought the food was great.  However, you most likely won’t know how they cook or what ingredients the chefs use.  You just loved the taste of the food or perhaps the service there.

 

WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT IN YOUR “JOB”?
 
Once you got that job and started working, you are expected to learn and pick up your skills as soon as possible but not instantly.  (Unless of course you already have relevant experience in a previous similar job.)  So, you actually go through a probation period of 3, 6, 12 or even 24 months.  And then, initially, there’s so much to learn and so exciting.  However, this wears out as time goes by…

It is in fact not much different in network marketing.  And these are the things that you should expect:
- There is a learning curve

> No matter how simple your product or compensation plan seems, there is simply a learning curve

> If you are starting network marketing from scratch, you need time to learn and develop the “business” and “success” mind sets as well as your “business” skills.
- Your initial excitement will not last long

> Your initial excitement when you join a network marketing company can only last for 1 to 2 months

> So, you need to maintain your enthusiasm by building your belief and commitment by attending meetings, training, reading or listening to audio, etc
- Replenishment is necessary

> People come and people will go whether in jobs or in network marketing

> As this is inevitable, you need to constantly replenish your network by sponsoring new people till you reach a critical mass whereby the growth in your network exceeds the attrition rate. I have written an article, “How To Create A Surefire Stream Of Prospects For Your Network Marketing Business” which you can download from:

 

http://www.rogerloh.com/mlmtips

- There will always be rejection

> No one has a 100% record in sponsoring no matter how good they are.

> Realize that rejection is part of the “job” and that they are rejecting the opportunity, not you

> Dismiss the rejection by chanting, “Some will, some won’t, so what, someone else is waiting”

> There are many reasons why people reject your business opportunity.  It could be due to money, time, family or personal problems, fear of rejection, fear of failure, etc.

> There is a ratio like 1 in 10 will join you after you share your business with them.  So, the key is to share with as many people as possible.  And the good news is that your ratio will increase.

 

To recap, this is what you must know in order to succeed in your network marketing business:

1) What is your “job” scope?

2) What is expected of you in your “job”?

3) What you should expect in your “job”?

In summary, your job is to share your business through word of mouth with your family and friends.  So, learn to share as much as you can and you will get better each time.

However, the decision to join you or not lies with them, not you
Roger Loh, spent many years setting up computer networks and is a network marketing and Internet marketing entrepreneur. Visit:

Blog (Internet Marketing): http://www.rogerloh.com/
Blog (Network Marketing): http://www.rogerloh.com/mlmblog

Copyright © 2006 Stephen Ashton

The idea of running a home-based business is appealing to people of all backgrounds all over the world. On the surface, when comparing a home-based business to working a typical nine-to-five job for someone else, it might seem like a dream come true. However, the reality is that running a home-based business and working for yourself isn’t easy. Here are some of the pros and cons of running a home-based business.

Pros

* You get to be your own boss.
* You don’t have to commute to work.
* You don’t always have to dress up for work.
* You can pick and choose your clients in some kinds of work.
* You can set your own work schedule, including your hours and what days you want to take off.
* You can be home with your children.
* You can take a lighter workload when you want to schedule a vacation, in many lines of work you can do from home.
* You can set up your own office space how you’re most comfortable.
* You can take care of home responsibilities during “down times” instead of feeling like your time is being wasted.
* You can take breaks when you want during the day to pick kids up from school, go to the gym, or just enjoy nice weather.
* You can choose to work in a field that you’ll continue to love on a daily basis.

Cons

* There isn’t anyone to guide you or answer your questions.
* There isn’t likely anyone to help share the workload.
* You have to wear many hats including secretary, office cleaning, accounting, management, marketing, and that’s not even to mention doing your actual client work or product manufacturing.
* There’s no one to fill in for you, so you might be forced to take a vacation only during your industry’s slow season, or even not at all.
* Even without a boss, you still have to answer to your clients, whose requirements and requests might even be more stringent.
* Because your clients can always find your address, you need to keep your home clean and presentable in case one decides to stop by, not realizing your office is at home.
* Because of the same reason of clients potentially stopping by, you can’t always dress too casually.
* Your children and pets can become distractions to your work, and your work can end up causing family tension.
* If you don’t have space for a full home office, your work life might intrude on your family’s space, also causing strain with family members.
* Because you have to spend so much time doing marketing and administrative work, most small business owners in service fields can only bill 22-23 hours of their time each week.
* Having constant access to your refrigerator and television can lead to extra breaks and distractions.
* In many lines of work, you need to be available to your clients during normal business hours, so you can’t always set your own schedule after all.
* Dealing with the more monotonous tasks of running a home-based business can take away some of the excitement you initially felt for your work.

Even though there are a lot of negative aspects of working from home, it’s certainly not impossible. Many people all over the world run successful home-based businesses. The key is to simply understand that these obstacles exist, and to form an action plan to work around these issues before you make the leap into running a home-based business.

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Find more Home Business ideas at http://www.moneymakingshed.com/ and find low cost web hosting at http://www.abetterwebhost.com/

Copyright (C) 2006 Roger Loh

What is Network Marketing which is also commonly known as Multi-level Marketing (MLM)?

Network Marketing is a 50-year-old industry. It is just a way for businesses to distribute their products. It is:

• A different way of doing business
• Marketing channel
• Word-of-mouth advertising
• Person-to-person communication
• Helping and serving other people
• Monthly recurring residual or passive income
• FREEDOM!

Rather than using the customary distribution process that moves from manufacturer to warehouse to wholesaler to retailer to end customer, Network Marketing companies use a network of independent marketers to move the products directly from the manufacturer to the end customer.
Any business methodology that is different from the conventional will usually be considered a scam. Network marketing, however, is not a scam but a great way to produce residual income.
The independent marketers earn a percentage of the profit on all sales they make. While it’s possible and highly recommended to earn an income by selling to customers directly, the real power of Network Marketing is that you are allowed to build a downline of other independent marketers below you, and earn a percentage of their combined sales.

Critical “Success” Factors

1. Company: How long have they been in business? The odds are against any company less than 1 to 2 years old Any network marketing company around after 5 years has a much better chance to survive.
2. Financially strong
3. Experienced management team: Do they have any reputable management personnel as part of their team?
4. Unique products or services: Are their offerings easily available elsewhere. (However, be mindful that if there’s absolutely no competition, there may not be much demand after all.)
5. Competitively priced: If they are higher priced than the typical Walmart, then the consumer had better believe that there is a higher perceived value for the product.
6. A practical, realistic personal production requirement.
7. High reorder rate from customers and builders. Better still, it produces a fixed monthly recurring income just like rental.
8. Minimal start-up costs: Anything under $100 is best. If it’s higher than a few hundred dollars, you bear the risks of front loading when the products got stuck.
9. Powerful compensation plan.
10. An SIMPLE SUCCESS Marketing Strategy which anyone can do.
11. Timing
12. Training and support
13. Buy back guarantee: A 100% money back guarantee.
14. Relationships: The person who sponsored you can AND will work with you personally. Remember, this is a business of relationships!

The Price You Must Pay In Advance

1. Rejection, especially from spouse, relatives and close friends.
2. Fear of prospecting and inviting.
3. What are you doing with that? You’ve got a good job!
4. What will our friends say?
5. Depression.
6. Don’t buy into hype. Be realistic. Tell the truth!
7. Criteria for success is different.
8. Playing “not to lose” instead of “a no matter what” attitude.
9. Changing the “system.”

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Find out more about Roger Loh’s Internet Education Franchise at:
http://www.the-elearning.biz/

Check out Roger Loh’s other passion in Internet Marketing at: http://www.rogerloh.com/