What Your MLM Prospects Are Thinking

Let's try an experiment ...

A few months ago I created a poll asking people what they thought would help them in building their MLM or network marketing home-based business.

The response was excellent for 2 reasons (according to the feedback you gave me):

1. People enjoyed being able to give their input and express themselves.
2. People found that looking at the results of the survey gave them insight into the minds of their potential prospects and what they are looking for ... thus helping them to target their marketing efforts more effectively.

So let's try another survey, and here's the question for today:

Traditional MLM has taught for decades that we should build our business through our "warm list" and the "3-foot rule." Some argue that it's still the best way to build a downline because MLM is all about relationships.

Others contend that the world has changed. We now live in the Internet age and must adapt with the times. Marketing online allows us to reach more people and is more fun.

What's your opinion? Is Internet marketing for MLM superior to the traditional warm market approach or is it all hype?

This time instead of using Squidoo to create a poll, I think it would be more interesting to see people's actual comments.

So I invite you to click the "Comments" link immediately below this article, and a window will pop up where you can type in your opinion on this question. You can also read other people's comments there.

Feel free to write as much or as little as you want, and even ask questions.

Thanks for participating. This could be a provide some great insights for all of us!

Shiny Happy MLM Distributors

Thank you all for the extremely kind response I received from so many after my last post about my near death experience.

I received pages and pages of emails, and even flowers and gifts in the mail! Way beyond what I expected.

I'm humbled and grateful to have so many people caring for me.

Then there were a couple of letters that said something similar to this:

"Gosh, Barry, I can't believe you admitted that you had a health problem. Aren't you concerned that this will make people think your MLM company's products don't work?"

It's an honest question, so I don't want to be too harsh on those who asked it. But it really does point to something that has been, and continues to periodically raise it's head as a problem in our industry:

HYPE!

Do you really think that there is any nutritional network marketing company where EVERYONE who takes their super miracle juice has been able to avoid having a heart condition, or cancer or diabetes or a stroke or ...?

Obviously the truth is quite the opposite: Every nutrition company has people taking their products who have those conditions.

There's a reason that nutrition company's have to put disclaimers on their products, and it's a good reason: Nutrition is not medicine.

Distributors sometimes treat those disclaimers as annoying big-brother controls imposed by an evil coalition of the government, the AMA and the "money-hungry" drug companies.

It's convenient to have such an enemy, and it makes for a great story. And there may be just enough of a partial truth to it to make it believable. I acknowledge that.

But there have been times when our industry brought some of this on ourselves by making inappropriate claims for the products we market.

The best way to keep the government from over-regulating our industry is for us to self-regulate and stop making outlandish medical claims.

Look at the history of network marketing. There have been some exciting new product launches promoted with tremendous enthusiasm as an incredible product that was going to change the world.

Where are those products now?

They're still on the market. But the initial excitement isn't there any more for any of them.

Why?

Perhaps after people took them for awhile they found that they still got sick, had some health problems, and they weren't the "cure-all" promised.

This doesn't mean they weren't good products with excellent benefits that could be promoted with enthusiasm. It just means that they were sometimes hyped beyond reason.

In fact, if you look at some of the companies that hyped those "sizzle" products, you'll find that most of them have sizzled out. They're out of business, have shrunk dramatically in size, or have switched their product focus.

Why?

Because you can't sustain a business on hype. It's a self-defeating business model.

I'm of the opinion that most legitimate MLM companies have good products. We can share the legitimate benefits of them without having to make medical claims, and without having to pretend that they are cure-alls.

By promoting our products enthusiastically, but without hype, we can build long-term businesses without fear of government intervention or dramatic customer attrition.

The power to give our industry a bad name, or to repair it's reputation, is largely in our hands.

It's a Great Tool

Just a quick update on the last post ...

At the end of March I posted about a new tool I came across called Quick Blaze.

It's an online automatic dialing system, essentially a computer as I understand it.

You load your leads into their their web site, then schedule the calls. It dials all your leads for you while you do something else (answer emails, write letters, read my blog).

• When it connects with an answering machine it will leave a message you pre-record.
• When it reaches a live person, it will ring your phone so you can pick up and talk to them.

This avoids the long, frustrating process of making calls and not reaching people which is so tediously common today.

When I wrote about it in the last post, my organization hadn't tried it yet.

Now, however, I have received word from one of my top up-and-coming leaders that he is loving it, saying he'd never go back to calling his own leads again .... ever!

I don't get any affiliate commissions if you get the service, but I just wanted to pass along this update that the service is real, it works, and it can save you and your downline hours of frustration.

Isn't technology a wonderful thing?

Leverage Your Leads to the Max!

I don't do this much any more, but back in the day I built a big part of my MLM business over the telephone.

I'd buy network marketing leads and start dialing for dollars.

Calling leads was great because I could "work the numbers" so much faster than using the 3-foot rule. The phone was a leveraging tool that allowed me to talk to a lot of people every day.

After developing some skills, it worked pretty darn well. In fact, I got so serious about it that I eventually opened my own telemarketing center.

But the times, they are a changin.'

These days people are busy, they're out and about, they use answering machines and voicemail, and they screen their calls.

The telephone is not the leveraging tool it used to be. In fact, the biggest frustration of phone prospecting is trying to reach someone live on the telephone.

I've had times where I spent anywhere from 30-40 minutes making calls without reaching even one human being live on the phone!

Professional call centers can really leverage the phone because they have "predictive dialers." These are computers hooked up to multiple phone lines. The computers make many calls simultaneously and only when a live person answers the phone does the computer then connect that call with a telemarketer. In this way, the telemarketers have no down time and they are always talking to live prospects.

Of course those computers are expensive and require the cost of many phone lines.

However ...

Like so many other things, that technology is now available to people with very modest budgets who work from home.

I haven't tried it yet, but I've heard good things.

One company that offers this service is Quick Blaze

Here's how it works:

Basically, you upload your phone list to their database, and record a message to be left on answering machines.

Then it will start calling all your numbers. It will leave your message on all voicemail and answering machines. When it reaches a live person, your phone will ring so you can pick it up and talk to the prospect.

Whenever it reaches an answering machine or voicemail, it will leave the message that you prerecorded.

You can read about it and even view their video demos at: www.quickblaze.com

If you sign up, the site will ask for a referral ID, but I'm not an affiliate with them so you can just skip that part.

Sounds like a great way to leverage your time and avoid the modern challenge of reaching people via the phone.

Building On A Budget

All home business owners can now learn the best ways to build any home business nearly free, using these latest internet marketing techniques.

It’s ruthless. Today, succeeding in the “work at home” arena is harder than ever with the painful advertising costs and “expensive” cut throat competition. Spending a small fortune to keep their businesses afloat, most home business owners find themselves throwing in the towel before they even begin.

But with the new "Building On A Budget” platform, large pocketbooks may no longer be needed to grow a lucrative home business.

Now aspiring and success driven entrepreneurs who have little or no money to advertise, can learn the most potent ways to build any home business using the latest online marketing strategies, in many cases without spending a dime.

Anyone truly wanting to build their MLM or Network Marketing company for pennies on the dollar, can request their free case studies at the Building On A Budget web site.

“Building On A Budget” looks to be a dependable solution for all of today’s home business owners looking for maximum exposure without giving up their paycheck.

How To Market Online - What REALLY Works.

The last 2 years I've hired some of the greatest minds to work with me on marketing my MLM business on the Internet.

It was very expensive, but it has really paid off.

Now signing up new distributors, getting new customers and building my business online is, dare I say it ... EASY!

It really is.

But it took a long time to get here.

The learning curve was steep. And getting everything in place - the web sites, the lead generation, the marketing campaigns - those were not easy.

However, now that everything's in place, it's pretty automatic.

It's been such a blessing to me that I decided I would share it with you now too. However I'm going to spare you the thousands of dollars and years invested that I spent.

I have several projects in the works to share with you, but can't decide which to offer first. So I figure the best thing to do is simply let YOU DECIDE!

I ask you to take this quick multiple choice survey to let me know what you'd like to learn the most about.

Majority wins!

It will only take a minute and it will be fun!

Click Here to take survey

Thanks, and I'll let you know the results of the survey right here real soon.

Are "Funded Proposals" a Good Way to Prospect?

Another great question came in through the "Ask Barry" service from one of our fellow blog readers. It asked about whether leading with a "Funded Proposal" is a good way to build your primary network marketing company.

The answer is ... well, let's start at the beginning:

What is a funded proposal?

The quick and easy explanation is this: Instead of advertising your business opportunity or your MLM products, you advertise something else that you sell, usually an educational report.

You sell this up front, and then use your MLM as the "back-end offer."

The reasoning is that you make money by selling them something on the front end, therefore lowering or even eliminating the cost of generating leads.

Does it work?

Yes, but only IF you have an excellent offer to sell.

• It must be attractive from a marketing perspective (so you sell a lot of books).
• It must contain content that has real value (so your customer will appreciate it and come back to you in the future).
  

Some people object to this approach saying, "Why don't you just use your own MLM company's product to use as the front end offer and retail that?"

You absolutely can, and that's a very valid idea. However it is a different angle and doesn't produce the same results (I'm not saying better or worse; just different).

Here's why:

In marketing, as in life, you get what you ask for. So if you're asking for a customer for a nutrition product in your ad, then that's what you get ... not a business builder.

Sure, a small percentage may become distributors, but not many because that wasn't what you targeted in your advertising.

On the other hand, if you advertise a book on the super secrets of how to succeed in multi-level marketing, then you will attract people who are interested in a MLM business opportunity.

BUT ...

You will also attract people who are most likely already in a network marketing business!

So here's the deal:

The funded proposal is a great approach, but it is more of a long-term approach. You can use it to help fund your building of a list of serious MLM entrepreneurs (they did spend money to learn about MLM success after all), stay in communication with them, build a relationship with them, and over time, when they are ready (i.e. if they quit their current company), you will be there to sponsor them into your business.

Sure, you'll find some who are ready to join you right now, but the ratio will be much lower than if you directly advertise your business opportunity.

So what should you do?

I do all 3 approaches:

1. I advertise my network marketing company's product to get customers.
2. I advertise my network marketing company's business opportunity to get distributors.
3. I advertise funded proposals to develop relationships with serious networkers who aren't ready to join with me now ... but may later.

Oh, and one more thing that is really BIG:

I've found one of the BEST parts of having a funded proposal (that most people don't do) is this:

Instead of using it only as a front-end offer, you can use it as a back-end offer to.

Most prospects who consider your business opportunity aren't going to enroll. So ...

After they've decided not to enroll, offer them your e-book, special report, etc. You'll be surprised how many will buy it! And this will help offset your costs of generating the leads that don't sign up.

Here are the 2 best funded proposals that I know of.

• Magnetic Sponsoring
• Renegade Network Marketer
  

Both of these are proven to be attractive offers, are reputable affiliate programs, and offer education that has real value to the people who buy them from you. I personally use them both and have found them to be excellent.

How To Get Prospects To Enroll With You, Part 2

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and holiday, didn't party too much on New Years Eve, and is looking forward to a wonderful 2008.

2 posts ago I started with Part 1 of this article. Then I wrote about the new contest that I invited you all to join. It came up all of a sudden, and I think it's such a great opportunity that I didn't want to wait to tell you about it. As a result it landed between part 1 and part 2 of this series.

So let's get on with: "How To Get Prospects To Enroll With You, Part 2."

There is no one "right way" to build your MLM organization.

Many people will tell you there is. In fact now that I'm focusing my downline-building efforts on the Internet, I have had people (many of them leaders) tell me, "I wish you'd build your business the right way."

That peeves me!

But I keep my cool and ask them, "Oh, please enlighten me, what is the 'right way?'"

Predictably they tell me it's to approach your warm market and after you've exhausted that, use some variation of the 3-foot rule.

To which I respond:

"You know, I did that for 3 years and failed miserably! When I abandoned that completely and started using what you call 'cold market' approaches, I started making thousands of dollars. And since then I've made MILLIONS of dollars in network marketing. So please tell me, why is your way right and my way wrong, when your way made me lose money and my way has made me literally millions?"

Of course they don't like to hear that. None of those people have changed their minds when I share this with them.

I think they're very narrow-minded.

You see I'm not against their approach. If approaching your friends and family and using the 3-foot rule works for you, then I'm all for it. In fact I include it as an option for people when they join my business because for some people it does work.

But for me, it never did.

I can't figure out why they're so dogmatic about their approach.

I'm totally pragmatic. Whatever is ethical and makes money is the "right way."

I've marketed through magazines, newspapers, telemarketing, card decks, large meetings, home parties, radio ...

... but the best marketing approach for me EVER is what I'm doing right now, and that is marketing on the Internet.

I've been successful with the other methods over the years, but none of them have been even remotely as effective as Internet marketing.

But, like most things, you have to know HOW TO do it "right."

Just marketing on the Internet is not the key. It's how you do it. And most people do it wrong. Completely wrong!

Here's the wrong way:

Put up a web site about your company, products, compensation plan and support system.

Here's the right way:

Establish a valuable relationship with other people online by providing them a lot of value. But it must be REAL value, and you must be very generous, and you must give to them without requiring anything in return from them.

It's actually a very spiritual approach: Be a giver without demanding anything in return.

People who are desperate to enroll others cannot find it within themselves psychologically to do this. They are too needy. They don't think they have anything of value to offer. They just want some people to sign up. They're too focused on the money. And for all these reasons they will continue to fail until they change their entire approach.

This approach requires commitment, unselfish giving, confidence, and an unwavering decision to serve others.

Ironically, putting your focus on benefiting others (even if it isn't profitable for you) turns out to be the most profitable thing you can do!

In that spirit, allow me to share a little something with you:

You can get a free web site builder at www.weebly.com

This is an absolutely fantastic service and I give it to you freely (this is not an affiliate link and I' don't receive any benefit from you signing up for the service).

It gives you a:

• Free web site that is unburdened with advertising!
  
• Free hosting
• Super easy web site builder and designer
• Free Blog
• Templates you can use to be online today!

How would you use this?

Remember in Part 1 of this article I referred to the survey that asked why distributors signed up with their particular sponsor ... and the answer was that they "liked their sponsor." That's where your personal web site comes in.

You use it to create a site that introduces YOU. Of course you can add information about your company, products, etc. (check your company's policies first), but the focus should be on you and your story.

You don't have to be a heavy-hitter. The purpose of the site is not to impress people with how successful you are.

• The purpose is to help them get to know you. People want to be sponsored by people they know.
• The purpose is to help them get to like you. People want to be sponsored by people they like.

Your personal web site serves to warm up your prospect to you. It's to begin the development of your friendship with your prospects.

More on this "how to" in the future.

.

YOU WILL WIN THIS MLM CONTEST FOR SURE!

Earlier this year I entered a contest for home-business owners that was sponsored by Robert Allen ("Multiple Streams of Income") and Prosper Learning.

I won!

See award at left. It was for building a $2.5 million network marketing business.

Why did I do it?

First of all, it was FUN. Building my business in the context of a contest against other business builders made the entire process more enjoyable.

Second, it helped me FOCUS my efforts. There was a goal, a time limit, and lots of support and training. This really helped me build faster and in a more concentrated manner than I would have otherwise.

The entire experience was very positive and I encourage you to check out Prosper Learning for all of their programs including the contest.

Now there's a new contest, held by another group that I encourage you to join because you will all be winners!

This is a pivotal moment in the history of Network Marketing, much more than "a contest"...

As Ken Evoy says:

"The $20,000 World Championship InterNETwork Marketing Contest" is actually a one-year coaching/ training/ forums/ collaboration 'CO-OPETITION.' It's the most revolutionary event that the Network Marketing world has ever seen online."

Anywhere else you'd pay big money to receive this kind of serious training and growth for your business..

They're not only giving you tremendous personal training and support, they're adding some serious cash prizes to add some spark and fun.

As Ken continues:

"And that's exactly what you should expect. Sparks. Fun. Banter and commentary and feedback in the forums, everyone pushing each other to be better. And there's a special coaching bonus from Ann Sieg, the Renegade Network Marketer."

Everyone's a winner because not only do you have the possibility to win cash prizes, but even if you don't, you will still receive an entire year of free mentoring from some of the best people in network marketing and Internet marketing: Ann Sieg and Ken Evoy.

There's a small window of time in which you can enroll, so you better check it out now here:

"The $20,000 World Championship
InterNETwork Marketing Contest"

.

How To Get Prospects To Enroll With You, Part 1

Thank you everyone for the supportive comments and letters (see blog post below). It's been a difficult time for me and my family, but I'm glad to be back to work and plan on bringing you lots of value to your MLM business.

So, let's get started off on the right foot.

I've used every form of marketing possible over the years:

• Home product parties
• Hotel meetings
• 1-on-1
• 2-on-1
• Newspaper ads
• Magazines ads
• Card decks
• Radio
• TV
• Telemarketing
• Direct mail

But my favorite approach of all has clearly been Internet marketing.

It has so many advantages to every other type of marketing that I can't even begin to list them here.

There is a bit of a learning curve. But it's a fun process and well worth going through.

But it all starts with having a web site.

You can use your company's site, and that's fine.

You can use a replicating web site provided by a recruiting system, and that can be very good.

But there's nothing as good as having your own PERSONAL web site.

Prospects don't just enroll with your company or your product. They enroll with YOU. They want to know who their sponsor will be.

• You don't have to be the #1 income-earner
• You don't have to be the smartest marketer.
• You DO have to be likable!

I heard (this goes back a number of years) that a survey was taken among new distributors of various companies asking them, "Why did you decide to join your company?"

• The #2 answer was that they liked the products.
• The #1 answer was that they liked their sponsor!

Notice they didn't say "Because my sponsor is making a lot of money."

They said they LIKED their sponsor!

So create a simple web site that highlights YOU and demonstrates why you're so darn likable!

Here's a clue -

"People like people who are like them."

So on your web page, you should share as many things about yourself as possible where people could find a common bond with you.

Share your favorite hobbies, music, movies, sports, etc.

Share your interests that would be the most popular, not your obscure interests. Better to share your love for the Beatles than for the start-up garage band down the street.

The same rule applies when you talk with prospects on phone or in person.

It's absolutely amazing - but you'll enroll people who otherwise would not have enrolled by simply sharing more of yourself and finding a common connection with your prospects.

Most distributors think they have to be talking about their company, products, compensation plan and support systems all the time.

I use the 80/20 rule:

• 80% of the time I talk with prospects about their family, pets, sports, job, hobbies and interests. We spend time looking for a common bond and then chat about that for the bulk of the time.
  
• 20% of the time we discuss my networking marketing company and products.
  

Why?

Because it's more fun, it's easier and I get more sign-ups that way!

More of this in Part 2, including where to get an absolutely free web site that doesn't attach a bunch of other advertising to it.

The 7 Great Lies of Network Marketing

I haven't been able to update my blog as much as I'd like. I've been busy working on a new project which ran into some technical glitches (still being worked on) and then we had a death in the family which required travel and took a tremendous emotional toll on us.

Life is starting to get back to a routine now and if we can get our I.T. people to work out the technical kinks (fingers crossed), I'll have some new things to share with you (including the new series of 5 videos I mentioned last month).

Until then, here's a free e-book for you.

Ann Sieg wrote this and it's the second-best book on MLM I've read in years. The first best book is her other one, "The Renegade Network Marketer, but that one isn't free.

The message of this book is very refreshing. She's saying a lot of the same things I've been saying for several years now so I really appreciate having another voice standing against the old wore-out and out-dated network marketing traditional training philosophy (that never actually worked to begin with!).

Ann Sieg exposes them to the wind in this new and fresh look at our industry, and most importantly, how the average person can find real success by bucking traditional approaches.

Click on the book cover to get the free report now (there's a free video with it too):

Prospects Tell You How To Enroll Them!

What's the best way to uncover what prospects really want from you?

Ask them!

But there are problems:

1. Not everyone knows what they want.
2. Not everyone knows the options.
3. Not everyone is educated enough to know what's best for them.
   

So here's what we do:

1. We only ask educated network marketers.
2. We only ask serious prospects.
3. We ask enough people, over a period of time, to give us substantial statistics.

Enter: The Squidoo MLM Survey!

This survey is a free tool for you and you can access it right now.

As of today, I'm opening it up for those serious about MLM and network marketing.

Simply go to:

http://www.squidoo.com/mlmsurvey

... and complete the simple 5-Question multiple-choice survey yourself.

After you've completed the survey (it takes about 90 seconds), you will receive instant access to the results of everyone's answers.

Go back periodically to see what prospects are looking for in a business opportunity. They will actually be telling you what they want you to put in your marketing materials, e-mails, letters and phone calls!

This is great market research.

I haven't opened this survey up to everyone. Only people who are doing active searches on the Internet for MLM opportunities and also those who are already seriously involved in network marketing.

This will give us lower numbers, but will provide a survey of the kind of people we actually want in our downlines - people who take initiative, who are serious ... people like ourselves!

The survey is just starting, so to motivate you "early-birds," I'm providing a free gift to encourage you to be one of the first to complete the survey ...

You'll receive my brand-new 5-Part VIDEO Series on how to build a downline FAST that reveals the new ... "MLM BLITZ METHOD"

This training is absolutely cutting-edge. These videos have never been seen by anyone, anywhere before. But you can get them for answering 5 simple questions that will take you less than 2 minutes.

... and you'll get the benefit of viewing the results of the survey (updated in real time) over the weeks and months to follow, to help with your own marketing.

So this is your invitation to go there right now:

• Complete the 5-question multiple-choice survey.
• Get the 5 free videos on how to build a downline fast using the MLM Blitz Method.
• Receive access the survey results to help you in building your own downline.
  

Quickly go to:

http://www.squidoo.com/mlmsurvey

... and complete the simple 5-Question survey yourself right now and have prospects tell you how to sign them up!

P.S. There's also a section there where you can provide suggestions on what other questions you'd like added to the survey. I look forward to your input and will add your ideas to make this a community effort that benefits us all.

Ask Barry: "Does MLM Really Work?"

I've been away from my blog for awhile because I've been working on another project. We're getting close to launching it, so when it's ready, I'll let you all know. It's simply the most exciting thing I've ever done in network marketing!

But for now, I'll answer the single most common question I've been receiving lately. It comes in a few variations, but the essence is this:

"I'm skeptical. Does MLM Really Work?"

The answer may surprise you, but in a word ... NO!

Why do so many people ask this question? Some of them probably know people who tried network marketing and failed. Others likely tried it themselves and didn't make any money. Still others think it just sounds too good to be true.

Is it even POSSIBLE to be successful in MLM? The answer is a qualified "yes."

I stated with my company over 9 years ago and retired after doing it for 2 years in my 40s because I maxed out the compensation plan. I received a large, reliable passive income for 7 years (just last month I decided to come out of retirement because the company added another, higher, level to the compensation plan and I'm ready for a new challenge).

But I'm not the only one that was able to succeed. I helped 70 other people in my downline achieve full-time incomes as well!

And I've maxed out the compensation plan in 3 different companies!

So the POTENTIAL is there, but the truth is that a minority of people ever achieve the passive residual income that is held out as the dream goal of this business.

Even those that make big money in network marketing (a very small percentage in itself), rarely have an income that is passive.

Why is this so, and how to overcome it?


First -

Let's look at this realistically and first of all acknowledge that most people do not make money, but neither do they fail at doing the business.

The truth is that MLM doesn't work, in the same sense that real estate doesn't work, the stock market doesn't work, franchises don't work and even your job doesn't work.

All of these things are simply business models. They are forms into which energy must be put. So none of them "work," but rather ...

YOU WORK!

So, why do so many people supposedly "fail" at network marketing?

Because they never DO the business! You can't fail at something you don't DO.

Most people join a company but never work it like a real business. they don't commit the time and capital required. They treat it like a money game. So, they lose.

It not only takes time to build your business, it takes time to develop the skills to build your business. There is a learning curve.

For example - the rejection most people experience is totally unnecessary if you know how to approach people. But most distributors either don't get the training necessary, or they get bad training, and so they experience rejection. Totally unnecessary if you're taught properly.


Second -

Many people attempt to use a marketing system that doesn't fit their personality.

When I joined my first company I was told to make a list of my closest 2,000 friends and call them all. I didn't want to do that. It felt awkward. I didn't want to mix friends and family with business. But I did it because my sponsor told me to. I failed miserably and hated my life for 6 months.

Later I found a marketing system that fit my personality and started making a full-time income.


Third -

Some people join a new company - bad decision since 90% of them go out of business in the first 5 years. So they make money, but then they need to start over again in a few years. This is why it's common knowledge that you should only join companies that are over 5 years old. But even people who know this can't seem to resist the temptation of joining something new and exciting ... but the excitement wears off quickly when your checks are cut off (been there, done that ... several times!).


Fourth -

They join a company that pays big money to a few people (the promo of the big checks gets them excited), but the company doesn't pay high percentages to the "little guy." This is a huge mistake because the "little guys" are the majority of the "big guys" downline. If the little guys aren't making money they quit ... and it eventually all rolls up on the big guy.

A compensation plan must have big residual income (not just fast start bonuses) on the front end of the plan so that people with very small downlines make more than they're spending each month. This keeps everyone in. It's the glue that prevents attrition.


Fifth -

They join a company that has fad products. Today's "fad" is always tomorrows' "me too," so it doesn't provide for a long-term passive income. Best to find a product that has been proven to be purchased by the market over the long haul even when there is no biz opp connected with it.

The products are the heart of the business. Make sure they are legitimate and have stood the test of time.


Sixth -

They join a company without interviewing their upline leaders.

Most network marketing is the blind leading the blind! Even if your personal sponsor isn't a leader, insist that you talk to people in her/his upline that are leaders and see what type of support and guidance you will receive. Leaders should always be happy to talk with someone who is very serious about building a business (we come across them so rarely). Also make sure that their marketing style is a match to your personality (see #2 above).


Seventh -

Make sure that the marketing tools available to you are effective. Using tools is critical, and they are what makes your business duplicable.

If your prospects haven't tried your products, then they aren't going to be impressed by your products before they join ... they'll be impressed by your tools about your products.

If your opportunity depends on people to be sales people or educators, then your growth will be dramatically stunted. Tools are leverage. Everyone can simply share a tool (CD, web site, DVD, conference call) and let that do the sales and the education. The question is - how well do those tools do their job?


CONCLUSION

Those are the 7 keys to success in network marketing. Which ones should you follow and which are not important?

You need ALL 7.

Most people don't find success not because there's anything wrong with the business model of network marketing itself, but because they:

1. Don't apply a strong work ethic.
2. Use a marketing system that doesn't fit their personality.
3. Join an unstable start-up company.
4. Join a company that doesn't pay the little guy enough.
5. Don't have a company with products proven in the market place.
6. Don't have excellent upline support.
7. Don't have effective marketing tools.

Some people have succeeded without all 7 of these factors. But their success is usually short-lived because their company goes out of business, or the newness of the product or opportunity wears off, or the FTC or FDA comes down on their company, or their checks shrink through attrition as the little guys quit.

Don't limit your chances for success. Insist on all 7 of these factors in your network marketing business and you'll put the odds on your side. Then, with a bit of good solid effort, you can join the ranks of us who are enjoying a large passive residual income. We look forward to welcoming you to the club!

How To Get Mentally Prepared For Prospecting.

This question came to me from one of the this blog's readers and I thought it was a great one. Specifically - how to you get yourself mentally geared up to pick up the phone and start calling prospects.

I've only received this question from one person. So it's likely that most people haven't even considered the idea of establishing a ritual to mentally prepare themselves before making their calls.

Here's my answer:

For some people this is easier than for others. For me it was always a difficult thing to pick up the phone and call prospects. Over time I became very good at it, but I was never comfortable calling prospects. Therefore I had to come up with some techniques to help me overcome my "phone phobia."

These 3 things are helpful for me:

1. I want to be high energy, but not high-strung when I make the calls. Therefore I gauge my energy level and if I need to increase my energy a little before making the call, I'll take my company's energy product about 1/2 hour before getting on the phone.

2. I play music that gets me motivated. Your music selection will be a matter of personal taste, but play music that has a good upbeat tempo as well as a positive and uplifting message to put you in the right emotional state.

3. I make my first call to either an upline or downline member - someone already in the business. The first call is always the hardest. Just picking up the phone the first time each day can be the biggest obstacle. The best way to overcome that is to make the first call the easiest!

Call someone you're close to and is non-threatening, just to get on the phone. Then make your second call to a prospect. It's much easier to call prospects after you've already been on the phone and you're "in the groove."

So there's 3 tips that I've personally used and continue to use:

• Pick up your physical energy with a nutrition product.
• Pick up your emotional energy with motivating music.
• Pick up the phone by dialing a friend first.

Now just do it. It works!

Here's Why Your Downline Members Aren't Working.

The first 15 years of my network marketing career were very frustrating.

Yes, that's all, just the first 15 years. After that it got much easier!

So why the frustration? The same reason you're probably frustrated:

I sponsored people who said they were going to work the business, but they never did. The vast majority of them never really followed through. They failed to do the work required to succeed.

• Why weren't my people duplicating?
• How could I get them up off their lazy butts?
• Was I a bad leader?
• Did I attract the wrong people?
• Was this normal?

This is one of the most common complaints about MLM. And, for those in the know, it's one of the most common objections that former networkers have to trying the business again.

And so people who have been in our business in the past, often look for greener pastures in another type of business saying that "MLM doesn't work."

I'm a slow learner, so it took me a while before a startling realization dawned on me:

Running a business (traditional or home-based) requires a level of discipline that most fail to achieve in the rest of their lives. So why should it be any different with MLM?

The masses are famous for starting and failing at their efforts to lose weight, quit smoking, and exercise regularly.

People do NOT fail to follow through on their MLM business because there's something about MLM that's hard for people to do.

People fail to follow through on their network marketing business because they fail to follow through on most areas of their lives!

It's not a problem with MLM, it's a problem with people!

So that leaves you with 2 options:

1. You can start a business that doesn't depend on other people.
2. You can focus your efforts on the minority of the population that actually DOES have the discipline to follow-through on their promises to themselves.
   

Self-disciplined go-getters are out there, and they are obvious. They are the ones who are being successful in other areas of life whether it be academics, sports, the arts, business or a job. They have already demonstrated that they are disciplined people who are willing to put forth the effort and make sacrifices to get what they want.

It's not about the character of the business; it's about the character of your prospect.

It's been said: "If you want something done, give it to a busy person."

You could also say, "If you want a successful networker in your downline, sponsor a successful person."

Focus your efforts and target successful people, and you'll be very happy with the results!

"Take the Bull by the Horns"

I just returned from my trip to my favorite city in the world: New York City.

A lot has changed in the past 10 years.

There are signs all over the streets that threaten a fine of $350 for honking your horn! I barely recognized the city without all of the blaring car horns ... but it was nice.

Another thing that shocked me was that smoking is outlawed in all restaurants. In my home of California I can accept that, but no smoking in NYC? Never thought I'd see the day. But not being a smoker, it was nice.

Yes, New York has changed a lot, and mostly for the better.

One thing I still love about the city, that hasn't changed, is the aggressive attitude of the people. The former infamous rudeness has had the edges taken off, but the aggression is still there.

That's one of the things I always like most about the Big Apple.

I feel invigorated when I go there and mix with the people. It's contagious, and I find that when I step out on the street, the energy fills my mind and body and I'm ready to make things happen.

It's fun.

Quite a contrast to the average prospect who responds to an ad for a MLM opportunity. And that brings us to the lesson for today.

People in network marketing always ask me what "words" they should say to prospects. How to present, how to answer objections, how to "close."

Important stuff you need to know.

What if a prospect says, "I don't have much money right now to invest in a business."

You can tell them that is one of the biggest benefits of MLM. It doesn't take a large investment like traditional business does. What they lack in funds, can be compensated for by investing more time in their business.

What if a prospect says, "I don't have any time to invest in a business?"

You can tell them that unlike traditional business where you have to quit your job and do your business full-time, network marketing allows you to keep your job and work your business part-time until you feel comfortable quiting your job (when you're making more than your boss is paying you).

What if a prospect says, "I don't have any time or money?"

You can tell them to take a hike!

Seriously. For some reason most MLM distributors think they always have to come up with a way to answer every "objection" in a way that convinces the prospect to join their business.

Bull!

Exactly the opposite is true. Most prospects are NOT going to be right for your business (or any business) because they don't have an entrepreneurial attitude. So let them go ... Far away!

If someone doesn't have any time or money to do a business, why would you try to convince them to find a way to do the business anyway?

Loco!

You don't even want that person in your downline. They will drain you of all your emotional energy, fail, and then blame you, your company, and the industry ... spreading negativity and giving you all a bad name.

Spare yourself and them.

You only want people who are genuinely interested in your products and/or business opportunity. If you have to try too hard to convince them, then they won't be SELF-motivated ... and therefore they won't last.

An entrepreneur is someone who doesn't make excuses as to why they "can't" do this or that. They are people who TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS AND MAKE IT WORK!

Sort through everyone else and let them go as fast as possible until you find the person who has the resources to build a business:

• Time
• Money
• Entrepreneurial Attitude

What To Do When Your Upline Won't Do "Jack" For You!

I'm back from the "Big Apple" and ready to get to work. It's great when you love what you do to make money (I can't say "when you love your job," since I don't have a job!).

Here's a question that came in through the "Ask Barry" service. By the way, this is a service any reader of my blog (you) can take advantage of. Ask me any question you'd like about MLM and I will personally respond via email ... I respond to every one of them.

OK, here's the question:

"I joined [his company] about a year ago, and got pretty tired pretty quick of using the "3 foot warm market" rule.

I haven't built a major business yet, however I'm proud of what I've accomplished thus far. I have been researching other ways to build it online, however I'm finding it difficult to build it using the traditional business model, building it the old fashioned way. It is NOT fun for me, and I'm fully aware that in order to do something great...it has to be fun.

Have told all my upline that I want to build this online...and they give me the old...."come back to the 'right' way of doing things after it doesn't work out for you." I am somewhat of an Internet novice however I believe I'm following a path that I find fun, and that's what I need to pursue ...

What can you suggest I tell them in order to get a little more support from them...'cause at the moment...I get JACK!

I really have a keen interest in this business...it gets hard when you feel alienated by your own upline...it's hard enough doing it with their help.

What do you suggest?"

That's a great question, and a big problem.

I decided to post this "Ask Barry" question here in the blog because I've received similar questions from several people. It seems to be a rather pervasive problem. How sad.

I can't be of much help trying to change your upline's mind. Once people get set on certain ideas about the "right" and "wrong" way to build, they usually stick to it ... until it stops working for them.

For many of these leaders, the way they build will continue to work for them forever because they have the skills and personality types that fit their marketing approach. So they may never come to understand that just because it fits them, doesn't mean it's a good fit for others with different skills, interests and personality types.

I gave up a long time ago trying to change any one's mind. I share my ideas and people either take it or leave it .. and then I go on and follow my bliss!

But currently you have a reality to wrestle with: You deserve and need an upline that will help you in your business. You don't have that. So what are your options now?

• You can get training and support from a leader cross-line in your company who markets the way you want to market. Most leaders won't work cross-line, but if your compensation plan pays out bonuses to leaders with company-wide volume "pools," then the leaders are often more willing to work cross-line because they get paid on the entire company.
  
• You can get training and support from network marketing leaders outside of your company. The downside is you'll usually have to pay for this and won't get training that applies to your specific company.
  
• You can switch to a different MLM company and shop uplines for one that specializes in marketing the way you want to. Of course this involves starting all over again. You don't have to quit your current company and can remain a customer if you really like the product. I'm not recommending you do this, and even hate to suggest it, but it's an obvious choice since we're simply listing options here.
  

It's not my place to tell you what to do, but those are the options that come to mind. Perhaps other readers will post comments with more ideas than I've come up with.

Wish I had a better answer for you, but we don't have any control over other people, so that's the best we can do.

This whole issue, and it's a very, very common problem, highlights the problem with the worn-out idea that success depends on everyone following "one simple duplicatable system."

This idea was never true, but it somehow gained a foothold in the MLM world and remains one of the "cornerstones" of MLM training to this day. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that so many network marketing organizations crumble.

I'm a huge proponent of the exact opposite idea.

Leaders should offer a "portfolio" of widely varied marketing models from which their new members can choose the one(s) that fits them perfectly.

Of course this is "harder" for the upline. They would actually have to be experts in all of the marketing methods and have the tools available for their downlines.

Yes, it's more demanding for the upline, but it will make them more attractive to prospects, create more success for their distributors and help stabilize their organizations, thus reducing attrition.

Usually one leader can't provide expertise on all of the marketing methods, but that isn't really necessary. A team of leaders, each with their own specialty, can fulfill the need.

Ask Barry: "My MLM Company Won't Let Me Create A Web Site. What Do I Do?"

Today's "Ask Barry" question is a tough one, but never one to shy away from the hard questions, I decided to include it in the Blog. Here it is:

"I have been thinking about purchasing Site-Build-It [to build a web site]. In the policies and procedures section of the MLM company, it states that in order to develop my own web page I must use the text of the company's official site, may not supplement the content of my website from any source other than the company. I must register my site with the company and receive written approval from the company prior to the site's public availability. The failure to register constitutes a material breach of these policies and procedures. What are your thoughts on these policies? My concern is being able to have my site approved after I purchase Site -Build-It to create another web page."

Whew! Your company is extremely strict in it's policy.

They are probably doing that to protect their brand name, which they certainly have a right to do. However most companies don't create very good marketing copy, so if you have to use their exact wording, then (unless they're the exception to the rule), it wouldn't be worth your time to create a site using their wording.

What works online is to make things as personal as possible. The site shouldn't be just about your company or business, but needs to reflect you and your personality all through it.

An alternative for you is to ask the company if you can create a site about the general TOPIC of your products, or one of your products, but never mention the company's name or any of it's trade names.

Not only does this keep you on good terms with your company, but it can also be a huge marketing advantage to you.

It's very hard to succeed online promoting "MLM" or "network marketing" in general. It's also difficult to succeed promoting any particular MLM company or product.

The reason is simple - there's a truck-load of competition against you.

The answer is to not compete, but rather to find a niche that no one else is promoting ... or at least not promoting well.

So take a good hard look at your product line and pull out several primary ingredients. Then do some searches on those ingredients and analyze:

• The amount of competition.
• The quality of the competition.

Then create a site about the generic ingredients and their benefits ... FOCUSING on your own experience with those ingredients. Tell a great story. Of course it must be real, but that should go without saying.

Again, ask your company if this would meet with their approval. As long as the ingredients are not owned by them, and you don't mention the company's products or trademarks, it should be fine. Ask for their guidance regarding any further stipulations to make sure you don't endanger your business.

Your company's policy is strict, but it may also be providing you with an opportunity you wouldn't have otherwise explored.

Ask Barry: "How Do I Drive The Right Traffic To My Web Site?"

Today I'll share another question that came in through the "ASK BARRY" service. If you don't already know about it, this is a free service where anyone can post a question to a MLM Heavy-Hitter and get a personal response. Either click on the link in this paragraph or in the "Ask Barry" box in the right column.

Here's today's question:

"I recently joined [name of mlm company]. This is the first time I've been involved in anything like this online. My question is, how do I drive the right traffic to my website and convert them to buyers?

I've been using traffic exchanges, bought leads (thousands) and have only signed up 2 reps. Meanwhile people like [heavy-hitter name 1] and [heavy-hitter name 2] are raking in new members daily.

Please advise."

Thank you for your question.

There is a lot of hype about Internet marketing and how "easy" it is because people make a lot of money selling this information. Be very careful!

The truth is, for a person new to Internet marketing, there is no easy answer. Many people struggle to drive traffic to their site, and most fail miserably.

I'd start by contacting [heavy-hitter 1] and [heavy-hitter 2] and ask them what they do, since they're in your company. A warning though: They may not tell you the truth since a lot of what heavy-hitters do online is not duplicable, but they don't want to discourage you. This is not to say anything bad about the heavy-hitters personally since I don't know them.

My experience has been that people who are doing well marketing on the Internet either:

1. Have a TON of money they're investing into it every week.

2. Had an established online email mailing list and vehicle for driving traffic before they started with their MLM company.

You probably don't have either one of those things, so what do YOU do?

Not knowing the details of your background or what you're offering, it's difficult for me to give you specific help. However, here are some very important factors:

1. If you have a replicating web site you're at a big disadvantage because the search engines will penalize you. That means you have to pay for traffic.
2. Buying email leads is almost always a waste of money.
3. Traffic exchanges, FFA, ... all that stuff is mostly a waste of time, and again, can actually hurt you in the search engines.
4. Using Pay-Per-Click through Google AdWords and also Yahoo can work very well and is what a lot of heavy-hitters, including myself, are doing. However, you must know the inside secrets of how to do it. If you don't, then it will probably very, very expensive and ultimately a waste of money. It's certain there are other people in your same company with bigger budgets than you and you'll be competing against them. This drives up the cost per lead and makes it a very expensive way to drive traffic to most any MLM site.
5. The way to succeed online is to do something DIFFERENT! Create your own site that focuses on one unique aspect of your product so that you can establish a niche that isn't so competitive with other people in your company. Then you can win at the organic search engine game and also the pay-per-click game.

Bottom line - Internet marketing is a business unto itself and requires a learning curve.

If you're new to network marketing, then you're trying to learn 2 businesses at the same time, and that's tough to do.

That's the reality.

You may be dazzled by others who are successful, but remember: there's always a story behind the story. If they're successful now, it just means they paid their dues earlier.

Here are more resources to help take you to the next level:

1. "How to Generate Your Own Top-Quality Leads Online." A Special Report I wrote.
   
2. How to establish a unique niche within your MLM company to market. Free article.
   
3. The Definitive Guide To Google AdWords. Best book in the business from the guy who was my mentor.
   

If you decide to pursue this you have a bit of a learning curve ahead. On the other hand, it's definitely worth it as the Internet is a very exciting and profitable place to market once you learn how.

To your success,

Barry Burns

Ask Barry: "Is there anything I should worry about when prospecting: Can you lose a friendship?"

The new "Ask Barry" feature has been a huge success. I'm getting many people sending me questions ... and I answer every single one of them personally!

If you have a question for a MLM mentor, use the form and send me your question.

You can access the form from the "ASK BARRY" box on this page (5th box from the top in the right column).


Here's a question that recently came in:

"Is there anything I should worry about when prospecting: Can you lose a friendship?"

The answer I'm "supposed" to give you is, "Don't worry about it. If you really believe in your business, then you should want to share it with your friends and family first."

That's the "company line." And there actually is a lot of truth to it. However in real life it's not that simple.

There IS a danger of hurting friendships by approaching them with your business.

Many people do not like to mix business and friendships.

Money issues have broken many great friendships, and have even been cited as the #1 cause for divorce.

When you go into business with a friend or family member you are essentially becoming business partners. And everyone in traditional business knows that becoming a business partner with a friend is a very risky venture.

This doesn't mean that you should never do it.

It does mean that you should think about it carefully before you do.

It depends on the nature of your friendship and the other person's personality.

The best way to evaluate it is this: Imagine the worse case scenario - they join with you and they lose a TON of money! Now, can your friendship survive that?

Having said that, I have gone into business with a friend and our friendship survived just fine (though it was strained at times). But that friend and I are both extremely entrepreneurial ... in fact that's what brought us together. So it was already at the heart of our relationship. Plus there's a tremendous amount of trust between us, and I know my friend always takes full responsibility for everything in his life, and would never feel bad about losing money on something I told him about, because he knows he didn't have to do it. But I knew that about him before we started.

So take it on a case-by-case basis. I would certainly encourage you to approach your entrepreneurial friends if you know that your friendship could weather their failure in the business.

Again, you won't hear this from most Network Marketing trainers ... except me!

So congratulations to you for thinking about this and for valuing your frie