myNETWORK

1. Timely follow-up on referrals
This was ranked as the No. 1 trait of successful networkers. If you present an opportunity — whether it’s a simple piece of information, a special contact or a qualified business referral — to someone who consistently fails to follow up successfully, it’s no secret that you’ll eventually stop wasting your time with this person. Following up with what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do it, builds your credibility and trust with your network.

2. Positive attitude
A consistently negative attitude makes people dislike being around you and drives away referrals; a positive attitude makes people want to associate and cooperate with you. When you are positive, you’re like a magnet; people want to be around you and will send their friends, family and associates to you. Positive attitudes are contagious. Being positive contributes to your determination, internal motivation and ultimate business success.

3. Enthusiasm/motivation
Think about the people you know who get the most referrals. They’re the people who show the most motivation, right? It’s been said that the best sales characteristic is enthusiasm. To be respected within our networks, we at least need to sell ourselves with enthusiasm.

Once we’ve done an effective job of selling ourselves, we can reap the reward of seeing our contacts sell us to others. That’s motivation in and of itself. Enthusiasm aligns well with a positive attitude. Enthusiastic and motivated people make things happen for them — and for the people they know.

4. Trustworthiness
When you refer one person to another, there is no doubt that you’re putting your personal and professional reputation on the line. You have to be able to trust your referral partner and be trusted in return. Neither you nor anyone else will refer a contact or valuable information to someone who can’t be trusted to handle it well. Trust, as we have been taught, is earned. It develops over time and throughout the life span of a relationship. Trust can never be taken lightly, because it plays such a huge role in your credibility.

5. Good listening skills
Our success as networkers depends on how well we can listen and learn from the people in our network. The faster you and your networking partner learn what you need to know about each other, the faster you’ll establish a valuable relationship. Listening for the needs and problems of others can also position you to engage the services of the people you know. Many distractions can get in the way of listening well to each other. Communicating well takes focus and effective listening.

6. Commitment to networking 24/7
Master networkers are never formally off duty. (Well, maybe when they’re asleep.) Networking is so natural to them that they can be found networking in the grocery checkout line, at the doctor’s office, and while picking the kids up from school — as well as at business mixers and networking meetings. Master networkers take advantage of every opportunity that’s presented to them on a daily basis. They operate in the “givers gain” mind-set and are primarily looking for opportunities for the people in their network.

7. Gratitude
Gratitude is sorely lacking in today’s business world. Expressing gratitude to business associates and clients is just another building block in the cultivation of relationships that will lead to increased referrals. People like to refer others to business professionals who go above and beyond. Thanking others at every opportunity will help you stand out from the crowd. Expressing sincere gratitude to the people who will one day be there to help you is not just a courtesy — it’s the right thing to do.

8. Helpfulness
Helping others can be done in a variety of ways, from simply showing up to help with an office move to clipping a useful and interesting article and mailing it to an associate or client. Master networkers keep their eyes and ears open for opportunities to advance other people’s interests. They offer to help others whenever they can, because they authentically want to help. It’s as simple as that. Master networkers get joy out of helping other people succeed.

9. Sincerity
Friendliness without sincerity is like a cake without frosting. You can offer the help, the thanks, the listening ear, but if you aren’t sincerely interested in others, it will show — and they’ll know it. Those who have developed successful networking skills convey their sincerity at every turn.

One of the best ways to develop this trait is to give your undivided attention to the individual with whom you’re developing a referral relationship. Don’t multitask when you’re on the phone; stop browsing the Web, balancing your checkbook and shining your shoes. When you multitask, nothing gets your full attention and everything suffers in some way; besides, people can tell when you’re not all there. Make eye contact when you’re speaking to them in person. Sincerely show that you care, and give your complete attention to the individual in front of you.

10. Dedicated to working one’s network
Master networkers don’t let any opportunity to work their networks pass them by. They manage their contacts with contact management software, organize their e-mail address files and carry their referral partners’ business cards along with their own. They set up appointments to get better acquainted with new contacts and learn as much about them as possible, so they can truly become part of one another’s networks.

1) Have a BIG REASON WHY you want to be successful.

2) Pick a few PERSONAL goals that REALLY motivate you.

3) Have a WORK HARD mentality.

4) Have an ACTION mindset.

5) Don’t just take action. Take MASSIVE, FOCUSED action.

6) ACTIVITY is what creates results. NOT positive thinking.

7) Have a LONG TERM perspective.

You MUST really like your product and opportunity.

9) You business will become “how you treat it”.

10) Do not be afraid of failure.

11) New distributors have a tendency to think everyone will buy their product or sign up in their opportunity just because they are excited about it.

12) Be teachable.

13) Keep your pipeline (lots of prospects going through different stages of being introduced to your business) filled at ALL TIMES.

14) Ask yourself, “What one thing can I do TODAY, to massively build my network marketing business?” Then do it.

15) The phone is your BEST friend.

16) Have a prospecting mindset.

17) Network marketing is NOT for everyone.

18) Start where you are at right now.

19) Be honest and avoid all opportunities based on greed.

20) Look to God for help.

21) As you have success and become a TOP network marketer, realize that you are not the ONLY person responsible for your success. Be grateful.

Success in online network marketing can be boiled down to 5 main ingredients that combine to form what I like to simply call the “Profit Formula.”

There are hundreds and even thousands of different methods you can
use online (or off) but all of them end up falling under one of these 5 main categories.

Just like an algebra equation that balances itself out, when you put all
of these 5 ingredients together, the only possible outcome is a money-making business.

But just like with a recipe for baking a cake, you need every one of them in order to produce the results you want.

Here’s what you need to make your business work:

Traffic + Content + Conversions + List + Monetization =

A Money Making Home Business

Let’s look at each one…

1. Traffic

This is the glamorous part of online marketing. Anytime we think about making more money we naturally assume that the only sensible way to do this is to get more people to our website.

This is true to an extent – but it’s far from being the only thing you need.

Too many people are led astray in a never-ending search for the “holy grail” of traffic generation. The “silver bullet” that will solve all their problems and flood their website with more traffic than an eight lane superhighway during rush hour.

Well, in case you’re still looking, here it is:

The Secret To Getting More Traffic Than Any One Person Could
Ever Want Is To Get The Rest Of The Formula Right

The truth is, traffic generation is the easy part…

IF you’re faithfully implementing the other four ingredients.

Of course that doesn’t mean traffic generation should be ignored. Nothing happens until someone sees your message!

Here is what your traffic-getting strategy should be:

If you’re just starting out, the incredible power of social media is the way to go. It’s free, it’s leveraged, it doesn’t require any complicated knowledge of search engines to get initial results, and it builds powerful relationships with prospects and customers.

Then, as soon as you can, you want to move in to paid methods as quickly as possible (while continuing to build and leverage your social media traffic streams).

Who in their right mind would ever pay for traffic when they could get it for free?

I’ll write more in another email explaining why this is.

2. Content

This is the oh-so critical “value” component of the equation that I’m always ranting and raving about. The reason this is so important is because this is the biggest part of the equation that has been missing from network marketing for decades!

This is the “uniqueness” that you and you alone provide to the world. It’s what sets you apart and gives prospects a compelling reason to do business with you over everyone else.

Your content should educate your prospects and solve their most pressing problems. And there are many different types that you can use at different stages of your marketing funnel. There are basic forms like articles, blog posts, videos, emails, etc. And there are more advanced forms ranging from webinars to ebooks to coaching to home study courses all the way to full blown in-person seminars.

The goal is to gradually progress to more and more advanced levels of content. It’s very simple:

The More Content You Create And The More Advanced
Forms Of Content You Create, The More Leads You Generate

It’s crucial that you understand this component of the formula because the people who own and control content have the most leverage. They control the traffic. They have the most joint venture opportunities. They have the biggest lists.

It’s basically like controlling the oil supply.

This is what my free report The Attraction Marketer’s Manifesto is all about. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s 45 minutes wisely spent.

3. Conversions

While value (content) attracts the audience to you, it and it alone is not enough to get most people to take action. A decent amount will, but not the majority. And not the amount you need to make a full time income.

In order to do this you have to learn how to motivate people to take action. That’s what a conversion is: Whenever any type of action takes place. To put it in more layman’s terms: You have to learn how to close.

But just so we’re not mistaken: Learning how to close doesn’t always mean having people give you their money. That is the end goal of business, but there are conversions points along every single step of your marketing funnel that require people to take action.

Believe it or not, you still have to sell the value you’re giving – even if it’s free!

If you’re struggling to make money, my greatest advice to you is to become a voracious student of copywriting. It has a dramatic impact on every single aspect of your business.

It determines whether or not people decide to…

•    Read your ads
•    Click on your ads
•    Opt in to your email list
•    Read your subject lines and open your emails
•    Read past the first paragraph of your emails
•    Click on the links in your emails
•    Read your articles or blog posts
•    Watch your videos (and continue watching them)
•    Ultimately buy your product

Copywriting is basically what moves the whole process along. It makes sure that a prospect goes smoothly from point A to point Z without getting stuck or lost or distracted along the way.

4. List

Which one of these ingredients you need to focus on depends on where you’re at with your business. But the goal of all these activities is to be continually building your list of prospects.

See, building your business online really isn’t that different from doing the warm market/cold market thing after all The point is still to build your list. The difference is how you get people on the list and what you do with them after that.

In fact…

The Turning Point For A Network Marketer Comes When They Truly Begin To Learn The Science And Business Of List Building

All – I repeat ALL – successful marketers have a list.

When Mike Klingler and I launched Renegade Professional just over two months ago, we did over $1.1 million in sales in 3 days. One of the single biggest factors that allowed this to happen was the list that I had been building over the past three years online.

Big pay days never happen overnight. But if you continue to grow your list it will. I guarantee it.

For a primer course in list-building, I recommend picking up a copy of How I Built My First List . It’s an excellent resource for beginners who need more leads.

There is one overarching golden rule to always remember when it comes to list building…

The quality of the list is more important than the size. There are a few things that affect this.

•    How did people get on the list? Did they come from a glowing endorsement by another marketer? Did they come from pay-per-click? Did they come from your facebook account? Were they opportunity leads that you purchased? Every traffic source produces different quality leads.

•    What steps did they take before getting on your list? Have they already consumed a lot of your content before they opted in? Did they double opt in or single opt in? How much information did you require they give you to get on your list? In some cases you want to make it easy as possible to get on your list and in some cases you actually don’t. Just know that the more hoops someone jumps through the more qualified they are.

•    The most important: What is your relationship with the list? Do you continue to provide them with tons of value once they get on your list? Do you relentlessly pound them with offer after offer? How often do you follow up with them?

5. Monetization

Monetization is simple: Offering products that relate to your prospects needs.

This is where your MLM fits in. Building a list comes first, not building a downline. Monetization is the fun part and it’s where you really want to start thinking outside the box. Obviously you want to generate income with your business as fast as possible.

This means asking yourself:

What Else Are My Prospects Looking For?
What Else Could I Offer Them?

Affiliate programs are the fastest and easiest way to begin selling other people’s products to earn commissions. But my biggest tip for you here is to begin developing your OWN products.

It’s much easier than you think and the benefits are beyond what you could imagine.

Having your own products (info products are the best) gives you more profits, more control, more credibility with your prospects, more lead generation power, more advertising options… and… it makes selling other things like affiliate products or your MLM a thousand times easier!

This is a major focus of our mentoring program and the results that people have already been getting are astounding.

The goal is to have automated monetization so your income isn’t dependant on you always having to work. But if you don’t have a huge list yet, a great way to begin making serious money with yours right from the get-go is by offering consultations. It’s an easier sell than most products because your prospects are desperately looking for one-on-one help (it has to be value based though and not a pitch-fest). This is how I got started and it’s one of the quickest ways that many of my students have gone from zero to $2-3k/mo in almost no time flat.

Just imagine what you could do for your business and your life with an additional two to three thousand a month. Things start to get very exciting when you can…

•    Buy more money-making tools for your business
•    Buy any product you need to keep learning new skills
•    Expand your advertising
•    Have less stress and more free time because the bills are being paid

The key to selling your own products or services is to simply be a couple steps ahead of your prospects. And believe me, you already are.

Traffic + Content + Conversions + List + Monetization =

A Money Making Home Business

That’s the profit formula. Tape it to your computer desk and never lose sight of these 5 ingredients.

If you’re not making money you’ll know it’s because you’re missing one if them.

Good question! Many times, in a Recruiting session, your presence totally will set the environment for how the recruiting conversation or appointment goes. Your MLM Recruiting Presence says more to the prospect many times than the words you choose to vocalize. It is the one single influencing factor that many times will determine if your prospect will join you or not. It is that powerful of a factor in Network Marketing recruiting.

I am so honored and blessed to work with a lot of folks around the world, and one of the biggest problems I see with the struggling Network Marketer, is the lack of “Success Presence” in their demeanor. They come across like they are anything but Successful, let alone on their way to Success. You MUST have a Magnetic Presence to recruit effectively.

What exactly is Presence?

It is the “Aura” or “Feeling” that people feel from you and get when they are around you.

It is the “Instinctive Feeling” that is triggered in people when they see you.

It is the “Knowing” that people can have about you, and who they perceive you to be.

Have you ever been around someone that you didn’t know why, but you simply didn’t feel comfortable being around them, something just wasn’t “right?” Something about them made red flags go off in your instincts.

That was their presence that you were feeling.

Have you ever met someone and immediately felt comfortable with them? It was just something about them, and how they looked at you and how they made you feel so good?

That was their presence you were feeling.

One of the Biggest Secrets to MLM Recruiting is creating a “Magnetic Presence” so people are literally attracted to talking to you and want to be around you.

Let’s take a test about your presence and see how you come out:

Here are 10 Insightful questions:

1) Does your Presence have a “warmth” about it that people enjoy being around?

2) Does your Presence say “I am interested in YOU”, or “I am interested in ME?”

3) Do you look people in the eye 90% of the time and stretch you hand out first to shake hands?

4) Is your body language open, and receptive to creating and catalyzing new friendships, or is it closed and expecting people to come to you ?

5) Do your conversations focus on the PROSPECT and what they are interested in, or focus on YOU and what YOU are interested in?

6) Do you have a Confidence about you and your business, and do they hear a sincere BELIEF in your words , or a lack of it when you talk to folks?

7) Do you VALIDATE the prospect, and make them feel good about who they are, or constantly Validate YOU and make you feel good about who you are?

Do you smile easily, and make others smile, or smile rarely, and make others uneasy?

9) Do you have a focus of “helping others” or “hyping others”?

10) Do you come across as a LEADER, or a “Feeder” who feeds their own self interests first?

These are some tough MLM questions!

You must understand that your Presence is what we call: “Your Silent Calling Card”. It is the first thing someone sees and feels about you, and will determine a lot of their first (and probably last) impression. It will determine a lot about the Success in Network Marketing Recruiting.

Well? What did you find out about your presence?

Let me suggest you look at the 10 questions and go to work on your MLM Recruiting Presence.

If you do, Your MLM Recruiting will improve dramatically, almost overnight.

Try it, you’ll see what I mean.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, prospecting is looking for gold. That is a good definition of MLM Prospecting, as you always want to strike gold in your business. Just like gold, MLM Success runs in veins in your group, and you must mine the veins continually.

If you really think about it, Network Marketing prospecting is simply the tactics and strategies of finding people to talk to about your business. Plain and simple. It is not rocket science. Talking to people is what we get paid for, and what we do for a living. Talking to people is imperative, so you must find folks to share your story with.

Prospecting is one of those activities that you MUST practice daily, or you will find that you end up like 90% of all Network Marketing folks:

You run out of people to talk to, and thusly, run out of this MLM business saying that it does not work. This business DOES work, if you have people to continually share your products and business with, and do it effectively.

There are 4 steps to MLM Prospecting that have proven to be effective over the years, and we have taught this Prospecting path for years. We all like sequential path to travel, as that is how we live life. This Path of Network Marketing Prospecting you need to travel to insure that you work the prospect correctly, and understand that prospecting IS a process, not a one time event. MLM Prospecting, if done right, can yield a lot of names, and you can have a lot of people looking at your business all at once.

What is the 4 step process?

1) Finding.

This is simply using different tactics to find people that might be interested in looking at your products and business. There are hundreds of ways to do this. Finding people is an art in some ways, as you need to have multiple ways of locating leads going on with your Network Marketing Home business.

Finding someone to talk to can be very easy as well, as there are people everywhere you look, and all of them want the best out of life, and what life has to offer. Finding is simply looking and searching for the people who will want to use your products and services, and also look at your business.

2) Exposing.

Once you find some people, you need to create an exposure, one that is quick and gives them an idea of who you are looking for, and what the company is about. This is not really a formal presentation, but a 30 second “commercial” that is better known as an approach.

The initial exposure of your Network Marketing products and business can happen in a conversation, over lunch and be 30 seconds long.

INFERNO Secret:

In the initial exposure, you are only exposing the IDEA, not the information. You want to see if the idea of your product and business is something that they want to know about, or if they would help you locate some people who do.

The best way we have found to do this is use MLM Prospecting/ Recruiting TOOLS. These can be cds to hand out for people to listen to, or dvds that people can watch, even brochures. But we have found that the best tool to use is one that is brief, to the point, and get the prospect emotional. MLM Tools are essential to use in Network marketing prospecting. You can have 30 people at the same time listening to the inital idea of what you are talking about, and let the tools do the exposure, and help the person to decide if they would be willing to listen further.

3) Separating.

This step is where you come to the realization that there are only 2 types of people you will talk to:

People that are OPEN to new ideas. (These are the people that will listen to you.)

People that are CLOSED to new ideas. (These are the people that will NOT listen to you.)

You MUST separate your prospects into these 2 categories. If they will listen to you, you move them forward. If they will not, talk product, or ask for referrals. This step is imperative to master, as this is where you will quit chasing people who are not truly interested.

“Does this make sense to you?” is a great question to find out where they are with the idea you are talking about, and if they really would like to know more about your MLM products and home business.

“What did you like best about the cd I gave you?” is another great question to ask someone to find out where they are with the idea.

4) System.

For those who are willing to listen, get them into your company or upline’s recruiting and retailing system, and let the system do the work. Get them on your product, and make sure that you schedule them for a formal Network Marketing presentation. This could be a conference call, webcast, or three way, or in home meeting, or a Business Briefing on a tuesday night.

If they are not willing to listen, put them in your follow up system, and somewhere down the road, when timing is better for them, follow up with a phone call. Always ask them if you can keep in touch with them to keep them updated on your Success in Network marketing.

This 4 step process can be compared to a Filtering system, as it will filter out the ones that are not truly interested, and you spend your time with only those who are truly interested in either becoming a customer or distributor, or helping you in some way.

This is the 4 step process to SCORCHING Network Marketing Prospecting.

You need to become a Master MLM Prospector. If you follow these 4 steps, you will dramatically increase the odds of striking gold in MLM Prospecting in Network Marketing.

These Secrets could be considered a ‘Combination” to the Lock of Success in Network Marketing.

What are those 5 Most Powerful Secrets?

1) Don’t Recruit Anyone.

You read that right. Don’t recruit anyone. Why? When you are focused on recruiting people, there will be a natural resistance to you, and to your intentions. Recruiting is a great process, but it has many better roads to get you there.

Let me ask you a question: Would you like to be recruited because someone wants you to become a paycheck for them? Of course not. That is why that most people don’t want to feel like they are being recruited either.

Dont’ recruit anyone. Solve a life problem that they have with the solutions your business offers. Find out what they want to change for the better in their life, and then show them how you can your Network marketing business can help.

2) Don’t do a presentation.

When you are doing a presentation, many times, people feel they are being “pitched” like a used car salesman, and are turned off by it. That is not what you need to do.

Don’t do a presentation. Hold A Conversation. One that contains the details of what you want to cover. People feel so much more comfortable with a conversation, than being pitched a new deal, a new thing, a new opportunity.

When you hold a conversation, people are put at ease, and the red flags that go up with a “pitch” are not there, and people will listen more closely to you.

3) Don’t follow up.

When you are following up, it feels like you are following up to sell them, or recruit them. That is going to set the red flags up a lot.

Don’t follow up. RECONNECT.

When you reconnect, there is a whole different feeling, and a whole different result. You are reconnecting to simply see if a person has any questions, and to see how you can help. You are reconnecting to simply let them know you only want what is best for them, and their family.

Don’t follow up. That will only let you down over the long haul. Reconnect and stay plugged into Network Marketing Success.

4) Don’t Close Anyone.

Closing is NOT the way to get the order. When people feel they are being “closed,” they immediately go into the “you are not going to close me” mode.

Don’t close anyone. OPEN them up to a bigger future, bigger thinking, bigger expectations in life, bigger income, bigger Success, and a bigger life. What would be more appealling to you? Being CLOSED, or OPENED to a whole new future?

Don’t close anyone. That shuts the door many times to other possibilities. OPEN their minds and hearts to possibilities they never thought possible.

5) Don’t just Sign them up- EVER.

When people are signed up, they feel like they are joining something. Nothing wrong with that. But there is a better focus than just joining something.

What would be a better perspective? Signing someone up to join a Network Marketing company, or forming your own distribution company and becoming CEO of it, and then selecting a vehicle and products to market through it?

Perspective needs to be that you are an entrepreneur, and have chosen to form a business in the industry of distribution, and you are going to put together a team of like minded folks that will work together to  build a business that can offer customers quality products and services at a fair price.

Network Marketing Success is easier, if you know the combination to the Success Vault in Network Marketing.

Here is the combination to The Network Marketing Success Vault:

1. Don’t Recruit
2. Don’t Present
3. Don’t Follow Up
4. Don’t Close
5. Don’t Sign People Up

If you follow this Combination, and practice it daily, you will have found the Secret to Opening the Success Vault and all the treasuries found within it of Network Marketing Success.

Heavily branded websites like amazon.com are household names and carry an implied trust with visitors. However, the vast majority of websites are not well known and are found and visited as a consequence of search results provided by search engines. In these instances, the visitor is probably arriving at the website for the first time and human nature often dictates fear or suspicion of the unknown.

If someone is shopping around for the best price for a particular item, say a Cuisinart food processor, they would probably go to a site such as Ask Jeeves (at ask.com using the Smart Search for Products feature) and quickly obtain a list of sources and prices for the desired item. The “yes/no” purchase decision has already been made and it is simply a question of who to buy it from.

In the case of network marketing, it is of critical importance to build a sense of trust with your team members. Network marketing is very definitely a relationship business and each relationship typically starts out with two complete strangers sitting at their respective keyboards.

The team building aspect of network marketing is of vital importance to the success of each individual member and to the team as a whole. Two key elements of team building are trust and confidence and these factors play a very large role, particularly for new team members.

As a team leader, you need to be knowledgeable about the business (products, services, or whatever) and straightforward with answers to questions about the business as well as providing timely and thorough support to your team members. These actions will cement the relationship and build trust and confidence among your team members.

Why did you become a network marketer? Most people immediately respond, “for the money!” However, this is not the real reason.

No one subjects them to the hard work of building a business just for little pieces of paper with the faces of dead presidents. The truth is you work in order to obtain what those little pieces of paper can bring you.

The first thing you need to do is to find the reason WHY you are a network marketer. Is it the freedom to choose whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it? Maybe you are looking for a different lifestyle. If there is one thing that is critical to your network marketing success, this is it. If you don’t have a reason, there is no motivation to succeed.

A network marketing business is a teaching and coaching business. If you don’t like interaction with other people, a network marketing business probably is not for you. There’s a concept that most network marketers just can’t seem to get a handle on. You do not sponsor “reps,” you sponsor “people!”

If you have to find a reason why you are building your business, then doesn’t it stand to reason that other people will have to do the same thing? If that’s the case, then why is it that network marketers continually focus on how much money your prospect can earn?

There’s no way you are going to convince “Joe Sixpack,” to get out of his Lazyboy recliner unless you find out what his motivation is. Most network marketers literally pound in the amount of money Joe can earn. They bombard him with message after message about how “Successful Sam” has just purchased his 10th Porsche, refurnished his 25,000 square foot cottage and promise Joe that he can do the same!

Just how realistic is this approach? Joe isn’t stupid. He works long, hard hours at his job in order to provide for his family and truly believes that the best thing he can hope for is saving enough money by summer to pay for a camping trip. Then here you come, promising Joe that he can have everything that Sam has and he can have it if he will just sign that piece of paper making you his sponsor!

You will probably sponsor a few people that way, but if you are in business for the long haul you need to change your approach and do it fast.

The proper approach is so simple, but in your rush to sponsor another “rep” instead of helping another person, all too often you talk yourself into and straight out of sponsoring the Joes of the world.

God gave you two ears and one mouth and he did it for a reason. We are supposed to “listen” twice as much as we “speak.”

Instead of pouncing on Joe with the latest and greatest network marketing program of all time, find out what Joe wants and needs. Ask him questions, lots of questions. In fact, in your first meeting with Joe, don’t even mention your business! Yes, that’s what I said. Don’t even bring it up. Remove yourself from the super duper network marketing persona and spend time making a new friend.

Follow these recommendations and you are set to grow your business exponentially.

Here are the 10 most common mistakes that networkers make. These mistakes are often ones of attitude, missed judgment calls, or misinformation.

Common mistake in network marketing -#1

Inflated Earnings Expectations

There are many millionaires in the Network Marketing Industry. There are also many millionaires in the NBA as well, but how many schoolyard ballplayers make it to the NBA? VERY FEW! This is the case in Network Marketing and those who become millionaires as well. While a large number home based business owners earn a great part-time income. The average individual spends more time dreaming about what they are going to do, or spends their time in fruitless activity. Realistic expectations for the average part-timer should be an extra $400-$500 per month. Don’t sell anyone else the millionaire line. It may happen, but it simply is not the average.

Common mistake in network marketing -#2

Go For the Product, Not the Plan

I hear it nearly every day. Just last night I received an unsolicited call. The conversation went something like this: …”Hello, I understand you want to start a home based business and make boat loads of money”……I stopped her at this point and asked her if she has used that introduction very long. She said, “oh yes, I have been doing this for years now!” So I asked her how effective she was in calling phone numbers with that opener. She said, “I make lots and lots of money”. Our conversation went on for about 10 minutes with her telling me how much money she was making and how easy it was to make “boat loads” of money. Ten minutes into our conversation, she had yet to reveal what it was she was representing–what was it she was selling to make BOAT LOADS of money with? This should be one of the first things you speak about.

It was at this point in time I informed her that I currently had a home based business and was not looking to enter into another business. “Could we please speak business to business here as I am not a prospect”. She stammered a little bit but politely agreed. As it turns out, she simply copies pages out of the phone book and calls each name one at a time. She has been doing this for a year with very little positive results, and is struggling tremendously to earn more than $200 per month. You guessed it, I asked her if she would be interested in learning more about my company and the team benefits. In the end, I mailed her a copy of the current magazine and some additional literature. She was excited to hear that we work with our team members one on one coaching and mentoring. She stated that the person who signed her up has never spoken or responded to communication in more than 3 years. This is just sad and pathetic.

Too often, the temptation is to speak with our recruits or prospects about the “money” which can be earned. As a result, you may sign a few new people up who are looking only for the money…while this may work, you are missing one of the biggest, best and most effective sales tools…….YOUR PERSONAL TESTIMONIAL. How effective is a man, who has never cleaned, cooked, or used a vacuum cleaner in his life going to be at selling items to make these chores easier? It is much more simple to speak about the “business end” when your audience believes you because you believe in the products.

Of course, a fair compensation plan, which provides good incentives, is important. But in the long run it is the company’s quality products which people bond themselves to. The management and the vision make all the difference in the world.

Common mistake in network marketing -#3

Don’t Think Short Term

The Network marketing business is like any other worthwhile endeavor. Realistically, a distributor should not expect to see the real fruits of their labor until at least six months into their business. Those who have been truly successful have been at it a long time. Don’t expect it overnight and never quit working towards the goal.

Common mistake in network marketing -#4

It’s Not Easy Money

We have heard it a million times, we may have even believed it a time or two. This is one of the things I hate most about the industry. People seem to think that the pitch should be “easy money”, you don’t have to work, you don’t have to sell, you just make a list, sign a few people up and they do all the work for you! Sound familiar? Still waiting for the pigs to fly into your mailbox delivering great big checks?

Experienced Network Markers will tell you that it is not an easy money game. It is not merely a recruiting game. Distributors who are successful know their product, know their customers, know the company’s vision, and are prepared to do that which is necessary. HARD WORK. Look at the name Network Marketing.

Common mistake in network marketing -#5

“Free-Bee” Product – Forget About It

You get what you give and you take what you get! It’s not about offering something for nothing, it’s about adding value to what you have! I cannot stress this enough.

If you want to sit on a roller coaster of ups and downs. Downs being the money you spend for a freebee or a gimme product, the Ups being the instant traffic or interest you have while someone walks up to you…. with their hand out for your freebee. You will generate a great deal of Interest only in the trinket, but not what it is you have to say! Once they have what they want, they will never look back. You want activity, likewise, you also want FRUITFUL activity. If you must offer something for free, associate a value with it that benefits the individual. We offer a $25 Gift Certificate for all new Case Autoship Qualified Distributors. They in turn may use this with the company on a future purchase. Why do we do this? Because the chances of them trying another product from the company is high–we know the quality is second to none and feel that the additional exposure will show them the true value of other products.

Common mistake in network marketing -#6

Don’t Ignore the Company Track Record

A distributor who is looking to increase their odds of becoming successful is looking for a company with a good, strong, firm, and consistent track record. A track record demonstrates quality of management and products. This is very important for those who are genuinely “business builders”.

Common mistake in network marketing -#7

Run –Don’t walk!

You should avoid a company who requires you to carry large investments of inventory. The monthly minimum should be what you can realistically use in a single month. Autoship programs for both customers and distributors, represents a far more fair and long-term approach than large front load requirements.

Common mistake in network marketing -#8

Look for Products with Profit Margins

There are many Network companies in the world today. A great deal of them offer very low if any profit margin return. As a business builder, you know that Network marketing isn’t for everyone. However if you have a good product, the product can be sold to everyone, you have a good thing going. Far too often distributors concentrate on the compensation plan and earnings hype then spending time looking at the profitability of the products or services offered by a company. A company with an exclusive product, these companies, can justify a higher profit, which means the ability to pay commissions in the long term from the sale of the products.

Historically, this is why the largest and most successful Network Marketing companies have had, as their mainstay, consumable products that are proprietary. These products are unique to the company, allowing for sufficient profit to pay commissions. If the products are available in every shopping club, grocery store or nutrition store, chances are, that is where the public will make their purchase.

Common mistake in network marketing -#9

Don’t be a junkie or a ping-pong

Very few distributors in the industry have developed the ability to work multiple programs effectively. These types of distributors are few and far between. As the average distributor is part-time to begin with, you should carefully pick a company and stick with it. History favors the long-term committed distributor rather than the next-opportunity-junkie who hops from opportunity to opportunity. Focus and energy is hard to maintain with one company and its products, let alone several. Splitting your time and energy with several companies will most likely end with limited or paled results. Focus in on yourself, your goals, and your desires in one direction.

Common mistake in network marketing -#10

Turn off the TELEVISION

Activity is the name of the game in network marketing. You must do more than complete the distributor application; call your friends and sit back waiting for the money to be rolling into your mailbox. Turn your television off and get proactive. Do you know how many hours you could find in a day if you simply were willing to turn the television off?

The most successful people in network marketing are the ones who are constantly recruiting, selling and calling upon the same prospective customers and recruits multiple times. Those who sit back and watch the television in all their spare time will have unfulfilled expectations.

The Internet has changed how people do their business. Even small business owners are able to reach global market inexpensively nowadays, selling anything from apparel, collectibles, to computer software, service and coaching.
The core of every business is sales. Many of the strategies to increase sales offline are applicable online, but not all of them. On the Internet, everybody can effort to fail fast and learn from it. Better still, after years of testing and tracking what works online, people can just learn from other people’s experience and cut the learning curve tremendously.

Here are 5 of the surefire ways to increase sales:

1. Establish a sound affiliate program

If it is just another affiliate program, then don’t expect to have different results. Focus on building a sound affiliate program, with the tools and materials to support affiliates to promote a program easily. After all, affiliates work like clockwork and should be seen as a team. Provide them with the right promotion tools and they will more likely promote the program.

Give the customers an option to join the affiliate program after purchase. Satisfied customers are one of the best marketing for any business. Spread the good words through word of mouth. Best of all, they are paid just for doing that.

2. Follow-up after first purchase

The hardest task in any business is acquiring the first sale. Make sure that capturing customers’ name and email addresses are the least information gathered from a sale. With that information in hand, follow-up with existing customers, probably through an automated mechanism like timely autoresponder.

This effort has been proven to decrease refund on products and increase customers’ satisfaction. Every once in a while, mention a related product that might be of interest to the customers. Write a review and provide real results. Such promotion is extremely inexpensive, but very effective in practice. The product can be anything, including an affiliate program.

3. Use up-sell technique

Just before a customer check out to the payment gateway, prompt for optional upgrade to the better, bigger, or nicer product for a fairly steep discount, preferably not available elsewhere.

A certain number of customers will choose the option, which translates into additional sales, almost without additional effort.

4. Provide discount coupons

Coupons urge customers to come back and shop. Promotional coupons work for both advertising

and some forms of joint venture. Customers love to know that they get lower price for what they buy. Coupons make it so real and tangible.

5. Cross-promote with other related products

There is no limit as to how this could be accomplished. Joint venture with other business or even competitors is feasible as long as it brings a win-win situation.

One example would be to give away sample of other product or service as part of the whole package. As long as the sample is relevant to the customer, this promotion could only be seen as an added value instead of pure advertising.

There are many other tactics to increase sales but above tips have been proven to work again and again. Choose one at a time and take action. Good luck