A New Paradigm in the MLM Success Formula
by Barry Gruber

Success in network marketing should not be like country club membership - available only to the "privileged" few. MLM is a wonderful industry, probably the last true frontier of free enterprise. Virtually anyone can start a home business and everybody CAN succeed in this industry. The question is, with the tremendous opportunity that network marketing offers, why do so few people really make it big? There are a number of fundamental flaws in the generally accepted MLM business model that doom most to failure.

Think about this for a moment. Most people in the MLM industry do not succeed. The statistics are eye opening, even downright staggering. 95% of network marketing distributors fail within the first 3 years. This failure rate is right in line with the statistics for conventional businesses. But it shouldn't be! With a home-based business, the investment and the risks are much lower. More people should succeed because they have a low overhead (no building, employees, inventory, etc) and they should be able to stay in business longer. The longer you stay in business, the greater your odds of success (as long as you work smart and hard.)

The reason for the alarming MLM failure rate is simple. Most people are brought into the industry under false pretenses - they are "sold" into the business and given false expectations. Most people who join a network marketing company do so with high hopes and with visions of success, wealth and glory. Far too many people start out with unrealistic expectations of immediate success and instant gratification. Wild stories of a tidal wave of enrollments and instant wealth not only give our industry a bad name, they lay the foundation for failure and disappointment. Do any of these sound familiar to you?

"I made $30,000 in my first 2 months!"

"My business partner is earning $1,500 a day!"

"I sponsored 36 people in my first week!"

"I will build your team for you!"

99.99% of distributors who join a business expecting those type of results are in for a rude awakening. What these people haven't said (in parentheses) is ...

"I made $30,000 in my first 2 months!" (I was a networker for 10 years before joining this company and I brought a team of 5,000 with me.)

"My business partner is earning $1,500 a day!" (Somewhere in the company there is a person who's earning a high 6-figure income.)

"I sponsored 36 people in my first week!" (Either I can't count or I was a network marketer for 10 years before joining this company and I brought a team of 5,000 with me.)

"I will build your team for you!" (As long as someone builds mine for me, which is highly unlikely.)

So, how do you avoid the failure traps and become a true success with your business? The answer is - you need to stop listening to 99% of the network marketing training, wipe the slate clean, re-program yourself, unlearn bad habits, and start over with a different mindset. This may seem drastic, but drastic times call for drastic measures. If you're having success sponsoring and duplicating, you probably don't need to read any further. If you haven't had the results you hoped for, this new paradigm just might be the answer for you. First, you must buy into several new concepts:

1. Success happens when you stop selling.  People you talk to about your business are not making a "buying decision," they are making a "working decision." If you sell them into the business, you will most likely have to spend most of your time trying to sell them on going to work. Instead, spend your time "interviewing" your candidates and give them homework assignments to prove they have what it takes. The people who make it through the interview process typically can't wait to get started.
   
2. If you give the right person the right information, in the right way, they will make the right decision.  Most networkers try to embellish things and hype their business opportunity, in an effort to make it more appealing to prospects. This almost always leads to surprises and a lack of trust between you and your new members. At the point when you need to develop a positive relationship with your team, doubt and uncertainly throw a monkey wrench in the works. By adopting a code of full disclosure and giving your candidates the necessary information in digestible portions, you allow them to make the decision that's right for them. You also set realistic expectations and begin to forge a bond based on trust and mutual respect.
   
3. Most networkers spend the vast majority of their time chasing after the wrong people. The majority of networkers are so desperate to "sign people up," they end up pushing so hard that it drives away their best prospects. A better formula is to use the laws of attraction in your recruiting efforts. By interviewing instead of selling, you will naturally attract the right people to you ... while at the same time chasing the wrong people off.
   
4. The Warm Market and Opportunity Seekers should not be your primary target audience. Building your business with friends and family is surefire way to join the N.F.L. (No Friends Left). Focusing on opportunity seekers typically leads to a roller coaster ride of recruiting > training > quitting, recruiting > training > quitting, recruiting > training > quitting, etc. Top earners focus on a different audience - network marketers. Building with networkers offers 4 major benefits:
   
   a. Networkers have already been sold on the industry, saving you the time and effort.
   b. They have already been trained in the industry, drastically reducing the learning curve.
   c. Networkers have proven that they are willing to do the work, eliminating the uncertainty.
   d. Most importantly, networkers know other networkers, allowing you to grow your business geometrically instead of one new member at  time.

© 2010 Barry Gruber. All rights reserved.
http://www.TheMLMacademy.com

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