Six Tips for Calling Your MLM Leads with Confidence and No Fear

Your MLM leads are the life of your network marketing business. Your leads are the fuel that takes your business from the bottom of nowhere to the top of the world. Working these leads effectively is one of the big keys to success in MLM.
Your initial contact with your MLM leads may be by email. However, for the most success in sponsoring these opportunity seekers, you’ll want to talk to them by phone whenever possible.
When it comes time to make that call, even a tiny little cell phone can feel like it weighs a ton! Many people in this business dread picking up the phone to call leads and prospects. Three of the biggest mental blocks to making those calls can be:
1) a fear of not knowing what to say
2) a fear of being asked questions you can’t answer
3) a fear of coming across poorly and being rejected
Here are six tips to help overcome these fears, and give you confidence to call your MLM leads with no fear.
Be a Serious Student of Your MLM Business
Take time to learn as much as you can about your products, your company, and your opportunity in general – this is one of the first things you should do and is often neglected or skimmed over. The more comfortable and familiar you feel with your business, the more confidence you’ll have when you talk to your prospects. This will help eliminate that nagging feeling of “what if they ask about ______.” Be prepared.
Don’t Worry About Knowing Everything There is to Know
Understand that nobody expects you to know everything about your business. It is actually a point in your favor if you admit you’re not sure about something and then follow up soon with the answer. Your prospects appreciate your honesty, and this gives you another opportunity to contact them and continue building that initial relationship. Don’t worry about knowing everything there is to know, just be prepared to answer the basic questions that any new prospect might ask.
Get Your Cheat Sheet Ready
Create and have a “cheat sheet” ready. With the help of your successful upline leaders, prepare an outline of the questions and key points you’ll want to address with your prospect. Practice these over and over until you feel comfortable with each one. Try not to write an exact script and read it verbatim, because it will be easy to tell you’re just reading and it turns people off. A structure that you follow in your conversation is good – and almost everyone needs this.
Don’t You Love to do Role Playing?
Get with your upline and have fun – do some role playing! I KNOW this sounds silly, and may seem to be a waste of time. However, it really does help give you confidence when talking with an actual prospect. Of course, a real conversation will never be just like a role play you’ve done, but the idea is practicing to gain confidence and fluency in discussing your opportunity. In a role play, your partner plays the part of the prospect, and you play…you. This can be very helpful if you take it seriously.
Chill Out First, Then Call Your MLM Leads
Be sure you are feeling positive and upbeat before calling any of your MLM leads. Sometime there is the urge to “just do it” at times when you shouldn’t. Had a bad day? Get past it before making those calls. If you feel down or negative, it comes across in your voice no matter how hard you try to hide it. If your attitude is “sigh…I gotta go make those calls to my leads”, try to get a little more fired up and enthused first.
You Were Once an MLM Lead, Too
Always remember that your MLM leads are people just like you and I – no matter how fantastic your presentation is, or how great your voice sounds, there are some that just won’t like it. Some won’t like you no matter what you do. Some people don’t like anyone, actually. Don’t take this personally. You absolutely cannot please everyone – just be yourself, be upbeat, and do your best. You’ll see that the law of averages will work in your favor.
To sum it up – if you struggle with making phone calls to your MLM leads and prospects, you are not alone! Many MLM business builders have the same issue. I promise, if you put the ideas above into practice and don’t give up, you’ll become a master at making these calls. No doubt, you’ll encounter some rude or unpleasant prospects, but don’t let them stop you. It always gets better.

Using Social Networks to Promote Your Network Marketing Business

Online social networking is becoming more and more popular, and a growing trend. Network marketing home business builders are seeking to find prospects and have success building their business inside the online social networks.
And, if you think about it, why not? It makes sense! The “Web 2.0″ phenomenon brought us from the often boring world of dull, unchanging web pages to an environment where people can interact, learn, and gather information in many different ways. Web 2.0 is characterized by the use of audio and video to communicate and spread a message, as well as the opportunity for everyone to interact and discuss information that is posted online.
The good news is that you can help fill a need here – people are hungry for real, genuine opportunities to make money, and a network marketing home business can offer this and more.
The bad news is for the spammers and hype slingers – in this new online environment, such tactics are not tolerated and will achieve no success at all.
Check out the various social sites – MySpace and Facebook are two of the most popular. Both have communities centered around network marketing home business opportunities and other topics that are focused on making money from home. BetterNetworker.com is another social site that is focused entirely on network marketing. Many of the people there are already in business, but there are tons of resources to help build your business and opportunities to learn from others. The idea is to build relationships, because you never know when someone will be looking for a better opportunity.
When starting to network at one of these social sites, here are some important things to remember.
1. You must be polite and understand that your purpose is to meet people and network. You are not there to openly and blatently promote your business. You’ll be able to set up a profile that tells others who you are and what you’re up to. People in the social networks DO read these profiles. Focus on making friends and contributing to the community.
2. Get involved and check in on a regular basis. You don’t necessarily have to log in every day, but make it a point to show up 2-3 times a week at least and post or contribute something. The key is to be there often enough to be visible, and for people to recognize you.
3. You need to have a personal website to promote yourself and your business. The focus should be on you. Your site can be as small as one page, and should tell others who you are and why you got involved with a network marketing home business. What is your story? What is unique about your business? What can you offer as a sponsor? Focus on what you can do to help your prospects make money and have success.
Get involved, and have some fun with this. Social networking online is not going to go away – it is only going to get stronger. I still know network marketers who are resisting this trend. It’s here to stay so get ready and get involved. Watch your business grow!

Your Home Business – Are You All Stressed Out by the Last Minute Rush to Meet Deadlines?

As a home business builder, do you sometime find yourself all stressed out because you reached certain deadlines on time, but did so at the LAST MINUTE? This is actually a pretty common event for many of us. When you are the master of your own time, and your own boss, it is easier to fall into this habit.
On the other hand, would you believe there are people who actually get a rush from the challenge of accomplishing tasks at the last minute? They actually procrastinate and hold off on things, sometime subconsciously, but often purposely.
They are the folks who’ll tell you they have to be under pressure to get things done, and they seem to be unable to complete tasks much ahead of the absolute last possible moment.
If you’re not the “I need my last minute rush fix” type, and you want to avoid being last minute on everything, practice these proven time management tips to make your home business run more smoothly.

• write a “to do” list and put everything on it, including home business tasks and personal things you must attend to between business activities
• put priorities on everything – make sure you get the most important things first and focus on getting them done
• take action – all your dreams for your home business are dead in the water if you don’t take action and make things happen
• take on the hardest, most unpleasant tasks early in your day – this makes the rest of the day fly by
• take frequent breaks and reward yourself – focus on your home business tasks hard for an hour or two, then allow yourself time to do something for pleasure

These simple and (I know) often repeated tips are seriously effective. This is why you see them listed so often. They work, but there are just so many ways to say them.
So, avoid getting stressed out by last minute finishes and take action to put your home business and your life in order. Your body will thank you, and your increased productivity and income will reward you.

Network Marketing Training – What’s Up?

You’re evaluating a potential network marketing opportunity, and you’ve checked out the products and the compensation plan. They look great. You’ve also found that the company itself is stable and has a respectable reputation in the industry. You have talked to your future sponsor and upline, and everything looks good.
So what’s next? Before you dive in and sign up, take a look at the training you’ll be receiving. This is important, even if you’ve been in MLM or network marketing before. The top achievers and leaders in network marketing never stop learning and growing. If you ever think you’ve “arrived”, watch out….
Corporate Support and Upline Training
Check this out before you sign up. What will you be getting? Good training is essential to your success. The training and education you receive should be more than just facts about the products and how to sell them. There should be more than just recruiting and sponsoring techniques.
A good, well-rounded training program should also include components that focus on developing leadership. Your success in building a network marketing business depends highly on developing yourself as a leader. People like to work with leaders. Find out if your upcoming training will put focus on developing yourself as a leader – it should.
Leadership in network marketing is learning how to work with people, inspire them to achieve their dreams, and keep them moving in the right direction.
Preparing to Train Your Own Downline
Once you have completed your initial training, you will be sponsoring others into your business. At this point, you’ll begin (as a leader) to assist in training your new downline team.
What materials has the company developed to assist in the training process? Does your upline team have an organized system in place to help new associates get started, or is everything pretty much off the wall and disorganized? Consider this, because a good system for getting new associates up and running needs to be organized and clearly defined. The idea is not to create an army of MLM zombies marching in lockstep. The idea is to teach the fundamentals, and show people how to use them to build their own successful business.
Also, consider how and where you’ll be working your business. If you’re planning to build your network marketing business mostly online, look for Internet-based training and learning resources. Some companies and upline groups have entire web sites devoted to teaching the basics of success in the business.
If you plan to sponsor people in your local area who are not online, you’ll need to be prepared to help them in person or rely on local training that is already established.
You’ve Signed Up, What’s Next?
Once you’ve chosen a great network marketing opportunity and signed up, work hard and have fun! The evaluating and signing up is the easy part. Getting started and building an income takes time. Work hard in the beginning, because once things start rolling your business gets really exciting!

Is a Paper Planner Right for You?

Every time I visit an office supply store, I still see quite a selection of paper based planners – the Franklin Planner, Day Timer, and Day Runner seem to be the most common.
I’ve used these in the past, but have always lost patience with them. In network marketing, I need to keep up with lots of contacts – both downline associates as well as prospects and customers. Trying to manage all this strictly in a paper planner would be a nightmare. I prefer to use software and electronic organizers for contact management.
That said, I believe (for many people) that basic day-to-day organization can still be handled efficiently by paper based planners.  Paper planners still have advantages over all this high-tech stuff.
Here are a few interesting takes on using paper planners in the age of technology. After reading some of these, I am tempted to give them another try.
Organizers: Keeping Your World Close At Hand
I have upgraded my electronic organizers every couple of years but I always fell back to my paper planner. The paper planner allows me to have history at my fingertips. Last week my husband and I were talking about our next vacation and …
Resource of the Week: Franklin Covey Planning System
Two years ago, I started using the FranklinCovey Planning System to figure out which parts of my vision were most urgent and important. Before I started using the planning system, I used to write my ideas and schedule my day using …
6 Strategies to Make the Most of Your Paper Planner
if you are left handed, place your management section pages (eg. goals, key information, note paper, addresses, etc.) at the beginning of your planner. place your monthly tabs and planner pages after the management section type pages. …
Paper Planners are Not Over!
the beauty of a paper planner is that paper doesn’t crash. better yet, it’s much easier to jot down a note on a daily to-do list than pull out your handheld, turn it on, click around, and type a note on that tiny keypad with all those …

Network Marketing and MLM – Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re looking at a network marketing or MLM home business, I’m sure you have some questions about how the business works and how to choose a good opportunity.
Following are some questions that many people ask about network marketing. These are some of the basics.
Please – I encourage you to comment below and post any other questions you often hear about network marketing and MLM, and how you answer them. There are many great questions out there that I’m not listing.
Where do I begin when choosing a network marketing opportunity?
Your best bet is a company that has been around at least 2-3 years, preferably longer. As with any other business, network marketing and MLM companies can start and fail for a lot of different reasons. Companies with a record of stability and good service offer less risk and better odds for establishing a long-term income.
I’ve heard that network marketing is a “pyramid scheme”. What is that all about?
“Pyramid” schemes offer fast money earned by selling the right to recruit others. They often have a product to help make them look legitimate, but it will have little real value. The real money is made by recruiting other people into the scheme, not through sale of the product. Some of these scams don’t even offer a product – they just move money around. A true network marketing or MLM opportunity will offer real products, and place some emphasis on sales to customers who are not involved in the business opportunity.
What about “getting in on the ground floor” with a new company?
This is a big risk. If you go in knowing the odds and have money to put into it, it is possible that working with a startup business can be rewarding. Every solid and reputable network marketing company today was a startup at one time. Just be aware of the risk. More established companies offer a better shot at long-term income and stability.
How do I get paid in network marketing?
There are several types of network marketing and MLM compensation plans. Some of these are called “breakaway’, “binary”, “unilevel”, and “matrix”. There are others that are a blend or spinoff of these. You can build a solid business and make money with any of these plans. The first thing to look at when evaluating an opportunity is the company (stability and track record) and the product line (quality, value, will people want to buy them).
Will I have to buy an inventory of products?
Purchasing an inventory of products should not be a requirement to sign up. It should be an option. In some cases, having a product inventory makes sense. However, your retail customers should have the option to order the product direct from the company using your ID. Inventory is important if you are building a business around retailing products (direct sales). In network marketing and MLM, this is not usually something you need to do.
Once I find a good opportunity, what next?
Consult your sponsor and upline leaders. They should help you develop a plan for starting your business successfully. Your upline and company should have training and a “system for success” in place that you can work with. Be sure and ask this question before making your decision: “What training do you offer to help me get started successfully?”
Can I build a network marketing business online?
Many people have succeeded building a strong business online. You will need money for advertising. Keep in mind that online MLM is still a people business – you can’t hide behind a computer and be successful. You can reach many more prospects and grow your business faster, but you still need the personal contact.
A final thought…
Network marketing is one of the best ways to start a home business. It requires a small investment, much less than opening a traditional business. You can make a lot of money in network marketing. For this reason, scammers all over the place are peddling deals that appear to be legitimate network marketing or MLM opportunities. Just be careful and do your homework before signing up with anyone.

Can You Really Motivate Your MLM Downline?

Starting your new MLM business is really exciting. Even if you’re a veteran in the MLM industry, I’m sure you remember how it was.
You go through your group’s MLM training program. You get fired up and sponsor a few people. Then, at some point, you do a reality check. You ask the burning question. Is anyone I sponsored doing anything yet?
Unfortunately, sometime in the early stages of your business, the answer is no. This can really be discouraging, especially when you’re first starting out.
What is motivation? Dictionary.com defines it like this:
the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior; “we did not understand his motivation”; “he acted with the best of motives”
True motivation actually comes from within a person. You can try to “motivate” someone, but perhaps it is better thought of as “encouraging” them. When we encourage our downline, it helps their own internal motivation to come alive and get stronger.
Starting and building an MLM business is a voluntary activity (nobody HAS to get up in the morning and do it, unlike they do with a job). Thus, a person’s motivation must be intensely personal. Inspiration to action must come from deep within. There must be a “why” in place that really means something.
So, what can you do to help raise a downline associate’s level of self-motivation to work their business? Assuming they have a desire, but have just been unable to get moving, here is how you can help.
Help them recall why they signed up in the first place. Maybe they had a vague idea – they wanted to “make some extra money”. Once the initial excitement of doing something new has faded, maybe they can’t get fired up enough to move forward with a goal that hazy. Help them discover how much money they’d really like to earn, and what they would do with it that really means something. Help them come up with specific goals for their MLM business that they feel excited about.
What is important to your downline associate? Is it money to pay off some bills, get a new car, or maybe build a dream home someday? Is it a desire to quit a job? Give money to help their church or favorite charity? People often start MLM businesses and other money-making ventures with really good intentions. Help them drill down and find out what is really important, and how building their MLM business can help.
The idea is to help your valuable downline member get past the inertia and light a fire inside that will motivate them to action. Think about your own business, and what your own internal motivations are. Let your downline friend and associate know you care, and are sincerely interested in their success.

How to Write Killer Headlines for Your Network Marketing Opportunity Articles

Are you writing and submitting articles to help promote your network marketing opportunity? If not, writing articles is a very effective way to promote yourself and your business. We’ll talk more about that later. If you’re writing articles now, you know a really great headline will encourage people to read it.
I’ve put together some resources that will help you write better headlines for your articles. Be careful to note the distinction between a great, catchy headline and hype. You want to get attention, but not at the expense of coming across as a “bizop peddler”. Aim for something professional, but eye-catching.
Five Common Headline Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
writing a great headline means crafting an enticing invitation to a prospective reader. it’s not the whole story, nor is it an attempt to convince anyone to do anything other than to keep reading. that being said, it seems you can’t …
Are You Writing Headlines That Sell? Stop!
Focus all your headline-writing efforts on getting the readers attention and holding it. The remainder of your copy should do the rest and get the reader to take the desired action, but only if they actually read! …
5 Tips For Writing Headlines That Work
If your headline is communicating clearly, it’s pretty likely you’re using basic keywords that summarize your article. For more on writing headlines that work check out usability guru Jakob Nielsen and the copy writing expert Copyblogger.
15 Remarkable Resources to Create Killer Headlines
Headline writing: How to write web headlines that catch search engine spiders – newmediabytes.com. Writing Headlines for Regular Readers, Search Engines, and Social Media -copyblogger.com. Easy Ways to Create Eye catching …

Getting MLM Leads – How to Use Free Traffic Exchanges Effectively

If you are looking for inexpensive ways to find leads for your MLM business, traffic exchanges are one way to go. You can get MLM leads this way, if you understand how the exchanges work.
Free traffic exchanges work like this. You sign up and spend time surfing and viewing web pages belonging to other members. You typically have to wait 20-30 seconds on each page, then you can click through to visit another member’s page. By doing this over and over, you build up credits. These credits will be used to display your own web page to other surfers.
One example of a good traffic exchange is Trafficswarm. While there are other good exchanges, I have had the best luck getting good MLM leads on this one.
The thing to remember is why people are using free traffic exchanges in the first place. They are clicking and viewing all those pages so that other people will see theirs. The average surfer isn’t looking for a new MLM or income opportunity, they are trying to promote the one they are in.
The good news is that people doing this are interested in making money. However, if you send them to the typical opportunity site with lots of text and details, they probably won’t pay much attention to it. Their main interest is passing time and clicking again as soon as possible.
However, it is quite possible to get their attention and interest, but you have to do it fast. Lots of people are trying to get MLM leads using the traffic exchanges.
The secret to getting MLM leads using traffic exchanges:

• create a small page with a short and powerful message, along with a form to submit their email address so they can join your mailing list. You will need to offer something of value, like a free report about making money online. Something that looks really interesting.
• understand that your whole objective is to get their name and contact information, so you can get in touch with them later about your opportunity. You are NOT trying to sell them on anything at this point, all you want is permission to contact them later.

Keep this attitude in mind, and create something compelling enough for them to take a few seconds to sign up. After that, you can send out information about your opportunity or whatever you want.
I use Aweber to manage my mailing list. You can set up a series of messages to go out at regular intervals, or send something to all your MLM leads at any time.
Sign up for Trafficswarm and give it a try. It’s free, and once inside there are excellent tips on how to write compelling headlines and ads.

Getting MLM Leads – How to Use Free Traffic Exchanges Effectively

If you are looking for inexpensive ways to find leads for your MLM business, traffic exchanges are one way to go. You can get MLM leads this way, if you understand how the exchanges work.
Free traffic exchanges work like this. You sign up and spend time surfing and viewing web pages belonging to other members. You typically have to wait 20-30 seconds on each page, then you can click through to visit another member’s page. By doing this over and over, you build up credits. These credits will be used to display your own web page to other surfers.
One example of a good traffic exchange is Trafficswarm. While there are other good exchanges, I have had the best luck getting good MLM leads on this one.
The thing to remember is why people are using free traffic exchanges in the first place. They are clicking and viewing all those pages so that other people will see theirs. The average surfer isn’t looking for a new MLM or income opportunity, they are trying to promote the one they are in.
The good news is that people doing this are interested in making money. However, if you send them to the typical opportunity site with lots of text and details, they probably won’t pay much attention to it. Their main interest is passing time and clicking again as soon as possible.
However, it is quite possible to get their attention and interest, but you have to do it fast. Lots of people are trying to get MLM leads using the traffic exchanges.
The secret to getting MLM leads using traffic exchanges:

• create a small page with a short and powerful message, along with a form to submit their email address so they can join your mailing list. You will need to offer something of value, like a free report about making money online. Something that looks really interesting.
• understand that your whole objective is to get their name and contact information, so you can get in touch with them later about your opportunity. You are NOT trying to sell them on anything at this point, all you want is permission to contact them later.

Keep this attitude in mind, and create something compelling enough for them to take a few seconds to sign up. After that, you can send out information about your opportunity or whatever you want.
I use Aweber to manage my mailing list. You can set up a series of messages to go out at regular intervals, or send something to all your MLM leads at any time.
Sign up for Trafficswarm and give it a try. It’s free, and once inside there are excellent tips on how to write compelling headlines and ads.

Network Marketing Should Be Fun!

Sometime, choosing a network marketing business opportunity comes down to analyzing compensation plans and picking one that seems the most lucrative.
Other times, the products are evaluated (this should be your first step) and a decision is made based on their quality and market appeal.
Now, all that aside, there is something else to think about. I almost didn’t do this post today, because this seems so obvious, yet I’ll explain later why I posted it anyway.
Before you choose your network marketing business opportunity, relax and think about what you’ll be doing. Think about the products, how you’ll promote them, and who you’ll be working with. You should have talked to your potential sponsor several times. You should ask about talking to your sponsor’s upline as well, just to get a feel for the overall support you’ll have.
Once everything is in place – you’ve evaluated the products, the pay plan, the company, and your upline – what’s next?
Kick back and think – Will I enjoy this? Will I have fun doing this? If you feel any doubt, think about why and try to see what is bothering you.
This is why I am bringing this up and posting about it. I know a guy who did all the due diligence and signed up with a well-known network marketing business. The products were health & nutritional based. The company had a strong history and bright future. This guy had great upline support, everything seemed to be right. However, he left the business after three months.
The problem – while everything was in place business-wise, this guy just didn’t (deep down) care much about nutritional products. He was more the type who was passively interested in having good health, and had no real passion for spreading the word. This is not a guy who would enjoy browsing in a GNC or Vitamin World store – just not his cup of tea.
So, bottom line, be sure you can really feel a passion and excitement about any network marketing business opportunity you choose. Be sure you will enjoy it. That is a hidden key to your success.

Create Inspiring Goals for Your MLM Business

There are four things to consider when coming up with goals for your MLM business. If you keep these things in mind, you’ll feel motivated and energized when you’re done – promise!
While goalsetting may seem unnecessary, you might be surprised how much it helps. I know people who should be very successful in their MLM business, but who keep plodding along barely making progress. It is in part because they have no firm targets, nothing to shoot for. Here are the four things you should do.
1) Make your goals realistic. You need to challenge and stretch yourself, but don’t set targets that are way out. For example, setting a goal to make $50,000 your first year starting from scratch might be unrealistic, unless you are able to devote near full-time effort to your MLM business. Set your goals in such a way that you can break them up into chunks and move forward a step at a time.
2) Make your goals exciting! If you don’t feel a rush of energy and a feeling of chomping at the bit, go back and work on things some more. For goals to be effective in helping shape your business, they must literally give you a buzz when you think about them. What do you want from your MLM business?
3) Give your goals a time frame for achievement. Don’t set open-ended goals to be accomplished “whenever”, challenge yourself to reach them in specific stages tied to specific time frames. This disciplined approach works much better than anything else. It motivates you.
4) Be accountable to someone. Share your goals with them, and discuss your progress as you go along. This can be your sponsor or someone in your upline – whoever you are most comfortable with. Make sure this person will hold you accountable, and challenge you if you slip a bit. You need that encouragement and support.
Finally, once you have these things worked out, write them down. This will solidify and help pull your MLM business goals and thoughts together much better than just keeping them in your head.

Connecting With the New Generation of Network Marketing Professionals

There is a new generation of independent thinkers out there. They are diverse and want to be different. They are rebels (in a good way). They are sharp, connected, and ready for what network marketing can do for them. They will join us on their own terms.
There will be no old-fashioned hype-filled recruiting meetings for this group. There are very capable of learning all about what network marketing offers, about our opportunities, and how they can fit in. They don’t need our help to do this. They will do the research online and contact us when they’re ready.
These are the children of the famous “Baby Boomer” generation. Wikipedia calls them “Generation Y”, “Millennials”, or “Echo Boomers”. These are young adults ranging in age from about 18 to 30 as of 2008. They have grown up in an age of technology and change that has seen no equal in recorded history.
This new generation of young adults has some outstanding characteristics that help spell success with network marketing.

• for earning a livng, they don’t accept the traditional “45 year plan”, and in fact are afraid in getting stuck in a career rut like that
• in general, they are more willing to take risks (such as striking out with their own business) than previous generations
• they turn against tradition and prefer to work on their own terms – have you seen all the laptops in Starbucks lately?
• socially, they are well connected online and in total touch with their friends
• they are very comfortable with technology and know how to reach a lot of people fast

This new generation enjoys learning, self-improvement, innovation, and diversity. They are quick on their feet and want to make a difference. They understand that now, for the first time in history, there is potential for anyone to earn a very good living outside the traditional work force. With a computer and a bit of Internet savvy, they can open a business that never closes its doors. They can be making money in the middle of the night while they sleep. A network marketing business fits right into this picture.
This generation wants more. They are ready to go, if you show them more than just money. They are interested in lifestyle, in living where they want to, in doing their own thing. Show them how your network marketing business can do this for them, and they will become your next superstars.
It is up to you, as a network marketing professional, to show them what they are looking for. Freedom. Fun. A well-rounded and balanced life. Network marketing offers this lifestyle, and always has. The difference is that the chains of tradition are not binding this group. Remember what it was like before?
Go to college, get a good job, and retire some day and travel.
The new generation wants to travel now, make money now, live a full and free life now. They aren’t interested in working long hours, tied to a desk for years, to reach these dreams. They could not care less about getting two-bit raises every year, while waiting for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Don’t tell them to make a list of friends and relatives to contact. They already have that under control. Give them the basics of your business, and let them run. Show them a way, and they will spread the word and light a fire faster than you’ll believe.
Are you ready to reach the “new generation” of network marketers? Check back in soon, or go to the top of the page and subscribe to my feed. In a few days, I will begin posting videos showing how to connect online and promote yourself and your opportunity the right way.

How to Gain Momentum, Stay on Track, and Keep Your MLM Business Growing

Understand that your MLM business is a real business and make a commitment to spread the word. Have some nice business cards made up and exchange with people you meet. A nice touch is putting a brief summary of your business on back of the card, but make it just enough to arouse curiosity.
Create a short (one minute or less) explanation of your MLM business and how it works. Use this when people ask you the “ice breaker” question – “what do you do”?
Take action to build and promote your business each day. Whether online or offline, do something. Put out advertisements, participate in social communities, make phone calls, followup with prospects, whatever it takes.
Learn to listen and understand your prospects. Ask them thoughtful questions and listen carefully to their responses. Let them talk. Find out how your MLM business can solve a problem or help with a need in their life. Tell them about it.
Think carefully about the actions you take each day. Make sure they actually help build your MLM business (finding and communicating with prospects). Spending time planning and organizing for success is necessary, but don’t overdo it at the expense of talking to people.
When you begin to make money with your MLM business, put as much back into your business for advertising and promotion as you are able. This will fuel growth and help you reach your goals faster.
Call your sponsor. Contact your upline leaders who have achieved success and are making money. Find out how they did it, and discuss with them ways you can achieve success with your own MLM business.
Have fun and enjoy building your business. This isn’t a job you do because you have to, this is something you should enjoy. Your prospects can tell if you are ”into” your business and whether you enjoy it or not.
Create detailed goals and have a clear vision of what you want to achieve with your MLM business. Write all this down, and refer to it daily. Go back and review when you stub your toe or run into discouragement.
Hang around and socialize with people who are positive and successful in what they do. They will help keep you fired up and going. Success and confidence is seriously contagious.
Finally, be determined to succeed and create a plan for your MLM business that excites you. Stick to that plan and don’t slack off. You’ll have to work hard in the beginning to get things going smoothly, but exercise discipline and make it happen.

Why Building Your Network Marketing and MLM Business Online Makes Sense

Building your network marketing or MLM business online can be the fastest way to grow your downline and make money. Many people start out working their business locally, then venture into the online world. Working with local prospects gives you a chance to learn about your products and answer common questions you’ll encounter later.
In the long run, the Internet is the place to be. You can reach more people and have more explosive growth if you go online. The key is getting prepared and having a plan.
Here are six great reasons to move your MLM business online, when the timing is right for you.
Your Prospects Come to You
Forget the old-fashioned method of building your MLM business by making a list and approaching all your friends and relatives. While some people can be successful doing this, most will find it difficult and discouraging. Working online, you can attract prospects that come to you and ask for information. This is one of the great advantages of building an online presence for your business. There is nothing wrong with approaching your friends and relatives when the time is right, but immediately after you sign up is not usually the best time.
You Can Aim for the Right Market
When you follow traditional teaching (making a list of 100-200 names and trying to recruit them), you will find many of those people will not be interested. You will spend a lot of time sorting and looking for ones that are. On the Internet, you can promote your business directly to people who are actually looking for a home business. You will need a web site which will help do the sorting and qualifying for you.
Easier to Deal with Objections
By setting up a personal web site and taking time to add good content, you can address many concerns about your business before they are even expressed. For example, some people think “pyramid” when they see the terms “network marketing” or “MLM“. You can address that effectively on your site. By the time you actually talk to your prospect, many of their questions have already been answered and objections have been eliminated.
You Are Not Limited by Time
Your prospects can visit your site and learn a LOT about you and your business, 24 hours a day. Your business is being presented when you are at work, and when you are sleeping.
Your Prospects Qualify Themselves
Prospects actually pre-qualify themselves because they have the option (if they are not interested) to just go away. This way, the people who actually contact you are really interested and worth taking time to work with. You won’t have to solicit or chase anyone.
Set Up Automatic Followups
You can set up an autoresponder system that will send your prospects followup emails on a regular basis. This does not take the place of you contacting them personally, but it does keep your business in front of them until they are ready to act.
These are a few of the benefits of building your network marketing or MLM business online. Coming soon – the nuts and bolts of getting all this done.

Network Marketing Online – Two Common Recruiting Tactics That Don’t Work

Your Home Business – Make Time Your Friend

What is a home business builder’s most valuable asset? Time. What do most of us think about time? We think there just isn’t enough of it.
Lack of time becomes our enemy, something to be fussed about. We start looking for ways to turn 24 hours into 30 hours.
As much as we want to, we just can’t have more than 24 hours each day. What we can do, though, is streamline our routine and recover some time that is otherwise lost. Here are some tips.

Focus on One Task at a Time
Multitasking is often necessary and can’t always be avoided. The thing to avoid is overdoing it and finding yourself losing efficiency by going in too many different directions at once.
As much as possible, focus on completing one task at a time. Do things in groups where you can get on a roll and get a lot done. For example, if you write articles to promote your home business, schedule a block of time just for writing and try to get two or three articles done in one session. Take breaks as needed, but stay on track.

Make Your Day – The Hard Stuff
Pick the things you dread the most, and tackle them early in the day. Get rid of them. Otherwise, it’s easy to waste time worrying about having to get to them later. It can be surprising how much time is wasted just by mental distractions caused by worrying over upcoming tasks.

Getting Across the Goal Line
At the end of your day, when you’re ready to pack it up, pick just one more small task to do. It might be something really simple, like sending an email to a prospect. Whatever you choose, do it then. A little extra effort each day will add up to a lot of time gained later.

Working with Family and Kids Around
If you work with your home business at the same time your family and kids are around, set firm rules about privacy. Take your business seriously. Find a private working area, and alert the family that you’ll be busy and “do not disturb” until you’ve completed your work. This helps eliminate distractions that can really kill a lot of time.
Finally, regardless of when and where you do your home business activities, take an occasional break. Even if you’ve been working diligently on something, take a short break at least every hour. This helps eliminate fatigue and helps you work at your peak.

Your Home Business – Getting Things Done

Building a home business is very challenging and rewarding. We all desire to succeed and want things to run smoothly. Unfortunately, sometime life gets too busy and things get hectic. At times like this, take a look at how you are planning and organizing your home business activities. Are you stressed because there are so many things to do, and so little time?
Here are some tips for organizing yourself and your home business. The key is planning and preparing for things in advance. Be better prepared to get things done each day.
Tips for Organizing Yourself
Anybody struggle with LIFE? With days getting away from you? Never getting around to all of your things to do? Forgetting things, only to find that those things get you completely off-track for days? Oh! You are NOT alone!
Free Business Planner to Help you Get Organized and Stay Focused
I love free stuff. Here’s a very practical freebie that I just heard about and wanted to be sure to pass on to you. If you’re looking to have a more focused, profitable and stress-free 2009 (it’s closer than you think), hurry on over to download it. You won’t be asked for name and email address.
Getting It Done!
In this busy world, getting things done seems to get harder and harder. I’ve found some great resources to help me get organized and productive and thought I’d pass one of them on to you. I listen to many podcasts, read many books…
These are just a few resources to help you get a little better organized. I hope they help.

Network Marketing – More Than Money

We always hear about network marketing and MLM being all about making money. Without doubt, this is normally the number one objective for starting a network marketing business. However, there are quite a few other great benefits for being part of this industry.
Let’s assume the money is the big thing. Your ultimate goal for your business might be to quit your job and achieve financial independence. This will require money. In addition to the money, here are some other things you gain by being involved.
Social Benefits
In network marketing, you have the opportunity to make new friends and meet really nice people with like interests and ambitions. Some of my best friends live far from my local area, but I met them through my business and their friendship has meant a lot to me. This is what is often overlooked. Network marketing builds friendships.
Sure, there are people who will only be your friend so long as you are in the business and making money. That can be true of relationships built around business. It isn’t always true, though.  I would stay in touch with my upline and downline friends even if they left the business entirely.
Personal Development
A successful network marketer works hard at learning new skills and insights. You can learn to relate to people better, as well as improve your speaking and communication skills. I know a lot of people who started their business and worked diligently to learn as much as they could. They discovered their weak spots and made the effort to grow stronger.
This kind of education and self-improvement is not learned in a classroom. Network marketing has helped many, many people improve their life and outlook.
Increased Confidence
When I first started in this business, I was very shy and reserved. While speaking in front of a big crowd still scares me, I have come a really long way thanks to network marketing. My ability to talk to people and communicate has increased greatly since I became involved. I can remember when I had a really hard time picking up the phone and calling a prospect. The thing felt like it weighed a ton. I no longer have this reluctance. You can have the same benefits from the business.
Starting and really working a network marketing business will not only result in making money, but will also enrich your life in many other ways. Just a few more reasons to get started today!

Get Your MLM Downline Fired Up!

I’d like to share a secret today that will help you get your MLM downline fired up and motivated to build their business.
First, let’s assume that everyone in your downline (except those who joined just to get products at discount) is motivated to make money. Let’s also assume that you’ve been helping them learn how to work their business.
Would you like to know a little secret that will get your downline team motivated and anxious to move their business forward?
What is lacking so much in network marketing today is real leadership. Good leaders recognize the value of each associate in their group, and give them what all of us are hungry for – praise and recognition. Think about it for a minute – if an upline leader praises your accomplishments and efforts, no matter how small they may seem, doesn’t it help fire you up to do more?
You can help build a stronger, more motivated MLM downline team by doing two things.

• recognize and praise those who are moving forward and having success
• encourage those who are struggling, but sincerely trying to get things going

When a downline associate sponsors someone, give them a call and congratulate them. People really appreciate this and like to be noticed. Always remember – while they are in business to make money for themselves, they also realize that YOU will make money from their efforts as well. This is why supporting and acknowledging them is so important.
When a new downline associate seems to be struggling, look for a reason to praise their efforts. Just a call to offer help and encouragement goes a long way.
Create an email newsletter you can send to everyone once a month. List top achievers in sponsoring, sales, and any other category you want. People enjoy being recognized where others can see what they’ve achieved.
There is a lot you can do to motivate and encourage your MLM downline. Remember, no matter how much technology is developed and implemented, MLM is still a people business and a personal touch is vital to success.

Free Online Advertising – Does it Work?

If you’ve started your network marketing business, and are planning to work your business online, you’re probably wondering where you should advertise your opportunity. Today, let’s discuss four advertising methods that are usually “free” and frequently used by people promoting home business opportunities. I see a lot of network marketers using these methods over and over. The question is, do these free advertising methods really work?
These four types of ads are free classifieds, FFA lists, Safelists, and Traffic Exchanges.
Free Classified Ads
There are a lot of free classified ad sites on the web. For the most part, they are ineffective for advertising your network marketing business. Most of the ads on these sites are submitted by automated software programs. Real humans rarely see them. The sites were created to collect email addresses from people who post ads. Once your sign up and post an ad, your email address will be flooded with spam daily.
There are a few free classified ad sites that are okay, but results will vary. One such site is USFreeAds.
FFA Sites
FFA (Free For All) link sites were once the rage of Internet marketing. There are not as many of them as there used to be, but they still draw people who use automated software programs to submit to them. Basically, they are sites with hundreds of short one-line ads with links. People start these sites to collect email addresses for sending spam. The email addresses collected are often sold to mailing list brokers as well. Like free classified sites, FFA pages are rarely seen by humans and are a waste of time for network marketers.
Safelists

Safelists are mailing lists that people subscribe to, with the understanding that they must receive ads from other members of the list in order to send their own ads out. Essentially, everyone on the list is sending everyone else on the list their offer. It isn’t considered spam, since everyone has agreed to be on the list. Many people sign up to safelists with junk email addresses they rarely check. They are mostly a waste of time.
Traffic Exchanges
Traffic exchanges are the programs where you click links to surf web pages that belong to other members of the traffic exchange. You typically earn one exposure of your own page for every 1-2 pages you view. Traffic exchanges can be effective promotional tools if you use them correctly. Everyone is on there clicking links to earn credits so other users will see their site when surfing. They aren’t really interested that much in what they are viewing.
The best thing to promote on traffic exchanges is…..traffic. Ways to get visitors to your site, get your site listed in search engines, this type of ad does best in these programs. If you are advertising your network marketing business, your best bet is to create a small page that offers a free report or some other freebie in exchange for people joining your mailing list. You can then promote your business to your list in various ways. This is a topic I plan to cover in an upcoming article.
The Verdict
With the exception of traffic exchanges (and only if you use them correctly), most free advertising methods are a waste of time. To effectively reach prospects for your network marketing business online, you need to use paid advertising or participate in message boards and social communities. You have to be where people will see who you are and what you are offering. Future posts here will go into detail about how to advertise online effectively. Stay tuned.

Did You Make Your MLM Chicken List?

When you first started your MLM business, were you urged to make a list of 100, maybe 200 prospects to present your new business to? You may have been told to include everyone you know, and you may have received a list of dozens of occupations to help jog your memory. Who do you know that’s a teacher? A store clerk? And so forth.
You were advised to also include people on your “chicken list.” Your chicken list might be people you know who are very successful and make a lot of money. Lawyers, doctors, and other highly-paid professionals are good examples. It is called the chicken list because these are people you might not ordinarily approach. They already have plenty of money and are really busy, so why would they be interested in an MLM business anyway?
The question is, did you make this “List of 100″? If not, why not?
Personally, I am not a big fan of doing this immediately after you start your MLM business. For some people, it is a great idea. For those who are really outgoing and able to handle rejection well, it can be the very best way to get started. For others, it could be a quick exit from the business. How many people will handle the inevitable rejection in the beginning like this?
I prefer to advise new MLM distributors to start out by picking a few close friends to discuss their business with. Go to people you know well and trust. These friends might not be interested in your business right now, but they can give you feedback that will help you polish your presentation and make you aware of possible questions you’ll encounter.
After presenting to a few good friends, focus on advertising and attracting prospects who are interested in a home business and ready to receive information from you. It is much easier to talk to a prospect who has contacted you with an interest. Contrast this to approaching names on the “List of 100″ – people who may or may not have any interest in building a home based income.
People talk about the “List of 100″ as your warm market. The theory is that these people should be easier to approach than cold market leads (strangers). I guess I am a bit radical in this area, but I feel that a prospect who sees my advertisement or web site and comes to ME for information is a warm lead. Warm because they are open and receptive to my presentation, not because they are an acquaintenance or friend.
I say do what you’re comfortable doing in the beginning. Once you have your business rolling and are having some success, absolutely make that list of 100 and approach those people. When approaching people who are unqualified (haven’t expressed to you an interest in building a home business), being established and already successful with your MLM business carries a lot of clout.

MLM Business – Finding Your True Motivation

Building a really successful and profitable MLM business is well within your reach. For the best shot at success, there are a few things you should have in place before you begin.
One very important part of your foundation for success is a clear vision of why you are building your home based MLM business, and what benefits you are expecting to receive. With these thoughts clearly in mind, it is much easier to put together an action plan. It is critical that your goals are specific and well defined.

Your “Why” Should Be Clear, Not Vague
Many people start an MLM business with one thought in mind – to make money. Isn’t this the basic reason that anyone starts a home business? Your ultimate goal might be to enjoy a better lifestyle, but the money is what helps you get there.
A common reason for starting a business might be, “I want to make enough money to stay home and work for myself”. Great goal, but not very specific. You’re shooting at a moving target here, a target with little definition and focus.
Consider another way of saying this. “I want to build my MLM business to the point where I am consistently making $3000 a month after expenses, so I can turn in my resignation at work.” That “why” is much more clear, much more powerful, and lets you plan specific steps in building your business that will take you to that point. See the difference?

Look at the Benefits That Back Up the “Why”
Write down and visualize the benefits that back up your “why”. For example, “I want to build my MLM business to the point where I am consistently making $3000 a month after expenses, so I can turn in my resignation at work” because….

• I want out of the cutthroat, corporate business world

• I enjoy and look forward to the freedom of being at home

• I am a night owl and will be able to work when I feel best

• I will have more leisure time to spend at my beach cabin

• I will be able to volunteer my time to help others

The list can go on, and you should be very specific here. Make sure you really understand your true motivation.
MLM Success Starts Here
The secret is finding why you really want what you want. It’s easy enough to say “I want to make more money” but that alone usually won’t drive you to make the effort required to build a successful MLM business. You really need to back that up, and know in your heart the reasons for doing it that mean the most to you. Figure this out, and you’re off to a good start!

Six of the Best Reasons to Get Involved in Network Marketing and MLM

Are you considering starting a network marketing or MLM business? If so, you’re probably spending a good bit of time looking at different opportunities. Maybe you aren’t sure, yet, if this is the right type of business for you. Keep reading, because network marketing has a lot to offer.
Following are six of the best reasons I can think of to get involved. There are many others, because people have unique needs and situations that are special to them. These six represent some of the best of the best.
Get Involved to Pursue Your Dreams
Everyone has dreams. Moms dream of staying home with their children while they are young. Men and women alike often dream of things they would love to do, or own, but these dreams are buried. No money, not enough time, can’t imagine how I could ever do that. Network marketing and MLM businesses offer a way to make those dreams real again.
Get Involved to Move From a Job to a Business
One of top reasons for starting a network marketing and MLM business – the desire to leave an unpleasant job or career path. This is one of the very few home businesses you can start with a really small investment (usually less than $100 to start) and still have the potential to build a real full-time income.
Get Involved to Work Where You Want
Many people dream of living in an area different from where they are. Those in the hot southern states may dream of relocating to a place where the climate is moderate all year round. Others may want to live closer to an area where they can enjoy favorite leisure pursuits or hobbies. Perhaps you have fallen in love with a particular part of the world and really want to live there.
Whatever the motivation, network marketing and MLM allow you to work and build your business from wherever you want. All you need is a computer and Internet access. There is virtually no limit to where you can build your business.
Get Involved to Help Others
Network marketing is a unique opportunity for you to help others achieve wealth and freedom. If you start a traditional business, you really don’t have this option. With network marketing, you can achieve financial freedom for yourself, and show others how to do the same. This is truly one of the great joys of this business.
Get Involved to Supplement or Replace Retirement
This was one of my top reasons for getting involved in MLM back in the beginning. I didn’t want to live the typical 45-year plan where you work all your life and then retire with a pension or fixed income check. I decided I wanted more.
For anyone happy with a career and planning to work until retirement age, network marketing and MLM offer the best opportunity to supplement that income that I can think of.
Get Involved to be Financially Free
If you are tired of living from paycheck to paycheck, building a successful network marketing business can help you get past that and become financially free. This is perhaps the biggest reason people start a home business. Get started today and expect success!

The Fastest Way to Build a Relationship with Your Network Marketing Prospects

In network marketing, we talk a lot about building relationships with prospects and downline team members. When someone joins our downline, we should get to know them and build a good working relationship. Building a relationship means getting to know them as friends and business associates, and caring about their success.
With prospects, however, you don’t have that much time. You may have just one opportunity to speak to them. You have to get right to the heart of the matter – in an effective way. If you don’t, they may move to the next home business opportunity and never look back. How can you approach and build a relationship with a network marketing prospect that quickly?
What Network Marketers Usually Do
When approaching a prospect for the first time, we usually have a tendency to talk about all the benefits of our opportunity. We present our wonderful products. We talk about all the great bonuses our compensation plan pays out. We point out the great vacations and luxury cruises our prospects can earn with the business. All of this is great, and certainly exciting. But is this what your prospects really want, or need, to hear?
What Network Marketing Prospects Want to Hear
The main reason that people buy anything, or start a home business, is to solve a problem or address a need in their life. Maybe the problem is a dead-end job they hate, and they want to build enough income on the side to leave the job. Perhaps the need is for money to buy a new car or boat. Whatever the reason, there is an underlying problem or need that is being addressed.
Why not point out problems that your business can solve? If you listen carefully to your prospect, they may tell you the reason they want to start a home business. If not, you can point out things that your business can help with. Make extra money to buy a new home. Pay off bills and become debt free. Provide enough extra income to take a really good vacation. Everyone has their own reasons and problems they want to solve. It is your job to listen and address these issues.

Tying it All Together
The bottom line is that prospects for your home business are really not interested in how great your company is, or the sizzle in your compensation plan. At least not in the beginning. What they want to know is HOW what you have can help solve a problem or address a need in their life.
Your objective is to listen carefully, ask them questions, and find out what their problems or needs are. Then, you can show them how your opportunity can solve those problems and address those needs. This is what they want to hear. In network marketing, this is the fastest way to build relationships with your prospects.

Four Superb Ways to Keep the Faith and Generate Momentum for Your Home Business

You’ve started your own home business. You’re having fun and expecting to make lots of money soon. Congratulations! With your own home based business, you will enjoy some of the best of times. The freedom and excitement of doing your own thing from home is very stimulating and encouraging.
Along with the fun and excitement, there are occasional moments when you may feel discouraged or stressed. You may feel like you’ve hit a slump. Things that were once easy now seem hard. Not a problem! This happens to all of us. It’s part of human nature. When you encounter these pesky little curves in the road, take a little time to relax and refresh some things in your head.
Are You Feeling Overwhelmed by Tasks and Details?
This is one of the most common stumbling blocks encountered when building a home business. To be successful, you have to do certain tasks, many of them over and over each day. The more your business grows (to a point), the more tasks and details you are likely to have. When you start feeling overwhelmed, you begin to feel discouraged and tired.
Make sure you have a system in place to keep track of everything you need to do. Sticky notes and cork boards won’t cut it. You need a way to organize all your important actions and make them easy to remember. You want a system that will automatically remind you of things, either by sounding an alarm or sending you an email or text message. Having this will relieve a LOT of stress you would otherwise feel.
One such system that I use, and have found to be really effective, is “Remember the Milk”. This is a powerful, and completely free, online system for organizing your life.
Check it out here: http://www.rememberthemilk.com
Are You and Your Family on the Same Page?
If you have a family, it is important for them to be on the same page with you. After all, your business is taking time away from other things you could be doing together. They need to clearly see what they stand to gain from your success. This could be a better lifestyle, or more time to do things together once you reach a certain level of success.
Be sure you are all in harmony on this. Your spouse and children should be your biggest cheerleaders and supporters. I learned early on that trying to build a home business without the understanding and blessing of your family is not a lot of fun. Once our family got this all squared away and understood each other, things started to accelerate quickly.
Are You Wondering Why You Started Your Business?
When times get tough, and challenges mount, you might start wondering why you are even trying to build a home business. You can look back and think of your initial enthusiasm and wonder if you are still the same person. Don’t worry – this is not unusual.
To get past this:

• recall the benefits that motivated you to start your business
• visualize the results of achieving the benefits you desire
• feel the actual emotions and joy you’ll experience

It isn’t always easy to do this when you’re down. You have to relax and really try. Do it – it is worth more than I can describe in words. It is a great energy boost.
Ready to Clear Your Head and Get Refreshed?
No matter how much you enjoy building your home business, there are times when you simply need to get away. I do a lot of writing, and sometime I have to just push myself away from the keyboard. I really enjoy writing, but the mental exercise (while stimulating) can be draining after a while. Walk away from your computer or working area sometime and do something different.

• go for a walk – take a little digital voice recorder along in case you get a burst of inspiration
• drive to a nearby bookstore and just browse – this is one way I relax and pick up a lot of fresh ideas
• read a book or magazine not directly related to your business, just for something different

It is always okay to work hard, but don’t become a workaholic who feels guilty taking a break. If you are driven to succeed, you will get there faster if you pace yourself and avoid burnout.
Enjoy building a home business. Be aware that the occasional down time will come, and be prepared to deal with it quickly. Don’t let anything hold you back for long – you deserve success!