Is Online MLM the Way to Go?

Is online MLM a viable option for you to consider? I’m assuming you’re someone looking for a home business opportunity, or some way to make money from home. Entering the world of online MLM (multilevel marketing, also called network marketing) can be very profitable for you, so long as you understand a few basic principles going in.
When thinking about starting an MLM business online, know that MLM is a people business, and you’ll need to enjoy working with others and helping them start their own successful venture.
Contrary to what some say, online MLM is not an answer for people who want to make money without talking to anyone. Many have tried that, and numerous online recruiting systems have been created with the goal of letting the system do all the work, and nobody has to talk to anybody. These deals don’t last, because ultimately you still need the “human touch” in this business.
Think of it this way – working your business online helps you generate a lot more leads, and attract a lot more serious prospects than you usually can otherwise. However, you still must take time and contact your prospects and help them decide if your business is right for them. If they do sign up, you are obligated to do your best to help them get off to a good start. Don’t be deceived about this.
Another thing to consider – online MLM will require an investment of time and money for you to be successful. With so much competition out there, you simply have to find a way to get the word out about your opportunity. Paid advertising is the quickest option, although it can become quite expensive if you’re not careful.
If you have time, you can promote your business through participation in public message boards and forums, but this requires time and a good dose of patience. Your success won’t happen overnight. You’ll be engaged in a process where you are building your reputation online and showing potential prospects that you’re the “real deal” and not some scammer passing through looking for fast money.
All in all, choosing an online MLM opportunity is a very popular option these days. If you want to be successful (and who doesn’t), remember these things.

• you need to like people and enjoy working with them

• you will have to have money and time to invest in your business – no way around this

• you will need to choose your opportunity very carefully, there are far too many scams out there

• depending on your income goals, you’ll need to focus on your business 1-5 years to achieve ongoing part-time or full-time income

Since the Internet has changed the way we work our MLM and network marketing businesses for the better, I believe that online MLM is the way to go.

Network Marketing Scam – Just Play the Lottery

A guy named Tom decided to get involved with a network marketing scam – at least that’s what he called it after all was said and done. Here’s what happened to Tom. Do you think he really got cheated?
One of Tom’s friends was involved with a network marketing opportunity that sold a premier line of nutritional supplements, including some that were targeted toward bodybuilders. This was intriguing to Tom, because he enjoyed working out and taking care of himself, and had lots of friends at his gym.
Tom’s friend presented the opportunity and shared some very persuasive figures illustrating the income potential. When Tom saw the dollar signs, he didn’t hesitate. He signed up on the spot.
Tom had twenty people in mind as prospects, most of whom were workout buddies. He enthusiastically presented the business to them, and three of the twenty signed up.
Three months later, all three of Tom’s recruits had dropped out, and the other seventeen had long since decided it wasn’t for them.
Tom didn’t make a dime, and in fact had invested $350 in products and literature. Obviously, this is one of those network marketing scams, I was stupid to sign up for this….Tom thought.
In his mind, this network marketing opportunity was a total scam because:

• he talked to twenty people and only three signed up

• of the seventeen who didn’t join, five warned him that he was getting sucked in to a “pyramid deal”

• the three people who did sign didn’t make any money either, and decided to call it quits

What happened here? The truth is, Tom never understood that network marketing was a serious business that would take time and effort. He had what we can call the “lottery mentality”. He signed up believing he could get several people he knew to join, and presented the business to the twenty best contacts he had. At that point, he waited to see what the three who joined would do, and hoped some of the other seventeen would eventually come around.
Tom felt with this small effort that he should make some decent money. When he didn’t, he called a perfectly legitimate business opportunity a “network marketing scam”, and to this day believes that he did nothing wrong. In his mind, he did his part and the opportunity failed him.
Never mind that Tom never worked with his new associates…didn’t make an effort to learn the success system his upline had in place…all he did was sign up a few people and wait to see what happened.
Have you seen a similar situation in your world? Things like this give network marketing and MLM a bad name. No wonder some people think it’s a joke.
We as network marketing professionals always need to be on guard to make sure our prospects and new recruits understand that they aren’t buying lottery tickets, but investing in a business that (with proper work ethic and application of basic success principles) can make them lots of money and provide a true long-term residual income.

MLM Opportunities – Can You Still Look Forward to Long Term Residual Income?

There seems to be a belief or theory out there that MLM opportunities are basically dead, so far as achieving a long-term or lifetime residual income is concerned.
Some are saying that faith in achieving the desired dream of lifetime residual income with any of the traditional MLM opportunities is “old school”  thinking that will ultimately lead to frustration and failure.
Here are the basic thoughts and theories that I see being tossed about.

• the concept of residual income in MLM is dead or at the very least dying

• people are moving from opportunity to opportunity more often than ever before

• the cost of sponsoring someone who has a chance of succeeding has gone through the roof

• the pursuit of “hotter, bigger, and better” MLM opportunities is a growing trend that won’t stop

• downlines will have to be continually rebuilt, adding new distributors to replace those who go elsewhere

The reason for this change in the nature of MLM is said to be the Internet. We live in an age where the dynamics have changed. These days, when someone signs up and doesn’t experience success pretty quickly, they can easily go online and find something they think is better and jump ship.
In part, this belief is true because the Internet has made information readily available to anyone at anytime. Years ago, before the Internet, MLM opportunities were built mostly around local groups within small geographical areas. You went to meetings in your own town to learn about a business, and after you signed up you worked with a local support group that often included other people you knew personally.
In those days, there was a culture you became part of. It was harder to just up and leave, and information about other MLM opportunities was not usually readily at hand. You didn’t see fresh new possibilities in your email box each morning. You weren’t tempted to do a lot of research into other options, because research just wasn’t that easy to do.
So, how do we deal with this? I think MLM is still very viable, and these issues can be addressed. Some thoughts:

• stay in touch with your downline and build relationships – get to know them

• help them learn the basics of making money with your business quickly

• help them get into profit and start making money right away

The last point is a big one – making money right away is huge. Yes, you do have to be patient to build a large MLM business that provides thousands a month in residual income, but you need encouragement along the way. Good MLM opportunities provide the vehicle, the rest is up to you.
What happens when someone signs up and works hard for six months, and has at most a check for $50 to show for it? That’s pretty discouraging, and only the most dedicated and focused will work through that. Figure out the fastest way to make decent money with your business, and help your new people do it.
MLM opportunities that provide residual income are far from dead – but today, more than ever, the relationships and “seeing the money” quickly are huge.