Who Owns Your Network Marketing Business?

Who “owns” your team of independent contractors, your army of volunteers?
Your downline belongs TO YOU first, not the company you rep for. Some would consider these comments heresy. It’s a complicated idea fraught with all sorts of potential landmines. I'm bound to get emails from nervous uplines. What if my downline decides it doesn’t “belong” to me ? Does this kind of thinking lead to chaos in the organization?

At some point in one’s career in MLM, one realizes that one has taken on full-responsibility for one’s future. Business ownership is more than just a way to get tax-breaks. Leadership is more than encouraging higher volumes or giving out awards and holding rah-rah meetings. Leadership becomes setting a direction for your organization that matches your business vision and philosophy. It may mean acting independently of your vendor, (but within the framework and contractual obligations you have with your vendor when you enrolled). Your decisions and your direction are geared for the overall health and longevity of the team, not your personal convenience.

Early in my network marketing career, my leadership style was more like a “boss” than a mentor. It was immature and short sighted. I saw myself only as a rep for the company “in charge” of other reps. I allowed the company to set my agenda and depended on the company for motivation. When the company started making poor business decisions, and the uniqueness of the product was lost and became a commodity, I realized that I needed to make a change. However, I had tied my organization's loyalty to the company more than me. So when I came to my current company only 3 wanted to follow. Lesson learned.

I'm keenly aware that in MLM our incomes are intertwined with each other. What I have noticed about those who have built huge (10,000+ organizations) is that they perceive themselves, rightly I believe, as independent marketing organizations that are in a joint venture with a given vendor until such time as it is no longer a mutually beneficial to them or their organization. The best of them treat their top leaders as a “Board of Directors” who participates in choosing the direction and policies of the organization at large.

Do not take my comments as advocating company-jumping. I think “company-jumping” and frequent system changes is unethical and irresponsible. But there are times when it is a sound business decision. If the market share and product mix in my company was not keeping up with trends, or they were showing poor management, or bad ethical choices, I'd read the writing on the wall and take my business and downline else where!

If you are a downline, you need to respect your upline. You model this because your downline needs to respect your leadership. If you don’t like your immediate upline, or they are a poor leader, then go around them to your upline’s upline. Provide solid leadership for your team. Work with your vendor and your upline to create a successful system and joint venture.

Do I ever intend to leave my company? No. But before it was purchased by Roger Barnett, I started reading between the management lines and knew that something wasn’t right, and I started investigating other options for myself and my team. I will not allow myself, nor by extension my team, to be left hanging because some corporation decides to close its MLM doors. (Fortunately Roger's purchase of Shaklee turned out to be a tremendous advantage to all of us).

When you join a network marketing company, you don’t join the corporation itself; you join a marketing team affiliated with the corporation. It’s a partnership, not a marriage. Responsible senior leadership in network marketing must be able to see beyond the company/vendor. You must be able to set a successful direction for your team. To me, that's part of leadership and leverage.



About the Author:
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Karen Miner Hurd has owned a home business since 1988 when she
retired from her Public Relations career to stay home with her
children. Her secret passion is Foxtrot books. To learn more about
her current business venture, so you can work at home visit:
The Freedom Project
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5 Ways to Improve Your Network Marketing Results - NOW

Copyright 2007 Karen Hurd Enterprises, Inc.


Most network marketers don't understand their own business.
Network Marketing is the only business promoted to non-business people on a mass scale. That's it's attraction and why it succeeds. It's also why MLM fails. Most new MLMers
do not take the time, to learn their new profession. MLM is promoted as fast money, and get into action NOW. Talk to enough people fast enough and you'll make it to the top. In just 90 days.

Those are good things, certainly. Enough people have done just that to give it some truth. The distribution model of MLM was designed to be viral before viral marketing was even a concept. There are thousands of audios and books that teach it. We think that a single Saturday morning training and weekly conference call is enough to build a powerful marketing machine .
What is required instead is constant reinforcement of a professional standard and a new way of doing business.

The times are changing. Consumers are savvy and sales weary. The old "enthusiasm sells, so show them that you 'Are Sold Myself' " has limited effect these days. Competition is more intense than ever. And everyone is the best, right? What network marketer says, "my company doesn't pay as good as the others, but I like it". No. Everyone has the best sales plan ever. Every product and service sells itself.

Oy.

Time to get with the trends and change your style. NOW. Get professional. Watch your credibility soar as you lay down the old pitches and hard sell strategies and lead with truth
and authenticity.

1) Get your personal story into a 30 second format.
NO buzzwords, MLM jargon, promises or product ingredients. Just what happened to you, from your heart, consumer to consumer. And when you end your 30-second commercial, don't ask for the appointment, or offer your website. Go negative and ask for the referral . "I don't suppose you know anyone who might have that issue, do you? It's unexpected and much more effective.

2) Don't corner your prospects. Don't push them. No more assumptive closes. None of this "You want to save money, don't you? I'll get you a packet of info". Allow your prospects some distance so they can come toward you.

3) What you have to offer is NOT as important as your prospect's problem. If you genuinely cannot solve your prospect's problem admit it. How refreshing. You will find that they will come back when they want your help next time. They will refer more people to you, because you have shown yourself to be interested in others more than your override.

4) Give your prospect the room to say no. No more "tie-down closes". No more questions that are geared to get you a "yes". Everyone hates that, including you when you are someone else's prospect. Ask permission to proceed, and always give your prospect permission to end the call or appointment.

5) Network Marketing will always be a relationship business.Always. Learn good people skills. Learn good communication skills. Act as a trusted advisor and people will treat you like one.

Understand that all consumers have been trained to resist anyone in any sales capacity. There is a whole industry (e.g. consumer's advocates) that dedicates themselves to resisting
YOU. It is easier for your upline to teach you to memorize answers to objections, then to teach you how to understand what your prospect is really saying. Learning how to market yourself
authentically will not be easy. Yet, you must do it. Your personal long term success, and your team's success depends on it.


About the Author:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Karen Miner Hurd is a former Public Relations professional. She left her
career to stay home with her children and has been dedicated to
network marketing for 19 years. To find the best home based
business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home visit:
http://www.womanwizehealth.com
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Lie, Cheat, Steal and Spam: The Amateurs Guide to MLM

Copyright 2007 Karen Hurd Enterprises, Inc.


You can spot a new MLMer a mile away. They are
practicing the "3 Foot Rule", and clubbing everyone
within reach who can fog a mirror because "everyone
wants what we have". The really serious ones use
the 7 foot rule. These brave souls are hailed by
the network marketing uplines as "proof you can do
it"! I'll admit it's very brave.

You can spot a new MLMer when you send them an
email and you get an autoreply telling you how wonderful
their new enterprise is. Did they even read the email
about the PTA meeting? You'll never know. And now
you're hesitant to ask, because you might be subjected
to a sales presentation when you call about the bake sale.

You can spot a new MLMer because they will tell you they
are making lots of money (especially if they are communicating
with you online), and they've only been in the biz 3 weeks.
They tell you that because they think telling you about their
fabulous results (even if they don't exsist) is what it takes
to attract you.

New network marketers are some of the least coachable
people around. Tell them to wait 48 hours until they are
trained before they launch their business, and they've
literally burned their entire warm list by Saturday.

Amateur network marketers whip out their business card
and offer an information pack before you can say, "Hi. I'm
Karen. What do you do for a living?". They almost always
make you sorry you asked.

Amateur MLMers answer every question you ask with a
presentation.

Confession: I have done every single one of these. Sometimes
they worked and resulted in a new customer or distributor.
But more often they alienated people and contributed to
the stereotype of network marketers as pushy sales people.
And you know what? We earned that stereotype fair and square.

When attorneys do what we do, we call them "ambulance chasers".

I love this industry, I love this profession, and I think network marketers
are some of the best people around. I'm impressed by the determination,
and the genuine desire MLMers have to run an ethical business that
benefits others and changes lives. I believe that MLM is unique
in that regard.

Let's remember that we are a PROFESSION not a side show. Let's
act like humans who respect the boundaries and decision of others,
not like aliens from the Galaxy Binary Matrix. If we as an industry
act like professionals not rank amateurs, we can change the
stereotype, and showcase our industry for what it is: the only business
model available for the non-business person to create wealth.




About the Author:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Karen Miner Hurd has been a Maniac all her life.
To find the best home based business ideas and
opportunities so you can work at home visit:

http://www.coolbiz4u.net./
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Question Me An Answer

End of the Day questions for Network Marketers.
Copyright 2006 Karen Hurd Enterprises, Inc.

If everyone in my downline did what I did today, would I make money?


You know, success in your home business can be surprisingly simple.
Making money is not a mystery in network marketing. Read on.

I was surfing the ‘net back in the days when AOL was cutting edge, and came across this list of questions and it stopped me in my tracks. See, my little ADD brain is always on “scan”. I need it simple. There’s a whole bunch of questions, and this one is enough to change my business forever.

If everyone in my downline did what I did today, would I make money?

I started to fill in the blanks.
If everybody in my downline “surfed the net” today, would I make money?
If everybody in my downline “sorted their papers” today, would I make money?
If my downline had spent their time like I did “sharing ideas” on the phone with biz buddies, would I make any money?

It gave me personal accountability. It showed me exactly why my business wasn’t growing as fast as I wanted it to. Did my actions increase my income? I can offer lots of reason why I “needed” t o get activity “X” done. This little question cuts right through the excuses. If my downlines had acted in their business like I did that day, would I have made any money? Would they? And I saw, really saw, for the first time, how much my activity or my avoidance, filtered through to my organization.

Duplication comes through the leader. It does. I’ve seen good leaders make it in bad companies. It’s harder, but they can do it. How? Because they ask themselves this:

If everyone in my downline did what I did today, would I make money?

Now here’s the fun part. This can also let you off the hook. Wait, wait, wait.
We just spent a couple of minutes putting ourselves ON the hook – now we get off?

Here’s how: let’s say you spent all day doing prospecting calls, or
online networking or whatever. And you didn’t get the results you
were hoping for today. But you GOT OUT THERE.
Let’s ask that question again:

If everyone in my downline did what I did today, would I make money?

Now, let’s fill in the blanks, differently: “If everyone in my downline
made 50 prospecting calls, published their blog, or got their Ezine out,
would I make money?”

YES!!!

End of the Day Questions for Network Marketers

If everyone in my downline did what I did today, would I make money?

Did I start today with a map, game plan and goals?

Did I ask at least 5 new people today if they would like to earn money from home?

Did I remind myself of my purpose & mission today?

Was I alert to all opportunities to prosper today?

Did I search for good in every situation?

What are 10 reasons that I should be grateful today?

Did my words and actions allow others to see how much I value them?

Did I talk to at least 1 excited person in each leg?

Did I work on my personal development?

Spend time with my loved ones
Read /study for 30 minutes
Exercise for 30 minutes
Repeat my affirmations at least twice
Eat moderately and healthfully

What 10 successes can I list that I accomplished today?

How can I grow from what I learned today?

What can I do better tomorrow or in the future?



a>About the Author:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Karen Hurd has been making money from home for 18 years.
She built her business while the kids took their naps.
For personal mentoring contact Karen through:
http://www.coolbiz4u.net.com
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