Why Is MLM/Network Marketing So Difficult? (After the “start” wears off…)

 Let’s face it, there are of course verifiable mlm/network marketers out there right now, who are bringing in “substantial incomes.” However, this article here is not concerning them. This article here is concerning those who are in the “majority” of those who are “sucked in” or “hyped in” with “amazing success stories.”

  After the first few weeks, (or however long it takes) when the “emotional excitement” fades, what do we have left? What we have left is the “reality” of “work,” or what could best be described as that which “is necessary to build a business;” or ANY Business.

   From a “marketing standpoint,” the best of the best at this “strategy,” know “all too well” what happens often after the “honeymoon is over.” Another way to express this is; they know all too well, what often happens when the “reality” of “hard work” sets in. These “best of the best” know they have to get you to respond quickly with your money, BEFORE all this happens. For some; this is even “factored in” as a “funded proposal,” or that which “gets a little money” from those who will not go on to make “full purchases.”

   As cruel as this may sound, if you are someone who is lazy, or who is afraid of hard work, then mlm/network marketing is most likely NOT for you. However, NEITHER is any business you may go into for yourself.

   Still yet, consider this, almost everyone works very hard for the money they do make, at whatever job it is they have. Therefore, if you are not afraid to try at this business, and to get educated about what is actually needed to accomplish success, then why not consider this profession/industry for yourself? The “payoff” is HUGE if you can make it work.

   There are many different legitimate companies with legitimate products. The challenge is to find one which can train you so that you can make it work. Quite often, the “learning curve” is so expensive (in more ways than one,) that it constantly drives away permanently, those who could be great at this business.

   There are no secrets here; it is more a matter of learning a few critical skills which will be necessary to achieve success.  First, you need to be able find people whose needs you can suit best and become a “problem solver” and “solutions provider” for them. As an example of this, consider; if you have an anti-aging skin product, your “best customers” are those that are ALREADY searching for a way to “help their skin,” and not those people you “just happen to talk with about it.”
 
    Next, you are going to need a way to generate leads from that “targeted group” of individuals; and this is where internet network marketing comes into play.  For example, by using some simple stuff like a blog and creating some basic content that would be of interest to your target market, you can absolutely go out and start to generate those leads from the most interested in what you have to offer.

   Finally, you need a way to convert those leads into retail sales of “downlines”  in your organization.  The real secret here is your ability to be able to write something compelling that will entice your target market to take some kind of action, whether that is to buy your “product” or to join your “opportunity.”

   So, really the only secret here is that you need to develop some “skills, and learn a system to “flesh-out” those details of how to “build your business.” Take heart though, for even if you do not know how to do this, by finding the “right opportunity,” you will get access to all that is necessary to help YOU succeed at this business for yourself.

   It really boils down to something very simple; do you want to work as hard as you do for “someone else,” or “for yourself?” And finally, depending upon your choice of action; what will each one end up providing you with in your life “at the end?”

Charles Stewart

http://facebook.com/1stCharlesStewart
1stCharlesStewart@gmail.com
firstcharlesstewart (Skype)

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Is MLM/Network Marketing a Legitimate Business?

The FTC warns individuals who wish to enter the mlm/network marketing industry/profession to be wary of illegal pyramid schemes which “masquerade” as legitimate mlm/network marketing companies.
How do you tell the difference? Great question!
  
   The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) explains to be wary of illegal pyramid schemes where the pay commissions for recruiting new distributors, is the primary method of making money. Of course the companies who participate in this type of illegal program will use “smoke and mirrors” to dilute and confuse the actual situation by suggesting that they actually do have products or services being retailed, however, upon closer examination, you will often find an organization which mostly only pays commissions on the new distributor recruits.

   A “business model” such as this inevitably fails, because eventually there are not enough new distributors to support the “business model,” and when this happens, the structure collapses with all but the “highest few” left with nothing.

   The critical question for the FTC is whether or not the revenues that primarily support the commissions paid to all distributors are generated from purchases of goods and services that are not simply incidental to the purchase of the right to participate in a money-making venture. Another way to understand this is to consider whether or not the majority of the business commissions being paid to the distributors are coming from the retailing of the products or services, AND NOT from the recruting of new distributors.

   Of course any distributor will tell you that they wish to have a new distributor over a product purchaser only (because the distributor will bring more sales than 1 single customer,) however, the reality is that this simply is not what actually happens. If you ask any legitimate mlm/network marketing distributor what percentage of their “down-line” is distributors only, I believe the number will surprise you; it can be as little as 10-15 percent who are distributors only. And of these, oftentimes only 2-3 percent produces “significantly.” However, if only one of those is a “mover and shaker,” they can make you wealthy.

    It’s best not to get involved in plans where the money you make is based primarily on the number of distributors you recruit and your sales to them, rather than on your sales to people outside the plan who intend to use the products.” Research is your best tool and here are eight steps to follow:

• 1) Find — and study — the company’s track record.
• 2) Learn about the product
• 3) Ask questions
• 4) Understand any restrictions
• 5) Talk to other distributors (beware of those who “talk without the walk”)
• 6) Consider using a friend or adviser as a neutral sounding board or for a gut check.
• 7) Take your time.
• 8) Think about whether this plan suits your talents and goals

           The legitimate mlm/network marketing business model is a very sound one. It gives one an opportunity to create real wealth in the life, oftentimes while making life-long “friends” of the loyal product users, as well as the few distributors which produce real retail results for themselves. It is not an “overnight success” sort of thing; like anything of real value which has built, it takes many years of consistent and dedicated work to accomplish. However, when it is done well, not only are people’s lives impacted for the better, oftentimes, real wealth finds its way into their lives.

   The “old days” of the “pushy salesman approach” and soliciting your friends and family are gone. Today’s new business model finds the recruits and product sales “eventually” coming to you. I say “eventually,” because in the “early formation” of your business, this is unfortunately not true for the majority of all who enter this industry/profession.

   However, once you “make it,” or “prove yourself,” then, almost as if by magic, retail product purchasers and recruits come find you; of course you will always continue to “generate leads” and “develop prospects,” but your “reputation” will precede you in the world of business, and others will want what you have created.

   Imagine a life where when you go on an extended vacation with your family, and when you return, you find that you made more money than you spent while away; all over the world, everyday, this is happening for someone in this most amazing industry/profession. When is it “your turn?”

Charles Stewart
http://facebook.com/1stCharlesStewart
1stcharlesstewart@gmail.com
firstcharlesstewart (Skype)

What is the “6th Pillar” in a Successful and Competent MLM/Network Marketing Company?

Hello Everyone!

The “6th pillar” of a successful and competent mlm/network marketing company is when a company places the “best interests” of the distributors ahead of the company’s, especially when the “compounded effects” of product sales start to “kick-into high gear” and generate massive profits for the mlm/network marketing company. This “new paradigm” IS in the company’s”best interests”; at least for those with the leadership vision to see the wisdom in this.

The “old business model” was to increase “luxury spending”; limousines, bigger office buildings, corporate jets, extravagant living, etc. The “new business model” is where all that “corporate fat” is instead focused upon packing resources into the distributor’s compensation pay plan; this is the new paradigm evolving in the mlm/network marketing industry for those companies who will be the most successful in the new millennium.

These “next-generation” companies will never affiliate with becoming publicly traded companies. The reason is very simple; publicly traded companies march to the beat of the shareholders drum, not the distributors. This would be a very costly mistake in the long-run, for it is actually the distributors who are “out in the trenches” driving and building the product sales which are at the very heart of success in any mlm/network marketing company.

Only a company with top-level leadership that has had the life-experiences of the “old business model,” will have the “experience” to successfully and competently lead the long-range success of the “new business model” mlm/network marketing company. These type of companies will be the ones who “own the future” in this amazing industry. Soon gone, are the days of those “non-optimized” mlm/network marketing companies who actually TAKE money out of pay plan as they grow in volume; of course this will take some time to see, however, the “signs” are there if you choose to perceive them…

Experienced distributors in this industry are quite intelligent enough to appreciate the wisdom in becoming involved with a mlm/network marketing company whose “business model” is in it for the “long-haul.” After all, the “promise” of this most amazing industry/profession is the very real accomplishment of life-long residual income; for how else can you take care of not only your own, but of your children’s and grandchildren’s financial futures as well?

Charles Stewart
http://facebook.com/1stCharlesStewart
1stCharlesStewart@gmail.com
firstcharlesstewart (Skype)

How to Validate the Legitimacy of any MLM/Network Marketing “Opportunity” for Yourself!

If you have ever been approached or presented with a “MLM/Network Marketing Opportunity,” then you know how “gifted” some of these people are at marketing their “sales pitch.” Some of you may have even learned this lesson “the hard way.”

In fact, sometimes, these “opportunities” sound almost “too good to be true…”  Oftentimes, it is at this point, most anyone will wonder if this “opportunity” is truly legitimate or not.

How can you validate the legitimacy of this opportunity? How can you know if this is worth your while? How can you “get all the facts” upon which to base your decision? (An example of this can be seen in a decision made from a space of perception, instead of a decision made from a space of emotional reaction.)  

Great questions! However, before I answer these questions, bear this in mind; no matter what the industry or profession (even that outside of mlm/network marketing,) ANYONE CAN BE “SCAMMED.” Whether this happens or not, the legitimacy of the industry or profession may still stand true, even if you experience the “bad part” of it.

Know that many very gifted marketers “prey” upon your “emotionalism” and “excitement” by separating your from your money before the “realism of actuality” sets in, and the “emotionalism” and “excitement” fade away. I will not get into the many different ways in which they do this, however, in all cases, “time is of the essence;” as they will never tell you to “take your time” with your decision.

Your personal challenge in all of this is to find the opportunity that “fits you,” and not the other-way-around. It goes without saying that I am not meaning by that statement that you will not have to “labor for your goal,” however, I do mean to suggest that there are those “opportunities” which are very misleading in the ways in which they are presented or marketed to you.

To continue, it is oftentimes only AFTER you are separated from your money, that you learn the “truth” about the “opportunity” you’ve joined, as you eventually learn the lesson very clearly of their “business model…”

Is there another way? Is there some way for YOU to learn the “true picture” BEFORE you invest your hard-earned time and money with a mlm/network marketing company? The answer is yes; give me your money and I will tell you the answer (just kidding :-),) I wanted to get your full attention…

Open your internet browser and utilize your favorite search engine to help yourself answer this question. Simply put; type in the name of the company or business opportunity and after these terms add the word “scam” (make sure it is in quotations.)

I do not mean to suggest that any results gained from this method are the “only truth” involved here; otherwise, you are only focusing upon the other side of the “equation.” No. What I am meaning for you to get from this type of inquiry, is the experiences of those who would be considered “critics” to this company or “opportunity.”

When you are able to get Information from “both sides of this equation,” it will indeed help you to “find the truth for you.” Listen to your gut. Listen to your intuitive mind. Listen to your intellectual mind. Listen to your heart. When you bring all these “resources” together “in concert” with one another, you will find that which “resonates” to “something deep within you.” Follow this; it is your “guide.”

Take your time. Slow down. Ponder it over.  Do whatever it takes to get all the information you require to makes your best informed decision from a space of “perception.” This is the answer you are looking for. Your greatest source of assistance is within you, within your own soul which is eternal.

I am aware this information will piss off some mlm/network marketers out there trying to separate you from your money. I am also aware that there is truly no conflict between creating wealth in your life in such a way as to help others, and, in that which is “necessary” for the “evolution of your own soul…”)
However, there are those who will strongly disagree with me; does this suggest anything to you?
What do you choose?

Enjoy the changes coming into your life,

Charles Stewart
http://facebook.com/1stCharlesStewart
1stCharlesStewart@gmail.com
firstcharlesstewart (Skype)

What Is The “5th Pillar” of a Successful and Competent MLM/Network Marketing Company?

Greetings everyone!

If you’ve read this before, it warrants reading again due to its very valuable nature.

The “5th Pillar” in a successful and competent mlm/network marketing company is a “proven duplicable system.” Without this 5th pillar operating, there is simply no way to build your mlm/network marketing business large scale, and walk away to retire from it one day; and this is what the promise of mlm/network marketing is all about.

In fact, if you ever take a vacation, or get sick, your business will stop growing and producing until you return. No matter how many distributors you sponsor into your business, if they cannot duplicate what you are doing, they will never become successful for themselves, or you. What kind of future does your business have then?

I mean really, you could be the greatest “salesman” that has ever lived on this planet; one who could “sell the keys to someone for their own car” without them ever realizing what actually happened until afterwards. Or maybe you use your “gifts” in a more “appropriate manner;” one in which people keep returning to you again and again out of loyalty, because of the benefits they’ve received from you.

Great! You’ve got it! You’ve got the “gift.” And, because of all this, you make lots and lots of money. But wait, what’s the catch? Here it is; the first time, and every time, you try to teach someone how to do what you do (which is “second nature” for you,) they will say the words which are death for a mlm/network marketing company -> “I could never do that.”

In order for you to grow a huge and lasting mlm/network marketing business in which you can take an extended vacation from, a leave of absence from, or “the biggie,” to retire from one day, and still have your business growing and thriving, YOU MUST HAVE A PROVEN DUPLICATABLE SYSTEM in place to train your sponsored distributors.

The leads you generated, which you developed into prospects, and ultimately sponsored into your business, must all have the “final piece of the puzzle.” Your sponsored distributors must see, feel, and BELIEVE, that you can train them to become successful in this amazing industry, and specifically with your business opportunity.

There are many, many financial success stories in this amazing industry. Make sure you’re not investing your time, money, and effort with a direct sales, or mlm company which is only producing a one-time sale of “product” which is not “recurring” in nature. Yes, some do actually make “unbelievable” sums of money here, but there is “no future” in this; not the kind you are proud of to your family and loved ones, and which can secure their financial futures anyway.

“Direct sales” and “attraction marketing” can be used very wisely, and successfully in “concert” with one another, to grow a huge and successful mlm/network marketing business. However, you must not only have this “5th pillar” operating, you must have all “6 pillars” if you are to walk away from this business one day in your future, and have it take care of your family financially. In fact, this “lesson” could be one of the greatest you could ever teach your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren…

Charles Stewart
http://facebook.com/1stCharlesStewart
1stCharlesStewart@gmail.com
firstcharlesstewart (Skype)

Anatomy Of A Prospect’s Mind

The key question to ask yourself is; “Are you thinking like a prospect?

1. Make sure they like you.
2. Make sure they believe they can do it.

If you don’t do those two, nothing else matters.

Think about all this for a few moments…
You’re talking to a prospect and  You start off with talking about the company’s management experience, -> which is the least important thing to them.

Now your prospect is leaning back, eyes are glazed over, zoned-out, nodding
off. They’ve heard it all before, and/or they just don’t care.

But what if you start with the most important thing first – YOU!
Tell them a story about your experience in the business (or your upline’s experience, if you’re new).

Tell them how you work with people, and exactly what you’ll do to help them be successful. THAT is what prospects want.

Let’s try something…

1. Name some of the wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name some of the Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name some of the winners of the Miss America contest.
4. Name some of the people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer prize.
5. Name some of the Academy Award winners for best actor.
6. Name some of the last decade’s World Series winners.

“How did you do?”

The point is, many of us do not remember the headliners of yesterday.

These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the
applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Now, let’s try this…

Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. Name a teacher who aided your journey through school.
2. Name a friend who helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name one person who taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of someone who made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of a person you enjoy spending time with.
6. Name someone whose story has inspired you.

“Easier?”

The big lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most
Credentials, the most money, or the most awards.

They are the ones that care about others.

Do you care about your prospects?

People join people, they don’t join companies.
“Who gave the presentation?”
From a prospect’s standpoint, this is most important.

Maybe to us it’s more important to know the company name, how long it’s been in business, who’s the founder, and so forth.
But the prospect wants to know exactly who gave the “presentation.” This is a
people business. When you care about people, they relate to that.

Tell the prospect that you don’t want them to go try to sell their friends & family.
Tell them that you will work with them personally.
Tell them you will help them get educated on this business.
Tell them you will work together with them directly, or by getting them to the help they need to become successful in their business.

Charles Stewart
http://facebook.com/1stCharlesStewart
1stCharlesStewart@gmail.com
firstcharlesstewart (Skype)

What is the “4th Pillar” in a Successful and Competent MLM/Network Marketing Company?

Greetings Everyone! 

The “4th Pillar” in a successful and competent mlm/network marketing company is the “compensation plan.”

I’ll try not to get too carried away with this one. It is a “pet-peeve” of mine. Often times, this one pillar here (#4) is the dead give-away as to whether or not this is a legitimate mlm/network marketing company, or an illegal pyramid scheme. (Is the compensation plan driving the retailing of product, or recruiting only?)

High overhead costs (corporate fat) often “pre-dispose” an mlm company to a “business model” of recruiting, recruiting, recruiting, due to the pricing of the company’s “product” (the “business opportunity.”)

Binary plans, breakaway plans, unilevel plans, aussie two-ups, matrix plans, etc; what in the world does it all mean? And how do you figure it out? Which one is best? Let’s keep it simple; to me, the best compensation plan is the one which lets you get the most money for the least people. Now I know that sounds obvious; but this can get very “clouded” or simply very “misleading” to say the least, when mlm/network marketing companies go to work against you with their compensation plans.

Let’s take an arbitrary amount of desired monthly income; $5,000. I know of one company where you get $1 per customer (this one takes 5,000 people to meet our desired income.) I know of another company which pays you $5,000 per customer (this one only takes 1 customer to meet our desired income.) Perhaps I better clarify something here.

When I stated that the best compensation plan is the one which pays the most amount of money for the least amount of people, I meant a company where continual repeat purchasing of retailed product is going on. I was not talking about a company where they “front end load” you with so much product “disguised” as a business opportunity, that you then get this amazing compensation check from the company. (The problem here is what do you do now with all of this product you cannot possibly unload?)

On the other end of the equation; what about the company where you have to get 5,000 to join for our desired income? Did you hear me? 5,000 people is a lot of people. (The attrition rate or dropout rate is so high; it becomes almost impossible to even come near accomplishing this.) Even if there are those “rare birds” who actually achieve this; how many “dead bodies” did they “leave along the road” to accomplish this?

When the product is actually “disguised” as a business opportunity, be very careful here; lest you fall into an illegal pyramid scheme. Ask yourself if there is actually any retailing of product going on which is continual in nature by the customer? If you would not have bought the “product” without the business opportunity attached to it; be careful. If there is a “one-time only” purchase of the “product” to be setup in the business; be careful here. If the only ones buying “product” are the distributors; be careful.

Compensation plans always, always, always drive the behavior in the field. If the price of the product is too high for retailing, what do you think that means? It means recruiting, recruiting, recruiting. This is how the money is made; by selling the “business opportunity.” When the recruiting stops, the income stops; it is a one-time sale. There is no residual income from repeat product purchases from the consumer; be very careful here.

A good compensation plan is one in which part-timers can make realistic supplemental income; “residual income.” I know of one company who is a “6 Pillar Company” where you need approximately 150-175 people in your organization(downline) purchasing retailed product for you to make $5,000 a month in residual, recurring income. (That’s “walk-away” income; this is an amazing industry!)
Build it right the first time, and it will continue to pay you into your future; that is the promise of a successful and competent mlm/network marketing company!

Charles Stewart
http://facebook.com/1stCharlesStewart
1stCharlesStewart@gmail.com
firstcharlesstewart (Skype)

What is the “3rd Pillar” in a Successful and Competent MLM/Network Marketing Company?

Hello Again Everyone!

One can always benefit from reviewing valuable information about what to look out for in this amazing industry/profession.

If you will recall, the “3rd Pillar” is concerned with the actual product(s) themselves. Yes, there are many companies out there with awesome products, however, sometimes, the pricing of the product actually drives recruiting only and not retailing product with the accompanying recruiting.

In the case of “recruting only,” we always have to watch out for “pyramid schemes.” Make no mistake about it, these are out there and doing business everyday online. It is illegal, and if it catches up with you, you will be held legally responsible in a court of law; whatever that may mean for you personally.

The problem is that most people are not aware they are involved with a “pyramid scheme;” however, in a court of law, ignorance is no excuse. Complicating matters further is the fact that many often do make huge sumes of money very quickly at these sort of illegal businesses.

 Once again, the “3rd Pillar” of a good and competent mlm/network marketing company is the product(s) themselves. Are they “value priced” so that the distributors can actually retail product? Or, are they priced so high that they drive recruiting, recruiting, recruiting; with a heavy hand at “needing the business opportunity” to “sell” product? Often this is simply because of the company’s excessively high “overhead costs.” Again, be careful of this latter one, lest you fall into an “illegal pyramid scheme.”

You’ve got to ask yourself if the company you are with, (or considering,) actually has a product which can be retailed. One way to do this is to ask yourself “would you buy this product if there was NOT a business opportunity attached to it?” If the answer to either one, or both, of these questions is NO, congratulations! You’ve just identified yourself a “illegal pyramid scheme.” This is great information to have if you don’t want the federal government one day to “shut you down,” or “take away” all that you’ve built; of course with much more in the way of “harsher consequences” still to come…

In all honesty, sometimes this “line” becomes “very blurred.” Take the example of a company with “overhead costs” so high that the price of the product effectively prohibits retailing. In this case, the “business model” actually drives recruiting, recruiting, recruiting; except there is no retailing of product going on here, and you remember what that means… Here, the distributors never pay retail for their product, they always buy wholesale; that’s the “hook” for the “business opportunity.”

In other cases, the “product” IS the “business opportunity;” but be very careful here, and for the reason already mentioned.

Publicly traded companies, corporate jets, huge “assets,” corporate “luxuries,” and not using technology fully, all add up to overhead costs which effectively drive the cost of “product” into the “business opportunity focus.” Whether it is “front end loading” distributors with the “necessary materials,” or “what-have-you;” the “signs” are all there…

Quality products which are competitively priced, and the companies which use distributors to market them, instead of paying huge amounts of money to company advertising, and celebrities or professional athletes to endorse, are the way to go. The savings to the company in lower overhead costs can then be directly passed on to the distributors.

In the end, if your company’s product is a “legitimate one,” which is of good quality, competitively priced, and the company’s compensation plan pays such that part-timers can make real income, then you’re probably safe here with pillar #3. Now, if your company has all the other 5 pillars operating, then you’ve found the opportunity you’ve been looking for your entire life; stay with it, and enjoy a future of financial freedom and owning your life that you cannot possibly imagine…

Charles Stewart
http://facebook.com/1stCharlesStewart
1stCharlesStewart@gmail.com
firstcharlesstewart (Skype)

“Mailbox Money”

Imagine going to your mail box next week and retrieving a “royalty check” with your name on it; what would you do with it? I know, it would depend on how much it was, right? Well, what if it was “substantial?” Now here’s the best part; next week, it happens all over again, and again, and again, for “many years to come.” What in the world is going on here?

No, it’s not all a mistake; it is mlm/network marketing. This is not a “pyramid” or “too good to be true,” it is very real, and it is happening every single day, all around the world. Mlm/network marketers are being “compensated” over and over again for the work they did one-time “correctly.”

The real beauty of this is that all it takes, is for you to do what you have already been doing your whole life so far, but you probably have not been “compensated” for it. Every time you have ever referred or made a suggestion to someone to try a product or service you enjoyed, then you have already done much of what you need to do in this profession to be “compensated” very well, over and over again.

As you continue to do this “work,” and you apply “millionaire math” to the process, you end up creating a lifestyle of freedom without any further concerns for money or time constraints upon you. It’s kind of like getting 1 percent of many, many other’s efforts, instead of 100 percent of your own; it’s how the wealthy operate. The wealthy “leverage the efforts” of other people.

How would you like to earn money while you are not working? How about when you are on a vacation? Or my favorite one, how about when you are sleeping? Well, mlm/network marketing is how you make this happen.

Charles Stewart
http://facebook.com/1stCharlesStewart
1stCharlesStewart@gmail.com
firstcharlesstewart (Skype)

MLM/Network Marketing “Perspective”

Who is the “newbie” to mlm/network marketing?

Does this suggest anything to you? 🙂

~ Charles Stewart