Sometimes it is just as useful to learn from other people’s mistakes as it is to learn from their successes. I have 10 years of experience doing the wrong things to get my network marketing business up and running. It may have taken me through all the trials and tribulations to finally get to the level of success I’m currently achieving, but you shouldn’t have to do the same.
If you’ve just started a home business, or are currently struggling with one, chances are you’ve encountered (or have encountered) the following techniques without any success. These techniques are taught by network marketing companies in their attempt to improve their overall business as a company. It’s much easier for them to focus on this training path instead of teaching each distributor how to be their own CEO. When the smoke clears, they end up with the winnings regardless of their achievements. Learn from my mistakes described in detail below and save a lot of valuable time, money and energy while building your business.
Obsolete Technique #1: Flyer and Brochure Distribution
Ten years ago I started my business plan by pledging to put 1,000 flyers on car windshields every day. This tactic did nothing but drain my advertising budget and gas tank. Not to mention the fact that I had to deal with angry store managers every day who threatened to call the police if I didn’t leave their property. I did achieve some results, but they were minimal at best. A few clients here and there are not worth the time and effort.
The reason this outdated technique didn’t work then is the same reason it doesn’t work now. You are trying to reach the masses instead of targeting the people who want, need, or want what you are selling. It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack, except every day is like a different haystack and there’s no guarantee there are needles in them. I say save your luck for the lottery! At least that won’t absorb your time and efforts, along with your money.
Obsolete technique #2: Talk to my friends and family
This tactic may get you some customers and distributors, but it won’t make you rich. Let me give you an example. Let’s say you’re marketing a line of anti-aging skin care products. I’m just pulling this one off the air to use as an example. So, okay… you’re marketing anti-aging products. Does it make sense to patronize your Uncle Pete when Uncle Pete’s skincare usually consists of a bar of soap and maybe an extra dash of Old Spice when he’s feeling frisky? The answer to that question is… “No way!” Uncle Pete might do you a favor and join the business and buy some product…but there’s no conviction behind the product and when Uncle Pete doesn’t make that much money…guess what happens? He leaves the business and stops using them because his involvement was never about appreciating and using his great products to begin with.
When I started my friends and family were doing the exact same thing, but ten years later there are two or three who are still using the products consistently and none of them are in business. market is because it works well for them in the long run. If you ever decide to quit, there will probably be one or two customers who will continue to order from you. So, they want you to play the numbers game for their benefit, not yours. You might earn a few extra bucks by doing so, but it won’t be worth the risk of being left out of the next holiday party.
Outdated Technique #3: Follow an Online Business System
I tried several online trading systems hoping that the next one would be the magic system that would put me on top of my payment plan. Fortunately, when I tried the latter, I was smart enough to stick with the indicators and forced myself to quit before I ran into serious financial trouble. I finally realized that the whole idea for these systems comes from top distributors who want to supplement their already huge income with profits from selling you overpriced leads and collecting $40-$50 a month in membership fees.
They too play the numbers game and tell you there is magic in spending over $1,000 a month on your way to generating leads. If you’re not seeing the results you want, they just tell you to buy more. I realized that if I couldn’t afford to spend $1,000 a month on a system, in all likelihood the new distributors I would sign up couldn’t either.
Although I didn’t lose much money, I know several other dealers who lost thousands of dollars, mortgaged their homes, and in some cases even filed for bankruptcy. Not only would I not want that to happen to me, but I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. Now I know how to get the same type of leads for 10 to 25 cents instead of paying the $4 to $25 per lead that I was paying. The sad part is that there are still thousands of people who are falling for this devastating hack.
Obsolete Technique #4: Attend Corporate Trainings
For 10 years I attended training once a month, driving 2 hours each way and sitting for 8 hours in training. While these events were great for building trust and meeting like-minded people, they did very little to grow my business. These meetings were designed to introduce prospects to the business and give them some initial training, but getting people to attend was like pulling teeth, even after they’d already paid the admission ticket. Then, if a guest did come, I rarely had the drive to continue month after month. Very few people are willing to give up a full day off each month to sit in a hotel conference room when they could be spending time with their families or resting. Especially when they realize how difficult it is to get their own guests to attend with them.
Along with that, the same information was discussed every month to the extent that you were lucky enough to learn a new piece of information that was worth your time and energy. Factoring in the cost of training, gas, tolls, meals, and sometimes a hotel room, I spent over $1,000 a year on local training alone.
Then there are those regional and annual events that I was told were an absolute must if I really wanted to grow my business. And it was important that I promote and promote and promote my downline to attend as well. These events lasted 3-5 days and in most cases required registration fees, air travel, hotel rooms and meals, ranging from $500 to $1,000 per event. This eventually led to many new distributors quitting because they felt they couldn’t afford it and wouldn’t be successful if they didn’t attend these events.
Obsolete Technique #5: Believing There Were “No Weeds” in My Garden
Because I was so dedicated to the company as a result of my product results, I believed everything I was told. I refused to believe that there could be any problem with a company that promised me practically everything under the sun as long as I followed their plan.
Things didn’t change for me until I got out of that powerful environment and started looking from the outside in. Once I pursued the proper education to become a salesperson instead of just a distributor, I began to see the trees in the forest. It didn’t make me want to leave my company and try a new one, it just made me realize that in order to be successful I had to have an open mind about the way I was taught to approach my business. No company is perfect, and if there is something you do not like, you should not feel that they are being unfaithful to you just because you do not agree with it. Companies are flawed, even when told to keep the blinders on.
If you really want to grow a work from home through network marketing, you have to be willing to think for yourself as the leader and CEO of your business. Listen to what your company is teaching you and see if it is teaching you how to be a boss or an employee. You don’t want to just be a distributor of your products, that won’t get you very far. Instead, focus on educating yourself on how to be a marketer, which means finding a demand for your product and then meeting that demand with supply. My failures have led me to a successful training program that actually pays me to learn how to be a leader. Ultimately, it’s about understanding that the power of mindset and positioning are the real reasons behind success in network marketing. This is how I changed my business and continue to help others do the same.
It is possible to be successful in Network Marketing. You just need to start thinking outside the box.
