Network marketing has a lot of baggage as an industry. Those who are a part of network marketing are challenged by their supervisors and their upline to continually tell their family and friends about their business. They do so, but with fear! Why does it have to be this way?
Too often, network marketing representatives get wrapped up in worrying about what others think when they share about their business opportunity. That makes them share reluctantly, or without any confidence, and people see right through that. This fear and worry reveals that their motivation for sharing their business isn’t very strong at all.
For example: consider a knife. In the right hands, a knife is an amazing tool with the potential to save a life. A surgeon will carefully perform life-saving surgery with a knife. However, if the same knife is in the hands of a murderer, that tool can become a weapon that harms others and can take lives.
Network marketing is just like this.
If you connect with your prospects with the intention of manipulating them, or simply making money off of them, then you’re using the knife completely wrong. You want to be like the surgeon, carefully sharing this knowledge about network marketing that can save a life – because network marketing reveals who we really are. Network marketing will make it obvious if you are in this business to help others. Here are some examples for approaching others when you are talking about your network marketing business:
Don’t be shy! You’ve got to talk about your marketing opportunity with confidence and with conviction! Keep the right mindset: you’re using your network marketing business to save people from a life of poverty, and giving them the tools to empower other people who are struggling like you did once. Remember, this is your best chance at giving someone else the tools to change. If you feel like you are “cheating” others by sharing your network marketing business with the, then your intentions are going to be clear, and you are going to look awful in front of your prospect. So, speak up, be confident, and tell them, “Yes! I am in network marketing!”
You can do the exact same thing with your products. You have a great product in your catalog that can burst your immune system and fight disease. Would be wrong to ask the patient to consider buying your life saving product? Of course not! The surgeon wants to help the patient, and you are trying to help them better their lives.
As a leader in network marketing, your main duty is to help others succeed like you are. Any serious leader will do their best in helping their downline achieve success. Don’t just sit around, waiting for them to connect to prospects and bring them into your network. Go forth with them, and help them out of their harder times or just be there to answer questions. Let them benefit by learning from your confidence, your leadership, and your experience.
Remember, in our industry of network marketing, the more people who join us, the more people you can help battle poverty and spread the word about our products. Network marketing is your tool for success, so make sure that you focus on being a surgeon with your business opportunity.
By: Jaz Lai
Posts Tagged ‘Fear’
Network Marketing: a Deadly Industry or a Profit Center?
October 23rd, 2009You Need to Network in Network Marketing
August 30th, 2009Networking is obviously an essential part of network marketing. Every successful network marketer knows this to be true. Although networking is such an intricate part of network marketing, the two terms are not synonymous. However there are many similarities. Both rely heavily on people skills. Both require people to confront their fear of talking to other people. Both carry with them the risk of rejection. Both also carry with them enormous opportunity. And to some people, both are considered dirty words.
Of course people that consider networking as something that is ‘not done’ don’t understand what networking is really about. The same can be said of people that think network marketing is something that is beneath them. Many people think of networking as a way to get connected solely for their own advancement in life. In that respect a person might feel that it is unethical or not noble to network. This line of thinking stems from the idea that advancement will always come at the expense of someone else, that success in life is a zero-sum game. These people often look at network marketing from the same perspective. They think of profiting from other people’s efforts as something that is negative and not fair to them. In reality, successful networkers will tell you that it doesn’t work that way at all. Networking doesn’t have to be at anybody’s expense and the business of network marketing doesn’t reward anyone for taking advantage of others. It actually rewards people for helping other people to succeed. In that respect it may very well be the most ethical business model in the world today.
A lot of the negativity around networking can be explained by the different types of networkers. Some can be considered ‘hunters’, moving in for a quick kill, after which they move out again. They often operate without regard of the other persons interest and because of this they will enjoy the fruits of success for only a limited period of time. Often it will not take long before people find out what’s really driving the hunter. Once they see that he or she is only looking after his or her own interests, their willingness to interact with this person will quickly evaporate. By contrast, truly successful networkers are often ‘farmers’ who spend a lot of time sowing and nourishing their relationships, instead of just focusing on reaping. They invest in their network, they energize their network. They use their network, but they never ever abuse their network! And their network knows this. A true networker will always keep the interests of others in mind. That’s why working with a true networker is so enjoyable. Networkers are often very likeable and as such people like to interact with them.
Networking is a skill that is essential to all businesses not just network marketing. Although network marketing differs in many ways from the more traditional forms of doing business, the importance of networking is just as prevalent. If not more so. A network marketer that doesn’t know how to network will be out of business in no time. Network marketing is first and foremost a people’s business and this implies that the ability to effectively work with people is absolutely critical. This is why successful network marketers are extremely adept at networking. Many have found out over time that developing this skill can pay off in many areas outside their network marketing business as well. Business owners who have started a home based business on the side often apply their enhanced networking and people’s skills in their traditional business with great success. For some network marketers this spin-off has earned them more money than the income from their network marketing business itself.
So whether you are in network marketing or in a more traditional type of business, don’t underestimate the importance of becoming an effective networker. And if you really want to master this skill you may find there is a lot to learn from good network marketers. So if you happen to know anybody that fits that description, try and benefit from their knowledge on the topic. It will surely help you network your way to success!
By: Ian Williamson
How To Use Networking To Run A Successful Network Marketing Business
August 26th, 2009If you are going to run a successful network marketing business you are going to have to master the skill of networking. In it’s simplest form networking is defined as meeting people who can be of help to you and being a help to them.
In a network marketing business that would mean using contacts for purposes beyond the reason for the initial contact. For example, you may ask a propsect for names of others who may be interested in your peoducts or business opportunity.
Although networking is such an intricate part of a network marketing business, the two terms are not synonymous. However there are similarities. Both rely heavily on people skills and require you to confront their fear of talking to other people. Both carry with them the risk of rejection and also carry with them enormous opportunity. Of course people that consider networking as something that is ‘not done’ don’t understand what networking is really about. The same can be said of people that think network marketing is something that is beneath them. Many people think of networking as a way to get connected solely for their own advancement in life.
In that respect a person might feel that it is unethical or not noble to network. This line of thinking stems from the idea that advancement will always come at the expense of someone else, that success in life is a zero-sum game.
These people often look at network marketing from the same perspective. They think of profiting from other people’s efforts as something that is negative and not fair to them. In reality, successful networkers will tell you that it doesn’t work that way at all. Networking doesn’t have to be at anybody’s expense and the business of network marketing doesn’t reward anyone for taking advantage of others. It actually rewards people for helping other people to succeed. In that respect it may very well be the most ethical business model in the world today.
A lot of the negativity around networking can be explained by the different types of networkers. Some can be considered ‘hunters’, moving in for a quick kill, after which they move out again. They often operate without regard of the other persons interest and because of this they will enjoy the fruits of success for only a limited period of time.
Often it will not take long before people find out what’s really driving the hunter. Once they see that he or she is only looking after his or her own interests, their willingness to interact with this person will quickly evaporate.
By contrast, truly successful networkers are often ‘farmers’ who spend a lot of time sowing and nourishing their relationships, instead of just focusing on reaping. They invest in their network, they energize their network.
They use their network, but they never ever abuse their network! A true networker will always keep the interests of others in mind. That’s why working with a true networker is so enjoyable. Networkers are often very likeable and as such people like to interact with them.
Networking is a skill that is essential to all businesses not just a network marketing business. Although network marketing differs in many ways from the more traditional forms of doing business, the importance of networking is just as prevalent. If not more so.
A network marketer that doesn’t know how to network will be out of business in no time. Network marketing is first and foremost a people’s business and this implies that the ability to effectively work with people is absolutely critical. This is why successful network marketing business owners are extremely adept at networking.
So to make your network marketing business more successful work at becoming a an effective networker. To master this skill you may want to learn from by watching other successful network marketers.
By: Jeff Schuman
