What is… The strategy you are giving to people?

Is it unique or is it a carbon copy of what every other MLM trainer teaches that is shown to create accepted failure on a massive scale?

Strategies in network marketing are usually wildly optimistic when compared to their actual results.

You can’t always account for the various mitigating factors for everybody when implementing them. These are the realities MLM companies and “leaders” vaguely understand, but certainly do not want to talk about.

For example:

A person with little to no social influence with others will not produce the same results as someone with much more social and economic influence.

This is true even if they employ the same strategy to their business and apply an equal or in many cases greater amount of effort!

Typical Sequence for the “MLM SUCCESS FORMULA”

1. Go into debt... invest in (yourself?) and your business by: Getting a huge selection of products…. at least $1000 worth..Sign up for monthly auto ship $100-200 and become:”A product of the product!” HORRIBLY Bad idea for someone with limited financial resources and well established patterns of spending, who does not save, and is usually living from paycheck to paycheck. Even if they do spend money frivolously, transferring to more expensive MLM products is not always advisable.
2. Next… begin to destroy and erode a lifetime of personal and professional social equity by… Making a list of your family, closest friends, Facebook friends, coworkers, dentist,  barber, plumber etc…in order to pitch them a business opportunity in a canned and uncomfortable manner. The type and quality of any  person’s friends vary from person to person in relation to income, education level and personal motivation.
3. Finally… when you are inducted  into the NFL (No Friends Left) it’s time to either quit or start buying leads, and expensive funnels and learning about SEOs and every other overwhelming and time consuming marketing tactic with steep learning curves and delayed return on investment … if ever!

So here’s my own story…

I was a relatively poor janitor in 1994. I cleaned a spooky old movie theater in downtown K.C. until the early morning hours. I had zero social influence to the upper class of the socioeconomic spectrum. I worked harder and sacrificed more and it took me longer to achieve the modest success I did compared to other people who joined my company who had more influence than me. They were able to leverage their own social influence that I did not possess.

This drove me to the point of  insanity because life is NOT FAIR!

I watched people join my network marketing company long after I did and pass me in the Compensation Plan and income level so many times it affected the way I reacted to other people in a negative way. I went deeper into debt and psychological distress because I spent money I didn’t have on things like leads, long distance telephone bills, cassettes and video tapes (yes we had video tapes in the 90s), and anything and everything to make this work. I foolishly dragged unproductive Distributors with me to national conventions and maxed out my credit cards on airline tickets, hotels, meals and useless marketing “hacks” that promised to explode my business!

Things haven’t changed much since I quit in 2004 and came back in 2017… Now the GURUS and trainers sell their surefire funnel Systems, internet  training packages. Personal development coaches… social media consultants ….  blah blah blah …they’re all playing the same con game that the videotape vendors and expensive lead packages  and voicemail systems that I what was duped into purchasing.

Don’t let anyone deceive you into believing that network marketing is a “Level Playing Field” because it simply isn’t.

So I’ve told you all this to let you know that I no longer have any interest in placing unnecessary burdens either Financial or psychological on anybody in this business.

But…

I’m attempting to remedy this by relying on my experience and ability by creating a strategy for anyone who may not have the economic, social, and intellectual advantages that are common among those that are typically the overwhelming majority of top earners. It doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges or setbacks…. But it will not automatically have you operating at an immediate disadvantage. Network marketing companies showcase the hyper successful rapidly rising distributors who more often than not, come in with more advantages than the average person who is desperately searching for a way to escape their current circumstances.

The big money earners would prance on stage and assert things like:

“If I can do it anyone can do  it.”

“You will make it if you just don’t give up!”

That’s deceptive, and many times counterproductive because it made me feel like there was something wrong with me and I’ve heard these similar stories from others too. I made the mistake of comparing myself to people with whom I shouldn’t have been comparing myself.

They could honestly have said:

“If I (a restaurant/retail business owner, president of a local civic organization, doctor, nutritionist, chiropractor) can do it, then anyone LIKE ME can do it too!”

The overwhelming statistics have proven that anyone can’t do it based on the procedural strategies that are employed.

My strategy attempts to change that as fairly as possible given the limitations of a large percentage of people who join this industry.

I beat the odds ONLY because what I lacked in social and economic status and influence, I made up for with an unyielding mental toughness and absolute determination to learn and grow…. But it still cost me way too much, so it wasn’t worth it.

Most people are not equipped to do  this initially, but by developing a proper mindset, skill sets, daily disciplines and perseverance, which are learned behaviors and character traits, then I believe anyone can succeed assuming you have a viable competitive product which is separate issue that many  also refuse to address, but I cover this problem in several previous business announcements. (IF P.T. BARNUM WERE ALIVE TODAY)

The things I believe about having a plan, a roadmap, and a strategy are important to have to offer your new recruits, but believing in yourself is something no one else can provide for you. That is a critical component to any person’s ultimate success.

In the final installment of the series I’m going to talk about one of those absolutely critical factors that most tend to minimize but probably accounts for more than 50% of distributor loyalty.