Question for all the MLM and Network Marketers

23 replies
Ok first off. I'm a network marketer myself. So this isn't meant to bash anyone or the business model. Because I love the business model.

With that out of the way.. lets get to the question.

Do you ever feel bad recruiting people into your primary MLM/Network Marketing business opportunity knowing how hard it's going to be for them to ever make any money?

Now I'm not talking about making $100 a month. Because people never join these types of businesses so they can stay at their crappy 9-5 job. Or work incredibly long hours at night to make $100 a month.

From my experience people really want their recruits to make money. And will do anything and everything in their power to help them. But their is one major problem.... Duplication requires someone to learn new skills, that in many cases they just aren't going to be able to figure out without it taking either lots of money, or lots of years.
#marketers #mlm #network #question
  • Profile picture of the author Don Grace
    The business model does not matter because the bottom line is you're just selling stuff. All businesses have a failure rate. It boils down to if one is dedicated enough to treat it like a business instead of waiting for money to fall from the sky.

    Does it take work? Of course it does, what doesn't. So if you've invested the time and effort to become successful I would expect no less from your team.
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    • Profile picture of the author FraggleJ78
      Originally Posted by Don Grace View Post

      The business model does not matter because the bottom line is you're just selling stuff. All businesses have a failure rate. It boils down to if one is dedicated enough to treat it like a business instead of waiting for money to fall from the sky.

      Does it take work? Of course it does, what doesn't. So if you've invested the time and effort to become successful I would expect no less from your team.
      Awesome and thanks for responding Don.

      Let me ask you this. If you recruit someone onto your team that is an absolutely awful sales person and you know they aren't going to be good at selling it without it taking some type of act of God. How would you approach that?
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by FraggleJ78 View Post

    people never join these types of businesses so they can stay at their crappy 9-5 job.
    That depends on how and to whom you promote it, doesn't it?

    If you're in a good, ethical, long-established company whose income is derived predominantly from genuine retail sales to genuine retail customers (as indeed it must be, by law, these days, in some countries, including yours), most people who become distributors actually do so out of interest in the products, and not because they have any intention at all of giving up their jobs.
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    • Profile picture of the author FraggleJ78
      Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

      That depends on how and to whom you promote it, doesn't it?

      If you're in a good, ethical, long-established company whose income is derived predominantly from genuine retail sales to genuine retail customers (as indeed it must be, by law, these days, in some countries, including yours), most people who become distributors actually do so out of interest in the products, and not because they have any intention at all of giving up their jobs.
      Yeah I guess there is a certain percentage (one that I don't know) of people who love the products and don't join so they can sell them.

      But most likely it's not the vast majority of them. I think most people join MLM/Network Marketing so they can build an income stream and have more freedom in their life.
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      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
        Banned
        Originally Posted by FraggleJ78 View Post

        I think most people join MLM/Network Marketing so they can build an income stream and have more freedom in their life.
        My perspective's very different from this: I think those people are a small minority.

        I suspect your impression's based only/mostly on the tiny percentage of MLM sponsoring/recruitment/promotion that takes place online.

        That's unrepresentative: if you look at the world's biggest MLM companies, like Forever Living (established for decades, now with about 10,000,000 distributors worldwide!), they really frown on online activity and only a tiny proportion of their distributors does any at all.
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  • Profile picture of the author ShariyfClark
    "Let me ask you this. If you recruit someone onto your team that is an absolutely awful sales person and you know they aren't going to be good at selling it without it taking some type of act of God. How would you approach that?"

    Don't train them to sell. Train them to the point at a system or a sales page that will sell AND close their prospects for them.
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    • Profile picture of the author FraggleJ78
      Originally Posted by ShariyfClark View Post

      "Let me ask you this. If you recruit someone onto your team that is an absolutely awful sales person and you know they aren't going to be good at selling it without it taking some type of act of God. How would you approach that?"

      Don't train them to sell. Train them to the point at a system or a sales page that will sell AND close their prospects for them.
      Boooooom!!!! lol... those are my thoughts exactly ShariyfClark... Love that!
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  • Profile picture of the author Friedmett
    This is not about selling an opportunity. In fact if people are not interested in going through the marketing training that works! then they can get educated or leave for other options out there. So the answer is no. I got the whole marketing system on my personal website and if they are commited to follow through they will get success. I know as I am doing it myself!

    I present myself, my team and my marketing system. It is up to the interested people what they want at any given time.

    It is not harder or more expensive than any other money option online if you got what works presented to you. Besides as a networker your job is to help your team members and built the relationships. If they are not willing or commited you should not hire them at all.
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  • Profile picture of the author gwpmike
    I'm not currently promoting an MLM or Network Marketing company, but the whole point of them is to help your downline get leads and sales, because usually you earn a commission when somebody in your downline makes a sale. I think you should help out everybody in your downline as much as you can, send them some traffic tools and suggestions for getting leads and making more sales. You could put some of this information in an ebook or in videos and send it to them.
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  • Profile picture of the author AZMD
    Originally Posted by FraggleJ78 View Post

    Do you ever feel bad recruiting people into your primary MLM/Network Marketing business opportunity knowing how hard it's going to be for them to ever make any money?
    Never. If you feel bad, you have absolutely no business bringing them into your company.

    Secondly, NEVER recruit people. That's the wrong mindset for this business. You "Sponsor" them - and be a sponsor to them.

    Thirdly, it is not "hard" for your new person to make money if they are willing to follow instructions and do the work. Breakeven to a small profit in 30 days is common for new people who are properly sponsored. The people who are not are the ones that don't show up for work... The ones that don't do what they said they would do. You hold THEM accountable for THEIR actions when this happens and you never have to feel bad about bringing them into your business.

    Originally Posted by FraggleJ78 View Post

    Now I'm not talking about making $100 a month. Because people never join these types of businesses so they can stay at their crappy 9-5 job. Or work incredibly long hours at night to make $100 a month.
    IMO most people join this business because they think the product has merit and they think other people will think so too. They see the possibility of earning a few hundred dollars a month to enhance the family budget.

    That's unless they are being "recruited" under the premise that money will easily fall out the air and they'll be telling their boss to shove the day after tomorrow.

    Hopefully you have a product that proves itself to be a life changer to the user and if not, you either need to rum on the money game (that's where network marketing gets a bad rap) or you're toast.

    There is no reason that any person needs to work "incredibly long hours" in this business if they are doing it right. For one thing, the majority of this business, after the initial hand-holding in the very beginning, is done in 5 - 15 time slots spread out over the course of a day and evening.


    Originally Posted by FraggleJ78 View Post

    Duplication requires someone to learn new skills, that in many cases they just aren't going to be able to figure out without it taking either lots of money, or lots of years.
    You are right about the duplication but wrong about it taking lots of money or time.

    When you sponsor somebody, for goodness sakes, be their sponsor and so it "with them" until duplication takes root.

    You don't tell them how to do it ever. You "show them" how to do it. Just like you don't "tell" a kid how to tie his shoes. He'll never get it. You "show him" and do it while he watches and learns. After a couple of times showing you let him try while you observe - he'll likely mess up and end up with a knot. You show him where he went wrong and after a few attempts... You'll never be tying his shoes again!

    Be a sponsor and commit to helping your new person through this phase. It's a lot more work for you at first... and this includes training them on how to train their new people... but once you have them duplicating you can cut yourself loose to go have fun or... do it all over again with a brand new personally sponsored team member

    Your biggest challenge is in getting the new person to show up for work and commit to learning your system. And as long as you give your best and do what you say you will do then you have no reason to ever feel bad.

    If you ask any person who has made it BIG in network marketing they'll likely tell you that the majority of their income is derived from two or three personally sponsored people who took the ball and ran with it.

    This business works well if you work it well.
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    • Profile picture of the author ShariyfClark
      If you ask any person who has made it BIG in network marketing they'll likely tell you that the majority of their income is derived from two or three personally sponsored people who took the ball and ran with it
      I doubt that.

      I'm of the belief that the people that made it big in network marketing sold OTHER network marketers training and tools to help them with whatever they were struggling with and THEN recruited those SAME people into their primary programs AFTER they became their customers.
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      • Profile picture of the author Tsnyder
        Originally Posted by ShariyfClark View Post

        I doubt that.

        I'm of the belief that the people that made it big in network marketing sold OTHER network marketers training and tools to help them with whatever they were struggling with and THEN recruited those SAME people into their primary programs AFTER they became their customers.

        I've been in this profession for several decades and that's not
        what I've seen. The poster you responded to actually was close
        to being correct.

        The exception being that the 3 or 4 or 5 who will make you financially
        free are rarely personally sponsored. They almost always come from somewhere
        downline in your organization.

        Very few of the many ultra successful network marketers I know have
        ever sold tools. Those people usually aren't as successful s they lead you
        to believe.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Pescetti
    I've made really good money in Network Marketing. And ALL of it was made online, passively.

    Most people can't sell. That's reality. And if you, the distributor, bring people in - who you know can't sell, without giving them the tools to replicate your success...

    ...I consider that unethical.

    There are lots of tools to use that are far better than the crap (squeeze pages/sales letters) that these companies provide distributors with.

    If you want to be successful in MLM, you've got to find or create a system - that your leads can easily see themselves duplicating - and get them on the right track straight away.

    The whole bring people on and hope they figure it out thing is total BS.

    Just for the sake of argument...

    Let's say one of your new downline sign-ups do manage to get someone into the system. It's just gonna be someone else who fails, right? And what's the use of having people who can't sell underneath you? It totally nullifies the whole passive profit mindset for getting into Network Marketing.

    And yes...

    Financial freedom IS the reason people get into this.

    And if YOU want financial freedom, YOU need to show them HOW to work the system.

    My Take.

    Mark
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    • Profile picture of the author FraggleJ78
      Originally Posted by Mark Pescetti View Post

      I've made really good money in Network Marketing. And ALL of it was made online, passively.

      Most people can't sell. That's reality. And if you, the distributor, bring people in - who you know can't sell, without giving them the tools to replicate your success...

      ...I consider that unethical.

      There are lots of tools to use that are far better than the crap (squeeze pages/sales letters) that these companies provide distributors with.

      If you want to be successful in MLM, you've got to find or create a system - that your leads can easily see themselves duplicating - and get them on the right track straight away.

      The whole bring people on and hope they figure it out thing is total BS.

      Just for the sake of argument...

      Let's say one of your new downline sign-ups do manage to get someone into the system. It's just gonna be someone else who fails, right? And what's the use of having people who can't sell underneath you? It totally nullifies the whole passive profit mindset for getting into Network Marketing.

      And yes...

      Financial freedom IS the reason people get into this.

      And if YOU want financial freedom, YOU need to show them HOW to work the system.

      My Take.

      Mark
      I'm definitely more on your wave length. Thanks for posting. Awesome stuff Mark!
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    • Profile picture of the author AZMD
      Originally Posted by Mark Pescetti View Post

      I've made really good money in Network Marketing. And ALL of it was made online, passively.
      No disrespect - It's just that your phrase "I've made really good..." leads me to believe that your not making it anymore. And every time in the last 16 years of doing network marketing full time for a living, when I hear someone say that they built their organization passively online, they also reluctantly admit that their organization disappeared online as fast or even faster than it was built.

      How can you build lasting loyalty and decades of residual income passively online?
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      • Profile picture of the author Mark Pescetti
        Originally Posted by AZMD View Post

        No disrespect - It's just that your phrase "I've made really good..." leads me to believe that your not making it anymore. And every time in the last 16 years of doing network marketing full time for a living, when I hear someone say that they built their organization passively online, they also reluctantly admit that their organization disappeared online as fast or even faster than it was built.

        How can you build lasting loyalty and decades of residual income passively online?
        The product quality tanked and I announced to my downline - who I helped with a couple one hour conference calls per week, plus email access to me - that I was done.

        I won't say the name of the company. But when it started, the product quality was incredible. And when it couldn't continue to produce the same amazing opportunities, I couldn't participate any more. Simple as that.

        mark

        P.S. I don't participate in ANY Network Marketing programs any more. I either help other people sell their products or services...

        ...or sell my own.
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  • Profile picture of the author raeeck
    MLM is an excellent business model but it's not for everyone.

    Perhaps one in ten may be a business builder and go onto make exceptional income. Two out of ten may make a good income. The other seven out of the ten won't make any money at all or perhaps a few dollars here and there. They all receive the same training and help from their up-line and the company. The seven which weren't successful didn't like to sell or only joined because they thought their upline would
    do all the work for them.

    But, these numbers can be very different if the right MLM company is chosen. Even people who don't like to sell can make a decent living. I have seen it happen many times.

    Think about what MLM is - a business which relies on word of mouth advertising. People talk to others when they are excited about a product. People will always ask questions when they see their friend has lost weight or perhaps someone who has always suffered from lack of energy suddenly becomes more energetic. Maybe someone who has been suffering from severe pain suddenly becomes pain free and more energetic.

    People who have signed up into a MLM business and struggled to make sales or recruit others into their business often find that after a few months of taking the products and achieving results which others notice, they have people either wanting to join and build a business or become customers. It can be an "accidental" business which can go on to build into a long term income stream - even though they didn't like to sell.

    It really does happen but the key is to choose the company which has products which really make a difference to people's lives.

    Weightloss, health, or anti-aging products which give visual results are probably the easiest MLM companies to build a business with.
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    • Profile picture of the author ShariyfClark
      "It really does happen but the key is to choose the company which has products which really make a difference to people's lives."

      That's only one piece of the puzzle.

      Don't get me wrong, running with a good company with products that really make a difference for people is a critical component to anyone's success, whether they are in an MLM or not. But it's not the ONE thing that will determine if a person is successful.

      What'll determine if someone is successful is their willingness to BE whoever they need to BE in order to see to it that they are succesful. And that includes having the willingness to go through the trial and error that makes up the journey.

      That being said, people don't join companies. They join other people. Who do you need to BE to have people join you. That's the real inquiry you should engage in.

      By the way, if your business solely relies on word of mouth, you won't be in business for long these days. Just sayin.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tsnyder
    Originally Posted by FraggleJ78 View Post

    Do you ever feel bad recruiting people into your primary MLM/Network Marketing business opportunity knowing how hard it's going to be for them to ever make any money?
    If that's your experience you're recruiting the wrong people.
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    If you knew what I know you'd be doing what I do...
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  • Profile picture of the author tjaysen70
    yeah man it depends on what opportunity you're promoting too. If you feel bad recruiting someone into your network because you know that it takes alot of work to achieve any success, then that is either because you feel that the opportunity is kinda flimsy, or you don't know how to help your team make money.

    But there are plenty of mlm's out there that make folks a crap load of money. But yeah, like any business, it takes a tremendous amount of work and money and promotion.
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  • Profile picture of the author himanuzo
    The MLM has leverage of duplicate and you can use the leverage to grow your group quickly which you only recruit few people into your frontlines. Then the frontlines grow to become thousands of members. So you don't need to recruit thousands of people yourself. You can do both offline and online marketing for building your business with the MLM. This different to conventional internet marketing which you need to make sales to thousands of people for making good living.
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  • Profile picture of the author Benjamin Ehinger
    Originally Posted by FraggleJ78 View Post

    Ok first off. I'm a network marketer myself. So this isn't meant to bash anyone or the business model. Because I love the business model.

    With that out of the way.. lets get to the question.

    Do you ever feel bad recruiting people into your primary MLM/Network Marketing business opportunity knowing how hard it's going to be for them to ever make any money?

    Now I'm not talking about making $100 a month. Because people never join these types of businesses so they can stay at their crappy 9-5 job. Or work incredibly long hours at night to make $100 a month.

    From my experience people really want their recruits to make money. And will do anything and everything in their power to help them. But their is one major problem.... Duplication requires someone to learn new skills, that in many cases they just aren't going to be able to figure out without it taking either lots of money, or lots of years.
    Great question and I am also in network marketing. I think the most important thing is honesty. I tell my recruits up front what to expect. I connect with them and establish a personal relationship when they go from a lead to a recruit, usually through email or facebook, occasionally over the phone.

    They always have concerns and worries, which I address with my best honest answers. I also like to pass down an occasional sign up to them, when possible, especially if I know they are following my advice and the advice of the system.

    I think one of the most helpful things is pointing them in the right direction when they do want to spend money on traffic, leads or signups. If they blow $100 on traffic and get nothing out of it, they may never trust you again. However, if you help them turn that $100 into 50+ leads and they get even one sign up from it, they can see the potential.

    Of course, there are always recruits that think they will make a full time income the day they sign up, even when you clearly tell them they HAVE to work the system for at least 90 days to really see any results, usually longer.

    Benjamin Ehinger
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  • Profile picture of the author Tsnyder
    Here's some of the best advice I can offer on building an MLM for the long haul...

    When you come to understand that we get paid for what we start,
    not for what we finish, your whole perspective will change and your
    methods will follow.
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    If you knew what I know you'd be doing what I do...
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