To anyone reading my blog for the first time MLM wherever used is short for Multi-level Marketing. If you need more information on what Multi-level Marketing is Google is a great place to start. On that note I will get to what's on my mind for today.
There are experiences in the MLM business that cause you to understand in a profound way why some "Leaders" in the industry promote certain activities while others continually impress upon us to avoid them at all cost.
Many people who have been around the business for a long time are totally against selling the MLM concept to family and friends. While others think this is the best and easiest way to grow your business, by targeting the people closest to you. Hence the genesis of the term "Relationship Marketing" In my opinion the jury is still out on which of these is the best model to follow. Therefore, I am not promoting any of the above models of marketing your MLM business as a better choice than the other, since both models have been proven to worked effectively.
In many ways a person's personality and ability will dictate whether marketing their MLM business to friends and family or otherwise will work best for them. Time, trial and error and experience will give you a good indication as to which of the two works best for you and yields the best results.
Over the years the "blueprint" for building an MLM business has gone through all manner of metamorphosis. The advent of the Internet bringing the most dramatic and dynamic changes the industry has ever seen and been faced with. Social media ranking high among the forces of change. Many of these changes happening in very short spans of time. Presently to survive the MLM industry you have to either catch up, keep up or stay ahead of the curve.
In an earlier post I mentioned that I started this blog to create an avenue to have an open conversation about the things everyone avoids talking about in the MLM industry. Yet these seem to be the very things that are on everyone's' mind and thus can be liken to the proverbial ten ton elephant in the room. What I have notice is that any time a discussion about Multi-level Marketing ensues there are always clear "battle lines" drawn, nerves gets rattled and tempers flare.
Speaking for myself I must say that I have had my share of getting upset and offended. This most often happened when I heard people, who I knew have zero knowledge of the industry and have never been in the MLM business, mouth off inaccuracies about the industry with an air of assumed authority. I have since learned to listen to what others have to say and if possible try to contribute something positive to the conversation that could prove helpful all around.
You will quickly learn that you get the most flack, rejection and least support from family and friends when you join an MLM company. I have been fortunate, in recent years, to get support from some members of my family. This might be mainly because of my unwavering commitment to this business model over the years. Some people in your family will join you simply to "support" what you are doing, others will join you just so you stop "pestering" them. There are others who will join your business with their own ulterior motives.
It has been my experience that within the groups mentioned above most or none of them will ever commit to truly building an MLM business. A very select few within your friends and family will sign up seeing the potential to own their own business and advance themselves financially. These people therefore, are more likely to make a genuine effort to grow their business and realize the financial rewards it could offer them.
Building an MLM business requires some amount of toughness. It takes a certain amount of grit to stand up to what can and is many times meted out to people in this industry. What seems worst is when it comes form our love ones and friends. This alone I am sure, even without statistics to show, is one of the main reasons why many people quit or never make a genuine effort towards following up on their investment and building their business. It is one of the main reason also why some "talking heads" in the industry advocate never talking to friends and family about your MLM business.
Some of your loved ones will join you in good faith thinking that by doing so they are "supporting" or "helping" you. They may even say this to you by letting you know that they have no interest in the business. You may take this on in good faith but later learn that their true sentiment about what you are doing and about the MLM industry is not very flattering. This could prove painful for you and cause you to feel hurt and treated like a charity. Do realized that this is a grave disservice to your business and to you.
The MLM business model is a business like any other business. If someone cannot appreciate that then they are free to refrain from participating. Grudgingly investing because they think they are "helping" you because "they care about you" in my opinion is insulting and demeaning both to the industry and to you. At all cost avoid allowing your MLM business to be treated like a charity.
A professional approach to building your MLM business is always the best way forward. Therefore partner only with people who are genuinely interested in being involved in the MLM business model or in buying your product. Avoid anyone who is just joining your business to "support" or "help" you. Refrain from coercing people to join your business by making promises you cannot keep. Your business may grow at a slower rate but it will definitely have a higher rate of retention thus benefit you much more in the long run. Remember your MLM business is not a charity it is your business so be professional and the results you desire will in time be realized.
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