Network Marketing - Why is it so great?

If you've ever heard of Network Marketing, you've probably heard it said that it is essentially a people's business. Some have also labeled it a people's franchise because of the similarities between the business models of network marketing and franchising. Advocates of the industry name it as the ultimate people's business and say there is nothing quite like it. People that are in network marketing will immediately respond positively to this.

One of the unique characteristics of the network marketing type of business is that every individual distributor is in business for themselves but never by themselves. They will always be part of a larger organization and the compensation models are designed in such a way that every person can count on some form of support from their upline.

It is no secret that fortunes can be made in this type of business and many have done just that. Of course this is not the majority of network marketers, but every individual distributor does have the same chances. Success or failure in network marketing is not dictated by politics, race, age, background or gender, but always by results. In that respect it is probably also the fairest business model in the world.

For many people however the true value of their home based business is not directly in the financial return. The lessons a person can learn while building his or her own network marketing business are truly priceless. Many people are totally transformed through the personal growth they experience as a direct result of their challenges in their MLM businesses. It forced them to get out of their comfort zones, grow, and in many cases become a better person.

So what is so unique about network marketing in this respect? Doesn't every entrepreneur have to deal with challenges? The answer of course is: Yes, they do. And they also experience personal growth as a result from this. However there is a significant difference. Most entrepreneurs are self made and many of them learned their trade largely outside of formal education. Either they were taught by a family member, a mentor or perhaps they learned everything the hard way: by trial and error. Very rarely will you find an entrepreneur that has an extensive library of books and tapes on personal development. Most businesspeople don't attend seminars and motivational trainings. They think it's all a bunch of hype. While in some cases this can be true, there are many trainings and seminars that teach the principles of success better than any textbook found in business schools.

One of the great things about network marketing is that this type of education is built into the training systems of all good companies. There is no business on the face of the earth that places such a strong and direct emphasis on the importance of personal development as the network marketing industry. Many companies might argue that they spend a great deal of their budget on education; training employees and as such assisting them in personal development but in most cases what they are actually talking about is personnel development. Although the words are almost identical, their meanings are vastly different.

Network marketing is all about building people. It is probably the best school on the planet if you want to learn about what it takes to be successful in life and you don't need rich parents or some kind of scholarship to enroll.

Networking for Success: The 3 Phases of Small Talk

In my mind, small talk basically consists of 3 phases:
The ice breaker
Get to know you better
Graceful exit
So let`s go ahead and briefly touch on each phase and in turn give you some concrete takeaway strategies that you can apply immediately for each.

Phase 1: The Ice Breaker
So you attend a networking eventЕ you make eye contact with someone you want to meet, you approach them and introduce yourselfЕ now what?

Well having a few powerful, open-ended ice breaker questions should certainly do the trick. For example:
A tried and true ice breaker is the proverbial, "So Jeff, what do you do?" In other words "Jeff, what business are you in? Now people love talking about themselves and their business so the idea here is to get them started talking. Most people also love to hear the sound of their own voice so the ice breaker question is critical and essentially sets the tone and potential for the conversation.
Another good ice breaker could be, "So Jeff, what brings you here today?"
Now notice on these sample ice breaker questions I`ve repeated the person`s name. First off by doing this it will help burn that person`s name into my head so I don`t forget it. Secondly, people love the sound of their own name Ц so don`t be afraid to use it throughout your conversation.

Phase 2: Get To Know You Better
Depending on the results of the ice breaker questions you should by now be able to determine whether or not it makes sense to get to know this person better. If not, simply skip this phase and go into your graceful exit. But if you do see a synergy here, by all means try some of these again open-ended, getting to know you better questions:
So Jeff, how did you get into that business?
What types of challenges keep you up at night?
Jeff, help me out here, draw me a mental picture, what does success look like for you and your business?
What`s new in your industry these days? Any events or trends that are shaping it?
Now you can use one, two, all of these questions, or more if the situation permits. However, be careful here not to dominate and monopolize someone`s time. If you`re at a networking event, there`s a good chance that they`re there to network and meet other people as well, so it may make sense to go to the graceful exit phase and encourage that you two get together in the near future.

Phase 3: Graceful Exit
It`s vastly important how you leave a conversation Ц as this is the last impression you make on that person. We`re not looking to create any animosity here by rudely blowing someone off. The key here is as this phase`s title states, is to exit gracefully.

A key difference between the types of questions or statements you make in this phase as opposed to the previous two phases is that now you shift to using close-ended ones. For example:
Introduce the person to someone else that may be of interest to them and then politely excuse yourself. The dialogue can go something like this: "Hey Cindy I`d like you to meet Jeff. Jeff`s in the xyz industry as well and I just felt that you two should meet." Now they exchange pleasantries and you immediately exit the conversation by saying something like, "Well you two probably have a bunch to talk about. Cindy I`ll catch up with you later and Jeff, it was great meeting you."
Another example of a graceful exit may be: I can certainly see some synergy between what you and I do. Can I give you a call next week to set up some time to talk further?
Or, it`s been great meeting you, will I see you at future meetings?
And lastly, wow, this is quite an event don`t you think? Well we should probably keep movingЕ it was great meeting you Jeff!


So now you're aware of and armed with some actual strategies for the 3 phases of small talk. The key now is to get in the game and practice, practice, practice and you too can see the results you would like for your business.

Knowledge When Properly Applied

Knowledge When Properly AppliedЕ

As a Champion, I know that you heard this statement many, many times. Get ready to learn what Knowledge truly means! Let`s begin by breaking down this word.

Know: You must know your business, which means you must know the power of Network Marketing. You must also know how to prospect and recruit Champions, handle objections and deal with rejection. Most importantly, you must know in your heart that you can and will achieve your dreams in the industry of Network Marketing.

L Ц Listen: You must listen to those that have walked in your shoes. For example, a football coach that coaches a NFL team usually has many records under his belt and has proven himself as a Champion in the game of foot ball. You wouldn`t see a world renowned hockey player coaching a NFL football. In Network Marketing, you wouldn`t take direction from anyone that has not built a group of their own. There are many so-called coaches out there attempting to coach Network Marketers yet they have NEVER built a group or made any money in the industry. You must listen and learn from those that have been where you are now and have gone all the way to the top!

E Ц Edge: You must have the edge and live on the edge to truly succeed in your business. That means you are willing to dedicate yourself to your business and become the best that you can be. This includes filling your mind with motivational, business building strategies on a daily basis to constantly be one step ahead of others in the industry. You must also attend events, seminars and boot camps hosted by those that have built a Networking Marketing group. This will give you the "edge" that you need to be more successful than other Networkers or other entrepreneurs.

If you live by these keys, then Knowledge when applied to your business will create Action and rock your future! Make today the day to truly understand the word Knowledge.