Stupid Mistakes Made By Newbie Network Marketers
(This article was written by Howie Martell, for the forum community of global domain international members, august 01 2008)
I've been a networker for 10 years this month and most of it has been failure in many ways. This was due to the mistakes I've made because I was following people who didn't (and still don't) know any better. I've only given myself permission to take full charge of my own business without looking to an upline or down line.
I've seen others do the same mistakes as well. This insightful article is for new network marketer or those who are looking to start.
If you'd like to shave a decade off your learning curve, I suggest you read this in it's entire article
#1. Selling to the Wrong People. We all know sales are important in every business but it doesn't give you license to verbally vomit on everyone you meet, especially friends and family.
Besides, you know selling to people who don't need or want what you have is a waste of their time and yours. Selling to the wrong people includes the notion that everyone is your target market. You should always be concerned about how well your product or service meets the requirements for both you and your customer's/partner's own goals.
I received a phone call from a gentleman we'll call Denny. Denny wanted to join my team, or so he said. I started asking some qualifying questions to discover more about his current situation, his experience in business and his budget for getting started and marketing budget among others.
The answers to those questions lead me to decide weather Denny was a good fit for my team and our model ideal for what he was willing to bring to the table. It worked out that he was not a good fit at this time, even though he had the start up cash, he wasn't in a position to overcome a few other "success blockers" revealed in our interview.
Just because someone is interested in doing business with you doesn't mean you have to accept... learn to recognize and say no to the weak opportunity quickly so you can remain open to receive a golden one.
When you have potential prospects who are uneducated, broke and obsess over every dime they have to spend, and if they want a business but don't know why or if they simply don't understand network marketing well enough and they are not willing to learn, they won't make great recruits in the long run.
The same goes for customers who aren't clear about their wants and needs...they can't possibly make an informed decision about your products/services. You'll learn that some potential prospects are just harder to work with than others.
Practice saying "NO" to less that desirable compromises in the name of making a sale. Let your competition have them. You'll save yourself inevitable grief and many headaches.
If you aren't so "new" to MLM then you may know the feeling of having to foot the bill for a customer and team member already...not fun .
#2. Spending too Much Cash too Soon.
Only spend money when it's going to cost you more NOT to spend it! Don't spend your hard earned money in search of the easy button. I did that for years on training events and tools that were mainly useless and never gave any return on investment. When I got started and in a short spam I spent about 3-4k my first year and the business model still failed. It caused problems in my marriage and my standard of living.
Know the function and purpose of each tool, training, ebook, conference call, software etc, that you purchase and have a definite way to track your own results.
If the numbers don't work out don't spend your money or return it fast if you've already bought it. You just need to pace yourself and have a solid plan. Know all the necessary components to maximize your marketing efforts and add as necessary… never before your ready.
Throwing money at your problems never worked in the past and they won’t work here now either.
#3 Spending to little money.
Spend-thrifts, don't be too tight with your purse strings. Don't let thrifty get in the way of efficiency. Don't be afraid to outsource all the parts of your business that have to get done, but you hate to do.
Remember; only spend money when it will cost you more not to. I don't like having to "approach and pique" anyone so I set up a website that does the attracting, educating, sorting and training for me.
I get to spend time doing what I love the most about networking: Connecting with awesome motivated folks who make it out the other end of the sorting and filtering process.
When I started the website I have now I only purchased a hand full of tools and books. Just enough to give me the basics for what I’m doing and where to start. I spent about $330. That was as much as I was willing to invest before I started making cash flow.
Any other business expenditures would have to come out of that positive cash flow. I've shown others how they could do it for even less.
#4. Putting on a Fake Front.
Many people are making claims that are just plain untrue. Like referring to their sole proprietorship as "we" and making income claims that are unfounded... Doing the wrong things for the wrong reasons.
Although I'm married my business is an "I" business. I work it totally independent of my wife and since I've been marketing online she doesn't even understand how I get paid!
Pretending you're a "guru" or expert right from the beginning is very transparent to most people on either a conscious or subconscious level and it can ruin you before you really start.
Trying to fool your prospective prospects this way will surely back fire on you like it has in the past on me (ouch!) If you're really so desperate for business that you can't take the time to give value first step back and develop your skill sets more.
If you’re a new person, don’t pretend you’re anything else. Create content, products and services fairly for your level of skills and talents. Some network marketers think they must become actors. The business they promote to the world is pure fantasy. Trying to fool your potential prospects in this way will only backfire.
If you’re so desperate for business that you need to lie, cover-up or be evasive you shouldn’t be starting your own business. If you can’t provide real value and get paid fairly for it, don’t play the game of business. Develop your skills a bit more first.
#5. Assuming All Commitments Will Be Honored.
This is like assuming every intimate relationship you ever have will last forever. If that were so, you would marry the first person you’ve ever dated and the divorce rate would be zero! Customers will cancel, prospects won’t show up for follow-ups, companies will change their compensation plan or worse…close on you and your $50k a month income will take a dive.
Some will just out right lie and say it was to spare your feelings. People back out of their promises sometimes for completely dishonorable reasons. They lie and leave you where they are your upline or downline. I’ve made the mistake of believing peoples words instead of carefully watching their actions and got hurt and disappointed.
What’s more important than broken arrangements or abandoned representative agreements are the relationships behind them. It’s the relationship, not the piece of paper, which ultimately enforces those commitments. When I understood this, I focused more on relationships and worried less about what was on paper, and my business went much more smoothly.
Your partner in success, Howie Martell
(This article was written by Howie Martell, for the forum community of global domain international members, august 01 2008)
I've been a networker for 10 years this month and most of it has been failure in many ways. This was due to the mistakes I've made because I was following people who didn't (and still don't) know any better. I've only given myself permission to take full charge of my own business without looking to an upline or down line.
I've seen others do the same mistakes as well. This insightful article is for new network marketer or those who are looking to start.
If you'd like to shave a decade off your learning curve, I suggest you read this in it's entire article
#1. Selling to the Wrong People. We all know sales are important in every business but it doesn't give you license to verbally vomit on everyone you meet, especially friends and family.
Besides, you know selling to people who don't need or want what you have is a waste of their time and yours. Selling to the wrong people includes the notion that everyone is your target market. You should always be concerned about how well your product or service meets the requirements for both you and your customer's/partner's own goals.
I received a phone call from a gentleman we'll call Denny. Denny wanted to join my team, or so he said. I started asking some qualifying questions to discover more about his current situation, his experience in business and his budget for getting started and marketing budget among others.
The answers to those questions lead me to decide weather Denny was a good fit for my team and our model ideal for what he was willing to bring to the table. It worked out that he was not a good fit at this time, even though he had the start up cash, he wasn't in a position to overcome a few other "success blockers" revealed in our interview.
Just because someone is interested in doing business with you doesn't mean you have to accept... learn to recognize and say no to the weak opportunity quickly so you can remain open to receive a golden one.
When you have potential prospects who are uneducated, broke and obsess over every dime they have to spend, and if they want a business but don't know why or if they simply don't understand network marketing well enough and they are not willing to learn, they won't make great recruits in the long run.
The same goes for customers who aren't clear about their wants and needs...they can't possibly make an informed decision about your products/services. You'll learn that some potential prospects are just harder to work with than others.
Practice saying "NO" to less that desirable compromises in the name of making a sale. Let your competition have them. You'll save yourself inevitable grief and many headaches.
If you aren't so "new" to MLM then you may know the feeling of having to foot the bill for a customer and team member already...not fun .
#2. Spending too Much Cash too Soon.
Only spend money when it's going to cost you more NOT to spend it! Don't spend your hard earned money in search of the easy button. I did that for years on training events and tools that were mainly useless and never gave any return on investment. When I got started and in a short spam I spent about 3-4k my first year and the business model still failed. It caused problems in my marriage and my standard of living.
Know the function and purpose of each tool, training, ebook, conference call, software etc, that you purchase and have a definite way to track your own results.
If the numbers don't work out don't spend your money or return it fast if you've already bought it. You just need to pace yourself and have a solid plan. Know all the necessary components to maximize your marketing efforts and add as necessary… never before your ready.
Throwing money at your problems never worked in the past and they won’t work here now either.
#3 Spending to little money.
Spend-thrifts, don't be too tight with your purse strings. Don't let thrifty get in the way of efficiency. Don't be afraid to outsource all the parts of your business that have to get done, but you hate to do.
Remember; only spend money when it will cost you more not to. I don't like having to "approach and pique" anyone so I set up a website that does the attracting, educating, sorting and training for me.
I get to spend time doing what I love the most about networking: Connecting with awesome motivated folks who make it out the other end of the sorting and filtering process.
When I started the website I have now I only purchased a hand full of tools and books. Just enough to give me the basics for what I’m doing and where to start. I spent about $330. That was as much as I was willing to invest before I started making cash flow.
Any other business expenditures would have to come out of that positive cash flow. I've shown others how they could do it for even less.
#4. Putting on a Fake Front.
Many people are making claims that are just plain untrue. Like referring to their sole proprietorship as "we" and making income claims that are unfounded... Doing the wrong things for the wrong reasons.
Although I'm married my business is an "I" business. I work it totally independent of my wife and since I've been marketing online she doesn't even understand how I get paid!
Pretending you're a "guru" or expert right from the beginning is very transparent to most people on either a conscious or subconscious level and it can ruin you before you really start.
Trying to fool your prospective prospects this way will surely back fire on you like it has in the past on me (ouch!) If you're really so desperate for business that you can't take the time to give value first step back and develop your skill sets more.
If you’re a new person, don’t pretend you’re anything else. Create content, products and services fairly for your level of skills and talents. Some network marketers think they must become actors. The business they promote to the world is pure fantasy. Trying to fool your potential prospects in this way will only backfire.
If you’re so desperate for business that you need to lie, cover-up or be evasive you shouldn’t be starting your own business. If you can’t provide real value and get paid fairly for it, don’t play the game of business. Develop your skills a bit more first.
#5. Assuming All Commitments Will Be Honored.
This is like assuming every intimate relationship you ever have will last forever. If that were so, you would marry the first person you’ve ever dated and the divorce rate would be zero! Customers will cancel, prospects won’t show up for follow-ups, companies will change their compensation plan or worse…close on you and your $50k a month income will take a dive.
Some will just out right lie and say it was to spare your feelings. People back out of their promises sometimes for completely dishonorable reasons. They lie and leave you where they are your upline or downline. I’ve made the mistake of believing peoples words instead of carefully watching their actions and got hurt and disappointed.
What’s more important than broken arrangements or abandoned representative agreements are the relationships behind them. It’s the relationship, not the piece of paper, which ultimately enforces those commitments. When I understood this, I focused more on relationships and worried less about what was on paper, and my business went much more smoothly.
Your partner in success, Howie Martell
(This article was written by Howie Martell, for the forum community of global domain international members, august 01 2008)
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