Network Marketing Isn't Perfect

You've heard the spiel...


No boss!
No alarm clock!
Unlimited residual income!
Financial freedom!
Time freedom!
Little to no investment required!
Low risk!


It sure sounds perfect, doesn't it?  Who wouldn't love to work with something like this?  It sounds great!


And it is.  But like everything that sounds too good to be true, there is a catch. 


Network marketing can be hard.


Think about it.  Most of you have probably already joined a Network Marketing company.  You might even still be with them, although many of you have already quit. 


Did you see any of the "unlimited residual income"?  Were you able to quit your job and spend endless hours on the beach living a life of leisure?  Probably not.  Does that mean it's a scam like all people say?  Your friends all laughed at you when you tried to recruit them.  Did they all just know better than you?  Or maybe you just aren't cut out to run your own business.  And besides, network marketing isn't a REAL business anyway.  Isn't it some sort of pyramid scheme?  No wonder it didn't work! 


Let me tell you the secret to network marketing.  That thought process is why you didn't see all the benefits promised.  Because deep in your heart, you don't believe it's a real business.  Deep down inside, you still have doubts that it's a legal, legitimate, profitable business-model.  You aren't sure you are capable of running your own business.  On some level, you may not even be sure you deserve to be that successful.  And you're working with and trying to recruit people who feel the same way.


The world is full of people who think network marketing is a scam.  They've been raised to believe that the only way to be successful is to get a "good" education, get a "good" job, work all the time, save as much as you can, and then retire.  And that used to be true.  But if you look around now, you will see that times have changed.  People with "good" educations and "good" jobs aren't saving enough to retire.  Some aren't even making enough to live well. 


So if network marketing has all these faults, how do some people make BIG money?  Simple.  They broke free of the old mindsets that hold most people back.  They embraced network marketing whole-heartedly.  They went "all in" from the day they joined their companies and never looked back.


They acknowledged that this is a legitimate, legal, and VERY PROFITABLE business model.
They understood that it is a REAL business and like any real business, will require work.


They understood that any business requires an investment - of time, of money, of resources - to succeed.  And so they obtained the tools and training necessary to ensure their success.  They were not afraid to invest their time and money in improving their skills, knowing they would reap the rewards down the road.


They knew that no alarm clock didn't mean they could sit around all day and do nothing.  Most of them still get up early in the morning.  Because businesses don't run themselves.  They are willing to work HARD for 3-5 years so they can live hard and play hard afterwards.


They took responsibility for their own success or failure.  Low risk doesn't mean no risk.  They knew they weren't going to recruit Aunt Sue, Cousin Jimmy, and Brother Bob and then retire.  They knew they had to find the right people, with the same mindset they had.  And then they had to work with their new team and train them and teach them the right way to build their business.  They knew that they had to learn all they could about sales and marketing and their products and the comp plan.  And they knew if they didn't do these things, they would fail but it would be their fault.  Not the company's fault.  Not the product's fault.  Not network marketing's fault.  


These are the people who have built a great business inside network marketing.  No, it's not perfect.  It takes work.  It takes commitment.  It takes investment.  But do you want to know why it's better than anything else?  Because you can do it too.  You just need to embrace the mindset that says it possible.  Then go "all in" until you reach your goals.  Unlimited residual income.  No boss. No alarm clock.  FREEDOM!  Try doing that with your job!


Ready to get started with the best company today?  Let's find out!

How Advertising Network Marketing Will Help Your Business

If you've decided to go into network marketing, advertising is very important!  


And if you have not begun to create a website of your own, you should think about it now. Because hosting, promoting and adding good content to your own internet site or blog is the best way to make a killer advertising, network marketing, lead generation machine! 


There are platforms and tools available today that make it a snap to create an online presence.  I'm going to tell you a bit about my favorites.


The first, of course, is Blogger.  If you are reading this, then you are acquainted with it because it is the platform that hosts this blog.  I've been here since 2007.  And trust me - back then I was about as technologically challenged as they come!  I've gotten a bit better over the years - but I still like simple.  If you do too, then Blogger is the platform for you.  It is free, easy to use, and best of all - it is owned by Google.  That helps with search engine ranking!


Blogger lets you share text, photos, or video.  It has a gadget tool which makes it a breeze to add html code or simple apps to your blog.  You can also create multiple pages.  Blogs will be hosted by Google at heir subdomain of blogspot.com but you can also use a registered custom domain if you have one.  Once you set up your account, you can have up to 100 blogs!  Of course, then you have to consistently maintain 100 blogs...
 
Next is WordPress.  WordPress was first created for the purposes of blogging, but many people realized fast that a WordPress blog can be employed as a totally functional website, on which you can include a blog capability or not.  I do have a WordPress site at MelodieannOnline.  You will notice, however, that it is woefully out of date.  I personally find WordPress more difficult than Blogger.  That does not mean you shouldn't check it out.  It does have some amazing capabilities - which is why I have not completely abandoned it!  You never know - I might just figure it out one day!  WordPress has both free and paid options, depending on what functionality you are looking for.


Last we have SoloBuildIt.  This is my platform of choice for may main websites, Boomer Business Ideas and MelodieannWhiteley.com.  (If you check these out, you may have to be patient while navigating as I just hired someone to give them both a major overhaul!)  I am not going to go indepth about SoloBuildIt  here.  I wrote a post about The BoomerBizCoach Tested and Approved Tool That Makes Online Business Success Doable.


These tools are easy to use to build your site.  But it still has to be promoted just like any website.  It's never going to be found and get traffic if you don't get out onto the web and publicize or promote it.



Forums and other Blogs for Advertising Network Marketing




Take part in forums that permit "do follow" links. This implies that each time you post on a forum relevant to your service or product, you can place a link to your website, and people can click thru and get more info.



 Social Media Sites for Advertising Multi-Level Marketing



Facebook lets you set up a page devoted to your business, and your business actually should ideally be kept separate from your private page.



You can promote your products on Facebook thru paid advertising. The facility Facebook offers for choosing the proper demographics for your network marketing advertising makes it extraordinarily easy to reach your exact target market. 


Video Advertising on YouTube


Though YouTube is a social media site, it is one of the finest places for advertising your network marketing efforts.



All you need is a microphone and a camera, or these days just a quality smartphone, and you will quickly brand yourself and your product and if you do it right, it's the best destination to gain a following and make some sales.



By showing your face, you are effectively branding yourself and if you do it properly you may gain a large following.  Many marketers make thousands of dollars a month from YouTube.



 Article Writing is Extremely Important



Write informative and helpful articles about your product and these can be submitted to article sites. There are some sites that will submit your articles to many article sites at the same time, and these will save everyone a lot of time.



They are the best method to get your articles out onto the web. Each article contains a link to your internet site, so you can get plenty of traffic from them.



Thoroughly chosen keywords from your articles can get picked up by the major search engines and come up in searches, so that they can be great exposure and bring you good traffic.



Why you need to create an advertising network marketing machine is to help generate leads.



Lots and lots of leads. Because leads are the name of the game. Without leads you do not have a business.



There are many different ways to publicize your business, some much more effective than others.  Here's the best advertising network marketing system I have used to literally create leads on demand and build my groups fast.

It Works!

“Network marketing is not a real business. Why would I want to get involved with it?” This is one of my favorite questions. Someone is looking for an inexpensive way to start a part-time business. They think network marketing may fit the bill. But they are afraid it may be too good to be real. It’s your job to show them the many benefits of having a network marketing business.
There are hundreds of reasons to join a network marketing business. You have been downsized and can’t find a new job. You would like to retire but can’t afford to. Your health won’t allow you to continue in your current job and you don’t know what else to do. You would like to spend more time with your children. You have to replace the income of an ailing spouse. Or maybe you’re just tired of working all day for someone half your age that makes 3 times what you do.

These types of programs feature a low upfront investment – usually only a few hundred dollars for the purchase of a product sample kit–and the opportunity to sell a product line directly to the people you know. Most network marketing programs will also ask you to recruit sales reps who will become your downline. As their recruiter, you’re entitled to earn commissions on their sales as well.

Many famous entrepreneurs like Warren Buffett, and Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki are either directly involved in network marketing businesses themselves or recommend it to their followers. And if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me.

Many recognizable brand names – Tupperware, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Avon, Melaleuca, Ariix, Pampered Chef, Thirty-One, Skinny Body Club – fall under the network marketing umbrella. Some of these companies have been in business for years. Melaleuca has been in business for 30 years. And

what woman hasn’t tried or at least heard of Avon? My own mother was a Tupperware representative. She didn’t stick with it very long, but right next door to us was a woman who put three kids through college as a Tupperware representative.


  

Residual Income Secrets from a Home Business Legend

You got attracted to the home business industry for its “sipping out of a coconut money” and walk away residual income.  How has that worked out for you?  Are you living that lifestyle yet?  Don't worry.  Neither are most network marketers. 

The advertisements showed cars, yachts, and beaches, but the masses are still scrambling to afford beer and peanuts. Why is that?  Was it all a lie? Are the whispers true?  Network marketing really is just a scam? 

Nope!  It's just that most people involved in MLM focus on recruiting not retention.  But retention is where the money is!

This Wednesday industry legend Diane Hochman shows you her simple secrets to CUSTOMER DEVELOPMENT… More using a few simple tools and fun techniques.

The secret to residual income is NOT getting em...its KEEPING them.

Do not miss this totally FREE webinar!

Wed, Jun 14, 2017 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM CDT.

Register here! 

See you there!

Get The Facts About MLM!

MLM, otherwise known as Network Marketing.  It's illegal.  It's a pyramid scheme.  It's a scam.  Nobody ever makes any money. 

So-called network marketing "opportunities" have been shut down by the government for taking advantage of people who just want to build a decent future for their families.  Others have been forced to pay huge fines just to keep from being shut down or having their owners sent to jail. 

I'm sure you've heard all of this, and more, about the MLM industry.  But is it all really true?  Let's get the facts about MLM.

First I should tell you I have been involved in the industry for over 20 years.  So I would say I have some experience in the business.  Yes, I have made money - GOOD money!  No I am not a millionaire.  Nor do I pretend to be.  And before you use that fact to justify one more "fact" about network marketing, let me tell you that it's my own fault that I'm not.  You see I once believed all those "facts."  I had gotten involved in a business opportunity out of pure desperation.  But because I always felt like it wasn't a "real" business, that I was somehow doing something unethical or even illegal, I didn't actually do any work to be successful for many years. 

Fortunately, through research and experience, I learned differently.  I now know that there is nothing illegal, unethical or immoral about it.  The truth is that it's a great business model that gives everyone - even the "little guy" a true shot at financial freedom.  So let me give you the REAL facts about MLM.

1.  It's not a pyramid scheme.  Sure pyramid schemes do exist.  And there are plenty of scams to be found online.  But you can find scams and schemes anywhere that dishonest people think they can make a quick dollar without actually having to work for it. These companies do eventually get caught and shut down - with all the requisite publicity.  But for every one of them, there are hundreds if not thousands of legitimate, reputable network marketing companies.  MLM companies have real products that representatives are encouraged to sell.  In fact, we have to sell them or we don't make any money. So yes, you will be expected to make sales.  MLM companies sell everything from cosmetics, clothes, and jewelry to skin care, weight loss, and nutritional products to cookware, travel, and phone plans.  In fact, you can purchase almost anything you buy at your local mall through an MLM or direct sales company.  The only difference is that when you purchase from a MLM rep, you are helping to put food on the table of someone JUST LIKE YOU instead of adding more money to the bottom line of a major corporation. And in many cases the products are of a much higher quality and a much lower cost than what is sold in your local department store.  (More about how that's possible at a later date).

2.  Anyone can make a decent living with an MLM business.  It all depends on how hard you want to work.  It's just like any other business.  If I open a restaurant, or a childcare service, or a flower shop and then don't promote my business and don't try to sell my products or services, I am not going to make any money.  I might sell a little bit to family and friends, but if I don't advertise and market and look for new customers every day, I won't be successful.  And you have to be willing to learn how to do that effectively.  There's good marketing and very bad marketing.  Why do you think every franchise makes all of their new owners do things the way they want?  Because they have found out what works.  In network marketing, you won't be told what you have to do.  It's your business.  But you will be offered lots of opportunities to learn.

3.  You will be expected to recruit others into the business.  Yes, we get bonuses for recruiting other reps.  But if you think we can live off that without product sales, you are sadly mistaken.  And where do you think the money comes from to pay those bonuses anyway?  Product sales! 

Is it hard to recruit others?  Not once you learn how to do it properly.  Do you REALLY have to?  No.  You can be content with what you make on your own product sales.  But this is where one of the big benefits of network marketing comes in.  It's called LEVERAGE.  Say I have to make 10 sales to make $1000.  That means I have to find 10 new customers for every $1000 I make.  If I'm making $10,000 a month, that's 1000 new customers I have to find EVERY MONTH! 

Now suppose I have recruited 5 people on my team.  I still get $1000 for every 10 sales I make.  But I also get $200 for every 10 sales my team makes.  So suppose we have a really good month and we all made 1000 sales.  Instead of $10,000, I now have made $110,000.  With no more work on my part than it took to make $10,000.  And if something happens and I am sick or I have a family emergency and can't make my 10 sales, I will still earn some income from the sales my team made. Will I always make that kind of money?  No.  Just like any other business, there will be good months and bad ones.  You will have go-getters on your team who will make lots of sales and you will have some that don't do anything.  But the potential is there.  And the bigger your team, the greater the opportunity for money!

By the way, the concept of leverage has made lots of companies very wealthy.  Think about McDonald's.  Do you think they would be the company they are today if they didn't get a piece of the pie from every McDonald's franchise out there?  Same concept.

4.  You will be expected to pay an enrollment fee.  You are buying a business.  Do you think that McDonald's gave away those franchises for free?  This is a legitimate business model.  Expect to treat it like one!  How much?  That depends on the company.  I have seen as low as $30 to as high as several thousand.  The wonderful thing is that there are companies with enrollment fees to fit almost any budget.  Some companies even have a range of prices, depending on what you want and can afford. 

5.  This is your own business.  You will be subject to taxes and laws just like any other business.  Your company will provide you with materials and training but you will be expected to do your own marketing and recruiting.  They will probably have some ground rules that tell you what you can and can't do when representing them.  Things like no fraudulent claims, or charging more for enrollment fees than the company dictates.  If you expect to grow very large, you will have to learn all the things it takes to manage a business.

6.  You can work at your own pace.  Many of us started part-time until we built a large enough business that we could just work it full-time.  There are no quotas to meet.  Only your paycheck which will directly reflect the amount of work you put in.  There are no set hours.  When I started, I worked rotating shifts so sometimes I worked my business during the day.  And sometimes I worked while most others were sleeping.  Not always easy back then.  Today, with the internet, you can learn how to be promoting your products and business 24/7...even while you sleep.

7.  You don't need a big office or special equipment or certain skills.  Most of us started out of our homes.  I worked mostly from my living room or bedroom.  And all it takes is your kit from your company and effort.  A computer or smart phone makes things easier, but I didn't have any of those when I started.  Heck they didn't even exist!  (Oops, did I just give away my age?!)  Anyone can do this.  I have an 18 year old college student on my team.  And I have a 74 year old grandmother.  And every age in between.  I have stay at home moms, lawyers, teachers, a hairdresser, a fitness instructor, and even a used-car salesman on my team.  Anyone can do this if they are willing to work and learn.

8.  This is a real business.  Which means you will qualify for all of those home business tax deductions!

9.  The income potential is limitless.  You can make as much or as little as you choose.  It all depends on the amount of time and effort you put into building your team and your business.  The network marketing industry has created more millionaires than any other industry.  Can you be one of them?  That depends on you!

10.  MLM will give you freedom.  Financial freedom.  Time freedom.  And that is more important to me than the fact that I'm not a millionaire - yet!  I have time to spend with my family.  Time to enjoy the things I want to do.  And time to keep building my business so that one day I too will be a network marketing millionaire!

A Network Marketing System Is Critical to Success

Every day tons of people join a network marketing opportunity with the expectation of making money working just a few hours a week from home. Sadly by the end of approximately 3 months in business, three quarters of these people will give up, often worse off than when they started.

It's sad but it is true. The worst of it is, it just doesn't have to be that way! The most significant difference between success and failure in network marketing often is just not finding an effective network marketing system that may do the great majority of the work and ease lots of the burden.

Tools Are Not a Network Marketing System

Many new network marketing entrepreneurs confuse tools with systems, and this may be a costly mistake. They think that tools are a marketing system, but that just isn't true.

A good network marketing system will employ a number of different tools, but any tool will be absolutely useless unless it is a part of a fully integrated series of processes which are built to achieve a measurable result.

As an example, your company may give you a wonderful DVD presentation guaranteed to generate interest in your product, service or opportunity.

Yet this DVD is truly just a tool and worthless without a system a sequence of processes engineered to get the DVD in the hands and DVD players of prospects who might have an interest in learning more.

The top earner in your company could offer the most awesome webinar as a sponsoring tool. But who is going to watch it if you do not have a system in place for telling people about it, and providing a technique for those interested to register and thereby leave their contact information so you can follow up.

Below Is an Example of a Network Marketing System

A system is a collection of processes designed to produce a particular result.

A good network marketing system, then, could be a complete A-Z process for lead generation using organic search engine methods composed of these steps:

A target market must be identified by using precise tools to analyze that market, and those folks should have a want for your service or opportunity. For example, "retired salespeople".

The exact words, phrases and expressions used within a selected niche need to be researched using key phrase research tools. As an example "network marketing opportunities".

Then you will use the tool to discover how much competition there is for those keywords. This particular tool will measure how many web sites, blog posts, articles and probably ads there are competing for those keywords.

Articles should then be written addressing people's issues, with their solutions, either by you or by an outsourced writer.

Manually submit articles to article lists and/or use tools to distribute articles to article directory sites.

Article marketing should be performed by employing pings, social bookmarking tools or by securing high PR backlinks.

This shows the steps that are contained in a complete online network marketing system. It is a series of steps designed to produce a desired result. In this example these steps have been brought to get a new webpage to rank in the search engine results pages, using keywords that are directed especially at a target audience.

When the system is followed the result will be a torrent of very targeted traffic to your internet site where you would also have in place another series of steps, or system to gain the interest of your prospects, which should lead them to opt in and receive more info about your product or opportunity.

Turnkey Network Marketing System

Obviously the fastest way to success is by finding an entirely integrated network marketing system which will produce all of the results for which you are looking. Do be certain you are simply not making an investment in yet one more stand-alone tool that'll be absolutely ineffective if it does not work within your system.

There is one that we do recommend!.

So Just How Clever Are Those Network Marketing Rockstars?

Do all successful network marketing leaders know something that we don't know? Are there certain insider systems that only the heavy hitters know which haven't been disclosed?        

News Flash: MLM leaders do not have some kind of hidden secret that they share within a clandestine order of other MLM leaders.

What they have got in common is how they have got to where they are right now. And just how did they get there?        

Their business is a business - which sounds easy. They know that starting and managing a business successfully is a major matter. Everything they do to push and move their business along they treat as an investment in their future financial security, even if at first they only make a small amount of money! These people are what are referred to as entrepreneurs. That's the secret they share. They're industrious, stalwart, patient and insistent.        

 Network marketing leaders start at the beginning with a goal under consideration. They know exactly where they are going and have plans to get there.

They have written goals and a written plan. And they are realistic enough to understand that success is not going to happen overnight.

They are ready to work hard and do whatever is necessary and suitable to achieve success.

Moneymaking network marketing enterprises do take a long time to build, and the top producers had the experience to understand when the right opportunity was presented to them, and then they put all their efforts into it. Endurance pays. Forget the percentages. Forget the reversals, just learn from them.

MLM leaders work tough. Many of them say they telecommute, but regularly spend many days off from home.

Most of them like to give the impression that they do not work very hard, when in fact they eat, live and breathe their enterprises.

The most outstanding leaders in the sector understand that recruiting and sponsoring is the basic way to earn money, therefore they can spend eighty to 90 of their time prospecting. That's the whole network marketing business structure.

You get paid for selling goods, and there's only so much product you can sell yourself, so by having a large team of distributors beneath you also selling products, you are leveraging those other people's time to your benefit.

Have you got what it takes to become an MLM leader? "Of course I do", you say. But think about that.

Do you have the tenacity to invest your time and spend perhaps five years creating a business? Are you dedicated enough to commit your time each day towards promoting and moving your business forward?

Do you have a destination under consideration? A goal? How about a written plan?

How does you propose to sell the products, service and business opportunity and train your new team to do the same?

What will you do if the economy takes a dip or if your company shuts their doors? What's your plan B?

It would seem that if there is a secret to becoming a top network marketing leader, it's knowing how to be a business person. These people will overcome all stumbling blocks to achieve success. Their main focus is always on marketing and improving their firms. On a day-to-day basis they will be preparing or promoting their opportunity to others and planning maybe a year ahead.

The best MLM leaders are concerned about the success of their groups too.  They understand that their down line's success can benefit everyone concerned.        

Are you an entrepreneur, and could you shoulder this responsibility?

If you think you have what it takes, let's talk.  Click here and we'll schedule a time to see if you could be the next network marketing rockstar.  Who knows?  I might even ask you to join my team!

Am I Able To Make Cash with an MLM Home Based Business?

A question from a subscriber prompted today's blog post.  Am I REALLY able to make money with a network marketing home based business?  YES!

Each day legions of people decide to start their own home based MLM businesses.

It costs very little to start up, there is not much risk involved, and the business model has been proven to work - and work well.

What You Need to Know about Beginning an MLM Business from Home

If you would like to know the hard facts about MLM, there are lots of points to consider.

If a sponsor tells you that you will get rich quick, this isn't true. You will have to work really hard at the beginning to build your business. True, a successful sponsor who has been in the business for many years might have forgotten all the hours of labor involved when starting. But I promise you, if they are successful, they did the work.  You must be prepared to do so also.

There are only roughly thirty MLM companies which have been around for more time than about ten years. There's definitely not much wrong with the business model as these thirty or so companies have proved. The ones that failed either didn't set up their businesses correctly in the beginning or were using questionable business practices.

The ones that failed did so for two main reasons. The major reason for failing is the quality or desirability of the product, and the second reason is usually that the compensation plan did not work.

MLM Home Based Business Due Diligence

Prior to starting any MLM home based business you must inspect the company's compensation plan rigorously. Understand it completely and raise questions. Understand the system that they use. Many compensation plans have names like matrix and binary, so be certain that you understand exactly what these terms mean.

Inspect the product. Raise questions and investigate whether it is well publicized, and ask yourself if it is something that is of high quality and not something that may be bought less expensive from a local store. Also, what is the likelihood or recurring orders?  Is the product a consumable that will be reordered regularly?  Will people wish to buy the product in 10 years time? If they do not, then the product and your business will both vanish. Is the product line constantly being updated with new products to keep current with market demand?   

If you have a company to mind, get on forums and find other people to chat to who work for that company.

You'll have to look out for people who've failed though. The attrition rate is particularly high in any MLM business, usually because people think they are going to earn money from the first day, or they don't put in any effort.  When these people fail, they can become very vocal about claiming the company or the business model itself is a scam. Rather than admit their own failure to do the work necessary, they have a tendency to look for something or someone to blame.   

What It All Comes Down To

If you would like a successful home-based MLM business you will have to work diligently, find out about your product and company and commit lots of time to your business. It's very important that you find out everything about the business before investing your precious money and valuable time into it.

It's also necessary that you've a business plan, which should ideally include a sales and marketing plan, one for the product and one marketing your opportunity even before you sign that check. There are two ways to earn money in MLM. One is to sell product. The other is to sign up others to do exactly the same as you.

If you don't have a plan, you will never make it happen.

Essentially lead generation is going to be the most time-consuming part of your MLM business. Are you capable of building a domain and do you understand internet based marketing? Do you know how to push traffic to your website?

How are you going to advertise? Will you take part in a company or a team financed advertising cooperative? How much are you willing to invest in your business? How much time are you prepared to provide your downline team in the way of coaching and advice?    

All these questions must be addressed during your due diligence and done long before you sign on the dotted line. This preliminary investigation and fact finding will be the most significant difference between owning a successful MLM home business or one of the many that fails within a few months.

Do you need more network marketing tips?  Sign up for my newsletter!  And get a Facebook Ad cheat sheet just for subscribing!

Are you looking for a great network marketing opportunity?  Check out the company I work with.

They Laughed at Me

Network marketing? Are you crazy?

Aren’t those illegal?

No one makes any money with network marketing. Everyone knows it’s just a rip off!

That’s just a scam!

These are just a few of the reactions I have gotten when presenting my business opportunity to prospects. And although it doesn’t happen often, I admit that when it does, it can be frustrating and discouraging.

And it’s worse when it comes from a family member or friend. They KNOW what you do. They have

seen that it works. They should know I care about their well-being and want to see them succeed. 

And yet the questions come and then the ridicule. It’s like being slapped in the face.

There are hundreds of reasons to join a network marketing business.  You have been downsized and

can’t find a new job. You would like to retire but can’t afford to. Your health won’t allow you to continue in your current job and you don’t know what else to do. You would like to spend more time with your children. You have to replace the income of an ailing spouse. Or maybe you’re just tired of working all day for someone half your age that makes 3 times what you do.

When David Letterman asked Donald Trump what he would do if he had to start over, the answer
amazed me. He said, “I would find a good network marketing company and get to work."  Now, you
may not like his politics or some of his actions, but you have to admit one thing.  Donald Trump
knows how to make money.



Many other famous entrepreneurs like Warren Buffett, and Rich Dad Poor Dad author Roberrt
Kiyosaki are also either directly involved in network marketing businesses themselves or recommend it to their followers.  And if it’s good enough for Donald and Warren and Robert, it’s good
enough for me.


Sure, there are bad companies out there with questionable practices.  That's true of ANY business.  And for every one that is skating along the edge of ethical, legal practices, there are plenty of legitimate companies with amazing products and that are dedicated to helping their representatives succeed. 

Network marketing can help you transform your life. Do you have dreams? Do you have the persistence, perseverance, patience, and discipline to realize them? Yes? Then the power to change your life is in your hands.

I can’t promise you it will be easy. In fact, I can guarantee you that in the beginning there will be days you want to quit. That’s just the nature of starting a business – any business, not just network marketing. I can also promise though that if you don’t give up, you will be successful.

So, now I let them laugh at me.  But I don't bother to laugh aat them.  I'm too busy running my business!

Wear Your Pajamas to Work!

April 16 is National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day.  And yes, I'm sitting here in my PJ's and drinking a cup of coffee while I write this.  But it wasn't always that way.


When Mom passed away in 2000, Dad was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.  I knew he would not be able to take care of himself but no problem.  He had his pension and social security.  We would bring him to Arkansas and find him a nice assisted living facility that he could stay in close to us.  I will spare you the horror stories of nursing home care and assisted living facilities.  (Nothing like calling to see how your dad is and being told that he is missing!).  I'm sure there are wonderful facilities available - if you can pay for them.  But we felt we had no other choice but to care for him at home. And so my venture into the work-at-home world began.


I tried several different work at home "opportunities", until I finally found a legitimate business that let me work out of my home.  I went to work for one of the largest site selection and event planning companies in the world.  Everything was going well.  And then 9/11/2001 came and a recession and companies stopped having meetings. I continued in the business for a few more years.  But I was having to leave home - and my dad - more often to get business and even then I still wasn't getting the business I needed.  Meetings were still smaller and less frequent than when I started.  Except for one group of clients I had picked up by chance - the internet marketers.  Not only were they still having events, they were having more and more events all the time.  Then I was invited to attend one of these events by a client.  Curious to see what they were all about, I went.  And it was the decision that started everything and changed my life.


It was at the jvAlert event in Orlando that I met Ken McArthur and his friends.  And I discovered that contrary to what I thought, you don't have to be a business major to start a home business.  You don't have to be rich or super-smart or know all the "right" people.  All you have to be is determined and willing to work and willing to learn. And Ken and friends were willing to teach.  I learned all I could from them and took it back home.  And started making a better life for me and my family.  I stayed with the event planning company a while longer, but thanks to the marketing ideas I picked up from my new found friends, I didn't have to leave home as much.  I also rejoined a couple of those "opportunities" I had tried earlier - only this time I knew how to make them work.  I discovered affiliate marketing.  And I discovered there were a lot of people just like me that needed a way to bring in some extra money or actually make a living with a business of their own.  That's when I decided to show others how to do what I do.


Today, I am very involved in network marketing with a fabulous company called Ariix.  I love the network marketing industry - so much so that I have written a book about it that is scheduled to be published later this year!  Yes, I do have other ventures like coaching and Bob's store.  But my passion is for the network marketing industry because of its ability to help ordinary people change their lives.


So now I ask you.  Do you want the freedom to set your own schedule?  Do you want to be able to spend time making memories with your family before it's too late?  Do you want to wear your pajamas to work?  Then contact me.  Because the only thing I love more than building my network marketing business is helping you build yours!

Network Marketing Terms

When Noah Webster was creating his dictionary, I'm sure he never dreamed of word like these!  Some of the terms used in network marketing can be confusing to new team members.  Here’s a short glossary of some of the more common ones.

Autoresponder:  A program such as Aweber that responds to an e-mail or other inquiry without human intervention.

Business Builder:  A team member who is actively gathering customers and building his own team.

Circle of Influence:  Friends and family.  People who are close to you and considered part of your warm market.  People who might be easily influenced by you because of your reputation.

Depth:  The number of levels in your Network Marketing organization.

Downline:  The people recruited as distributors into a network marketing company.  

Duplicatability:  The extent to which a Network Marketing opportunity can be easily understood and implemented by new team members.

Renewal Fee:  A yearly fee paid to a Network Marketing company in order to maintain your status as a distributor.

Saturation:  The theoretical point at which a network marketing company runs out of potential customers and recruits.

Sponsor:  A distributor in a Network Marketing company who recruits and trains another distributor.

Three-way or Three-way call:  A recruiting call between a new recruit, his sponsor, and a new prospect.  When a new recruit needs has a new prospect, he will three-way his sponsor or another experienced upline member into the call.  The sponsor will do the business presentation and the recruit listens and learns.

Upline:  All of the people above you in a network marketing organization

Networking Marketing Tip - Buying Leads is a Waste of Money

I've been involved in network marketing for years. Melaleuca, Amway, and countless others. I jumped from one opportunity to the next, spending a few months in each one.  I made very little money.  In fact, sometimes I LOST money.  Nothing worked for me. I was beginning to believe that network marketing was just one big scam - until I learned the proper way to build a business.

One of my team members called me last night to ask if I was interested in partnering with her on purchasing some leads. They were a little expensive, but they were "qualified" leads so they had to be good. And she wanted to buy several hundred so she could get the best deal. But she couldn't afford to and besides she'd never call all of them. That's why she wanted to share.

I can promise you - buying leads doesn't work. I have bought lots of leads over the years. I have made hundreds of calls every week. Want to know how many people I actually enrolled in anything that way? Two.

No fun. This is what frightens people away from network marketing. Either you shove the business down the throat of everyone you know. Or you spend lots of money and countless hours buying and calling leads to people that really have no interest in your business. They are looking for that "get rich overnight without any effort" business that doesn't exist and they fill out every form on every website for information.

So how do you find team members and/or customers? Simple. Make them come to you. Once you can do that, you've got it made. How do you make them do that? You have to understand some basic principles.

First, you are not selling your business or products. You are selling yourself. How do I know this is true? Easy. I have watched successful network marketers move from one business to another and take their entire downlines with them.  Sometimes these people didn't know anything about the business they were joining.  But they went anyway.  They weren't following the business.  They were following their leader.  They were making the move simply because their leader said it's a good thing.

Second, people follow leaders. If you are not a leader, you need to learn how to become one - soon. I'm not saying there isn't a place for followers. Sometimes we all need to follow and without followers we wouldn't need leaders. But if you want to build a successful team, you have to take the lead.

Third, leaders are valuable people and the more valuable you are to others, the more they will seek you out.

If you aren't bringing any value to your team, why should they join you? "But I haven't been in the business that long", you say. "What value can I bring?" Fortunately, you can learn the skills to become a person of value no matter what business opportunity you are in. I'll tell you how in a minute.

Two steps are necessary to becoming a successful network marketer. Education and marketing. You must become the leader and increase your value. That's the education part. Then you must learn to show your prospects just how valuable you are. That's called marketing.

Now I promised you I would share with you how to learn much of what you need to know to become a leader in network marketing. You can learn it the same way I did. Mike Dillard, one of the (if not THE) most successful network marketer of all time, has a fabulous course. I took it and it changed my life. It's called "Magnetic Sponsoring." It will teach you how to attract endless new business partners and customers to you. It's how I teach everyone on my team to build their businesses. Those that follow these principles excel. It's how I bring value to my team - by sharing what I've learned. You can learn these secrets one of three ways. 

1. Join my team and I'll teach you myself. Email me here if you're interested and I'll be in touch.

2. Join my mailing list. I'll send you all kinds of good stuff to help you build your business and I promise not to overload your inbox or share your information with anyone...ever!  You can sign up here.

3. Join my free Facebook Group, Ninja Marketers. Tips, advice, challenges...all designed to help you learn the skills you need to build your business. 

Network Marketing Tip of the Week - How can I convince my friends and family I'm not crazy?

I get asked this question all of the time and so I'm going to address it again. Network marketing is perfectly legal. It is not a pyramid scheme. It is not a scam. It can make you lots of money.

Yes, there are illegal pyramid schemes out there. Yes, there are scams in abundance. And no, I can't guarantee you will become wealthy in my business opportunity - or any other network marketing opportunity.

If you listen to all of they naysayers, they would have you believe that every network marketing business in the world is just another opportunity for you to lose your money. And yet there are hundreds of people making a decent living everyday with Amway, Avon, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, USANA, Melaleuca, and NuSkin - just to name a few. What? These aren't all network marketing business opportunities? Of course they are. Any business that rewards you for building a team underneath you is network marketing.

Why do people have such a negative view of this industry? It's very likely they have tried it and failed. And once that happens people are convinced it's because they are all scams. They fail to realize that it's like any other business. You will get out of it what you put into it. How many people did they show the business plan to? One? Two? Then someone laughed at them or they got tired of hearing no and they became embarrassed to admit they were in network marketing and they quit. How many people did they show the products to? I'll bet they were even less enthusiastic about that. They came into the business thinking they were just going to build this tremendous downline and not have to actually sell any of the products.

Will all network marketers become wealthy? No. But then you aren't going to become wealthy doing what you are already doing either. If you were, you would be rich by now! Network marketing has created more millionaires than any other industry. Can you say that about your job? And what if you don't get rich? Is that so important? I got started in my business so I could have some spare income. Gas is almost $4.00/gallon. Food is climbing higher everyday. Jobs are still hard to find, in spite of the improving economy. If you could make an extra $800 - $1000 every month, would that help? Of course it would!

I have written about warning signs that indicate an opportunity may be a pyramid or other scam. Check them out before you join any business. Then once you sign up, get to work! Don't worry about the naysayers. If they can't see the benefits of your opportunity, thank them for their time, SHOW THEM YOUR PRODUCTS and ask if they will become a customer, ask them for a referral to someone who might be interested in either your business or your products, then say "NEXT" and move on! Don't try to bully them into joining, don't keep bothering them once they've said no - just thank them for their time and move on to your next prospect.

The best way to show people that network marketing is real is to become successful yourself. How do I recruit people now? When they ask me what I'm doing for a living, I tell them. When they comment on the fact that it's only May and my husband and I have had two vacations already this year, I tell them how we pay for that. When a friend laughingly said she wished she could have money like I have so she could eat out as often as my husband and I do, I tell her how we are able to afford to. And then they either get it or they don't. If they do - great! Sign 'em up! If not, they never will. NEXT!

Network Marketing Tip of the Week - Overcoming Objections

I've found that there are three big objections that frequently come up when I show prospects my network marketing business overview.


1. I don't have the money.

2. I don't have the time.

3. I want to do it but I can't right now.

This is assuming everything else fits. They have the need and I have the opportunity that can help them. They like me and trust me and we are both excited about the possibilities. But then an objection bomb falls. So what do I do? First of all, it's important for me, the professional, to understand the nature of the objection. And the first fact about all three objections is that they almost always aren't true. Almost every time. They are just excuses to cover fear and uncertainty. For instance: I don't have the money now really means I'm afraid to spend the money without knowing I'll really get it back. What if I fail?

I don't have the time now really means I'm not sure I want to give up time I spend on other things unless I'm sure this will really work.

I'm not ready or able now means I'll never really be ready or able because I'm afraid to take a risk without proof that I can do this.

During my Navy career, part of my physical training was an obstacle course. And one of the obstacles was a ten foot wall. The reality was that the wall was ten feet high. I remember thinking I'd never get over it. It was too high. I'd fall off and hurt myself or embarrass myself in front of my shipmates. And then our company commander told us that it was time to go over the wall. And he really had no interest in our reasons why it was impossible. "It's a ten foot wall. Now go over the wall." So we put our heads together and in just a few minutes (no kidding!), amazingly to me, we found a way to get over the wall. And this is exactly how a potential business partner looks at working with you. They see a fee, a commitment of time and a challenge that they have never faced before - a ten foot wall. So the immediate knee-jerk reaction is to panic and start making excuses. And the worst mistake you can make is to let them.

"Yes,that wall is too high. You're right, it's impossible to get over. I understand how hard it is, so let me call you back in a few months and see if you're ready to get over the wall then." I promise you, they won't be ready. Again, assuming the work or project is right for them and they will gain a real benefit from working with you, then it is simply irresponsible to buy into their excuses. You are definitely not serving their best interests if you "just let it slide."

So what do you say instead? You tell them the truth:

"This is something you really want to do, right?"

"Yes it is"

"And if we do this, you agree that it will make a huge difference in your life, correct?"

"Yes, it will."

"Then I'd like you to make a commitment to move forward. And when you do that, we'll work together to find a way to pay for it (or fit it into your schedule or get past your uncertainty). Are you willing to do that?"

"Well, I'm not sure. What if I can't pay for it (or find the time or get past my uncertainties)?" "Let's do this: You make the commitment and I promise we'll find a way to make it work. The worst that could happen is that things will get delayed a little while. But I know when you make the commitment, we can make it happen."

"OK, let's do it!"

Will it always go like this? Can you use this script verbatim? What if they accuse you of pressuring them? What if they tell you never to darken their doorway again? All I can tell you is that if you make the commitment to take a stand for the truth about the difference this opportunity will make for your prospects (and don't back down when they make excuses), you will have a partner who puts themselves completely in your hands and produces a magnificent outcome. Give it a shot. What's the worst that could happen? !

I need your input

I'm sitting in my office with a small case of the "blahs." You know that feeling right? I have tons of stuff to do and little desire to do it. I woke up at 5:30 this morning and I'm tired. And I'm not so sure that I haven't lost sight of some of my goals and I'm not confident that I'm making progress.

So where did I get off track? I was moving along just fine, getting more excited every day and then ...Something hit. In my case it was the air conditioner, the washing machine and the lawn mower all breaking in the same week. Then all the rain we've been having must have eroded some of the soil in on our land because a tree fell over and destroyed part of our fence. And my husband just announced he may be transferred to Fresno, CA.

Doesn't it ALWAYS happen this way....You are going along just fine and something just blows up in your face and that carefully planned goal gets forgotten.

So the real question is ...Now that I know that I'm off-track, what do I do about it and how can I keep it from happening again? Well, the first step is to remember what your main goal is. In my case that goal is to ..."Make a decent living while helping as many people as I possibly can achieve their own goals for a quality life." But, wait. I have to admit that I am making a decent living, at least in my own estimation. So have I achieved my goal? Is that why I feel so lost? Is it time to change my goal? Of course not. I just need to fine tune my goal. You see, my original goal was written long before I learned anything about how to set SMART goals. What is a "decent living." Who gets to decide? How will I know when I make it?

A goal is a clear, concise statement - specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and has a time limit. So let's see what we can do with that original goal to make it better. Ready? How about "Earn $200,000 this year" or "Make $40,000 a month by the end of 2008." Better? Okay. That's part one. Now for the second part - "help as many people as possible achieve their own goals." This one could be a little trickier. How will I know if I've helped as many people as I can? How will I know I couldn't have helped just one more if I had worked harder? Is there any way to make this a SMARTer goal? Probably not. So you know what. It's not a goal. Perhaps it should be part of my personal mission statement. (What? You don't have your own mission statement? Shame on you! We'll work on that in a different post.).

Okay, so my new financial goal now reads: Make $30,000 a month by the end of 2008. Good goal. I'm feeling more focused already!

Step two. When you've lost focus and you've reexamined your goals, your not finished. Because just rewriting or remembering your goals isn't going to help you get back on track. You have to look at your strategy for achieving your goals. So how am I going to make $30,000 per month? I have my site selection business. That does well. But with the current economic situation, many meetings are being cancelled or scaled back so the chances of making $30,000 per month with that is not good. I have my Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing business. That does great. And it's growing. It could conceivably make $30,000 per month. But probably not by the end of 2008. Then there's the money I make from my affiliate programs. They all bring a little. And the "Travels with Bob" website is almost ready for launch. These are all good businesses. But none of them will make $30,000 a month by the end of 2008.

So what's the answer? Multiple sources of income. Alone - none of these will help me make my goal. But together I will more than achieve it. That was part of my sense of failure. I was focusing on one business to take me all the way. And then I talked to one of my mentors who reminded me that $30,000 is $30,000 whether it's all from one business or $10,000 each from several businesses.

Now, running several enterprises at once can be time consuming. And since one of my other goals is to spend more time with my husband, daughter, and grandchildren, that could cause conflict. So I also need to come up with some passive, recurring, and residual income. I will need to look at automating more of the processes on "Bob's" website. And maybe it's time to hire an assistant to help with some of the clerical and administrative tasks. And then I really need to share Fortune with as many people as possible. Network marketing is one of the greatest sources for passive residual income!

I'm so excited! I feel a new burst of energy. I think I'm back on track. In fact, I'm so excited that I almost forgot what I originally wanted to post about. I've been thinking of writing a book. I've got a title."Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise - A Woman's Guide to Becoming Physically, Financially, and Spiritually Fit". And you can help me write it. I need some specific input from you. If I've helped any of you in any way, I need to hear about it. Why? Well, it's not for my ego -- although I have at least as much ego going as the next person. It's because I need to know what things I am doing to reach my goals actually WORK! It's OK if you want to e-mail me and tell me that nothing has worked for you yet...But ...That's not the purpose of this post. What I am looking for is specific information, tools or techniques that I have personally given you that helped you towards a better life. I'm really looking for specific results. The more specific the better. If you have benefited from something that I've shared with you, please take a moment, hit the comment button and let me know specifically what it was. I'll be able to see what is working for you and that will help me help others.