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Getting Started

Getting Started

By R.G. Srinivasan

You have signed up and taken the kit.  Great.  But don’t just rush out and start recruiting.  First and foremost is, one must understand that Network Marketing is all about knowledge.  Paul Zane Pilzer the three times New York Times Best Selling author and economic advisor to two American Presidents describes network marketing as intellectual distribution.  To quote him on the subject “ The fortunes that will be made in the new millennium – at least in the first decade of the new millennium – will be more in the intellectual distribution: educating consumers about products and services that will improve their lives, products and services that they didn’t already know existed.”

Most companies call their distributors as consultants.  And believe me it is not just a grand sounding title.  The true nature of good network marketing companies is to consult clients about the products and tailor solution with the available products to their requirements.

So here are the step by step approaches to getting started.

 

Study the manuals

 

This seems too simplistic.  But this is where most of the network market failures start.  I have seen too many distributors who did not know anything about the product or much about the company. 

Every sign up kit has detailed manuals about the products and business plan.  Start with studying the manuals thoroughly.  There will be many points about the product and business plan which may not be clear from the manuals.  Make detailed notes and ask your sponsor or successful up line consultants about it.  Especially important is to know the history and background of the company itself.  If you do not know everything about the company you work for you may not be able to answer questions of intelligent prospects who would want to know more about the company first. 

 

Attend all Trainings

 

Attend all the orientations programs, trainings and meetings to understand the finer points of the business, the company and products. We may feel by reading the manual we know everything.  But I have notice that every time I attend meetings, I get some finer points by the same trainer.  It is important to attend even the same trainings frequently.  There are also much training on development of personality, leadership trainings and workshops by most companies.  Ignoring these trainings will not help your business at all.  Make sure to attend one program at least every week even if you are part timer.  And ensure your down line team does the same.  In fact set up your meetings prior to training programs in the same venue so that you make your guests and team mates attend the trainings.

 

Use the products

 

This is the second most important reason for network marketing failures.  If you are not a user of the products yourself, I can tell you right now you will never succeed in the business.  If you don’t believe in the products that you are selling, don’t waste your time.  Quit the business right away.

Unless you are an extensive user of the products and explain the benefits in clear terms to your clients, you will not be able to retail the products.  Also being a user and beneficiary of the product features, your explanation will have an emotional content which would surely appeal to the consumers/clients and you would have a higher conversion in retail. 

So use all the products extensively.  Become a loyal consumer first then you will have more loyal consumers.

 

Retail the products

 

Successful network marketing companies are built on retails and not recruitments alone.  If you study the history of companies like Amway, Oriflame, Tupperware etc., you will notice that the business is built on retails and loyalty of the consumers.  Some of the top companies may not have excellent compensation plans but they have the best products and a retail base which is making them and their consultant distributors achieve phenomenal growth. 

A strong retail base gives you money everyday.  Retails also take you to higher levels of achievements in the business plan.  Your success is permanently cemented by the retail base which will create consistent income, unlike recruiting which may see ups and downs.  Most companies have a system and stress on creating a 10 customer a month plan.    Following this will create steady revenue.

 

Recruiting

 

Now this is a key area of networking marketing.  This is also the area most network marketers are most ignorant about.  People believe that recruiting is the be all and end all of network marketing.  And this kind of belief will lead you to disaster.

Of course, recruiting is an important element of network marketing success.  But certain discretion needs to exercised.  We often tend to browbeat people to sign up half heartedly if they are closed friends or indecisive prospects.  Such prospects will never do any of the above important steps of the business and surely end up as failures.  As stressed above this business is all about information.  Take time to recruit new prospects.  Don’t sign up in a hurry to improve your current month’s performance and cheques. 

Present the prospects with every fact that will swing the decision and signing up with a conviction and belief.  Show him the lifestyle of successful people.  Kindle his own aspirations and dreams.  Make him use the products and experience the benefits.  Show him how he will not only benefit himself but how he can help others achieve financial freedom, social status, and a better personality.  In fact you must become a genuine friend be truly concerned of the prospects benefits.  Don’t push him to sign up immediately.  There are instances of prospect signed up months after the first contact emerging as great leaders and accelerate the business to historic highs and making their sponsor millionaires

 

These are some of the basics of getting started in the business.  Network marketing is not just about recruiting and selling but creating an entire new perspective on a lifestyle which everyone dreams about.  It opens out an entire world of opportunities by bringing in you personal changes that no other industry can offer. 

 

About the Author

R.G. Srinivasan is founder of Born To Win Forum. He has an experience of over two decades in sales & marketing and general management functions in India.  He is a certified trainer and consultant in training design & methodologies,  focused on personal effectiveness and motivational training.  He is also the author of ebooks, publishes 2 ezines on success and motivation and Home Business with an international circulation.  His articles are published in more than 50 portals and websites across the world.  He is featured as an Expert Author in Ezinearticles.com .  Check out his home business ezine at http://home-businessleaders.tripod.com