Network Marketing Leadership - What is it and How Do you Get It?

Let me start out by warning you that some of what you read here may go against the grain of what you‘re currently being taught. Some of this may actually come as a bit of a shock, but as you read on, hopefully things will pull together for you and start to make sense…just like it did for me when I first learned these principles.

We already know that there is a 95% failure rate in the industry. We also know that of the 5% who make it, many of them make it big, I mean real BIG. Of course, none of us get started in a home-based business with the idea that we will fail. We all start out with a belief that we can do this too…just like others before us have done. And, we can, but we need to know how. So, in order to protect ourselves and ensure that we succeed, doesn’t it make sense to find out what the big money earners are doing different from the 95%ers?

Everyone knows what a leader is…someone who is looked up to, someone with skills and abilities that has everyone else mesmerized, someone people follow, somebody others seek out. Okay, so the question is, how do you become a leader?

Well the first thing is learning the difference between networking and marketing. Once you know that, then you need to know what order to do them in. Let me explain…

In almost every MLM company training you will hear things like…

Make a list of at least 100 people you know.
Talk to your friends, neighbors and relatives.
Use the 3-foot rule - talk to everyone who is within 3-feet of you.

Have you ever heard those? I bet you have. These activities are what networking is all about. Networking is when you approach someone else first with your product or opportunity. Now, networking can work for your business if it is done correctly and at the right time.

We’re all familiar with Newton’s Law of Motion which states, For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Think about that for a minute. Could this be the very reason you’re struggling? Let me ask you, if you were to chase someone, what would they do? They would run from you right? Right. Well that’s what happens when you approach someone about your product or opportunity. Because you are approaching them, they perceive you to be someone who is needy and is after them (or their money)…and so they flee, they run from you and you are left wondering what in the world you‘re doing wrong. However, if they approach you first, it’s a whole different story. They want what you have to offer, they are seeking you out, they look to you as an expert in the field. If you can get that to happen in your business, that is the real secret to success.

And, that is where marketing comes in.

Now there are several different types of marketing. Some are more successful than others. Some cost you money and others cost you nothing but your time. Often times, when a person runs out of people to approach about their home-based business opportunity or their products, they are told to start running newspaper classified ads, or maybe distribute flyers and buy some leads from the big lead companies…they’re all over the internet. There are some problems with these. First of all they can be a huge expense. Did you know that one of the main reasons people fail in network marketing is because they simply spend their way out of the business? I’m sure you don’t want to do that. Another problem with running ads, is that everyone is doing that. Go do a search on the internet for a product similar to yours or search for business opportunities. You’ll find thousands of them. There are so many that people no longer believe ads. There are so many that your ad will easily get lost in the mix. So how are you ever going to stand out in the crowd?

Leaders stand out in the crowd, everyone knows it, it doesn’t have to be said, that’s just the way it is. You want to be a leader right? You want to stand out from the crowd, but how are you going to do it? Well the answer lies in marketing, but it’s a different form of marketing than what is commonly taught amongst network marketing companies. It’s what I refer to as “self-promotion” marketing. This is when you position yourself as a leader, then the people will come to you first. Actually, if you do it right, the people will literally flock to you…they want what you have! Self-promotion is the key to becoming a leader. I highly recommend you find a trusted mentor who is using self-promotion marketing to help you with this.

Once you’re perceived as a leader, you will become a success in this business. Then, and only then, is the time that you could successfully do the networking activities we spoke of earlier, because that is the only time it will work for you. Unless the people you know and meet can see the success you have, it will never work to approach them first. Incidentally, once you are successful, the people you know who have any interest at all, will most likely approach you before you have a chance to contact them anyway.

Finally, of all the things you read here today, I hope you will remember the following phrase for the rest of your network marketing career. This one phrase can mean all the difference in your business success, Here it is…

To do networking before you do marketing, is like putting the cart before the horse.

It is a backwards way of doing things and it will stifle your success. You must do the marketing first and the success will follow. I hope I have helped open your mind to fresh ideas so you can have the success you’ve been dreaming about. My hat goes off to all you future Network Marketing Leaders -- wishing you all the very best in business and in life!