There are some major misconceptions out there with regards to network marketing or mlm that could be damaging your chances for success. One of the biggest, and in my opinion the most damaging, is that you do not need to have any experience or knowledge in sales or marketing in order to attain success in your network marketing business.
When you sign on with a network marketing company, you are agreeing to do their marketing for them. How can you be expected to do that successfully without any sales or marketing knowledge? It just doesn’t make any sense. The greatest piece of advice that I can give you is to increase your sales and marketing skill set. The more skills you have in this area, the more your chances are to build a successful business.
Have you ever heard of a business without a business plan? They wouldn’t have much of a chance for success without a plan to get them there. This is also true of successful people – they have a plan for attaining success and they act on it. The same goes for you and your network marketing business. You must have a marketing plan and act on it.
Another common misconception is that it’s not sales, it’s sharing the products and/or services. This misconception is associated with word-of-mouth advertising. The difference between sales and word-of-mouth advertising is that in word-of-mouth advertising you are recommending a product or service that you have no financial ties to.
You do not stand to benefit financially from the thing that you are promoting. For instance, you may be recommending a great health supplement which has benefited your health to your friends. You do not work for the health supplement company or sell any of their products, you just think it is a great product that might benefit your friends also.
If you did sell this product, you would stand to benefit from your friends purchasing it on your recommendation. There is nothing wrong with this, but it is sales – not word-of-mouth. You have less credibility in promoting it because you stand to benefit financially from your friends purchasing it.
There are many more misconceptions out there that could be holding you back from the success you are hoping to achieve. To learn more about them, click on the link on the right side of this page for the “7 Great Lies of Network Marketing” to get your free copy of this informative eBook.
Don’t forget to leave me your comments. Do you know of any misconceptions that have caused you problems or that have stalled your success? Do you agree that knowledge of sales and marketing are an absolute necessity?
Wishing you great success!!
Wendy Hewlett
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Hey Wendy! Thanks for a great message. I especially agree with the part about sales vs sharing!
Sales is NOT a dirty word and we need to help people change their perception of sales, in general. Sales is also not browbeating someone into buying!
Thanks!
EXPECT Success!
Jackie Ulmer
Wendy,
Great words of wisdom here. There is so many people out there that hope to attract business builders by telling them they won’t have to “sell” or market their business or product. Frankly, this is total BS, and is setting people up for failure.
True leaders recognize exactly what the business entails, master the skills necessary to build profitable businesses, and help others to do the same, without trying to trick them into doing something they do not want to do.
Thanks for this fresh burst of truth. It is too often lacking in our industry…
Hey Wendy,
It really is no surprise that so many people walk away from their Network Marketing business is it? I truly believe if they were taught marketing right from the start and not fed all the bull, more people would step up to the mark and learn what they need to learn.
Network Marketing is an awesome business to be in; we really don’t need to lie to prospects to get them interested!
Great post Wendy.
Sue
Wendy:
I think much of the concept of sharing stems from people’s fear of sales. They believe sales to be somehow getting someone to pay money for something either don’t need or don’t want.
I think of sales as giving people enough facts to help them make an informed decision as to whether your product or service is a good fit for them. Perhaps if more people looked at sales this way, they wouldn’t be so intimidated by it.
Live with passion and purpose,
Vanessa
Thanks for all of your great comments!! You would think the names “Network MARKETING” or “Multi-Level MARKETING” would be a dead giveaway.
I appreciate all of you stopping by!!
Wendy
Hi Wendy,
thanks for putting some of these thoughts into words. Many people unfortuantely learn it the hard way and then get disappointed and walk away. However we should all be taught what network marketing is about – sharing experiences and communication them to the people in our circle of influence.
Thanks for the post.
Hi Wendy,
I found the “7 Great Lies” an awesome book – it made so much sense and dissipated all the anguish I had built up trying to use the warm market and 3 foot rules. Not that those are bad, but sure wasn’t my cup of tea.
I used to be one of those people with a FEAR of sales. This was a major problem for a guy who is in love with the concept of network marketing. But I stuck with it and eventually came out the other side with a realization that sales is truly only a two-way communication cycle with an intention to help that person.
All the best,
Alan
Thanks for sharing your story Alan. The warm market and 3 foot rules were not my cup of tea either!! I love the way you describe sales as a two-way communication with the intention to help … it’s perfect.
Wendy