Hi everyone, I am new to MLM, only about 2 weeks in so far, and I'm finding it a tough row to hoe. To give you some background I joined a new company that is launching a personal development smartphone application. I am very excited about the application and I thought the compensation plan was great - a 3x7 forced matrix for under $10 a month with no product to have store or move. I've only been able to refer 4 people directly, at the onset I thought this was a great opportunity and it would be easy to sell the product and/or compensation plan. It seems so simple, if everyone referred three people your matrix will fill quickly - hello $2,500 monthly commission check and additional in bonuses. All for under $10 a month, plus you get this great app! Who wouldn't want to do that? So far I've found that those 4 people in my downline haven't made much effort to refer others. I've communicated with them consistently and tried to motivate them. Offered some tips/tricks that I received from my upline. Three of them have made no effort whatsoever. I will always have the application, which is great, but I also wanted to earn some extra income to ease the financial burden on my family. The other great thing is that the organizations overlap and there is some spill-over from upline (although I've only had one spill-over so far). I'm still optimistic and I have been tireless in my efforts to recruit new members, but there is a little frustration and deflation setting in. (as tireless as I can be with a 40hr/wk job and two kids under 5). I created a Facebook page to drive some traffic and am planning on rolling about some ads. I'm looking for any tips or tricks that may help me along the way. Below are links to my Facebook page and my referral site, I appreciate any feedback for those that clearly have more experience than I do at this. Perhaps its my approach. [Links removed - Admin] Thanks in advance for any and all help! This site looks chalk full of info so I'm sure it will give me plenty to review and soak in.
Hi Mike, Just keep working at it and don't give up. Building up something profitable can take time. You may also want to try some other things as well. A lot of people have tried several/many different things before finding something that works really well for them. Don't give up!
Thanks Proof. I understand it will take time, I guess I was hopefully my downline would be as motivated as I am. I will keep plugging along and trying to be creative.
If all us successful mlm network marketers could get are initial 2-3-4-5, etc to duplicate on down we would all be mega rich from steady residual income. Unfortunately, it does not work that way at all. Many come in with great intentions but they don't follow through. It takes consistent and effective marketing efforts to build and grow your network. Most people fail because they fail to be consistent and effective in their marketing efforts. It most often is not the home business but the effort and expectations that many have on making mlm work that hinder success. The plans for success can be simple and easy to do, but everyone doesn't do, and they don't do at the same rate. All in all, it's a process. In my business experience I have come to understand that one of the top business models and business to build is an mlm business. There is simply few things that can compare with the reward of monthly residual income on autopilot, however it is work to get it there. If you are new it could take a 1-3 years assuming you are in the "right business" to manifest success. You can't have a short game plan for success, it's not a lottery ticket it's a business that must be worked and grown for success....Like any other business
Well, you've encountered the basic issue with mlm...recruiting duplication. The good news is that you are technically above average in your number of personal referrals. I think industry wide the average is below 2. So, keep going, you'll be fine. Don't let the apathetic drag you down. Deb
CashMan - I agree that MLM is very appealing because of the recurring "autopilot" income, I am hoping I can get this thing growing so it's more like 1 year rather than 3! I am excited about the product and that will help me carry on. Deb - I did not know that the industry average was that low, it certainly makes me feel a little better about things. Thanks for all the encouragement. The good news, I was able to add another today....now I just need to get my downline team moving in the same direction!
It is true that not a lot of people duplicate and take massive action. That is why you always need to bring in new people. Even if a low percentage of your team will ever take action and duplicate, if you think about it long term, you can do really well. The big problem with a lot of people is that they want fast results and are not willing to stick it out. When they get a few people in and they quit, some people will take that personally and not persist.
It's great that you want to help your team. But you should focus on your own production, getting people in. Eventually you'll have a few guys after a while that do what you're doing, which is being productive. Don't get hold up on trying to push your team members. Be productive yourself. Create a facebook group for your team members and let them know when you just brought in a few members in a single day. Since I stopped trying to babysit everybody all day, my production is getting better and now my team members try harder as well and therefore have more success.
Mike, Facebook does not allow MLM. Now, I know a lot of people are getting away with it, but once Facebook hires more people in their compliance department, that will change. Believe or not, Google Adwords allows MLM, but most MLMers are negative on it, because they got "slapped" years ago. Google "The Google Slap" and you will understand what I am talking about. This really comes down to violating Google's rules and not understanding what to do. As far as people not working as hard as you, often times, it's laziness but a lot of time it's not knowing how to train. You must hold their feet to the fire and find out if they are serious about building MLM and if they say "yes," and it all becomes talk, then move on. Spend time with the people who want help. It could be a hidden objection causing them not to build the business, so then you need to ask them "Is there something that is holding you back?" Don't accept I'm busy, haven't gotten a chance or any other crap. Dig into their crap and figure out is going on. You are not here to be their friend. You are here to lead them. Now, after you figure out who is lazy and who isn't, you will find that you need to recruit more people and that becomes the problem for most network marketers. If are serious about building a long-term income and getting out of your job, then you need to become a business person. It's time to learn Communication, Lead Generation, and understanding how people think. I have been doing MLM full-time for over 10 years with the same company. It was my first company and it will be my last. I learned to do MLM completely different from what the industry teaches and I can tell you that you must use a "common sense" business approach to it and avoid the things that don't make sense. If my post has made sense to you and you want to know more, just let me know. I can go into more detail.
Welcome to the world of MLM. It all sounds so wonderful and easy, just get 3 and then they get 3. It really is simple, but not easy. It can be done though, we all know people who have done it. You just can't give up and you have to continually be prospecting and getting more people into your funnel and/or joining. It is great that you want to help the 3-4 that you have sponsored but you can't make them want to be successful themselves. So the best thing to do is to be available to them if they ask or need help but just keep plugging away and finding more people and eventually you will find someone that is as passionate as you and you could really be a help to them. It really is a numbers game and so many people quit without giving it a real shot that you must always be bringing new people in. If you love it and believe in it, don't give up.
Mike, It's so true that we cannot change other people. The only person we can change is ourselves. So the tricky thing about MLM is that it requires you to lead people who often don't want to be led and don't have the same enthusiasm and level of commitment as you. So what you need is leverage to get your whole organization moving. From reading your post you might not have enough leverage to create a momentum that will sustain your downline. The best leverage I know of has been best stated this way: you need to locate individuals who want something "with high profit margins AND repeat purchases [this is key] , find the best way of selling it to them WITHOUT you being involved in the process at all…” If you master that it will surely have the leverage you need to succeed in network marketing.
You've actually done very well already. If I read correctly, you say it has been 2 weeks and you brought in 4 people? In any down-line, you will find very few "diamonds". You will identify them by the results they produce and you must work with them closely. This does not mean that you should ignore the slow ones. They can actually surprise you along the way. On the practical side - do you actually share the marketing tools that you are using with your down-line? An advertising blitz would bring some results also. Set aside a week where you and your down-line will dominate certain marketing sites. My view is that any compensation plan that provides spillovers should follow a team build approach.
Hey Mike, Any type of business is going to take a lot of time and hard work, but the important thing is to not give up. Be persistent and stick with it until you get the results you're after. I personally have never done MLM, but there is a recruiting aspect to the business I'm in (selling insurance). The truth is, you can't make people produce. All you can do is coach them, and make yourself available when they need help. At the same time, you want to focus on your own production and bring in new people to keep your pipeline going. You don't want to keep chasing after people, because it will only slow you down. Anyway, I hope this helps, and I wish you the best of luck in your business endeavors. I'm sure you'll do well.
That's what everyone will tell yoou don't give up. Do you know why people give up easily ? Firrst of all, you are not tied up with anything, you are 100% on your own, you are lacking of commitment and you can let it go anytime, that's happened to thousands of network marketers. You have recruited people and it does not mean that your job end...because not everyone has the determination to success. Making instant money in any of the network marketing program is not the right choice..you have to treat it as business. Rela business take time to grow. Focus on those you recruit who want to succeed in life just like you. Don't waste time on those who are not but just sign up to find out more info. Keep on your advertising plan and recruit people. Don't let those who have no dreams to pull you down.
My advice is basicaly pretty simple. Stick with it and never give up! Keep going, no matter what. Have the winning mindset, and don't let failure be an option. I personally recommend using Twitter, safelists, list builders, and social media in general to get new signups. As far as motivating people to succeed, some people you just can't reach no matter how hard you try. You can't make someone succeed who doesn't really want to.
Sounds like your numbers are actually pretty good. Like everyone else here has said...it takes time, dedication and a "No quitters" attitude. Unless you can spend a ton of money on advertising it's going to be slow... and even with a huge Ad budget things might not take off fast. You WILL hit walls...you WILL want to quit...you WILL think it's all for nothing. If you stay active in your business DAILY for 1 yr you have far exceeded most and you will see a change, in not only your business but in yourself. Best of luck to you
