MLM Soldiers and Sharks

Just looking at that title, which would you prefer to be known as? My guess is that the majority of those who read this will identify with the soldier mostly because of the bad conation associated with sharks.

Soldiers have their marching orders and rarely go against their Generals. Sharks are efficient and exert as little as possible to achieve maximum outcome.

I closely associated with the soldiers the first 18 months of my home business and in the process I learned some valuable lessons which have led me to do things that most in the MLM industry would not dream of doing.

MLM has such potential to be a viable option for so many to stay at home with their family and just be in control of their own financial future. Whether we choose to continue to be a soldier or make the transition to become a shark can have serious implications on the success or failure of our MLM career.

Over the course of 18 months I was a good soldier. Like any soldier I wanted to be recognized as a good soldier and this recognition would come with my success.

Over time I came to realize that my hard work was not benefiting my business but I was building up those who came before me. I was encouraged to purchase leads and buy product or sign up for this magazine and oh you should take my training. The whole time I was never asked if my business had achieved profit.

After hosting two regional events and going in the red for both I came to the realization that I needed to run my business efficiently and get it into profit. I needed to become as efficient as a shark if I was going to survive.

I mustered up the General within myself and laid out my battle plan. I needed to continue to be a good soldier long enough to rebuild my business so I could live the life of a shark.

This meant breaking all the MLM rules. I tossed out my lists, stopped preaching about working your warm market and I set a clear intention to reinvent the wheel. I stepped out of my box and refused to let anyone kick it out from under me.

I came to realization that I could either continue to dream about my life, or I could start living my dreams. My choice was clear.

What I put into place is not duplicatable. I have yet to see a business that you can change the name on the stationary and achieve the same level of success as those who came before you. What I put into place is up to date with the world we live in and it is totally customizable to suit the dreams of each of my team members.

Rome was not built overnight and neither will my business. I am now swimming with the sharks and proud to be there. The payoff of these efforts are I now have a business that is consistently in profit each month and a group of dedicated team members who are beginning to grow their own business’s.

I have also have a firm grasp of my own industry and product line and no longer need to rely on the buzz words or catch phrases (or the 3 way calls) that are common throughout our industry. Instead have learned to use those buzz words to my own advantage and still market my products and opportunity honestly.

Be a soldier long enough to build the foundation for your business. Then make the shift to be more like a shark. It does not mean you have to devour everything in your path, only that you have done your soldier time and now you can work efficiently to accomplish great things.

Stop dreaming about your life and start living your dreams.

Business Building….Luck, Leads or both?

The only time Luck comes into play when starting a home business if you are one of the very few who managed to join when the company was just getting started. Lucky for you that the company and product line took off! This isn’t the best time to sign up with any company because at that point in time there isn’t a track record for the company. Those who do join at this time and manage to build a successful business aren’t necessarly there because of their skill set. This would be a great example of good luck.

Another time when you would need luck is if you are one of those people who are paying through the nose for expensive leads. Sure they told you they were leads that were specific to your business but the bottom line is that unless you generate the lead yourself, you really don’t know what the quality of the lead really is. And worse than that, you aren’t the only one with the leads contact information. Do you really want to pay a premium for a lead that technically you could be sharing with someone else? I know I don’t!

If you understand your products and have a superior knowledge of that product you only need a bit of time to start making serious headway in your industry.

Taking time to build your Business Foundation and learn how to put up a content rich website will serve you far better than spending a fortune on expensive leads. If you think about it logically, you will see that with a little research you could be generating your own leads with any number of methods for as little as .20 each. Who in their right mind would ever have that knowledge and pay for a high priced lead knowing they could generate their own for a fraction of the cost?

Make a decision that your business is worth the effort of going through the learning process. And never rely on one resource for all of your leads. How many times have you been warned about having all your eggs in one basket. That may work for a while, until someone drops the basket.

There are many different ways to generate leads on the internet that you can control. Building a website with great content is one way, or start a pay per click campaign. Explore the possibilities for advertising your business on the Internet. And trust me, the quality of leads you generate yourself will always outshine the expensive ones that someone is always trying to sell you!