Lie #1 - Everyone is Your Prospect

This lie is so universally spread, that it deserves to start off our discussion. What is usually the first thing we are told to do when we join a network marketing company? Write a list, and put down EVERYONE you know. This includes relatives, old college friends, your dry cleaner, etc. Don’t leave anyone out, because you just don’t know who’s looking for an opportunity, right?

It is true that SOME people on your list that you thought would never be interested in a business opportunity will surprise you and listen eagerly to what you have to say. However, the reality is that MOST people on your list will have no interest whatsoever, or might even have a negative impression of MLM.

I bought into the lie with my first venture into an MLM.  I talked to friends, family, co-workers, people in the grocery store, waiters, etc. None of the strangers I talked to ever got involved, and the friends and family that did sign up with me never did anything more than that. None of them were really looking for an opportunity, the way I was.

So, why bug everyone you know when the reality is, most of them want nothing to do with what you’re doing? Why not let people who ARE interested in a home based business seek YOU out, instead of the other way around?

I highly suggest you read more about this lie, along with the other lies most commonly told in network marketing, and download your free e-book.  Then come back to this blog and share your thoughts with the rest of us.  Have you had personal experience with this lie, either as a potential customer or as a distributor?  I’d love to get your feedback, wherever you stand on this issue. 

Lie #2 – This Really Isn't Sales (We just share products with people) 

Chances are, if you’ve been approached by someone encouraging you to join their network marketing company, they were quick to point out that this is NOT sales. They’ll say, “It’s not selling, it’s sharing!” A couple of the new terms I’ve heard for network marketing are Referral Marketing, and Relational Marketing. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

The truth is, If you are in Network Marketing, you are in SALES. There are reasons that your upline will try to camouflage this fact. The primary one is that they want to give the appearance that this will be effortless, and that no real skills are required. As enticing as that sounds, though, it sets people up to fail. And most inevitably do.

You might be saying to yourself, “But word-of-mouth advertising is the most powerful form of advertising there is. All I’m doing is telling friends and family about products I love.” That may be true when you’re telling someone about a great book you read, or a restaurant with the best pizza EVER! The problem is, once you stand to profit from your recommendation, everything changes.

It comes across in the way you present yourself, and the information, and if the friends pick up on the fact that you stand to make a profit and have been trying to downplay that fact, they may end up resenting that. There is nothing wrong with telling your friends about a new product you are selling, and asking them to take a look. That is open and direct. It is when you attempt to camouflage what you're doing by calling it sharing that relationships tend to get strained.

I highly suggest you read more about this lie, along with the other lies most commonly told in network marketing,and download your free e-book. Then come back to thisblog and share your thoughts with the rest of us. Have you had personal experience with this lie, either as a potential customer or as a distributor? I’d love to get your feedback, wherever you stand on this issue.

Lie #3 - Anyone Can Do This!

This one is a bit of a half-truth. Anyone CAN do this, but the implication is that anyone can jump right in, regardless of their background, skills and circumstance, and begin to make a truckload of cash right away.

The reality is that people bring different things to the table. Do you think that a person with 20 years of sales experience, who has a rolodex full of people who are always looking for that next big opportunity, and is devoting 30-40 hours per week to build their business will have the same kind of success as a stay-at-home mom with no sales background and has about 10-15 hours per week? At least in the beginning, odds strongly favor the salesperson.

However, if the stay-at-home mom is dedicated to achieving success, willing to learn the necessary skills and devotes at least 10-15 hours per week to building her business, she CAN achieve great levels of success.

WhatI amhere to do is guide you to the right kind of training; first by introducing you to the most common pitfalls and lies of this industry so you can avoid them, and then by providing an integrated system of tools, resources and a team of individuals who are committed to improving this industry.

I highly suggest you read more about this lie, along with the other lies most commonly told in network marketing,and download your free e-book. Then come back to thisblog and share your thoughts with the rest of us. Have you had personal experience with this lie, either as a potential customer or as a distributor? I’d love to get your feedback, wherever you stand on this issue.

 

Lie #4 - We'll Build Your Business for You

I'm sure you’ve seen the ads for automated systems that do all the work while you sit back and collect the cash. When you pause for more than a minute to think about what they are claiming, this should be one of the easiest lies to avoid. Yet, these systems are flooding the net, and people continue to fall prey to them.

The main question you have to ask yourself here is, if they do all the work for you, what do they need you for? Why would they be willing to pay you outrageous sums of money, if you don’t have to do anything other than put up the initiation costs? The obvious and correct answer is that these systems are scams preying on people’s desire to believe that you can get something for nothing.

Automation has its advantages, and to be truly successful in today’s marketplace you have to incorporate automated systems into your business model. However, you will ALWAYS have to get involved on a personal level at some point for your business to be viable, which means you will need to develop interpersonal skills. I will help you to develop those skills, among many others, through the use of the systems and teams I am associated with.

I highly suggest you read more about this lie, along with the other lies most commonly told in network marketing, and download your free e-book. Then come back to thisblog and share your thoughts with the rest of us. Have you had personal experience with this lie, either as a potential customer or as a distributor? I’d love to get your feedback, wherever you stand on this issue.

 

Lie #5 - We Have the Best Product Ever!

Of course you think this about your product or service. You should definitely believe in the quality of what you’re selling, but don’t ever believe that the product is so good that it will sell itself. The best product with no marketing plan will sell FAR less than a mediocre competitor’s product with a great marketing plan.

A great example of this is McDonald’s. Do they make the best hamburgers out there? There are plenty of places who make a better burger, but McDonald’s sells more than any of them, because they know how to market themselves.

The problem with most network marketers is that their marketing plan is virtually non-existent, or based on principles that don’t work. We all have heard that word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising, but talking to someone about your network marketing opportunity is NOT word of mouth. I’ll tell you why in other pages of this blog.

I highly suggest you read more about this lie, along with the other lies most commonly told in network marketing,and download your free e-book. Then come back to thisblog and share your thoughts with the rest of us. Have you had personal experience with this lie, either as a potential customer or as a distributor? I’d love to get your feedback, wherever you stand on this issue.

Lie #6 - You Don't Have Enough Belief!

This might just be the worst of them all. Many people will hear this from their upline when they ask why they aren’t achieving the success they had been promised. They might even recommend a motivational CD to get you inspired. The thing is, when you’re using outdated marketing strategies, you WILL need a huge amount of belief if you’re going to succeed. And even then, your odds aren’t good.

I’m not saying that you won’t need to define your ‘why’, or that motivation isn’t important. It is. Building a business takes a lot of work and dedication. It becomes a problem, though, when people rely on their ‘why’ to bring them results. Without effective marketing strategies, even the most burning desire will lead to lackluster results.

Think of it like this. If I tell you to catch as many fish as you can in one week, you are going to need a LOT more motivation to do it if all I give you is a spear than if I give you a nice rod and reel and a box full of lures. Motivation becomes even less of an issue if I give you a fully equipped fishing boat with a highly trained crew. The reality is, the better your tools are, the less you will have to rely on motivation to succeed.

I fell prey to this lie with my first network marketing company. The more I struggled, the more my upline persuaded me to define my ‘why’ more clearly, even though I thought it was pretty well defined. I didn’t become a better marketer; I just became more aware of the fact that the system they were giving me was largely ineffective, and at some level, I’m sure they knew that, too.

I highly suggest you read more about this lie, along with the other lies most commonly told in network marketing, and download your free e-book. Then come back to thisblog and share your thoughts with the rest of us. Have you had personal experience with this lie, either as a potential customer or as a distributor? I’d love to get your feedback, wherever you stand on this issue.

 

Lie #7 - The Proven System

This lie basically incorporates all the other lies into it. Some Network Marketing Guru sells his system because it worked for him, but it’s what he’s NOT telling you that will bankrupt you. Sure, the system worked for him, but there were a lot of extenuating circumstances and a LOT more people failed using his system than those that have profited from it.

Imagine 100 people try running across a busy freeway, and 3 of them make it to the other side without getting hit. One of them could develop a ‘system’ to help others get across the freeway, and point to the next 3 out of 100 people that make it across as proof that their system works. It’s the same reason that slot machines make a lot of noise when someone wins a jackpot. It resonates across the casino floor, and everyone’s attention is constantly being directed to the winners. The “if they can win, so can I” mentality takes over, and people ignore the odds.

In order for a system to be effective, you have to be able to use it effectively. It must have real, practical steps that you can follow to produce results. By following the steps according to your schedule, you will be able to produce results and start generating leads for your network marketing business. At the end of the day, the only thing you need to know about a system is how well it works for you. That is the only proof that matters.

I highly suggest you read more about this lie, along with the other lies most commonly told in network marketing,and download your free e-book. Then come back to thisblog and share your thoughts with the rest of us. Have you had personal experience with this lie, either as a potential customer or as a distributor? I’d love to get your feedback, wherever you stand on this issue.