Blueprint to MLM Success: 3 Simple Steps That Will Change The Course of Your Business and Your Life
When I started my first MLM business several years ago, I remember the feeling of intimidation. I had never owned ANY business before and, honestly had no idea what I was doing. I just did what my sponsor told me and said a little prayer. It didn’t work.
But my failure in my first business venture led me to some eye-opening realities. And after many years in the industry, I can finally look people in the eye and say without hesitation,
Success in MLM is not that hard. It’s simply a matter of following 3 Simple Steps.
Blueprint to MLM Success
Here are the 3 steps to MLM Success:
- Make yourself VALUABLE to your prospects (Education and Training)
- Get the word out about the VALUE you have to offer (Marketing and Advertising)
- Teach your team members to be VALUABLE to THEIR prospects (Leadership, Residual Income)
These 3 steps are what I’ve found to be a Blueprint to MLM Success.
How Do You Make Yourself Valuable?
As I’ve said on this blog, in my trainings, and to anyone who will listen,
How Much Money You Make In MLM (or Any Business) is Directly Related To Your VALUE to the Marketplace
So what is value?
Think about it. What would you, as a prospect find valuable in an MLM mentor?
If you’re like me, you are probably looking for someone who can help you reach your goals. And that IS value! So how do you become more valuable?
By becoming skillful. By learning skills that can help others make more money in MLM.
For example, you could….
- Take a course on Prospecting and learn how to better find your target audience
- Get cutting edge Online Marketing Training and learn how to generate free leads and sales
- Read books on Copywriting and perfect your own writing style that influences others to buy from you.
- Learn about Leadership from leaders in the field, so that you can help lead your team to success.
Now THAT is value. Imagine the knowledge and wisdom you could acquire by doing the 4 things listed above. And imagine how ATTRACTIVE you would be to others looking to make money in MLM.
VALUE = INCOME
Remember that simple formula and you’ll always be lucrative in MLM or any business.
So Where Do Most People Get Off Track?
The reason that most people aren’t successful in MLM is they SKIP A STEP — Number 1.
They forget the step about becoming Valuable to others, and they jump right into promoting, advertising, and marketing. And to top it off, THEY USUALLY GET IT WRONG. People are often taught to promote their company’s products or compensation plan. They may even be given a replicated company website on which they can throw their picture, as if this is some sort of pathway to branding. It is not.
Simply put, most new people in MLM brand their company and not themselves. The simplest way to BRAND YOURSELF?
Become Valuable and ADD VALUE to other people’s lives. In the new world of Social Media and the power of “viral word of mouth”, word will quickly get out about your skills and how you can help others make money online. And THAT IS POWER.
I’ll dive more into Steps 2 and 3 in a later post, but keep in mind the 3 Step Blueprint to MLM Success, and how each step must be followed IN SEQUENCE in order to see massive MLM success.
To YOUR success in MLM,
Dr. Bob Clarke
New MLM Training Free Report Now Available — 5 Killer Strategies For Using Technology to Explode Your Business in 2010
Well, its finally finished.
I’ve been working long and hard completing this FREE REPORT for you guys, so here it is.
I call it…
and it is thorough, I’ll tell you that.
So who will benefit from this report?
- Anyone who is still using Old School MLM or Network Marketing Tactics, this report is for you….
- And anyone who is struggling with Online Marketing, this report is for you, too.
Grab it now, before I start charging for it! :-)
I’m giving you guys first crack for being loyal readers and followers… so grab it now.
To your success!
Dr. Bob Clarke
Are You Wasting Your Knowledge?
I am a HUGE believer in education. Always have been.
I decided early on that I wanted to get a college degree. So I worked hard and met my goal.
Then I decided I wanted to get a post-graduate degree. I worked even harder and got that diploma.
25 years later, and I have NEVER STOPPED LEARNING.
But I’ve come to understand that many, if not most people don’t complete the learning process.
THEY GET IT ALL WRONG!
I have a friend who is a big reader. You almost never see this guy without a book in his hand. He’ll read just about anything. I always admired his thirst for knowledge. But he had this bad habit of finishing his book and taking a nap. Or finishing his book, grabbing a bag of chips and turning on the TV to watch 3 hours of his favorite shows (and he had favorite shows 7 nights per week). He failed to take the next (and most essential) step of the learning process.…
You see, learning is a 2-step process. The first is the actual process of gaining knowledge.
Taking courses, learning a skill, reading, watching, listening…. gaining the expertise of your new skill.
But many people stop there. They are, in essence, WASTING THEIR KNOWLEDGE!
All the learning in the world does absolutely no good if you don’t take the followup step —
IMPLEMENTATION
Knowledge without implementation is wasted. You must APPLY all that you learn if you wish to take full advantage of your newfound knowledge.
- When you learn a new form of marketing… STOP — and implement what you learned.
- When you learn how to make a video —- then GO DO IT.
- When you study copywriting — STOP and GO PRACTICE writing ads and measure your progress.
- When you study how to do PPC marketing, STOP and run a few campaigns and measure your progress.
If you were to take every new skill that you learn and immediately TRY IT OUT — IMPLEMENT WHAT YOU LEARN – you will soon become a master of success and a leader in your chosen field.
Don’t fall into the LEARNING TRAP. Don’t neglect to implement every new skill that you learn.
I’ll say it again…
Learning without implementation is a total waste of your knowledge.
To your success!
Bob Clarke
This Will Make Your Life Much Simpler
… at least I hope it will.
I remember when I first started in Network Marketing a few years ago. I was in my late 40’s and had never, I mean NEVER had any exposure to marketing, sales, paid search, Twitter, Facebook or anything of that sort.
I was the consumate NEWBIE.
I was pitiful.
I didn’t know ANYTHING. I really only knew how to search on Google and answer emails, and sometimes even that was a challenge.
There were so many terms thrown at me — keywords, ad groups, YouTube, Word Press, Twitter, list building, outsourcing…. the list went on and on, and I WAS CLUELESS.
So Rosemary and I decided to help others in this same boat.
We put together a series of training articles with the them of “Made Simple” — simple explanations and descriptions of all those new terms you encounter when first starting your home based business.
Articles such as:
- Network Marketing Made Simple
- Keyword Research Made Simple
- Video Marketing Made Simple
- Article Writing Made Simple
- Twitter Made Simple
and many more.
The feedback has been so positive that we’ve decided to expand the list of articles even more, so check back often.
Go Here to See The Entire Free “Made Simple” Article Series
Oh, one more thing — the entire site is 100% FREE.
It’s our way of giving back to a community that has been very good to us.
Enjoy folks!
Do You Suffer From This?
Today, a guest post from my beautiful wife, Rosemary. And she NAILS IT!
Enjoy, folks…..
++++++++++++++++++
An open question for all those Network Marketers out there who are stuggling, maybe even ready to quit:
- Do you feel stuck in your business?
- Not moving fast enough?
- Are you getting poor result?
- Do you feel like giving up?
Then you have reached what I call “Your Saturation Point”
When I first started in Network Marketing a few years ago, I was overwhelmed with the amount of learning I needed to do. Since I came from a Science background, I had to start from “Pre-K”…LITERALLY.
I tried to learn everything at the same time. I found myself buying every motivational book, audio, e-books, etc. I was also listening to numerous training calls. I was exhausted, frustrated and incredibly “Cranky”, not to mention BROKE!
I am not saying this was a bad choice. It was just too much to DIGEST at the same time.
I decided to STOP, and started thinking about how could I sort out the things that were more relevant to my goals and my so call “TALENTS”.
These are some things I did that help me “GET OUT” of the BLACK HOLE:
1) Discover Your Talents
We ALL have some kind of talent. Have you discovered YOURS?
It is time to PEELTHE ONION and get into those deep layers. It might sound easy but soon you will find that it is quite difficult …at least for most people.
Remember: God DOES NOT Create GARBAGE…..We DO
2) Go BACK To SCHOOL
So you found your talent or talents.
Now what?
Find the resources that can help you become an expert with your GIFTS.
Remember these were given to YOU and you should EXPLOIT THEM to
help OTHERS which eventually will benefit YOU.
3) BE Genuine
You found your talents, educated yourself… WHAT’S NEXT?
Be honest and don’t go with the rest of the crowd.
BE different.
STAND OUT!
And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!! — STAY AWAY FROM THE HYPE
4) Beware The Trap of Procrastination
Do I need to explain this one?
“Don’t leave for tomorrow what you can do TODAY”
Whatever needs to get done, DO IT NOW!!!!
That’s what helped me get out of my own way and finally succeed in helping others with THEIR dreams…
****************
Discover Your Talents —> Get Educated —> Be Genuine —> Don’t Waste Time
****************
This was my formula for success. I hope it helps you, too.
Rosemary
Googling Under the Influence
If it wasn’t so sad, I would laugh.
Actually, I do laugh a little, as I imagine my team member’s eyes bugging out of his/her head when they see how much money they blew on Google in one day.
Why? Because they weren’t prepared.
Taking the plunge into the world of Pay Per Click Marketing is not one of those things that should be done haphazardly. Many serious marketers, including myself have spent months and even years studying Google Adwords trying to develop the best strategies for getting the best qualified prospects at the lowest possible cost.
And even now, while Google is my primary lead generation and it generally treats me well, there are days when it bites me in the butt. Just like everyone else who markets on Google.
So back to my team member….
This guy called me the other day to tell me he had read a little about Google and was ready to start marketing. I chuckled a little, and tried to explain the kind of preparation needed in order to avoid losing a ton of money at the beginning, but he didn’t take me seriously.
Guess what?
His eyes were bugging out of his head the next day. I don’t even want to tell you how much money he lost without much to show for it.
And it all could have been avoided.
Taking this guys approach is like jumping into a car for the very first time and proclaiming yourself ready to drive. How silly is that? Everyone knows that you have to take classes, practice for several hours with a trained and skilled driver by your side, take a test, and then you are ready to drive on your own.
It’s the same with Google. Education is a MUST! Training is ESSENTIAL!
Without it, you might as well set up a direct deposit of your paycheck directly to Google. They will love it.
You will not.
Before I close, I will leave you with two resources that I’ve used again and again in my Google adventures.
Perry Marshall’s Definitive Guide for Google Adwords
Mike Dillard’s PPC Domination.
Perry’s guide is written and extremely comprehensive. So is Mike’s course, but it is in video format for the most part.
Both are excellent. I would suggest you get both resources, study them extensively, and then consider taking the Google plunge.
After all, you don’t want to get cited for Googling Under the Influence.
To your success!
The Real Secret To Success In Network Marketing
So you’re either just starting a home based network marketing business, or you’ve been at it for the while and success is eluding you…. you are looking for the REAL SECRET to success in Network Marketing
I’ve been in this business quite a while now, and I’ve come to realize 2 things:
- The vast majority of people in network marketing fail to make decent money.
- There is really only ONE reason why #1 is true.
I will reveal this in a moment, but first let me get a little personal….
My son Henry recently graduated from college and is eagerly looking for his first job. He recently got a tentative offer from the US Governemnt, and is now being asked to provide more information to be confirmed as an employee.
- We are talking an unbelievable number of forms, reams of paper, in triplicate.
- We are talking about having to go to a website and complete an extensive information packet, as a supplement to the paperwork.
- We are talking about having to go for a video interview.
- We are talking about submitting transcripts (even though he already did this) and fingerprints (in triplicate, of course).
- And finally, submitting a urine specimen for a drug test.
All of this, and then they will decide IF he can be hired.
UGH… its no wonder there are job openings in the Federal Government.
I firmly believe that most people get tired of jumping through all the hoops and never submit the required information. (Oh, and by the way, it all has to be done within 10 days or your application is automatically deleted).
The same things is true with Network Marketing.
It’s not hard, but most people fail…. but why?
Network Marketing is not brain surgery. It’s not that complicated.
But most people fail anyway.
Why?
Because its EASIER TO QUIT.
That’s right… that’s the big reason why most people fail at Network Marketing.
Because it’s easier to quit than to put in the time, learn how to market, learn how to effectively talk to people, and learn how to support your new team. In fact, most people quit before they even HAVE a team.
Because it’s easier to quit than to do the required work to succeed.
Just as in Henry’s position, it would be easier for him to throw up his hands and give into the temptation to quit filling out the required information for his job, and wait for the next easier position to come along.
Waiting for the next best thing, the better job, the better Network Marketing opportunity.
See where I’m going with this?
Bottom Line: If you want to be a Nework Marketing Success Story, then you have to be willing to PUT IN THE TIME. Nothing happens in a day. Success takes time… and work, with anything in life.
I have seen many people on my team quit just before they would start seeing results from their efforts. It’s always the same thing.
They all all gung-ho to get started. They work feverishly to set up their account and start to market.
They throw up some ads on the Internet and get few, if any leads.
They try again, with similar results.
They go back to our Training Modules and study some more… learn new tricks, try new things.
They go back and try again, and get better results, but still nothing earth shattering.
And then they give up. Because it was EASIER to give up than to keep trying.
That’s it folks. That is the KEY to SUCCESS in Network Marketing….
Staying in the game long enough to increase your knowledge, implement what you’ve learned, and waiting for the successful outcome.
This can take weeks or even many months depending on your starting point, your previous experience, your marketing knowledge, and how much capital you are willing (or able) to invest into your business.
Most people don’t wait long enough to see their success happen.
And that’s a shame…
Til next time,
Are You a “Jack of all Trades” Marketer?
When I think of someone who is called a “jack of all trades”, I think of someone who is very handy, can fix just about anything, and someone I want the phone number of when something in my house breaks (I am NOT handy around the house!).
Yes, I think everyone would agree that being a “jack of all trades” in this sense is considered a very positive attribute.
But is this true in the world of Internet Marketing?
My vote would be NO. And here’s why…
Think of all the ways to market on the Internet
- Pay-per-click
- Video
- Articles
- Blogging
- Squidoo, Hubpages, Wetpaint
- Classifieds
- Ezine advertising
- Forums
- Facebook and MySpace
- Banner advertising
- and likely many more that I’ve forgotten to include
Is it possible to be a “Jack of All Trades” Marketer? Of course.
That would be someone who knows a little about all types of marketing, but alot about NONE.
And that, I believe, is NOT A GOOD THING.
I feel that it’s much more advantageous to be EXPERT in one or two methods of marketing, rather than to spread yourself thin by trying to learn all there is to know about ALL types of marketing. It’s just not possible. And least for me, it wasn’t.
When I first started marketing online, I tried the “Jack of All Trades” approach to marketing. I was consumed with learning every type of marketing I could get my hands on. It was truly all-consuming and wiped me out.
I ended up being mediocre in many marketing modalities.
And expert at NONE.
And then I got smart. I took a look around at the people who were having the most success on the Internet, and it was the people who had SPECIALIZED in one method of marketing, who became branded as EXPERTS in their field.
Those were the people who I wanted to be.
I come from the field of medical sciences, and it is no secret that the SPECIALISTS are the ones who make the big money. The Family Practice doctors do okay financially, and they know a little about a lot (perhaps they are the Jack of All Trades in the medical field) — but it is the SPECIALISTS that are so highly skilled in one area of medicine that they become highly sought after.
And they command the BIG MONEY.
It’s no different in Marketing. Become THE EXPERT or one of the top experts in a certain method of marketing, and you can name your price.
The Quickest Path to Becoming a Network Marketing Leader
One of the most common questions I get from new members of my home business team goes something like this:
“There’s so much to learn! What skills should I concentrate on first? “
Before I answer this, let’s get one thing very clear…. and this is critical to get:
Your success in network marketing will be directly related to your VALUE TO THE MARKETPLACE.
What does this mean? It means that the amount of money you make will be a result of how many new members join your business. And how many people join your business will be directly related to the likelihood that people see you as THE LEADER who will help them obtain their particular needs and wants.
That is, a PERSON OF VALUE.
Having said this, I’ve found that there are 3 critical skills that, if learned, will make you the leader that people will jump over walls to join your team.
In no particular order, here they are (along with recommendations of what I consider to be the best resources available to gain these skills):
Skill #1: Pay-Per-Click advertising (PPC). PPC is the single most important marketing skill to master in today’s world of the Internet. PPC has changed the way of traditional marketing. Instead of cold calling, making lists of friends and family, and the good ‘ol 3-foot-rule, we now have mechanism to identify people who are searching for exactly what we have to offer. And there are no geographical limitations. But this is not a skill easily mastered, and to enter this market unprepared can cost you big time! Google is the biggest player in this market.
Recommendation: I strongly recommend Mike Dillard’s PPC Domination course, particularly those who are in the MLM or Direct Sales market. Easy to understand videos and exhaustive resources make the PPC Domination course on the best investments for your online business. It is the most cost effective and complete way to learn PPC from the bottom up.
Skill #2: Copywriting. Copywriting, or the ability to write compelling ad copy that will elicit the response you are looking for (i.e. sales) is the second skill that will, when mastered, will add tremendous value to the marketplace and compel people to follow you. This again is not an easy skill to master, and requires a bit of practice to get it right, but there are several online and off line resources to help.
Recommendations: There are a couple of blogs that are tremendous resources for people looking to learn ad copy. The first blog is written by John Carlton, an expert copywriter who started off line and had made the jump to online marketing about as successfully as anyone. John Carlton’s Big Damn Blog is full of tips, examples, and free content that will set you on the path to becoming an expert copywriter. The second blog, Copyblogger.com, is another excellent resource.
If you prefer books, I can strongly recommend Hypnotic Writing, by Joe Vitale. I just finished this book, and it is about as excellent a copywriting resource as you will find. Easy to read, plenty of examples, and includes both online (emails, ads) and offline (sales letters) examples on how to best persuade your readers to take action.
Skill #3: Positioning and Posture. In order to be the leader that people are searching for, you need to have value. We have already established this. But you also need to BE THE LEADER, to know how to position yourself as the person people NEED to join.
Positioning yourself as a leader may be THE most critical skill to learn in order to make BIG money in Network Marketing. You can have all the marketing and business skills in the world, but if you cannot promote yourself in such a way that people see you as the person who can take them to the Promised Land, then you have nothing.
Recommendation: Back when I was looking to position myself as a leader, I asked my upline what he considered the best resource on the subject. He pointed me in the direction of Blackbelt Recruiting, by Mike Dillard of Magnetic Sponsoring. This CD series teaches you step by step how to begin the process of positioning and maintain and grow it as your business expands. This is a can’t miss: Blackbelt Recruiting.
So there you have it, the 3 skills that will put you in to the Top Earner category for any company you represent in Network Marketing:
- Pay-per-click Marketing
- Copywriting
- Posture and Positioning
While it will not be possible to become expert in all 3 skills in the very beginning, this is where I steer my new members when getting started. Even having a basic knowledge of these skills will go a long way to growing your network marketing home based business.
What Is Your “Leadership Value” To Your Customers?
Home business opportunities abound on the internet today.
Someone seriously looking for a home business opportunity can easily become overwhelmed with the choices.
- Which business?
- Which products?
- Which compensation plan?
You now what?
None of this really matters.
What people really want is someone to follow!
Someone who they can count on to show them the ropes, how to be successful, and someone to lead them out of the mess they currently call their “lives”.
So how does one become a leader of value? Simply by posturing or positioning? While these are components of demonstrating leadership, they don’t define it.
If I had to think of one work to define Leadership, it would be this —
VALUE
In order to be a leader to someone, you must have value to that person. Maybe that value comes in your marketing or business knowledge. Maybe it’s your interpersonal skills and phone skills. Maybe it lies simply in the fact that you are successful online and they are not.
Whatever it is, if it’s NOT there, you won’t have a chance at sponsoring that person.
How does one go about INCREASING LEADERSHIP VALUE to attract more customers?
It’s fairly simple — making a consistent effort every day to increase your knowledge and skills.
I liken it to making deposits in a piggy bank.
When you’re first starting out, you are learning more elementary components of your business. In essence, you are putting pennies in your bank. But pennies build up, right?
Your knowledge and skills build as you take consistent steps to learn. With every step, another penny.
And then a funny thing happens. You start learning more advanced business or marketing ideas, and instead of depositing pennies in your bank, now you are depositing dimes. Dime after dime you are improving your value.
Then it’s quarters, and then dollar bills. The more skills you know, the more valuable you become. The more knowledge you accumulate, the more you have to offer to your customer.
And the more leadership you begin to display.
And what happens to your stuffed piggy bank?
That money begins to double, triple, quadruple and more… for it’s a well known fact that the more you have to offer, the more VALUE you have in the MARKETPLACE, the more money you will make.
The key is to make consistent, determined efforts to improve your knowledge and your skills so that you, too, can become the leader that everyone else will want to follow.
Once you’ve attained that status, you can write your own check.
To your success!
Global online business coach and marketing expert
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