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:

1. Make yourself VALUABLE to your prospects (Education and Training)
2. Get the word out about the VALUE you have to offer (Marketing and Advertising)
3. 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

http://LeadersForSuccess.com

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It’s always a tough decision… and sometimes it can keep you awake nights.

Should I pull the trigger?

Should I join this business opportunity?

There’s never a guarantee that  decision you make will be the right one, but there is a way to throw the odds in your favor.

The answer lies in asking the right questions.

I own a marketing business.  Day in and day out I get asked the same questions:

• How much money will I make?
• How fast can I make money?
• How much money do YOU make?

There’s nothing wrong with these questions, except they don’t accomplish anything.

The answer to the first 2 questions depends on YOU.

The answer to the last question has nothing to do with YOU.

You need to be asking the right questions to assess a business opportunity.

The ones that get right to the heart of whether or not a business is the right one for you.

Questions about the products.  Questions about the compensation plan.  Questions about the leadership of the company.

In fact, there are a series of 10 questions that I believe to be the most important questions you can ask before joining any network marketing or MLM home business.  The answers will go a long way towards qualifying (and disqualifying) a business as one that you would want to partner with.

I’ve just completed a Special Report that I want to pass along to you, my loyal readers.  It was written for my primary business opportunity, but I thought it would be just as valuable to you as a Business Assessment Guide – useful for qualifying any business.  It was written in a general tense so that you can find value in this Report.

Here is the Link to The Report:

10 Crucial Questions You MUST Ask Before Joining Carbon Copy PRO or ANY Network Marketing Business

There’s no opt in needed… just click and ENJOY.

And once again, thank you for your trust and your loyalty.  It means a lot to me.

Respectfully,

Dr. Bob

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I know, it seems like a weird title, but bear with me here… I promise it will make sense!

Here’s the deal in Network and Internet Marketing:

There’s a lot of us out there!

I mean, everyone and his mother is looking to start a home business, and 95% of people

who start a business do so in either network (internet) marketing or direct sales.

Everyone has a product to sell, everyone has a website to show, everyone has the “killer deal” that will “take you to the next level!” (boy, if I had a dime for every time I’ve read that!

So, the big question, the ONLY QUESTION that matters is….

How on earth will you stand out from the crowd and get noticed?

Believe me, guys this is the 10 million dollar question, and the answer is the Holy Grail of making money online.

And lucky for you, I have the answer… and it’s not that hard.  In fact, it’s not just true in Marketing and Business but in everything in life.

Read the full article here:  The Most Important Piece Of Advice You’ll EVER Get

Make it a fantastic week everyone!

Dr. Bob Clarke

Join my team

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One of the biggest lies propogated by MLMers trying to build a team is….

“Everyone and anyone can be successful with MLM!”

The fact is that, while MLM offers people a great opportunity to start a business who would otherwise be unable to do so, there are certain people who have ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS being in MLM.

Meet 4 such people:

Meet Lazy Larry

Larry’s friends gave him that nickname because he is, well, incessantly lazy!  Larry hates work.  Larry’s job isn’t terribly challenging, but he has to wake up early and he always feels tired.  When Larry return home from work, all he wants to do is eat his take-out Chinese food or pizza, kick up his feet, and watch TV until it’s time for bed.

Larry never exercises, so he is overweight. Larry doesn’t go out much, because it feels like too much effort.  Larry hires people to clean his house and cut his grass, even though he really can’t afford it.

Lazy Larry should NEVER start an MLM home-based business.

Like any other business, MLM takes a lot off effort to get it off the ground and grow and maintain a downline.  There is no room for lazy people in MLM (or any business).  MLM takes WORK!

Meet Worried Wanda

Wanda is a financial mess.  She works at a job that doesn’t pay nearly enough.  She can’t seem to stop spending money at the mall, and her charge cards are maxed out.  He husband just got layed off, and Wanda is worried that she will be next.

There are never enough dollars at the end of the month, and Wanda doesn’t know if she’ll be able to pay next month’s mortgage payment. She is worried that she and her husband will end up homeless.

Wanda should NOT be starting an MLM home-based business.

Although MLMers promise low start up and monthly costs (and they ARE low in terms of starting a business), the fact is that it takes MONEY to run a business, and no one in a financially desperate situation should ever think of starting a business.  It makes no sense, but you’d be surprised how many calls I get each week from people in similar situations who want to join my team.

I tell them to get their finances in order and then give me a call.  I want to sleep at night.

Meet Angry Alan

Alan is angry at the world.  He has what some would consider a “tough life” — he grew up without a dad, his wife left him for another man, and he can’t seem to hold a job because he keeps punching out his boss.   Alan thinks that everything that happens to him is someone else’s fault.  He feels targeted, put upon, and like the world is always dumping on him.

If he gets fired, he blames his boss.  When his wife left him, it was all her fault for not loving him more.  When his kids don’t want to see him on “his weekend”, he blames them for not honoring their father.  In other words, Alan takes NO RESPONSIBILITY for anything that happens to him.

Alan should NEVER start an MLM home-based business.

It doesn’t matter if Alan has a good deal of money to get started.  It doesn’t matter if he has all the time in the world to devote to his new business venture.  Alan will fail– GUARANTEED.

Why?

Because when obstacles come up, blocking his success (and this happens all the time with any business), Alan will blame anyone but himself.  He will feel VICTIMIZED, and he will quit.

When starting a network marketing business, you have to prepared for the setbacks.  You have to understand that things are going to go wrong, block your way, and sometimes even seem insurmountable.  You have to take FULL RESPONSIBILITY for everything in your business, accept  temporary setbacks, and find a way around them.  If not, you are doomed before you even start.

• Network Marketing is great for people who are not afraid of work and, in fact, look forward to challenges.

• Network Marketing is great for people who are not in financial ruins and can give their new business the time it will need to grow and flourish.

• Network Marketing is great for people who take full responsibility for everything that happens in their lives.

But for Lazy Larry, Worried Wanda, and Angry Alan, well….

Let’s just say that their money is better spent somewhere else, as in…

A treadmill for Lazy Larry…

A financial counselor for Worried Wanda…

A therapist for Angry Alan!

Got any more to add? I’m sure we’ve all had people on our team or met people who have no business being in MLM, if they haven’t quit already… tell me your stories!

To your success!

Dr. Bob Clarke

http://LeadersForSuccess.com

Find more of  Dr. Bob Clarke’s training here.

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Sorry I’ve been a little absent lately.  You see, my wife Rosemary and I started up a HUB, our online “home away from home” and we’ve been putting on the finishing touches.

Take a look ===>  Entrepreneur and Leadership Hub

Let us know what you think!

And now for the reason I’m writing today…

Anyone whose followed this blog knows that I’m all about the truth.

Well here’s another one for you —

When you are looking to join an MLM or Network Marketing company, it doesn’t really matter which one you choose!

Well, it kinda does.  Of course, you need to find one that’s legitimate, has a sound business model with a good compensation plan, and plenty of training and support, but other than that —- what really matters is this —

Your Choice of a Mentor

You see, your choice of a mentor will be crucial to your success.  Everyone needs mentors in all walks of life, especially when you are going into uncharted waters like starting a business for the first time. 

So what do you look for in a mentor?  I recently published an article on this very subject — the link is below — but I’ll give you a hint — you do NOT want to find someone who gives you all the answers.  You goal is to become and independent entrpreneur, and to do that you need to find answers for yourself.

Read the rest of the article with my 4 clues to Choosing the Right Mentor.

Have a great weekend everyone!

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… 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!

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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

http://BobandRosemary.com

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These are difficult economic times around the Globe.  People have lost their investments, retirement money, and some even their homes. So it’s no surprise that, historically, home business opportunities THRIVE during a global recession.

Why?  Because people are looking for help.  They are looking for a way out of their misery and their troubles. They are looking for a replacement for the job they lost, or the job that they fear is short-lived.

Network Marketing is a terrific alternative for those looking for a J-O-B alternative.  It’s probably the one business model that requires the least amount of start-up capital, no overhead, and no employees.

But there is a catch.

For all its positives, the reality is that 97% of all network marketers fail.  They fail for a variety of reasons, but right up at the top of the list is UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.

And who are responsible for these expectations?  Mostly US, the home business entrepreneur.

Because in our haste to grow our team, make our commissions, and set up our residuals, we forgot one thing…..

We FORGOT THE TRUTH.

And that’s what people are really looking for.  THE TRUTH.  Nothing more and nothing less.

So what IS the truth?

This is answered throughout this blog, but I can boil it down to the following….

• Making money in network marketing requires TIME
• Making money in network marketing requires MONEY
• Making money in network marketing requires KNOWLEDGE

So who makes money the fastest?  The ones who have the TIME, the MONEY and the KNOWLEDGE.

Do you need all 3?  NOPE.

But what you lack in one you  must make for with the others.

• If you lack time but have the money, you can outsource much of your marketing and make money fairly quickly.
• If you lack money but have the time, then you must learn for yourself.  This will require a steeper learning curve for making money, but it will happen if you persevere.
• If you lack knowledge, you can either outsource what you don’t know or spend some money on some really good training and do it yourself.

But how fast you  make money is nothing more than the TRADEOFF between these 3 resources:  Time, Money, Knowledge.

And that is the TRUTH,  that is what people really want to know.

That is what they DESERVE TO KNOW before they jump into an opportunity with unrealistic expectations.

To your success!

http://From9-5ToEntrepreneur.com

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There are few things more vital to the success of any network marketing business (or any business for that matter) than having a clear understanding of exactly who you are marketing to.

Most people in the industry call it your “Target Market”, and the sooner you get this right, the faster you’ll start making money.

In fact, if you develop a crystal clear picture of your target prospect and that market is profitable (that is, they will have a genuine interest in buying your product), then you can basically PRINT MONEY whenever you wish.

But how do you develop that clear picture of your target market, your “Ideal Prospect.”

It’s not as easy as it may sound, but I heard a great technique yesterday on a training call that I want to pass on to everyone on this blog.

Here’s the process:

• Name your prospect. This makes it personal and allows you to talk about your ideal prospect as if it was a real person.
• What do they need? When describing your ideal prospect, think about who would need your product the most.
• Relate to your Ideal Prospect. Relate the description of your ideal prospect to your own life experiences.  What made you purchase your product or join your business opportunity?  What problems were you having?  What needs were met by your decision? It’s much easier to market to a prospect that you, yourself can relate to in a very strong way.
• Get VERY specific, the more the better.

I did this exercise last night and I want to share it with you today.   You will be able to see just how specific I got when describing my ideal prospects, who I called Nate and Natalie (I didn’t want to be sexist, so I made both a male and female version of my ideal prospect).

+++++++++++++++

Meet Nate and Natalie

Age: Middle age between 40-55.

Occupation: Professionals working between 50-70 hrs per week with a lot of responsibility and very stressful positions.

Marital Status: Married (but never seeing each other due to work and kids’ schedules) or separated/divorced for the same reasons.

Home Owners: Yes, two story home in suburbia so that they can commute an hour to work into the city. Maybe a vacation home in the mountains or beach, but they never have time to go there.

Family: Kids who go from sitter to sitter when younger, or who come home from school to an empty house. The kids have very structured lives, going from activity to activity. The family rarely sits down to dinner at the same time, since no one is home early enough.

Health: Fair to poor. Lack of exercise – not enough time or energy. Poor eating habits: too much fast food and processed food (can you say microwave dinners?). Because of this they are both 20-40 lbs overweight and too tired/lazy to do anything about it. The pop Tums like they are candy.

Mental State: They have given up on trying to keep in shape. They feel guilty for not spending more time at home for their spouse (if still married) and their kids. They are tired of missing their kid’s school plays and baseball games because of work. They are sick and tired or being sick and tired. Something has to give!

What They Do To Relax: Nights are spent vegetating in front of the TV trying to escape their stressful day. Weekends are spent working and then catching up around the house. Usually a weekend barbeque is planned to try and unite the family, but hardly anyone shows up.

Ephiphany: They wake up one morning with the feeling, “Is This All There Is? They look back and realize that their life has been spent on all the wrong things, that they really haven’t helped anyone on this planet.

Or maybe a significant health issue or event causes them to take stock of their life and realize that something has to give or they will end up in an early grave. They start questioning exactly why they were put on this Earth, and what people will remember about them when they’re gone.

They start looking for other ways to pay the bills that will allow them to have more time for family, friends, and most importantly, themselves. But they also need something that will not only give them freedom but will be lucrative enough to allow them to pay the mortgage and the orthodontist for the kids, and get ready for their kid’s college costs. They need pay for their 2-story house and their vacation home. Not to mention their retirement (if they have the money!).

And – oh yeah – they’d like to feel like they can make a difference in the lives of others.

This is where we come in!

You know what the great part is?  I KNOW THIS PERSON.

I WAS THIS PERSON!!!!

And it can’t get any easier than marketing to yourself.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Develop this kind of picture for your ideal prospect.  When you do so, it becomes amazingly easy to develop a marketing strategy that is laser-focused on this target market.

To your success!

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Rosemary and I just returned from the beautiful Dominican Republic, where we were taking in some sun and relaxing, followed by our company’s Private Wealth Conference.

With Natalie Stahl at the Paradisius Resort

At the Conference, we met up with our good friend and fellow entrepreneur, Natalie Stahl.  Natalie is CEO of Platinum 7 Profits and a very seasoned business owner.

We sat down over a few drinks in the lobby and were discussing some joint projects we are working on, when the subject of SUCCESS came up.  More specifically….

What does it take to “make it” when starting a new business?

Natalie made a point that makes a lot of sense.  She told me that, in her experience, any new business owner doesn’t have a chance unless they have “skin in the game.”

If this saying is not familiar to you, it means that you’ve got to have a lot at stake when starting a business, namely money.

Not money you could make, but money you’ve put in to your business as start up capital.

Why?

Anyone who has their own business understands that the obstacles are plenty and the urge to give up can be fierce.  This is especially true at the beginning, when one usually makes mistake after mistake before they “get it.”

And if you don’t have a lot at stake, a lot of SKIN in the game ($$$), then giving up is WAY TOO EASY.

I’ve been a student of human nature for quite some time, and I am coming to the belief the GIVING UP may just be part of human nature.  Maybe that’s too strong, but my point is this.  Most people (97%) of new home business owners will quit before they come to profit.

Why?  Because most home businesses, especially MLM require relatively little capital to get started, less than $1-2000.  This amount of money is not enough to keep people from throwing in the towel when times get tough, when results don’t come fast enough, and when quitting seems easier than the work needed to make your business profitable.

Rosemary and I are good examples.

Our first business was in MLM.  It was a decent company with good products.  But we were very green, and knew nothing about starting a business.  Our start up capital was about $1500, pennies when you consider that it can take hundreds of thousands of dollars to start a brick and mortar business or franchise.

The obstacles came fast and often when we started.  We gave it a good try, but within a year it was easier to justify quitting than spending the time and energy needed to see a profit.  WE QUIT.

A while later we were ready to try again, but this time we got involved not in MLM, but in a Direct Sales company.  We were drawn in by the products, the marketing system, and the lucrative compensation plan.  But to be at the top of the plan, to make the most profit per sale, we needed to put down $20,000.

This was a lot of money to us back then.  We hesitated, kicked the idea around, and came up with all the pros and cons.  But the bottom line was this….

We knew that, with that much money at stake, we would never give up.  It was just too much money to give up.

We had “skin in the game”.

It was admittedly a leap of faith, a big risk to take.

But no business was ever started without risk.

To your success!

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