3 People Who Should NEVER Start an MLM Home-Based Business
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
Find more of Dr. Bob Clarke’s training here.
Don’t Be A Social Networking NitWit
I love social media.
I hate social media.
It depends on what day you ask me.
There are days when social media is SO COOL.
I mean, where else can you meet people from all over the world who have the same interests you do? Where else can you forge friendships at the click of a mouse?
I can find people who love baseball. People who went to the same college I did. People who are as intrigued by the new era of marketing as I am. People who share my spiritual or political beliefs.
I can basically find people who are as cool as me… all over the World! 
But then there are days like yesterday.
Days when my social media circle feels dirty and contaminated.
It was a day for the BLATANT SALES PITCH.
Look, I get it. I am an online marketer, and I understand that ultimately, we all hope to find really cool people who want to do business with us.
But you have to be cool about it!
I want people to romance me before they ask me to get married! I mean, talk to me about what I like, share some of your thoughts, get to know me…. and then ask me up for coffee.
But some people never learn. They just continue to bang me over the head, time and time again, with their blittherinly stupid sales pitches that sound like really bad infomercials. And if they’re doing it to me, you can bet they’re doing it to everyone else.
And my bet is, they get no one to follow them… and they conclude that social media is dead.
And to these social networking NitWits I say….
Good riddance… go try pay-per-click!
Until next time,
Dr. 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!
Tired of Hearing “Scam!” Look in the Mirror
SCAM!
It’s become one of the most searched terms on Google. Almost everyone in MLM or direct sales has seen the word “scam” associated with their primary business opportunity in a Google search.
- Herbalife Scam!
- USANA Scam!
- Vitamark Scam!
In fact, if you are in an MLM or even researching one of interest, you can substitute the name of your company before “scam” and I’ll bet my retirement plan that you’ve seen it searched on Google.
It can be disheartening, annoying, and even arouse strong feelings of anger when you see these scam accusations associated with your business.
But when you take a good look at it, who is to blame? I understand that there are people out there who want something for nothing, who scream “scam” whenever they don’t get what they want. I get it.
But I will make the case that WE, as network marketers, must accept our share of the blame.
Let me explain.
When you write an ad copy that is filled with hype, with phrases like “explode your business”, “print your own money”, and alike, you are setting up an expectation. Worse, when income claims come into the picture, these expectations grow exponentially. Whether intended or not, expectations of immediate and dramatic success are the direct result of the FEELINGS your prospect gets when reading your ads and landing pages.
And when expectations aren’t met, especially those charged with such strong emotions, disappointment, anger, and shouts of “SCAM” often follow. Are they legitimate? Probably not. But nonetheless they are a DIRECT result of the words that we use to attract our prospects. There is a fine line between good, influencial ad copy and over-the-top hype. But it is an important line, one that we, as marketers should pay very close attention to.
Because when that line is crossed, and a prospect’s emotionally elevated expectations are not met, charges of SCAM are inevitable. And when this happens, all of us in the industry suffer.
I’ve Been Google Slapped Again — Thank God!
Anyone with experience in MLM, Network Marketing, or Direct Sales knows what a Google slap is. If you don’t, take a moment and google “Google slap” and get up to speed before proceeding here.
“I’ve been Google slapped again” became an altogether too familiar scream around my house lately.
Now, the point of this blog post is not to argue the validity of the latest Google slap on affiliate marketers and “make money” opportunities, but to point out that good things comes from even the darkest clouds.
Here’s my story….
I fell in love with Google Adwords. I started advertising on Google over a year ago, and the leads came in at breakneck speed. Costly? Sure, but I received extensive training from some very well respected Google authorities. So I knew what I was doing, paid a reasonable cost, and was a very happy camper.
Then I got slapped, and slapped again, and again. Every time I made changes in my campaigns to adjust to the latest slap, I would no sooner get traffic back up and leads coming in then…. BAM! I would get slapped again.
It was difficult, but the upside was so damn high. So I kept adjusting and moving forward.
I was hooked!
At least I was until the latest slap a few weeks ago, when Google decided to make Affiliate Marketers lives a living hell. My impressions went to ZERO overnight, and I received that dreaded “You are suspended from Google” email.
Now what? I mean, if Google was against my entire community, what hope was there, right?
WRONG!
Hope rose anew from the fact that the Google suspension has forced me to “back to my roots”, back to the methods of marketing that I had abandoned, things like social media, article marketing, press releases, blogging…. all basically forgotten and left for dead as I discovered what I now call…
The Crack Cocaine of Internet Marketing... Google Adwords
I got caught with my pants down. I got so enamored with the instant gratification of Google that I left everything else behind. I had forgotten all the free and low cost leads I used to get before I became addicted to Google. Even though I consider myself an experienced marketer, I broke the Golden Rule — never put all your marketing eggs in one basket.
Fast forward a few weeks. Still feeling the sting of less lead flow, but I am now detoxed from Google and life continues on. I’ve found that I have a renewed passion for writing good solid articles that deliver something valuable to people. I have returned to blogging with a similar passion. Videos are in the making, and the leads are coming back.
Yes, I have moved over to Yahoo and MSN (Bing) like most others who’ve been slapped, but I’ve done so with the full understanding that I need to diversify my marketing. So now, instead of focusing 95% of my marketing efforts on PPC advertising, I am adding in a mixture of articles, press releases, blogging, Squidoo, Hubpages, and video marketing.
And oh yeah… I have officially started Twittering (or whatever a person who uses Twitter is called)!
My take home message folks?
Marketing on the Internet is just like Investing —>
Never put all your efforts in one place… diversify, diversify, diversify!
Til next time,
It Ain’t About How Hard You Hit
I came across this clip from one of the old Rocky movies. It deals with the reality of life, the hits that everyone experiences, and your ability to get up after those hits that will determine your success.
This is a direct quote from this clip:
“The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place… and I don´t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently, if you let it. You, me or nobody, is gonna hit as hard as life. But ain’t about how hard you hit… It’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward… how much you can take, and keep moving forward. That´s how winning is done.
Rocky Balboa
Here’s the entire video… 46 seconds of PURE GOLD.
This is true in anything in life. It is expecially true when you are starting a home based business or any business. The hits keep coming, fast and furious. It’s easy to give up. It’s easy to quit. That’s why 97% of people DO quit.
But the ones who take the hits, the ones who get up time after time and try again…. the ones who refuse to quit?
Another name for these folks?
Millionaires
Here’s to GETTING OFF THE MAT, TIME AND AGAIN!
This Video Is A Game Changer…. For Your Business AND Your Life
Hi everyone,
I hope you’ve all been enjoying the last few days of summer (at least here in the US). Rosemary and I have been taking some time to relax and recharge our batteries, getting ready for the September rush… you know, the time when the kids go back to school and parents finally have time to take a deep breath, look at their lives, and swallow hard.
And begin to look for alternatives to finding the dreams in their lives that once seemed so close.
The Number One Reason Why People Fail In Life
Most, if not all of you have heard of Tony Robbins. Well, Tony recently did an interview with top internet marketers Frank Kerns and John Reese. In this video, they examined the reasons why people fail to follow through in life.
You know, you buy a book and never read it. Or you read it and never take one bit of action on any of the solutions offered. You buy that Internet Marketing product and get all charged up to change your business.
And then a week, a month, a year passes and you’ve not taken action to make things better.
We all do it.
BUY WHY?
Watch this video that not only tells you WHY you fail to take action, but explains HOW you can never let it happen again.
It’s a bit lengthy — 35 minutes, but its worth the listen. I promise.
Go grab a cup of coffee or your favorite beverage. Cozy up next to your computer, and get ready to change the way you’ve been doing things.
Or NOT doing things
http://tonyrobbinstraining.com/320/interview-with-frank-kern-and-john-reese/
Enjoy everyone. Have a great week!
To your success!
What Are People REALLY Looking For?
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
2 Killer Mistakes To Avoid in Social Media Marketing
People are flocking to social media sites in droves, and for good reason. Web 2.0 sites such as Facebook and Twitter are fast becoming a primary method of “prospecting” for customers for your business.
Indeed, social media can be an extremely effective way to get more people to take a look at your business opportunity
But it must be done right.
There are 2 major mistakes that I see people doing repeatedly in Social Media:
Mistake #1: The Hard Sell
Most of you probably already understand that the “social” in social media means just that — you must take the time to “socialize’ with people, allow them to get to know you and see that you have value to give before they will take a look at your business.
So how is this done?
It is done with consistency and becoming an online presence in your Web 2.0 community of choice. And it is done with giving value to your followers without asking for anything in return.
It is done by learning the art of the “soft sell.”
For those of you not familiar with the term “soft sell”, it basically means that you don’t lead with your business in social media. The fastest way to lose followers and even get banned by some of Web 2.o sites is to blast people information about your business opportunity or product.
While you may truly believe that you are adding value to people’s lives by providing this information, everyone on the Net is getting bombarded daily with thousands of pitches and new opportunities, and yours is just one more on the list.
You must stand out. And you can stand out by providing free value to your followers, no strings attached.
The “hard sell” — banging people over the head to look at your business — will NEVER work in social media.
MISTAKE #2: The Follow-Up Link
The other big mistake I see people making in social media is their follow-up link. That is, where you are sending your followers for more information.
As most of you probably already know, there is always a place on every 2.0 site to put more information about yourself (for example, a profile). This is also the place to put a link to a website where your followers can go to learn more about you.
What do most people do?
They put a direct link to their business opportunity or product site. OUCH!!
Most times, people aren’t ready for that. They want to know more about YOU, the person.
If you are providing cool stuff on Twitter, for example, your followers may want to see what else you are up to. This is where a personal blog or hub is perfect.
By sending your Twitter or Facebook followers to your blog, you are allowing them to get to know more of what you are about. And of course, you should put a link or a page on your blog regarding your business. That just makes good sense.
But to send your followers directly to your primary business capture page is a recipe for disaster in social media.
There are many other mistakes people make when using Social Media as a prospecting tool for their business, but these are two of the biggest offenders.
A Unique Method For Understanding Your Target Market
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).
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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.
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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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