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 happens every time.

Soon after you join an MLM opportunity — ANY opportunity — you start hearing the clamor.  It’s undeniable and it’s never understated.

Your sponsor will start mentioning it.  The emails will start.  And you’ll soon be invited on to “special calls” to discuss it….

Your MLM Company’s Live Event!

They will tell you that ANYONE who’s “Made It” attends every Live Event.  How, if you’re serious about your business, you’ll get yourself there even if you have to take out a second mortgage on your house.  See you first born if you have to… just get yourself to the Event.

I exaggerate, but not that much.

But is it REALLY necessary?  Must you attend your MLM Company’s Live Event to succeed?

The answer, of course, is NO.  But let’s explore it a little further….

3 Things You NEED To Know Before Attending

1.  Most MLM Live Events are “Rah Rah” Sessions

The sad fact is that most of these Live Events are nothing more than cheerleading to the extreme.  The “leaders” are brought on stage, the award winners display their trophies for all to see, and the inspiring stories are told for all to hear.  The reality is that there is very little EDUCATIONAL benefit to most of  these live events.  That’s why I carefully researched my company’s live event before attending, and was thrilled to find out there was actually some solid marketing training involved.

2.  You Will Be Strongly Urged to Buy Something

There are always special deals, gimmicks, and time-sensitive offers at these Live Events.  ALWAYS.  In fact, that’s one of the main reasons for holding your MLM Company’s Live Event — to make money for the company and the leaders.  You will likely be given “attendee only” special deals to upgrade your membership or position yourself higher in the compensation plan.  That’s just the way it is.  Expect it and you won’t be shocked or feel pressured to make a decision.

3.. Your Upline will REALLY Want You To Attend, But Not For the Reasons They’ll Tell You

Sure, your sponsor wants to see you succeed, and sometimes its genuine. But many times, your sponsor wants you to attend Live Events because when you upgrade your membership, they get some sort of residual income.  And that’s okay.. that’s what its all about.  But let’s just be upfront about it.   Meet them, share a meal, get to know one another, but understand that the main reason they pushed you to be there was for their own personal gain.

Having said all this, here is my Recommendation:

ATTEND YOUR MLM COMPANY LIVE EVENT

How can I say this, after all the things I’ve told you above.  Because there is more to it than that.  More than meets the eye, so to speak.

Networking

The very best reason for attending a Live Event is to meet people — NETWORK.  That’s right, it’s “network” marketing, right?  So it stands to reason that you should be doing some networking in your business.  Most people believe this involves networking with people who may be interested in joining you , and that’s partly true.  But the other side of Networking is to meet and befriend people in your business who can help you succeed.

Because make no mistake about it…. NO ONE SUCCEEDS ON THEIR OWN.

So use the coffee breaks and time between sessions to your greatest advantage.  Get out and meet people.  Don’t be a wall flower.  The coffee breaks are the MOST important times of the meeting for most people.  That’s when they make the connections that will help move them forward in the months ahead.

Positioning

Remember I mentioned above how your company will undoubtedly hit you with “special” upgrade deals at the Live Event?  Although I presented it in a somewhat negative light, it doesn’t have to be — not if you are truly interested in positioning yourself higher in the company.  Some of the best upgrade deals I’ve taken advantage of has been at my company’s live events.  They are usually the best deals you will get, and if your MLM has an ounce of integrity, they will offer the Live Event Attendees the best deals around.

Nothing is more frustrating than taking advantage of a “special deal for attendees only”, and then seeing the same deal offered to people who didn’t attend the event.  If this happens, voice your displeasure to your company leadership immediately.  It shouldn’t be that way.

So for these 2 reasons — Networking and Positioning — I have yet to miss my Company’s live events.

Neither should you.

What’s been your experience?

Until next time,

Dr. Bob

http://LeadersForSuccess.com

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FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY…..

Network Marketers are finally starting to “get it.”

It seems they are finally starting to understand that NO ONE CARES about their business, or their success for that matter. What they’re concerned about is THEIR SUCCESS and how you can help them… or not.

And how do you help someone get to where they want to go?  With your knowledge, your skills, and your experiences.

In other words, these things are your VALUE…. and how successful you are as a Network Marketer (or anything in life) will depend on how VALUABLE you are to others.

Watch the video below:

To your success!

Dr. Bob Clarke

http://LeadersForSuccess.com

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A couple of days ago, I was watching the Subway Series on TV…. the Yankees against the Mets.  As always, it was a hard fought series.

What I saw in the first game of the series really intrigued me.  The Yankees had a young, 23-year old pitcher going against the Mets.  His name is Joba Chamberlain.  Joba is very talented but extremely inexperienced, especially in big series such as the Yankees-Mets rivalry.

Catching for the Yankees was veteran Jorge Posada.   Jorge has been through it all… the pressures of big games, hostile crowds, and even a few World Series.  He knows how to call a game, and is generally trusted among the pitchers.

So what do I see on Friday night?

I see this young, inexperienced pitcher calling off his catcher time after time (NOTE:  for non-baseball fans, the catcher generally indicates a sign to the pitcher, telling him which pitch to throw.  The pitcher can accept this call, or he can “shake it off” by shaking his head NO, and the catcher will try another pitch).

Here is Posada, one of the most experienced big time catchers in the league, and he is being shaken off by the 23 year old “know it all” pitcher.  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

So what happened?

Not surprisingly, Chamberlain imploded, walking in a couple of runs, hitting batters with the bases loaded, and totally losing his cool.  It was obvious that Posada was steamed, and with good reason. Chamberlain was gone by the 4th inning.

Chamberlain decided to REINVENT THE WHEEL. He decided that, even with his inexperience, he knew better than the experienced catcher on the right pitches to throw.  Posada, having been in numerous big games in critical situations, knew which pitches Chamberlain should throw.  He knew what would work.  He had a proven system that has worked time and again in the past.

But Chamberlain thought he knew better.  And he failed miserably.

Why am I telling you this story?

Because I see the same mistake being made by Network Marketing newbies every day.  They come into the business, all gung-ho and excited to light the Network Marketing world on fire.

But rather than going with a system that has proven to be successful, well established strategies that have worked for some of the top leaders in network marketing, they decide to “go it alone”.

They decide their way will be better.

And they fail. And they quit believing it’s all a scam and can’t be done.  Thinking only the leaders make the money.

In reality, all they had to do was plug into systems that already work.

As new home business owners, there are so many new things to learn and implement.  It can be a bit overwhelming.

Don’t exacerbate this by trying to reinvent the wheel.

To your success!

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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:

1. The vast majority of people in network marketing fail to make decent money.
2. 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,

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As many of you know, in addition to being a global internet business coach, I am also a scientist in New York City, where I work in  a laboratory that specializes in infertility.

When I was first getting started in that line of work, back in the early 90’s, I was “lucky” enough to land a job as a Laboratory Director at one of the most prominant Infertility Programs in Boston.

It was my first real break, and many of my colleagues thought I was lucky.

You see, at the time I worked in another laboratory in an adjacent building, and had come to know many of the doctors in the Infertility Unit over the course of a couple of years.  I was working as a Postdoctoral Fellow doing research at Harvard Medical School.  I was preparing for my future.

As my Postdoctoral Fellowship was coming to an end, this particular position as Laboratory Director just happened to open up.

Luck, right?

I don’t think so, although it depends on your definition of luck.

Roy D. Chaplin, Jr, former CEO of American Motors, once said it best…

Luck is the Time When Preparation and Opportunity Meet

What a perfect definition.  I was not “lucky” in the classic sense to have landed that job.  I was preparing for that job for many years, doing research, learning skills, meeting people (networking), and “paying my dues”.

Then the opportunity came.  Was I fortunate to be at the right place, just as I was looking for a job?  Absolutely.

Was I lucky? Well, I was prepared when the opportunity presented itself.

There are 2 key components here.

First is preparation.  In Network Marketing, that means learning your craft, honing your skills, and learning new and better ways to do things.  Things like marketing, networking, closing sales, and phone skills.  These skill all need to be developed and improved for success to occur.

Second is OPPORTUNITY.  Knowing a good opportunity when it presents itself, and MOVING ON IT. I’ve seen so many qualified people come and go through the network marketing industry because they were unable to or unwilling to take advantage of an opportunity when it came about.

There is nothing more frustrating to watch.

I see it in people looking for a better way of life, looking to stop the madness of trading time for dollars with no freedom and no savings.

These are people that I KNOW could succeed in Network Marketing, yet they don’t move on an opportunity because they are paralyzed by either fear or procrastination.

You must be able to ACT on an opportunity.  If you can’t act, then it doesn’t matter how prepared you are.

I was “lucky” to get that first Laboratory Director job back in the 90’s.  And I am again “lucky” to be a successful Internet Marketer today.

And both times, luck came for the same reason.

Preparation met Opportunity, and I took advantage.

That, my friends, is the key to success in life.

To YOUR success!

Dr. Bob Clarke

Global Internet Business Coach

Cresskill, NJ;  February 21, 2009

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We’ve come a long way in the last 30 days.  We’ve covered issues surrounding mindset, motivation, setting goals, the importance of keywork research, and some very specific marketing tips along the way.  Today it’s time to tie it all together:  What is the ultimate key to success in network marketing?

Welcome to Day 30 (finally!) of the “30 Tips in 30 Days” Holiday Blog Special, where I’ve given you 30 Business and Marketing Tips for each day of the month of December.  If you’ve missed any of the previous posts, click on the Business and Marketing Tips Category on the right sidebar.

There are lots of things you can do to improve your chances of succeeding in your network marketing home business.  Setting up your business on a strong foundation with well defined goals, understanding what motivates you most to continue, investing in your marketing education and ways to improve your marketing and sales skills, and learning how to support your new team members are ALL very important in making your business grow and flourish.

But there is ONE KEY to realizing success in this industry, that above all others is the cause of most business failures in this industry. 

It’s one thing that 97% of people DON’T GET!

It’s not hard, and it’s certainly not rocket science.

Ready to hear THE KEY?   Here it is…..

You need to STAY IN THE GAME long enough to realize the success you are building.

That’s it.  Sounds simple, but the reality is that most people quit because they can’t stay in the game long enough to see the fruits from their labor.

People don’t start a home based business with the idea of failing.  In fact, it’s usually just the opposite.  They have visions of easy money pouring in to their laps after just a few months.  But they soon realize that running any business is HARD WORK.

• Some don’t want to do hard work and they quit.

• Some get frustrated when they run in to roadblocks, and they quit.

• Some don’t like the idea of losing money, even at the start, and they quit.

To be successful in any new home based business opportunity……

QUITTING CAN NOT BE AN OPTION!

So how do you STAY IN THE GAME?

By having 2 things at all times:

1. Fresh qualified leads to talk to
2. Cash flow

When either of these 2 things are missing, you are running the risk of having to quit your business.

There are various ways to ensure that both of these critical components are in place, but I have found a system that combines both and is very inexpensive.

Regardless of what business you represent, this system is applicable and can be used to not only keep you in the game, but grow your business exponentially.

I have used it myself, and I continue to do so…. with great results.

The system is called MLM Lead System PRO.

It combines aspects of relational or attraction marketing (for getting you a constant flow of qualified leads) with a very strong affiliate marketing component (to keep you in a positive cash flow situation).

It is quite simply the best system I have found to keep you in the game long enough for you to realize all your potential income in your home business.

MLM Lead System PRO is totally generic…. you can represent any business opportunity, or can be just starting out and have your pick of opportunities to represent.

It is a system for new and experienced network marketers, alike.

And it has a terrific educational and training section to teach you how to use the system, and the best ways to market to acheive your personal and business goals.

I don’t recommend sites or systems on this blog unless I PERSONALLY use them and know for a fact that they are for real and potentially profitable.

I give MLM Lead System PRO my 5-star ****** rating.

As this blog is all about the truth, I will tell you upfront–

The link to MLM Lead System PRO is MY affiliate link. I will make a small amount of money if you join.

But I hope you trust me enough to understand that, by giving you this affiliate link, I am showing you  the power of the MLM Lead System in action.

Take a look… you can try it for $1 for the first month, and cancel at any time  if you are not totally sold on it.

___________________

I hope that these last 3o days have provided you with some useful tips or techniques that will help you in YOUR business.  Please feel free to contact me at any time.

My personal email is bob@drbobclarke.com.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!  Make 2009 your best year ever…. IN EVERY WAY!

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One year ago yesterday, my then fiance (and now my wife) Rosemary was diagnosed with breast cancer following a routine mammogram. Over the next year, she faced 4 surgeries and challenges beyond anything she ever thought possible.

Welcome to Day 27 of my “30 Tips in 30 Days” Holiday Blog Special. If you’ve missed any of the previous posts this month, click on the Business and Marketing Tips Category on the right sidebar.

Today, Rosemary and I shot a video to tell her story. It is one of courage and hope for anyone diagnosed with a life threatening illness. And don’t worry — it has a happy ending.

Usually I provide you with a daily marketing or budgeting tip straight out.

But today I’m going to make you work for it.

Watch the following video. Figure out how the messages provided by Rosemary relate to how you run your home based business.

And when you figure it out, leave a comment and tell the rest of the group.

Here is the video:

May your new year be filled with health and happiness,

Bob

See our other videos on YouTube!

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It’s easy to put in the effort to build your home-based business when everything is going great. But it’s another to keep pushing onwards when the results just aren’t there.

Welcome to Day 26 of the “30 Tips in 30 Days” Holiday Blogging Special. If you’ve missed any of the previous posts in this series, click on the Busienss and Marketing Tips category tab on the right sidebar.

On Christmas Eve, our family attended a Catholic mass at a church in New York City, in a rather rundown area of upper Harlem. This was not our usual church, but we were visiting a friend who was the new pastor at this church, and were eager to support him and renew our friendship.

Not knowing what to expect, we finally found a parking space and approached the front door.

From the outside, this place looked like a tiny hole-in-the-wall, really rundown. Slowly we opened the door….

And what we saw astounded us. We stood at the back of a magnificently large church, with rows and rows of pews leading up to a stunning alter decorated to the max for Christmas. Beautiful poinsettias, Christmas wreaths, candle displays, and a wonderfully hand-crafted large Nativity scene.

Those of you who know me personally understand that I am not easily shocked, but this place was breathtaking.

But as wonderful as the place looked, there was a sadness because, with this grand church so large it could easily hold 700-800 people, there were only 12 people (including us) attending the mass. To make it worse, everyone was spread out, mostly towards the back, making this magnificent Church look even emptier than it already was.

As the Mass started, I was anticipating a “quickie”. With this few people in attendance, I figured the priest would move quickly through the mass ritual, give a half-hearted superficial homily, and be done with it. I figured 30 minutes at the most.

But I was wrong. This mass, small as it was, was celebrated as if it was Cardinal Egan performing midnight mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The priest gave it his all, performing each prayer and ritual with a painstaking attention to detail.

And his homily was strong, a wonderful Christmas message of hope, faith, and charity. The organist, an older woman with a beautiful voice, sung every song as if she was singing to a church full of parishioners. The people collecting the offering performed their ritual with great detail and a smile for everyone they met. It was truly a remarkable experience.

As I was leaving and remembering the event, I started thinking how dedicated these loyal followers of Christ were to the success of their church. It didn’t matter to them how many people attended the mass. What mattered was that they put out their very best effort to give the people who attended the very best experience.

It’s the same with your home business. It’s easy to work hard and long when the results are pouring in… when sales are up, leads are flowing, and your are working under a positive cash flow.

It’s another thing to maintain this level of dedication and work ethic when things aren’t going so well in your business. When you put days in to planning and executing your PPC campaigns, writing articles, providing great content in your blog, or researching possible sites for banner ads — yet see no results.

These are the times when working even harder is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.

I’ve heard people say that LONGEVITY is a key to success in online marketing. And part of that success involves working through the down periods until you start to see the fruits of your labor.

It’s very easy to quit — tempting, even — and most people WILL QUIT.

But for those who don’t, for those that work through the hard times, when nothing seems to be working even though you’re doing the right things, the benefits are worth waiting form.   We’ve all been there. We’ve all felt the tug at our sleeve to give it up, to cut our losses, to go back to the “safe” life that we’ve known for many years.

If you are going to succeed in this industry, you MUST ignore these impulses to quit when times are tough. You must keep pushing on, like the priest at this mass of 12 people, as if the positive results are just around the corner.

It’s the ONE QUALITY that all successful network marketers share.

It will not surprise me if I were to return to this same Mass next year, and be greeted by a standing room only congregation of avid followers. For when you keep pushing, working through the tough times, its only a matter of time until prosperous times abound.

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I’ve heard it stated that those people who attend their MLM or direct sales company’s live events have a significantly higher chance at succeeding than those that don’t attend.

Why would this be true?

I just returned from the Second Live Marketing Event in Dallas, Texas sponsored by Carbon Copy PRO Marketing.  I’ve already reviewed the event in a recent post, but today I’d like to get more into the mindset of attending live events.

What do you get at a Live Event that you can’t get sitting behind your computer?

1. Informational trainings and company updates
2. The ability to put faces to names of those you have become familiar with in your company
3. The chance to form friendships and brainstorm with people in your company
4. Many times there will be promotional discounts on company materials
5. Time away from the drudgery of every day life and, usually a renewed drive to work your business.

These are all great advantages to attending a live event, but I’m not sure they can explain why people who attend these events go on to success at higher rates than those that do not.

I believe that it is not the attendance at the Live Event per se that subsequently drives a person’s success in their business, but rather something far more basic.

I believe it has more to do with a person’s mindset and drive.

This is a person who understands the importance of self improvement, education, and training in building their business empire.

This is a person who understands that no man (or woman) is an island, that we need to work with others to really make our business thrive.

This is a person who does not hesitate to spend money to advance their business.

For all the above reasons, I believe it is not the attendance at the live event that makes the difference between successful and unsuccessful home business owners.

It is the intent and willingness, the mindset if you will,  of the person to take their business to the next level by attending an event that really matters.

The event might be fantastic, with exceptional training and full of “golden nuggets” of information to take home, like the Carbon Copy PRO Marketing Event I just attended.

Or the live event might be lacking in substance, a little boring even….. it matters little.

What truly matters is the EFFORT you took to attend.

This is what distinguishes those that succeed and those that don’t in the MLM and Direct Sales business arena.

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