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
If No One’s Joining Your Business, Ask Yourself, “Why Should They”?
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
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
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 Have What It Takes To Succeed In Network Marketing?
Congratulations! You started a home business, and you are officially a Network Marketer.
Now the question is, do you have what it takes to succeed?
From my experience, I believe that your ultimate success will come down to what I call the 3 P’s:
Patience, Persistence, and Positioning.
- Patience — when everyone first starts their new home business, visions of dollars flowing into their back account cloud what is truly the reality of any business, from the internet to brick and mortar: success in any business is seen over time. You might be surprised how many people start in network marketing all gung-go, ready to light their business on fire, only to quit within a few months. They failed to understand that success requires patience while the components of your business are being put into place: your mindset, your marketing and your mission (Hint: Go watch your Inside Out DVD again until you get this).
- Persistence – your business will not thrive without constant attention, taking action regularly to start seeing the results you want to see. Another word for this might be consistency. Consistent effort is a key to the success of your business. Being persistent means moving forward ESPECIALLY when things are NOT going so well. Persist in your marketing. Persist in your personal development. Persist in gaining the knowledge to become valuable to your prospects.
- Positioning — you will never reach your ultimate level of success in your business until you are positioned so that you are not leaving money on the table. For those in Carbon Copy PRO, that means positioning yourself at the M3 level. I know, most of you are saying that $20,000 is way too much to even consider. You just don’t have that kind of money. Fine, I can accept that. But what is your plan? How do you plan to get to this level? You need to have a realistic plan to get to the M1, M2, and M3 levels BEFORE you lose patience that you are not seeing the results you imagined.
That’s it….. Patience, Persistence, and Positioning. The 3 Pillars to Success for your New Business.
Be Patient in Your Expectations
Be Persistent in Your Efforts
Get Positioning to Maximize your Income
When you’ve solved these, you will become your company’s next star and leader!
To your success!
Global Internet Business Coach and Mentor
How Much Are You Worth?
Today, I was listening to a DVD by one of my favorite personal development gurus, Jim Rohn talking about value. He asked the question, “How much are YOU worth?’
Why do some people get paid $8 an hour, while others are given millions to perform their job? It has everything to do with value.
The amount of money you make is directly related to your
VALUE IN THE MARKETPLACE
People make minimum wage at a job because they don’t have much value to the market. I’m talking economic value only here. A person may be extremely valuable to society in other ways, as a parent, a son or daughter, or a church member, for example. But when talking about value to the marketplace, I am specifically talking about the skills you bring to the table.
On the other hand, a CEO who is bringing in BILLIONS of dollars to his company is paid MILLIONS per year.
Why? because of his value to the company.
That’s why I have always been adamant about EDUCATION AND TRAINING. There’s not better way I know of to increase your value to the marketplace.
Take the example of Network Marketing.
You have just started your Network Marketing business, having never done anything like it beforehand. Flash forward 3-6 months down the road, and you still haven’t made any money.
You haven’t made any money because your value to the marketplace is still very low.
Let me ask you this.
During those 3-6 months, what have you learned? What training have you received?
Here is what my wife and I did in our first 3 months after we started our Network Marketing home business.
We signed up for specialized training in Pay Per Click advertising. Then we signed up for specialized training in Social Marketing. We bought and read as many books as we could get our hands on. We purchased CDs and listened to them in our car on the way to work. We purchased DVDs and watched them over and over instead of watching TV.
In other words, we improved our knowledge 100 fold, and in the process we increased our value to the marketplace.
When we first sponsored someone in our business (and there were very few at first), we didn’t know much and had little more to offer our new members other than the training the company offered.
But now, months later and several training courses later, we can COACH our team with a high degree of certainty that we can help them make money in their business FASTER than we made money with ours.
Why? Because we know more.
And because we know more, we have attracted more new members to our team. Along with this has come a corresponding spike in our income. It’s been very obvious to us what has happened.
WE INCREASED OUR VALUE TO THE MARKETPLACE
And now? Now we have people calling us to join our team.
How has our life changed? Not much, because we are still on a mission to INCREASE our value to the marketplace.
We recently signed up for one on one training with some of the very top leaders in our industry, to learn the hidden secrets that only the most successful network marketers know.
Why would we do this if we are already making some serious money online?
Because we know that as our knowledge and value to the marketplace increases, so will our income.
To your success!
This is the business and the automated marketing system that I chose above all others
The Ultimate Key to Success in Network Marketing
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:
- Fresh qualified leads to talk to
- 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!
How To Use Free Keyword Research Tools to Maximize Your Efforts Online
If someone asked me what is THE MOST important thing I’ve learned since I first started network marketing several years ago, I would have no trouble answering….
Welcome to Day 28 of the “30 Tips in 30 Days” Holiday Blog Special. To see other posts in this series, click on the “Business and Marketing Tips” link in the Category section.
What is the most important skill I’ve learned? No contest.
KEYWORD RESEARCH
Keywords are everything in online marketing. Let me repeat that.
KEYWORDS ARE EVERYTHING.
Why? Because everything you do on the Internet means nothing if nobody sees it.
And how do you get people to see your work? By finding the proper keywords that people use in their searches.
Seems simple, right? Not so fast.
Think about the way you search for something on Google. You type in whatever you’re interested in.
Let’s say by way of example that you are interested in visiting Puerto Rico and you wish to know the best hotels to stay at in San Juan.
If you simply type in Puerto Rico in Google search, it’s not likely that you’ll get exactly what you’re looking for without going through several pages of search results.
But if you type in “Best Hotels in San Juan Puerto Rico”, voila! Right before your eyes will be exactly what you need on page 1 of the search results.
Because most of us want to find things the easy way, and we want it on page 1 of our Google search. Right?
The same holds true with online marketing. Your aim is to get your material on the FIRST PAGE of Google. Otherwise, it’s likely lost in the great Internet abyss.
How do you do this? Keyword Research.
There are various ways to perform keyword research, using both free tools and those that you purchase.
I use only the free tools, and so far they seem to work for me just fine.
Rather than explain how to do keyword research,
let me use this BLOG POST as an example.
STEP ONE: What do you want to blog about? (or talk about on videos, or write articles, or do squidoo lenses, or write a press release, or perform pay-per-click advertising…. see, I told you that keyword research is the one skill that you use for everything in network marketing!).
In my example, I wanted to post a blog about keywords. More specifically, how to do keyword research. The first step in the process is narrowing down exactly what general keywords you have in mind.
STEP TWO: Go to a free tool called Google Suggest. This tool allows you to see search volume as you type a phrase in the Google Search box. You’ve probably used it before without realizing it was Google Suggests.
When I typed in “keyword research”, it gave me a volume of 14, 200,000. That’s ALOT of searches! This means that people are definitely interested in this subject area, which is great.
But it also means that there is likely to be a lot of competition for the keyword phrase, “keyword research.”
So we need to dig deeper.
STEP THREE: Go to another free keyword tool, Google Adwords Kayword Tool. This is a fantastic free tool that you can use whether or not you have a Google Adwords account.
It provides the average monthly search volume for your keyword or keyword phrase, and for several related keyword phrases. It also gives you an idea of the competition for that keyword.
The Google Adwords Keyword Tool is very easy to use:
- Indicate you want to search for “Descriptive words or phrases”
- Enter the keyword or keyword phrase
- Click “Get keyword idea”
And you’re off and running.
For my example, I typed in the term “keyword” first. That was way too competitive, so I typed in “keyword research”. Still too competitive, so I looked for longer variations of this search phrase for something less competitive.
You may have seen the term “long-tailed keywords”. This is what they are referring to.
Here are the results for my research
keyword …………………………….. avg. search volume 450,000……… very competitive
keyword research...…………….. avg. search volume 49,500……….. very competitive
keyword research tools .……… avg. search volume 1.900 ………… less competitive
free keyword research tools… avg. search volume 320…………. no competition
By doing appropriate keyword research and using longer keyword phrases that were searched less often but with far less competition, I was able to come up with a long-tailed keyword phrase that will rank well in the Google search engines.
So the next time someone searches on “free keyword research tools”, it’s likely that my blog post will come up on page 1 of the search.
Keyword research is POWERFUL. It’s also an essential tool to learn if you are going to market anything online.
In fact, if I were going to pay for more training in ANY skill, I would pay for additional training in keyword research.
It’s THAT IMPORTANT.
That’s it for today, guys. Coming down the home stretch…. two more days left in this blog special series….
and I have SO much still to teach you.
Til tomorrow,
Marketing Lessons Learned During a Blizzard
Yesterday we received 8 inches of fresh snow, with more on the way tonight. What most of you don’t know about me is that I absolute HATE shoveling snow. Despise it. It puts me in a really bad mood. But as I was shoveling this morning, it occurred to me that there are some very strong parallels between snow shoveling and building a home based business.
Welcome to Day 20 of the “30 Tips in 30 Days” Holiday Blog Special — one business building tip for each day in the month of December. If you’ve missed any of the previous posts, be sure to click on the Business and Marketing Tips Category on the right sidebar.
So I’m out shoveling snow, feeling older than I already am and passing the time thinking about my next blog post. And then it hit me. There are a number of parallels between strategies for snow shoveling and how to build a home based business. Seems like a stretch?
Check it out.
1) When shoveling snow, you need the right equipment. We had more snow than usual yesterday, and my usual small shovel didn’t seem worthy of the job. So I searched my garage and found this old relic — a huge snow shovel that hadn’t been used in years. I pulled it out and gave it a try.
The surface had become so worn, that the snow just stuck to it like glue. Even though it looked impressively big, it was just the wrong tool for the job. What does this have to do with a home business?
Everything.
You absolutely need to start out with the right tools when building a business, first and foremost being a business opportunity that you are proud of, that pays well, and that offers you the support and training you’ll need when just beginning. Getting the right tools in place from the beginning will reduce your frustrations immeasurably when starting your home based business.
2) Break large tasks into smaller pieces. Most of you know about the end of the driveway. You know, the area where the snow plow piles all the snow from the street right in front of your driveway entrance, leaving a HUGE wall of snow blocking your way to the house. I walked out this morning faced with such a snow wall, and started out trying to lift it all at once. Big mistake.
I found it much easier to take it in small pieces, level by level. Much easier on the back, and the heart! It took me a little longer, but it got me there nonetheless. Another positive? I won’t be paralyzed again today.
When you are just starting out, building your home based business can seem an insurmountable task. But if you break it down into small tasks that can be accomplished in a shorter time, it all seems that much easier.
Let’s say you decide you want to do video marketing. It can seem a very daunting task, especially for those of us that are technically challenged. But if you break it into pieces, small attainable goals, you can be making your first video in no time. For example, your first goal might be to research and purchase the best video camera for your needs. The second goal might be to practice before the camera, not actually taping but going through the entire process and understanding how it will feel. The third step might be to complete some online training to become more proficient, like that offered at MLM Goldmine.
You get the idea. Break your large goals up in to smaller tasks. It may take longer to get to your ultimate goals, but you greatly reduce the risk of quitting from frustration!
3) Make it FUN! Finally, when shoveling snow, have some FUN! Take the snow you removed from your driveway or walkway and make a snowman! Make it about family time. When building your business, don’t forget to have fun! If you’re making a video, have a blast! Don’t focus so much on the quality of the video as the quality of the message. If you are talking to a prospect, LIGHTEN UP! Joke around with the person on the other end of the phone. Show them that having a home business can be alot of fun. After all, they are probably scared to death, too!
There you have it. Three very strong parallels between snow shoveling and building your business.
You can probably find similar parallels in all the jobs you do around the house or at your job. Leave a comment and add to the list.
Until next time,
Bob
December 20, 2008; Cresskill, NJ30 Tips in 30 Days: Day 7 — Do This One Thing and Your Chances of Making Significant Money Triples
If you may remember, back on Day 3 of our 30 Tips on 30 Days Series, I talked about the importance of training and allocating a significant part of your initial marketing budget to laying your marketing foundation with education.
You see, you can buy leads, but once they’re gone, they’re gone. But once you learn HOW TO MARKET, you can easily generate an unlimited number of leads…. sometimes free or at very low cost.
But today, I want you to consider something that you may not have thought important:
ATTENDING YOUR COMPANY’S LIVE EVENT
Statistics have shown that people who attend their company’s live events, especially within the first 6 months of joining the opportunity, almost triple their chance at being successful.
Bob and Rosemary Clarke with our friend Jay Kubassek, CEO of Carbon Copy PRO
It may seem weird that the simple act of attending a conference or live event will have such an effect. It was not until we attended our first live event with our current company that we discovered why it’s so important.
Let’s take a closer look….
Here are some of the advantages of attending a LIVE EVENT:
- You get to meet the leaders of your company, the people who started the company and run it on a day-to-day basis. You get an idea of their vision.
- You come to really understand the value of the products you are marketing, by seeing how they have positively affected the lives of others. Most people who market products use them routinely and can have some terrific testimonials.
- You get to see people who are making REAL money in your business. This no longer is a hypothetical possibility of making money… now you see it first hand. You can talk to these people and find out what THEY did to get to where they are today.
- You can meet people who work in the offices of your company, like customer service reps. These are the people in the trenches every day, and it is strategically very advantageous to befriend one or more of these key people. When you have an issue with your back office, need a product returned, have problems with a customer’s order, now you have someone REAL to turn to.
- You can network with others who are just starting out, get their contact information, and provide support for each other as you struggle to make a name for yourself. Some of my best marketing ideas were borne out of conversations I had in just such circumstances.
- You can LEARN new marketing strategies. I am lucky enough to have joined a company that holds an actual Live Marketing Event twice a year where they teach the latest and hottest marketing techniques. If your company provides such training at their live events, take advantage of it.
So lets get in to the nitty gritty….
6 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Live Event:
- Dress professionally. Business casual is the norm, so there’s no need to dress in suits, but don’t look sloppy! You are beginning to project your image, so look the part!
- Be a sponge! Listen to everything and take a lot of notes.
- Don’t be a wallflower! Even if you are an introvert like me, FORCE YOURSELF to be bold. Introduce yourself as a new member of the company, and more than likely you will get a very warm reception. If you find yourself at a lunch or dinner table knowing nobody, take advantage of it and meet EVERYONE at your table.
- Get business cards prior to the event so you can give them out to people you meet at the Conference. The purpose? People will now have your contact information, and you can ask for theirs in return. Ask them if it’s okay if you call them with questions. Most will readily agree.
- Watch for special discounts. Many companies offer special deals or discounts on such things as trainings, stepping up to the next compensation level, and products. Be willing to consider any that interest you. Rosemary and I have used several of these discount deals at our Live Events to get specialized training that would otherwise be cost prohibitive.
- Bring your camera!
Why bring your camera?
Us with our mentor Dennis Karganilla, co-creator of MLM Goldmine and Web 2.0 guru
Well, you need to start building your credibility with your prospects, right? When you are first getting started or don’t yet have a lot of success, you might feel like you don’t have any credibility.
So you have to BORROW some!
When my wife Rosemary and I were just starting out, we went to our company’s live event and took pictures with every leader we could find. These were people who were making REAL MONEY. These were people who had made a name for themselves.
Why would we do this?
First take a look at the pictures throughout this blog post. What do you see?
You see Rosemary and I with some very influential and successful people in our primary business and throughout the Network Marketing industry.
You get the picture. IT IS CREDIBILITY THROUGH ASSOCIATION.
People look at these pictures, and say….
“Hey, look who Bob and Rosemary know! They must be in the “inner circle” to have such friends.”
Whether you are just starting out or have been in the industry for years, pictures at live events give you INSTANT CREDIBILITY in the eyes of your prospects.
Bob and Rosemary with Mr. Andrew Cass, top earner and Exec VP of Wealth Masters International
Put them on your blog, your web page, or anywhere else to build your credibility over night.
Take home lesson for today?
GET TO A LIVE EVENT! Do whatever it takes, but if you’re serious at making it in network marketing, get there. I’ve never talked with anyone who later regretted it.
To your happiness,
Bob
August 7, 2008; Cresskill, NJLIVE COMMENTS
Latest on Thu, 03:08: Mary.. let me know my error... let's discuss!
: I think, that you commit an error. Let's discuss. Write to me in PM, we will communicate.
: Sweet blog. I never know what I am going to come across next. I think you should do more posting as you have some pretty [...]
: Hey doc, right on! Need more people like you on the planet
: I was just introduced to your site through CCPro Forum. My initial question - how should one define "TRUTH"? (I love word-studies and that's a [...]
-
"