What Michael Phelps Can Teach You about Network Marketing December 15, 2008 4:11 PM You can learn a lot about network marketing from an Olympic swimmer like Michael Phelps. Phelps was able to win a record breaking 8 gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympic games.  The previous record was owned by Mark Spitz with 7 gold medals.   So what can Michael Phelps, a 23 year old professional swimmer with no experience in network marketing to my knowledge teach you about network marketing?   A lot if you pay attention to some of his philosophies.   Success Philosophies Are Universal   One big misconception, not just in network marketing but in life in general, is the concept that there are secrets that successful people know that unsuccessful people don't.  In many cases these so called secrets are unique to the endeavor that the successful person is pursuing.   While there is certainly industry specific knowledge that needs to be acquired, the philosophies behind success are universal.  They apply whether you are swimming, participating in a network marketing business or even working on a traditional job.  The key is to learn them and apply them.   So what would Michael Phelps teach you if he was your "Diamond" or top distributor leader in your upline?    Here are some of the concepts that I believe Michael Phelps would share with you based on some of his quotes regarding his Olympic experience.   Limits in Network Marketing Are Self Imposed   One of the first concepts that I believe Michael Phelps would teach his team is that all limits are self imposed in network marketing.    For every limit that you can site as to why you cannot have success, I am confident that we can find a distributor in this industry that has had an equal or even greater limit and still had success.   Regarding making history, Michael Phelps said "I won't predict anything historic. But nothing is impossible."   While you might not want to predict that you are going to make a million dollars in your first year of network marketing, also understand that it's certainly not impossible for you to do that.    Limits in network marketing are imposed simply by the mindset of the distributor and have nothing to do with what is possible in reality.   Here is what Michael Phelps says that puts this all in prospective.  "I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and you put the work and time into it. I think your mind really controls everything."   Give Your Network Marketing Business Your All   Too many distributors fail in this industry because they aren't committed.  You can tell when they make statements like "I'm going to give this a try for 60 days."    You can't expect success in network marketing by giving it a try.  You need to be committed and give it all you have.   Michael Phelps was committed to his career as an Olympic swimmer.  He didn't "try" to be a good swimmer.  He made a decision to be a good swimmer and committed to do whatever it took to make that happen.   Here's what he had to say about his commitment...   "I want to be able to look back and say, 'I've done everything I can, and I was successful.' I don't want to look back and say I should have done this or that. I'd like to change things for the younger generation of swimmers coming along."   Too many distributors, if they are honest with themselves will say that they didn't do everything they could to build a network marketing business.  This is the exact reason why they aren't able to achieve success in network marketing.  If you want to be successful in this industry you must give it your all.   You can learn a lot from successful people even if they weren't successful specifically in your area of pursuit.  Success principles are universal and can be applied anywhere.  It's up to you to identify them and apply them to your area of pursuit.    To get the help you need to grow your business, click for step-by-step Internet Network Marketing Training.

Become the hunted and not the hunter.

Using the Wrong Business Strategy

Most network marketers are hunters. They go out and they hunt for prospects they can talk to about their network marketing business. You know; the insincere compliment and the small talk just so they can ask you what they really want to ask you.

Unfortunately many of you may have tried these business strategies yourselves. Hopefully you have come to the realization that they don't work.

Sure, you might get lucky and come across someone who is hungry for your business opportunity regardless of how you approach them. You can even argue that it was worth it just to come across a strong prospect that can revolutionize your business.

However, just because a business strategy has the potential to work doesn't make it the best way to do the business.

Network Marketing Sales

Network marketers, regardless of what you have been told, are in the sales business. Maybe it's not the same type of sales as some of the more high pressure sales industries like car sales and stock brokerage services. However, it is still sales because you don't get paid unless a sale is made somewhere in your organization.

Let's say you are selling some type of health or wellness product. Which one of these prospects do you think is more likely to buy? A prospect that walks into a health and wellness store looking for a product? Or a prospect that you randomly meet on the street?

Of course, the prospect that walks into the store!

It's the same way in network marketing. You stand a much greater chance at making a sale to a prospect that already indicates an interest in what you have to offer than you do with a prospect that doesn't initiate contact with you.

However, you aren't going to open up a store to promote your network marketing products. If the products you offer could be sold in a retail environment effectively, they would be. The company wouldn't need you as a distributor.

So how do you get people to hunt for you instead of you hunting for people?

Use Internet Marketing Strategies

You do it using Internet marketing strategies and techniques. Using the power of the Internet you can put a system in place that generates unlimited prospects to you and your business. The key is to set up a system that attracts prospects to you that are interested in what you have to offer.

For instance, if you market a weight loss product, you could write an article that gives advice on how to lose weight.

The article would then link to a free report that offers additional tips on how you can lose weight. The report would promote an e-book or physical book that teaches your prospect a program to effectively manage their weight.

You sell the book to generate retail profits and then offer your network marketing company's products on the back end.

By following this process you now offer your products to people who already have an interest. No more random offers to people who may or may not be interested. This will increase your recruiting ratio, reduce your frustration and make your business as a whole more enjoyable to work.

If you are looking to recruit more people into your network marketing organization a key tip is to "find more people to talk to".

Your prospecting list is like your inventory if you owned a traditional retail store.

In a traditional retail store if you have a low amount of inventory, your income potential is lower than if you have a high amount of inventory with an in demand product.

The same holds true in your network marketing business.

Many network marketing distributors wonder why they aren't recruiting new distributors on a consistent basis. Yet when you look at their list of prospects you find that the list is a rather small one.

The key to success to recruiting big numbers is to have a growing list of prospects to talk to.

Why is having a big list of prospects so important to the success of your network marketing recruiting process?

This is probably the most important tip a network marketer could get. If you're not growing your prospects list your business dies.

Here's why:

First, a large list of prospects gives you the numbers that you need to recruit a lot of people into your network marketing organization. Recruiting is a numbers game.

The more people you have to talk to about your network marketing business, the more people you are going to recruit into your organization.

Another reason having a big list of prospects helps the recruiting process has to do with posture.

When you have a low number of people to talk to about your network marketing business, your posture tends to be very low.

Another Success Tip: Posture is key to your network marketing business. Without it, you can't lead a team.

This is because you feel you need your prospects to join because you don't have other prospects that you can go to if they don't join.

A large list of prospects creates large posture for you as a network marketing distributor.

A large list gives you the confidence to know that if certain prospects on your list don't get started, you still have plenty of other prospects to talk to.

As you build a prospecting list that continues to increase in size, you are able to increase your posture even further. When you have a large list, you can begin to eliminate prospects you feel won't be a match for your network marketing opportunity and focus your efforts on strong prospects.

Success Tip Question: How Do You Develop a Large List of Prospects?

Again, this is going to be fundamental to the success of your business. Do you remember the big tip of this article? Always be growing your prospects list.

The key is to have a strong prospecting funnel.

One of the best prospecting funnels that you can create is using internet network marketing.

Internet network marketing strategies such as article marketing, pay per click marketing, ezine advertising, social networking and other strategies get your marketing message out to the masses. A certain number of people will respond to your message, which results in building your prospecting list.

By taking the time out to build your prospecting list you will dramatically increase your recruiting efforts. The additional posture and prospecting numbers this simple action creates is enough to literally double or triple your personal recruiting. The size of your paycheck is in direct proportion of the size of your prospecting list.

How do you build your prospecting list? That's the topic of Lead Generation.

The deciding factor may be that they live in an area which is not considered a good target for building a network marketing business.

Maybe the area is populated with families that earn a very low income. Perhaps the area is sparsely populated and has a limited amount of prospects to talk to. Another possibility is that the population in the area had bad experiences with another network marketing company and is now sour on the idea.

Success in network marketing is not predicated on where you live.

Success in network marketing is predicated on how good you are at networking with potential clients and business partners for your business.

Success in network marketing is also predicated on how good you are at marketing to those potential clients and business partners.

What this means is that no matter where you live, you can have success in network marketing!

Success in Network Marketing Does Not Depend on Your Location

Too many distributors use the place that they live as an excuse for failing to achieve success. They mistakenly believe that the location of their residence has something to do with how successful they can become in network marketing.

What's interesting is that distributors use this excuse regardless of what type of market they live in.

This market is too small.

Distributors who live in markets with small populations complain that they cannot build the business in their area. They say they simply don't have enough people to talk to about the products, services or business opportunity they offer through their network marketing company.

They claim that if they lived in an area with a bigger population, they could build their business successfully.

This market is too big.

Yet if you visit distributors who live in areas with larger populations, they too complain that they can't build a network marketing business in their area. They complain that because where they live has such a large population, people tend to be skeptical about business opportunities.

They believe that they just can't find enough prospects willing to look at a business opportunity with an open mind. They claim that if they lived in an area with a smaller population, they could build the business.

This market is too low.

The income of the population in the area also serves as an excuse. Distributors who live in low income areas complain that their prospects can't afford the business opportunity.

This market is too high.

Distributors who live in high income areas complain that their prospects don't need the business opportunity because they already make great incomes.

The cycle of excuses never ends!

The bottom line is it really doesn't matter where you build your business. There are distributors who have built huge businesses in third world nations where the average household earns $300 to $500 a month.

There are distributors who have built huge businesses in wealthy areas as well and have several distributors in their organizations who already earn six and seven figure incomes outside of network marketing.

Your area is only an excuse holding you back from building a successful business.

The Information Age and The Internet Break Your Business Boundaries

The wonderful thing about living in the information age is that you don't have to build your network marketing business in your area if you really don't want to. Using the power of the internet, you can find prospects in any area that you wish.

Stop using your area as an excuse for why you can't build your network marketing business. Either make a commitment to build the business in your area, or find an area where you feel more comfortable building and then use the power of the internet to build there. Never let small excuses cheat you out of big opportunities.

How do you use the Internet to build your network marketing business? That's the topic of Internet Network Marketing.

There are a number of people that recommend positioning yourself as an expert online. But what if you don't feel you are and expert yet?

Misleading Promotional Strategies are Not Good Business

There are some teachers out on the internet that adopt the "fake it until you make it" philosophy. They believe that you should pose as an expert even if you are not as this will attract prospects to you and your organization.

Be careful with this.

If you are not yet an expert in network marketing and you attempt to position yourself as one, prospects who know a little about the industry will feel they have been misled You won't be able to recruit them.

Even if you are able to recruit a prospect that doesn't pick up on the fact that you really aren't an expert, once you recruit them and they realize you don't know what you are doing, they will quit.

A better recruiting strategy is to be honest with your promotions. You can be honest about your experience and still come across as a leader.

People will appreciate your honesty and integrity and you will still be able to recruit even if you don't position yourself as an expert.

So how do you promote yourself online if you aren't an expert?

One way is to focus on your why and your reasons for getting started in the business opportunity that you selected.

For example, if the reason you are getting started in network marketing is because you want to be able to take your family on better vacations, you should share this! Prospects who also want more vacations will be attracted to you and want to learn more.

If you have a good story to share about your experience with the products or services that you market you can share that.

There is a saying in this industry, "facts tell but stories sell." A good story about an experience with the products or services you market can go a long way towards attracting prospects who are interested in what you have to offer.

Another way is to remember that with each new thing you learn and share, you actually are establishing your expertise!

Don't make the mistake of believing that you have to be making a lot of money in network marketing in order to attract prospects into your business. This is simply not true.

All you need to do is convey a message that the prospect can relate to and they will generally respond. Look for ways to help your fellow marketers. Always keep your customer's needs at the forefront, not your own. Your business will grow.

To get the help you need to grow your business, click for step-by-step Internet Network Marketing Training.

Network marketing recruiting is a challenge for a lot of us. There are many network marketing distributors who think, "If I could only recruit a heavy hitter distributor... I would be set for life." This typically is a misconception that people who don't fully understand the network marketing compensation plan don't understand.

If you haven't had a lot of success yet in network marketing the last thing you want to do is recruit a heavy hitter distributor into your organization. The way most network marketing compensation plans are set up, you won't be able to enjoy it if a heavy hitter joins your team.

Most network marketing compensation plans are structured so that the higher you are in the compensation plan, the more money you make when a superstar joins your organization.

Most people who wish for heavy hitters aren't high up in the compensation plan. As such, if they got what they want, they wouldn't be able to enjoy the efforts of recruiting such a person.

If a heavy hitter joins your organization and you haven't reached certain levels in the compensation plan, what will happen is when that heavy hitter joins; he or she will go right over you in the compensation plan. When that happens, you typically no longer qualify to earn income off the efforts of that organization.

What's the point of experiencing that almost "once in a lifetime" experience of recruiting a network marketing heavy hitter just to find that you can't enjoy it because you aren't qualified to override the efforts of that organization?

Network Marketing Pay Plan Ideal Recruiting Scenario

The ideal recruiting scenario is to bring aboard enough people to help you qualify for the higher levels in your compensation plan without recruiting somebody who is going to run at a faster rate than you do. You want this ideal scenario to remain in place until you get high enough in the compensation plan where it doesn't matter anymore.

In most compensation plans, this typically occurs when you reach what is generally known in the network marketing industry as the "leadership bonus qualifying position." This position has different names in different compensation plans, but can be known as "Platinum", "Director", "Executive Director" and other such names.

It is at this critical "leadership bonus level" where it becomes fully advantageous to recruit a network marketing heavy hitter.

Why is it ideal only to recruit a heavy hitter once you've reached such a high level in the compensation plan?

At the higher levels, you will qualify for a much greater percentage of the bonuses that are paid based on the production of your organization. Also it is at this level that additional bonuses typically get paid to continue to compensate the leaders even when a distributor matches or surpasses their level.

When you have reached these higher positions in the compensation plan, even if you recruit a heavy hitter and they rocket past you in the pay plan, you will still benefit because of the additional bonuses and pay percentages that are available at these levels of the plan. You can literally make a six figure income from one heavy hitter organization if you are positioned properly in the compensation plan.

So if you haven't recruited a network marketing heavy hitter yet and you aren't high up in the compensation plan, be grateful! There is no feeling worse than seeing the amount of production flowing through your organization and knowing you aren't going to make a dime because you aren't high enough in the compensation plan to be rewarded by that income.

To get the help you need to grow your business, click for step-by-step Internet Network Marketing Training.

Here are the steps to ensure multi-level marketing (MLM) failure. How to fail in network marketing is as easy as one, two, three!

Step One

Write ads like this:

JOIN NOW! BEST BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY ON THE PLANET!

FABULOUS COMPENSATION PLAN! LAUNCHING IN 3 MORE COUNTRIES!

The more hype the better.

Step Two

Be very specific in writing articles about your company and products. Tell all about how great and wonderful your MLM company is, how financially sound it is, how terrific each and every product is and why.

Also, be sure to outline in detail who's who in the MLM company management team, listing each person's qualifications. Go ahead and mention the board of directors, being sure to include quotes from the chairman about how great the management team is.

Step Three

Talk to everyone you know and everyone you don't know about how excited you are about your network marketing business. Be sure to tell them all about each product in elaborate detail.

Always, always, take at least 20 minutes to draw circles, explaining the compensation plan.

That's it! You're done! (done for, finished, kaput)

Network Marketing: It's All About Me

Marketing in our industry is a little tricky.

When I first tried to promote my MLM business, I had no idea why I was not effective.

I was doing exactly what I had been taught.

But in fact, I was going about it all wrong, exactly like most network marketers.

I was the poster child for all three steps to MLM failure, the "done for, kaput" role model for my entire team.

Hype Does Sell But With One Exception

In America, MLM business builders can not be successful marketing in the same way that other industries advertise.

Hype sells...except in network marketing.

In the United States just talking about your network marketing business is uncomfortable.

If you owned a car dealership, that would be different. You could use all the hype you wanted and if it was good "copy," people would want to learn more.

Not so in MLM.

Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction

Unless someone asks for information about your MLM company, they honestly do not want to hear about it; at least not in this country.

Even as a network marketer myself, I don't want to hear about it.

But hey, if a friend wants to talk to me about the Corvette he has on his car lot for sale, I'm there. Tell me all about it. Even if I can't afford it, I'll probably stop by to check it out. If he then wants to tell me all about his MLM products he has for sale, I don't care about that. Leave me alone.

It's just not socially acceptable in the United States to pitch an MLM product or business opportunity. It isn't comfortable. It is culturally frowned upon here. Strange but true.

Help Me Help You

So how in the world do we build our business and avoid MLM failure? Well, I don't know about the world, but in America, don't pitch MLM products or business opportunities.

Instead, help people succeed.

In the movie, "Jerry Maguire," a sports agent, writes a "mission statement" for the agency. He enthusiastically puts copies of it everywhere in the office. His pitch is that the agency should concentrate on building strong relationships with the athletes.

The agency doesn't agree and he gets fired. But, out of that failure, Jerry Maguire ends up fulfilling his mission statement with his own company and just one client, Rod Tidwell.

At one point Maguire (Tom Cruise) is struggling to build a strong relationship with the football player, Tidwell (Cuba Gooding, Jr.).

Maguire begs Tidwell to let him help. The famous line is, "Help me help you. Help me help you." When Tidwell finally let's his agent help him, he succeeds. They both succeed.

Our mission statement in MLM is the same as Maguire's. It's our business model for MLM success. Maguire worked hard on building a strong relationship with his client, helping Tidwell become a football star.

Guess what that led to...?

Show Me The Money!

If you help other people succeed, it doesn't usually lead to success for you too; at least not in corporate America.

But in network marketing it does!

The best way to market your MLM business is to promote yourself as someone who can help other people succeed in our industry.

Use the consultative approach in your advertising.

In an ad, a video, an article and in conversation, the MLM product that sells the best is you and your valuable help.

That's when people will show you the money!

And a lot of them will say, "Can I join you in your MLM business?"

When that happens, you just got the green light! When you speak, they will listen! You can even use hype! That's when you say, "I'm so glad you asked, because this is the BEST BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY ON THE PLANET!!!"

To get the help you need to grow your business, click for step-by-step Internet Network Marketing Training.