Most people have had the Dr. Suess Book Green Eggs and Ham read to them as children. In the story an unnamed protagonist (lets call him Mr. Prospect), was rudely accosted by Sam I am. Sam thinks that Green Eggs and Ham is the greatest meal on earth and just knows Mr. Prospect will feel the same if he will just try them.

As the story unfolds, Sam follows the prospect from one situation to another, never taking no for an answer, overcoming each objection. In the end, Mr. Prospect agrees to try the Green Eggs and Ham just to get rid of Sam.

Fortunately for Sam, Mr. Prospect discovered he does indeed like Green Eggs and Ham and actually thanks Sam I am.

The above is a perfect example of how traditional selling is done and an absolute disaster in Network Marketing terms. Simply put, God smiled on Sam.

If Mr. Prospect had discovered that he still did not like Green Eggs and Ham, not only would Sam have lost that sale, but any opportunity for future direct or indirect sales from Mr. Prospect or any of his friends and family.

This is the image in the back of the minds of most prospects when a product or business opportunity is presented to them. They expect to be treated as a means to an end rather than a person worthy of respect and of being taken at their word.

This is what causes such resistance. What can an aspiring Network Marketer do to avoid being a Sam I Am ?

First and foremost, banish all thoughts of doing anything to the prospect. The prospect is not there for the Network Marketer to “get” as a customer or potential business partner. The prospect is there for the Network Marketer to get to know and understand to see if what the Network Marketer has is what the prospect is looking for. Don’t look for people to convince, look for people that are convinced and help them act on what they already believe.

Second, realize it is all about timing. The same prospect who wouldn’t consider joining a Network Marketing business when he has a stable job, his finances are good and his bills are all paid on-time and in full, may very well reconsider six months down the line, when his company has been hit by massive layoffs, his spouse has an unexpected medical condition requiring ongoing (and expensive) treatment and he is living off his pension and credit cards because of it.

One popular network marketing book even goes so far as to say once a prospect relationship is created, an attempt to recruit them should be made every six months until they join or die. That will not usually get them to join and is a great way to lose a potentially valuable relationship.

If the prospect says no, let the no stand and ask for permission to keep in touch should the prospect change his mind or knows someone who would be interested. Network Marketing is first and foremost a relationship business. Treating every chance meeting as an opportunity to gain an immediate customer or distributor is killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Third, share the product or service but sell the opportunity. As great as the products and services available through the network marketing channel are, they are not the end themselves rather they are the means to an end (better health, affordable legal representation, a better cell phone, etc).

The real opportunity in Network Marketing is not necessarily to make a massive income (although anyone who will work hard and not give up can and many have), but to gain new skills, new knowledge and new relationships the prospect can apply to their life to help them get to where they are going faster.

Even if the income potential of Network Marketing was no greater than what the prospect is already earning, the gains in personal growth, time freedom and the ability to choose ones co-workers would still be worth it for many prospects.

Be a smart Network Marketer. Follow the guidelines set forth above and in the time it took Sam I Am to create one prospect that needed to be convinced against their will, enjoy many prospects that at the right time will willingly join and give thanks to the person who gave them the opportunity to change their life.

One of the first questions you will need to consider in choosing to start your home based business is “which type of home business model is the right one for me?” This is important because broadly speaking the vast majority (there are some hybrids out there, but very few) of home business opportunities fall into one of two categories, each with its own unique methods of compensation, target market, and skills the successful practitioner must master.

To know which type of opportunities you should target you must ask yourself the following questions:

Do I want to get paid one lump sum up front or smaller monthly amounts?

Direct Sales businesses tend to be transaction-oriented. They are looking for that first sale, and may or may not be looking for repeat sales (depending on the nature of the product or service). These companies usually compensate their agent force using a one-time bounty per sale or new customer found.

Network Marketing or MLM companies are geared to finding and servicing loyal customers, that is to say, more relationship-oriented. To give their agents an incentive to establish and maintain those relationships, most Network Marketing Home Businesses pay a somewhat smaller residual fee payable to their agents for as long as the customer remains a customer.

Am I comfortable introducing myself to complete strangers or am I more comfortable with friends and acquaintances?

Because most direct selling companies generally only pay commission on the first sale to any one customer, direct sales agents need to be constantly prospecting. To succeed in direct sales, you really have to be the kind of person who “never met a stranger”, as you will frequently need to approach people you may not have a prior relationship with and be comfortable striking up a conversation or establishing a relationship with them (cold market prospecting).

In contrast, most Network Marketing businesses teach you how to start with your existing relationships (warm market) and find your first customers and/or distributors from the ranks of people you are already comfortable with because you deal with them on a regular basis. Only after you have developed a certain level of confidence in your people skills will a Network Marketing company encourage (or even permit) you to venture beyond your warm market.

Selling by persuasion or selling by education – which is more like me?

Because of what we have already noted about the nature of direct sales, direct sales most often (but not always) resembles what people traditionally think of when they hear the words sell or selling – a semi-adversarial relationship where somebody wins and somebody loses.

If you are the seller, you win by convincing the customer to ignore any objections or questions he/she may have and making the purchase NOW, whether NOW is the right time for the customer or not.

In direct selling the primary vehicle for moving product is persuasion. Contrast that with the majority (again I am speaking in general terms) of MLM/Network Marketing companies, where the primary vehicle for moving product is education.

Network Marketing is a longer but ultimately more rewarding process where your first goal is not to make a sale but to make a friend and educate them about a product, service, or opportunity that could potentially change their life.

In network marketing your job is to lead the horse to water, it’s up to them if they drink or not. The essence of network marketing is making new friends and giving free advice. When your advice is taken, you get paid.

Now that you know which type of opportunity is the best fit, you may begin the process of looking at and evaluating potential opportunities. We will explore this process in depth in future articles.

Top 10 reasons to start a network marketing business (even if you like your job)

1. Pursue your dreams, not someone else’s.

When you work for someone else, you are spending your time, your energy, your health and your money (the building blocks of your life) in pursuit of their dreams of wealth. If you are going to spend your life making someone rich, shouldn’t that someone be you?

2. Watch your own back, instead of trusting an employer to do it for you.

The days of finding a good company and knowing that they will take care of you as long as you do a good job are largely over. 100 years ago, 50 years ago, or even 30 years ago, as long as you were loyal to the company, you could count on the company being loyal to you. That was because most companies were family-owned and operated and their first loyalty was to the employees who made them successful. Today the majority of companies are publicly traded, which means their first loyalty has to be to the stockholders who fund the company’s operations (even if the company’s top management wishes it to be otherwise). The moment you cease to be an asset and become a liability (even if your job performance has been consistently stellar) the countdown has begun and it is no longer a question of if you’ll lose your job but when.

3. Determine your own economic worth.
It has been said, “The only way to get paid what you are worth is to be the one writing the check!” As long as you are an employee, you are giving others the right to determine what you are worth. No matter how good you are at what you do for your employer, or how much revenue you generate for them you will never earn more than they decide you are worth.

I have read many articles on the best way to get a raise on your job and they all involve some degree of begging or pleading. With your own business, you can give yourself as big a raise as you want as often as you want (just go out and get more customers or business associates). Remember, to an employer, your job is only worth what he/she can pay someone else to do it and there is always someone out there willing to do the same job for less. That is what has driven the trend of outsourcing jobs outside the US.

4. You can have your cake and eat it too.

You can start a network marketing business in your spare time without giving up the security of your present job until you are making enough income from your business that you don’t need your job anymore. Compare that to the more traditional ways of starting a business that essentially require you to risk all on one throw of the dice (quitting your job with no guarantee of success, borrowing against your home and savings, etc.)

5. Turn your expenses into assets

Owning your own business enables you to turn your liabilities into assets. Operating a business out of your home opens up the possibility of deducting a portion of your rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, internet access bill, cellular/wireless bill, landline telephone bill, automobile related expenses and more! Please consult your local tax professional for details.

6. You have a plan B

Instead of waiting until job loss is imminent and unavoidable, and then asking “What do I do now?” you can dig your well before you are thirsty by starting your own business NOW. You don’t have to fear losing your job because you will already have one additional stream of revenue that can help cover expenses while you find a new job. Unemployment benefits will only cover a specific portion of your salary (usually 2/3 or less) and are only available for a specific amount of time.

7. Save Money

Most products available through network marketing/direct sales businesses are of demonstrably higher quality than their retail counterparts (you may pay more up front, but the product will last you longer due to being more concentrated).

Additional savings come from the fact that once you join a network marketing organization you can buy the products at wholesale which can save you as much as 20% off the advertised retail pricing. You can also utilize your business to save money where you already shop. Most retail businesses offer loyalty-based programs for business customers with special offers, discounts on selected purchases, etc. Many of these are free to join and depending on what you purchase and how much can save you an additional 20%.

8. Personal Growth and Development

Having your own business promotes personal growth. The process of building your business encourages (nay forces) you to be open to new knowledge, new relationships and new experiences. You will learn to replace old negative patterns of thinking, feeling and speaking about yourself and others with positive confessions, affirmations, and actions. You will also learn to think like a business owner rather than an employee, which will make you a better employee as you will understand how your job fits into the bigger business picture.

9. Low start up costs

Starting a traditional business franchise can cost you thousands (or more) of dollars to start and thousands more per month to operate. You can start a network marketing business for under $500 and the only monthly cost is the product purchases you are already making for your own use.

10. Owning your own Network Marketing Business is the first step toward owning your life

When you subtract out the sleeping time, working time, commuting time, etc, most people only have 1-2 hours per day to do what THEY really want and then they don’t have the money or energy to do them. To me owning your life means having enough time, energy and money to do what you want when you want. As long as others get to decide how long you work, how hard you work and how much you are paid, you will never be able to own your life. Owning your own business gives you an opportunity to supplement, and over time replace the salary you are currently receiving from your job.

If you are now convinced you need your own business and would like help getting started, send me an email to tbrandon@terrancebrandon.com or leave a message at 866-854-6940 with the best number and time to call you and I’ll send you some free information. You can also visit http://www.terrancebrandon.com for more information on the business I have chosen, but no matter what keep looking until you find the opportunity that will take care of you and your family for the rest of your life! Remember, when evaluating a possible network marketing business, always do your due diligence, ask tough questions and trust your gut.

You need to know at the outset of your first journey into network marketing/multi-level marketing , there are four key commitments you will need to make. Everyone who has ever earned a significant income in a home business has made all four of these commitments. If you find yourself to any degree unwilling or unable to make any of these commitments, I tell you with all the honesty and love I can, to find another way to pursue your dreams of business ownership and financial freedom, because network marketing is not for you.

1. Be your own first and best customer.
This ties in with the previous article I wrote in which I explained that the most important thing in starting a home business was to find a product or service that you believed in to such a degree you would commit to using it yourself on an ongoing basis, regardless of the outcome of your business building efforts. In addition to the credibility you would gain in the eyes of prospective customers and business partners, many home businesses require you to purchase a certain dollar amount of product yourself to maintain eligibility to receive commission on your customers purchases for that month.

2. Work on yourself.

One of the key components in home-based business success is to commit to continuous self-improvement. In a very real sense, you are selling yourself. People will not buy your products or join your business on the strength of the company name or even the quality of the products. They will become your customers and/or distributors for one reason and one reason only..because they have come to know, like, and trust you. This requires that you learn how to present yourself well in social and business situations.

You should spend 5-10 hours a week minimum working on your business and at least 1/3 of that time should be spent learning everything you can about the product or service you represent and developing poise and confidence when speaking with others. Read books like Napolean Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, James Allen’s As a Man Thinketh“, or Dale Carnigies How to Win Friends and Influence People. This may seem like a waste of time at first but this investment will pay lifelong dividends.

3. Work your business every day.

Set aside at least one hour every day where you will focus entirely on finding customers and/or business associates. Spend this hour making phone calls to friends and family to let them know about your new business and ask for referrals, attending a business networking meeting such as LeTip or BNI, or at your local Kiwanis club or Chamber of Commerce. Protect this time like your financial future depends on it..because it does!

4. If you ask your upline for advice, be willing to follow it (be teachable)

When you ask your sponsor (or anyone in your upline) for advice or guidance, unless what they tell you to do is clearly illegal or immoral (trust your gut on this), follow it to the letter. Most of the people in your upline organization by definition have been doing the business longer than you and are making at least enough money to keep them from quitting and doing something else. Since they have achieved a certain level of success, it stands to reason they can help you get to their current level at least.

If you are diligent in following through on these four commitments, you are well on your way to changing your life and your financial future.

For more information on the product(s) I use and believe in visit http://www.terrancebrandon.com .

If that is not a good fit for you, let me help you find the right home business for you. Feel free to contact me at terrance.brandon@gmx.com or via my facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/terrance.brandon .

Remember you already engage in network marketing every day of your life. Each time you recommend a book you have read, a movie you have seen, or a restaurant you like, you are doing exactly what network marketers do. Each of you do the same thing (recommend a product or service you have had a positive personal experience with) and for the same reason (to benefit others). The only difference is that one of you is earning extra money and one of you is not.

To Your Success!
Terrance Brandon

Finding a product or service that you are willing to commit to using yourself on an ongoing basis, regardless of the outcome of your business building efforts.

Why is this so important? Let me answer the question this way. Suppose I were to tell you about a restaurant that I am encouraging you to try. I wax eloquent about the quality of the food, the fast and excellent service, the prices, the décor, etc., etc. You ask me when I ate there and I have to say (being a truthful person –lies or exaggerations will NEVER build a successful MLM business) “Uh, I haven’t..but I’ve read all about it and I’ve spoke to people who’ve eaten there, you really should try it!” How likely are you to act on that recommendation? What happened to my credibility?

The same thing that will happen to you if you try to recommend a product you have not used yourself to your friends and family. What if I had been able to look you in the eye and answer “It’s my family’s favorite place to eat and we go there as often as we can!” and you could feel and sense my sincerity? How likely would you be to follow that recommendation?

You see, The Network Marketing/MLM/ Direct Sales business operates by transference of excitement and belief, but how can you be enthusiastic about a product or service you don’t believe in? How can you believe in a product or service you have never tried?

Another reason to believe in the product or service you represent is that owning a network marketing business is more like farming than hunting. You sow seeds by taking a genuine interest in people and water them by building and nurturing a relationship. You eventually reap a harvest of committed customers and business partners that will build your business and produce income for you long after you have ceased to actively work the business yourself, but you must take the time.

If you are looking for an opportunity to supplement and one day even replace your current full-time income, there is no better vehicle than Network Marketing/MLM/Direct Sales. If you are going to lose your home unless you come up with a mortgage payment in 2 weeks, you will need to find another way.

Perhaps the most important reason to pick a product or service you really are passionate about is that even the most experienced and successful network marketer is going to encounter way more rejection than the average person is used to or willing to endure. Having a rock-solid belief in your product and realizing that it’s not you that is being rejected but the opportunity you have offered that will enable you to keep going. I always like to remind myself, “You’re not selling a product or service, you’re offering someone an opportunity to change their life.”

For more information on the product(s) I use and believe in visit http://www.terrancebrandon.com . If that is not a good fit for you, let me help you find the right home business for you. Feel free to contact me at terrance.brandon@gmx.com or via my facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/terrance.brandon .

Remember you already engage in network marketing every day of your life. Each time you recommend a book you have read, a movie you have seen, or a restaurant you like, you are doing exactly what network marketers do. Each of you do the same thing (recommend a product or service you have had a positive personal experience with) and for the same reason (to benefit others). The only difference is that one of you is earning extra money and one of you is not.
To Your Success!

Terrance Brandon