The ultimate goal for many people who become independent distributors in network marketing is an income of $10,000 per month.
$10,000 per month is “walk away money” for most people. This puts the earner in the top 5% of income earners in the U.S. $10,000 per month ($120,000 per year) is DOUBLE what most “successful” people earn in their J.O.B. With little in savings and an epidemic of foreclosures, it is obvious that $60,000 per year is NOT ENOUGH!
So what if you can grow your home-based business to the level where you are earning $10,000 per month? That would be the equivalent of living on the interest from $6 MILLION in the bank!
The question is: how are you going to accumulate $6 million dollars – that is, save $6 million AFTER taxes and all your household expenses?
The answer – and the bad news for 99% of Americans and others around the world – is that it will be virtually impossible!
Unfortunately, many people get involved in network marketing, and then quit within six months to a year because they are not YET making $10,000 per month! That is attrition. Attrition accounts for a turnover of as many as 80% of mlm reps each year!
These people do not understand the value of “getting rich quick, the SLOW way” (as Jordan Adler advises in his book, Beach Money.)
People who quit MLM don’t realize that:
1. 90% of your results come from the last 10% of the efforts you expend.
2. Residual income is cumulative. You need to commit to consistent efforts over a 3 to 5 year period.
It is possible to earn “Beach Money” in 3 to 5 years! This is an income that could not be duplicated in 40 years of corporate America!
It is also crucial to understand that you don’t go from zero to $10,000 per month overnight, or even in a straight line!
Before you can earn $10,000 per month in network marketing you have to earn $1,000 per month. And before you can earn $1,000 per month, you have to earn $100 per month!
So let’s take the comparison between residual income and interest or investment income a little further…
Did you know that earning $400 per month in residual income from your network marketing business is equal to the interest you would earn on $200,000 in the bank?
Think about that. Earning just $400 per month would be like someone making a $200,000 deposit in your bank account! You would be generating the same income!
Let’s cut the numbers in half: earning $200 per month would require a balance of $100,000 in the bank! Do you have $100,000 in the bank? Which will be easier to attain? $200 in commissions from your network marketing business or saving $100,000?
Side note: the business that Randy promotes and recommends pays a MINIMUM of $100 per new distributor, and up to $240 or more! Which is easier: recruiting two new distributors per month or saving $100,000? In addition, distributors earn 30% commissions on the retail purchases of their customers! $200 in commissions ONLY requires $666 in retail sales per month!
Now $200 to $400 per month doesn’t sound like much until you compare it to saving $100,000 to $200,000!
Also note: 80% of bankruptcies could have been avoided with JUST an additional $200 to $400 in monthly income!
MOST people don’t join a network marketing company to earn $10,000 per month! They join to earn $200 to $400 per month!
Watch the following two short videos as Don Failla explains the power of residual income and gives more examples:
Millions of people are facing an uncertain economic future. Some young families will lead lives at a lower standard of living than their parents. Many “baby boomers” will never be able to retire.
I invite you to watch these videos several times. Understand the power of adding $100, $200, then $400, and then $1,000 per month to your income. Is there any other system that provides the same “return on investment”?
Are you looking for an alternative? Are you searching for a system that can provide $200 to $400 per month – with the potential for $10,000 per month in 3 to 5 years? Then I invite you to CLICK HERE (or on the image below) to learn more about the business that Randy recommends – a business that can be marketed to any individual or business, worldwide!
Randy writes about topics that affect your finances, including Making Money and Saving Money. Randy is especially passionate about entrepreneurship. The Marketing Training section includes EXACTLY what Randy is using NOW to earn a full-time income as an online marketer - and how you can do the same!
If you think any of the posts or articles would be interesting to others, please forward to your contacts.
Follow Randy also on Twitter and Facebook!
In the last ten years, more and more women are leaving the corporate world to start their own businesses. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the number of women-owned businesses grew by 44 percent between 1997 and 2007—twice as fast as men-owned firms. Given the state of today’s economy and the numbers of women who’ve been laid off, more women than ever are leaving traditional careers and starting their own businesses from home.
Professional women have plenty of options when deciding to go into business for themselves—but more of them are taking a serious look at network marketing and direct selling companies as their new career path. What’s the appeal?
There are plenty of reasons, and if you’d like to recruit these aces into your team, you’ll want to understand what’s motivating them and be sure to highlight these benefits in your recruiting conversations!
Here are the top 10 reasons women are leaving the corporate world for network marketing and direct sales:
1. Tired of the Corporate Grind. In the 70′s and 80′s, many women loved their new-found independence and the opportunity to slip on a suit and drive off to a swanky corner office. But today’s savvy gal is just as happy to pull on comfortable yoga pants and skip the commute altogether. Instead of tolerating office politics and glass ceilings, professional women are falling in love with the opportunity to be their own boss, have control over their schedules, and no limits on their annual income.
2. Craving More Work-Life Balance. For most women, competing in the corporate world has meant sacrificing many things, the hardest being any semblance of balance in their lives. As many women strive to be the super-employee, super-mom, super-wife, etc., the majority feel super-stressed and totally burned out.
Having more control over their schedules, and more time for themselves or their families is one of the strongest motivators for women to start a network marketing business. They love the idea of being able to attend their kid’s soccer games, or take a break from calling customers to squeeze in a yoga class. Network marketing is one of those rare opportunities where women can truly have it all—both a great income AND a high-quality life.
3. Working As Part of a Team. Most career women have worked in team environments, so the idea of leaving that kind of environment to start a business all alone is quite daunting. (Too much isolation… next thing you know, you’re talking to yourself and tweeting Ashton Kutcher!) Network marketing and direct sales offers the perfect blend, where women have total say in how they build their businesses, along with the opportunity to collaborate and receive ongoing support from others.
4. Opportunity to Choose Who You Work With. Many professional gals bear the battle scars of dealing with difficult bosses and cut-throat colleagues. Perhaps the most enticing idea about direct sales is the level of choice it provides. You have the final say over who you work with every day (whether a new customer, or new business partner). You’ll never have to meet with Mr. Dragon-Breath-Please-Have-a-Mint or report to Ms. I’m-Having-a-Bad-Day-and-so-Should-You ever again.
5. Necessity and Security. Let’s be real: not every gal who starts her own business does it because it’s her first choice. The majority of people laid off when the economy tanked in recent years were women, and with job prospects slim, becoming self-employed was the only option for many. However, once women get over the initial shock of an unplanned career change, most are eternally grateful to be on a more rewarding path, where they never have to worry about getting another unexpected pink slip again.
6. Low Start-up Costs and Monthly Overhead. The start-up costs of most businesses create a real barrier for women. If you want to open a retail store, you need capital to rent a location, purchase inventory, and advertise. You are risking a lot financially if things don’t go as planned. In network marketing, the start-up costs are minimal, and there’s very little overhead month to month. The internet has cut these costs even further; no need to fill your garage with product. Customers can buy directly from the company, from anywhere in the world, without you having to spend any of your own money upfront.
7. Cool Rewards and Incentives. Unlike many corporations, network marketing companies make a huge effort to recognize and reward their distributors. They value you and your contributions, and aren’t afraid to show it.
Incentives are offered at every level of business development—and hey, what woman doesn’t love to be showered with cash bonuses, jewelry, exciting trips, and even cars just for doing your job and making a great income in the process?
8. Bye-Bye Glass Ceiling. Sad, but true: women in most professions are still being paid less than male employees in similar positions. Although progress has been made in some areas, the proverbial glass ceiling is alive and well in corporate America. Network marketing and direct sales offers a complete level playing field, where gender bias does not play a part in your income. With 82 percent of the profession made up of women, more and more are rising to the top, claiming multi six and seven-figure annual incomes in the process, and modeling a new way of wealth creation for women across the world.
9. Free Up Your Time. Network marketing is one of the few business models where women can truly enjoy more of what we never have enough of: time! The leveraged model of network marketing doesn’t just give women more freedom in how they set up their schedule on any given day, but how much freedom they can enjoy over a lifetime.
It’s not uncommon for former career women to start a direct sales/network marketing business, and within two to five years have replaced (or increased their income) and be enjoying a lot more free time in their lives. Very few business opportunities can create that kind of rapid return or ultimate freedom and lifestyle.
And, finally, perhaps the most important reason of all…
10. Get Paid Well to Be Who You Are. For most women, working in the corporate world has meant checking their femininity at the door and becoming smaller versions of who they really are. To compete alongside men, women have been encouraged to hide their emotions and put on their game face constantly. As a result, many women working in these environments find them very unfulfilling. In network marketing, the situation is almost the complete opposite.
Feminine traits are not just welcomed, they are encouraged! This business model thrives on the values of nurturing, support, collaboration, and authenticity—all inherently feminine traits. The more women show up as themselves in this business, the more successful they become.
Savvy women everywhere are looking for the opportunity to escape unfulfilling jobs, and enter into a new rewarding career path. Recruiting these women into your team is about the smartest thing you can do, and to do so you must understand what motivates them the most. Help them recognize that your business is not just a way to make money but also a way to experience more balance, time with family, the opportunity to make a difference, and to be successful, without sacrificing themselves in the process. If you do, you’ll no doubt attract many of these aces to your team and create a win-win opportunity for everyone.
Thanks, Sonia for the great article!
I would add that network marketing and direct sales is most successful for those who are naturally relational. This describes women more often than men!
In the past, salespeople were most often men. The “hard sell” was the norm. Plus, during a booming economy, salespeople were forced to be aggressive in order to meet ever increasing quotas. Often meeting these quotas meant longer hours, more travel, and “cut throat” tactics. Some men overcame and thrived; other men and many women were turned off by this sales environment.
All of this coincides with the “New School of Network Marketing” written about by Kim Klaver. See also my review of her training and a link to her “Customer Enchilada” course in the Bonus Training section of my blog.
As Kim also points out, many women (and men) aren’t necessarily looking for a full-time income from their network marketing business. Some may actually start a business on the side as a way to find fulfillment and social validation outside of their regular job! Other networkers are just looking for a supplement to their regular income. Still others realize that eliminating commuting expenses, day care, and office wardrobe, and other “work expenses” would allow them to earn much less in their home-based business!
For more information on the network marketing opportunity that Randy uses and recommends, CLICK HERE, or on the image below…
Randy writes about topics that affect your finances, including Making Money and Saving Money. Randy is especially passionate about entrepreneurship. The Marketing Training section includes EXACTLY what Randy is using NOW to earn a full-time income as an online marketer - and how you can do the same!
If you think any of the posts or articles would be interesting to others, please forward to your contacts.
Follow Randy also on Twitter and Facebook!
I am reprinting this article – originally posted over five years ago.
Reason: MANY networkers still don’t get it! Relationships count; hard sells are dead!
Kim writes…
Old School network marketing (aka Old School MLM), the business model that gave millions of average people an opportunity to own their own business, died on Wednesday in cyberspace. It is believed he was about 50.
Old School died of complications from a terminal image problem and a misguided focus on big money. He had been ill for some years, weakened by excessive recruiting, mercenary tactics and customer neglect. Doctors identified the most harmful tactics that accelerated the spread of the fatal image: hype, promising quick money, telling half-truths, and selling out friendships.
Old School thrived during periods of economic recession, giving hope to millions of people. Some made fortunes, and their rags-to-riches stories drew millions seeking theirs.
Although most Old School students did not realize the promise of big money, many earned a little. More importantly, they found an occupation that gave meaning to their lives through the benefits of a product or service they believed in and loved.
Many formed new social networks they’ve enjoyed for years. Many got their health back from the products they used. Many basked in recognition they had never experienced before. They called the opportunity that Old School gave them “living the dream.”
The nutritional supplements boom got a jump start from Old School’s marketing momentum. The majority of new supplements were introduced by network marketers who educated a public that had been raised on medication and surgery.
Despite all the good things Old School spawned, the fallout from the image cancer that had been quietly spreading for years finally overcame him. He passed attended by throngs of NM/MLM faithful.
He is survived by his 17-year old daughter New School, and her many stepchildren.
New School urges network marketers not to abandon their past, but let it help guide the future. She predicts that in time and with consistent practice in the new approaches, network marketing will become a jewel in mainstream American business.
Send Out Cards Celebrates Relationships
I felt it was important to reprint this article by Kim Klaver because it seems that many in the network marketing industry still haven’t heard the news.
Like zombies that refuse to die, it seems that “Old School” MLM is still spouting up, in random places, from time to time.
Unfortunately, it often infects network marketing distributors with a terminal virus. To protect themselves, friends and neighbors hurry to cross to the other side of the street if they see the “Old School” networker. Many even try to avoid contact with these zombies via the telephone and email – just to be safe!
But – there is GOOD news! There is an antidote to “Old School” MLM!
Kim created an entire course that outlines her approach to “New School” marketing in MLM (and business in general!) Please check out Kim’s website, bananamarketing.com and look for the “Customer Enchilada“, a full audio course with 12 sections.
Randy writes about topics that affect your finances, including Making Money and Saving Money. Randy is especially passionate about entrepreneurship. The Marketing Training section includes EXACTLY what Randy is using NOW to earn a full-time income as an online marketer - and how you can do the same!
If you think any of the posts or articles would be interesting to others, please forward to your contacts.
Follow Randy also on Twitter and Facebook!
Don’t ignore promptings. They are reminders we need to pay attention to!
Heed Your Promptings
Do you like interruptions?
Some are pleasant – when someone you love unexpectedly calls or writes, for example. Some are an irritation – like when when your concentration is interrupted by a doorbell or telemarketer!
Kody Bateman wrote a book titled “Promptings” that addresses the need for us to be conscious of these inner stirrings to do something, contact someone, make a change, etc.
We ALL have promptings, often several times a day! (There is a Biblical basis to promptings, whether you are a believer is immaterial!) John 14: 26 says, “The Holy Spirit…will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
Sometimes we ignore or tune out promptings. This happened to Kody when he drove away from home without making a special effort to say goodbye to his brother. Before he would return home again, Kody’s brother would be killed in a car accident.
If you believe that God speaks to us through his Holy Spirit you know that these promptings can occur anytime, anywhere (because God is also everywhere, all the time!) Sometimes these divine promptings cause us to ask for forgiveness, or prompt us to intercede for someone. Promptings can convict us, comfort us, and guide us.
A simple way to act on promptings is to send a note or card. We are inundated by emails and text messages. But when was the last time you received a card in the mail?
Kody acted on his prompting to start a company that makes contacting friends, family members, and even business contacts as easy AS POSSIBLE – using the latest online technology! To learn about this unique company and how you can inexpensively send cards, gifts, and other sentiments from your computer – to anyone, anywhere in the world – see the Send Cards section of my blog.
With a $9.80 monthly subscription to Send Out Cards, I will give you a gift of Promptings!
Randy writes about topics that affect your finances, including Making Money and Saving Money. Randy is especially passionate about entrepreneurship. The Marketing Training section includes EXACTLY what Randy is using NOW to earn a full-time income as an online marketer - and how you can do the same!
If you think any of the posts or articles would be interesting to others, please forward to your contacts.
Follow Randy also on Twitter and Facebook!
The Cure For Unemployment May Be Your Own Business!
Today the latest unemployment statistics were released.
As far as I am concerned, the Department of Labor Statistics is a branch of Obama’s reelection campaign!
Do these numbers make sense?
115,000 jobs were added in the entire country in April 2012.
It takes the addition of AT LEAST 250,000 jobs to maintain the same unemployment rate (due to population growth and immigration.) To overcome the high unemployment rate and REVERSE the trend, the U.S. would need to add 300,000 or 400,00 jobs per month!
115,000 is LESS than 250,000, and yet the unemployment rate FELL from 8.2% in March to 8.1% in April!!!
The reason: 350,000 people just decided that they are no longer in the “workforce”!
Today, there are over 88 MILLION Americans (over the age of 16) who are “not in the workforce!
Today, there are 110 million Americans working in private jobs. Compare this to 132 million in 2004.
Look around! Are your family members and friends who have been unemployed going back to work. This does NOT even include those who have been working part-time and are seeking full-time employment!
We don’t need the government to blow smoke about the economic “recovery”. We can see it for ourselves. There are now AT LEAST 20 million FEWER jobs than just eight years ago! Progress? Recovery?
If you are unemployed, underemployed, or wanting to earn more money – it is TIME to investigate a part-time, home-based business! Check out the Making Money section for some ideas and advice.
For information on a business opportunity that has applications for EVERY business and family – check out this link.
Randy writes about topics that affect your finances, including Making Money and Saving Money. Randy is especially passionate about entrepreneurship. The Marketing Training section includes EXACTLY what Randy is using NOW to earn a full-time income as an online marketer - and how you can do the same!
If you think any of the posts or articles would be interesting to others, please forward to your contacts.
Follow Randy also on Twitter and Facebook!
How To Create Successful Leaders By Creating Achievable Milestones
Your 30 Day Success Plan With Send Out Cards
(This article is over 20 years old – but the solid truth is unchanged and just as applicable today!)
This article was reprinted on Dale Calvert’s website: www.TopMLMTrainingArticles.com, which also contains other articles by top networkers including Mark Yarnell, Len Clements, John Milton Fogg, and others. 24 timeless articles in all! See Dale’s comments following this article (and follow the various links to evaluate the training programs he offers.)
My comments are noted (in bold) within this reprint as well…
SUMMARY: The key to having distributors stay in your organization is to get them to the benchmark of a $300 commission check as quickly as possible – ideally within three to six months. Your training, goal setting, and business building strategies should be focused on that first all-important mile-stone.
“I know that in Network Marketing, ‘the only way to fail is to quit.’ But I’m having trouble convincing people in my Network about that. How do I get them to stay involved long enough to start seeing some success?”
This is one of those truly great “Great Questions” that comes up again and again, and there are lots of great ways to answer it:
• Making sure your people are motivated by helping them stay clear on what their own personal goals are . . .
• Making sure they have the tools they need and know how to use them . . .
• Making sure their efforts are supported by 3-way calls and meetings until they’ve got their “sea-legs” securely under them…
ALL of these are sound approaches. But there’s another answer – one that’s perhaps more basic and essential.
Let’s take a nuts-n-bolts, run-the-numbers, practical look at the conditions you’ve got to create for your people to get involved and stay involved.
There are two things which prevent most Networkers from achieving success:
1. They don’t make $300 per month quickly enough, and
2. Their downline doesn’t either!
Surprised? You’re not alone.
But the truth is that $300 is the income-earning threshold below which there is no Network Sales Organization! Why? Because there are simply no Networkers to form an organization!
People who make $300 a month in this business stick around. People who don’t – don’t.
It’s that simple.
Achieve Success, Avoid Frustration With Send Out Cards
Networking Enemy #1 – Attrition
No one in this profession likes to talk about attrition. Why Not? Because it undermines the profession’s primary positive benefit that we recite in our prospecting routines.
You know the rap: “You sponsor 10 people, and they sponsor 10 people, and they…and pretty soon…”
Now, how successful would you be as a prospector if you said instead: “You sponsor 10 people, and then 9 drop out, and then the one who’s left sponsors 10 people, and nine of THEM will drop out, and then…”
Doesn’t sound like much of a positive pitch, now, does it? But it is the truth – or at least, it has been for most Networkers.
Statistically, attrition rates in Network Marketing average about 80 to 90% per year. That means 8 or 9 out of every 10 distributors drop out of their organizations (and most out of networking altogether) within a year or less of signing up.
Factually, that’s no different than mainstream business start-ups, where 8 or 9 out of 10 fail within the first year!
But what really hurts is that 80 to 90% of your efforts are lost . . . before they’ve had the chance to be successful. As Dayle Maloney says, “The problem with most Network Marketers is that they quit before payday.”
But what causes this drop-out rate? And what can be done about it?
Ask open-ended questions like that and you’re bound to get long, equally open-ended answers. CEOs and distributors alike have given us all sorts of philosophies on why distributors leave our profession.
But to find the truth, let’s rephrase the question: at what point do Networkers NOT drop out of their organization?
Specifically, how many dollars per month in compensation does an MLMer have to earn before a high percentage do NOT drop out? Just about all we spoke with answered, “$300 to $400 a month, sustained for at least 2 or 3 months.”
Randy’s note: even though this article is several years old, the $300 amount is still valid! Many network marketing opportunities cost less than $300 to join as a distributor. My recommended program costs $295! This means that if a new distributor can “break even” within a short period of time, they are a success!
And “by when” do they have to make that amount? 6 to 9 months is best, with 1 year being the longest time allotted. And if they don’t? They leave the organization at a rate of 80 to 90% per year.
Randy’s note: 6 to 9 months is probably too long in the current market and economy. People have too short an attention span, especially with “new, shiny objects” in the form of MLM’s being pitched at them on a weekly basis. I would recommend achieving the $300 per month goal in 2 to 3 months – if not the FIRST month! With the program I have recommended this is very reasonable – and even part of the “Your 30 Day Success Plan” training!
And if they do achieve $300 a month? They stay on board and usually become even more successful.
So why don’t most Networkers ever get to the $300 per month level?
Answers:
• Poor prospecting and sponsoring,
• Lack of knowledge about this industry and how Network Marketing really works,
• Unrealistic expectations.
The common “pie in the sky, get rich quick” approach can set up your new distributor for failure almost immediately, because the truth is that 98% of all Networkers DO NOT EVER reach those soaring heights of success – and certainly not within just a year.
This creates a “lottery” mentality that in turn creates delusional dreams about what this business has to offer . . . and then dashes them.
Randy’s note: any networker that recruits new distributors with a “get rich quick” promise not only destroys his or her personal credibility, but damages the image of the entire network marketing industry. Jordan Adler, the top distributor in Randy’s organization, has a different motto: Get Rich Quick, the Slow Way!
In other words, be up front and recruit on the honest projection that the new networker will NOT get rich in only a few months. In reality, building a network, or an organization of fellow new networkers, will be a relatively slow process that will likely show only small gains for 6 to 12 months! But, unfortunately, most MLMers quit before this! Or, as stated above, “The problem with most Network Marketers is that they quit before payday.”
So lay out a conservative plan to earn $300 in the first 30 to 90 days. Don’t promise a “pay day” other than this without a 6-month commitment, including assignments and checkpoints along the way!
We have a common misconception in this business that $300 is such small potatoes, it’s not even worth mentioning. There’s the wonderful story about a man who went into the business with the goal of making $300 a month. Not $10,000 or $20,000. Just make $300 a month.
The man achieved that goal fairly easily and stayed at that $300 income level for a number of years. He didn’t seem very ambitious – so he was asked about this. As it turned out, the man had taken his initial $300 and accelerated the mortgage payment on his home, paying it off in record time. He then used his free-n-clear equity to buy a second property, rented it out, and applied the “extra” $300 in the same manner he had with his own house. In less than 5 years, he ended up owning 5 income properties and was virtually financially set for the rest of his life. All by virtue of the $300 a month he had earned in Networking.
Enter the $300 Solution:
• What would happen if you told your downline (or yourself) that the first step to MLM success is to get to that $300 a month level within 6 to 9 months – or even a year?
• What would happen to their expectations now?
• What would happen if you told them the real truth about this business: when a distributor reaches a monthly compensation of $300 per month he/she will not drop out! This is a point of no return!
When they get to that $300 level, you and/or your group MUST recognize and acknowledge their level of achievement. After all, in this recognition business, $300 a month is a “rite of passage.” Call it a coming of age and celebrate it like a birthday. This sets up a great expectation for your entire group.
Randy’s note: my company “celebrates” this achievement by bestowing a “promotion”! Accumulating only TWO retail customers triggers a reward of “points” equal to $31 in products. Recruiting three distributors – which pays the “magical” $300 amount ($100 in “Customer Acquisition Bonuses per rep) elevates the distributor to “Senior” status!
Imagine for a moment that you told your downline that the amount necessary to achieve the no-going-back level was $2000 instead of the real $300 level? The $300 milestone would go by unnoticed, as their expectation is $2000 for the first level of real success. But share the $300 Solution with them and make a public celebration out of every distributor achieving this level and they will not drop out, because they have learned to expect that distributors earning $300 monthly do not quit.
Once they learn the truth about this business, they will operate within that truth! It will become the law of nature in Network Marketing Sales.
Note also the difference in their attitude when they achieve only $150 per month.
Within the old paradigm of “getting rich”, $150 would have left them feeling like (and therefore being!) a failure. Now, when they reach $150, they’ll say, “I’m half-way home!” What a difference!
So, how do we get to that magical $300 per month benchmark? You and your downline are half-way there already, because you are now armed with the knowledge of the $300 Solution!
If you want more of your people to stick with it – and with you, too – inject the $300 Solution into your teaching and training routine. Don’t be afraid of scaring off those “heavy hitters”. Those folks will quickly see the virtue of a system that has hundreds and hundreds of part-time Networkers all earning enough to STAY IN BUSINESS.
Dale Calvert’s Comments on the “$300 Solution” Article:
About a month ago I was having a conversation with a gentleman who is a Top 10 money earner with a two-level pay plan. He was frustrated, his group was stagnant and he was trying to figure out why.
The conversation went something like this. “How many people does a distributor have to sponsor in your company in order to make $300 a month?”
My response was zero. Zero, how could it be Zero? They have to sponsor at least one if they are going to make any money!
No, Zero. That is impossible! Is it? He thought for a minute and then he said, “Well I hope you aren’t talking about retailing the product because I hate to retail!
I wanted to SCREAM YOU AREN’T THE ISSUE!! Successful people are willing to do for a short period of time what most people aren’t so they can do for the rest of their life what most people can’t!
The reason most people don’t like to retail is because their company offers fabulous high quality products that everybody needs, but that nobody wants! That statement changed my life! My entire MLM/Direct Sales career I had products and services that everyone needed, but nobody wanted.
It is very common for distributors who have never sold a thing in their life to enter our business and put $100, $300, $500 or more in their pocket their first week, just retailing the product.
I just got a message today from a couple in Alabama who sold 17 cases of product, over 200 bottles their first month in the program. That type of sales is not common, but it happens for a few new distributors in our organization every month. They have earned well over $2,300 in retail profits their first month in the business!
There are always going to be people who enter a MLM program expecting the marketing plan, the product, or the company to make them rich. They have a lottery mentality. They sign up, and then never get up off the couch.
However, there are a lot of hard working dedicated distributors in this industry who are frustrated simply because their company offers them no TRUE RETAIL opportunity.
Randy’s note: the issue of a product that is WORTHY of being retailed is CRUCIAL in choosing your network marketing company! You need to ask yourself – honestly – would I use this product IF NOT for the income opportunity? If the answer is NO – you need to find another company!
The BEST distributors for any company are the biggest evangelists for the products and services!
While it is true that many (if not most) distributors are content to have access to the products at wholesale prices, the most successful distributors are ALSO customers FIRST!
You may not want a retail opportunity, you may not need a retail opportunity, but believe me, the masses in your organization will!
Why are we so strong on retailing? Because it solves the $300 Solution. Besides, we don’t teach our people to retail, just for the profits. We teach a very systematic, step by step method for retailing to recruit! Approximately 80% of the people who join our company each month are satisfied retail customers first! Wow! Imagine what that does for our retention!
A recent publication by the Direct Selling Association stated that 90% of the people who join a network marketing company do so because they love the products!
Randy’s note: consider this natural progression…
1. A retail customer becomes a fan of the products.
2. The customer naturally tells others, some of whom also become customers.
3. The sponsor of the customer points out that they could be earning commissions IF they were also a distributor! In addition, as a distributor they would also earn commissions on the retail purchases resulting from the referrals of their customers.
4. IF and WHEN any of these “downline” customers also become distributors, they will continue to earn commissions, to INFINITIY!
A very important question: how can you find people who love the products, when you aren’t selling any of them? Wow! Downplaying “internal consumption” is a mistake by the well-intentioned “experts” who don’t know any better, and have no clue as to what you and I want and need.
Randy’s note: as mentioned at the beginning of this article, some truths are timeless. The network marketing industry, which includes over 2,000 companies distributing over $30 BILLION per year in goods and services in the U.S. alone, can be summarized as millions of independent volunteers who use and recommend the products, and find lots of others to do the same. In other words, it’s a lot of people doing a little bit each.
While there are many examples of networking “mega stars” that are displayed as examples of what is possible, the reality is that most MLMers are quite content to earn a car or house payment each month.
It all starts with the belief that bigger things are possible. You are literally one person away from a breakout explosion of your downline. And that person can be many levels removed from your personal recruiting. But first, you need to stay “until pay day!” You need to make that first $300, and help everyone you recruit do the same.
To learn more about the unique and profitable opportunity that Randy uses and recommends, follow this link or click on the image below. Check out the compensation plan to learn how easy it is to earn your first $300 – in as little as 72-hours!
Randy writes about topics that affect your finances, including Making Money and Saving Money. Randy is especially passionate about entrepreneurship. The Marketing Training section includes EXACTLY what Randy is using NOW to earn a full-time income as an online marketer - and how you can do the same!
If you think any of the posts or articles would be interesting to others, please forward to your contacts.
Follow Randy also on Twitter and Facebook!
Several Reasons Why You NEED To Nurture Customer Relationships
You have heard the statistic that it is five times easier and more profitable to sell more to existing customers than to develop new customers.
Do you believe this? Can it be true? It is true and it is due to human nature and not marketing.
Use Send Out Cards To Increase Customer Retention
People simply like to buy from people that they know and trust. Once they have made one (satisfying) purchase, it is easier and less trouble to buy more than to research other sources, set up new accounts, become familiar with new company personnel, and change brands.
And yet most businesses do next to nothing to stimulate repeat business or develop a deeper relationship with their customers.
Companies routinely spend a significant percentage of their gross revenue to acquire new customers. The extreme (worst?) example is Super Bowl ads that cost tens of millions of dollars! Companies typically have large departments dedicated to “marketing” – which is another way of saying advertising. In addition, these companies contract with “ad agencies” to create campaigns – and pay them 15% of the multi-million dollar budgets to create these ads (which often are silly and leave no lasting memory of the product they are supposed to promote!)
Likewise, “sales departments” typically concentrate (and reward) on the development of new business.
Use Send Out Cards To Generate And Reward Referrals
Another question: will your existing customers recommend your business when someone they know needs your services? Satisfied customers – when asked – will refer other customers!
What does it cost to ask for referrals? Often NOTHING!
Did you know that customers that result from referrals are the most loyal and buy more than any other group?
Based on these facts, would it be VERY PROFITABLE to actually provide rewards or incentives to generate MORE referrals? YES!!!
Even though strong customer loyalty is one of a company’s most valuable assets, most companies pay only minimal attention to this vital area.
Overwhelmed by the the constant battle to gain new customers, most companies overlook the lifetime value of existing customers. For the best return on their investment, companies SHOULD devote FIVE TIMES their efforts to building their business with their current customers.
Of course, acquiring new customers is an essential part of every company’s marketing strategy. But growing corporate profits are the result of cumulative successful relationships with customers. This is common sense. You can not grow profits by relying solely on one-time customers. If you ONLY advertise to continually recruit new customers that NEVER make another purchase – then the moment you slow or stop your ads your business also stops.
I can not think of a single viable, lasting business that can exist without repeat customers!
As the source of all company profits, customer relationships should be valued and protected.
Studies and surveys have shown that two-thirds of customers leave simply because they feel unappreciated after the sale! They are not repeat customers.
This means that if you want to maintain THE SAME level of sales, you need to recruit two-thirds of your customer base EVERY YEAR!
That is, unless you build STRONGER relationships with your existing customers and REDUCE that rate of attrition!
Don’t misunderstand. You STILL need new customers for growth. Some customers die or move away. Others want the latest model offered by your competition. As many as 15% may be dissatisfied with your product or service – which is another story…
But the BIGGEST reason – BY FAR – for customers NOT becoming loyal repeat customers is the impression that their business is not valued and that they are not appreciated!
If your customers begin to feel ignored or neglected, don’t be surprised when they ultimately take their business elsewhere!
Customer Retention Directly Affects Market Share And Profitability!
It’s just a natural course of business that you will gain and lose customers. But customer satisfaction is critical to gaining MORE customers and losing FEWER customers. Repeat this process, year after year, and you have the undeniable formula for a successful business!
Developing a Customer Retention Strategy is a requirement for every business. Along with customer retention, an intentional customer referral strategy (and reward program) will result in a steady increase of customers.
One very effective method to acknowledge the value of your customers is to send them an occasional card. Yes – an actual card in the mail!
(Ask yourself when was the last time that you received a personal note in the mail? You remember it – don’t you! This is the significance of mailed notes! That is, they stand out and that means your business will be remembered, too!)
Cards can be mailed to acknowledge birthdays, thank you for purchases, and the anniversaries of purchases. Cards can be mailed to suggest services or additional products. Cards can announce incentives for referrals. But the most effective use does not involve any sales pitch. The acknowledgement of the customer’s value is your goal! You will be remembered when you send a card JUST BECAUSE they are a VALUED customer. These cards literally have SHOCK value!
I recommend an automated service that includes a contact manager to keep track of names, spouses, children, dates, and other data. The service can compile a series of cards that are mailed on specific dates or intervals. Best of all, even though much of the process is automated with the technology, your customer’s name is inserted to maintain personal impact.
To learn more about using postcards, greeting cards – with or without a wide range of add-on gifts – to stay in contact with customer, follow this link. This service is also incredible for rewarding customers for the referrals that they provide!
Each card can be customized with your specific message, photos, and even QR codes linking to websites, videos, and more! (Of course, the THOUSANDS of available cards also include many to mark the personal occasions of friends and family!)
Learn more at http://randyreek.com/SendCards and you can also register to send a FREE card (including postage!) to test the service!
Send Out Cards BOOSTS Customer Satisfaction And Retention
Randy writes about topics that affect your finances, including Making Money and Saving Money. Randy is especially passionate about entrepreneurship. The Marketing Training section includes EXACTLY what Randy is using NOW to earn a full-time income as an online marketer - and how you can do the same!
If you think any of the posts or articles would be interesting to others, please forward to your contacts.
Follow Randy also on Twitter and Facebook!
Testimonials From Send Out Cards Customers and Distributors
Success Stories As A Result Of Connecting With Customers By Using Send Out Cards!
Send Out Cards For Business, Friends, And Family
Send Out Cards is the perfect way to connect with friends, family members, and business contacts!
From time to time I will print testimonials from Send Out Cards customers, along with short videos which discuss various ways Send Out Cards members have created deeper relationships by the simple act of sending a greeting card!
I teach 1st and 2nd Graders and typically my students earn stickers or tokens for a prize or party. This year, I decided to try something new. Each child has a sticker chart and earns stickers. After they earn 25 stickers, I take their picture and send whom ever they want a card. (I usually send a copy to their parents!!!)
Grandparents and Aunts all over America LOVE, LOVE, LOVE receiving Send Out Cards!!!
Some of my students have sent 4 cards already!!! But what is incredible is that the students CAN NOT WAIT to earn another card!!
In addition, our school had a Pastor’s Appreciation Luncheon. We invited approximately 25 churches. Our yearbook staff lined up the students in the gym by church, took their picture. then I personalized invitations by creating a beautiful trifold Send Out Card featuring the children that attend each church!
Randy writes about topics that affect your finances, including Making Money and Saving Money. Randy is especially passionate about entrepreneurship. The Marketing Training section includes EXACTLY what Randy is using NOW to earn a full-time income as an online marketer - and how you can do the same!
If you think any of the posts or articles would be interesting to others, please forward to your contacts.
Follow Randy also on Twitter and Facebook!
Postcards and Greeting Cards Can Build Your Business!
The Value Of A Note Is HUGE In Differentiating Yourself From The “Masses”
Learn why notes and cards can be your “secret weapon” for building your business.
You NEED An Intentional Referral Program!
The following is a Guest Article: by Kristine M. Lewis
Using Hand-Written Notes to Build Your Business
Recently, I attended a networking event for my company. The speaker that night spoke about good networking practices. One of the practices she referred to was making sure to follow-up with everyone you meet at these events. She aptly referred to it as ‘pinging’.
The word ‘ping’ takes its name from a submarine sonar search — you send a short sound burst and listen for an echo or a ‘ping’ coming back. So, in networking terms, when you send out a ping, whether with an email, a phone call or a hand- written note, you’re inviting that person to ‘come back’ and communicate with you thus beginning a relationship with that person…one that will hopefully benefit you both long term.
A hand-written note differentiates your business from every other business!
I always make it a practice to send out hand-written thank you notes to everyone I meet at these events. I like hand- written notes, because they’re a physical manifestation of your company (your brand) to that potential client, strategic partner or referral source. A hand-written note sets the tone for your company. Hand-written notes also differentiate you from most other businesses.
Ask yourself when the last time you received a hand-written note from someone you met at a business setting was?
Quite simply, hand-written correspondence is a wonderful way to build your business. When I say build your business, I am not just referring to acquiring new customers. I am also referring to keeping the customers you have!
Customers and clients want and need to be appreciated, remembered and thanked.
According to a study conducted by the Technical Assistance Research Project in Washington DC, 68% of customers leave because of ‘perceived indifference’. In other words, customers don’t think you care about their business. As Sir William Jones said, “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated”. Our customers and clients want and need to be appreciated, remembered and thanked.
Another great advantage in sending a personal note: people tend to keep these cards.
Whenever I receive a nice note from someone, I display it one my desk for awhile. Every time I see the card, I am warmly reminded of that person or business.
So, when should you send a hand-written card to someone? Here are a few suggestions:
- Every time you meet someone new and get their contact information (i.e. a networking function, a business meeting, a training session, on the plane, a social party, waiting in line at the grocery store, etc.)
- When a customer makes a major purchase from you or sends a referral your way.
- When you embark upon a joint venture with a new company.
* * * * * I want to thank Kristine for this article…
Now, we have a tool that makes sending cards and notes even easier, efficient, fast, and inexpensive!
As Kristine asked in the article, “When was the last time you received a nice card IN THE MAIL?” You remember it – don’t you!
That’s the point behind Send Out Cards. You cut through the clutter of emails, text messages, Facebook posts, etc. that dominate “communications” today.
Would you like to be the ONLY person to send a customer a card today? (Versus hundreds of impersonal emails and texts?)
Would you build relationships and create referrals by being memorable? (You DO place value on referrals from satisfied customers?)
You know “word of mouth” advertising needs to be cultivated?
Learn more about the many benefits of sending personalized postcards, greeting cards, and gifts using the automated online system from Send Out Cards!
Randy writes about topics that affect your finances, including Making Money and Saving Money. Randy is especially passionate about entrepreneurship. The Marketing Training section includes EXACTLY what Randy is using NOW to earn a full-time income as an online marketer - and how you can do the same!
If you think any of the posts or articles would be interesting to others, please forward to your contacts.
Follow Randy also on Twitter and Facebook!
It Has NEVER Been Easier To Send A Mother’s Day Card!
Send A Personalized Mother’s Day card In seconds!
Save time and money – AND send a personal card to your Mother!
Send Out Cards For Mother's Day
Use Send Out Cards to send a custom – PERSONALIZED – Mother’s Day card!
For less than HALF the cost of a generic card, you can send a personalized Mother’s Day card!
AND – send the card from the comfort of your home!
- No special shopping trip…
- No over-priced generic cards…
- No hollow message that just doesn’t match your feelings…
- No standing in line at the Post Office for a stamp!
Try Send Out Cards! Save money, save time – and make your Mother happy!
Randy writes about topics that affect your finances, including Making Money and Saving Money. Randy is especially passionate about entrepreneurship. The Marketing Training section includes EXACTLY what Randy is using NOW to earn a full-time income as an online marketer - and how you can do the same!
If you think any of the posts or articles would be interesting to others, please forward to your contacts.
Follow Randy also on Twitter and Facebook!
I have made it my mission to help as many people as possible MAKE MONEY, SAVE MONEY, and HELP OTHERS DO THE SAME!
Entrepreneurs will save themselves, and the country in the process!
