Are MLM network marketers lazy?

This is double post night. I was originally going to just do one subject, but recent happenings had me wanting to write this.

I believe MLM can work if people work it. A good MLM program providing real value to people, and solid training is great. However, I believe that some MLMers have a bit of a lazy streak to them. Let me give you some of the mentality I have seen:
1. The belief that all you have to do is find a few heavy hitters for your downline, and you are all set. Believe you get two in a binary (one on each side of course), or as many others wide in a matrix and you are set. In other words, hit the lottery.
2. The belief that you don't want to learn, work or grow. You believe that you don't need to know anything and the product will sell itself. Just believing people will actually word of mouth it for you.
3. The belief that you should find the easiest possible program that people with no skill can become rich if they sign up, so that these people can see how easy it is. Read my no rich caveman blog entry. You sell them that, you are selling people a bill of goods. Now, I am NOT saying that a program should be hard to work, just shooting for the easiest program so you can seduce the unable to get educated in, is playing with fool's gold. People won't get qualifed in Ups and will drop out in MLMs.
4. Believing a matrix will magically provide all the spillover you need. Companies now put in minimum sign up requirements in matrix programs because people tend to get lazy when they sign up.
5. Believing all you need to do is telling your warm market of your wonderful opportunity and you will get rich because they will magically sign up.
6. Believing you don't need to learn how to market at all, and all you need to do is practice one elevator pitch you deliver to everyone you bump into and they will sign up.
7. Believing all you need to do to be successful in an MLM is to get in early enough that people will just jump on the opportunity because it is new. All these startups are just great at signing program jumpers. By the way, guess who gets the invites to these early opportunities? The skilled list builders and heavy hitters. Organizations want to trust their growth to people who can build downlines. Lazy people and unskilled almost never get these (well, if they have a heavy hitter who has pity on them they might).
8. Believing that if you keep jumping from one opportunity to the next, you eventually will find a winning program because you got lucky (and the breaks described above will fall your way).

If you treat your network marketing opportunity as a business, and set out to become competent and skilled and able to get others trained who then can train others, you can do well and become a big earner. If you think your business will work itself, you are deluding yourself. Maybe you hit the downline lottery, but most won't (the downline lottery winner usually goes to people who are known to be able to recruit well, by the way). I would say most people who fail in network marketing, fail because they believe what I wrote above is the truth. It is the mindset of the lazy and unlearned. Oh yes, and if you are part of a one time sale Aussie Up system and you believe this, you will do even worse than in an MLM, because in the Up system, you are rewarded for your skill to a greater degree. The Up system gets you new business, but it is your job to get your people qualified and market and sell yourself.

Want to know the failure rate in network marketing? Try around over 90%. Direct selling is marginally better. But still, the unskilled fail and most people don't even get profitable. The reasons are because they don't know how to run their business and have the mindset I described above.

If the failure rate is over 90% why do it? Well, because network marketing companies usually provide you some form of training and some people you can emulate for success. The cost of entry is far less than in franchise model. About the only other thing open is affiliate marketing over the Internet, which usually is no cost, but doesn't provide you any sort of leadership and training on how to sell or list build. This is why network marketing works. The trick is to learn how to run it as a business (not having lazy, lottery ticket buyer mentality) and find something you believe in that people want to buy. Of course, you could always get a job in insurance sales or real estate. But then, guess what, you are back to the business of selling, and skill.

In the case of myself, I once I got some knowledge on the art of marketing over the Internet and list building, I have been able to get into profit relatively quickly in about every program I have joined. Of course I look to join only programs I believe in that have value at this point and am picky.

Shopping for a sponsor (upline) and dealmaking.

I am writing this entry to address two topics I have run into recently, through my looking to expand what BLTeks offers. These topics are trying to find a sponsor (upline) for a program you might want to join, and "dealmaking". These two will often times are intertwined. What I will say here, in a nutshell, do NOT join a program because you got into the cheapest. I will explain below what to look for. And the unwritten rule of "go with the first person who told you" is unwritten for a reason (you can end up failing if you follow it to the letter).

When looking for a sponsor, figure one thing on top: Will this person help me make the most amount of money in my business? You are in business to make money. That is what matters. What you should be looking for is whether the person will join and partner with you in what you are currently doing, will they help train you to be successful, and do they the resources to help you market better? Go for the top dog here in these, not the guy who cuts you tbe best deal. And, note here, I am NOT saying you necessarily join with a heavy hitter. It is possible the heavy hitter is a robomarketer, and knows how to sell, but is unavailable to help you. Not all are like this, but some are. A person may end up so successful they don't have time for you. This means a "smaller fish" may be your best partner.

As for dealmaking, can I share a secret with you? People do this in just about every program. I don't care if the program says it will throw you out if you make a deal. I had someone flat out try to make a BIG deal with me, cutting back on qualification requirements and cutting my costs to join. This was in a program that said they would be thrown out if they did. Dealmaking on costs is supposed to be to help a friend out and so on. Or, maybe someone brings more to the table than you have, and the deal helps balance things.

To wrap up, two points. First, go with who will help you make the most money (not the cheapest). Second, if you do take a deal, keep it quiet. Don't tell or advertise to anyone. People may expect you to do the same. If a company let's you make deals and tell, do make your deals progressively more expensive for future people. Don't cheapen yourself.

By the way, I will share the new things I am involved with, once I get them up and running and kick the tires on them. I want to announce all of them together. One is not set yet.

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Is network marketing a scam?

Network marketing (also goes by the name MLM, although not all network marketing companies are MLMs) has often been knocked as scams and pyramid schemes (most times by people who failed at them). Most people do fail at them, which leads to this. Often times, you will get pitched to you an MLM that promises you the moon, and then tries to have you sell products you can buy at your local supermarket or health food store for more than 50% off. I could name multiple possible ones I feel are scams, but that is not the point here.

Despite all this, is network marketing a scam? While prone to scams and where the entire idea becomes to make money recruiting, network marketing does offer you a chance to make legitimate money, if the products and/or services the company is offering is one you feel is worthwhile. Of course, there are some who will pervert this and speak of how much earning potential is there, and show the "Hall of Heavy Hitters" to get you thinking that you can do it (without any training, just sign up).

But, I will say network marketing is NOT a scam. It can be a legit opportunity to make money. Not all will get you rich, but if you acquire the right skills, you can make money. And, if you find a legitimate list of products and services, you will be doing a favor for people you provide these products and services, beyond the get rich quick bit.