The great inspirational leader, Zig Ziglar, once said, “Many people spend more time in planning the wedding than they do in planning the marriage.”

What does planning a wedding have to do with building your Network Marketing business?

Everybody knows how much time and money a bride-to-be invests in her wedding. It is very easy to get caught up in the hype and be seduced by the glittery gowns, shiny limos, and fine foods to be served at the reception.

Before she knows it, the bill is $10K or more, and sadly…50% of marriages end in divorce.

If only the couple had put as much planning and effort into building a strong foundation and having support systems in place for the bumpy times.

Starting a Network Marketing business is a lot like planning a wedding.

We get starry eyed and hooked on focusing on our dreams. It is easy to get sidetracked with all of the glitter and hype.

We think we are prepared and have the guidance we need to succeed, but so often, many of us find achieving our goals and reaching our dreams far out of reach.

Then we quit.

Wouldn’t it be better to know there was a way to plan for building a strong foundation and have the support systems in place for the bumpy times in our business building?

Wouldn’t it be better to know how to succeed at being the 3% who actually make it in MLM?

There’s no great secret to this…no special person you have to become.

Be Yourself.

Be Committed.

Be Persistent.

Be Focused.

Be Informed.

Learn how to ask the 5 Critical Questions to your Success and Know How to Get the Answers.

Send me an email to mentor.karen.j.miller@gmail.com requesting an audio training of the Five Pillars to Success.

Believe In Your Success, I Do!
Karen
email: mentor.karen.j.miller@gmail.com

“The Future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their Dreams.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

PS: Be sure to check read our FREE eBook which shows you step-by-step how to reach your dreams.
http://mlmsuccess4u.successin10steps.com

When approached with an opportunity to join a Network Marketing Business, you are often presented with a Compensation Plan.

Usually someone in your prospective sponsor’s upline who has reached a high leadership level will explain it.

There are usually graphs, diagrams, and examples illustrated.

The presentation most likely focuses on what you could potentially earn if you build big.

This often leaves the prospect…you…starry eyed and quivering with the anticipation of making enough money to pay off your debts and house, retire early, and buy your own private paradise island complete with a yacht.

One of the tables that might be overlooked in the presentation is the disclosure of Distributor Statistics.

These statistics may tell you the percentage of distributor retention, average earnings, and rate of advancement. 

Additional Distributor Statistics

51% of our distributors earn between $126.00 and $646.00 annually.

2% of distributors advance from a development level to a leadership level.

47% of distributors advance beyond the basic rank.

The above numbers tell us important realities.

1.  Just over half of the distributors make on average $126 to $646 annually. 

That means per year! 
That works out to an average of $10.50 to $54 per month.
Most would agree those figures are a far cry from the 5 figure per month incomes we are shown during presentations!  

2.  Only 2% of all distributors advance to leadership positions.

That is likely the level one has to achieve in order to make those 5 figure incomes.

3.  Almost half of all distributors advance beyond the basic level.

This could mean any level of advancement.
It at least indicates that almost half of the people putting in an effort to build a business actually do make some progress.

It is important to pay attention to these figures for one reason.

It helps to get your feet planted firmly on the ground!

The people presenting the comp plan and other aspects of the business opportunity are not intentionally misleading you.

But the fact remains that part of your success in a Network Marketing business is in sponsoring new distributors.

To maximize distributor satisfaction and create a feeling that each person is successful and building their business, you need to sponsor people relatively quickly.

Therefore, business presentations are designed to dangle a shinny object in front of a prospect who is hungry for extra money.

Key elements are presented in writing right in front of your face, but not directly explained in the presentation.

Often these items are not seen or read until after signing on the dotted line…if at all.

Make a point of reading everything before you sign!  At least you will be entering your new opportunity with your eyes wide open.

Believe In Your Success, I Do!
Karen
mentor.karen.j.miller@gmail.com

We are taught many different ways to talk to prospects in the hopes of bringing people into our business opportunity.

Many times we are told to be enthusiastic.

I remember being told once that if I wasn’t having success, I wasn’t enthusiastic enough or I didn’t have a strong enough belief.

A lot of people are taught the method of Firehosing.

Firehosing is when you spray your prospect with an enormous amount of facts and enthusiasm for your opportunity.

This approach is so forceful, that you drive more people away than you attract. 

Even though you see this happening, you have probably been told that the ones fleeing the scene just weren’t interested and you need to keep finding more people.

There is limited truth in that.  Of course, not everyone you speak to will be a prospect for your opportunity.

But you should be having some success in what you are doing.  If you feel like you are turning people off, you probably are.

When Lee Iacocca became President of Chrysler, he asked an important question:

“What does the customer want?” 

This principle is easily applied to Network Marketing.

When we approach a lead about our opportunity, it is important to find out what they want!

The big mistake is being so arrogant in thinking that your lead wants or needs what you have.

No one likes to have things pushed down their throats.

Not politics.
Not religion.
Not parenting techniques.
And certainly not business decisions.

How do you know what your prospect wants or needs?

In Harry Browne’s The Secret of Selling Anything, he tells you.

Ask!

Learn the skill of asking the right questions and then listen to what your prospect has to say.

Once you know what your prospect wants you will be able to tailor your presentation and services accordingly.

Be careful not to give too much information all at once.  You will be confusing your prospect and you will create doubt in his mind.

Answer the first question or need.

Then, ask again, Is there anything else you want to know?

Creating a two way dialogue is more natural and feels more relaxed for your prospect.  People often take months to make a decision to join an opportunity.

Be patient, communicate, and turn off the hose.

Believe in Your Success, I Do!
Karen
mentor.karen.j.miller@gmail.com

There is always a lot of hype about the big money that can be made in MLM.

Presentations showcase income potentials by creating examples of checks that “could” be earned.  They usually have very high $ amounts that get the prospect starry-eyed.

Some examples take a sampling of a downline’s highest monthly earnings and combine them into one hypothetical month. 

Another example is to show a possible 4 or 5 level downline with 2 or 3 superstar builders.

Then the potential commission that could be earned by You, the potential upline sponsor, is shown.

The problem with these kinds of examples is that they do not accurately represent reality for the average person who joins an MLM.

Very few distributors ever create a lucrative downline with a handful of superstar builders, or distributors who make top commissions every month.

Additionally, no one ever mentions to the new prospect that to make a consistent 5 figure income takes several years of dedicated work.

A more accurate example of earning potential is to answer the 10K question. 

How many people (distributors and retail customers) does a distributor need in his/her downline to make $10,000 a month in residual income?

Residual income does not count one time bonuses or superstar 1% payouts.  
Residual income is only the commissions paid on group volume from product sales.

The 10K question also gets prospects starry-eyed since so few people can actually envision making that kind of monthly recurring income.

The demonstration that needs to be made to answer a more realistic question is to show how to make new distributors financially successful in the first 2 –3 months.

Most new distributors walk away from their MLM business because there is no financial reward.

A pay plan has to be structured so a new person working part time can start making a few hundred dollars a month within the first couple of months.

My fellow mentors, Bob and Anna Bassett        , have called this the Half-K Question.

Their example asks how much money will a distributor make if he/she generates $500 a month in sales.

This could mean having one distributor in the downline and a handful of retail customers.

Find the commission the company pays for volume.  It could be 5%, 10%, or up to 40%. 

Commissions are figured counting volume points, but the percentage is paid on the dollar amount of sales.

If the commission is 5%, then multiply 500 by .05 to get your commission $ amount of $25.

A commission of 10% on $500 is $50.

A commission of 20% on $500 is $100.

This isn’t going to buy anybody a yacht just yet.  But it does give a prospect a realistic idea of how hard he/she has to work to make a hundred bucks.

The first $100 is just the first step to achieving the $10,000 a month income.  The next $100 is the next step and so on.

Know your compensation pay plan so you can figure out the Half-K Question.

Know how you will make your first $100 and know how easy or hard it will be for the people you sponsor into the business to make their first $100.

If you need help figuring it out, just ask!

Believe In Your Success, I Do!
Karen
mentor.karen.j.miller@gmail.com

Those of us active in MLM are burning up our keyboards in response to the news that iLearning Global has shut down the MLM part of their business.

Whenever something like this happens, it sends shockwaves through the Network Marketing community.

Hundreds of thousands of people depend on operating a low start up home based business, like those found with a multi level marketing or direct sales business.

We are single mothers, stay at home moms, working dads trying to make ends meet, students, retirees, anybody going after the American Dream.

It is frightening for us when an MLM company shuts down or ends their MLM program.  Overnight thousands of people can lose their checks, whether they were making a couple hundred a month or 10s of thousands a month.

It is tragic for everyone.

Network Marketing is still a sound industry.  There is a lot of money to be made by anyone willing to be educated, coached and committed enough to put forth the effort and time required to succeed. 

Part of the learning curve can be shortened in respect to learning how to evaluate an MLM opportunity.

If you’re in MLM, you need to be willing to treat it like a serious business opportunity.  This means learning skills like the 5 Pillars to Success. 

The 5 Pillars are tools you can use to evaluate the stability of an MLM company. 

• Learn how hard you will have to work with a company’s pay plan.  Can a part-timer make satisfactory income?
• Learn what clauses to look for in the Policy and Procedures that do not have the distributor’s’ best interest at heart.
• Learn what else to look for in the company’s management experience and product.

In just a few short hours, Mentoring For Free will be having a free teleseminar on the 5 Pillars.

For access information for the 9 pm EST call tonight, March 20th, please email mentorkaren.freetrainingoffer@gmail.com .

If you miss the live call, send me an email requesting the link to the recording of the call to mentor.karen.j.miller@gmail.com .

Believe in Your Success, I Do!
Karen

Recently I have been getting a ton of calls—recorded calls, no less!—offering to sell me endless prequalified leads for my MLM home based business.

They are using web harvesters to pick my phone number and other contact information off of my website.

I don’t mind being called by people.  After all, that is why my number is posted here.

But I do want to talk to real live people and I do not like being pitched.

Believe me, once I hear it is a pitch, I hang up!  If you are a real person calling with a pitch and expect me to return your call, I won’t.

It is best to generate your own leads. 

1. Network with like minded people who are already interested in MLM. 
2. Offer something of value for free that will help your contacts in building their businesses.
3. Build relationships with your network.

Of the people you help, a handful will likely want to join you in your business.

1. These people know, like, and trust you.
2. They are motivated and coachable.
3. You know they will be committed business builders.

This is the essence of
“Work Smarter, Not Harder.”

Build your business with these people and you will have a low attrition rate, a smaller group of people to train and support, and a group of people making good income for themselves and You.

If you think buying leads is a good way to build your business, listen to this recording from my mentor, Michael Dlouhy.

Selling Leads Is a Scam.

Believe In Your Success, I Do!
Karen

You might not know this about me…I take care of foster children. So far I have taken care of over 20 children and adopted one.

This past month I took in an ity bity baby boy, then cared for 2 little siblings for 3 weeks. After they left, in came another baby. So now, I have a 10 week old boy and an 8 week old girl.

I have been thrust back into those days of no sleep and having my household ruled by a miniature person who’s demands must be met immediately.

Even with the challenges, it’s fun.

Having these babies and being so busy with their care has also reminded me of why network marketing is such a great industry. You really can tailor the business you build around your lifestyle, needs and time constraints.

A huge factor in being able to customize the time and efforts you put into your MLM business is your compensation plan.

Many comp plans contain sinister clauses hidden in legalese few people can understand. Knowing what your company’s comp plan says, line by line, and how that affects your ability to build your business on YOUR terms.

I am giving you a gift of the link to last Saturday’s training call on Compensation Plans. 

Just send me an email at mentor.karen.j.miller@gmail.com requesting the Bob and Anna Comp Plan training from February 27, 2010.  I’ll send the link right to you.

Bob and Anna Bassett hosted the call and taught how to answer the 10K question. If you can’t answer this about YOUR company’s compensation plan, then you really don’t know how much you need to work to reach your financial goals.

Knowledge IS Power!  Learn what you need to know about your contracts and you’ll become 10 feet tall and bullet proof!

Believe in Your Success, I Do!
Karen

Network Marketing is NOT just a Numbers Game!

People are people not numbers.

They are also not just a prospect or a lead.

They have goals, dreams and desires. They are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, grandmothers, and grandfathers to people who love them.

Prospecting 104….Painless Principles in Generating Your Own Marketing Leads

The answer I have found to the question “So, now what?” is that you have to build relationships.

All of the traditional methods of lead generation for building an online business (making the List, buying leads, paying for coaching) worked well for many people who made a lot of money.

These methods are also typically aggressive and more suited to people comfortable being salesmen.

The olde school methods have also burned out a lot of the population who have grown wary of such heavy hitter recruiting tactics.

Fact #1 about People and Sales:

Roughly 70% of the population hates being pitched, sold to, and closed.
These same people hate to sell and close.
Think about it…
Why do most people dread the prospect of dealing with a car sales person?

The best method I have found to generate my own leads is to build relationships first. 

A great “ice-breaker” to meet new people is to give away for free something of value that will help others build their business.

It may seem strange to give away training for free when so many people are making money offering training systems. 

But think about it.

Most successful businesses give things away.

• Most people have had free samples of teriyaki chicken at the mall food court;
• Or we have enjoyed free samples of perfume in magazine folds;
• Or free samples of hand lotion in foil packages. 
• Remember how the Avon lady had those tiny lipstick samples?

Online marketers usually have a sign up form to receive a free training series or a free newsletter.

Blogs, You-Tube videos, and online articles are common examples of free giveaways network marketers use in their online lead generation activities.

Offering free training or information gives us an opportunity to meet and network with a lot of like-minded people.

As we get to know each other, a handful of the people we are networking with will become our business partners.  Everyone else will become valued business associates.

In the words of Zig Ziglar, “You can have everything in life you want, if you help enough other people get what they want.”

Believe In Your Success, I Do!
Karen

Prospecting 103…the Professional Coach

Still can’t get it? Better head for some one on one Professional Coaching, Sister!

Yes, there must be something so terribly wrong with me that I need to plunk down a couple of grand to have an expert coach me through this process that is so idiotically simple for everyone else.

Fees do vary amongst the selection coaches who specialize in working with network marketers teaching us how to talk to Cold Market prospects.

How they offer their programs, content, length of time for training, and stipulations for personal individualized help also vary widely.

And they DO honor major credit cards.

Well, fortunately for this single Professional Mother of three, I didn’t have the cash OR the credit to take advantage of this golden opportunity.

So now what?

Now that everyone you know, care about and love…heck, even the people you ran into at the mall…are in the Prospect Protection Program, what do you do?

I have been fortunate enough to have learned the difference between one of these coaches and a Mentor.

Noun Singular mentor (plural mentors)

1. A wise and trusted counselor or teacher
Verb to mentor

2. (transitive) To act as someone’s mentor

A Mentor will build you the Person as the central part of what they offer you.

A Mentor will give without having any expectation of you the Person aside from your personal growth.

In the book, The Slight Edge, by Jeff Olson, the author talks about finding a mentor in Chapter 9. He says your mentor is like your hero.

You should seek out a mentor who is an expert in the area of your own goals and aspirations and focus on him/her.

Working with a mentor is learning through modeling.

Believe In Your Success, I Do!
Karen

Prospecting 102-B…
the Cold Market Lead Generation Method Continued

Legalized Stalking

The other Cold Market method of generating leads is to follow the “3 foot rule” whenever you are in a public place.

Were you told by your sponsor that all you had to do was relate your enthusiasm for your products to people and they’d be lining up to buy it?  If you weren’t getting sales, your belief and enthusiasm were to blame.

This form of Legalized Stalking works something like this.

When at the mall or grocery story, you start talking to everyone within hearing distance about your great home business opportunity or your fantastic products that are so terrific they raise the dead.

If you continue with this for any length of time, soon the security guards are going to see you coming and block all entrances to you. If you still get in, people will begin to spot that hungry look in your eye and start running, not walking, for a place to hide.

Of course, you’re not doing anything wrong, those poor people just don’t know how badly they need what you have to offer.
Oh, don’t they now?

Were you also told that you have to “Hear a 100 ‘no’s for every ‘yes’ you get”?

What a bunch of rubbish!

The Cold Market left me a little frigid too, so I abandoned the Legalized Stalker plan along with buying useless leads for making cold calls.

So NOW what???

Believe In Your Success, I Do!
Karen