Just a quick note today.
More of less, food for thought.
I was thinking about what makes a home business successful and believe that before anyone jumps into an opportunity, whether it is Avon, Shaklee, Mary Kay, Market America or Sophia Lia… you need to ask the questions. You need to perform your due diligence… there are many factors that go into a successful business and MANY of them have NOTHING to do with the company you join or the products you decide to sell. MANY of the questions you need to address are all about you… but today
Today, I’m going to provide you with five questions
you should be able to answer about the company you are interested in joining.
1. Is there a product that I can believe in? (Don’t give me that look) As a single parent, I understand the urge to go out and try to make extra money however you can, but the truth is… no one likes to be sold. Think about yourself, if your best friend calls and says, “Hey, I’m selling Avon, would you like to buy something?” or “Remember those vitamins’ I was telling you about, they absolutely did the trick”, which conversation has more potential to fill a need?
Years ago I sold Avon, I had some regular customers and they all purchased the same things… they were items that were on sale, little gifts during the holidays… and … items on sale! 🙂 One of the reasons that I did not create a successful business out of Avon… is that … to me… it was just makeup. I was in it for the money, and really felt like I wouldn’t buy it unless it was on sale either… except for this one skin lotion… man, it was awesome!
My point is, if I wouldn’t buy it… if I wasn’t going to spend $50.00 a month on products… then how could I possibly go out and ask other people to? I mean, I could ask them to, but do you really think I was very convincing?
What if, you took a vitamin supplement and it changed your life… gave you energy, less back aches… no hot flashes… anything.. right? Wouldn’t you SCREAM it from the roof tops? Let me tell you… If you started screaming from the roof tops, I’m sure someone would hear.
2. What is the compensation plan? If you are starting a business you obviously want to make money, however many different companies offer different kinds of compensation. There are usually different levels of “activation” within the companies and each level has different responsibilities and compensation. Do whatever you have to do to understand your goals and the compensation. For instance, are you merely making a retail profit, or is there a possibility for residual income. AND do those possibilities expire after a certain amount of time or do they accumulate until you reach your bonus?
One other note. I know this question is about compensation… but please know that your network business will fail if it is all about how much money you can make. UNLESS that is the business you are selling. If you are selling Mary Kaye products and you are in it completely and totally for the money… you will fail. However, if you are in it because you believe the products are the best and you are on a personal mission to beautify your little slice of the world… that’s different.
In most cases, you are NOT selling a money-making business, you are selling a product, that will make you money and it is a business. So… stop looking at the dollar signs and look around. Figure out how you can help other people… and get paid for it. THAT will make you money.
3. Are you joining a group with great leaders? One of most impressive attribute of Network Marketing is the success of the servant leader. In most successful groups and teams you will find a leader that pays attention and assists his/her members from the top earners to the newbies with the same dedication. Leaders that sit back on their laurels will eventually have a failing team… servant leaders know that their role is to assist everyone on their team with their expertise and knowledge and to set a great example for future leaders.
It’s always said, the fastest way to the top… is to emulate someone who is already there.
You don’t want to join a group where your sponsor drops off the catalogs, order forms, give you your website login credentials and says, “See Ya”. You need personal access to the people in the organization that are as successful as you want to be.
You will require mentoring from successful people… and in turn will be expected to mentor your team. So, learn from the best.
4. Is the company Secure or is it possible that it may go out of business within the next 12 months? One of the biggest draws for network marketing companies is the opportunity for residual income… but residual income can only come from a company that is still in business… so, looks for a well established company that has been in business for at least 5 – 10 years.
5. Are the products superior and peer-reviewed? First of all, most network marketing products are far superior to those you can purchase in a store… WHY? because they have to be.
As a network marketer you are asking someone to change their buying habits. Having said that… not all products can be the best! right?
You may have become “A product of the product” which means that you started using the Shaklee supplements but are they better than the Market America Isotonix? After all, Shaklee’s claim to fame is their absorption rate… which pales in comparison to the Isotonix (r) absorption rate of 95%…. And while your testimony will be compelling, many (or at least some) will want to read about it, in non-biased peer reviews.
THIS my friend, is all part of your due diligence. (which means, the time you put into researching your perspective company) Personally, I am an Isotonix distributor because of my personal experience with the supplements I have a fantastic and compelling story. I still do my research.
It’s important to have outside sources for your information, to make sure that the companies published “facts” are true… and to answer any “naysayers” who dispute your claims.
I just took a few moments and found these (2) peer reviews of the isotonic delivery system found in Isotonix and Nutrametrix. (Both Market America)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19172583
http://www.createbalance.net/support/science/OPC-3%20Accelerated.pdf
