On Direct Sales or MLM - Network Marketing

I confess: I used to avoid direct sellers and MLM (multi-level marketing, also known as network marketing) like the plague. I did not have any experience with it, but I had heard it was shady business at best. Also, I also heard echoes of it being a Pyramid scheme, (where you make money by signing people up, but there is no real product or service involved). Well, waddya know! I became one of those “born again MLM people”, who – once I bit the bait – was a zealot in the field. I went from being an MLM skeptic to a network marketing convert, and then friends and family shunned ME like I had the plague!
The reality of what network marketing CAN be (a source of residual income and/or a flexible way to supplement or make your income), clicked when I listened to a presentation of beauty products – I signed up on the spot after having refused to go to my friends´ direct sales parties in the past! I did not particularly believe in the overpriced brand, but I spent money I didn´t have on buying a kit and samples. In less than three months I crashed and burned, and my sister, my friends and even my landlady had allergic reactions to the products! Setting out to recruit others to "get rich" by selling with me was like sticking pins into my eyes, only worse! Acquaintances stopped taking my calls and other moms at school looked the other way when they saw me coming.

I didn´t completely give up, however, because I did understand the potential of the model. I read a lot about direct selling and MLM and I knew there had to be something else I could enjoy selling. I then met a very nice woman who was wearing beautiful jewelry and it turned out to be designed by a direct selling company. Now, that was something that I could do! After all, I love silver jewelry, and surely people would compliment me on it if I wore it and want it for themselves!
So, I found out this company gave a lot more marketing material than the beauty one when you signed up, and required no minimum quotas or recruiting. I would make a commission on sales, and was not forced to purchase anything, but of course, I could.
Recruiting does add to your income, but this is a performance based sales model, so if you don´t sell, even if you have a dream team under you, you won´t get a dime from their sales.
With the jewelry, during the first two years, my average sales paid my rent, and I made my investment back and then some, plus I earned a lot of free jewelry. I had a lot of fun at the parties and made friends. I didn´t pressure people, heck, they almost had to BEG me to show them a catalog.
When my writing work picked up again, though, I found myself slacking on the jewelry business, and I asked myself why. I am still first and foremost a writer looking to make ends meet in other ways. I want to succeed in my career – the jewelry is a way to help me pay the bills, have fun and enjoy wearing the stuff. I do know other women who sell for a living and they are doing great, and I also know others who won´t make a call even if their lives depended on it, so they quit. It can go either way, but that depends on you.

Would I do direct sales again? In a heartbeat! For me, it sure beats the heck out of having a low-paying job that I don´t like, or cleaning toilets for a living, which I am not very good at anyway.

My humble recommendations for those thinking of joining a direct sales or MLM company –

- Pick a product or company that you really enjoy, like and trust. It is tough to sell something you don´t use yourself. I KNOW!

- Do not spend money you don´t have on inventory, and especially be wary of BEING FORCED to buy inventory. MLM sounds great in theory, but you don´t know if you like the IDEA of doing this or the ACTUAL doing it until you try! It may or may not be for you. Not all companies make you buy a kit - do your research.

- Give yourself time – don´t expect to be a millionaire overnight.

- Set goals – plan to make a certain number of calls or contacts a week, a certain number of parties. No goals mean that you will most likely take no action.

- Don´t be a zealot! Especially if, like me, you did not support other direct sellers before! There is nothing more annoying than someone who did not want to help you out in your biz and now is trying to convert you to theirs!

- Get ready to get a lot of NOs, but don´t take them personally.

- Know when to back off. If I risk losing a friend coz she won´t have a party, I cross her off my “to call” list.

- Know that there may be peaks and valleys, if you have other things going on in your life. Look at the big picture.

- Know that direct selling and MLM works if you work it, which is, incidentally, 12-step group talk. MLM companies seem to have a lot in common with religion and 12-step fellowships.

- Don´t “company-hop” indiscriminately. Do your research first, THEN join, so you know exactly what you are getting into and what else is out there.

- If you find the right product or company for you, join when it is not too young (it may go under) or too old (there may be more reps than customers!), you really dig their product, and you work it like any other job, direct selling and MLM do work.

Any thoughts?

http://www.lorrainecladish.com/

You don't need willpower, you need results!

I have been told over the years that I have enviable willpower. I disagree. Willpower is when you WILL yourself (force yourself) to do something you do NOT feel like doing. What I've done over the years is become the type of person who NEEDS to do certain things, and therefore I get results which other people assume are the product of willpower, when they are simply a by-product of who I am.

A few examples:

- I have written and published 15 books (not self-published). Not because I have forced myself to do it, but because I am happier writing and publishing than not. It is a way of life for me. There is not much willpower involved in doing what you enjoy. I admit there are times when I have writer's block, other things to do and maybe other desires. But consistency over time is key.

- I am in rather good shape, especially for my age. Again, not because I drag myself to the gym, but because my body begs me to exercise regularly. Well, my body, mind and spirit do. I started exercising at 12 years old, and I have practised some form of exercise on a weekly basis ever since. I am not an exercise freak ... I listen to my body and act accordingly. It´s who I am. No willpower required there either.

- I never miss a deadline. Translating, writing, interpreting or giving excellent customer service in my jewelry biz. That´s also why I´ve always been a successful free-lancer. I´m self-motivated by nature. I can´t stand having someone tell me what I´ve got to do, but I am very ok with committing to something and delivering accordingy. I don´t let myself down.

- I am committed. If I want something bad enough, I am willing to go the extra mile to get it. Some people are surprised when I tell them I drive 40 miles each way for a dance class, or that I am willing to do a 4 hour drive to attend a seminar and drive back the same day. I don´t think about it, I just do it. What most people do is let themselves have a back and forth mental conversation about doing something or not, and often end up NOT doing it. Don´t argue with yourself!

I´m not trying to be smug about this ... A friend told me recently that most people are not wired the way I am ... I say, we can ALL rewire ourselves. I suppose there was a time in my life when I learned self-control and discipline. It was a question of survival. Survive, I did, and rather well

You CAN rewire yourself.
How do I know this? Because I have also taken on ventures that I never thought I would be cut out to do. When I started out selling jewelry, I thought I could not pull it off. After all, I had worked as an accounts exec. for an advertising firm at twentysomething and CRIED before every cold call or visit. However, in my forties, because of a family financial crisis, I looked into direct sales and even though I was scared, I took it on. I have had to use willpower to call potential customers, to go out and network, to accept "no" for an answer, handle cancellations for jewelry shows, and the list goes on. But my WHY is big enough to face my fears and yes, I use willpower to keep on going in this arena.

Become the person with the qualities you want to acquire, and not only will you thrive but it will become effortless. I promise!

www.lorrainecladish.com