MLM - What Happened to the Marketing in Multi-Level Marketing?

Multi Level Marketing is a very popular arena these days as people continue to look for creative ways to generate income during this challenging economic time. With each month that passes there are countless new start-ups or as it is called in the world of network marketing "pre-launch". This is an exciting time for any new MLM and in many cases this can be the best time to get involved (not always though). With so many new companies out there, it is inevitable that some are not going to make it for the long haul. Understanding how the company is funded, the background of the CEO and executive team, and the viability of the product line are some basic areas to analyze when you are looking at any company. In addition to the areas just mentioned, another important topic to talk about is the marketing plan and training. Quite simply ask, "If I were to get involved with "X" company, what is the main marketing strategy that I would be using to promote the product and/or business opportunity?" Be sure to "zip your lips" after you ask this question. You should not need to explain what you're asking, the question is crystal clear.



If the first thing you hear is that you will need to make a list of all of the people you know...friends, family, co-workers, the parents of your kids friends, the mailman, the ups guy, your friends at church, people you know from back home....are you getting the picture? Pretty clear, you will be marketing to what is called your "warm market". Really, it's more about asking them if they too would like to get involved with the business or take the product. After you run out of people in your warm market, it will be time to hit up the local chamber events in town. You can always find people talking business and look for potential prospects. In addition to taking special outings to help promote your new MLM you may also hear your soon-to-be sponsor tell you that there is something called the 3 foot rule. This basically means that anywhere and everywhere you go, it is now your job (if you're going to have a successful business) to talk to anyone and everyone that comes within a 3 foot radius of you. Don't worry, you will be taught what to say and how to say it.

For most people, this type of behavior is not normal. You are not used to talking to your friends and family about getting involved in a business or explaining to them a new product that will impact their health. However, some people out there are up for the challenge. Or on the other hand, there are those people who have a job that in sales that see this as another way to utilize their skills. Just know what it is you are getting yourself into.

Sometimes these marketing strategies do work. You hear the stories so there is no denying that. If you feel comfortable joining an MLM company and marketing it this way, more power to you. The question I have is where is the marketing? Is it just word of mouth? What about this thing called the internet? Are there any MLM's that have seen the light and figured out how to leverage the internet to grow a business?

The answer is not really. Most multi-level marketing companies provide you with what is known as a replicated website. This means that you and every other person in your MLM will have the exact same website. Unfortunately, internet marketing is a bit more complex. It is not accurate to think you can market a replicated site online and actually get real results. The majority of the time, your replicated website will simply act as a support to your word of mouth marketing and any cold calling that you do. If you are taking the time to drive traffic to a replicated site, you may be doing this right now, unfortunately these sites are not set up for you to have online marketing success.

If you are looking at getting involved with a traditional MLM, understand that it is a challenging road (just like any business venture) that will take months, and years to build. The marketing options given to you are very slim and are what I like to call "old-school". As I mentioned before, people do find success. Success often only will come to those people who act as leaders. The best and most important tool for any network marketer, hands down is called Magnetic Sponsoring by Mike Dillard. His material applies to those of you that are out there doing it the "old-school" or traditional network marketing strategies or the people that have moved over and started using systems that allow you to leverage the internet effectively to promote business online. If you would like to check out Magnetic Sponsoring head over to our blog listed below.

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