What is network marketing? I’m happy to help you understand what network marketing, mult-level marketing, MLM, etc is, but let’s discuss first what it ISN’T.
Network marketing is NOT what many people out there try and make it out to be: a get rich quick opportunity.
It’s also NOT the so-called “scam” that others will lead you to believe.
No, if you’re asking what is network marketing, the best I answer I can give you is that it’s a real, verifiable business model that works wonders if approached correctly mentally and “worked” correctly in terms of business actions in the physical world.
I’m not going to invest much of my energy convincing you whether network marketing is a scam or not. I’ve worked my butt off in order to build a true walk-away residual income stream, I did it honestly and ethically, and I love receiving that check each month.
So, in my experience, it’s obviously an ethical business model that “works” 
However, was that always my experience in this industry? Absolutely not! I used to wonder, what is network marketing, and I struggled in the MLM industry off and on for about 20 YEARS before I developed an successful organization.
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What is Network Marketing: Why People Struggle
The reason some folks are leery of MLM is that most folks do struggle to ever make a few hundred bucks out of deal.
That’s the honest truth. However, if you’re considering a network marketing opportunity for yourself, do you have to end up in the “failure” boat?
No, but in order to avoid it, there are some things you should know about network marketing.
What is Network Marketing, Pitfall #1: Have you been an employee your entire working life? If so, building a successful MLM downline organization will be extremely difficult for you if you don’t realize going in how different the MINDSET is when you compare living as an employee with living as an entrepreneur.
When it comes to building your business, there won’t be anyone there to tell you when to wake up, when to go to work, how long to work, what tasks and activities to do while you work, etc.
Instead, you must become your “own boss”. Now I know, everyone SAYS they want to be there own boss, but not everyone is equipped to pull it off. You need to seriously ask yourself if you’re ready to “be” an entrepreneur.
The cool thing about network marketing is that you can keep you job and begin building your team part-time (and I HIGHLY recommend you do just that at first!). So, while your safe and consistent job income keeps rolling in, you can be learning what entrepreneurship is.
What is Network Marketing? Pitfall #2: STINKIN’ THINKIN’
Huh? What’s that mean? Well, as you’re asking what is network marketing and planning to “get in”, you’ve got a nasty enemy lurking just around the corner. You have that part of you that sees all the “bad” in everything, the doubter, the complainer, the pessimist, etc ready to tell you need to quit MLM at the first sign of “trouble”.
The first time someone says “no”, the first time your lazy Uncle Bob tells you it’s all a scam and the “guys at the top” are taking advantage of you, the first time your new person quits the business, etc…stinkin’ thinkin’ starts to set in if you’re not careful…
“This sucks”
“I spent all that time with that guy and now he quits?”
“I’m not getting paid for the hours I’m putting in”
“My spouse is upset with me for doing this”
“My friends think I’m nuts…maybe I am”
“20 people in a row told me they don’t want to join”
“Workin’ at my job sure is easier than this headache”
Once you let that crap into your mind, you’re gone, buddy. Oh, you might still stick around, but mentally, you’re GONE!
The antidote? Books, audios and major functions. Every quality MLM company has books and audios it recommends you as part of their “system”. You MUST read and listen to POSITIVE stuff EVERY DAY. If you aren’t willing to do this, you aren’t ready to be in business for yourself, plain and simple.
However, if you fill your mind with positive info, it’s AMAZING how your mindset shifts and you’re able to overcome odds like you never thought you were capable of.
Lastly, make sure you go to your company’s major functions (usually held quarterly) because there’s nothing like getting around positive, forward thinking people for a full weekend of masterminding about how great network marketing and freedom is!
What is Network Marketing? Pitfall #3: Unrealistic Time Frame Expectation
I see so many people joining a MLM opportunity and expecting to “get rich” in 3 weeks.
Are you freakin’ kidding me? What is network marketing, indeed…Let’s hit up on some reality here…
How long did elementary school take you to finish? How about high school? College?
It take years to build a successful business in any niche and deciding to build a network marketing organization means you’re deciding to build a BUSINESS. Understand that going in and you’ll be able to weather the tough times and get to the awesome passive income stream times.
Any quality business takes 2-5 years to become successful and profitable. So, think 2-5 years going in. Work it for that time period consistently and you’ll have success.
What is Network Marketing? It’s a BUSINESS
But, it’s a business where you can use the power of leverage to build time freedom into your life eventually.
You can only recruit and sell whatever it is your company sells to a certain number of people each month. However, if over a couple years you uncover a few top leaders in your group who have developed leaders in their group, you now have potentially hundreds, even thousands of folks doing a little bit each month, adding up to a huge residual income stream for you.
What is network marketing? It’s your opportunity to invest time in yourself and others until you’re all experiencing financial and time freedom together.
What is Network Marketing? Some More Reality…
Although this all sounds great, remember the pitfalls I listed above and know that they’re only 3 of many
You must be willing to learn all you can about marketing, sales, leadership, relationship building, handling adversity, and being an overall tough-minded entrepreneur as you get past, what is network marketing, and you start building your MLM team.
You’re not going to learn all that overnight so be willing to go through a learning curve, feel overwhelmed at times, frustrated at times, overjoyed at times, overwhelmed again at times, happy at times, frustrated at times…well, you get the idea, right?
Dig down deep and go to work for a short time (2-5 years vs 40 years of doing what you’re told!)
If you’d like some help with clarifying all this into a simple system of tools, mindset and education, I invite you to take a serious look at one I used to build my WALK-AWAY residual income stream.
