Remember that movie?
In the movie Network, (grabbed 4 Oscars BTW), a new anchorman starts a cult following by screaming several times, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.”
Peter Finch played the character and I’m as pissed as he was, but I’m not trying to start a cult following or even suggest you carry my peeve as a cause.
Not much comes out of anger. Â Really.
I’m Mad As Hell At The Current MLM Mindset
What I would love to see and hear is some serious thinking and a ‘shift’ back to common sense.
My good friend Tom “Big Al” Schreiter explained to me a long time ago that we ‘can’t stop people from hurting themselves, but we can carry the message of what will work.’
It was out of that conversation in Danvers, MA several years ago that was the inspiration for our site and the network marketing tips and skills we offer at no cost.
So I don’t want you to take up a negative cause as Finch did in Network (title of the movie is pretty cool coincidence, eh?) …but I would just love to hear your thoughts about ‘thinking’Â before following the basic mindset out there in our industry right now.
The facts and the solution
In the mid to late 1990’s a company called “ProStep” popped up.
Very interesting and ahead of the curve.
Was $800 bucks for a Premier entry and $400 for the next level.  Basic was $200.
The had an ‘auto-responder’!  No one knew what that was.
For $800 bucks you got 1000 leads a month, a few cool services, but it was this NEW invention. The ‘auto-responder’ that was the cat’s meow!
About 25% – 35% would click on a link, watch a movie and fill out info looking for more information.
Cool – no competition.  Leads, responses, folks enrolling in your program and then you could enroll them in ProStep.
Very, very cool… and the other 800 leads, for a while we’re not too shabby.
We started to notice a few things at about the 6-month marker. We were making great dough, but we had figured it out.
Well, we didn’t really figure it out. We just looked at some basic business concepts and, as usual, it paid dividends.
The principle? Fashion comes and goes. Only principles endure.
We went back to basics, helping others and following the great John Wooden’s advice – “the best way to improve the team is to improve yourself.’
Prostep? They’re all prostep
It went the way of the white buffalo, but others showed up.
The newest, bestest, dang-gum system to ‘build your business’, with more do-dads than a Swiss Army Knife.
And… they don’t work. Not for long.
Why?
Technology advances faster, gets cheaper, etc., but that is not the point.
The point is, people are missing the point.
What point is that?
People in groups are hot on this system while others are hot on that one and they debate and spend time promoting the systems …instead of building their businesses.
And spending money uselessly.
And, it hurts all of us.
You see, your teammates are doing what the 6 Blind Men are doing. They are all a little right, but collectively they have no clue as to what an elephant is. Â BTW, Lydia Johnson’s book, where I grabbed that story is a gem for MLMers…
Have we forgotten that if we are going to make some money, we need to talk to people, and, more importantly, if your friends and relatives didn’t like what you had to say… why in the world would we think strangers will like it any better? (Thank “Big Al”)
Here are a couple of things we all need to keep in mind… and 2 simple rules to follow.
Keep in mind…
- If people actually knew ‘how to’ generate leads in great quantity that converted to successful distributors, why would they put themselves in competition with the entire world?
- No matter what a new rep tells you about their dream or desire, they buy you before they really buy their dream
- Do you really want people spending time promoting a ‘system’ or their primary business?
- All these systems want you to believe that during the Gold Rush of 1849 not everyone found gold, but they all bought tools. Experienced MLMers know this bullshit analogy. Just as many tool peddlers and saloon owners tanked as miners, and for MLMer this is NOT multiple streams of ‘income’. It’s multiple streams of ‘outgo’
- Do you really believe that leads build leaders?
Two Rules
- Test before testimony.  Think something is great? Go for it and prove you can use it to sponsor people into your group. Don’t get hung up in the hype.  You’ll quickly discover this crap is just that crap and you won’t rupture your organization’s belief in you.
- Never break rule 1. Never.
Let’s be real clear. I’ve got no beef with these marketers. I’ve got a beef with us.
Each of us.
New and inexperienced people are anxious to get going, often joining our teams 6 months later than they should have joined, and they need it to happen now.
Can you blame them for looking around?
No.
What prevents them from looking around and getting sucked into promoting these useless systems?
Us. The Current MLM Mindset.
If we are going to make some money… we need to learn some skills.
And if you think I’m overstating… here’s a disclaimer that’s typical.
Let’s look at this math. 98% of the people using this are making less than $100 bucks a month.
So are these guys in the wrong?
No.
Our new peeps simply don’t take the time to investigate and to be a great leader all we have to do is use common sense and nature.
We’ve covered the common sense.
The nature part?
Nature abhors a vacuum, and when new people join they don’t know what to do.
Vacuum.
Fill it with skills. Help them make money and teach them to do the same thing.
In no time, your group will be sponsoring more and they simply won’t have the time to waste promoting stuff that cannot possibly give them what you can.
Here’s the Think and Grow Rich copy… master that and grow rich.
mark januszewski
Hi Mark,
back in my early days I bought leads off my US upline, about 100 or so for a few dollars. These were all allegedly pre-qualified leads in the sense that they were looking to earn extra money, but not necessarily my opportunity. To put this into greater perspective, I was living in Germany at the time and all the leads, bar none, were in USA. This meant, due to the time difference, I was up until 2 – 3am my time calling leads. How many sign ups did I get? NIL O, I had a fair few follow ups, but that was more due to my British accent than interest in thje opportunity.
Needlesss to say I don’t buy leads any more, but I have tried several lead generation “tools” over the years, none of which have proved that successful. More recently I’ve been using Facebook – correctly – and enjoying more success. But, at the end of the day, face to face is way better. Lead generation “tools” are like the Internet shopping Malls – the products look absolutely fab on the Net, when you have them in your hands they looks nothing like the Internet pic. It’s all hype and glam. Build relationships and you’ll build your business – as you rightly say.
It is amazing to me that many folks in our business believe they “have no one to talk to.” If I know 150 people pretty well, and they each know 150 pretty well, that is 22,500 extra people I could talk to by way of a “could you introduce me to a few people?” I talk a lot but could likely never get to all 22,500! Great article Mark!
Mark, A great bit of information as always. I have not used leads and will not. Your knowledge and experience comes trough more and more easily all the time.
Thanks, for the phone call. If we all used common sense and not try to invent the wheel, we would be much better off. Now to let it all flow. I’ll let you know how I am doing. Thanks again. Gaile
Well said Mark, that’s the key. I’ve heard and see that it’s true that leaders build warm market to warm market. Makes more sense to me.
Totally agree!
I just unsubscribed from Eric Worre because of his promoting that bullsh*t.
And he’s my sponsor!
The worst thing, and yet it makes them money!
Your perspective is always a great pick-me-up. I’m glad to have crossed your path in my journey.
Mark,
As I do my personal development (and I have a long way to go), I have found that MLM is really not about the product or service. We are really in the people business. If that is the case, how can leads help you in the people business??? The only way to get ahead is by meeting and talking and relating to people. That is the skill, that I find is the most valuable. Thanks for your insights.
Mark, you are correct. Learn how to build a list that never stops growing is job one regardless of what you are doing. However, one person can only work with so many people at a time and be effective. MLM is never about the plan, the product or the company. It is always about selling tickets to the annual event and everything else is smoke. Those that make it are good at selling tickets. I have no interest in meetings, ‘leading’ a large group of people who will do a few simple things daily over an extended period of time…. The last five years I have studied, watched and listened. There is the ‘small business’ approach, the BIG business approach, the sponsor 30, run the with the runners, walk with the walkers and quit on the quitters … they all quit eventually except for a few and those are the few to work with. And then the company disappears.
It comes down to three issues. Figure out who you are and what you want, then be yourself because everyone else is taken and to thine own self be true … Until you learn how to discriminate, to discern between true and false, you experience being taken and for most people MLM sucks because MLM wants you to sell your soul for someone’s dream other than your own. The marketing and sales pitch is scientifically proven to capture your attention long enough to pick your pockets dry. If you are not willing to do the same thing to as many people as you can you will never make any money with MLM.
Second, learn how to operate without regret or doubt. Success is about 99% failing and failing does not make me or you a failure no matter what the Olympic committee, the press, the republicans or the democrats say about it. Everyone I have had a conversation with regarding their experience in MLM is, it is mostly a conversation about three regrets, shoulda, coulda and woulda. Learning the lessons as they apply to yourself is the key. Most people would be wise to avoid the lottery tickets offered by your typical MLM program hustler.
Third is allowing people their own way, their own mistakes and their own path. Call it ‘love’ or giving before you receive or being free of any personal bondage MLM always forces round pegs into square holes or worse the other way around. What works for you may not work for anyone else, ever. Just because it worked for someone, sometime and somewhere should never ever suggest it will work for you either.
In ‘The Strangest Secret’ you learn that “We become what we think about”. I’ll sell tools before a program, a company or a product from now on. Every MLM company offers their ‘system’ and the numbers tell the tale. 95% or worse fail…. Yes, it is the same for nearly every specific area of concern. Some game we play where we acknowledge the winner and fail to notice the thousands who lost. Hey they played the game at least while we lived and cheered in the stands.
Bravo Robert……Love your response…..
Let’s look even deeper…..if we ‘love’ our companies soooooo much…..and think the product of service is sooooooooooo sensational…..meeting new people and adding to our list is a piece of cake
If we believe…..it’s easy to meet new people all day long….
And, I might add…..I believe your humility is refreshing…..by saying you have a long way to go tells me something…..you ‘get it’ and have something extraordinary to offer people
believe
mark j
The average person knows 1500 people….
Unfortunately, especially right here in the good, old US of A…..we have a mirco wave mentality, a hunger for instant gratification and are somewhat ‘lazy’ in our work ethic…..
We can’t buy success…..we earn it
We can’t ‘make money’…..the only place they make it is at the mint 🙂
Learning how to ‘tap’ the 1500 within ourselves and learning how to help others tap it within themselves is a skill….and does that one [see it free on site] pays massive 2-way dividends…
You make money for your team……AND….save them money….
believe
mark j
You got a way with words Bones…..
Always a pleasuere to have you weigh in
keep growing man….
I am with you a hundred and ten percent. You build the man; and the the man builds the business period. Systems don’t.
Thanks for your knowledge and passion for the industry.
Hey Mark, Yeah, i didn’t believe it until I did try it.. and you are write as well as my team, it takes my focus away… I guess it works for the people who don’t like to meet people but that’s not me and that really doesn’t work in the MLM business… It just diverts attention away from your team, your efforts and production… I wish you had this stuff 2o years ago when I was 18 and doing water filters but found a great home… OGGOLD! I used your stuff combined with my teams and its great! Thanks for the help in production and education… it works if you work it. Erik erikfkaiser@gmail.com
Eisbrener says so much about the ‘systems’ but here in india we are not selling the ‘system’ unless the rep starts making some money. and products are used, we have the ADP atleast working if not for all the reps.,i would like Mark J to reply to Eisbrener. Really it will be a big flaw to do mlm if it is the ‘system’ that is getting money.
How true, Bones. I had lunch with my sponsor the other day (not part of Eric’s line, I believe – but the same company). He had just bought the $500 package. I had to cringe.
If this is typical IM, Eric is pocketing 50% ($250) on each sale. I really wanted to know if there is a back offer or one-time offer with this package, but I just had to keep my mouth shut – my sponsor is super-excited about Eric, and now about the marketing package.