In today’s sluggish business economy, the hunt for legitimate and viable leads for your MLM (Multi Level Marketing)  opportunity is a passionate activity that consumes most MLM business owner’s time that they dedicate to their business or at a minimum their conscious thoughts.  There is one very clear rule to the MLM landscape.  No leads equals no business.  There are limitless ways that one can generate leads.  The imagination can always come up with something creative and new, but in today’s twenty-four hour business, news and work cycles, the ability to leverage the internet is a non negotiable factor if one expects any chance of being successful.  The internet provides nonstop exposure to those people seeking information, advice, and entertainment for a growing population who has an insatiable need to access information when they want it, how they want it, and where they want it.  People do not want to be pitched to, sold to, or even directly exposed to services or products.  They much rather ‘discover’ information on their own accord, in and by their own rules.  This gives them a greater sense of autonomy and feeling as though they are in charge and calling the shots.  I learned this lesson the hard way when I opened a full service travel agency eight years ago.  I offered all the same services as the major on-line travel companies, as well as utilized the conventional reservation booking service platforms provided by the major airlines.  Time and time again, people would take great pride in telling me, “I found this great rate on-line, can you beat it”?  You could almost see them gloating through the phone as if they won a noble peace prize.  But here is where the magic happens, if you can provide those in need, with the content that they are looking for on-line, you have cracked the secret code.  Everyone is usually looking for something on-line and when you can give it to them, without being asked for it, then you are on your way to generating some of the best leads imaginable and usually at little to no cost.

There are three primary methods of generating leads on-line that are utilized by top internet marketers and successful MLM business owners.  Some specialize in leveraging one method but others use all three.  No matter which one you may use, it is important to understand that there are elements that are common in all and that consistency is the common denominator that trumps everything:

• Article marketing:  This is the medium by which you probably found this article.  This practice is extremely popular and productive for many reasons.  Articles can produce leads over and over again for a very long time.  Once it is produced it is in cyber space forever, or until someone manually removes it.  Article marketing is more than just writing a few thoughts and posting it to some website.  One must think carefully about what will readers be looking for?  This can be easily answered by conducting key word research and utilizing a tool like Market Samurai or the free Google Key Word Tool.  Once the article is written, it must be posted.  Choosing authoritative sites like Ezine Articles to post the primary copy is important because the search engines tend to like these sites because they know that the submission process is well vetted and thorough.  Last but not least, the number of credible back links that point back to the authoritative site helps the ranking of the article on search engines like Google.  Rank counts, because people usually don’t go below the fold or to multiple pages produced in a search other than the first.  These organic search results can produce some of the best lead results that money can’t buy.
• Video marketing:  It has been said that video marketing is 600 times more effective than print.  I am not sure if that is true or not, but there is no denying that video is an extremely popular medium in which to market and generate leads.  Much of the same key word research that is done for article marketing should be done for video marketing as well.  The key with video marketing is to produce videos that are informative, entertaining or both.  The average video should not be longer than three to four minutes.  The attention span of most people on-line is short, so it is imperative to get your points across relatively quickly and clearly.  Many people leverage YouTube as the video platform to convey their messages.  YouTube definitely generates a ton of traffic as one of the most visited websites on the internet, but they have become increasingly more and more restrictive regarding their policies.  Marketers who look to generate leads are increasingly utilizing special third party sites to host their content so that they are not encumbered by YouTube’s rules.  An important fact to take into consideration is that you do not have to get in front of the camera to record your content.  Programs like Camtasia and Windows Movie Maker allow you to capture presentations in video mode, or perform editing on pre-taped video to create something new.
• Social Marketing 2.0:  This lead generating method is extremely popular right now with sites like Facebook, Twitter and many others.  When generating leads using social media, it is key not to beat people over the head with the fact that you are prospecting them and eventually want them to sign up in your primary business.  You must lead with value and build credibility as an authoritative figure.  Value must come first, then deliver more.  Value can come in the form of ebooks, bootcamps, webinars, etc.  It can be instructional, motivational, a business review, author review, you name it.  The bottom line is that it must be content that is desired by the targeted lead.  It is all about the perspective lead.  They are what is important and as long as their needs are placed first, success will follow.  Those who are engaged will most likely have some question, problem or need that your comments resonate with.   Most will be leery of any invitations for friendship because they will think that it is a thinly veiled attempt at preparations to pitch a product or service.  When leveraging multiple social networking sites, try and use common identifiers like screen names, URLs and of course your blog.   Most links should drive traffic to your blog or website so that the perspective lead can see you have a vested interest and experience in contributing to lead generating subject matter.  Relationships matter most in social media marketing.  Follow-up and consistency cannot be minimized in importance because perspective leads are only one click away from someone who is more than willing to give them everything they want.

Generating leads is both an art and a science.  You need to have relentless commitment to any or all of the above practices if you expect to experience success.  As you master the above methods you will discover tools that can help from an automation perspective to remove some of the repetitive steps that can also have a profound impact.  In the end generation of MLM leads can be a relatively low cost activity if done right and consistently executed over and over again.

Like many people in this country I was raised with certain fundamentals and beliefs by loving parents that if I worked hard in school, stayed away from trouble and got a ‘good job’ the American dream of attaining financial independence was a reasonable goal.  I must admit that I had many privileges that many cannot claim.  I grew up as an only child in my home for most of my childhood and lived a very “Leave It to Beaver” life.  Music lessons, car at sixteen, Eagle Scout, Co-captain of my HS Football team and most of my college expenses paid for, was my reality.  I was grateful for my life, so I swore that I was going to make the most of my opportunities and be ‘rich’ some day.  Well I am still working on the ‘rich’ part, but the reality is that after earning an engineering degree and an MBA I still have a lot of work to do on my road to making it ‘rich’ but I am on my way.  I could blame my delay to reaching the holy grail of the rat race on having kids, a failed travel agency, living in the rust belt, and on and on and on.  The reality is that I know deep down inside that I am extremely blessed to have my health and a relatively comfortable life.  I don’t go to bed hungry, my kids are getting a great education, and my wife and I am comfortable in our modest three bedroom home.  But like most forty something’s who grew up in a time when big was best and excess was the drum beat that we marched to, we all want to be a little more comfortable, have a little more security and most importantly have financial freedom so that we can eliminate one of the major causes for stress in most households and relationships.

I agree with many of the experts and noted authors in the world of financial success in that you must own something in order to reach a level of financial independence.  That ‘something’ may be a business, a robust investment portfolio, real estate, etc.  I have chosen to own a business, because in today’s economy the variety and diversity of offerings is extremely broad.  There are three basic business models that the average person can enter into.  This list is not exhaustive, but captures eighty percent of what is out there.

• A brick and mortar start-up:  Been there and have done it.  Let me tell you from experience that this option is a lot of work and takes a great deal of planning in our new world economy.  Overhead is the evil of all evils.  Rent, building out or developing a space, utilities all can add up very fast.  This is all before you have the killer business plan and cash liquid clientele.  There is a lot of risk in launching your own unique idea that has never been done before, but the rewards can be great if you have the super star product or service that everyone wants.  Tread carefully as investors will be very leery of investing in start-ups, launching into uncharted territories that have not proven themselves.  I learned a tough lesson post September 11^th when I opened a travel agency in a loft space.  It was going to be high tech and high touch bringing a new tech spin to the travel industry.  I closed my business three years later after realizing that the travel had changed forever and that I had to move on.
• The franchise:  This model is one that has been very popular for many years.  It is fairly successful in that proven best practices are duplicated over and over by following strict policies and procedures.  Success has come in the form of fast food restaurants, cleaning companies and even lawn services to name a few.  The ‘turn-key’ phase is often thrown about when describing a franchise model, in that you pay your money and then success comes your way if, and it’s a big if, you follow the model.  Many franchises do produce success, but it comes at a price.  Usually a stiff price.  McDonald’s franchises are said to cost millions to start.  Even a Subway will cost a couple hundred thousand to get off the ground, not including the food.  You also will have to invest heavily in your time and sweat equity to establish the business and train a staff.  You must do a serious gut check before going down this path as to what is your motivation and if you have the right stuff.
• Multi Level Marketing (aka) Network Marketing:  This model is as old as Avon and Amway and has many benefits as well as down sides.  The greatest benefit is that it is relatively easy to get started.  Compared to most businesses the barrier for entry is small.  Enrollment fees can be as small as $25 to a few thousand.  If chosen wisely, you may actually like the monthly products or services (often called an autoship) that you would be required to buy.  If you don’t, its usually a good sign that you are not with the right opportunity.  The overhead is small or negligible as most of these businesses are run out of the home and inventory, if any, is usually delivered directly to client’s home or business address.  The greatest benefit of this business model is the ability to build ‘residual income’.  This is the concept of receiving a percentage of the sale and profits that your recruits earn.  There are many models and business to choose from in this model.  The down side is that many people are not comfortable ‘selling’ or promoting themselves or a product, whether it is to their friends/family or to strangers.  If this is the case, this business model is definitely not for you.

No matter what business model appears attractive to you, it is imperative that you do your homework first.  Never make an impulse decision and above all else answer the questions about your own readiness.  None of the above models will work if you are not bought into doing the required work with your heart and mind.  Fortunes are made in tough economies like ours, but only for those who are ready to roll up their sleeves and do the work.

About six months ago I was turned onto the phenomenon known as ‘Meetup Groups’.  Meetup as its most commonly referred to is a very efficient way to organize a group of people who have a common interest or desire for the purpose of coming together in a physical space.  Meetups take place all over the world and are as diverse in purpose representing many areas of business, art, sports, and culture, etc.  The platform is ingenious, with all of the promoting and corresponding taking place on line.  It’s the best of both worlds, combining aspects of the social networking 2.0 world with the ‘old school’ belly to belly meeting.  The magic for me came when I decided to host a Meetup group in my city because I saw the benefit of conducting a meeting on a periodic basis with similar minded individuals.  I wanted to find people who were interested in reaching financial freedom and most importantly leveraging the MLM vehicle to get them there.  With this hypothesis, I launched a Meetup group whose objective it was to share networking information that would benefit ANY business and never directly pitch my own or someone else’s primary company to those in attendance.   The Meetup was successful on several fronts because there were many traditional network marketers who wanted to learn how to market on line but did not have leadership who were skilled enough, or took the time to teach them.  Three basic principals were instrumental in contributing to the success of my meetings:

1. I made it very clear in the Meetup description and at the beginning of each meeting that we were not there to actively recruit others in attendance.  The purpose of the meeting was to gather information, learn and share best practices.  It was okay to introduce yourself and tell what company you represented, but there was to be no hard sells or over the top presentations in an attempt to use the meeting as a recruiting fest.
2. The meeting content changed each time a meeting was held and focused on very relevant content (e.g . How to use Facebook to grow your business, or How to leverage a blog to create leads for your business).  I utilized a video projector and internet connection to perform live presentations so that attendees could follow along and take notes on the step by step information that was being delivered.  Many in attendance had never interacted on a blog or cut a video to post on YouTube.
3. I found a venue that was free of charge and centrally located.  Finding somewhere with good WIFI and that will allow you to use their space can be a tough task.  There can be challenges with logistics, technology, accessibility, but it is worth the effort to do your homework, because the last thing you want to do is create overhead which can be a headache in itself.  I was fortunate to find a Whole Foods Market that met all of my criteria.  They had free WIFI, a free meeting room with a large table and chairs and the location was easily accessible from the highway.

As your Meetups grow in size, you can delegate responsibility to others and have co-leadership opportunities.  I have also learned that a best practice is to have guest speakers who are authorities on specific subject matters to come to your Meetups and present.  This helps to strengthen the group because of the diversity of thought leadership and takes some of the pressure off of you from having to prepare content for each meeting.  Ultimately the biggest win came when through the informal relationships that I formed from conducting the Meetup, I was able to recruit two different individuals into businesses that I own.  I recruited on individual into my primary network marketing opportunity and the other into my funded proposal which helps network marketers learn how to generate business leads.  Meetup groups saw a need and created a solution that is having huge success for those who enjoy networking in person.  I found it to have a significant positive impact on my MLM business and if you follow the three steps outlined above, I am sure that you will find the same.

The life of a network marketer often seems like a perpetual tread mill, because we are so fixated on recruiting the next down-line, that when we get them, we often commit a grave mistake.  That mistake is that we do little or no training for the new recruit on how to go about creating leads and conversions and help them build a duplicatable sustainable model.  Its on to the next one, without setting up the rep that was just brought in for success of their own.  What network marketers fail to realize is that the real success that is often marketed in the MLM world cannot be achieved unless a solid organization of individuals who know how to prospect, generate leads and convert in a successful fashion is built.  Taking this step for granted or not taking the time to perform real knowledge transfer for newbies can bring down an organization that has been built quickly like a house of cards.  What good are new recruits and rapid growth if people get discouraged and drop out because they can’t generate success for themselves?  Lead generation is the hardest part of growing an MLM business and the reason that most people fail.  They buy into the panacea that their warm market and the INCREDIBLE product that they have to offer will begin printing money the minute that their credit card is run to enter the business.

I personally leverage My Lead System Pro and highly recommend the usage by all of my down-line.  It’s a self contained solution to all lead generation issues and can be duplicated by anyone who goes through the process of following step by step instructions consistently over a committed time frame.  By time frame I am talking months, not days, but the investment pays dividends over and over again.  Not to mention the highly supportive My Lead System Pro community that constantly shares what is working and how to break through barriers.  In addition, I personally contact all of my down-line on a periodic basis to assist with the most troubling issues and provide one on one coaching.

One cannot be too concentrated on what is in front of them to not pay attention to the rear view mirror.  Unsuccessful recruits will diminish your income streams and jeopardize temporary achievements which can lead to the development of a bad reputation for you.  Everyone will certainly not take all the advice and information that is offered to them.  Some will flat out ignore it.  But taking the high road and more strategic approach suggests that you have to give education and training of new recruits your best effort.  This step displays good leadership and is the kind of stuff that will pay off in the strength of the organization that you build as well as your  reputation.   The advantage of enrolling your organization into the My Lead System Pro process is that it is a one stop training source for your entire organization, especially those who may be new to network marketing.  There are prebuilt sales funnels, predesigned lead campaigns, and hours of expert webinars from some of the industry’s top MLM leaders.  You cannot go wrong by exposing a growing organization to this high energy, multi talented group that is a community which supports every aspect of growing a thriving MLM business.  My Lead System Pro (MLSP) provides endless hours of the best lead generating material available, bar none!  Click the banner to the left to get more info on My Lead System Pro (MLSP).

Leadership is a quality that many think that they can forget in building a successful  MLM business.  This could not be further from the truth.  Leadership is vital because people naturally want to follow someone who is capable.  Everyone loves a winner and the kind of persona that a leader espouses.  You don’t necessarily have to display the kind of charisma that some of the famous leaders in history have been known to have, but you do have to have a dedication to your business that comes across in the work you do.  The saying that, “your actions speak so loudly, I can’t hear a word you are saying” drives the point home.  Leaders create their brand by having a presence that is literally everywhere.  When people go on-line they see the leader’s videos on Youtube, Facebook and Viddler.  They see leader’s articles on blogs, in email blasts, and in links on Twitter.  Leaders have an active blog that uniquely defines the mission and vision of a leader.  More importantly leaders hold themselves and their organizations accountable.  Time after time we hear the horror stories of the MIA (Missing In Action) up-line.  The person who was oh so great at recruiting and delivering the ‘pitch’ but was nowhere to be found once the enrollment took place.  This person is not a leader.  Sure they may put the numbers on the board and lead in recruitment efforts, but he/she is not adding to the long term success of the MLM business because these type of tactics often result in attrition by those who are disillusioned by the smooth talkers.  Great leadership in an MLM business often has three key traits that can be defined by:

1. Those individuals who genuinely care about all distributors in the company, not just their immediate down-line.  This is not to say that they get caught up in every individual’s problems or issues, but they recognize the value of the tide lifting all boats not just one.
2. They are a conduit of information.  They share it freely and openly so as to teach others and continue their perpetual learning process.  They understand that knowledge is power and work hard to add to the body of knowledge that benefits their particular MLM business.
3. They are accountable for their actions and hold their team accountable.  To the degree that we are all adults and should conduct ourselves in this manner, is not a foregone conclusion.  Doing what is right is not always popular or easy, but true leaders can manage through distractions to deliver the results and make sustained positive impacts.

Leadership is defined by going the extra mile when others give up and decide not to send out that one additional marketing piece.  The most important thing to remember is that you really don’t have to know everything or have been in the business ten years to be respected as a leader.  It’s all about the work that one puts into their business that earns leaders a following, and ultimately the enrollment into their primary MLM business.  Consistency and follow up will win every time.  At the end of the day leadership and hard work are the keys to success.

Playoff series are like a marathon race for the NBA.  They seem to go on and on and players have to battle through injuries, external distractions, and most importantly trying to live up to media and fan expectations.  In many ways the competition that goes on between network marketers is very similar to the NBA playoffs.  There is fierce competition for the next prospect that shows even a small amount of interest in the marketer’s business.  Network marketers find themselves sometimes fighting over the next ‘live’ prospect like a piece or rare meat.  One thing that is certain is that the teams that are battling it out to stay alive have a lot of skill, desire and heart.  Many NBA teams have ‘superstar’ athletes in their organizations, who have paid a heavy price with regards to extra hours spent on the court, watching film of the competition, and getting their minds mentally prepared.  These same skill sets can be compared to the world of the network marketer and the success or failure that many experience.  I heard a successful network marketer say just last night that he is happy when his competition, who basically is everyone on line, gives up and doesn’t follow through.  At the end of the day all the leads that are lost by marketers who give half baked attempts, are grabbed by those marketers who go all out and have a never quit mentality.  Let’s be clear MLM and Network Marketing can bring out the best in some people and the worst in others.  Some chose to go to battle in full view of everyone on the front pages of Facebook and Youtube.  Others are more refined in their strategy and let their numbers speak for themselves by the recognition that is afforded to them through their primary businesses and the industry in general.

At the end of the day, none of this matters except what type of performance are you going to give during the playoffs?  Are you a Michael Jordan kind of player who can be counted on till the very last second, or just one of the thousands of big league hopefuls who constantly says, “ I could have been a contender”.   Every night I am writing articles no matter how late.  It’s very tough.  Some days, after work, cleaning up after dinner, and getting the  kids to bed, finding the energy to write and market takes every bit of strength that I have.  But the reality is that if I don’t keep up my marketing assault someone else will.  It’s literally eat or be eaten.  Not to be too dramatic but this is the mindset of a champion.  It’s fourth quarter and the game is tied up.  You know that there can only be one winner and you have to make up your mind, is it going to be you or the other guy.  I don’t believe that it has to be one winner at the network marketing competition, but to be successful you have to set yourself apart from the pack.  Those who can execute and win more than they lose, will realize success in both monetary rewards and momentum that will serve them well for a long time.  What type of player are you?

Every day we are pitched hundreds of business opportunities and solutions to our current MLM challenges.  Reviewing each one can and does become a mind numbing experience.  It’s hard to make any sense from one product / system to the next if you were to listen to all the claims, testimonials and ‘guarantees’ .  The reality is that many people buy tool after tool without really putting into action what is taught or sold to them.  Everyone is looking for the silver bullet that they can use on their business and make it into a money machine.  Reality will show that it always takes commitment and dedication to deliver the kind of results that most want but few want to work to deliver.  It is easier to blame a tool for one’s failure or lack of success than to look in the mirror and start with one’s self.

There is one tool, however that has arrived on the MLM landscape that has been turning out a ton of value week after week and righting the wrongs that far too many network marketers continue to commit.  My Lead System Pro (MLSP), is the comprehensive MLM portal that has a wealth of training (in the form of video, and other teaching aids).  Additionally there is a weekly live webinar conducted every Wednesday evening that hosts some of the industry’s top internet markets who lead sessions on some of their proven strategies.  The latest edition to the MLSP line up is a daily wake up call.   This  mid morning call that gets the day started by restating the purpose of My Lead System Pro and how the application of specific lead generating technique  can positively impact one’s business.

My Lead System Pro is truly a community that comes together for the purposes of sharing information and collaboration on the goals and objectives of all Network Marketers.  What makes this system unique is that it is totally agnostic to all MLM businesses.  Therefore,  the speakers time and best practices on growing a company is applicable to all of the MLM companies represented by the MLSP membership.

Like everything else, the world of network marketing changes very quickly.  What worked yesterday, many not work tomorrow and My Lead System Pro, cuts through the majority of the static out here.  The site promotes proven methodologies (article marketing, social network marketing, and attraction marketing, to name a few) and saves the MLSP member time, energy and other resources.  In addition, another great attribute about the site is that they advocate innovation and new ideas.  No one comes across as being perfect or above the next guy/gal.  It is really a one stop shop for the busy network marketer who wants to stay plugged into the proven methodologies.  Their refund policy is clear and customer satisfaction is very strong.  I know this to be factual, because I logged several tickets in the past and have always gotten 24 hour responses.  My Lead System Pro is my road map and guiding light all in one.  I highly recommend you take a test drive for yourself, I did and have never looked back.

The topic of participation in multiple network marketing opportunities (primary businesses, not just affiliate association), usually evokes some strong beliefs on both side of the debate.  On the one hand, up-line sponsors usually frown on multiple opportunity participation because they would like their down-line to focus 100% on their primary business.  The reality is that people do often find themselves in multiple opportunities.  There are good points and negative points to this practice.  On the one hand if you choose the companies strategically, multiple businesses can complement each other.  They can feed off the synergistic energy that is created and everything from Lead Generation, to saying thank you by displaying some gesture for going above the call of duty.  Whether its flowers, a card, or some other thank you device, there are many opportunities to make money from the supportive things that are sent to prospects as they are signed up in a primary business.  One of the best could be a funded proposal that helps the down-line understand the intricacies of marketing on-line and lead generation.   Some leaders choose to take their down line by the hand and teach them the tools of business building duplication, while others take the path of outsourcing this practice and earn a residual income in the process.

On the con side, some people spend so much time jumping form one opportunity to the next, that they are not successful at anything.  They have been divided and conquered.  They usually drag their down-line from company to company in hopes of hitting whatever business incentives or quick cash rewards that are on display until the next flavor of the day catches their attention.  This model takes a great deal of energy and work to sustain.  It is inefficient because the energy that is placed into getting several pie pieces of many pies could have been devoted to getting an entire pie.  Mastery of the product line, leadership philosophy of the company and most important personal relationships don’t mature and serve anyone to the highest potential.  Eventually all of the business endeavors suffer, filling those involved in this type of approach with regret.

No matter what is written or what advice is given, people will do what they think is best and only life’s lesson will provide the education.  You should not automatically roll over and obey anyone who says you can only do one MLM at a time.  Everyone needs to weigh the options of the opportunity and situation as they present themselves. Conversely, if you are going to bite off multiple opportunities, you need to have some strategic roadmap that displays how your assortment of activities works for an overall higher purpose.  The reality is that most people who get involved with MLM have another occupation or responsibility in their lives that commands time and attention, therefore one must be strategic and calculating with how and when one spends their time.  Picking the right horse in your race and riding him to the finish line while trying not to switch horses mid race may be the toughest journey of your MLM career.

Attending live MLM events makes good business sense for multiple reasons.  First and foremost you will be in a room full of like minded individuals.  Meeting people online and via conference calls is nice, but nothing beats the experience of shaking the hand of a fellow network marketer making a connection in person.  All of the energy and excitement is transferred back and forth in real time.  Introductions are done and invaluable information is exchanged.  People form mastermind groups on the spot, share marketing ideas, business opportunities, and make life long connections.

The second biggest reason to attend a live MLM event is that there will undoubtedly be tools, training platforms and other aids that will be sold, usually for a lot less than the general public can acquire the buy.  It takes a degree of self control not to grab everything that is suggested, but if you do your home work in advance, you can usually hold out for what is really going to add value for you and your business.  Have a pre-determined budget before the event and stick to it, but realize that some of the bundles, software, books, and training that will be extended, may never be available at such a great rate again.

The last and probably most important reason for attending live MLM events, is the opportunity to shoot videos and take pictures with some of the experts/leaders that will be at the event.  Capturing their images with yours adds instant credibility to who you are and helps to validate your status as an expert.  The videos can be edited and used over and over to reach a vast audience.  One such live event can spawn multiple videos.  MLM is a people based business.  At the end of the day you have to meet people, interact with people and get to know people, even if they will never be a direct addition to your primary business.  The idea is to leverage a life event so that the return on the investment more than pays for itself and will continue to do so in may ways.

To minimize cost, plan your travel in advance, especially if you are flying.  Think about staying with a friend, family member or sharing a hotel room.  Driving to the events has been one of the biggest savings that people can realize these days.  If you are staying at a hotel, check out to see if there are any conference rates that you may be able to take advantage of.  Safety always comes first, but get creative when it come to conserving cash.  The more you save in the front end, the greater your return will be in the back end.  Don’t let a little distance and out of pocket expense keep you at home.  I have attended two live events during the last year and I can honestly say that they have been transformational in my growth and the benefit to my business.  Don’t sleep on the opportunity to attend live events if you want to experience real success in your MLM opportunity.

I recently went shopping for a new car.  I had a sedan that I was very comfortable with, except for the fact that I drive two hours a day commuting and the car got poor gas mileage.  I was looking at hybrids because of the great mileage that they claimed to have.  I used to ignore hybrids because they are usually smaller and I thought that I would have to give up a lot.  I test drove a hybrid and to my surprise it was pretty comfortable and had many of the bells and whistles that my sedan had.  The hybrid doubled my sedan mileage and then some.  I traded in my sedan and I bought the hybrid.

The economy, gas prices, and the need to conserve cash has made hybrids very attractive today.  More and more car manufacturers are building them in more and more options.  New on the scene is the totally electric car that does not require any gasoline.  Years ago, many said, “electric cars will just be a fad , they will never go into production”.  We now live in a ‘Jetson’ world where there are multiple electric cars to choose from.

The same kind of shift in thinking should be applied to your network marketing opportunity.  Strategies  that worked ten to twenty years ago by and large are not as effective today.  Perspective leads and customers are plugged in, better educated and most importantly they are connected twenty four hours a day via a variety of methods and tools.  Yesterday’s marketers made out lists, stood in malls and made cold call after cold call in the pursuit of growing a network marketing business.  Today’s marketer needs  to be internet savvy, have descent communication skills and have a way to conduct business 24 x 7.  Those who embrace change and adapt to what the leaders use, are the network marketers  who find success.  Those that stay stuck in the past and usually fail.

To embrace change network marketers may have to check their ego at the door, and admit that they don’t know it all.  The sooner that there is an admission that you don’t know it all and that your businesses must continue to evolve in order to be successful, the quicker you will be able to innovate and realize success.    Every business that is successful evolves or reinvents itself periodically.  Whether it’s reading a personal development book, attending a live event or actually putting into action the marketing plan that you created way back when, there is something new that must be attempted or implemented in your business.  The most successful network marketers are always trying a new strategy or tactic.  It’s not to say that you want to do everything all the time, but implementing new techniques periodically and sticking with those that work is smart business.  We can all learn something by suspending disbelief long enough to try new ideas and strategies.   I am currently on a personal journey right now as I write a new article every day.  Its time consuming and usually takes place at the end of my day when I would rather be sleeping or doing something else.  But I believe that this effort will help my business in ways that I can’t imagine yet.  I am taking my own medicine and waiting to see what happens.  Will you join me?