Have you ever heard of network marketing? If you have, then you’re probably aware that it can be an effective way to make money and grow your own business, especially if you enjoy helping others and building your own network.
The question isn’t whether or not it’s legitimate; it absolutely is. You just need to figure out if it’s right for you. If so, there are seven steps you need to take in order to become a network marketing professional.
Step 1: Understand What Exactly Network Marketing Is.
Your first step is to research what network marketing is and isn’t. There are many misconceptions about network marketing, so it’s important you take some time getting familiar with how it works and how it differs from standard MLM companies.
To learn more, visit our articles page for a list of resources that will help answer your questions and get you started on your new career path! Once you feel like you have a solid grasp on how things work, proceed to Step 2.
Step 2: Learn From the Pros.
Aspiring network marketing professionals should take advantage of online resources—many of which are free—to learn as much as they can about how their industry works and how business is conducted at different companies.
Reading books on successful entrepreneurs, for example, can give you insight into navigating your way through an increasingly competitive environment or dealing with uncooperative partners and competitors.
Read blogs from other people in your industry; these sites often provide great tips on relevant topics or trends within your niche. Whether it’s blogging, tweeting, or setting up Facebook ads (not to mention other social media platforms), sharing information can help establish yourself as a thought leader in your niche and grow potential business opportunities.
If you have time, check out some YouTube videos that show others succeeding in your field of interest. By staying abreast of what’s happening in your market, you can also identify areas where further research may be necessary to stay current.
The more prepared you are when making decisions related to starting a new venture, the better off you will be when things don’t go exactly as planned. With all that said, it never hurts to get advice from those who have been there before: Entrepreneurship isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone.
A good place to start looking for advice is websites like Quora or Inbound—the knowledge base features questions submitted by aspiring entrepreneurs who want feedback on specific issues related to starting and running a company.
Step 3: Pick a Good Company.
Ideally, you’ll want to pick a company with products or services that you believe in, but for many people, it might be more important that you pick a company that matches your personality type.
Do some research and ask around before joining an MLM company so that you can get an idea of what kind of salesperson they expect their representatives to be. Is there high pressure on recruitment? Does it cost thousands of dollars just to join up and start selling products like other companies might require?
If it seems like most reps don’t make money, consider looking into another industry instead. There are plenty of reputable companies out there that aren’t too good to be true. Just take time to do your homework first!
Step 4: Get Some Experience First.
If you’re new to network marketing and not sure how you’ll be able to sell your products once you join, go with one of your friends who has an established business in it. As with any profession, there are ways to learn on-the-job by assisting more experienced network marketers and by observing others in action.
Just don’t try and be a salesperson for your friend’s product: no good salesperson ever had just one customer! Plus, some of their products may not be compatible with yours or sell well enough on their own without having to boost them through your network.
Remember, all those promises of riches that sound so wonderful really only work if people actually buy something from you! So ask yourself whether you want to learn about selling first, before joining up.
Step 5: Set Realistic Goals.
Although it may seem like network marketing professionals get rich overnight, that’s rarely true. That said, their goals are often realistic and therefore within reach, which is key when pursuing an opportunity in any field—including network marketing.
In order to hit your sales targets, you’ll need to be strategic about who you target—and what products or services you promise them once they become customers (more on that later).
If you haven’t been in touch with your prospects for awhile, you may find that reaching out personally will help remind them of what attracted them to your company in the first place; it might also help rekindle their loyalty if they were once unhappy with your product or service.
Just make sure you approach these conversations from a What can I do to earn your business? mindset rather than a How can I sell more to my existing customer base? one.
Step 6: Don’t Give Up! Set New Milestones!
Like most careers, network marketing success comes in spurts and starts; you may have several dry spells where you feel like nothing is happening despite your best efforts, followed by periods of tremendous growth.
If you’ve been at it for a while without any significant wins, take heart: It does get easier! Just remember not to get discouraged if it seems like things aren’t working right away.
As long as you keep learning from your experiences and adjusting your strategy accordingly, you’ll be on track for success in no time! A few final tips to help you become a network marketing professional…
Don’t Give Up!: In network marketing, just like any other career path, there will be some tough times when nothing seems to go right or opportunities seem few and far between.
If you’re having trouble with your business or simply need someone to talk with about getting started, reach out to others who are also involved with their own businesses—you can find them online through social media sites or search through business forums such as The World Wide Business Forum (WWBF).
Remember that everyone goes through challenging times every now and then—even people who have been doing it for years. What matters most is how we deal with those challenges!
Step 7: Have Fun and Don’t Take Life Too Seriously.
If you’re thinking about making network marketing your career, it’s important to first understand what being a professional means: Successfully growing and selling a business is never easy and involves many hours of work. Network marketing professionals are expected to hit aggressive sales goals, but they also have dozens of other responsibilities outside of selling products.
These include hosting webinars and in-person meetings, attending conferences and training sessions, creating sales leads on top of driving product sales, maintaining relationships with their customers, identifying new prospects in addition to recruiting and hiring employees/independent contractors for their company—the list goes on!
The reality is that if you want to be successful at network marketing, you must be willing to put in more than 40 hours per week and make sure that every hour counts. It takes a lot of time, energy, effort and commitment; however, if done right, it can pay off big time. Are you ready to take on these challenges? If so, here are seven steps that will help get you started as a network marketing professional
Conclusion.
Now that you’ve finished reading all of these articles, go back and read them again – more slowly. Each time you read one, focus on fully understanding each concept in your own words, before reading any additional information about it on Wikipedia or other websites that you have bookmarked for research purposes.
Notice if anything new occurs to you from your second pass through these posts, as opposed to your first time around. Reading material at least twice allows new concepts and ideas find their way into long-term memory through repetition and revision.
Read also: 8 Questions To Ask a Network Marketing Professional Before You Join Their Team.
Read also: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Network Marketing Professionals.
Read also: The 7 Proven Steps to Becoming a Network Marketing Professional.
Read also: The Top 10 Network Marketing Tips You Need For Success.
Read also: 5 Reasons Why Network Marketing is the Way to Go.
