If you’re at all interested in network marketing, you may have wondered about these questions, or even asked them yourself. They range from the practical to the philosophical, and they’re all worth pondering at some point in your business career.
No matter what your experience level, we hope that this list gets you thinking more deeply about who you are and what your purpose really is. These are the top 10 most mind-opening questions in network marketing.
1.What if it’s not about money?
If you’re new to network marketing, it may not be clear why you should focus on building a team rather than just racking up sales. This mindset is what makes so many people fail to launch their business — they don’t realize that it’s not all about them and that without others, they won’t succeed.
When you start looking at things from a bigger perspective and take time to assess your motives for pursuing a career in network marketing, you can really get clarity. Start asking yourself if it’s really about money or if there is more to it.
If there is real purpose behind your desire to get into network marketing, then it will make all of those hard things easier and help everything fall into place over time. The clearer you are on your reasons for wanting to build a business, the better off you’ll be.
After all, even if it’s not about money, what good is having lots of money if you don’t have anything meaningful to do with it?
2.What if I’m different from my sponsor?
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say, But what if I’m different from my sponsor? This is a big issue for a lot of people because they don’t want to feel like they’re not on an equal playing field with their mentor.
To them, asking What if I’m different from my sponsor? is just another way of saying, Am I good enough? Do I have what it takes to make it? Am I different from other distributors because of some defect that makes me less capable than other network marketers?
Rest assured: If your sponsor had any doubt about whether or not you could do it, she wouldn’t have sponsored you.
The fact that she did means you’re at least as good as her—and probably better! So stop worrying and start focusing on doing everything you can to succeed. The more time and energy you spend fretting over your ability, the less time and energy you’ll spend making sales and building your business.
And remember: You are who you surround yourself with—so be sure to surround yourself with positive, successful people who will help build up your confidence rather than tear it down.
3.What if everyone is lying?
It’s okay to think about your upline, their team, and everyone at your company as liars. You can be completely honest with yourself. You can ask yourself What if everyone is lying? What if my upline is making up how awesome MLM is so I sign up under them? I know it seems crazy and you might feel a little paranoid but just ask yourself those questions and dig deep inside.
Ask whether you really believe what your upline tells you or whether you really believe that people are out there lying to just try to get signed up under you or talk to you for a few minutes.
If there’s a part of you that believes they are out there lying, then ask yourself why? Why would someone lie? What benefit do they get from lying to you? Is it because they want something from you or because they are trying to make money off of you? Once you have gone through these steps then connect with your upline.
Ask them hard questions and see how they respond. Don’t expect them to answer immediately either. Sometimes it takes time for people to consider their answers and come back with an answer that will satisfy you. Be patient!
4.What if my parents and friends don’t understand?
This is a very real concern that network marketers should consider. Be sure to educate them before you share your new business opportunity and be sure to have a solid answer ready if they don’t understand.
It’s much easier to sell someone on something they already understand than it is to try and educate them on something they’ve never heard of before. Remember, though, that even people who don’t get what you’re doing will still respect you for following your dreams – so just be prepared for their lack of support.
They may also ask questions about how you plan to make money with your business or why you would leave a good job or career to pursue an entrepreneurial path. Be ready with answers! For more information, see: How To Explain MLM To Your Friends And Family (Without Giving Them Nightmares).
5.What if I don’t have time for this?
Too often, network marketers worry about how they’re going to be able to incorporate something new into their lives. I just don’t have time. But here’s a big dose of reality: If you really wanted to spend more time on your business, you would.
If you wanted to make it a priority, and carve out more hours from your schedule each week for your business, you absolutely could. When someone doesn’t have time for something, it’s only because they prioritized something else over it.
So instead of focusing on why you can’t find enough time for something new (or better yet), focus on what’s already taking up space in your schedule—and ask yourself if that commitment is truly worth your time? And if not, what needs to change? It’s easy to say I don’t have time when you aren’t looking at your calendar.
Be honest with yourself and take a look at what actually takes up your time during any given day or week. You might be surprised by how much free space there is, or isn’t. Once you see where your time goes, then you’ll know exactly where to allocate more of it toward growing your business.
6.What if I’m missing out on other opportunities?
What if you’re so focused on finding a new opportunity that you don’t even consider the idea that there are other opportunities out there? What if you don’t realize that your current job may provide an easier path to success? What if…what if…what if.
That’s a lot of what ifs and all it really does is waste your time. Do yourself a favor and stop wondering about what could be—instead, focus on how to make what is work for you. In most cases, that means getting out of your comfort zone and working hard—harder than everyone else around you.
But just because it’s uncomfortable doesn’t mean it won’t work out for your benefit, and those who can learn to adapt can thrive almost anywhere. Even in network marketing. (Network marketing professionals tend to earn more money.)
7.What if my upline isn’t as nice as they seem?
Many people who consider getting into network marketing wonder what they’ll do if they have an unpleasant experience with their upline. The first thing to remember is that you probably won’t get fired or be forced out of your job if you don’t get along with your boss or co-workers.
In fact, most people don’t leave such jobs. This means that even if you don’t get along with someone at work, your situation isn’t as dire as it may seem when you’re thinking about trying network marketing on for size.
Still, those who enjoy working with others might find network marketing more enjoyable than other workplace situations because there’s less drama involved. You also get to choose whom you interact with, which can make a huge difference in how much energy and enthusiasm you bring to your job.
You can only control yourself—and whether or not you like how things are going at work is up to you. If there’s a lot of negativity and bickering among team members, leaving a company will usually lead to more negative outcomes than positive ones (at least until something else comes along).
But if everyone gets along well and feels good about where they’re going, then leaving might be worth considering. Just keep in mind that it’s often hard for one person alone to change things for everyone else—and sometimes change happens slowly over time instead of overnight.
8.What if I can’t change people’s lives?
Change is all about perspective, right? It’s how you view your world that helps define it. Instead of trying to change people, change how you view them. I don’t want to try and help my network marketing downline succeed; I want to help my family and friends succeed.
I don’t want them looking at network marketing as a way to make money; instead, I want them to look at it as a vehicle for impactful self-discovery. That’s changed how they approach things like prospecting and relationship building—and that has impacted our business for good.
To me, success is about changing someone’s life for the better—not just their bank account balance. One doesn’t always have anything to do with another anyway… or does it? (See question #1.)
And what if some things can’t be changed? Well, then we need to reevaluate whether those are important aspects of life. Are there truly some topics on which we can never agree no matter how hard we try?
What happens when your core beliefs stand in opposition to those around you? We live in an age where it’s easy to silence others because of hurt feelings and political correctness but by doing so, aren’t we giving up on something more important than words could ever say: love.
9.What if it’s too late to succeed at this?
Many network marketers are faced with what seems like an impossible decision: to start a business or stick with their current job. In reality, there is no such thing as too late to make a change for a better life; however, at some point you need to accept that either option will take hard work and sacrifice on your part.
It’s better to give up ten percent of your income than one hundred percent of your dreams. So if you’re stuck in a cubicle wondering if it’s time to quit your day job, let these questions help push you towards success.
10.What If I fail before I get started?
The scariest part of any business is failing before you even begin. But that fear often stems from an equally terrifying question: What if I fail after I get started? The easiest way to assuage that fear is to ask yourself another question, one that will help put things into perspective: What if I succeed before I even get started?
In other words, what if every person you introduce your opportunity to becomes a distributor or customer who buys your products and makes you money? Now all of a sudden failure isn’t something to worry about; it’s something to anticipate and work toward. When you start thinking like that, it’s easier to take action. You have something specific to strive for. You have a goal—and reaching that goal can become addictive. (See also: How To Make Network Marketing Work For You)
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