Traditional prospecting methods

I am not writing this article to criticize the traditional method of getting leads. It has obviously worked for many and is still used by most people in the MLM industry. I’m just saying that there are much more effective ways to build an MLM business in the modern age. I’ll explain why it’s important today to learn how to generate quality MLM leads. Keep in mind that you will be paid commissions and bonuses at the MLM company based on the success of the businesses you have helped establish. You don’t want downlines not active in your business.

I think a lot of people who are still struggling in Network Marketing are in denial. They hope that one day their hard work will pay off. Too often, leaders ask people to attend a seminar or function in the hope that the speaker will strike a spark in them. They walk out of the meeting room excited and ready to take on the world with their business idea. They get the same disappointing results from prospects, come back to the next business meeting, and find, to their frustration, people walking across the stage with new levels of income. And they wonder what they are doing that makes them successful.

You can force a horse to go to the river, but you cannot force it to drink water, the old adage goes. He can somehow persuade people to join his network marketing business, but he can’t force them to get active if they can’t find the motivation to build their business within themselves.

When you finally sponsor people into your MLM business, some complain about the hard work it takes to build a network marketing business and quit. Some do absolutely nothing and nothing you do or say to motivate them will make them do anything. Some will wait for you to spoon-feed them before doing anything. Yet our leaders tell us to talk to everyone we meet about our business opportunity. The question is, should you have sponsored them in the first place if they are not right for your business?

These are the difficulties faced by many Network Marketers, which are a direct result of poor techniques taught by the leaders of the MLM industry. Why isn’t all your hard work leading to quality leads?

The reasons are:

a) Most people you know don’t qualify to own a Network Marketing business in the first place. Most people don’t have the business mindset to meet the challenges of building an MLM business. Most have a 9 to 5 mentality and these are the people we are talking about having a business. I am sure that if there is a test to determine who is a genuine Network Marketer, most people (about 97% to 99%) will fail the test and sadly too. The painful fact is that most people sponsored in an MLM business will do nothing. Which means that the time and resources spent on sponsoring them are wasted. Think about it, would you still spend huge amounts of cash on a vehicle that won’t stop banging or would you send it to the junkyard and buy another one?

b) Some people who join an MLM business join because they are convinced to do so. not because they wanted to join in the first place. And they weren’t qualified to determine if they really want a network marketing business. After a brief stint in the business, they develop buyer’s remorse and give up at the first opportunity.

c) Sometimes we assume that people who complain about their current situation in life are looking for an opportunity. This is not necessarily true and I have learned this the hard way. Many people (if not most) are happy to complain, but don’t have the motivation or desire to break free from financial bondage. Unfortunately, some of these people somehow find their way into our Network Marketing and we were surprised when they didn’t produce anything.

d) Some people join the MLM industry with the expectation that it will be a ticket to easy money.. They are disappointed when they learn that it requires a lot of work. Anyone who says that making money in Network Marketing is easy is trying to mislead you. It takes a lot of time and effort to develop like any other business.

If you are very active in Network Marketing and spend a lot of time and money building your business, it is important that you make a profit for your efforts. Sponsoring poor quality leads is one of the reasons people don’t make a profit in network marketing. I’m not criticizing face-to-face prospecting, but there are more effective ways to find people. It is important that you use effective grading techniques. This will ensure that you are only adding quality leads to your business and people who want to build a network marketing business.

Getting quality leads can be done much more effectively online than offline, as leads can be qualified with the use of an effective funnel. Most funnels include a call to action that requires prospects to perform an activity (like putting their details on a landing page). Those who do engage in this activity are at least interested in learning about the business you offer. So even if you want to stick to traditional prospecting methods, it also makes sense to learn how to generate quality MLM leads online.