Why I Choose Network Marketing

I wanted to take a moment and share with you all why Network Marketing has become center-focus in my life.  I used to think it was all scandalous and shady.  I used to think it was all about sales and being pushy.  But now that I understand what it's really all about my eyes have been opened to an entire world of possibility I never knew existed.

Pyramids

First, I think it's important to address the "pyramid scheme" idea. I believe the basic thought that comes to mind when you hear this phrase is someone putting themselves at the top of a pyramid and living off the hard work of everyone underneath them.  This sounds shady indeed.  Until you look at the way every business in the world works.  There is a pyramid in every business system.  There is the head-honcho on the very top playing golf and going on vacations, every so often checking in with his managers.  As you travel down the pyramid the load of work increases and the amount of pay decreases.  Significantly.  The size and the position of top guy might change, but that is the way every company works.  The difference between this model and network marketing is that in network marketing anyone who enters the business (granted, the company you work with matters greatly) has equal opportunity and potential to climb as high he or she desires.  Of course, in a traditional business setting the individual must rely on others granting him the opportunity to make more money and have more influence and for most people, they don't get very far.

So, you tell me...which model seems more like a "scheme" to you?

Monetary Investments 

 

The next issue I think is crucial to discuss is having to pay money to join a network marketing business.  I'll readily agree that this was the biggest "red flag" for me when I first became acquainted with the system.  I recently found a quote from Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Poor Dad empire that addresses just this very issue perfectly: "Network-marketing companies provide the investor or distributor with proven business systems.  As with a franchise, the distributor buys the rights to distribute an existing product line, but for a much lower fee."  Now, I have also heard that this is all an illusion created by the top of the company to make people believe they can make money if they invest their personal money first, making the leaders richer and emptying your pockets further.  The illusion descriptor is definitely false (again, depending on the company you're affiliated with).  It is false because the opportunity is real.  When people come away from network marketing saying it didn't work, that is usually because of their lack of action and/or coach-ability and not the lack of opportunity.  There may continue to be out-of-pocket costs as you go, but these are usually optional.  Not to mention, as an independent owner of your book of business you still have to understand that being a business owner means business costs.  Although, keep in mind that overhead costs and tax advantages with network marketing are better than most other money-generating options out there.  Besides, if you were given something for nothing, would you really have any incentive to do anything with it?  We really only value what we've had to make sacrifices and investments for.

So, no matter what you choose to do (job vs NM) you are going to be helping your superiors become richer.  With that in mind, would you rather fill the pockets of the leaders in a company that will not pull you up with them...or would you rather fill the pockets of the leaders in a company that can help to elevate you to their very level as you go?

Integrity 

 

We have established that you will start at the bottom of a pyramid anywhere you go and that investing a small amount into a proven system that can bring an unbelievable return is completely legitimate.  Now for the morality of the infrastructure.  Here is where the conversation can get a little tricky.  Obviously, choosing the right company is absolutely imperative in network marketing as well as any other kind of affiliation.  There are many places you can look to find guidelines for choosing the right company.  In my experience, the product or service being offered to the public should be your primary concern.  If it is something you can comprehend, believe in, and become passionate about, you are off to a great start.  This also means that it should be something you believe in strongly enough to use personally.  When you experience the product or service as a consumer, you understand if it works the way it should.  If it does than you can feel good about offering it to those around you.

Now if you should find a company that presents itself in a clouded way and you can't really tell what they offer to the public and they just talk about joining in to make money...I'd say that's probably not the most reliable business to join.  The most trustworthy companies are going to be transparent because they have nothing to hide.

Serving Others

So, if you choose a good company with a product or services you personally can get excited about as a consumer, you are poised well to bring value to the marketplace.

What does it mean to bring value to the marketplace?  It means sharing what you love with anyone and everyone in order to serve them.  Network marketing is so much more than selling.  It is really, truly about serving.  The best "salespeople" don't even concentrate on sales.  They concentrate on the value they bring to the lives of the people they help.  If you find this mindset to be prominent in the company of your choice, you can probably feel pretty good about their moral standpoint.  When anyone's biggest focus is on helping people, honesty and integrity follow right alongside.

Leverage

 

Once you can feel comfortable with being apart of such a company yourself, you can begin thinking about "recruiting" others to join your team.  Here is where many people think it gets scary.  I know because I didn't like the thought of it either.  I was completely horrified at the thought of asking others to join me and know that they know that I make a profit off of everything they do.  But it is in this area of the business that the potential for personal growth skyrockets.  In a monetary as well as intrinsic fashion.  May I introduce you to leverage.  Network marketing offers you the opportunity to create a full-blown business.  If you think back to the "pyramid" discussion earlier you can picture a giant pyramid made up of billions of smaller pyramids, all inter-connected in complex ways.  When you recruit a "team" in this industry you create a business for yourself where you can be the head of however many people you choose.  Yes, you make a percentage off their work...but you also have incentive to help them to grow and be fully successful.  You build your team by helping each member of your team build their own team and continue the pattern.  When you help those around you to realize their dreams you help yourself to realize your own.  There is no dirty competition or effort to stunt anyone's growth.  It's truly an even playing field all the way around.

As we said earlier, the best network marketing companies are service-based and so focus most of their efforts on sales, but they certainly teach the importance of recruiting as well. 

Passive Income 

 

Lastly, I'd like you to understand what passive income is.  Passive income is money that you don't have to directly work for.  Once you have done the initial work upfront in building a book of business and, if you so choose, building a sales force, you can start enjoying the fruits of your labor in the form of passive income.  This means that you get paid in a few ways.  One is residual income, which is money coming in from the work you've previously done.  For instance, in my company I get paid on the sales I make for as long as they stay active.  This is hugely powerful!  Can you imagine being a realtor and getting paid for years to come on each individual house you've sold?  Or what about an office manager who gets paid for years to come for each individual spreadsheet completed?!  You get the idea.  Passive income also comes in the form of overrides, which is exactly what we were talking about above in building a team.  If you decide to recruit others to join you in your business (and this is never mandatory), you will get paid a percentage of every sale they make.  When they recruit a team of their own you also get paid a percentage for the work those individuals do.  Of course, every company will offer a different compensation plan, some more flattering than others.  And with many companies you only get paid overrides as long as you are at a higher "level" in the compensation plan than those that were signed under you on your team.  However, this is exactly what it means to build a business that works even when you are not present.  It is quite seriously the American Dream come to life.  Again, I would like to emphasize the word leverage.

 

 

More Benefits

A few other points I want to make without getting fully into them: networking means building relationships, inside and outside of the business infrastructure.  You have the change to come to know some amazing people and benefit in various ways from those relationships.  Building relationships also means learning to better interact with others.  This is extremely far out from my comfort zone, but I am living proof that it is possible to not only improve in this area, but to enjoy doing so!  Being better at interacting with others reaches to all areas of life, not just business!

Being a business owner (that is what you become!) makes you much more aware of your own personal finances, which is something I think we all should be better at.  Challenging yourself to step outside of your comfort zone and to overcome obstacles, internal and external, makes you a stronger person, better prepared to meet life confidently and better fulfilled. Network marketing companies bring a lot of encouragement for personal growth in all areas of life.  They provide training and support so everyone can learn and grow just as much as s/he chooses.

Final Thoughts

 

So, am I saying that network marketing is right for everyone?  Absolutely not.  However, I, and the vast majority of the world's richest and most prominent, agree that network marketing offers the greatest potential for freedom...financial, time, and life.

Now I ask you, if you had the opportunity to work a proven system, with lots of support, on a part or spare time basis, investing only as much time and money as you want while you live the rest of your life, and eventually have enough passive income to allow you to decide what you'll spend your life doing without having to consider making an income (cause it's already coming in!)... wouldn't you do it?