The first thing to recognise when you are presented with a Network marketing proposition is that Network marketing is unlike other industries in many ways. Most people get involved with MLM because they recognise the potential of the product they are faced with and many are swept along by the potential for high earnings. Few recognise the strategy required to succeed…and if you think that introducing 4 or five people into the organisation is your guarantee for success then you, are one of those people!

Having been involved with network marketing for about a year now there are a few observation I would like to share in this article to demystify the practices you need to succeed and hopefully help you decide if you have what it takes to make it with a Network marketing company.

The first thing most people get wrong when they join a Network marketing company is that they fail to start correctly. I would say a good 70% of the people I have introduced in the past twelve months have joined thinking ‘they know best’

Funnily this about the same percentage as the failure rate for network marketing. If  that sounds high,  dont be put off. It is the same rate of failure you will find in other industries such as real Estate or insurance agents. All these industries depend on you showing more than just williness to turn up to make a success of it. As most self employed people who are successful will tell you, it takes commitment, hard work, ingenuity…and a bloody mindeness not to fail, to actually make it on your own.

The point about Network marketing is that you can get involved in a business of your own for a small investment of a few hundred dollars. You can start part time and build the business alongside another job until you reach an income level that supports you. how long that takes depends upon your commitment and work ethic. part time doesnt means ’some of the time’…you will need to make a commitment to set hours in the week to work your business not just do a bit now and then.

But lets get back to the point in the title and talk about ‘the list’.

Anyone who has flirted with a Network marketing company knows that the first thing the person who enrolls you tells you to do, is to make a list of everyone you know. This request and the attached emotions that go with it, is probably the single most important reason why people fail in Network Marketing.

There are several reasons why ‘ the list’ is a killer for many would be Networkers. The first is embarrasment. The second is not understanding the reasons ‘Why?’ the list is important and the third is a misunderstanding of how this ‘list is going to be used.

Here is an analogy that I use to ‘demystify the list’

Imagine that you are starting a new retail business. A shoe shop maybe, selling your own brand of shoes. You have obtained your premises and have been working dilgently acquiring your stock. Its time to get open your store.

What is your first move…. A launch party! Open in style, get the local press round and invite everyone you know to come share a glass of champagne and celebrate with you.

If that sounds about right then your next step, having set the date for the party is to sit down and make out your invitations to the party.

Oh look, you are writing a list. A list of everyone you know that you would like to invite to your opening to see your new business venture.  Starting to sound familiar? Well it should, because that is all ‘the list’ is. its your starting ‘potential’ clent list. Its your start up party invitations. Dont expect to offer everyone on that list a partnership.

At the end of writing the party list you will go through the names to see if you have missed anyone. you will cross the odd one off…they are away or maybe you know that they are busy with personal issues.

In Network marketing we call this qualifying the list. Going through your names to see how best to contact someone. For some it will be a phone call, many you may just want to send an e-mail to. Others you really think maybe interested in what you are doing you will want to sit down and talk to.

However you decide to approach the people, the main point of the article is to emphasise that if you dont write your party invitation list and just decide to open your store on a wet Friday without telling anyone, then dont be surprised if your first week or month is a quiet dismal affair, rather than the exciting buzz created by the opening party.

The best single thing about Network Marketing is that if you are unsure about what to do or how to qualify or how to approach or what to say….then you have a host of people above you ( your upline) who have a vested financial interest in helping you succeed. Let me say that again A VESTED FINANCIAL INTEREST in helping you succeed.

Your immediate upline may be relatively new as well, in which case you go to their upline…or higher, til you hit a leader with the experience to help.