Take Pride in Your Network Marketing Business

If you really want to succeed in network marketing, if you really want to sell your company's products and recruit others into your business, then it is imperative that you take an enormous amount of pride in your network marketing business.

This industry is so unique when compared to traditional businesses, but there is one definite similarity. You have to believe in your company, its products and its business model and take pride in the fact that you represent them if you are going to progress in this industry. It doesn't matter what company you are a distributor with and what their past reputation has been. It is your job to bring new positive energy to whatever company you are partnered with and allow customers and prospects to see the bright side of not only your MLM company, but of the network marketing industry as a whole.

Let me give you an example. Perhaps you are an Amway independent business owner (IBO) currently trying to build your business, either online, offline or both. Obviously, Amway, more than probably any other network marketing company, has been on the receiving end of heavy criticism for decades. Most people have heard of this company, and many have a negative impression of it for one reason or another. Advertising campaigns and sponsorships have helped to improve their image, but you as a distributor still have to deal with the negative stigma that is still attached to the company. How do you handle the objections and negativity that is sure to come with a veteran MLM company like this one?

You have to present it in a new light, much like the Amway corporation is trying to do themselves. You have to put your own positive spin on the company, their products and their business plan. You need to take pride in the fact that you are representing a quality company with excellent products and a business opportunity that enables you to make residual income, just like so many other network marketing companies. Don't let the naysayers get you down. This is your business. Treat it as such.

Would a McDonald's or Subway owner not tell people what company they operate, or be ashamed of their business? Would a real estate agent try to hide their affiliation with the real estate company that allows them to pay their bills? Of course not. But you might be saying: "well that's different, this industry is filled with fraud and corruption." And what industry do you know of isn't filled with fraud and corruption? Seriously, there are scams everywhere these days, especially online, and the network marketing industry is no different. But then you might say that we're different because we have to deal with pyramid claims and illegal business practices. That's true, but if you just explain that any business where a product is sold and new distributors have the ability to make more than those that started before them has to be legitimate, the pyramid objection goes away pretty fast. There is no denying the validity of the MLM business model anymore in the 21st century. That right there should be enough ammo for you to take your business seriously and be proud of it.

And then you might be on the other end of the spectrum by representing a start-up company or relatively new, unknown company. You are more likely to be on the receiving end of criticism from the online crowd with this type of opportunity. People will want to know is this going to last, and more importantly, is it a legitimate business? You've got to have confidence not only in your company but in yourself so that you can promote your opportunity and products effectively. Maybe your company won't be around in three years, maybe it will. Either way, you've got to take pride in it today and promote it like it's your lifeblood, because financially, it is. It could set you on the path towards financial independence, even if the company itself doesn't last more than a few years.

These issues of pride and confidence are especially important when it comes to companies that have physical, consumable products, such as Amway, Immunotec and Herbalife. You need to experience the product yourself in order to be a true evangelist for it. People will sense your genuine review of your products and opportunity, and they will be much more likely to join you or buy from you. You can add enthusiasm and a true love for your company and their products to the attributes of pride and confidence when talking about the right mix to being a successful network marketer in this day and age.

There are so many people that hide behind alternate business names and other aliases so that people don't know which company they are with and even what industry they are in. I'm not talking about branding yourself and creating You INC., because that is indeed important, especially on the Internet. But I think you know what I mean. Using Amway as an example again, there are many IBO's, mostly in the offline world, who use deceitful practices and different company names to lure prospects to that next home meeting, mostly because they are ashamed of their network marketing company. They use terms like "revenue sharing" and "affiliate marketing" to hide the fact that they are in a multi level marketing business. I don't want to just pick on Amway. Many other companies' distributors do this too. Heck, many of us even do this in the online world. We aren't upfront with which company we're in and some of us will go so far as to say "this is not MLM," when it shortly becomes clear that what their promoting definitely is MLM. Why all of the cover-ups? Why all the deceitful practices? Is it just a strategy to get people intrigued so that they might sign up, or is there something deeper going on?

I think there is more to it. People are ashamed of this business, they're ashamed of their company and their ashamed of their marketing methods. So they use different terminology and unethical practices to try to entice prospects. I'm saying it's time for a change in this industry. It's time for people to start acting like they own their business and they are proud of their MLM company and its products. It's time for honest and upfront advertising that doesn't pull a 180 on people after they register. It's time to tell the truth, right from the start.