Top 10 Steps to Success in Network Marketing
Author: Usa Johnson

Although network marketing is one of the simplest and quickest roads to personal and financial success, only 5 percent of those who make the journey reach their goals. What sets them apart? The same thing that will set you apart if you follow these key steps:

1) Know what you want.
What do you want in life? Wealth? Health? Happiness? Any and all can be yours?if you create a compelling enough vision of your future. This vision works like a magnet, moving you forward and keeping you going, even when you hit occasional walls. Walls are part of any business, network marketing included. It¡¯s what you do to get up, over, around, and through them that matters. Really knowing what you want will move you beyond them each and every time.

2) Make a firm commitment.
Network marketing may be a unique business model, but like all businesses, it works only if you do. No matter what product or service you sell or what company you join, you need to be the engine that drives your success. Don¡¯t be content to be a passenger. Remember: Action is commitment set in motion; motion builds momentum; momentum, over time, leads to success.

3) Follow the system.
Network marketing companies don¡¯t just offer a product?they offer a system for delivering it to the public. In short, they¡¯ve worked out all ¡°policies and procedures¡± to a science, so you don¡¯t have to reinvent the wheel or waste precious time and energy on the countless details that plague most business start-ups. The result? You (and everyone you bring into the organization) hit the ground running. Therefore, follow your company¡¯s system EXACTLY. There¡¯s no quicker way to success.

4) Love and use your product.
Enthusiasm sells products and begins with familiarity. That means knowing your company¡¯s products (or services) inside and out. Use each over an extended period of time to gain firsthand experience of its benefits. Talk to others to learn how each bettered their lives as well. This deeper understanding enables you to talk more comfortably, authoritatively, and enthusiastically about your products and services with all you meet.

5) Work your upline.
Your sponsor is part teacher, part guide, part cheerleader, part friend. That¡¯s a whole lot of parts! And when you put them together, you get an energetic, knowledgeable, and caring person who can get you where you want to go as directly as possible. Know, however, that your upline includes more than just your sponsor. Your sponsor¡¯s sponsor (or even your sponsor¡¯s sponsor¡¯s sponsor) is someone with helpful tools and tips. Don¡¯t be shy about giving him or her a quick phone call or dropping either an e-mail. Use them to expand your knowledge and reach.

6) Cultivate winners.
Build strong relationships with a significant number of the individuals you sponsor. Exactly how many is a significant number? It could be 10 to 20, or just two to three. The key is this: You don¡¯t have to have a downline of thousands all giving 100 percent. All you need is a handful of folks who have ¡°heard the calling¡± and respond body and soul. These are the distributors worth cultivating; they¡¯re the true winners who will help you grow your business, so support them any way you can. As to the rest, if they¡¯re reluctant to begin with, no amount of pushing or pulling will get them to change their minds or the way they do business.

7) Avoid cold calls.
When prospecting, always start with ¡°familiar faces¡±?family, friends, acquaintances, etc. Because they know and respect you, the trust is there. Too, they often listen more intently and politely, allowing you the opportunity to fine-tune your approach. That¡¯s invaluable experience, and it can help you quickly build the confidence you need to extend your circle.

8) Reject rejection.
Rejection may not be fun, but it¡¯s not personal. That¡¯s why it¡¯s critical that you commit to not letting your fear of rejection stand in the way of your goals. One way to work through your fear is to literally list the reasons some folks wouldn¡¯t be interested in network marketing in general and your company/product/service in particular. Next, prepare responses to each and every one of the objections. This act alone will bolster your confidence; too, your responses will help prospects move beyond their own limited beliefs.

9) Diversify.
Thanks to the Internet, teleconferencing, new and inexpensive printing processes, and the like, you can communicate with prospects not just across the street but around the world. Scary and overwhelming as this may be, it¡¯s critical that you embrace these new ways of doing business and make them work for you. That said, never lose sight of the old standbys?home meetings and one-on-one contacts. Human contact is critical in network marketing, no matter what the product. There¡¯s simply no substitution, so create a balance between old and new approaches to achieve maximum results.

10) Take care of yourself.
If you want to succeed in network marketing, you¡¯ve got to give it your all. But that doesn¡¯t mean you have to live and breathe the business 24 hours a day. You¡¯ll quickly burn out, plus, you won¡¯t enjoy the finer things in life?the very things you went into the business to experience. In short then, don¡¯t put off to tomorrow what you can begin to enjoy today.








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Usa B. Johnson is the author of ¡°Success Is Yours with Network Marketing: 10 Key Steps to Build Your Business,¡± which can be ordered through Amazon.com. Johnson, an independent distributor for a leading network marketing company, can be reached at jbconny@erols.com or visit her at her website www.usajohnson.com.

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