Part of multilevel marketing’s (MLM) beauty is its accessibility to people from any background. If you’re looking to get involved in this field but don’t have prior experience in sales, don’t get overwhelmed when you think about MLM training.
Many of the skills used in network marketing come naturally. Do you use social networks to keep in contact with friends and get to know new people? Then you’re a networker. Have you told family members how much you liked a certain product, and has your enthusiasm inspired those people to buy the item themselves? Congratulations, you’re a word-of-mouth marketer. Inherent traits like these are… just one aspect of working in MLM, and as you expand your MLM operation, it will be important to beef up your knowledge as well.
Here are a few bits of wisdom to remember as you advance in the MLM world:
Ask questions and seek out mentors
Because of the community-like nature of network marketing, there are plenty of opportunities to learn as you go and work with experienced salespeople who can mentor you and show you the ropes. MLM consultant and author Rod Nichols writes for Entrepreneur magazine one of the most important tips for succeeding in the MLM world is to be open to feedback.
Don’t let arrogance or past experience get in the way of you making money. Look at your fellow multilevel marketers. Are they earning more than you? Do they have a bigger network? Rather than viewing these colleagues as your competition, treat them as valuable sources of information and ask them as many questions as possible.
“MLM is a business of duplication,” Nichols says. “Those who’ve already been successful will share their secrets to success, and all you need to do is listen and then do what they tell you.”
Sometimes, you have to run before you walk
Network marketing training doesn’t necessarily mean reading training manuals, taking exams or working for months or years to learn the process before you can actually get started on meeting with customers and promoting your products.
Look at the success stories of some of the most famous business startups, and you’ll see many of their founders learned on the job, figuring out the details as they went. That entrepreneurial element is inherent to network marketing. While the best MLM companies will supply you with the resources you need to perform well, you’ll also have the opportunity to gradually pick up additional skills throughout the process. Don’t be a productive procrastinator who avoids taking action because you spend all your time preparing. At a certain point, you just have to make the leap. The risk almost always pays off.
Set goals and don’t get distracted
It’s much easier to take action when you have specific goals in mind. Write out your list of objectives and dreams first, Nichols advises, and then work backwards from that point to figure out what you need to do to get there. It might seem like there’s a lot of work to do, but when you break those big tasks into smaller chunks with shorter timeframes, you’ll be able to get started and gradually get to your final destination.
Leadership isn’t scary
As you expand your network, learning to delegate tasks to team members can be one of the most difficult aspects of achieving MLM success. However, it’s not impossible. It just requires a slight change in thinking and understanding that as you build your operation, you will have to grow your team and assign them certain functions so you can focus on the big picture. Leaders who try to take care of all the small details on their own – and who forget to plan ahead for the major details as a result – won’t be leaders for long. Trusting your team and distributing responsibilities to help them develop professionally will benefit them and help your group achieve its goals.
Keep in mind your team members will be a rich source of information. Take time for group meetings that allow everyone to share their own knowledge and experiences and to coach each other through challenges they face.