Big MLM Tip - Buying Leads?

No matter how much we talk about this, many people out there still do not see the dangers of buying leads.

Recently I have spoken with a few different people on this topic as it came up in conversation. These people were following a different "Prospecting System". One started telling me what a great thing it was that their program leaders were going to start selling leads. He was concerned that he may not be able to afford them at first, to which I tried to explain why he should have his money. He never replied back to that particular item, so I am not sure if he understood what I meant. I hope so.

Inadvertently, this young man hit on one of the biggest problems with buying leads. It is not duplicatable. Most people, when first starting out with MLM are on a very limited budget. They will not be able to afford to buy leads. This can be discouraging. After all, you found them that way, so they think that is what they need to do to find others.


The other issue is, most of the leads you buy are garbage. They are names that got on a list somehow, and now have been passed around so many times that they are getting calls daily from people trying to pitch something else to them. What kind of odds do you think you will have with someone who is already fed up with people calling?

Another one I ran across a couple times was opted-in leads. I had a couple of people that were all excited about their program offering these. I hate to burst a bubble, but these folks needed to be educated to the dangers of doing this. Opted-in leads do not exist. There is no such thing. If the person did not specifically opt into YOUR list to receive YOUR messages, then they are NOT opted-in leads! I do not know how to make this any clearer. If someone tries to talk to you about opted-in leads, RUN! It is a scam, 100% of the time.

While on the subject of leads, and some of these "systems" out there, let me touch on one more thing. If soemone is promoting numbers like "get 50 leads a day", move right along. Two problems with that. ONE, there is no way these are targeted leads. I woudl greatly prefer to get 2 or 3 quality leads a day than 50 or more that are not targeted. TWO, how do you plan to follow up with 50 people every day? You will never be successful in this business if you do not call your leads. Do you have time to call 50 a day? Oh yeah, and don't forget about the ones who didn't answer yesterday that you need to try again, and the day before that, and... well, you get the idea. What a total waste of time. What good does it do to call 50 people or more a day only to find out that none of them are looking for what you have to offer? But, if you are calling highly targeted prospects, you will have much different results.

Alright, I'll get off my soap box now.

Big MLM Tip of the Day: MLM - You Already Do it, Why Not Get Paid for it

You have been recommending products since you were 5 or even younger. From the first time you saw that new toy on TV and told your parents how great it was, you were taking part in word of mouth marketing. 

Why not get paid for it? 

In short, that is the primary function of network marketing. You recommend products or services to others, then help them learn how to recommend them to still others. There just happens to be a compensation plan attached so that you each get a portion of the profits from these sales.  

Seems simple right? 

There are a lot of MLM failure stories out there that suggest it is not so simple. Without a good coaching and mentoring program, including methods on how to create MLM leads online, you are going to struggle. 

With a solid duplicatable system, all that is left is your effort. Check the MENTORING RESOURCES page for such a system.

Big MLM Tip of the Day: Staying Motivated

Keeping yourself motivated can be a real struggle at times. Things do not always go as well as you would like. 

Your prospecting efforts could be lagging so that you are not getting as many leads as you were. 

Maybe you have sponsored some people who are not active. Remember, almost 3/4 of your team will be product users only, and this is okay.

Sometimes daily life can just get to be so draining that you have a hard time finding motivation to get things done. This is a particular struggle for the part timer. 

It is frequently hard to get motivated to work o your business in the evening when you spent all day working at the day job. 

A lot of people will tell you that you need a BIG dream to keep you motivated. They recommend visiting a local Ferrari dealer or touring large houses to help build your dream. 

While that may help a little, most people are still so far away from such a lofty dream that this can often backfire and leave a person feeling less motivated simply because it seems unattainable. 

What you really need is to establish a solid "WHY". WHY do you want to succeed in your business? 

Check back over the next few days for more on how to determine your "WHY".

Big MLM Tip of the Day: Making a list of your friends and family will never work.

Welcome to “Networking how to: 101”.  

Have you joined a company and they told you to make a list of your friends and family or people you have known since grade school? These are supposed to be your “warm leads”. 

That is where most people are told to start, and has a great deal to do with why so many people quit without sponsoring anyone. 

Why? 

The people who know you best are usually the least likely to follow you. Sure, you'll set appointments. They all want to do you a favor, but most have no intention of signing up. 

It is better to save this "warm market" for later when you can show then that it is working for you, and how you can help them. Remember, these people know you quite well. Unless you are already an outstanding leader, they will not think of you that way until they see evidence of it. 

Also, what happens when you run out of these warm leads? Many people give up because they have exhausted their leads with nothing to show for it. 

Would it not be better to learn how to find leads from the beginning? We will discuss strategies for generating leads frequently. Stop by daily or subscribe to the RSS feed to the right.