She’s Just In It For The money!
November 7, 2008 – 11:50 am | by Shelley Penney - The MLM Diva
Is Network Marketing Just About Money?
I’ve heard some interesting statements recently. Let me start by laying out the scene for you…
I am in my office catching up on a bit of Mahjong (that’s code for working hard! LOL) when my phone rings. It is an acquaintance who has recently started working with a different network marketing company and he is calling me to tell me all about it. Ultimately, he hopes that I will catch on to his excitement and join him in his venture.
He doesn’t have much knack for small talk, so he gets right to it. He starts telling me about this company… it’s been around for a while but they are making some changes, and people are joining and making several thousands of dollars in their first month. "What are the products?", I ask. Well…..(pause)…. toothpaste, laundry soap, pet shampoo…. "But I don’t care much about the product." He says, "The business is the product to me. It’s all about the money."
STOP right there. Hey, I thought this was about me, not you! 
Here is an interesting observation I have made…. people who start a network marketing business because they want to make the big bucks, and live in a mansion, and smoke 20 dollar bills after a good meal do NOT believe that anyone joins a business for any other reason. IN FACT they will argue that YOU don’t really know your own mind, or worse will outright accuse you of lying (to build a business of course!).
Here’s a newsflash for all of you business builders who think you are going to lure me to your team with promises of big dollars and a screenshot of your paypal back office. I don’t DO this business because of the money. Oh don’t get me wrong, I cash the checks. (duh!) But I am GOOD at a lot of things. I have a skill set that has allowed me to earn money in a number of different ways. Statistically, Network Marketers (most of them) NEVER reach their monetary dream of ‘pie in the sky’ riches, so WHY would ANYONE do this business for the money?? Don’t you know there are a ton of ways to make money?
I started a network marketing business initially because I was jealous of the person who was standing in front of me bragging she "had it all", and I wanted to prove I could do it too! (How’s that for honesty?! hehe) I didn’t get my start in this business because of the money. I did it because of the recognition. It was a chance for me to show people that I could. It was an opportunity to stand on stage, take the spotlight, have my adoring throngs of fans throw roses and carnations at my feet. (OK well that’s a little fanciful, but you get the picture).
Over the years, I have come to recognize the value of a good product. Since a good product factors in to my team’s success, and my team’s success means my success, I won’t join a business unless the product is GOOD, and there is an established market for the product.
A thriving network marketing community needs 3 kinds of people. First, the business builders… these are the people who are hungry for big teams and big money. These people fill your team with eager business minded people. Second, are the retailers…. these are the people who believe the product is KING and won’t join you unless they can see how they can "sell the product" to their market. This group will give you volume, which a legitimate network marketing company will pay well on. The third group are the product consumers… those people who join your business JUST to consume the product at wholesale. Also in this group are the people who joined for other reasons, but end up doing nothing but "drinking the koolaid". (so to speak of course!)
Without all 3 you will not be able to sustain your growth.
If you don’t believe me, I challenge you to look at any so called "heavy hitter" who has been in 2 or 3 companies that you know of. Ask yourself why they left any company. Don’t ask them, because you will rarely get the truth. Most of the big players in the MLM field are fall into the "EVERYONE WANTS THE BIG BUCKS" mentality. They will teach you to look for business builders, don’t bother with selling the product, the business is the product, and on it goes. If that is the case, WHY do they find themselves dragging their team off to a new company in a year or two?
I have heard it said that ‘people don’t leave if they are making money’. That simply isn’t true. The real truth is, ….. ARE YOU READY????
People don’t leave if they are happy.
Keep your team happy, no matter the reason they joined you, and you will have that success you are looking for. Keeping them happy means acknowledging that they may have their own reasons (not YOUR reasons) for joining your business.
Tags: MLM, money, Network MarketingRelated posts
Shelley Penney lives in her own world.... building a network marketing business from her home office, and writing about it in hopes that she can TRULY make a difference. Find her at http://www.shelleypenney.com
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Tags: MLM, money, Network Marketing
One Response to “She’s Just In It For The money!”
By tmelanson on Jul 7, 2009 | Reply
Awesome article Shelley…
I think I got that same call!