Network Marketing Business:11 Things You Should Consider Before Joining
Working from home can be an incredible blessing,but choosing the right company isn’t always easy.
There are so many things to think about which is why we have put together this list for you of eleven things to consider when choosing a network marketing business.
1. Find A Product Line That You Are Passionate About
Don’t market something you wouldn’t purchase yourself. A decent salesperson can sell just about anything –but if you want to be a salesperson,you should be applying for a job at a car dealership,not starting your own business.
What is it that you care about? What excites you,or brings a tear to your eye? Once your business is as successful as you know it can be,and you don’t need to worry about a job,or bills,or anyone’s expectations but your own,what will you do every day?
What will you focus on when you have complete freedom?
That’s your passion.
It’s important that the products you decide to market fit that passion. After all,if you aren’t 100% behind your products and passionate about them,your prospects will sense that.
Once you have a product you truly believe in,your business really becomes more about sharing your passion than about selling a product –and that is what people trust and respond to.
If not,people will see you as just another salesperson pitching them some products just so you can make a sale.
2. A Product Line That Is Valuable And Unique
Another critical thing to consider is the value and individuality of your prospective company’s product line. When looking into different opportunities,be sure to evaluate the products they offer,both in terms of their value,and how unique they appear to be.
If you can easily name or find half a dozen companies that appear to offer a similar product,then those products are effectively going to be competing against one another. If your future prospects learn about your product and feel like they’ve heard the same story from other companies in the past,they are much more likely to move on. You may want to consider looking for a product that is as unique as possible.
Not only should you consider a unique product line,but the products must provide real value to their intended market. It may not be a good idea to join a network marketing business that sells products that don’t have any benefit to their customers other than the business opportunity attached to it. The products should be able to stand on their own two feet,so to speak.
If the only reason people buy your product is to join your biz opp,then there is nothing really setting you apart from the other countless business opportunities that are available to them. Again,it’s important that the product line can stand on it’s own,even if there isn’t a business opportuntiy attached to it.
A product that can provide value,in and of itself,is much more likely to attract customers than one that feels like it’s only real purpose is to make your business seem legitimate.
3. Compensation Plan
It is important to look for a solid compensation plan when making your decision. Keep in mind that doesn’t necessarily mean the plan that looks like it pays the most!
Make sure the compensation plan makes sense…you shouldn’t need a PhD to understand exactly how you are being paid!
You should also evaluate how effective this compensation plan will be in terms of the goals you’ve set for yourself. How many sales will you need to make in order to meet those goals based on that commission structure? How realistic is that number?
It may not be a bad idea to be open to looking at network marketing companies that offer products with higher priced items,which are in turned attached to larger commissions. There is a belief that it is easier to sell 100 thirty dollar products than it is to sell a single $3000 product –this is not necessarily true,if you market to the right audience.
Consider your comp plan,the price points and commission levels carefully before you join a company!
4. Duplication And Built In Training Platform
Building a new business involves learning a lot of new information –more so than many new business owners realize. An important aspect of choosing a new network marketing business is finding one that will help you gain the knowledge you need.
Ultimately,this is your business,which means gaining the necessary skills is your responsibility. As you grow and build your business,you will be learning many new marketing techniques and skills and investing in yourself,but it is very critical to align yourself with a company that can help you get moving in the right direction as you get started.
Keep in mind that this is important for not only you,but for your future prospects and team.
It is important that the network marketing business you choose has a system in place to help train your new team members and get them up and running as well. Your job will be to guide your team and answer their questions,but being responsible for all of their training can’t be your only focus! After all,you still have your own business to focus on!
When selecting a network marketing business,be sure there are tools and systems in place that will help make it easy for your team to duplicate your success.
5. Access To Online AND Offline Marketing Strategies
The internet is a powerful tool,and leveraging it can be an incredible useful weapon in building your business. Although,that doesn’t necessarily mean that online marketing is the only way,or that it is for everyone.
It is entirely possible that you,or some of your future team members,prefer to take an offline approach. Not everyone wants to master PPC or SEO and some people just don’t want to use Facebook or Twitter,for example!
Now,in today’s world,trying to build a business without at least SOME online presence is a guaranteed way to leave a lot of money on the table,but that doesn’t mean it needs to be everyone’s primary focus.
It’s important that your company provide avenues for marketing both online and offline –allowing you,and your team,to market in the way that they are most comfortable with,or even with both.
6. Sales Funnel/Marketing System
You’re building a business. You go out and meet people. You drive traffic to your website. Then what?
It is important that there is a system/sales funnel in place that will help you in organizing and communicating with your prospects,leads and customers. If a prospect comes to a meeting or your website,how will you stay in touch with and follow up with them? Is there some way in which you can gather their contact info?
Once you have that information,what do you do with it? How do you organize it? How do you follow up with these prospects and what do you say/send to them? What do you do if they aren’t interested in your product? How do you recoup some of the marketing expenses for all of the leads that don’t become distributors?
These are important questions to ask before joining a company,and not all companies have all the answers. In that case,it is important to figure out how you will handle these obstacles because this will save you so much time,money,energy and aggravation.
7. Ease Of Order Processing
One of the most important aspects of running a business is taking care of your customers and processing their orders. When choosing the perfect network marketing business for you,make sure you consider what you will be responsible for when a customer orders a product.
Do you process their payment? If so,how? Is it your responsibility to place their order? What about shipping the product? How about handling refunds or returns?
What types of shipping or transaction fees will you be responsible for? How much of this process is automated or handled by the company?
These may be some of the most important questions to ask when starting a new business!
8. How Strong Is The Leadership?
You are going to need to be a strong leader in order to be successful because you are your business! This principle holds true for any company you consider joining.
When choosing a network marketing business,strong leadership is very critical.
Who are the leaders of the company? What’s their story? Where did they come from? What got them into this business,and what did they do before?
How involved are these leaders? Are they someone you’ll hear on weekly training calls and talk to at events? Or are they simply just faces you will see on the company newsletter?
The leadership of your company will say a lot about it’s future –these leaders should be dedicated,passionate and involved.
9. Integrity
One definition of integrity is “Adherence to moral principals;honesty.”This is something you should look for in a company.
If the company you are evaluating isn’t completely transparent,if they aren’t open and honest about their products,their business plan and mission,or if they are unclear about their goals over the coming years,you may want to look a little closer.
Do the leaders we just discussed a moment ago act with the highest level of integrity at all times? Are there any conflicts of interest in the business model?
The ethics and integrity of a company should be something you take into careful consideration when making a decision of who join and align yourself with.
10. Find A Good Mentor
A company is only as good as it’s people. It’s important to make sure you are aligning yourself with a good mentor,someone who will be there to guide and help you.
There are so many network marketers out there,so make sure that you are joining your company under someone who is going to be there to guide you and answer your questions to help you grow your business and be successful.
Ultimately,your success –in any company –is in your own hands. It’s your responsibility to learn the principles and strategies of effective marketing. It’s your responsibility to consistently implement those strategies. It’s your responsibility to put in the time and energy required to succeed.
Your mentor will be there to help you when you need feedback or guidance with training materials and marketing techniques.
It’s important that you connect with your mentor and you can see that they are passionate about their business and dedicated to helping you become successful.
You mentor should be professional,meaning they take their business,and yours,seriously! It’s not about them making a sale when you join their business,it’s about genuinely wanting to help you grow your own business.
11. Company History and Track Record
New companies get started all the time –meaning you’ll see a lot of pre-launches and chances to “get in at the ground floor!”
For many marketers,the opinion is that this is a great way to start a business,to be there at the beginning..
For many other marketers,they believe that the wiser course of action is to join a business that already has an established track record. A company that has already demonstrated that it has a valuable product,successful business model and effective comp plan may be a better fit for you.
We certainly aren’t here to tell you which of these philosophies is right or wrong,but this is definitely a topic that is worth a little thought –consider carefully which option best suits your needs and risk tolerance.
Bringing It All Together
Ultimately,the decision lies with you. This list may not cover every single aspect,but in our experience,it covers the important things that need to be considered when choosing a network marketing business.
It’s up to you to perform the research and due diligence into your own company before you get started,just as it is up to you to decide how important each of the items on this list is to you.
Deciding what company you want to be a part of is an important task –the last thing you want to do is get caught up in the cycle of joining company after company,always finding something that doesn’t feel right,or fit with your values. Jumping from one business to another is counterproductive and inefficient,which is why choosing the best company possible the first time around is so crucial!
We hope this list helps make your decision easier and we wish you the best of luck!! Welcome to this exciting industry!
About the Author
Lynne and Chad are online business and marketing coaches who are passionate about their network marketing business. They are providing everyday people with the opportunity to start their own internet marketing business
Model Titanic Sinking version 2
